In the parlance of GH&Co, rope tobaccos fall into three categories. Firstly there are the Irish Twists, which are available in both black and brown, with various aromatic options. These are somewhat less than 1 inch in diameter. Next we have the Bogies. Again, these come in a range of different options but are differentiated from the Irish Twists by their diameter, which is less - maybe between one half and three quarters of an inch. Thus, although the same tobaccos are used, I find there is a subtle yet noticeable difference in flavour between, say, GH&Co Brown Irish Twist and GH&Co Brown Bogie. This is because the difference in diameter means a difference in the ratio between 'wrapper' and 'filler', just like in the cigar world. Finally, there are the pigtails. These are the thinnest of all and are primarily meant for chewing. Apparently you can smoke them too, but I've never tried.

So, that covers the GH&Co side of things. As far as SG is concerned, SG Brown Rope is the same size as GH&Co Irish Twist, and their Black XX is more akin to a GH&Co Bogie. SG also make pigtails, and again, I've never tried them. Clear? Good.

So, with all that out of the way I should point out that the Sweet Rum Twist that I have in front of me is actually a Bogie.

Have you smoked Rum Flake? Have you smoked Brown Bogie? If you answered 'yes' to both those questions then you already know exactly what this tobacco tastes like.

Personally, Brown Irish Twist is my favourite brown variety of rope, whilst Black XX is my favourite black variety. Nevertheless, I find this blend makes a nice diversion, and the flavouring works well enough.

It's not going to replace the Brown Irish as my staple rope, but it's a good blend and one I shall almost certainly buy again. I think I probably even prefer it to the plain Brown Bogie. Recommended.

Preparation was easy, cut some dimes with the cigar cutter, squeeze to open them up a bit, dry, pack, then light.

In the pipe it tastes like a $4 Nicaraguan maduro cigar. It burns cool and combusts all the way down.

Very one dimensional, mostly deeper tones.

The nicotine was not over the top, but there. I'll be using the rest of this for my blends, on its own too flat for my palate.

It’s worth pointing out that if you’re looking for a rum-topped aromatic, this is probably not a stellar choice. It is first and foremost a big, brawny twist and calling it “Sweet” probably amuses the heck out of the blenders at G&H. The rum is almost incidental and the flavor rarely makes it past the half-bowl point for me. I’ve been known to sprinkle in a little rum-flavored bulk tobacco on occasion both to lighten the twist and up the aromatic content.

The only potential negative I can think of to Rum Twist is the challenges it presents in getting it ready to smoke. A sharp knife is essential, as is ample drying time. I like to dry my twists to point of crispy because I find that if they’re not sufficiently dry, they provide steamy, bitter smokes.

Yummy stuff.

12/26/09 update: This is a favorite. Others like the aroma so I'm giving it more credit under Room Note, and I am saying Full in Taste after several ounces of Kentucky Kendal which is no more than Very Full. Highly Recommended.

Believe it or not.

in short if you feel yourself getting bored of you baccy pick up a bit of this and give it a shot. If you're a cigar smoker try it because I bet you'll like it.

This tobacco reminds me of Swisher Sweet cigarillos or Acid's "Blondie" without the sugary wrapper. The aroma is is sweet and pleasant with a bit of throwback to Old Spice cologne. The flavor, however, is smooth and dry like the cigars mentioned above and remains consistent throughout. My only qualm is that the flavor is somewhat one-dimensional and lacks notable complexity.

This is definitely a good smoke for anyone who enjoys dark tobaccos with a nicotine kick (don't be frightened by its strength) but not something I could imagine smoking more than once a day. Happy smoking!

The smoke is cool and is medium bodied. The flavor alternates between that of a good cigar, spicy Virginia flavor, and the sweet rum casing. It is pleasant on the tongue and rather enjoyable with a cup of coffee. The nicotine strength doesn't bother me, but I find it to be best enjoyed in a small bowl. You will definitely get a nicotine fix from this tobacco.

