Maybe a good blend to mix with something you want to crank up a notch.

This has joined the ranks of my absolute favorites, ideal for a nightcap with a good red wine. I will always have a large jar of this on the shelf.

Unfortunately, I must deduct a point for the room note and the wife factor. My lovely bride detests the smell of the smoke, and the smell on my breath, after this weed. I dearly love SBT, but only when my wife is not around.

Update, 25 March 2013: I'm raising this to 4 stars. After a couple of years in a jar, BTS has smoothed out. It is less harsh. It tastes a bit sweeter, if you take it slow enough. Time to put some more away into the cellar!

Another four star rating for the Kendal Brothers. Strong stuff but oh so tasty! Not a all day smoke to be sure but unsurpassed for that smoke with "a little something extra" that is called for when the craving for just such a blend comes over the smoker.I read a comment or two that said that it has no complexity and I have to respectfully disagree with that evaluation.This is one of the primary reasons for smoking this particular tobacco in my opinion.The nicotine is,of course, the other reason. Very satisfying in this regard. I do reccomend that a small to medium bowl be used for this reason though and a very respectful puffing rate as well. If it proves to be a bit much as far as flavor and nicotine content goes I do as well recommend its tamer sibling Sliced Black to alleviate the headiness of this type of tobacco. Sliced Brown burns very well and packs with little or no problem. The batch I got from Pipes and Cigars had the perfect moisture level and burned down to a fine grey ash with no relights at all.This moisture level could vary,I suppose, and some judicious drying out would alleviate that problem if it arises. The room note is not something I worry about since I have a very tolerant wife and as I have stated repeatedly I don't believe most smokers can really smell the burning aroma since olfactory overload occurs rapidly-especially with the more robust blends such as this one.Being rather lazy I don't take the trouble to go outside for nostril rejuvenation and an assesment of the aromatics of the tobbco I am smoking at the time. I am also too busy enjoying the experience of smoking it in the first place to put it own for that amount of time. All in all another fine Kendal tobacco if a somewhat pricey smoke. But then again most superb things including tobacco are that way and I refuse to compromise on quality for economic reasons. The taste of the tobacco is therefore as high a quality as Gawaith and Hoggarth tobacco(excluding the heavy aromatics)are reliably and consistently expected to be. For what it is and does Sliced Brown Twist is one I can heartily reccomend and will keep around as part of my inventory of decadent indulgent luxuries.

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

This tobacco tells me that it's not the effort required with ropes that make them unsmokable to me. The concept of a "rubbed out" rope was intriguing and a friend gave me 4 bowls worth to try. Unfortunately, it affected me as the black ropes have. The tobacco just tasted like dirt to me. No depth or complexity, simply a strong tobacco for the sake of strength.

A lot of folks seem to like this and perhaps it requires some time to get used to. For me, there are too many tobaccos that I find wonderful right off the bat to worry much about those that I have to work my way up to even being able to tolerate safely. Go for it - it's all yours! :)

Some notes on Brown Twist Vs Brown Rope:

1.) From what I can see, Brown Rope has the better price point.

2.) This version of Twist is already sliced, but it is sliced into a long shag so that if you wish to blend it in with your other favorite tobacco, you will still have some work to do. You'll need a razor to get at Brown Rope, but I much prefer the resulting flakes and leaves than the Shag-cut of Twist.

3.) Twist appears to be available in the U.S. in bulk only (although you can get as little as 2 oz) which means the moisture level you get might be a crap-shoot (where did that expression come from anyway?). Brown Rope comes in a tin so proper moisture (and cellaring if you're into it) are assured.

Given all that, I'd give the nod to Brown Rope.

These are don't miss tobaccos unless you are just starting out. Go slow at first & blend.

G&H makes a lot of fine Virginia dominant tobaccos but this one may be the best of a great bunch. Thoroughly enjoyablel and I will certainly order more.

