Samuel Gawith Brown No. 4

I was a chain smoker (cigarettes) for over 24 years before I totally switched to pipe smoking by the end of 2018. My take on this Brown No. 4? hell yes it kicked ass and gave me the pure tobacco indulgence I used to enjoy when cigarettes were still a passion to me.

Based on what I have read here, I approached this Kendal Twist with lots of caution, I explicitly reminded myself to use my smaller 16mm pipe and I have prepped the twist into shreds and have them dried amply. And I was rewarded with a full blown tobacco experience - one full of vitamin N and in-your-face type of kick associated with strong tobacco. But surprisingly this stuff is nowhere being harsh, it's very smooth actually - provided that I behaved myself and puff with very slow cadence. Yes, slow puffing will bring out all the flavor and taste. There's no sign of bite whatsoever and this is a huge plus as I will never buy any tobacco that bite.

Oh yes, make sure the belly is full before pulling this stuff. Else one can get spun into oblivion after 5-6 puffs hahaha

Believe the hype, this tobacco packs a nicoine punch! For anyone out there wondering if you can handle it, t his review if for you. I am a nicotine light weight. I also love that taste of tobacco, strong tobacco apparently. I have been dizzy and nauseous from Orlik Golden Slices so that may give you an idea of how weak my constitution is.

Tin note: not much their a little is a little cigar leaf aroma present along with the smell of earth and leather. The flavor is amazing! I was kind of hoping I wasn’t going to like this, but I do... I really do. the flavor first comes across as subtle and subdued, like a mild Mexican cigar. The Virginia’s are noted in the base flavor, the sweet earthiness is masked by the other flavors but i certainly the foundation for this blend. The best part and, for me, the most interesting and unique part of the smoke...each and every time. There is a tangy BBQ or steak sauce like flavor that smacks you right between the eyes. It is earthy and sweet. Smokey and tart. But all of these words are slightly to the right or left of what I really mean. No one would want to smear this on a stake but these desctors as best I can. I will say that the rope cut is also quite appealing to me. At the risk of offending someone (I am sure in this age the mere mention of tobacco is offensive), this tobacco is as manly as it gets. It packs a massive punch with the nicotine, it is shaped like a fragment of a hangman’s noose it smokes like a rare steak and best of all it requires the use of a pocket knife, sword, stiletto or hatchet to prepare. It doesn’t get more manly to pack in the worlds most manly smoking device, the pipe. I wanted to come back to the strength for the last part of my review and explain how I got through the nicotine. Fist as a mans tobacco one must man up and face it, irrespective of nicotine tolerance. Then you put your man card in your pocket, select a medium to small bowled pipe and pack it as you will smoke it. Small 1/2 bowls in a medium pipe or 3/4 full in a smaller pipe (group 3 and smaller). I only smoke this on a full belly. I also usually smoke it in spurts the main session followed by a DGT (delayed gratification technique) and smoke the rest in several hours. I have never gotten sick although I start to feel my throat tighten up on my second or 3rd puff. In summary, this smoke is worth staring down the Nicotine Dragon, It is one of the more balanced, full flavor tobacco’s I have ever smoked.

Brown No.4 is the strongest tobacco I've ever smoked so far. However I never had any nic kick by it, like Mac Baren's HH Old Dark Fired does to me.

It's a serious, thick rope to be approached with respect. SG says Black XX is thicker than No.4, real life comparison shows the opposite. Maybe the applied heat makes XX shrunk. No.4 hardly fits into my 22mm cigar cutter. The preperation is similar to the other ropes. Cut in coins and stuff. And it's drier than I expected. Can be smoked without waiting to air.

Virginia leaves in this twist are dominated by Burley. That gives the strenght to it. It really kicks your throat and the nasal ways starting from first puff in a good, satisfactory way.

During a pipeful of Brown No.4, you feel the earthy tobacco, slight natural sweetness and the mean power at the same time. To enjoy more, you also can try Raki (Turkish) or Uzo (Greek) with it. These two alcoholic beverages are almost the same and they will balance No.4's raw power gently by their refreshing sweet taste. As a reminder, you should mix it with cold water in your glass (approx.50-50) which will turn it into white milky color and if you want additional ice cubes put them after water. But if you're tough enough, a fine Scotch would suit perfect for this tobacco.

