Samuel Gawith Black XX Twist (Rope)

Black is not Brown.

Which is counterintuitive, and hence a source of some confusion here. We think of white as pure and light, and anything labeled Black XX surely must be at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. Except when it isn't.

Black Rope XX is milder than Brown Rope No. 4. According to SG, Black XX begins as Brown No. 4 but then "undergoes an additional cooking process which removes some of the stronger tar and nicotine elements, turning the rope black, and providing a milder smoke than Brown." It results in a denser, mustier, richer, but more accessible smoke.

I like this stuff. Neither Black nor Brown has a lot of flavor in the typical sense. What they do have is strength, which is not to be belittled. Black has less of it, but it's heaviness, or richness, compensates quite adequately.

Think of it like this: You cook (or order) a fabulous Indian curry for yourself and your wife. Her's is mild, yours is hot. Technically, they both taste the same, but yet there is a world of difference between the two. It's not the flavor, but the heat making the difference, but in the end, it's all part of the "flavor" experience.

Brown adds heat when you want it, Black not quite as much heat, but depth. I have other tobaccos that can give me what Black does, but there is nothing out there like Brown. Black is a fine tobacco if rich and hearty is your thing, and I recommended it.

But, Black is not Brown.

Brown exists in it's own galaxy.

P.S. If you become addicted to these ropes (as I have) but the novelty of all the cutting and rubbing begins to wear off, you can purchase both in a "sliced" version from Gawith Hoggarth.

I tried a little experiment before smoking this stuff - I shaved off all of my chest hair. Sure enough, after one bowl it all grew back!

Seriously, Black XX is not for the newbie or faint of heart. I like to slice off a coin or two when I feel like a good kick in the pants. Flavor is strong, not at all sweet, rich, leathery, and nutty. I don't get that feeling of having my mouth coated with plastic that I get from other ropes.

Others have noted the rather off-putting appearance, so I won't dwell on that. My only issue with it is the difficulty of keeping a good burn going.

This stuff makes pretty good chaw, FWIW.

I buy myself a hunk of xx on a monthly basis. I get mine loose so no tin note. I've found the best way to prep this tobacco is to finely slice it off with a Stanley blade and allow it to dry once it's been rubbed out. I leave it for at least 2 hours spread out on my tobacco tray then pop it in a tin and next day it's perfect for a smoke. I find this blend to be perfect match for a morning coffee. I get sour notes and a biscuits/bready flavour. Towards the end of the bowl it gets a horse manure smell and flavour which I find quite nice. It does pack quite a punch with nicotine however it's not quite as spicy as Brown twist.

Black XX rope is far more complex than other reviewers give it credit, and it is far finer a tobacco than even the name and packaging suggest. The tin note, at first, is indeed akin to burnt brisket ends or smoked meat. Give this rope a few brief months to rest and suddenly it reveals an interesting, sweet bouquet of prunes, smoke, and earth.

My ritual is such: I cut the rope into thin-ish coins and carefully rub and unravel them. This yields long, lovely strands of deeply sweet, smokey, beautiful ribbons. Usually by the time I am done with that, the tobacco has dried enough to feel a little crinkly, like the fake grass in an Easter basket. After this step, I pack and light my pipe as usual. Smoked consciously, I am rewarded with deep notes of dried stone fruits, earth, and damp Autumn leaves. The tobacco requires frequent relights, and I like to contemplate in between lights to facilitate cooling and to keep the flavor. Only when pressed do I get the smoked meat flavors that are so commonly commented on. The smoke is very smooth and velvety, if one takes their time; in fact, this tobacco demands that one slow down even more than is typical in our hobby.

The main problem with this blend is the same as many blends with the Gawith name on them—it’s difficult to get in the U.S. This, combined with the many deliberate steps it takes to prepare the leaf, makes me question whether the juice is worth the squeeze, so to speak. For me, Black XX is only an occasional treat because of its simultaneously temperamental and meditative nature. I’d say it’s absolutely worth a try if you can find some, but search elsewhere for the all day, every day mixture. Even those searching for a strong blend—and Black XX is very potent in the Vitamin N department—would be better served with some other commonly available tobacco.

As an aside, it is indeed a good chew, but I am loathe to waste this masterpiece of tobacco on such endeavors.

I was able to grab a tin last year sometime. I use a cigar guillotine cutter to slice coins. Rub them out completely and dried to my desire. Puts out a very strong smell and taste, but nicotine is between mild and medium. The taste is strong like barbecue streak just off the coals. But is was still reminding of something from my pass. Than it hit me, Pot Seeds, back in the 70's when you use to smoke everything leaf, sticks, seed and it was horrible. This is somewhat similar but way better. But it just hit on that memory. It truly is a excellent blend and highly recommend.

During the monthly meeting with OSLO Pipe Club, I was offered by a relative to bring some home to sample with the warning “this might blow your balls off!” Highly curious in nature, I highly anticipated the smoke I was to engulfs the coming morning.

