Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Coffee Caramel

I have a confession to make. I have an exceedingly sweet tooth. And that is why I am invariably drawn to pipe tobacco with labels like Strawberry Sherbet or Sweet Coconut ?n? Rum. Or Coffee Caramel.

This syrupy black cavendish is sold loose in many UK tobacconists, including my local. It is exceedingly moist, to the point of actually being sticky to the touch, due to the very heavy caramel topping. It was allowed to dry in its pouch for about a fortnight, which went some way to helping the moisture levels (or at least eliminating the stickiness). The colour is almost exclusively black, with occasional dark brown flecks.

The pouch aroma is incredibly sweet. The scent of the caramel topping is extremely pungent, the coffee taking a back seat. The aroma is reminiscent of soft caramel chocolates. It is very appealing, but pervasive ? I can smell the pouch, which rests on the coffee table, from across the room.

The tobacco is easily packed into a small, cheap pipe I reserve for aromatics. Lighting is easy. However, keeping the pipe lit can be awkward (due, I think, to the moisture level) ? this was resolved with careful puffing.

Upon lighting the initial flavour was, unsurprisingly, sweet. However, the taste was more of lightly toasted sugar than the heavy caramel topping would?ve lead one to believe ? I expected sweetness, but was surprised to find that a sticky caramel taste (as per the pouch aroma) was not really evident and that any coffee flavouring was undetectable. The sheer forcefulness with which the topping has been applied lead me to give a high flavoring rating, even if it is not as overpowering in smoking as one might expect from the unsmoked aroma.

The sweetness soon fades to a mild, tobaccoey flavour. It is fairly bland, but the smoke is thick, creamy and plentiful and there is just enough taste to maintain one?s interest. The nicotine levels are low and hints of the sweet topping occasionally burst forth during the smoke. At this early stage the pipe required frequent relights.

Perhaps due to the lack of flavour, my technique went a little awry and I puffed too vigorously. This tobacco does not bite excessively, but will do so if provoked by over-eager puffing. As the bowl progressed it began to take on a slightly sour edge. The sweetness was still occasionally present, but its influence had waned. The sourness was not, to my mind, entirely unpleasant. In paying more attention, I also cured the relight problem. As the smoke went on a little more strength was apparent in the tobacco.

As I finished the bowl, all sweetness had gone, the weed was stronger and more bitter and there was a slight (and pleasant) tickle to the back of my throat. My pipe was a tad juicy in the final stages (but only a tad) and it smoked right down, leaving no dottle, just a small clump of dry, black-grey ash. The room note was of warm, sweet caramel ? true to the pouch aroma, but without being overpowering. It fades rapidly.

Do I like this tobacco? In some ways, no. It is powerfully cased, a little dull and some work for the net result. However, I can also see its merits. The topping is very appealing and, since it is not as brutal when smoked as when sniffed pre-combustion, you get a sweet, mild, fine-smelling smoke, which, for me, is why I might choose to smoke an aromatic tobacco in the first place. Would I recommend this tobacco? Yes, but the smoker must take it for what it is and not expect too much.