Samuel Gawith Brown No. 4

They say rope tobacco is the strongest of them all. And after this one, I believe it. Very heafty, full bodied, harsh, and smoky. Only a little will do. Good to try at least once.

Brown Rope No, 4 is:

1. murderously strong;

2. cool, but full-flavoured to the point of coarseness; has a pronounced cigar taste (which I don't care for);

3. – like twists and ropes generally – tiresome to prepare for the pipe unless you like a lot of foreplay.

There really isn't much more to say. If you enjoy the kind of tobacco that'll blow your head off, this'll do nicely; if you don't, it'll make you fall over and pray for death. I found it rather an ordeal, but I can see that it has sterling qualities. It's a very good example – a classic – of its type, but certainly not for everybody.

Brown Rope No. 4 is the sort of baccy that I always think of as a winter and outdoor smoke (the room note will cost you friends, by the way). It comes quite moist and for that reason doesn't burn without a fair amount of fuss; but for Pete's sake don't dry it, or it'll cremate your tongue and associated parts.

A lot too strong for me, and I really don't go for pipe tobaccos that taste like a cigar; but I recommend it to those who like a fight.

I think the pal below me sumed this pretty well. But I dont like this turd. If I didnt keep puffin this it seemd to go out rather quickly and this is not something you want to puff n puff n puff so re-lights were plenty and painful. The taste is cigar like but has that taint smell thats in the tin. Over fermented, for me it's like smoking shoe leather. however I did like the smell in my smoke room but Ilike the smell of tobacco.

good for blending a weaker tobacco and thats about it for me!

Take note...a friend of mine who has smoked illegal types of substances for years tried this one evening while we were out at a local hang out and said he was swearing off that stuff because of the way this bacca made him feel! LOL!

There is only one way to describe this...even with a very full stomach, it will knock your d#%K right in the dirt. The first time I tried it was in a smallish pipe because I had at that time recently tried the 1792 and was expecting to be toasted. Boy was I right. To me it has a great sweet taste of the Virginias that SG uses in all the blends I have tried by them and everyone that has been around me says it smells good. It leaves only a fine ash in the bottom of the bowl and burns very dry. However, I can not express to you enough how STRONG this is. And this is coming to you from someone that likes XX Black Rope!

I obtained this in an already sliced configuration so I don't know how it is fresh sliced off the rope. However, I have tried Irish flake and can say that this is much stronger for sure. One night after a long hard day I smoked two bowls in a row...as I fell softly asleep I had to wonder what I was thinking...I was surprised I woke up the next day...

So, if you are wanting something STRONG this is for you, but do be wise and go with a small pipe...

I purchased a few inches of "The Devil's Umbilical Cord" almost ten years ago. Back then, it had a slight incense-like scent of floral casing, and smoking it brought it out even more. Not unpleasant, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

My first attempts at smoking it resulted in an unpleasantly strong nicotine rush. I was only able to get through about a quarter bowl in my smallest Dunhill before the room began to sway. A friend who was brave enough to tackle it turned positively green and has sworn never to touch it again.

The rope sat untouched for years until I finally worked up my courage and decided to see if age had tamed it. I filled my pipe with partially rubbed out slices. I found that the first few puffs brought to mind a strong cigar such as the Opus X. My mouth was soon tingling with a peppery flavor, and so far I'm liking it. About a quarter of the way down, the nicotine starts to kick in. The tobacco burns well, resulting in a fine gray ash. The flavor is dark, spicy, and the incense smell and taste is noticeably and thankfully absent. Tongue bite is also nonexistent. Smoke is copious and resembles a full bodied cigar more than any pipe tobacco. I'm a fast puffer and I had to make a conscious effort to pace myself.

I made it halfway through the pipe before I ran out of time. I think I could have finished the bowl without ill effects if I smoked it slowly enough.

I believe it would be no problem for a tobacco chewer or cigarette smoker, but for an occasional smoker like me, it is strong medicine. It's a tobacco that I'd love to explore more, but its strength is a detriment and gets in the way of enjoying it.

I expected this to be stronger than the black rope form SG. I surmised that the extra cooking the black rope went through would drive off more nicotine and harshness, too.

Nope, Brown Rope #4 is milder to my taste, though it is not mild at all. Still, it is tolerable if you like nicotine in large doses. The good tobacco flavor makes this worth a go.

I get the taste of Lapsang Souchong tea smoking this, probably from fire-cured leaf. Whatever the curing method, it is smokey, full of flavor, and no where as harsh on the mouth and throat as the black rope I previously reviewed once medical assitance was provided.

I let the moisture reduce almost entirely, but still leaving pliable strands after cutting off chunks with a cigar cutter. Crumbled and loaded into a Missouri Meerschaum.

Two stars because I can realistically give others only a mild nudge to try it. If Dunhill tobaccos give you a buzz or make you whoosey, pass on rope tobaccos altogether. Interesting, but unworthy of poetry or limmericks.

Very strong, but complex. For somebody with a mouth made of iron, this blend would reward repeated smoking. That person is not me. I think I'm going to cut and crumble up my rope, combine it 1:2 with McClelland #5100 Red Cake and let it age a few months. That should smoothen it out.