Though a little too dry for my liking, it might have suited this tobacco well, though for it to stay lit, it needed a relight or two. The taste has a certain sweetness, but is prevalent with charred meat, barbecue, woods, and even some spiciness. With a full bodied smoke and this strong taste, I found it highly enjoyable.

Though the room note is strong, it is not unpleasant, and reminiscent of barbecuing meat, with my girlfriend wondering who was preparing kebab. It might not be the best tobacco I have had, but it is highly intriguing, and worth a try for anyone who can stomach it. Truly interesting and delightful.

Upon reading the reviews here and hearing so much about the brute strength of this tobacco, I decided to order a tin for a test run. I was so anxious to try this that I rubbed a bit out and packed it immediately. Couldn't keep the pipe lit for anything, so the first couple smokes were less-than-enjoyable. I cut more off the rope and let it air dry for a bit before I rubbed it out. Working with this rope is a treat, leaves my hands looking like I've been working on oily machinery (I wonder if this is part of the reasoning behind the industrial gears tin art...) After giving it time to breathe, I found it much more enjoyable and easy to keep lit...

However, I have a tendency to smoke a bit too fast so I got a bit carried away once I was able to keep a light, and consequently I was floored by the nicotine hit. The flavor is smoky, though not in a latakia sense. It is a much deeper and darker flavor. It brings to mind the flavor of a nice grilled steak. I enjoy it best after a nice helping of corned beef and cabbage. Amazing! My wife doesn't agree with the room note at all, so I make sure to burn strong incense while I'm smoking this stuff.

This is definitely not a tobacco for the meek and will readily break its foot off in your ass if you don't give it the proper respect. Give it the space it needs and it will reward you with a beautiful, rich smoke. Definitely recommended, especially to nicotine lovers!

P.S. Don't let the ugliness of the rope turn you off. It DOES look like something that my cats would leave behind in the litter box, but smells more like chipotles and motor oil.

Ok, I've read the reviews and now it is time to try it myself, well low and behold I walks into my tobacconist and there in a big jar sits a big black coil of a thing called xx Black Rope! Slice me off a hunk, say's I. Your gonna love it say's he. So off to my smoking cave I go to try out this stuff. As recommended by my very knowledgeable proprieter I slice some "coins" about the thickness of a nickel off and then slice them in half. I let them set a spell, about 6 or7 hours I suppose and return to find them nice and ripe for smoking. I then proceed to rub them out, and rub you will my friends because this stuff is the real deal, I began to notice that this was high grade tobacco, almost cigar leaf like. A M/M Cob was brought into service for this inagural smoke because I did not know what to expect and did not want to taint any of my briars. Light up was easy and uneventful except to say that I was surprised at how deliciously mild the first few puffs seemed to be! Complexity... the only word to describe what I was experiencing, Ok, rich and full bodied would work too. Now here comes the good part, if you are a current or former cigar smoker like myself and you have been looking for that "holy grail" of pipe tobaccos this is it! I discoverd that if you let your pipe rest for a while and relight for DGT you will experience flavor similar or better than say a dark Padron or a La Gloria Cubana Serie 7. Nicotine? You bet but not overwhelming for an experienced smoker, this one is not for sissy's or newbies that don't have tolerence for nicotine for it will kick you a@$. Finishes to a fine white/gray ash, Highly Recommend.

Crossing the threshold of that storied address, the mundane world retreats, replaced by an olfactory tapestry that commands my attention. A sweet musk, woven with undertones of strength and depth, wafts through the air—an unmistakable tobacco blend. Each step I take along the stairwell intensifies the scent, like a haunting melody growing louder with every note. It wraps around me, ensnaring my senses in a web of memories—countless moments shared with Holmes, intertwined with the tendrils of his chosen vice.

The smoke, dense and opulent, clings to the fabric of my attire, as if the very essence of this place yearns to possess me. This scent, deeply familiar, is Holmes' trademark, an unspoken language between us, a connection forged in a thousand encounters.

Arriving at the top of the staircase, I stand before the sanctum of 221B. A pause, a heartbeat's hesitation—should I breach the sanctity of Holmes' contemplation? The door stands before me, a silent sentinel guarding the mysteries within. With a touch as soft as the breath of a specter, I turn the knob, and the door groans open.

Through the gap, I glimpse a tableau of darkness and intrigue—Holmes, shrouded in thought, his pipe a conduit for tendrils of smoke that coil around him like serpents. A sense of reverence washes over me, an instinctual understanding that to interrupt this enigmatic reverie would be sacrilege. As silently as I entered, I retreat, leaving behind the mysteries of that room, the door sealing shut with a whisper.

Descending the staircase, a somber tranquility envelops me—a calm borne from the proximity to one who delves into the abyss of human darkness. It's as if Holmes' presence has transferred a piece of his resolute determination into my very being, a shield against the terrors that lurk in the night.

The scent of his chosen tobacco blend lingers, a lingering echo of his enigmatic self, as I step back into the night's embrace. A single question, born from the depths of our shared obscurity, echoes in my thoughts: What arcane concoction of tobacco does Mr. Holmes partake in, a vice as enigmatic as the man himself? Black XX Twist?