Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Irish X

(3.30)
Made with the same way and ingredients as the Black Irish X (a process of spinning dark fired wrapper leaves. The filler is again, predominantly dark fired leaf with the addition of a small percentage of dark air cured Indian leaf.). Brown Irish X (same as twist) comes straight off the spinning machine without any additional processing. The absence of the pressure and heating process means this tobacco retains all of it's strength.
Notes: Pipesandcigars.com list the components as burley and Kentucky. Smokingpipes.com list the components as Virginia and provides the following description: "Brown Irish X by Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. is dark fired and dark air cured. This rope is stoved less than the Black Irish." Gawith Hoggarth says, "All our Kendal Twist tobacco varieties (Pigtail, Bogie, Flavored Twist, Irish X and Irish XXX) are manufactured by the same spinning process using dark fired wrapper leaves. The filler is again, predominantly dark fired leaf with the addition of a small percentage of dark air cured Indian leaf. They are therefore strong tobaccos. Black Twist (Black Irish), because the cooking process removes some of the stronger tar and nicotine elements, provides a milder smoke than the brown twist."

Details

Brand Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blended By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Manufactured By Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blend Type Virginia/Burley
Contents Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Rope
Packaging Bulk
Country United Kingdom
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Very Strong
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Strong
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.30 / 4
35

20

7

4

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 66 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 10, 2013 Overwhelming Very Mild Mild Tolerable to Strong
This came in a dirt-brown rope about 8" long with medium-brown highlights. I cut a 1.5" piece off and pulled it apart. I ended up with some large pieces and chopped leaf. I pulled the large pieces out into stringier shapes. The tobacco has a very low, deep aroma of nicotine with a ketchup note. I let it dry out for 15 minutes and started smoking in the Peterson bent billiard.

My head entered another dimension. It was like that Indian torture my cousin told me about in third grade, where the Indians wrap wet rawhide around the skull of some Eurocentric bastard and let it dry, squeezing his skull until it pops open. Over an hour, I managed to puff my way through half a bowl. I thought I had a high nicotine tolerance, but found myself thinking that maybe I didn't really understand what nicotine was. Maybe I hadn't really been using nicotine at all, maybe this was all a dream . . . .

. . . While my head was simultaneously resized into a chickpea and the entire cosmos, I didn't get "headspin" as I have done with 1792 Flake. I just got, like, oh, tight man, like really suffused with nicotine doing things to my mind. Was there a nicotine high beyond ordinary human consciousness? I'd ask Hunter Thompson if he weren't dead. On the other hand, if I keep smoking this, I could still ask him.

I stopped smoking. I couldn't take the fear.

Brown Irish X is very, very smooth and very, very, strong. It's a nicotine riptide. It has a slight and neutral taste -- gin, not whisky. I admired the way GH made something so smooth and so strong at the same time. Sometimes you can tell the quality of an item without much enjoying it. I've had bad tequila and tequila made by people who think tequila is a religion and I can tell the difference, even though I don't particularly like the drink. This is a great, strong tobacco made with brilliant simplicity. I'd give it 4 stars for quality, 1 star for my personal enjoyment.
40 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 27, 2014 Very Strong Extremely Mild Very Full Strong
It’s a bit spicy, very woodsy, floral and smoky, grassy, very earthy with some cigar notes, naturally sweet with a mild nuttiness in spots, and a touch of creaminess, though you may also encounter some harshness here and there after the half way point if you puff fast. Won't bite. The Virginia is more prominent than the dark fired Kentucky and burley, but it will certainly tell you it is there. The Lakeland essence is present in a minor amount, but I wonder if it was added or did it gather the scent by sitting around in the factory? No matter how you decide to cut or rub it out once cut, it burns at a near moderate rate if you give it a slight dry time. Has a consistent taste from start to finish. Needs a few relights, and leaves some moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Has a pleasant, lingering after taste. Only recommended for experienced smokers who just had a full meal, not just for the strength of the flavors, but also for the strong nic-hit.

