Samuel Gawith Brown No. 4

After Black Rope XX I figured, judging from the reviews, that Brown Rope No. 4 was going to be its younger, weaker, sweeter cousin. Not at all -- it's an entirely different beast. And beast is right. This is strong, nasty stuff, like a cheap cigar; and yet, like Gertrud Stein says of Oakland, there's no there there -- it's quite flavorless, and too much of it. Strong, hot and bready, something to be more endured than enjoyed. The only pleasure I get from this is when the tickling ache in the back of my throat finally goes away. When I want something this strong I'll stick with the intriguingly flavorful Black Rope XX.

I was reluctant to try this tobacco at first. I had originally purchased a large amount of it for my dad since he has been smoking a pipe longer than I have been alive. I figured it was a unique gift for him since I've never seen him buy rope pipe tobacco but he's a history buff as well. I can certainly see soldiers during the War of 1812 and the Civil War removing this from their possibles bag and cutting off slices to share after an intense battle.

In any case I snipped off a little bit of the rope to try, cut it into coins with a cigar cutter and left it in my "cellar." At first I mixed it 50/50 with Prince Albert just to try and gauge how strong the tobacco truly was. The PA seemed to burn away first and give way to a wonderful, nose tingling smoke. It was hearty in the way beef stew is hearty and filling on a cold winters day. So I figured I might as well try it full bore without any additions. I rubbed out 3 or 4 coins, let it dry for a bit and loaded up my pipe. I was greeted with nothing but tobacco heaven. A full strength smoke that was intensely satisfying but certainly not complex. The closer the bowl got to going out the more the sweetness came to the front. If I puffed a little harder I got the "baking bread" scent and taste that other reviewer have mentioned.

I find this to be a wonderful tobacco. I wouldn't smoke it every day but I certainly find myself wanting to load up a pipe with it a few times a week. My caution is to make sure the kids, dogs, cats and especially the wife are far away. This will curl their hair and they may try to have you tried for cruel and unusual punishment. If your goal is to escape them then this is certainly a deterrent. I also find this the most versatile tobacco in the world. Smoke it in a pipe, chew it or grind it into snuff. If you're into survival and have a "bug out bag" in case of a disaster be sure to have a large supply of this ready to go. It will get you through those tough times ahead. My next quest... to see how well it ages!

This may be my favorite tobacco ever. While not packing an overwhelming nico hit it certainly gets the job done and leaves one satisfied. The taste reminds me of fresh baked bread, especially when smoked slightly hot. This is the easiest rope i have found to prepare, behaving well even if the slicing is done quickly and not all that evenly so that I pack lots of different sized pieces into the bowl. Still it burns evenly and cooly all the way down with minimal relighting.

scatology /sca·tol·o·gy/ (skah-tol´ah-je) 1. study and analysis of feces, as for diagnosis.

If it looks like scat, and smells like scat...it must BE scat. I have no knowledge whatsoever on whether it tastes like scat.

It looks like something my Rottweiler leaves in the back pasture. The only thing missing is the steam rising in the morning chill. Similar scent.

Sliced a few coins with my trusty Ginzsu, rubbed out and dried thoroughly. Lightly loaded a cob, fired it up. Thick, noxious clouds of white smoke that caused the cat herd to haul ass for fresh air, and me to ponder "why am I wasting my time smoking tobacco that reminds me of something I stepped in?" I threw the cob and turd in the Weber kettle, closed the lid and hoped nobody showed up for a BBQ.

Diagnosis: Feces. Therapeutic Regimen: Glenfiddich Gargle, repeat as needed for relief of symptoms

Lacking the time and inclination to create a new level of vitriol worthy of this abomination, I will simply cut and paste my comments regarding Gawith Hoggarth's equally repugnant Black Irish Twist, with the added note that "Taste: Extra Full" should actually read "Taste: Extra Foul."

Gluttons for punishment, delight!

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I know that we are not supposed to comment on the reviews of others, so I hope no one takes offense at what I'm about to say. I had to scour the data base to come up with the most ghastly comments ascribed to any tobacco on this site, for certainly this blend deserves no less a description.

The esteemed Mr. Eulenberg, whose educated palate and prose make him one of the wonders of this site, described Dunhill's Royal Yacht as possessing "all the flavourful charm and sweet redolence of slightly gangrenous horse meat". I would suggest that he sample this abomination. By comparison, Royal Yacht would make a worthy wedding present to a dear friend.

It's a big world, and there is room for all manner of styles and tastes. Yet I cannot for a moment imagine anyone enjoying this. It is downright brutal in its assault on the senses, and brings shame to our gentle art.

I'll describe it nonetheless. An oily, pitch black rope, only slightly foul smelling, it brings nothing but nicotine to the table. The world of wine has Thunderbird, and, well, we have this. Shredding the tough leaves into a manageable form is a chore unrewarded with anything closely resembling smoking pleasure. It looks like used cigar butts, and probably tastes about the same.

The anti-smoking zealots should use this as exhibit A.

Surely there must be uses for such a product. Perhaps the Brits used it to force the evacuation of landing crafts at Normandy. I know I'd rather face enemy fire than this. It may also make a good noose.

I have to go and salt my pipe now, as well as every other pipe in my house, and possibly the tri-state area. Someone should salt the earth where they grow this stuff, as well.

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Finally! I have found an appropriate application for this foul weed. It's, it's

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Halloween!

I bought this because I felt I should try what a majority of the pipe world calls the strongest tobacco around. I was not disappointed ... in the strength. Yes, it's strong. But I also made the mistake of smoking a lot of it in a large pipe.

