Samuel Gawith Black XX Twist (Rope)

A good tobacco if you want a quick hit of tobacco satisfaction. The rope has a mild virginia odour to it, but I understand African tobacco's are used in it's manufacture. I would descibe the favour as a richer more refined version of Condor, but with a pleasant leathery edge. I gut the rope in to 1/2" segements and then quater the segements and then rub out. Although he flours are refined and very pleasnt, this tobacco does have a serious nicotine kick so bear that in mind. The room note is not unpleasant, quite sweet but not aromatic. However the intensity of the room note can be offputting to some people. A great smoke to relax with, perhaps with a good Scotch or stout in your hand.

Well, here we are at the end of the Samuel Gawith blends I have on hand and like Rustica in the HH line, I've saved the strongest for last. I've heard a lot about this blend online. Some people love it, and some people hate it. It's a bit like Marmite really. After having Rustica, which I hope they decide to produce more of in the future, this isn't so bad in the Nicotine department but more on that later.

The tin is pretty interesting and not what I'd expect for this tobacco. There are some dark gears in the foreground probably harkening to the process used to make it. Once I removed the thick cardboard insert I found a thick dark rope tobacco that was back in color. If stick my nose in the jar I smell something similar to when you first light your barbecue grill and you scrape off the grates to start pre-clean. It's got a lot of those charred meat notes to it similar to the Gawith, Hoggarth and Co. Black Twist. Now this comes pretty wet and oily so some dry time is highly recommended. I found I had the best results if I used a Cigar cutter to cut some medium thin coins, then rub them out and fill my pipe and let it sit overnight.

Now patience is key when lighting this up, even at a smokable dryness. Though with the overall strength of this blend you may not mind all the relights. Now when this is lit it tastes, very savory. Deep, meaty, leathery, spicy, earthy. It has an oily mouth feel. Slow smoking will reveal the subtle Virginia sweetness in the background. Believe it or not, this does go well with coffee.

Now the taste is a Full. Not only is the smoke big and bold, but it has a tendency to stick with you especially if you smoke a bit too fast. Besides that the taste is very unique and as I said before you either love it or hate it. The strength is Strong. If you have a low N tolerance, and you haven't eaten Lady N will walk through your door and give you a good punch in the stomach. In my opinion it's not as strong as HH Rustica, or HH Bold Kentucky but it does rank among them. The room note will win you no friends. It's strong and when the wind blows in the wrong direction it stings my eyes a bit.

It's not a bad blend, but I'm not sure it's my cup of tea. I shall try it again in six months time and see if age adds a new dimension to it.

Presentation: Simple black background and text.

Cut: Comes in these amazing ropes. I smoke cigars, so what I do is use a cigar cutter (cuts cleaner than any knife) and cut it into thin coins. Then rub the coins out or just simply pull them apart. The ropes are the best for aging.

Tin note: Smells smoky and meaty with a tinge of cinnamon-like smell, perhaps tonquin.

Tasting notes: Smoky, slightly spicy, meaty. FULL flavor. A leather note will slide in later in the bowl. Spice will appear here and there.

Mechanics: Perfect moisture for me but mileage may vary. Well behaved blend once you figure out the preparation.

Extra Remarks: This is an excellent, unique, and delicious blend. I once smoked a bowl of Old Joe, Irish Flake, and 1792 Flake back to back and was fine, so I consider myself immune to nicotine, but lightweights beware! I love the full flavor and strength of the blend, but don't expect complexity. 4 stars.

I bought a tin of this blend at Jon David Cole's encouragement after a "pipe pilgrimage" to the Country Squire in Jackson MS, after hearing about it by reputation over a year of enjoying pipe tobacco. My initial attempts not only left me frustrated with the moisture (rilighting a dozen times) but also left me with near-fatal hiccups after a couple puffs. I was near disposing of the tin with prejudice, but convinced myself to try it one last time in a briar with some substantial dicing and drying. Quite pleased that I did - other reviewers mentioning the aged steak flavor are not wrong. The smoke can be incredibly creamy if you prepare and light it properly, and burns very cool. There's also an oatey, rye bread note for that dark Virginia smokers will recognize, with no real bite beyond the extreme flavor (which I've come to like as a dark fired fan) and significant nicotine kick.

My suggestion for preparing this blend, try dicing the rope down to 2mm-wide coins with a jackknife or cigar cutter; rub them out, dry for 30m, store in a jar for a month or two, and then prepare to relight it frequently if you don't have a rapid cadence. Also make sure your emergency contact information is up to date.