The smoke out of it is thick and creamy. Appetizing for smokers, heavy for the others. It burns until the end smoothly and leaves grey ashes of a cigar. Actually, it tastes like a fine cigar. Also avoid using big chamber pipes for this. Unfortunately I haven't tried it in meerschaums. But as soon as possible I will try and write an edit.

This came in a medium brown rope about 6" long with medium-brown highlights in the standard SG tin. Moving aside the white paper, I cut a 1" piece off with scissors, and cut the piece into rings, then each ring into quarters for rubbing out. I ended up with a few large pieces and some chopped leaf. I pulled the large pieces out into stringier shapes. The tobacco has a very low, deep aroma of nicotine with ketchup. I let it dry out for 15 minutes and started smoking in an MM General.

This was a strong nicotine with ketchup and sulphur notes. The smoke was thick, opaque grey. The entire tobacco burned in the pipe leaving some fine grey ash. It's as strong as Irish Flake, but much less cordial: This tobacco demands attention like a big drunk beating his fist on the bar. The nicotine strength is right there at the beginning, increasing in the first five minutes and then remaining level throughout the smoke.

This tobacco is strong and simple with enough flavor to avoid boring. Smoke a bowl and pretend you're camping by your Noorduyn Norseman, wearing trusted bush gear from Filson, waiting to fly out the hunting party the next morning. It's that kind of tobacco.

Had an epiphany a couple nights ago when I sat down to hack my way into a piece of this (visually) unattractive rope. After cutting up enough small chunks to fit most of a large bowl, I realized that it looked like this would be a beotch to light. I topped it with about 1/4" MacCranie's red ribbon VA. Worked like a charm in a couple ways. First, I got the flavor of the RR to start, with hints of the BR coming through. Second, it helped get the BR started, and the BR then burned like a champ. I don't know if anyone else would like it, but man, what an enjoyable bowl. I might experiment with starting some BR with a different ribbon style to fire up some BR, but damn, what a seriously delicious way to serve up an appetizer and main course in one pipe.

First of all I have to say that this can't be my definitive rating because it's based on half a tin smoke…anyway can be enough for some first impressions! Rope is really fascinating and old style, quality is at the top(it's a SG!!), but I sincerely have to say that I couldn't find much more than a big N load, enough to satisfy me after just half a of little narrow bowl…and I love strong stuff like Irish Flake and 1792 Flake!!! I felt like chrunching a big spoon of dirty and dusty earth..... I cut the rope into thin slices and let them dry for a while. Depending on drying time I tasted two different tobaccos: - Short drying time: earthy strong taste, with some woody sweetish notes in the background, but very hard to keep lit - Longer drying time: no taste and aroma detectable, only a big N punch. In any case not so easy to keep lit. In both cases it's a real N Leviathan! I'll try more but till now it did not impress me, nothing special!

UPDATE: after smoking a whole tin of this blend I found out some features I could not detect in my first bowls. I got used to its earthy flavor and started to love it... Letting the slices dry half way between the times above the stuff aroma and taste is still stout but more complex, quite easy to keep lit (but sill needs some relights) and pleasant. Some sweetness comes out and N factor is no more overwhelming, but satisying. Pure tobacco good taste....it's getting one of my favorites! I'm craving for it more and more. Upgrade my rating to 4 stars!

UPDATE N.2: absolutely fantastic home flavored with a hint of good rhum. I let it in its tin with just a hint of rhum and wait....simply amazing!!!!

UPDATE N. 3: simply divine 50% BR4 & 50% Robert McConnel Pure Latakia

A bit boring smoked alone, just perfect as part of a blend like the one above!

S.G. knows tobacco..........few blenders have been at it as long.The only blend from S.G. that I did not like/love from the first puff was 1792. After 6 months of aging(or my taste changing)I tried it again , and I have developed quite a likng of 1792 also. I tried Black XX Rope, and decided that I really like it, so here I am with Brown Rope #4. I like these 2 blends enough that I just ordered a pound of each (for now) and will be cellaring more. This is for sure a strong blend.....full flavored, nice nicotine kick, burns cool...whats not to like? I could give this three stars, but I know that within a week, or two I will be back on here editing it to four stars. I'll save my time (and yours) and give it the deserved * * * * now

Tin aroma:

Not much tin aroma, but what there is reminds me of bread baking in the oven.

