Samuel Gawith Black XX Twist (Rope)

I recently bought a tin of this stuff not knowing what to expect as I smoke mostly English blends. Okay. I must admit that is does resemble something that a chihuahua left on the lawn, but it sure doesn't smell or taste that way! I find myself grabbing the tin and just smelling the contents. I absolutely love the aroma of this tobacco! Kind of a sweet smoky note. Now it was a matter of how it smoked and it doesn't disappoint.

I used a cigar safety cutter to lop off a few rings and rubbed them out completely and let it dry for about an hour. Filled one of my Viprati pipes and took a few tokes before lighting and I could tell I was in for quite a bold but flavorful smoke. After a couple of puffs I tried to retro-hale and boy was it spicy. So I waited for a bit and tried it again and about a quarter of the way down the bowl it mellowed and was a bit sweeter, creamier smoke. A very enjoyable smoke. In fact I have had at least a bowl of this stuff every day since and sometimes once in the morning and evening. It is very strong but very refined. This stuff will definitely be in my rotation!

Samuel Gawith Black XX sure is a unique experience regarding look, feel, smell and taste. The preparation is fun, I sliced it and than rubbed out the slices for an easy fill.

With first light the immediate impression was chicken, roasted old school over coal or a camp fire. Not my cup of tea when comes to pipe tobaccos, but I can appreciate the quality and uniqueness of this creation. The taste is full, deep, dark and rich. Smokable Beef Jerky anyone?

Personally, I find 1792 Flake to be very strong, but this one was okay at 10 am, with remarkably no bite at all. Maybe the strength varies from tin to tin. I preferred it in a corn pipe without filter, filled one third with meerschaum granules, for that espresso feeling.

For sure this is a tobacco not to be judged by reviews alone, so I recommend to definitely get a sample. Maybe try to share a tin with friends at the smoke club or Super Bowl. It'll be hell of an attraction on its own.

I smoked Black XX Twist a few months ago and I must say it was a pretty disgusting experience. The smoke tasted like barbecue, oil machine, and worse. I tried it out of the box, oozing with oil, and also after drying it. This morning I decided to re-visit it so I opened a new tin (it wasn't as wet as the first one), sliced a centimeter's worth of the rope, and proceeded to rub it until I had large leafy threads. Dried it for a couple of hours and filled a corncob pipe with it. Smoked it outside and, for one thing, the barbecue smell had almost gone, leaving me with a pleasant (though heavy) smoke. A definite change from last time, and I will certainly experiment more to get the most out of this interesting (and unique) tobacco.

Not for wimps. Black, oily, full, but not (quite) as horribly strong as it looks. Take a tour back in history and taste what generations past have known as real 'baccy. In a way it reminds me of real licorice with its unapologetic strength and simplicity. We are fortunate that Gawith is still making this magnificent blend so we can enjoy the legacy and for a few glorious moments travel back in time.

Update 2/11/2013: After enjoying an overly large bowl of this filled to overflowing I have updated my strength rating to 'Very Strong' for the nicotine. I need to remember to enjoy this one in modest volumes. Yikes.

Stygian fumes from the bowels of Sauron's dungeons... Please remain seated while smoking it and do not drive or operate machinery, or death/serious injury could result from nicotine-induced vertigo...(well, almost!) If Satan himself smokes, this is what he's using...in other words, I love it!

I recommend using this by mixing it with a milder blend, perhaps an aromatic. Notes of creosote, charred oak, fusel oil, and gunpowder. Very strong when smoked alone. But adds stoutness & body to milder smokes. Not for the faint of heart. But awesome in its own way!

Purchased 2 x 50g tins in good faith;i have never tried it before but i am an optimist;i like the industrial gears tin art which reminds me of my engineering job...(i have bought albums before because i liked the picture,,,sometimes the music is good,,,is this baccy?)

Open tin appearance:looks like a greasy turd,dark and oily,or a small diameter skinny black pudding sausage (dried pigs blood in intestines skin)

Tin aroma:licoricy diesal engine sump oil,,dark soy sauce, burnt cabbage aroma,,;this is very like pure well used diesel engine oil..

Handling:this is quite moist, leathery and tough in the hand ; hard to tear. I cut into 1/4" thick discs with a stanley knife and rub them out to produce a small pliant bundle that feels what i imagine cut up bat wings would feel like,,,..(very rubbery like silicone or an oily jiggler dangler skeleton or white cabbage leaf)

Loading pipe:Using a clay 6" Georgian (my favourite allrounder pipe),loaded about 3/4 high for a trial, i try lighting with my pipe zippo...:It doesn't want to burn on its own,,so basically this is definately a prepare and let dry first type of tobacco... its not instantly smokable,,,um,,,i believe that is partly due to this being marketed as a chew as well as a smoke.

Flavour:Of a dark monotone(but likeable-ish)tarry full flavour with obvious nicoteen,,;i hyperventilate purposely to see what its got,;slightly sweet and salty,burning oil couldron flavour with slight burnt beef or chargrilled earthy winter vegetables, but more carbonic,,,;this is ok with me because it tastes industrial in a tasty way as opposed to a burnt bitter lard fat/greasy manky oven flavour...

Initial impression ; this is serious tobacco with no humour; its business.

Room note:OIL,like machine tool gear cutting oil that smokes a bit on the hot freshly cut metal swarf shavings ,, produces good oily grey thick smoke.

Post pipe aftertaste: OILY; there is a slight liquid "baxters beef consomme with sherry"stock flavour going on with black pepper and olive oil perhaps. A faint lemony citrus from time to time reminds you that this is Virginia.

