Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Black Cherry Twist

In my continuing and thus far fruitless quest for an aromatic that I actually enjoy smoking, I ordered four small samples of GH's flavored ropes. I am a fan of unflavored ropes, so I thought these might hold some promise.

Nope.

For those of you familiar with GH ropes, you know these are obviously quality blends, so I'm not going to go on one of those all-too-common rampages about a tobacco I find disagreeable. Let's just say that while this is well put-together, and will probably appeal to those who enjoy these kinds of flavors in a smoke, I do not care for it at all.

Why two stars instead of one? While the flavoring just does not sit well with me, yet it's not cloying, and much of it (not all) fades during the smoke. You're left with a high quality rope with all its fine attributes, so if you enjoy aros and a mild nicotine butt-kicking, then by all means try it!

Oh my! A friend – I use the word in a fairly loose sense - gave me some of this to sample. I didn't like the look of it, but I'll try anything once, and it would've been rude not to. Here's my advice in a nutshell: if you like very strong and very heavily cased tobacco, you're going to enjoy this; if you like your tobacco to taste only of tobacco and not to knock you flat with its Vitamin N content, leave this one well alone. Very little makes me want literally to throw up, but this managed it.

I do realise that some people like this kind of thing, and great luck to you if you do; but, in my opinion, Black Cherry Twist is not compatible with human life, and Baby Jesus cried when they invented it. It would be bearable, even commendable to those who like a very strong smoke, if it weren't for the dreadful taste. Someone in a previous review has likened the casing to cough medicine. I agree entirely; but who at G & H could possibly have thought that a tobacco should taste like that? Also, what substance, exactly, is used to create this dire effect? I can't believe it's anything natural. I've never come across a 'cherry' tobacco that tastes anything like real cherries.

Jim, my Durham friend/tobacconist (whom Fuzzypeg knows also) tells me that people chew BCT. God help them, is all I can say. If you smoke it, and assuming you can get it to stay alight (no mean feat), the nicotine will kill you for sure if the terrible flavour doesn't. If you're a normally constituted human being, you will, after half a bowl, want to sit on the floor and cry.

No doubt drying it will improve the smoking quality (see earlier reviews); I imagine that aging it would calm it down a little also. I probably haven't given it a fair gallop (no DGT, for example; perhaps the topping isn't so fearsome the second time around). But why bother, when there's so much tobacco out there that doesn't do such horrible things to you? Give it a try if you like; but don't say I didn't warn you, and do use a small bowl. Only real men can smoke this, or would want to. For ordinary mortals, not recommended. No no no no no. Blecccch.

I had long wanted to try G&H's famous ropes and was afforded a generous sample by a fellow smoker. I really enjoyed slicing coins off of the rope and rubbing out the coins completely. I attempted to smoke this without completely drying it out in the microwave without any enjoyment. When moist, it is very rough on the palate and refuses to burn. When completely dried out it is much more pleasant.

The smoke is cool and is medium bodied. The flavor alternates between that of a good cigar, spicy Virginia flavor, and black cherry casing. It is pleasant on the tongue and rather enjoyable with a cup of coffee. The nicotine strength doesn't bother me, but I find it to be best enjoyed in a small bowl. You will definitely get a nicotine fix from this tobacco.

The drawback to this blend is its burning qualities. The problem is that it doesn't burn at all. I can't get it to stay lit for longer than five minutes no matter what I try. As with every blend that I've had this trouble, I find it to be a great hindrance. Particularly since the flavor upon a relight is that of a cigar that has been smoked too close to its cap.

I plan on trying to use this rubbed out to add some strength to the milder VA's which I have become accustomed to. While I enjoy its flavor, I do not care to relight my pipe every five minutes. If you enjoy the stronger Gawith type blends, this is well worth a try. However, I find that this is one of those tobaccos that was fine to give a ride and see how it went, but I don't see myself purchasing in the future.

As a Fan G&H blends I thought I try the Rope/Twist type. I am still unsure how to get it ready to smoke. It does need to be dryed out. I have seversl slices sitting out for several days. It is much better after a long sit. it mellow the tast and the black cherry is now noticale, just a hint. It is not a bad smoke but it will be a long time if any if I will buy it again. I will move on to other ropes to try.

G, H, & Co. Black Cherry Twist has a jar note after a couple of months that is black cherry, earthy and sweet. The smoke, however, is quite different from the jar note. It is very earthy as the Brown Twists typically are and woodsy, smoky, grassy, slightly herbal, and slightly floral, a little nutty with a spice note that comes and goes. The black Cherry topping is very lightly applied. I could barely taste it in the second half of the bowl and nothing at all until then. Unlike the jar note, the sweetness does not translate into the smoke. This is not a sweet aro by any means. This was an enjoyable smoke nonetheless. The nic hit is at the med-strong level and the overall strength is at the top of that category. The finish is rather short, and after finishing a blow the black cherry flavor does find its way into that finish. Smokes very dry for an aro. Recommended for those who like the bigger blends and want just a hint of black cherry in the smoke.

I bought this hoping to taste some cherry. It's good tobacco, but i taste zero cherry. I also taste zero Lakeland essence, for what it's worth. The fruit is so entirely lacking, that i imagine this must be intended to be chewed, and the flavor must come across somehow in that format. It was pretty much the same with the rum rope, tasted nothing of rum. Again, good tobacco, but i can't recommend it for anyone looking for the stated flavors. If you just want a decent brown rope, the alleged flavorings aren't going to get in the way of that, and i could recommend this tobacco to you. Slightly bitter, earthy, leathery, very strong, just plain brown tobacco essence. Nothing fruity, nothing green or fresh.

Package says, "Sweet Black Cherry Twist" vice "Black Cherry Twist", also has a package note of light cherries, mild fermented fruit and mildly smoky. The wet, three shades of brown, 25/32-inch (20 mm) fat rope needs slicing into thin coins (with a razor or thin sharp knife) and rubbed out to get the fastest drying time. Burn is slow and requires numerous relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is mild-medium. Flavoring is mild with a faint note sweet cherries. Taste is medium to full and mostly consistent, with notes of earth, smoky wood, simi-sweet dark fruit, mild lemon grass, mildly floral, cigar, and a very spicy retro. It's like Dark fired Virginia is wrapped around more Dark fired Virginia and a small amount of dark air cured Indian burley, lightly flavored with inverted sugars and black cherry, spun into a rope, rolled up, and cold-pressed overnight. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

I think this bacca is a nice bit of kit. It's really wet so it needs a good amount of dry time but an hour will suffice with a few relights. There is a little sweetshop cherry flavour but not much. I get a decent amount of spiciness which is quite pleasant I also get a nice grassy flavour which all come together on the retro-hale. All in all I like this very much and it smells great when cellared off.

I find this rope to be delicious. Lightly flavored with cherry and the earthy virginia leaf hits the spot for me. Giving it three and a half stars because the only flaw was difficulty in preparation/lighting. Once its going, its a treat. I figure i will get better at smoking it as i get thru this five hundred gram length of it i just ordered