Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Black Irish X Unsliced

Wow what a punch! Irish X is not for the faint of heart or novice smoker. I've been smoking a pipe for over 30 years and found this tobacco to be stout and full just like Brown twist and coconut twist. You really, really need to take your time smoking this to enjoy it and identify some of the complexity of this tobacco and avoid an upset stomach from the nicotine hit.

I have found that twist style of tobacco's need a good hour or so drying time after rub out. You may also find this is key in unlocking some of the flavor and complexity of this tobacco. This blend like all twist tobacco is designed to be either chewed or smoked. I cannot emphasize enough......TAKE YOUR TIME with this smoke. Let it dry out well, light her up and sip gently! I'm a quick smoker and find it takes me close to an hour or more to enjoy a bowl of Black Irish X. And if you dare, cut a quarter inch chunk and park it between your cheek and gum. Sweet smokes gentlemen.

This tobacco is unlike anything I've ever smoked, not just because its a twist, but because of its unique flavor. You'll see everyone point out its very distinguishable meaty flavor (very beefy in my opinion) and thats really all you'll taste as you smoke it. The beefy flavor is really straight forward and i don't taste much else while i smoke it. Its a very delightful smoke when you're in the mood for something heavy, savory, and also for a bit of a buzz.

out of all the virginias i smoke this one is a one of a kind. in my opinion, its not an everyday smoke. its a great tobacco when you want the heaviness and bold taste and smell that this stuff gives off. i won't guarantee that those around you will be a fan of the room note, especially nonsmokers. i consider it more of a private smoke. i know a lot of people who don't like this tobacco so i will say its not for everybody.

the only problem I've run into with it is keeping it lit. i may not be drying it out enough but I've smoked it in slices and by unwinding the rope and packing like a ribbon cut. either way, I'm constantly having to relight (which isn't much of a big deal) unless I'm constantly drawing on it. I've had better luck smoking it unwound than in medallions with that being said. so definitely let it dry out a bit.

overall, pretty delicious and a delightful experience if you're an adventurous smoker. i say give it try no matter what you like.

I bought 3 oz of this about a year or so ago. Smoked it once and have not tried it again until now. It had a nice mild earthy smell and I cut up a section and put it into the pipe. I probably did not pack it right or rub it out correctly because the two bowls of this required constant relighting. A lot of matches. This is one tightly wound rope of tobacco. It smoked mild, earthy (that word again) and was more of one flavor that I could taste. I will say that some of the reviewers are correct in that I probably should have ate something because between the tobacco and coffee on an empty stomach I got a little urpy. It reminds me of other dark fired pipe tobaccos I have tried. This is one that in the Old West you could throw in your saddle bag and not worry about it.

Smoke this with onions and a beer for that authentic 3:00 am truck stop feast.once was enough.

I tried black Irish twist after trying several of the Gawith and Hoggart tobaccos. I had first given brown twist a thorough tasting before trying its darker brother, black twist. I have never had a problem with the supposed tsunami of nicotine that is supposed to embodie many of the G & H tobaccos, but none the less it is apparent that many smokers do. The aroma of black twist is that of an lightly (and I do mean lightly) sweetend bourbonesque essence. Texture of the rope is oily and chewy, I almost wanted to cut of a plug of it and find the nearest spitoon. I was skeptical as to how well this tobacco was going to burn upon initial inspection but, after lighting I had no problem sustaining a proper burn. Texture of the smoke was not biting in the least, I have to admit I thaught that this blend was going burn like a mouth full of coals. This is most likely due to the intense curing that this tobacco undergoes, as most of the sugars are leached from the leaf during the baking process. The overall complexity in this tobacco was a bit lacking. I detected an air of charred honey-baked ham that seemed to peek out from time to time, laced with the slightest kiss of bourbon. Despite the oily texture of the leaf this tobacco burns clean, leaving a fine ash at the bottom of the bowl. I highly recomend using a pipe with small bowl capacity for this tobacco, as a little goes a long way. I have a miniature Peterson barrel that I primarily use for this tobacco and its brown brother. I have alot of respect for G&H for maintaing the classic lines of tobacco that they produce. I encourage all smokers to at least try these blends and, if you don't like them then at least you can comment on them.