I have to admit, I was a bit intimidates by this blend. After all, it looks like a dog turd. After some preparation using my trusty Buck 110, I loaded my pipe, lit it and pure bliss occured. Slow burning, cool and full of flavor. This would rank among my favorite tobaccos and I can hardly wait to experience some of Gawath's flavored varieties. Even a novice smoker would enjoy this no bite smoke.

This tobacco with an erotic name, eschatological aspect and for some with a diabolical punch, you have to try it sometime. Opening the tin I found a 2 oz. Twisted cord. (50 grams), which gave off an unmistakable smell of leather, of a half-cleaned tavern table, with the vapors of the liquids that are consumed there filtered on the wood of the tables. It gives the impression of being a bit dry although due to the cut it is not so easy for me to assure it, since its touch is somewhat stiff but at the same time somewhat rubbery. It should be cut with a knife and formed into coins that crumble easily.

When you turn it on, it smells like grilled cutlet, it reminds me of the old smell of the kitchens of the taverns of the villages. During the smoke it seems to me closer to a cigar than to virginias with its characteristic notes of figs, raisins and bread in the baking process. It is robust, dense, certainly not to be smoked every day. It may be awhile before I try a second bowl. For some the nicotinic hit is quite strong and that puts them back when it comes to smoking it. I can't talk about that since coming from the world of cigarettes I have quite a tolerance to nicotine.

I am looking forward to trying the Brown nº 4 which looks very similar, as well as other cigar leaf blends to compare with this one. For my part and advising of the mentioned characteristics, I would recommend it.

I usually smoke it in a Rattrays pipe with a longer mouthpiece than normal (without being churchwarden), which softens the smoke a bit. Do not miss the opportunity to try it, even if you do not repeat it later.

2020/11/16: I am dropping a star. What a disappointment! I can't help but wonder, have I changed or has this tobacco changed? After a couple of months without smoking it I carried a pipe and the experience was so unpleasant that I couldn't get to the middle. Suddenly the ghosts of various comments I have read here appeared to me, about the smell of burned tires, dead badgers and various pestilences. I very much agree with Gestalt when he says that given the diversity of evaluations and comments on Black XX everything must depend on the state of the taste buds and I add "and the olfactory ...!". My partner also asked me "is there something that is burning?" while opening the window. The funny thing is that she too had smoked it once and although she wasn't enthusiastic about it, she didn't dislike it either. I'm surprised to remember that the first few times I liked it and now I don't know what I'll do with the rest of the tin. Mysteries of chemistry. I wonder if it is because the tobacco was a bit dry, that I had smoked other tobaccos before, that my taste buds have changed… I keep two stars to leave it in the middle between the first times I smoked it and this last one. Ah! but I doubt there is another review ...

I've smoked two different samples of this. If I was told they were different blends, I would never have doubted it for a moment. One sample was 8 years old, the second sample was new. The 8 year old sample tasted very rich, full, and had a mild sweetness and creaminess that become a dominate aspect midway through the pipe. The new sample had a powerful meaty boutique in its aroma that wasn't nearly as prominent in the 8 year sample. The new sample felt like it wasn't nearly as full in flavor, weaker in nicotine, and didn't really develop any creaminess as the bowl progressed. I also detected less subtle sweetness in the bowl than in the older sample.

Considering that this rope contains a healthy portion of Virginia tobaccos, and trusting that SG is making this rope the same way they have for over a century, I'm attributing the stark difference in these two samples as an attribute of aging. I really like the aged sample, I'm not too excited about the new sample. That is well and good, I'm a patient man and my cellar has plenty of evidence of this. I'll continue to smoke the aged sample I have. I'm putting another 500g in the back of the cellar to get lost for 5 or more years.

This is another example of a blend where aging is the difference between amazing and mediocre. I highly recommend this when it is aged. Fresh, it's just a strong rope. For this reason, I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2 or 4. Fresh, it's a 2 star tobacco. Aged, it's a solid 4 star tobacco.

Tobacco Stake! Smells great both lit and unlit. Spicy and round, heavy on nicotine. Great for a quick chew as well. This was my first rope tobacco and I enjoyed it so much it got me started on some serious sampling of other ropes too. Still one of my favourite.

This twist/rope isn't a go-to for me. I reach for it very occasionally. The rope is easy enough to work with I use a cigar cutter to slice coins which can either be stacked or rubbed out. The strength is up there it has power, body, and a sedative effect that I enjoy. The flavor is not my favorite. The Virginia is ultra meaty in taste and aroma. I completely get the charred meat comparison. Motor oil is fair as well. Even though the taste is not what I like, I recommend this blend. It's VERY odd and unique and for a rope tobacco it's pretty good.