Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Sliced Brown Twist U/S

Gawith Hoggarth - Sliced Brown Twist U/C.

Sadly the blend requires some airing prior to smoking it, I leave mine on the side for a few hours. Most of the mixture is made of pieces that are the right size to smoke but there are a few very small 'coins' of tobacco that need a light rubbing (as it states in the description).

The dark fired Virginia comes through quite formidably in the flavour but unfortunately it's slightly too astringent for my pallet. It doesn't burn too hot, it's cool and consistent, leaves a white ash and gives bite free smoke. On to a characteristic that some will love and some will hate, the nicotine amount! If you need a nic' heavy blend to get your motor running in the morning then this will more than do the job but if you favour a lighter blend then this won't suit you. The acrid taste isn't too overbearing at the beginning but as the pipe burns it takes a on stronger stance and I have to put it down!

This has a lot of merits to it, the temp', the burn and the lack of bite but the longer I smoke it the less I can take the taste.

Two stars.

Well this is an enigma if there ever was one. I bought this back in Dec 2018 from bulk and the bag was labeled G&H Sliced Brown Twist without the U/S for unscented. Okay, I bought some G&H Brown Twist Sliced back in 2017. Notice the slight variance of the word placement, brown twist sliced vs sliced brown twist? They both list Straight Virginia, no flavoring, curly cut and dark fired Virginia and Indian tobaccos. Did I buy the same thing with just the words twisted around? Did they rename the blend? There is like 39 reviews for the former and only 2 reviews for the latter. I am too lazy to try to find my other jar and compare the two together but something smells fishy around here. Oh well, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" – The Bard. I find this reincarnated blend (?) an excellent smoke that is smooth, dark, earthy and has that wonderful dark fired taste that is really hard to describe except as natural. I definitely did not detect any Lakeland essence. A previous reviewer says this is similar to their Dark Bird’s Eye and I agree. Of course this blend does not have burley like the Bird’s Eye and does not have that nicotine punch to it. I really enjoy the man’s man tobacco taste this one has to offer and see myself smoking this one soon. Does great in a cob.

Again my review is based on a generous sample gifted by a dear friend pipster. Now it’s gone, and I’m near to cry loud. Long time will pass before this good tobacco crosses my piping road. Sigh !

I would compare this to the GH’s DarkBirds Eye, in terms of flavour. We are in the fire-cured territory, so body and strength are considerable but never overhelming. Not the tobacco to smoke all the day but one could attempt that (not the novice, of course). The cut – a mix of thin and small coins and the rubbed twist – makes the smoke absolutely velvety and coooool. Burns very well till the bottom, no need of a number of relights.

I’ve appreciated it so much. Four stars.