TOBACCO CONNOISSEUR
About Me:
Own the motherload of Ser Jacopo pipes.

Reviews


Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Extra Sweet Brown Bogie Twist
An interesting twist on brown irish X.
This tastes just like the regular brown irish X to me but due to the smaller diameter seems to burn a lot better, at least how I cut it, which is rather coarse. If this has any added topping I don't detect it as such but there is a "sweeter" aftertaste like the secondary topping which the rum twist has, or the black irish X has, in the background, but without the rum. Coniston cut plug has something super sweet in it but to the point it is cloying plus flowers, and this reminds me of a very light version of that without the flowery addition, on a stronger tobacco base with more nicotine. The rough edges are noticeably mitigated as compared to the regular brown irish X, perhaps due to the smaller diameter and how I cut it, which puts this near the top of my preference with the ropes and the room note is quite a bit more pleasant. Nicotine is a touch more, which might be due to the thinner cut, which is very welcome. This is a simple no frills, rich sweet smoke (the regular brown ropes are also slightly sweet) which has a satisfying amount of nicotine and is incredibly smooth. This had a slight bitter note during the first 5 seconds which I haven't tasted in any of the ropes before this (a good sign of nicotine) which was gone entirely afterwards. This one tastes very good and I really enjoyed it. Extra sweet brown bogie is very repeatable due to how smooth it is. I found this one to be the best of the unflavored ropes so far and I will cellar a lot of this one.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Aniseed Twist
Heavy, extra strong cased aromatic with nicotine.
This is an intensely flavored tobacco just soaked in licorice or absinthe, tastes just like romana sambuca. I taste actual licorice here, a lot of it, not just anise. I have made a lot of my own twists over the years and use jaffna (the high nicotine strain Gawith & Hoggarth uses) I fire cure with alder coals in a very small toughshed. I then stuff it in mason jars after dousing in a liter of rum which has a pound of licorice roots soaking in it for a year (or ground) in a mason jar, and that same flavor plus a lot more going on in this one. This blows esoterica ramsgate out of the water in every conceivable category by a landslide. This is a straight up aromatic and might be the most heavily flavored Gawith & Hoggarth tobacco if not any aromatic I ever tried, right up there with ennerdale, bosun, etc. Most of the ropes are very lightly topped. Not this one. This is absolutely soaked to perfection. This burned surprisingly well even wet out of the bag in a cob. Needs to be dried before going in a briar obviously. Smooth, ultra sweet, and the topping lasts right down to the end of the bowl. This doesn't just smoke well, it smells phenomenal. People complain about the smell of brown or black irish X? You'll have no complaints here. This smells really, really good to people around you. Licorice is my favorite flavor and this is like smoking straight licorice. I have to emphasize again, this isn't some faint casing in the background. This stuff is just saturated with it. This is my favorite of the ropes from the first pipe and I am going to cellar a very large amount of this. It comes nice and wet for aging, and I can't image how good this will be if aged for a year or longer in mason jars. I thought all the ropes were too mildly topped until I tried this. The strongest aromatic which I have enjoyed for years was Sillem's linea epotique, a coffee, plum and caramel topping vs the licorice in aniseed twist, but this has just a strong flavor, albeit not as nice a room note (still great), and has nicotine as well which linea epotique has little to none. This stuff has as much flavor as 965 in the aromatic side if not more so. Was not expecting this to be so flavorful and was very happy I ordered this. I am now wondering why I put it off so long, as I really like ropes. If you like black licorice get this, if you don't, you'll choke on it. It tastes even stronger than the candy. A real desert island smoke.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Rum Twist
Actually taste the rum.
This is still sweet rum twist but English law required them to drop "sweet" from the name. This tastes exactly as I remember it from 20 years ago. The rum, an extract or flavoring, not actual rum from a bottle (unless it is concentrated and mixed with other flavorings) is not as strong as in Fribourg & Treyer's special brown flake, but is definitely present, and is stronger than the flavorings in most of the other ropes I have tried except brown rope aromatic. This is smoother than the plain brown irish X and quite a bit sweeter. Has a good taste and nicotine is exactly the same as in the maple twist. Has a very light smoky taste in the background. This came wet and needed to dry overnight. It smelled pretty good in the bag and I cut up a 1/2" slice across, then a few times lengthwise as I have found these smoke a lot better with a coarse cut. I was expecting the top note to be faint and burn right off as in the others but it surprisingly lasted to the end of the bowl. This smoked a bit wet so I had to fling the moisture out of the pipe a couple times, then use a pick to work the tobacco off the bottom of the bowl where the moisture was accumulating on the first smoke. On subsequent bowls I simply dried it out more. The flavor is very rich without any bite (I smoked it in a larger pot churchwarden with thick walls) and extremely satisfying. I will definitely cellar a few 500gr boxes of this one. Leaves a good scent in my moustache and beard and my wife likes the smell of this one. It has a very good nicotine level and is milder than the cherry, which is so far the strongest of the ropes due to whatever it is topped with transfering a lot of the nicotine, but none of the ropes are as strong as the dark flakes or dark plug. This is a must in anyone's tobacco cabinet as sometimes a good rich tobacco with a just right nicotine punch (which this has) is called for. The aftertaste from this is better than most anything I can think of, and it is very easy to smoke due to how smooth it is. All of the ropes are a 5 star smoke so far and this one really shines due to the ever present rum topping, which did not burn off. I could still taste it at the bottom of the bowl with the same intensity as the first quarter of the bowl. Nothing bitter at all in this one, smooth, very rich, full tobacco flavor without any strange toppings nor any tongue bite. It won't bite even if pushed as long as it is dried out sufficiently. I would highly recommend this one to both veterans and new pipe smokers alike.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Black Irish X
Super smooth light sweet smoke.