More:There is no soap whatsoever and no tongue bite either,,Full bodied for sure;and this has stout ala guiness or dark treakle and a density factor,but in someway its not massively flavoured in taste(strong but one dimensional);its strong but not really a flavour as much as a sensation of diesal in the mouth after syphoning some..... ! ...... Its tobacco but it doesn't taste like cigarettes,cigars,or pipe tobacco. This is my first rope so i have no comparison by which to judge. i bought some "brown #4" to try as well(perhaps it tastes like smoking chewing tobacco?) Its room note is as perfectly camofluaged in my working enviroment as a tobacco can possibly get in an engineering machine shop...

Its strength is perfect for somebody who works and wants a good nic fix to get working with , this is like espresso coffee in effect.

A few bowls later:-sliced thinner and put into a bud grinder to tear into smaller raggy pellets for better bowl airflow brought about a better burn and taste(same as before but stronger) What was noticed with this preparation was a slightly peppery parafin-esque/white spirits/turps/ vodka spirit vapour aftertaste that was the strength of the nicotine itself.

FINAL OPPINION : Letting some preshredded totally dry out and then stored in a jar with a few intact peices has greatly improved the smoke,,,,;gone is the spirit aftertaste and it seems more mild. It burns a lot easier now as well;i think it came in the most vacuum packed tin i have ever seen;it was practiacally imploding which means the baccy inside was being stretched;this is charecteristic of all tinned baccy in that it will light at first, then get harder as it returns to normal pressure by shrinking;you then have to wait for the moisture in it to go before it will light easy.. Its a stout flavour (oil and black pepper;quite peppery like on a pepper steak)and would accomodate a stout drink with it,,,;its aftertaste is a bit burn't and bitter(imagine roofing pitch if that helps)but its ok while you are smoking it,,,,;i found cola the best chaser to go with it to be honest.

I have also blended it 50/50 with "brown #4" which gives more width of flavour and together they fill in eachothers holes in tastes,,,like a good mesh of gears..

I have found myself craving it for its strength factor in small doses,,:i think its a great workmans strong smoke who needs a kick and is thinking about something else completely other than tobacco tasting..

Would i buy this again? ;yes , sometimes my mood is such that i fancy the blackest of blackness of which this is the quintessential stout example..

UPDATE 12/04/11 I think this is a sound purchase and i have grown to like it for its cut down pure no compromise potency,being stored in a glass jar and allowed to air has emancipated it hidden qualities,this is as strong as pipe tobacco gets as far as a combination of total stout and strength can get,,,i still like other tobacco's of course,but this has a stand alone quality and unique individual personalty to be an honoury member of my tobacco in crowd..

Update 21/05/11:Having had some jarred for a couple of month i can say that it gets milder,rounder and more approachable.. The tobacco has lost its rubberyness and cured into a more stiffer leathery licorice stick consistency..

This is my first twist tobacco. It looks like the momified finger of...a dragon ;o). It has a subtle smell of dried figs and raisins. After reading many of the reviews on this tobacco, I was a bit afraid of the "Black XX beast", so I smoke it with a trusted briar.

I cut it in thins coins, and cut the coins in half an rub it. I let it dry for 15 mins ( the tobacco layers were tighly packed, as if they were melted).

The smoke is smooth, creamy, with a dry fig, newly cut willow wood and Virginia smell, developing into a subtle homemade custardly smell ( custard made with milk, cornflour, sugar and vanilla pods, not the industrial custard ;o). It is a very nice smell and taste. By the last third of the bowl, I can feel the nicotine tingling in the back of my neck. It is a very nice, dry and smooth smoke. I love it .

I rate it with three stars because of the pre-work required ( you need some time to devote for preparing it) so it will not be one of my "default" tobaccos, but I will always keep it at hand.

I don't give any rating on room note ( I never do). Enjoy it.

Part 1 This is some good baccy folks,it packs well,and is a cool burner. After cutting some small coins off the rope then rubbing them out well and then drying it out all day I loaded up a small briar and went outside. Ive seen this stuff called "Black Death" and "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse having a tea party in your mouth" etc. So I was a bit apprehensive when I started the charring light.Wow,a big blast of virginias hit me,almost like FVF on steroids.The second light was even better,I could tell right away this was going to be a treat. The bacca burned cool and dry,nary a relight, and had absolutely no tongue bite,just lots of pure tobacco smoke,Very rich smoke,The flavor is Very stout and robust but no "horsemen" showed up.The XX burned so cool the briar didnt even really heat up,and the bacca burned to a nice dry white ash.I didnt experience any harshness or nicotine effects whatsoever so I loaded up a second bowl and had a similar smoke.

Part 2 A couple days later I cut some thin coins,rubbed 'em out,dried 'em for 45 mins. or so,loaded up and went outside.On the charring light I got some hints of asphalt or maybe roofing tar,Im not sure.I had a hard time getting it and keeping it lit.I kept puffing and seeking that pure virginia flavor I had just a couple days previous,Then out of nowhere came the Horsemen,and Black Death was the lead rider,and he brought along St. Nicotine the Terrible. Together they proceeded to give me a thrashing I wont soon forget,Blow after punishing Blow,A beating so severe I deeply regretted ever taking up the pipe. Im not certain if the drying time had anything to do with it,but thats what I suspect.Once I recover,I'll give an update.

---

Please be careful with this stuff. * * * Update * * * Moderation is the key to the XX, let the coins dry out well,smoke it too moist and you'll puff hard to get it going,also take your time and enjoy.Puff fast and you'll pay the price.Slow down and relax and you'll be rewarded with a rich satisfying smoke.This can be a heavy hitter,so reach for it only when the mood strikes.

I had the bad sense to purchase this, but the good sense to put it in my least favourite briar. That was good, because I had to clean the briar thoroughly to get the taste mostly out. This tobacco looks more like it was made for chewing. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't appreciate any flavours at all.