Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Twist Sliced

I have been busy with a yearend cleaning out of my pipe room and coming across a lot of blends that needed a revisit. Brown Twist Sliced is one of those blends. This powerhouse tobacco won’t be for everyone and it isn’t an everyday smoke for me. With that said, BTS is a mixture of pure tobacco taste with some mild Lakeland style topping. It has a bit of a medicinal taste but it is offset by an underlying sweetness that outweighs the essence for me. I am not sure if it is a topping or the addition of the dark Indian leaf that gives BTS its unique flavor. I don’t find very much complexity with BTS, but just a full flavored strong blend. I think that most people with a tolerance for “Lady N” and a love for strong, smooth, cool burning tobaccos will be attracted to BTS. If you’re not, then you may want to pass on this one.

warning not for newbies!! This blend will kick your azz if you start puffing away like a madman. You will barf your breakfast, lunch and dinner! Yes it has a healthy dose on the nicotine bug. However if you respect this blend sip the pipe don't get in a hurry smoke in a smaller bowl first couple of times you will find a rather delightful cigar type smoke. There is a real mixture of flavors that float through you oral cavity. I get earth, leather, a little wood smoke, burnt raisins and even a hint of musk from time to time. It's a real treat but you do not smoke on an empty stomach and you respect the nicotine level a all times. Some folks tolerate this blend better than others. My friend smoked a half a bowl and promptly threw up and went to bed with a migraine. This is not to scare you but just to let you know to be careful on your first bowl. You start feeling light headed you stop smoking. You can actually just smoke a quarter bowl in the beginning to see your tolerant level. For those of us used to the nicotine hit you will love the thick mellow smoke the outstanding room note the low heat and cool burn and such a nice white ash at the bottom of the bowl. I don't smoke this often, no more then once or twice a week at the most. When I do you can bet I have let it breath for at least a couple of hours. Just a darn good smoke from the true genus tobacconist at G&W.

This is a very strong tobacco with a completely natural, uncased flavour; cool, slow burning and uniform all the way down the bowl. There's too much cigar-like flavour for my taste, but this is certainly a tobacco to go to if you want a strong nicotine kick and a smoke with nothing added. Too strong - too strong for me, at any rate - to be an all-day smoke, but a good one to visit now and again. G & H also do a sliced black twist that no one has reviewed yet; it's not quite as strong as the sliced brown. I'll do a review of it when I've smoked enough of it to form an opinion.

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.

Not quite as strong as some make out. But plenty of kick. Its like smoking a bowl full of spices. Cigar like qualities of pepper and chillies. Certainly will try again, but I prefer just a touch more tobacco flavour in my smokes and this comes up a bit short in my book.

Maybe a good blend to mix with something you want to crank up a notch.

This is by far the strongest tobacco I have ever tried. This review is based upon fewer smoking experiences than I usually reserve, both due to my desire to get my thoughts down about it, and the infrequency with which I plan to smoke it. It is an interesting and unique smoke. It is challenging, and much stronger than I typically go it for.

The first bowl of this that I tried had to be put down part way through, in order to prevent the room from escaping stability on a rampaging carousel. The second time, I smoked this is a very small lattice meer prince, group 1 in size.

Appearance: The tobacco comes in small cut discs, about the size of a dime. These are a medium brown in color, with darker centers and light stems. Received almost bone dry and crumbly, I rehydrated this tobacco by lightly crumbling it, holding it in the palm of my closed hand, and blowing through my hand. This gave enough pliability to adequately pack the small group 1 bowl.

Initial light gives a quick floral scent and an insight into the very deep and rich flavor of this tobacco.

This is a tobacco that must be carefully sipped, both to avoid the nicotine punch that it can deliver quickly, as well as protect from bite. Even when not biting, this tobacco can roughen the palate quickly. Even in the small group 1 bowl, usually a 10-15 minute smoke, this blend took a solid 35 minutes. The side stream smoke is very cigar-like in quality. There is ample opportunity to notice this, as the tobacco burns very slowly, creating a long lasting bowl from event he smallest tobacco chambers. Ashy flavors are common from the high tar presence.

The aftertaste from this tobacco is lingering and sweet.

Whether due to poor packing of the dry tobacco, slow smoke, or small conical bowl, I found this to require a greater number of relights than usual.

Flavor 85/100 and very full. Smoking characteristics 50/100 with negative marks for relights ashy characteristics and impact on the mouth. Overall: 75/100 influenced positively by superb flavor and unique qualities.

January 2004