Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Sweet Plum Twist

The dark fired and air cured tobaccos are boldly earthy, with a deep dark fruitiness, some citrus, and minor grass, spice and acidic notes. The sweet, rich plum topping sublimates down the tobaccos very mildly. The strength and nic-hit are strong, while the taste level just reaches the full threshold. Won’t bite, but has a few rough edges. Needs some dry time. Burns cool, clean and slow with a very consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves some moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. The after taste pleasantly lingers. Has a stronger room note. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

OK...this one is quite potent re scent & flavor...for a twist, most of which are very subdued. My chunk came fairly dry as well so it burns eagerly. It burns down more quickly than the other more dampish twists, being physically less dense, or something. The flavoring is very nice. Somewhat in the genre of Firedance but without the brandy & cream. Also a bit like Pete's University Flake. Definitely strong, brown twist undertone with the plum riding on top. Very nice altogether. I think that given the strength of tobacco flavors derived from the brown twist and the careful handling of the top scent this would be one most any experienced pipe smoker would appreciate. It is available from Mr Snuff and given its UK cost level plus shipping does not come cheap. But it certainly is a fine addition to the larder.

This leaves the Sweet Cinnamon Twist as the only one I haven't yet tried of my recent TAD orders. That one has a definite Cinnamon spice aroma, and presents an interesting possibility...that of mixing the Plum and Cinnamon. I think it would be a killer dessert blending. Like "Plum Tart" perhaps. The idea has captivated me totally and my next trial will be equal portions of the two. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will pan out. The Cinnamon might also do well mixed with Sweet Rum or Brandy Twists. More on the blending later.

The downsides to this are 1) it's difficult to get in the US, and 2) it (and similar twists and pigtails) come in tiny amounts (10-18g). These are designed more for chewers than smokers, and that may be why they are sweeter than the sweet GH twists available in the US; the up side is that while retaining all the flavor and N of the regular twists, the sweetness and plum flavoring mitigate the harshness that the brown twists can sometimes have (for me at least).

The twist is no moister than the more widely GH ropes and twists, and cuts up just as easily. Lights easily (unless a big shred of the outside leaf is on top), and, for me at least, was delicious.