The drawback to this blend is its burning qualities. The problem is that it doesn't burn at all. I can't get it to stay lit for longer than five minutes no matter what I try. As with every blend that I've had this trouble, I find it to be a great hindrance. Particularly since the flavor upon a relight is that of a cigar that has been smoked too close to its cap.

I plan on trying to use this rubbed out to add some strength to the milder VA's which I have become accustomed to. While I enjoy its flavor, I do not care to relight my pipe every five minutes. If you enjoy the stronger Gawith type blends, this is well worth a try. However, I find that this is one of those tobaccos that was fine to give a ride and see how it went, but I don't see myself purchasing in the future.

I find Sweet Rum Twist to be pretty tame. (That 'medium' was no mistake). It's agressive at light up, so you have to go slowly. I think that's why so many people say ropes are harsh. They can slap you in the kisser at the match. But, for me, it's got loads of dark sweet spicey smokey tobacco-flavory flavor, and the rum comes through with very slow puffing. I inhale this stuff with no problemmdkmlkfdsns. oops, ok it's certainly not mild. But it's very smooth. Maybe I just got a really good 4 ounces, I don't know.

This is an incredibly satisfying smoke. I wouldn't smoke it all the time, but four or five times a week, it really hits the spot. Ropes do command attention. If you are a careless smoker, forget it. This isn't something to stick in your pipe when you mow the lawn or plow the snow, or shovel the rain or whatever. {Actually, I usually smoke this while playing chess (against the computer. I even win sometimes!).}

As for wife rating, I gave my wife a lit bowlful of sweet rum twist and she gave it back to me after a few puffs, saying 'It's too strong'. That's it, just, too strong. She never complains about the room note, although just about everyone else does.

But, as a lot of people say, if you're committed to the pipe, or you're just committed, you gotta smoke the rope at least once. You just might like it. It's yummerific!

I recommend this tobacco to those that prefer stronger high nicotine weeds. Cigarette smokers will enjoy the nic kick. NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

'baccy'ho

As an afterthought, I failed to mention that my particular sample is well over a year old, and had been stored in my cellar in a mason jar. My initial trial of this twist upon purchace was similiar to my more recent forray and age has had little effect.

6/18/2009 Revisit In cleaning my mason jars and checking my inventory, I happened upon this. Age has seemingly smoothed this twist a bit. The sweetness remains, but now I think that it is more credit to the tobacco than to the rum casing. It is still as strong as P. Bunyan's Ox, Blue. Good stuff, Strong stuff, Still not for the faint of heart. Very rewarding if smoked correctly. Good stuff but not one I would smoke every day.

The flavour was like brown bogie, with a little rum sweetness that did not detract from the flavour, but complemented it pleasantly. In the cold air, it burned very cool, and without bite or harshness, and the strength was not overpowering. If smoked indoors, though, it presents all these imperfections I find in twists- and the smoke just hangs around and makes it TOO STRONG...

So, I've discovered that ropes are for outdoors, for wandering the hills and fields in the colder seasons of the year, they provide a faithful companion. But put them in a house, and they may well turn against you like a wild beast.

Get thee to cold, windswept hills, and ENJOY.

Flavour-wise it's pretty much pure tobacco with a nice spicyness and a hint of sweetness from the rum topping which prevents it from becoming too harsh. Inhaling the smoke with the "French inhale" method reveals a very pleasant aroma (although as an outdoor smoker I have no idea what the room note would be like in an enclosed space).

To prepare this one for smoking I cut off a couple of thin discs with a cigar cutter and then rub out fully, breaking up any over-large strands. I usually let it stand for a few minutes prior to packing as the centre of the rope can be a little moist. I then pack it in a nice small prince basket pipe.

If you're not into nicotine-heavy tobaccos then I'd recommend steering clear of this one as I can imagine the hit would leave your head spinning heavily. For those who like a nice kick then I highly recommend this one.