Tin presentation is nice -- if not funny. Tin aroma was that of fresh cedar and cigar leaf. I used a cigar cutter to knock off some slices, which I then rubbed out fully. Some have suggested leaving the slices intact will deliver more flavor. The light and burn were fine. Where the rope lost me was in the flavor/nicotine ratio.

The nicotine is off the charts, but the flavor is nearly absent for most of the bowl. Top third was plain and boring. The mid-bowl gave what flavor it could, which reminded me of baking a loaf of cinnamon bread inside someone's walk-in cigar humidor. Even then, I had to struggle to find these notes. It was around this time that I noticed the nicotine in a big way. I should have put the pipe down for a few hours, but I pressed on -- determined to find some depth of flavor.

End bowl was as forgettable as the top. By this point, I was feeling the effects of the nicotine. I didn't get the spins; nor did I get sick. I just felt uneasy overall and very lightheaded. I pretty much had to lay down and sleep it off.

I gave this tobacco the "Might try it again, but will not keep it on hand" rating because I still have some left in the tin. I will revisit this rope as long as I have it and try smoking MUCH less of it in a sitting, whether in a large or small pipe. I'll also try leaving it sliced, in case that really does bring out the flavors.

This piece of tobacco's yesteryear was interesting, but there are far better full-bodied smokes out there.

This Tobacco is one of my all time favorites. It is a very sinister looking rope tobacco from England. And it is one of the most powerful tobaccos that I know of. Very high in Nicotine, yet has absolutely no tounge bite at all. The tobacco is dark fired Tanzanian and Zimbabwe which are from my understanding forms of Virginia, grown in South-East Africa. These Tobaccos share little in common with their American cousins. Not tangy at all but more cigar-like in body. If I inhale this Tobacco more than once or twice I always get the Hiccups,which are always cured by taking a drink of something like water.The flavor is very full and it seems to do something to the back of my palette that reminds me of the satisfaction a fine cigar brings.This is similar to 1792 but without the tonquin flavor. Brown# 4 rope is serious tobacco. It can be ground with a mortar and pestal when dry to make snuff. I have done this and good, powerful snuff it is!. You can also put it on top of a weak blend to add strength. I highly recommend Brown# 4 Rope. Arnold Smith

The first time I entered a REAL tobacco shop, the sensation was amazing. I was greeted by tobacco flavours from various sources, Havana cigars and bulk Gawith tobaccos essentially. Since then, for me, this specific smell is the quintessential tobacco flavour. When I first smelled Brown n.4, I thought: "That's it, this tobacco smells like a Swiss tobacconist!" But I was not able to fully enjoy it, I had to grow some experience, which is not the "chest hair" many say. It's a more mature attitude. Caution, patience and respect, essentially. To smoke like an adult, not like a kamikaze. In fact, this tobacco is as strong as a rope, stoved tobacco can get. Creamy, cigarish, a hint of geranium, barbecue sauce. It's sweet and dark. It can get harsh if smoked fast. But smoking it fast is a crime. You have to slice it carefully, rub it, dry it, smell it. Then you load a small pipe, possibly after a good dinner, and enjoy the meditative smoke. The whole process may require an entire day. A special day for sure.

I haven't had this alongside G&H's Happy Bogie and it's been awhile since I had the pleasure of that tobacco. I'd assumed it would be a similar smoke, but neither my memory nor my review of Happy Bogie supports this.

For a start, Happy Bogie burns pretty well. This by contrast is one of the most difficult baccys I've ever smoked. Nor can it be rubbed out properly. Slice and dice is as good as you'll get for preparation.

Normally I'm of the school that prefers to smoke a tobacco as is. With Brown No. 4 I have to make an exception, both to my own rule of thumb and to the advice of esteemed previous reviewers. It needs to be remembered that this particular tobacco is sold as chewing tobacco. So it has a moisture content and consistency fit for that purpose. Unless you really get a kick from relighting, best to give this twist some air time. I might also add that it didn't do well in briar at all. Regardless of my affection or affectation for matching this quintessentially British tobacco with the equally iconic British Falcon pipe, this is the combination that worked best for me. Firstly, the small Falcon bowl delivers about the right duration of smoke, which is also important because this is a stout tobacco. Just as importantly it keeps the tobacco above the considerable condensation that will settle in the bottom of the bowl.

As for taste and aroma, it's what you would expect from fired leaf with the addition of some of what is probably African and/or Indian Va, with some cigar leaf of unknown provenance another player again. The profile is deep, smokey, earthy, musty. The aroma is strong enough that it might cause offence for those nearby.

I enjoyed this baccy. It pairs well with coffee, which I have with milk and sugar when smoking this, not just because the flavours are complimentary, but because it is prudent to have some buffer in your stomach as Brown No.4 will deliver a hard nicotine hit.

Edit. After a week or so of smoking this exclusively, and some experimentation, I believe the best way to smoke this is to cut off a decent amount, completely unroll it (it is more or less uncut leaf) and allow it to dry fairly completely. I am convinced that this is how the miners et al who smoked and chewed this in the old days would have approached it. They probably put it on the mantlepiece near the fireplace, just like Sherlock Holmes did. I went pretty dry with this approach and I can report that the smoke isn't harmed at all, in fact it is improved. It does not become harsh, regardless of what other reviewers might suggest, nor does it lose flavour or burn fast. It is perfectly acceptable and becomes a very easy to manage tobacco indeed. With appropriate drying it will smoke well in any bowl you choose. Unfurling the tobacco also revealed that it does have an appreciable sweetener added, possibly some kind of sugar or molasses mixture. Barely noticeable when smoked however.