-JimInks
21 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 22, 2010 Strong Medium Full Tolerable
Brown Irish Twist:

O.K. Troops, here goes.

First off: Strength- What is the use in denying that this is a very strong tobacco? None, it is. This robustness does not bother me in the least and if the smoker treats it with the proper respect keeping this fact in mind there should be less problems with this aspect of the tobacco.

What to do? Well first off don't smoke a bucket-sized pipe bowl of it or it will kick your butt. A medium or even a smaller sized pipe will do the trick or has for me.Obviously repeat bowls one after another is probably not a good idea either because of the strenth of the tobacco and especially the price.

This is the only gripe I have with any of the non-aromatic Kendal tobaccos I've smoked. (I don't smoke any aromatics at all as far as that goes since I have yet to find one that doesn't fall far short of the taste bud tolerance levels I've set.)

Flavoring: I don't know what this flavor is but I suspect it it just the natural flavor of the constituent tobaccos and the result of the Kendal processing they are put through.God bless'em for it!

Room Note: A non-sequitur at my house so enough said about that. (For those poor beknighted smokers that do have to put up with the objections of less amicable opinions of wives,family,friends or acquaintences you have my sympathy since it is a strong smelling tobacco when ignited.But I say go ahead and smoke it anyway---you deserve it-- and just put up with the carping and whining if you can.

Taste: What can I say? Great and fully natural as far as I've experienced during my carrer of thirty-six years of smoking a pipe.The body is there and surprisingly the aftertaste is not at all that noticeable. I suspect that the "coated tongue and palate" experience with a lot of tobaccos is the result of the non-tobacco additives and flavoring agents slathered on oterwise good tobacco(or bad tobacco, for that matter) to make it more acceptable to a wider commercial audience. As far as I am able to tell this has not happened to Brown Irish Twist and hopefully never will.

For those that don't appreciate the pre-lightup ritual of dealing with a rope, twist,plug or any other non-modern form of tobacco preparation get yourself a sharp knife(box cutter with replaceable blades, poultry shears,tin shears, aviation snips, a straight razor or any other convenient tool) and chop it up into manageable-sized chunks and throw it into an electric coffee grinder( you can get one at almost any large store for about twenty dollars-go ahead and treat yourself to one it's worth it!) and process your whole supply. Let it dry a little then Mason jar it up. Simple! This method also helps with the ignition and the cruising down the bowl smoking tremendously.

For the fledging pipers tempted to try this tobacco I sugget either a very tentative attempt with a smaller bowl and a very relaxed puffing rate. Sitting down is also advised as well as a somewhat full stomach.Also mixing this blend with a bland non-aromatic straight tobacco might work so that the flavor of the stronger Brown Irish Twist might be somewhat attenuated but still appreciable. The exact proportions of the mix might be a problem at first so the recommendation is to start off with a ratio you consider safe.

For those that just can't hack the nicotine punch or body strength despite the alleviation of mixing it with another tobacco I'd say to just stay away completely and be content with wishing you could smoke it.

You might even try Black Twist by the same company which, believe it or not is not as potent as the Brown.

Do I recommend this excellent tobacco? Most assuredly so for those that can handle it. I do not recommend it as an all day smoke(mainly because of price considerations) but with a cup of Dark Roast French coffee in the pre-dawn morning after a mild prepatory bowl of some tobacco of your own choosing it is simply,truly unbeatable.

---------The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (smokin' and boggeyin' towards the Morn)
16 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 28, 2005 Strong None Detected Full Tolerable
I am not smart enough to decipher the review immediately above mine, but the final result is that this offering and my palate do not get along either.

While G&H Blends seem to have a central theme running through them, this one meandered off in a different direction. It was harsh and somewhat nondescript as I recently worked my way through a bowl. It did burn well and even a tad fast for its style of cut and moisture level. I suspect those searching for more flavor might puff too hard and get a nip with this rope.

