Review of GH Rum Twist - From Greatness To Mediocrity

[sablebrush52]

But the fact that the producer’s out here sellin’ leftovers like it’s a premium product?

Well, I suppose the same could be said for MacBaren's St Bruno ready rub, for which they charged more than the flake, and that ready rub was the tailings off of the flake. I preferred them because they were better sauced than the flakes, had more flavor.

If often find the scraps is where it's at, those burnt tri-tip ends for example. I always like the end pieces off a well smoked tri-tip, which are the scraps. I also like the ends off of a meatloaf, especially if a little burnt so you get that sweetness, as well as a good roast. Mmmmmm...boy those scraps are good.

Now you're supposing that those burnt ends, which GH & Co were honest about what they were, were being dishonest because they sold them as a "premium" product even though you define them as scraps.
Well, to me those burnt ends ARE a premium product, just as St Bruno ready rub was the superior product and it was the "scraps".

Scraps can be a premium product in my world, if not in yours.

Which also means that your judgement is absolutely valid--but only for you, same as mine is absolutely valid--but only for me.

Others, who aren't totally bored with this, will make up their own minds.

 

[coming to_falling too]

It was a very very small percentage that used to get recycled back into the same blend. Pretty much all the left over useable pipe tobacco went into pensioners mix, a cheaper offering we did initially for the UK market and still do. This by its very nature constantly changes. But as we now make far more of certain flakes than we ever used to, we had far more of the ends so decided to sell them for what they were (only the larger sellers).

I looked up the pensioners mix, looks interesting. Any chance of that one making it over or nah?

 

[gawithhoggarth]

It is available for export but if it is not grandfathered under FDA it won't be allowed and as far as I know it was never ordered and sold in the States before the deadline so sorry can't see it being made available.

 

[Briarcutter]

It was a very very small percentage that used to get recycled back into the same blend. Pretty much all the left over useable pipe tobacco went into pensioners mix, a cheaper offering we did initially for the UK market and still do. This by its very nature constantly changes. But as we now make far more of certain flakes than we ever used to, we had far more of the ends so decided to sell them for what they were (only the larger sellers).

Thank you for producing tobacco! I appreciate your company's effort. I don't think anyone is entitled to company secrets, that is what makes thing different but you seem to go out of your way to answer questions, thank you very much. Please continue and don't get discouraged with the few.

 

[MisterBadger]

Smoked ‘em fresh. The old Rum Twist came from Boswell, the new one from Smokingpipes. Tried ‘em on different cobs, gave each a fair shot. Now, I ain’t got any of the old Rum Twist left—damn shame that is—but I do have some old Cherry Twist from Boswell and old Whiskey Twist from Smokingpipes. And wouldn’t you know it? Those two got more in common with the old Rum Twist than whatever sorry excuse GH is sellin’ now.

Has it occurred to you that the 'old' GH products you mention may all have tasted better to you because they've aged a year or so? How did you store them?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Has it occurred to you that the 'old' GH products you mention may all have tasted better to you because they've aged a year or so? How did you store them?

This has been covered. The casing usually doesn't get stronger in taste as it ages... and, we are not going to get into questioning people's experiences. Besides, there is enough confirmation with many other members to let the ink dry.
The guys stated his opinion. You may state yours... the rest of his post, feel free to fire upon.

 

[NookersTheCat]

Smoked ‘em fresh. The old Rum Twist came from Boswell, the new one from Smokingpipes. Tried ‘em on different cobs, gave each a fair shot. Now, I ain’t got any of the old Rum Twist left—damn shame that is—but I do have some old Cherry Twist from Boswell and old Whiskey Twist from Smokingpipes. And wouldn’t you know it? Those two got more in common with the old Rum Twist than whatever sorry excuse GH is sellin’ now.

Coming to GH blends very recently, I have no horse in this race. And idk how long you've been smoking them. As someone who is taking over a family business I personally understand many of the challenges she's voiced here. Yet as someone who is taking over a family business, I also understand that bickering back and forth with your customers in public is not a good look lol.

The only thing I'll suggest in the spirit of help is that it may be the age too. Try coming back to it in a couple few years. I recently experienced this myself with my beloved TK-6... when purchased from a larger more well known retailer I was hit by a pungent cherry flavor far stronger than my well known blend. Damnit I said, STG ruins another one. But after actually smoking it I realized it tasted basically the same just fresher (sharper edges, more pronounced flavours). Bought another pound from a smaller, far less known retailer... same soft cherry vanilla I was used to.

My point? Both stocks by now are almost certainly from the same production era... it's just that the smaller retailer let the tobacco on the shelf longer. I'm sure the twist at Boswell sits longer than the twist at SP (GH's official distributor in the US) The things you're describing (wetter, easier to cut, different scent, etc) could be changed but also very well just could be the result of you preferring an older shelf-aged product to a fresh-off-the-boat iteration of the very same thing.