Note preparation: I noticed that there are alot of people who have commented on how much of a pain this tobacco is to prepare for smoking, so I wanted to share my technique.

Slice of segments of the rope into widths of 1/4 of an inch. Place the cut rope segments into a clean coffee grinder a pulse a couple of times. This works really fast, and gives a very manageable cut that packs and blends easily. The uniformity of the cut also makes the burn really consistent.

I bought this to give it a try. Also bc I like strong tobacco forward blends.

The rope looks oily and black. It smells smoky and rich. I used a cigar scissor to cut it into coins. I’ve cut them thick and thin, and it changes the character of the smoke pretty dramatically. I prefer them about the thickness of a nickel, and rubbed out. A bit of drying time is needed. Even still, it does take a good charring light to get going. The result is a slow smoking, strong tobacco flavor. The flavor is dark fired kind of smoky, dark and earthy. It also has a kind of gentle maple sugar sweetness that pops in. In the same way that dark chocolate or molasses is not very sugary but noticeable. It has a bit of a bbq vibe to it. It can get a bit damp if it’s smoked too fast. It’s manly to say the least. It has a good nic hit too.

It reminds me a lot of a good strong cigar in some ways. It has a good presence and is hard to ignore while smoking. It’s not very complex, but it is thought provoking. The rope is fun to work with and playing with the cut is an interesting game. I like it with coffee. And it’s probably good with a smoky scotch.

Just came back from a Med cruise. This year there were four pipe smokers, including me. One old chap from Yorkshire only smoked one brand, obtaing it from his indoor market. I asked if we could swop a bowl of tobacco so we could try the others blend. He said he didn’t like to try anything else smoking his blend for years, but he would give me a bowl of his gawith-hoggarth black-irish-x-unsliced, it was a chewing tobacco. Great and very strong, but not as good as E A Carey’s Sliced Black Twist. The brotherhood of pipe smoking, you can’t beat it. Nice to try this tobacco. And what a nice guy.

The same flavors as Brown Irish Twist but more subdued and with a very fibrous, burnt onion peel taste. The nicotine is also lighter but it's still a stout smoke. Like BIT, not an everyday smoke but one that hits the spot in colder temperatures.

Virginia lover

Two facts be known about this before I begin: First, I like this tobacco a lot, and second, it isn't for everyone. Bag note is almost jerky-like; woodsmoke and an umami note that makes one think it may be a meat product. A little bit of raisin-like tobacco, but mostly smoke and meat. And yes, it looks like something a rather large (and perhaps sick) dog might leave on the lawn. This is pretty one-dimensional in flavor; tobacco, just tobacco, with a strong backbeat of woodsmoke. Occasional notes of diesel exhaust, which I find oddly pleasing. Getting it to stay lit is a battle, but if you can get it going and find the right cadence, this is a delight. Smokes cool and bone-dry, and stubbornly refuses to bite. As far as the near-legendary nic hit; Yes, it's there and yes, it's powerful. Not a head-spinner, but it will sedate you. I always thought myself impervious to Ol' Saint Nic, but it's good to be reminded that one is human. It may not help matters that I used a magnum-sized bowl (2 inches deep and 1 inch bore; smoked almost 2 hours). Since I smoked it while watching live coverage of the 2016 presidential election, a little sedation was welcome. Tales of people smoking this on an empty stomach and washing it down with strong coffee give me the willies. The way I prepared it was to slice about a 6-inch section into 1/8 coins, then fully rubbed these out and put them in an empty tin to dry a little. You will need a very sharp knife; I used an X-Acto knife with a long woodcarving blade. In summary, this is a singular tobacco, both for its history and its unique taste and method of prep. While it takes a special person to enjoy this, I do think that every pipe smoker should try it at least twice; once to see how it is, twice to see if the first time was really that bad.