Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Irish X

I'll tell you right off the bat I chew this. It's not a bad smoke if you like strong full bodied tobacco taste with hard nic, so deffanitly try it. I, on the other hand found myself enjoying this blend better as a chew. Just cut a moderate piece off with an old cigar cutter and bingo!

Being a fan of "Samuel Gawith Brown #4" i have been eager to taste this contemporary offering by Gawith & Hoggarth of Brown Irish Twist.

I purchased 50g in a loose pouch in a recent tobacco purchase binge(first time i have purchased loose bulk rather than a tin but i now have some kilner jars for jarring and aging).

Slightly darker and shinier on the outside and dryer than SG's, but the appearance is almost identical;a @3/4" inch diameter of twisted brown rope.

The pouch scent is mild like a light cigar and slightly spicy and not as manure-esque(dungy leathery) as SG'S #4.(i do like my dungy smelly shit)

For this taste trial i used a "the smoke" graduate shape pyrolytic liner pipe(those ones from the early 70's) I cut a few discs about the thickness of a british pound coin and tore and rubbed it into a pliant bundle and filled. Like SG ropes (or perhaps just ropes in general)it takes a few matches to get going but easier to burn than the black ropes(SG or GH).

Its been a while since i have a had a brown rope and its been an itch in long need of a good scratching. For the first ignition puffs i get an archetypal brown rope taste that i am already familiar with,and no surprises here(i wasn't really expecting any and didn't want anything too different either really) Reaquainting myself with an old friend under a different brand name and packaging,i began to wonder what if any difference was there between GH's brown irish and SG's brown #4? The taste was so simular that i could almost say it tasted like SG brown #4 made on a different day(which doesn't give me any complaints), but then it started to reveal a difference which pleased me because i still wanted it to have a little difference but not too different or unbrown ropeish.

Its slightly milder on the nicotine than SG, i could feel that even before i had worked out the taste difference yet. The diffence manifests itself during the bowl progression which builds up steadily to creat the finale experience(crecendo might be the word).

Basically irish twist has a savoury spice element akin to BBQ sauce or a brown spice sauce ala "daddies" or "hp brown" hint to it which is absent in the SG brown#4.

Near the end of the bowl the spice becomes quite a prominent identity of this rope which separates its persona from its simular identity twin SG #4 which has a creamier milky rubbery heavy cigarish finale. Irish twist is also slightly sweeter compared to brown #4(not that either of them are really sweet TBH)

Having two simular tasting ropes on the market is insurance against one or the other discontinuing its product in the future and also offers a choice of two slightly different tastes on a simular theme in the meantime while both are still available options.

I will definately keep some of this on hand in future,both this and SG#4 satisfy my brown rope urge within a nats cock of satisfaction,that as long as i have atleast one, i won't feel i am really missing the other that much but;at this time i think i give the edge to SG purely because of its nicotine punch(i am a masochist and feel that nicoteen is the decider rather than taste).

This was a trial that needed to be done incase i was missing out out on something better, but as it is i am not,but i am glad i know that they are both good ropes and i have now tasted the best contenders of the pure brown rope archetype/genre.

The burning performance and ash aftermath are the same as SG which is low maintenance,dry and no dottle.

This tobacco is stupid smooth. As other reviewers have stated, this rope smokes cold, tasty and sneaks up with a strong nic hit. The flavour for me moves between sweet and grassy, smooth and nutty and very earthy. First smoke get I cut half a dozen coins 1/8" thick and let them dry for halfa. Could have given some more time to dry, took many matches to get going, but once on fire stayed lit with a steady cadence. Don't be scared of the strength, but be careful. If you are unused to strong blends, don't have this rope as your 3rd or 4th bowl of the day - and this mix is well worth putting off some daily bowls for. I am superbly impressed by this smoke. Smooth, tasty, interesting and strong. Peace to pipe smokers!

No doubt about it, this is very strong English tobacco. But for whatever reason I get along get along with it just fine, especially as an occasional nightcap. Of all the unflavored Brown rope tobaccos I have sampled, I have to say that this is probably my favorite.

The Virginias used in Brown Irish X have a slightly sweet tone that balance well with the woody, smoky flavor characteristics of the stout air & fired cured burleys. And as long as this one is sipped, the flavor can and often will reach the point of becoming moderately complex, with notes of cedar wood and cigar coming through in the side stream. The smoke is creamy and piquant, especially in the nose, and overall the nicotine strength is definitely there.

Keeping in mind that the thinner ropes tend to be stronger tasting, I found the flavor of the thicker Brown Irish X to be more approachable than both Happy Brown Bogie and Sam Gawith’s Brown No. 4, which to me both taste like they have a higher concentration of burley, and are less sweet as a result.

I've been dying to try this blend for some time now. So i ordered some up, and once it arrived I gave it a week or so in the jar before setting fire to it. Preparation was cutting it into thin coins and allowing it to dry for about 30 minutes in a shallow dish. This seemed to be all it needed for proper combustion because it burnt and smoked easily, only needing a few quick relights.

Earthy, somewhat grassy, and even some sweetness can be expected if you don't push it too much. Light sips in a medium to small bowl will bring you a pleasant experience and won't bring on any harshness. Is there a heavy nic hit? Yes. Is this a full tobacco experience? Definitely. Yet if handled properly and respected, Brown Irish X is an absolute treat! One of my favorite tobaccos.

This is a tasty tobacco that provides for an awesome nicotine hit! I travel with this blend so when i have layovers or not much time to smoke, I smoke this. It's not flavorless. It has a nice burley flavor!

hey de paso por gringo why you so green -Been Smoking this and downing shots of everclear cause i thought it was a good idea. Recommended with caution. No I'm only joking, I smoke 10 bowls of this a day haha

I like strong tobacco. This fits the bill perfect. I also have been mixing this with G.H. & Co. Black XX. I do a couple quarter size slices put them in the coffee grinder for a zap or two and let dry for a couple hours. Either way, with or without the Black XX it has to dry or it won't stay lit. BTW the Brown is certainly stronger then Black. But I'll review Black later.

Medium sized bowl, loose pack works best for me. Tons of smoke with few relights. It does seem to mellow towards the end. But overall its not over the top strong to begin with for me being an ex cig smoker. Its got just the right punch for me. Room note favors the strong side. So probably not the best choice if your trying to make friends. I recommend this if you like it full flavor.

Sliced thin, then rubbed out between palms works best for me. Very earthy taste and the only tobacco that gave me hiccups not for everyday as I like my tolerance for nicotine to stay below what this one offers so I can smoke it for a late night buzz every now and then.