 

[Whenry]

Has it occurred to you that the 'old' GH products you mention may all have tasted better to you because they've aged a year or so? How did you store them?

Whiskey Twist remained in a plastic bag for several years. Cherry Twist spend a year in a bag and I jarred it then. No, aging tends to make the flavour smoother and milder, I remember fresh ones were more robust and bold. And this new version is mild, almost flat from the get go. Plus how do you explain that older versions are bolder than fresh one and older versions need more dry time than the fresh one?

 

[BronzeAgePiper]

Also Burnt Ends last time I checked were being sold for $9 less per box than that of the flake, and I do find them tastier.

 

[MisterBadger]

Whiskey Twist remained in a plastic bag for several years. Cherry Twist spend a year in a bag and I jarred it then. No, aging tends to make the flavour smoother and milder, I remember fresh ones were more robust and bold. And this new version is mild, almost flat from the get go. Plus how do you explain that older versions are bolder than fresh one and older versions need more dry time than the fresh one?

If the tobacco itself is usually, in your experience, bolder when new, then as @NookersTheCat said (and I was trying to say earlier), maybe the 'newer' stuff you got recently had been on the shelf longer than the 'old'? If not, then something in the blend *has* changed and this may be due, as has been said above, to circumstances beyond the manufacturer's control. If I were in the tobacco blending business, I think I'd just do the best I could with what supplies were available, factoring in purchase costs and sale prices, and keep quiet about it in hope no one would notice or if they did, not mind very much. Or even prefer it. You may consider that dishonest; I'd consider going public about unavoidable quality variation a very risky thing to do (and no manufacturer does this, as far as I know). But in any case, it's business - nothing personal.

 

[NookersTheCat]

The funny thing is that there's currently another thread in this forum right now about how some other guy can't light a bowl of Rum Twist to save his life... maybe get into touch with him.. he may still have some of the magic batch left lolol

 

[VDL_Piper]

To be honest I'm just glad that @gawithhoggarth kept pushing on regardless of the difficult terrain created by do gooders and politicians under the guise of looking after us and our health. They have found a way when leaf supplies in one area have stopped producing and installed replacements and then set about trying to recreate a reasonable facsimile of the old and unlike so many who have drifted into the ashes of obscurity (Mac Baren I'm looking at you) they are trying to keep us satisfied with great smokes, different yes but they all should be looked at on their own "new" merits. I think its high time that people stopped looking at the past with lamentations and started focusing on the future. The afore mentioned is the very reason your rear view mirror is small and your windscreen is large, move on with the times men.

 

[jpberg]

To be honest I'm just glad that @gawithhoggarth kept pushing on regardless of the difficult terrain created by do gooders and politicians under the guise of looking after us and our health. They have found a way when leaf supplies in one area have stopped producing and installed replacements and then set about trying to recreate a reasonable facsimile of the old and unlike so many who have drifted into the ashes of obscurity (Mac Baren I'm looking at you) they are trying to keep us satisfied with great smokes, different yes but they all should be looked at on their own "new" merits. I think its high time that people stopped looking at the past with lamentations and started focusing on the future. The afore mentioned is the very reason your rear view mirror is small and your windscreen is large, move on with the times men.

No. GH is bad. Stop with the false equivalency bullshit.

 

[VDL_Piper]

No. GH is bad. Stop with the false equivalency bullshit.

No more dark flake for you today

 

[georged]

Recommendation for Rachel ---

Get yourself a stun gun, and carry it with you wherever you go.

When you find yourself curious about what people on this board might be bitching about lately regarding GH&Co, zap yourself with the stun gun repeatedly until the curiosity disappears.

You'll 1) save time; and 2) it will be less painful

 

[jpberg]

Recommendation for Rachel ---

Get yourself a stun gun, and carry it with you wherever you go.

When you find yourself curious about what people on this board might be bitching about lately regarding GH&Co, zap yourself with the stun gun repeatedly until the curiosity disappears.

You'll 1) save time; and 2) it will be less painful



View attachment 366994

THEY CHANGED THE GH
DONT TRY TO HIDE IT.

 

[rsshreck32]

So anyway, when we getting Coniston Cut Plug back at smokingpipes.com?

 

[Brendan]

@MisterBadger please stop with the blatant commonsensical rationalisations.

This is obviously some sort of mental breakdown or crisis and should be taken seriously..

 

[Brendan]

Also Burnt Ends last time I checked were being sold for $9 less per box than that of the flake, and I do find them tastier.

That's based on actual fact though.
Stop living in the real world and get onboard with the mental breakdown.

 

[jpberg]

That's based on actual fact though.
Stop living in the real world and get onboard with the mental breakdown.

You need to learn to accept what is written here.
I hear they get the inside scoop on when stuff is DROPPED and everything.