Samuel Gawith Finest Kendal Twist Black XX

Another easy review, this time with less than a full bowl.

The effect is like bonging hot air, and it knocked my head off. This stuff is the reason men didn't live very long in the 17-1800's. Yes, it's tobacco, but it has no depth, no nuance, no harmonious exchange of blending and no complexity of any kind. It starts off strong and full and finishes like the exhaust pipe of a bus. If you like this kind of flavor, find a cigarette smoker and empty his ashtrays in your mouth. Swish the ashes around in your mouth for awhile and enjoy.

Absolutely not recommended for anyone with discerning taste buds - at least if they want to keep them.

UPDATE 11/28/10

I received some of this from an internet pipe buddy who suggested that since it had been aging in his cellar for almost 3 years, it was likely mellower and more flavorful than the new tin I smoked from in the review above. Being a brave and silly soul, I tried it. I made it halfway through the bowl before discarding - by sheer force of will.

My review above stands except for one small thing... I'm no longer sure this is even tobacco. It's not the strongest blend I've ever smoked but it's by far the harshest. If it were a cigar, it would be a Dutch Masters that has been lying open on the ground for 90 days in the heat of summer and pelted with all manner of precipitation, both natural and man-produced. I can't imagine anyone enjoying this. But then again, Neil Diamond had a long, prosperous career, so there is no accounting for taste in this world. All of this silly prose is just my way of saying try this at your own risk. If you enjoy it, more power to you.

Looks like a doggie grunt rope. Taste like I would imagine a doggie grunt rope would taste.

Just corrected a couple typos........sorry for the intrusion....

from 04/09/2008:

This is the first rope I did not like. Many people compare tobacco flavors they don't like to things (I hope) they have not tasted. Well, to me, this tastes like burnt motor oil which, of course, is just a hunch.

There is plenty of flavor here, but it is singular in nausiosity and will stick with you and your pipe. Not a good thing. I'm a big fan of stoved tobaccos, but I can't imagine how long this was cooked to achieve the sharp, oily, actually evil flavor that resides within its black coils.

However, I am a trooper and will smoke more of this. I expect it will one day become an occasional curiosity smoke for me due to it's uniquely high level of ultra-wretchedness. That is to say, I'm too cheap to throw the shit out.

On the plus side, when tobacco is illegal and all the farms are burned and gone, when most of you are in jail for committing pipe smoking, when every last cellared tin has been sequestered and when the thought police aren't watching, I'll sneak out this last (thankfully) forgotten tidbit of tobacco and rejoice at having not smoked my entire stash.

How will I still have this bit of vicious black contraband while the rest of the world goes smokeless? I'm beginning to think this is not even tobacco.

Oh my God!!!

After a five or six puffs my windpipe snapped shut and I could feel the Reapers bony hand tapping me on the shoulder. I knew it was time to stop and step away from the pipe.

Only for those who have a death wish!!!

Samuel Gawith - Finest Kendal Twist Black XX.

As many reviewers have said, this is a strong tobacco: I CAN'T inhale it.

At the start of the smoke I quite like it, the flavour's full but it seems okay: if I sip my pipe gently I get a mild smokiness with a pleasing sharpness. The problem arises if I puff harder: the amenable flavour becomes bitter, with a mild taste of liquorice in the background. It's fair to say, this takes the shine off it.

On the plus side, the smoke doesn't bite! That doesn't increase the rating though:

Not recommended.

Hello

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is there anybdoy out there? My head is spinning and I feel faint. My pants are half off, and on backwards. I have a tattoo I don't remember getting. Boy I have a bruise on my head. What has happened to me? Yes, you too can feel this way when you smoke this really strong tobacco. Stay away from this stuff if you have a heart problem. The nicotene is powerful enough to knock the steam off a mule fart.

I cant find much to recommend this blend. This is quite rare, i usually can find enjoyment in most blends, even ones that dont particularly suit me. I almost thought i was getting there with this one, too...but then i just didn't. To be fair, ive only probably smoked 12 bowls of the stuff. Utterly wrecked 2 tasting cobs and ghosted a meerschaum quite badly for a while too. The issue here is one of flavor: this blend produces one that i just cannot believe is their intent, or has anything to do with natural tobacco. It is petroleum like, as some have mentioned burning rubber. Motor oil has been thrown out there, and this i agree with too. It is the most pronounced and constant flavor throughout, and it is so disagreeable that i can't get around it. I like the nicotine level, i like some carmelized fat/meat notes that whisper in and out of tge experience, i like the construction of the rope itself. I just cannot abide the toxic mechanical flavor that is so obvious throughout. I even chewed the stuff, several times. But the offending flavor is also present when chewed. Cant recommend this in any way.

Aaargh!! This is a pure, old-fashioned, uncased tobacco, full flavoured (to say the least of it) and murderously strong. I do - I really do - mean murderously strong. Oh, Lord!

It's very tedious to prepare for the pipe, and I found that it needed constant relighting (probably because I didn't take enough trouble to prepare it properly). The room note is horrendous.

There's plenty of flavour here, but not in a good way. If you like your baccy strong, rough and uncompromising, this is the horse for you; but be warned: this stuff is definitely not for the meek. When I can face smoking again, I'll not touch this. On the other hand, this is certainly a way to get closer to God.

It all depends on what you like; but, judging according to my own reaction to it, I wouldn't recommend it. It'll certainly kill the fleas on the cat, though. Be warned, by the way: it'll ghost up your pipe something awful. If you try it in a pipe you like, the memory will linger on for some time.

Some people actually chew this, apparently; which only goes to show that there are some mighty odd people in this world.

Like may others who have tried this blend, it was more of a curiosity that made me do it... What a mistake, the nicotine was crazy and the taste was so unrefined that I would rather give up smoking than smoke this again! My throat hurt I was dizzy and crap I only got through about a third of the bowl. Bizarrely enough I still wonder how the bowl would have finished.