If you like the taste of burnt grass, a nice hit of nicotine and a throat tickle, here you go.
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 09, 2016 Extremely Strong None Detected Extra Full Tolerable to Strong
I always wanted to try a rope tobacco, so after reading many reviews of various ropes, I finally settled on BIX. Many people have warned me about the strength of ropes, but I've never been known to shy away from the strong stuff. The stronger the better in my opinion! And this lives up to the hype as to what I would qualify as strong baccy.

The ropes are reminiscent of the old chews like Good Money twist and Cotton Boll that I remember the older farmers chewing on when I was a young'n. It's quite moist and bombards the olfactory sensors with earth, peat, smoke, and a touch of sourness. You can smell it through double plastic bags. Always the fan of pure tobacco in old-fashioned state, I'm immediately impressed and glad for the purchase. I cut off some 1/8 inch coins, chopped them into quarters, gave them a little rub and allowed it to air dry for about 15 minutes. Against all sane voices in my head, I loaded a large bore MM General cob and set off.

The smoke is thick and creamy, and I was straightaway caught off guard in a small fit of choking. Okay, so this one requires a little caution and discipline. Commencing to sip gently, the flavors blossomed, of which there is no shortage to be had. I thought I knew full tobacco before, but this takes it to a new level. A lot of reviewers have said they get a lot of Virginia right up front, but I find the opposite. I think I'm getting primarily burley and dark-fired. It's smoky, very earthy, and pleasantly nutty on the finish. I only detect the VA occasionally with its low-key sweetness countering the otherwise harsh aspects. My initial cross-referencing is of amped up Jack Knife Plug. In hindsight, using such a large bore pipe probably wasn't the most responsible decision, but I came back to the pipe every hour or so until completion...this was a very long and rewarding experience.

Even in smaller pipes I sometimes get the ol' niccups from BIX, but it's still great stuff. By its strength I shall not be deterred. Take it slow and easy. Fullness aside, this tobacco burns really well and I've never been bitten. Perhaps my favorite Gawith tobacco to date. Highly recommended!
Pipe Used: MM General
Age When Smoked: 6 months
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 04, 2016 Strong Very Mild Very Full Pleasant
Gawith Hoggarth - Brown Irish X.

This is the sort of tobacco where people will either adore it or loathe it; I adore it.

I don't usually favour preparing plugs or twists, I find it too fiddly a job, but Brown Irish X is quite simple: once a few coins are sliced they're easy to crumble. As often as not ropes are too damp as well, but this one isn't, as soon as the coins are crumbled they can be imminently smoked without having to take time to dry.

Onto the actual smoking qualities of it: it lights well and then gives an incredibly good burn; I don't find myself having to be repetitive with my lighter, providing it's tamped well the burn's superb. The flavour? Well, if you enjoy a mellower aromatic or a mild Virginia you may want to reconsider trying this; Brown Irish X will put hairs on your chest! The main flavour is the cured Virginia one: slightly fired, not very grassy, and exceptionally deep. I don't detect much Burley, there's maybe a pinch but it would take a heap to contend with the Virginia's strength. A lot of folks describe this as being strong in nicotine, well it is; it's not over the top, but it's a strong old smoke.

I'm firmly in the Love It camp with this blend, I couldn't give it any less than four stars.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Somali Meer'
PurchasedFrom: Black Swan
Age When Smoked: New
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 31, 2015 Medium Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
This is one of the best ropes I've had. Not 100% sure what it's made of, but I love it. The above description matches what's listed at pipesandcigars.com indicating that it consists of Burley and Kentucky. The components listed at smokingpipes.com state that it is composed of Virginias. I added a note to the description to indicate such. I have to say that it taste more like Virginias to me. I don't get a Burley "vibe" from this one. I do get a dark fired "vibe" from it and that's what makes this one delicious. Along with the rich tobacco flavor is just the right amount of Lakeland florals, which is to say a very mild amount. A very tasty rope indeed. I don't inhale, but I still get plenty of satisfaction here indicating quite a large dose of nicotine. Just a wonderful overall smoke.