Appearance:

It?s a rope.

First Light:

Peppery, lots of smoke. Hot mouthfeel. A little bitterness.

First third:

Some background sweetness. An incense quality. The pepperiness recedes into the background. Marked Virginia sweetness when exhaled through the nose. The palate tingles. There is a good volume of smoke. The sweetness deepens. I could be wrong, but there?s not even one small hint of Burley or Cavendish here, just Virginias. There?s an orange peel-type bitterness here, not at all unpleasant. The nicotine is making itself known, and I put the pipe down to cool off.

Middle third:

The re-light brings no surprises. The Virginia sweetness is there, weaving its way in and out, along with a nice tang that one expects when smoking fine Virginia tobacs.. The pepper is there, too. There?s nothing floral or soapy about this tobac, but there is a smoky flavor. This isn?t smoky like Latakia or barbeque. It?s just, well, smoke. The sweetness deepens, becoming caramel-like. The nicotine is there, but it?s not overwhelming.

This tobac is burning very well, and the pipe stays cool.

Final third:

The mild, caramel-like sweetness is at the fore now, with the pepper only weaving through occasionally. Exhaling through the nose brings a mild sweetness very like that of Best Brown Flake. There?s not much of that trademark Virginia tang in this third, but the smoky quality still shows up some, mostly as a background note. The nicotine is present, but still not overwhelming. I?m enjoying this tobac very much.

The pipe goes out, and I try relighting, only to find nothing but ash.

Recommendation:

This isn?t like any other Virginia I?ve ever smoked. If Full Virginia Flake is black coffee, this is espresso. Virginia lovers should give this one a go, unless they are overly sensitive to nicotine. English and Balkan lovers might enjoy it as a real change of pace. Those that enjoy uncase Burelys might find something new to enjoy. Aromatic smokers should give it a pass.

This is one very rewarding smoke, and it has made its way into my permanent rotation.

I have a deep and fulfilling relationship with dark fired tobaccos. So when I read the constituent leaves of this mixture on Tobacco Reviews I decided to crack the tin I'd been sitting on for a little while. It has a beautiful mix of Dark Fired Kentucky, Cigar Leaf, and Stoved Virginias. I have had a lot of experience with sliced rope tobacco and coin cuts like Three Nuns Green and the Black Twist, but this was my first foray into a full on rope tobacco and like anything it's something new to learn.

The tin is old timey and simple, and once you pop it open there is a thick cardboard insert. Once I pulled out the insert I found the rather questionable looking Brown rope tobacco with a few precut slices. The tobacco smells like mesquite barbecue, sweet Virginia hay, and a lot of earth. When I first opened this I had now idea how to prep this tobacco so I looked online and found that a Cigar cutter can work well to get a decent sized coin. Once I had my coins I could tell that they were too wet to smoke, so I filled my pipe and left it overnight. It takes a light pretty well once it's properly dried, but it does need a few more than average relights, but given the strength I don't mind.

Once lit and going, this blend comes out as very earthy. This blend has a nice base of bready and soft Virginiasthat keep the smoke smooth. The cigar Leaf is nice, rich, deep, earthy and floral but it doesn't take over the smoke. The Dark Fired adds a very characteristic mesquite barbecue kind of spice along with its usual smokey nuttiness. Slow smoking reveals just how subtle this blend really is. It's not harsh, and it borders on creamy at times. It burns extremely slow, which is great for some of my nose warmers.

The taste is a full. It doesn't overwhelm you and it isn't cloying, but it fills your mouth, and leaves a very satisfying aftertaste. The strength is a strong. You've come home early from work after a hard day and Lady N has the table set with your favorite drink and a homemade meal. Satisfying. Not as strong as Rustica but darn near close enough. Make sure to eat a nice full meal if you are still a nicotine lightweight. The room note is creamy, but I don't think it will endear anyone around you unless they already join you in this wonderful hobby. When you can get it, this is a wonderful blend, and for the first time, I'll admit that I would stake out a few tins online to buy this again.

A great, smooth, very enjoyable, slow burning blend.