I didn't find any of the bbq or meat tastes here but the umami was definitely present as is some kind of sugar topping, maybe a faint licorice (not anise). I have been revisiting the ropes after not trying them for 20 years. Black Irish X is definitely lighter on the nicotine than the brown ropes and is just roasted. There is no olive oil as mentioned in reviews online either. This is soaked in water and some sugar and/or licorice topping. It's very smooth and thick smoke but all I get is roasted tobacco and sweet. It actually reminds me of those swisher sweet cigars a lot. It does have a fairly strong room note but it isn't bad. If dried out too much it is becomes sharper and very light on nicotine so keep it a little damp before lighting up. It is not as complex as the brown but is not flat either and I really like this one. Nicotine is only a medium, and the roasting definitely lowered the punch compared to the brown irish x. Next to the brown twist aromatic this is the second smoothest of the ropes so far. I cut this one a little differently in almost 1/2" slices then cut it lengthwise several times for reasonably large wide ribbons which helps keep the flavor coming. It does not change much as it burns down the bowl and did not leave any dottle or unburned bits. The aftertaste is mild and this is much closer to cavendish than to latakia by a large margin. I can definitely see why this is a favorite. Nicotine is a bit milder than I like but is present. This a 5 star, very pleasant smoke. The sweetness was quite shocking as I was not expecting that, and it has a very rich tobacco taste. This tastes like pipe tobacco and has only an ephemeral cigar note in the background weaving in and out. This one is quite safe in a big bowl and won't floor you with a subtle nicotine blast like the cherry twist (cherry twist is easily the strongest of the ropes I have tried) which is another 5 star smoke. Dark flake is by far the strongest tobacco from Gawith & Hoggarth, and was my daily smoke for years, but is bitter, while the ropes are not even remotely bitter. It really reminds me of a cavendish with a solid medium nicotine content. The room note even smells like an unflavored toasted cavendish. This is a very interesting tobacco with lots of nuances. If the ropes intimidate you try this one first. It is much less intense in all areas than the brown ropes.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Coniston Cut Plug
Sweet ephemeral floral.
This is nowhere as strong as dark flake or dark plug, and has a weird topping. I can definitely see the resemblance to condor. The first half of the bowl is smooth and sweet. It gets some rough edges about halfway down the bowl. I don't find this nearly as smoky as brown irish X. Nicotine level is similar, maybe a tad more than in the ropes. It seems to have a slight wallflower topping which becomes much more apparent towards the end of the bowl. I almost thought I tasted traces of violet on and off. It has a grassy character as it carries on, the floral becomes more pronounced toward the end of the bowl. Smoother than a lot of the other flakes except at the end. This is a bit of an anomaly as I can't quite finger the topping. No roses or spices, and reminds me of honey. It is nowhere as heavily topped as most of the other lakeland flakes. Smokes best in a smaller bowl. This is not a mild smoke. I would say grasmere is stronger, bosun is about the same, but both of those are much more heavily cased. I am subtracting a star and a half as the topping towards the end tastes like fermented orange peel, wallflower, beer and honey or licorice and isn't particularly appetizing. It does not taste like tobacco. The room note is very aromatic and won't garner any complaints. Smokes a bit wet and needs some drying time. I want to say this tobacco is a little bit odd ultimately but is still good. Has a sweet aftertaste of the topping and something woody. Try it as it might be your new favorite if you like condor.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Maple Twist
Maple sugar not maple flavoring.
If you are expecting autumn evening, this isn't that type of topping. When fresh in the bag this smells just like a macbaren twist and has an apparent maple sugar topping, instead of an outright maple topping. It is very light, as is all of the flavored twists except brown rope aromatic which begins to lean toward, and almost have, a medium topping. This is really smooth despite a maple sugar topping which usually translates to tongue bite. Not here, the maple sugar wafts in and out without any bite at all. This seems a bit more on the milder side compared to the other brown irish X incarnations, but is still a strong smoke. Nicotine is pretty steady and doesn't build like it does in the cherry twist. Maple twist is a little bit more pale or brighter colored compared with the other flavored ropes. Has a little bit better of a room note compared to the regular brown irish X. If it dries out too much it gets even smoother but the topping is lost in the sharper smoke. I found that the best way to preserve the maple sugar is to not cut the coins too thin, about 3/16" is best, then lightly rub them out and pack. Ropes have easy burning tobacco so can be smoked very coarse if one wants to taste the topping more strongly. This has a bit of an old school quality about it and there is a small amount of jaffna (the strongest non-rustica strain) called dark indian air cured weaving in and out, but is mostly fire cured as stated. The underlying tobacco has some sweetness to it on top of the topping which makes for a really nice aftertaste, which is what these ropes are famous for in addition to the strength. I haven't had any G&W rope leave any goop or moisture to speak of in most of my pipes after being dried properly, which is pretty rare in pipe tobacco. If you haven't tried this, it is a must. If you want your tobacco to taste like tobacco but have a something extra in it, this is going to be about perfect.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Sweet Black Cherry Twist
Cherry is very faint but lasts to the end of the bowl.
No chemical cherry here. This is a very light natural cherry which darkens the twist. I think it is some kind of light sugar water in which actual cherries were soaked. Probably spritzed on the leaves to soften them prior to rolling. Comes a bit wet and needs to dry overnight once cut and rubbed out. You have to cut this one in 3/16" slices and not chop it up into too small of pieces or it will burn off the the flavoring because it is so lightly applied. Just roll out the coins loosely before packing the bowl. Has a nice aftertaste. The room note is the second the best of the ropes, next to the brown rope aromatic. Smooth and easy to smoke. Nicotine on this one is a bit of an anomaly. It starts out shockingly mild for an brown irish x based rope, and develops strength as it burns down the bowl, and gets reasonably stout towards the end of the smoke. Not too strong or overwhelming but is quite a bit stronger than most blends. As with most of the ropes or any looser tobacco if the nicotine is too strong just dry it out more. Maple twist seems quite a bit weaker in nicotine (probably because it is not as wet) but is present from the get go. This one builds. A rather pleasant smoke.