Five stars and straight in to a place alongside my head-whomping favourites, Peterson's Irish Flake and Revor.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// I really smoke alot of this, and other blends from G&H. This is just brown twist sliced into thin wheels, with some sporadic ribbon amongst the other. I love this tobacco and its light floral essence it exudes. This tobacco burns clean and smokes very fast. I'm not bothered by the nicotine in this blend, as others have stated. Try this blend for yourself and experience what I call "the heroin of pipe tobacco." This smoke is truly intoxicating.

If you're one that knows what a young, strong cigar with in your face tobacco flavor is like, this is similar. Just in your face flavors. Packing and burning is a snap as this is nearly shag-like in qualities once rubbed out fully. I can't compare the flavors to much of anything else other than similar GH&Co strong flakes/ropes (like Dark Flake unscented). A previous reviewer mentioned it was the "heroin of pipe tobacco", and I concur - once you've had it and found you enjoy it, you'll want more and more.

strong? Yes. Overwhelming? No.

A dark sweetness is found here, more bass notes than in a mild VA, I would not call it cigarr taste though, Nothing like the sour notes of some milder lighter VA's, and nothing like the zestiness of dark star.

Smoking it slow and steady, gently tamping down the ashes as the bowl progresses is the best way. I would NOT recommend smoking this in a pipe with a small bowl diameter, an ordinary pipe with a bowl diameter of at least 20 mm and a depth of approx 40 mm is probably the best.

The smoke gets sweeter and stouter in the last 1/3 of the bowl, this is also where it is the most rewarding.

Due to the strength, a glass of water or a cup of tea at hand is recommended.

It lights up easily burns well. It is very easy to get tongue and gum bite with this so approach smoking it like any bitey Virginia. The flavor is mainly bass notes, roasty, dark, bitter, strong tobacco. I can detect little in the way of citrus or sugary flavors. There is a lot of nicotine present, and niccups can easily strike if you smoke this too rapidly.

For what it is, a very strong natural tobacco, it is the best that I have tried so far. I like it immensely and will probably keep some of this one around just for the occasional raw punch in the gut of pure tobacco flavor that it is. If a strong latakia can be likened to an espresso, then this is like a shot of straight whiskey.

The first bowl of this that I tried had to be put down part way through, in order to prevent the room from escaping stability on a rampaging carousel. The second time, I smoked this is a very small lattice meer prince, group 1 in size.

Appearance: The tobacco comes in small cut discs, about the size of a dime. These are a medium brown in color, with darker centers and light stems. Received almost bone dry and crumbly, I rehydrated this tobacco by lightly crumbling it, holding it in the palm of my closed hand, and blowing through my hand. This gave enough pliability to adequately pack the small group 1 bowl.

Initial light gives a quick floral scent and an insight into the very deep and rich flavor of this tobacco.

This is a tobacco that must be carefully sipped, both to avoid the nicotine punch that it can deliver quickly, as well as protect from bite. Even when not biting, this tobacco can roughen the palate quickly. Even in the small group 1 bowl, usually a 10-15 minute smoke, this blend took a solid 35 minutes. The side stream smoke is very cigar-like in quality. There is ample opportunity to notice this, as the tobacco burns very slowly, creating a long lasting bowl from event he smallest tobacco chambers. Ashy flavors are common from the high tar presence.

The aftertaste from this tobacco is lingering and sweet.

Whether due to poor packing of the dry tobacco, slow smoke, or small conical bowl, I found this to require a greater number of relights than usual.

Flavor 85/100 and very full. Smoking characteristics 50/100 with negative marks for relights ashy characteristics and impact on the mouth. Overall: 75/100 influenced positively by superb flavor and unique qualities.

January 2004

A smooth and very very pleasent smoke of pure african virginias, a delightfull touch of heavenly tobacco.

A very special tobacco for special occasions, not an everyday smoke, unless you can stand a nicotine content enough to knock you out for a while...

Together with Black Irish Twist, two special treats, two smokes that can carry you to another dimension... say, the twilight zone !!