Medium in body. Medium to full in taste. Very mild in flavoring. Burns perfectly with a short drying time.
Pipe Used: Chacom cutty, MM Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 02, 2015 Strong Very Mild Full Strong
The cigar smokers here, and anyone with deep roots in the American tobacco belt, will recognize this immediately: it's a strong, pure twist. It's made with better machinery and probably better leaf than some of the handmade Southern redneck twists, but it's the same idea.

I don't do much to prepare it - cut a portion, break it up some, stuff it loosely into a pipe, and spend a while getting a good light. It burns extremely cool and clean. There's more filler to wrapper (for lack of better terms) than the Bogie. It tastes like tobacco, and nothing else.

For me, this is expedition tobacco. I've smoked it behind a little stone windbreak at 13,000 feet on the Continental Divide and I've lit it with a coal from the campfire. It's always a slow smoke, and satisfying.

Reading the other reviews, I'm kind of concerned for the health of some of your dogs.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 21, 2014 Very Strong Extremely Mild Full Tolerable
Gawith, Hoggarth’s Brown Irish X is just the ticket when I want an Old Time, uncomplicated, uncompromising smoke. Yes, it is strong (quite strong, in fact), but IMO the strength can be taken into account, and BIX might be enjoyed by many experienced pipe smokers. Beginners are advised to proceed with due caution.

BIX is made of whole tobacco leaves that are twisted into a rope, and a short section of this "rope" is what oen finds in the tin. It's dark, +/- comparable to a wilted Madura cigar. For me, the smell – even the faint tin note - and the taste of BIX seem cigar-like, and that’s how I treat it as well, like a nice, mild cigar. I like to cut thin coins off the rope, rub them out and stuff them loosely into a medium pipe. It’s fine to dry it some, but I’ve never waited for it to really dry out. It lights OK, and after a couple of false lights it burns steadily to a fine ash – like a cigar – if it’s kept burning. Since there is no need to chase the flavor, and since it is strong, I take my time with it, sipping and savoring, and I have been known to let it go out. IMO, there is no penalty for re-lighting BIX. This tobacco is the best Burly I have tasted, and the KY is gimmick free, only very slightly smoky, but quite rich and “fatty”, and the blend is creamy smooth, nutty but not bitter, with very mild cigar spices and the faintest possible hint of the “Lakeland scent”. The taste and the aroma are of a piece, and it stays the same from top to bottom, bowl after bowl, consistently great, relaxing and satisfying, IMO. The tastes are so smooth that one might not notice at first that they are full. Again, not to beat on it, but for being so smooth, this is strong stuff. Room note is like a “nice cigar”, if that’s not an oxy-moron for you. Aftertaste is also cigar-like, best-of-the-smoke, all tobacco, delicious and persistent.

I give BIX my top recommendation, with a few caveats: For one thing, I am not sure it would be well received by those who distain Burly or cigars. Secondly, start with a small bowl, and take it slow and easy until you get a feel for it. Lastly, it will ghost a pipe. In fact, I like to rest a BIX pipe for at least a couple of days, even if I'm going to use it back-to-back with more BIX. Anyway, BIX seems like a shoe-in for those who enjoy a top quality, mild, handmade cigar. As for me, I love the stuff, buy it in bulk, and keep it on hand.

Pipe Used: various briars
PurchasedFrom: Liberty Tobacco
Age When Smoked: "fresh" to 6 months in a jar
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 14, 2013 Strong Extremely Mild Full Tolerable
As most everyone has pointed out, Brown Irish Twist is strong. But it is downright flavorful too. BIT offers a great tobacco flavor with a Lakeland undercurrent that serves to smooth out the smoke without a hint of a bite. I can see how some could find the topping a bit medicinal, but for me it seems to add a touch of sweetness. The flavor is full and while not overly complex, the flavor and strength build throughout the bowl leaving nothing but a nice gray ash behind. Even though the topping is light, I prefer to smoke it only in pipes that are dedicated to Lakeland blends. I enjoy it most smoked on the dry side (as I do with most tobaccos) and it is wonderful with a couple of years of age on it. This tobacco isn't for everyone and not an everyday smoke for me, but is among the best in class for those seeking an excellent rope tobacco.
7 people found this review helpful.
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