Peterson - My Mixture 965 50g
The best English/Scottish in the world.
There are only two types of people when it comes to 965. There are people who say it is the best English or Scottish tobacco, and people who have never tried 965.

Sillem's - Linea Epoque Antique 100g
Best smelling aromatic. Period.
The now discontinued cherry almond from tinderbox, I once thought, was the king of room notes. Sillem's Linea Epoque blows even that one out of the water. It has the best smell and taste of any aromatic you ever tried, and the best room note. I am primarly a 965 and Gawith and Hoggarth Lakeland flake smoker, but Linea Epoque is a fine an aromatic as it gets.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Irish X Aromatic Twist
One of the best Irish X ropes by a landslide.
I bought this based on the review here talking about how smooth this one is, and this is about as tongue bite free as it gets. This tobacco is more creamy than anything else I have tried from this brand, which has been my go to for 20 years. It is lightly topped with the same fig, maple, licorice, and tonka bean mix used on dark flake scented and brown flake aromatic. On the underlying brown Irish X, it is even better. Nicotine is nowhere as strong as dark flake, coniston or dark plug. It is steady and easy to smoke. I was surprised at how middle of the road the nicotine was. No chance of tongue bite, and might be the best tasting tobacco from Gawith and Hoggarth, if you want to taste both tobacco and a topping. No chance of bitter, and the room note is great compared to the other ropes. I like this even better than the discontined coconut twist, which was my favorite Irish X until I tried this (but they are all good) which is just so creamy. The topping is just right, and has a wonderful aftertaste. Burns dry with no dottle. I cut up enough to load a big pipe's worth, which I rubbed out and let dry overnight. It strangely tastes as if it was already aged, and it is best described as all around gentle, almost as much so as kendal flake is. I can't image how good this will be with some age on it. If you are new to Gawith and Hoggarth, give this a try. It is a 5 star masterpiece. It is as if they took all of their blending experience and distilled it into this rope. This could become my go to blend it is so smooth, easy smoking and good tasting. I don't often find blends that impress me on the first smoke.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Grasmere Flake
My favorite pipe tobacco.
This, and Kendal Flake coming in a close second, are my all time favorites. I am glad to see this back, as there is no other tobacco quite like this. I love Bosun Cut Plug and Bosun Plug also, and anything lakeland. Bosun has the rose and clove, making it the most cologne like smoke in the lineup, and Kendal, my second favorite, is very floral also, but Grasmere edges it out by the stronger rose and stronger nicotine. Ennerdale tastes like almond lotion smells, and is very good also. But Grasmere is special. It is very, very rosy, with a sneaky nicotine wallop that creeps up on you. It has been described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove," and this tobacco fits that description better than any other. I have smoked more than my fair share of Dark Plug, and Dark Flake Scented also. Not at that level of nicotine by any means, but it still sneaks up on you. I went from aromatics, to vapers, to English blends, then lakelands, and finally found my favorite in Grasmere. I still smoke all types of tobacco, but this one is my favorite, and I never tire of it. It isn't for everyone but this is the be all end all of lakeland flakes in my book. While not as smooth as Kendal, which is the easiest tobacco in the world on the tongue, it has a better taste and nicotine punch. Now if we can only get Gawith & Hoggarth to start making their Almond snuff again, which has both almond and violet in balance and strong in all categories. I only have a few pounds left of that treasure.

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