Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Irish X

First thing.Don't inhale or you're dead.This is like smoking grass,but without the cloud thing,as I seem to remember from my student days.Grassy,somewhat botanical in essence,no bite, but ,heck, if you like nicotine big time,this is for you. Brought back from Spain by my wife(she didn't know),it looks like something my dog leaves in the back garden on a daily basis and being so you can have some fun,if you get my drift. This is what puts the bulk in Popeye,when required,I assure you. Got to go now due to some dizziness .

This is a very strong tobacco in the Nic department. I like this blend because i can have a small bowl of it in a short amount of time and afterward i feel like i smoked a large bowl of Nightcap. Perfect for a lunch break at work! I don't like it as much as the coconut twist because it doesn't have that slight sweetness I find I have come to like about the Coconut twist, Other than that it's virtually the same exact tobacco. I can see myself mixing a small amount of this with some aromatics that are on the weak side to kick them up a notch. It does have a little cigar type of flavor to it but it's not too overpowering. Also be sure to rub it out good and let it dry a little and it will burn good with a re-light or 2. I'm giving it 2 stars because I like the slightly topped versions of this blend a little more than this one.

I had decided to not smoke a pipe today, or at the very least, to smoke sparingly. As soon as USPS arrived with a box from my favorite tobacconist, that resolution went out the window.

Inside the box was 4 oz. of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Brown Irish X. There was little use to resist the tempation - I had to give this brown Irish nicotene monster a whirl. Appearance wise, this is interesting stuff. I was raised on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, and it was gratifying to see a dark, natural, beautifully prepared leaf tobacco again.

Preparation? I was standing at the kitchen counter so I grabbed a pair of poultry shears. I pulled off one loose leaf intact and cut this into manageable ribbons, about an eight inch thick. This went easily into an old vintage briar that I had just received via eBay. I filled the bowl about 3/4 full, and after a little tamping, I ended up with a good half bowl, which was my goal.

Lighting? A bear! Light. Puff. Go out. Light. Puff. Go out. More tamping. The tobacco does take a light easily, and there is copious smoke. It burns cools.

Taste? Aaargh. Very harsh to begin. Strong is an understatement. Smoke in the back of my throat almost choked me. Thank goodness for strong black coffee.

Mid bowl? Interestingly, the tobacco taste mellows out when this gets to burning well. I found a creamy, salty, slightly sweet taste emerged. A strong straight tobacco taste. Very nice.

Nicotene hit? I used to smoke VSG and Opus X cigars back in the day, so STRONG tobacco suits my taste. This tobacco didn't give my any problems. I was waiting to turn green, but it didn't happen. No stomach gurgles, or a run to the bathroom either. I smoked this on a full stomach after lunch.

Summary: I find this tobacco to be a full bodied, rich, straight up, pleasing smoke. I love the saltiness, the creamy taste, and the overall power exhibited. This started out as Mr. Hyde, and turned into Mr. Jekyll, which is a pleasant surprise.

I was more than a little apprehensive about smoking this tobacco from all the reviews that I had read, but at this point, I can see a large bulk purchase in my future - if the stuff ever gets back into stock. Recommended for experienced, hairy chested pipe smokers who like a powerful straight up enjoyable experience. This is good, high quality tobacco. Good stuff!

Recommendation: Start with half a bowl. Puff slowly. Make sure you've eaten first. Enjoy! Repeat as necessary....

BROWN IRISH TWIST REDUX, the following day:

I ate a large late breakfast, and I decided to give this another try. Mistake #1. I cut up what I thought would be half a bowl, but it ended up being more than a bowls worth. I packed it anyway, and probably too tightly, and put the remainer back into the bag. Mistake #2 & #3.

I gave the ribbons that I cut about an hour to dry, but it was still tough going getting this to burn properly. I probably overpuffed the pipe trying to get it going. Mistake #4.

Results of my stupidity? Two urgent trips to the bathroom, and a little green around the gills. I had to but the pipe down. Relights after all the above waits resulted in a harsh vile taste.

As I sit here, sipping a bowl of Frog Morton's cellar out of a newly refurbished Jobey Dansk freestyle, I have to ask myself, "what's the point of subjecting myself to a super strong tobacco that pretty much only serves as a nicotene transfer system?" The Frog Morton is so much more enjoyable, whereas the Brown Irish Twist is pretty much Russian Roulette.

Rating reduced to two stars. YMMV.

Yow! After the boiled, baked & bar-b-q flavour assault course that is the Black Irish, this strikes me at first as a slightly more civilised way to get an almighty nicotine whump. It's reminiscent of the Black but - despite being stronger N-wise - seems to have a very bold meaty, spicy chilli & cigar-like flavour that's marked and idiosyncratic rather than overwhelming, bizarre and unapproachable. You couldn't say it was smooth, no-one will be queuing up to kiss or cuddle you after smoking this and it certainly does seem as though it'll bite you if you're not very cautious with it. It's both a little reluctant to burn at first and then rather too keen to burn when it gets going. But with the N-power that this has under the hood it seems no bad thing at all to keep your wellie off the pedal a wee bit.

This with a glass or two of Maker's Mark would be rather splendid, I think.

It is said that this is the uncooked version of the black rope. I guess it could be, but there is a profound difference in the flavors of the two. Brown Twist was much more harsh and had a cigar-like taste to it.

If this is indeed the heaviest hitter out there, nicotine-wise, I guess I have nothing to fear from any tobacco. Yes, I noticed something, but not the 'knock you for a loop' power I had heard about.

I have to comment on the appearance... I was out of town when the box arrived. My wife opened it and thought that a practical joker type friend of mine had sent some 'ropes' produced by his dog.

Labor intensive tobacco, the taste does not justify the effort of preparation. I can't see this as more than a novelty smoke from time to time - a throwback to the old days.

This is a strong tobacco in all aspects. It tastes like a very good cigar. The nicotine is high and prevents it from being something you can have too much of. It is rather tasty, though as with all rope tobaccos, the preparation is a bit more involved than I'd like. That aspect keeps me from giving this another star, but if you like that work, or are not opposed to it, give this a shot.