Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Twist Sliced

I came upon this tobacco in a rather unusual way. An on-line retailer mistakenly put it in a bag marked as (believe it or not)Best Brown Flake, which I had never before tried. Upon looking at it I was taken aback as it did not seem to resemble the appearance or characteristics of Best Brown according to pictures on the retailers site. It arrived quite dry and so burned rapidly. I had to just sort of sip at it to avoid bite. Needless to say I was quickly aware of the overall strength of this, especially never before having tried any other ropes, twists, etc. Going back to the retailers website I looked at pictures until I figured out what they had actually sent to me. I was a little bit annoyed but by that time also intrigued with the stuff. When smoked slowly it has a slight sweetness with some cigar-like characteristics. It's actually quite good. It doesn't make me ill or cause untoward nicotine overdose affects, but it certainly makes just about anything else seem rather meek by comparison. I use a cob or other pipe with similar small capacity and smoke slowly. All-in-all a serendipitous discovery!

This is one of my staples. Few tobaccos give me as much pleasure as Sliced Brown. You can see the bits of rope left over from the slicing process. The smoke is very full and creamy. This is not as dry as the Gawith ropes, but a filling. My favorite pipe for this is a Peterson XL02 which really seems to allow the wonderful, full tobacco-flavored smoke to dance around my face. Lots and lots of nicotine which gives a nice spicy tone when blown through the nose; not for newcomers.

Update: I purchased another four ounces of BTS about a year ago and cellared it. I’ve been smoking it for a while now and my opinion of it has not changed. In particular, it is a smokey- and burley-tasting Virginia that is only medium strong at most, and it has no Lakeland flavor. It’s good but not great so I’m down-grading it to two stars.

I purchased four ounces of G H & Co.'s Brown Twist Sliced two years ago and, after smoking a few bowls, cellared it for a year before smoking it again. Big improvement. BTS comes in the form of coins that are fairly moist, so best to rub some out and let dry a bit before lighting up.

BTS is not a typical straight VA. If I didn't know better, I would have taken it for a VABur. As for its taste, I agree with incognitopoet that it is reminiscent of chewing tobacco (although not nearly as sweet). However, I disagree with most here about it being a nicotine bomb. The batch I got was medium strong at best. What I received also had no Lakeland flavors, as supposedly unscented G H &Co. tobaccos often do. I would also point out that it bears some resemblance both in appearance and in taste to MaBaren Dark Twist Roll Cake, although without the bite.

I'm finally running low on my purchase and would like to buy again but G H & Co. tobacco prices have really sky-rocketed. Smoking Pipes now wants nearly $100 for a pound of the stuff and, despite being an excellent tobacco, I don't think I can justify spending that much on it. So, I'll enjoy what I have left and move on to something else. The price is also the reason I'm awarding it three stars. If it were $65/# as when I purchased it, it would be a four star tobacco,

Brown Twist Sliced has a jar note that is earthy, smokey, and sweet. The smoke is full and there is lots of it. It is very earthy and woodsy, almost a campfire-like smokiness but different from lat for sure. Despite being a big full smoke, there is some sweetness to it as well. I get dark fruit notes, and some roasted grains, but not citrus or any grass or hay. There are some cigarish notes and in places a little spice as well. The nic is strong in this one and the smoke is dense almost chewy for lack of a better way to describe it. The sliced coin is cut fine almost a proper shag and rubs out easily. It is a little moist but no need to dry it it smokes fine as it is. The room note will not win friends. This is a 3.5 out of 4 rounded up as I will likely reorder.

Brown Twist is a pleasant change of pace for this predominantly Virginia and English smoker. The varietals of Virginia seem to differ from those in most of G&H and SG’s offerings. They are very earthy and tangy with only some sweetness and even less grassy notes. There is also a subtly smokiness underlying the flavor profile. There is a very mild top note that is similar to Grousemoor, though it could be the result of being made on the same machines. Overall, Brown Twist smokes quite smoothly even when sopping wet.

Everything seems to meld nicely, but Brown Twist is not a flake I see myself stocking up in my cellar.

The Brown and Black ropes by GH are so closely related to its mirror counterparts made by SG, I couldn't build my impressions on them in other way but comparing them.

Black or Brown, ropes by Gawith Hoggarth look like a nobler, more refined versions of similar products by Samuel Gawith. The Sam's versions are definitely richer and bolder, each of them putting forward a distinctive leading flavour note which manifests sustainably throughout the full length of the smoke: the famous "grilled oil" note in Black and "autumn leaves bonfire" note in Brown.

Ropes by Gawith Hoggarth are more complex flavourwise and give more nuanced aromas which subtly change as the smoking progresses. While Black rope from GH is noticeably sweeter than that from SG, the Brown rope is definitely drier, less pungent and more fragrant than its SG doppelganger. "Autumn leaves" are surely present, but also are cedar wood, dark chocolate, coffee and earthy notes. In regard of strength, there's a tie between GH and SG, brown ropes being slightly stronger than black in both cases.

If I had to make a choise between GH and SG versions under condition that whichever I choose the other one won't be accessible to me anymore, I would have a hard time to make my decision. I like both, though for different reasons. Still, most probably, I would finally have chosen SG Brown Nr4 for its boldness. And I would sorely miss GH Brown Twist as I value it highly for its refinedness. As much similar they are, they aren't directly substitutable to each other.

Thankfully I can't imagine a scenario in which I might happen to be forced to make such a hard choise so I enjoy them both.

BOOM! Straight in you face Virginia. Both Virginia and Dark Fired Virginia twisted aged and then slice. It is a powerhouse blend. Small bowl And take your time and enjoy. Easy to pack. Easy to light.

Awesome stuff. The cut is fine and tangled together, making it easy to pack in big clumps. Plenty of earthy cigar tones, and I don't think it is ridiculous in strength. Burns cool and steady and is incredibly satisfying.

Probably my favorite non-aromatic to date. I love the flavor and power that this tobacco delivers. It is a little harder to light than some but, once lit, it burns amazingly well and cool. Just make sure you eat a good meal before lighting up because this one packs quite a punch!