I had the great good fortune to have been gifted a length of what at first sight looks like the Ancient Mariner's tarred pigtail, a black pudding, a Boerwors or something the neighbour's dog might have left on your lawn. The card accompanying the gift informed me that it was purchased in 2015, and that some like it and some don't. However, my benefactor's understanding of my tobacco preferences verges on the clairvoyantly predictive...
The bag note was unobtrusive until you took a deep inhalation - then sharp and quite untobacco-like; I don't know what-like. Maybe a venerable, vintage dark rope twist that has been cellared for at least 9 years. Clears the sinuses, though.
A pipeful sliced up nicely into thin, damp ribbons and after half an hour's air drying, burned surprisingly well for a Gawith tobacco. I chose a new morta to smoke it in, considering that it would be a good, neutral medium and that a slow-burning tobacco would pose little risk of the burnouts and overheating cracks smokers of morta pipes had warned me about.
The first puff was cigar-like, full-bodied yet surprisingly mild. A minute later, I began to realise what a powerful nicotine punch it packs. I took it slow, showed it some respect and, as it required a few relights, had a brief rest in between lights with a sup of coffee.
The taste may be rough edged but I couldn't describe it, as others have done, as harsh. The cigar-like mellowness reminds me of Semois tobacco and this, and the way the Virginia leaves are dark fired fooled me into thinking there was a lot of Burley in the mix.
By the first third of the bowl it was definitely a shade darker and deeper than Semois, but the familiar savour of old barn hay was certainly there.
Halfway down the bowl, I thought I detected the occasional, subtle hint of licquorice, then strong, black Indian tea with a strong cigar aftertaste.
By the last quarter of the bowl, tangy deep dark bitter Seville orange marmalade peel added to the not very complex mix of flavours, and a silly smile was spreading over my face. Tasty and strong.
I knocked out my pipe, rather regretful that the experience was at an end. There was a lingering aftertaste of molasses. It had required some nursing and fussing with the pipe tool throughout but that's most likely down to my inexperience of Gawith tobaccos and my caution in smoking a new pipe.
Well, bloody Hell! That was a smoke and a half. You really know you've had one - and I speak as a hardened smoker with a high nicotine tolerance. It's a manly, Old Time-y kind of smoke. It will put hairs on your chest, a tarred pigtail down your back, give you whiskers and tattoo your knuckles with the letters H-O-L-D F-A-S-T. It will turn your pipe into a blackened old clay cutty, and put you below decks in HMS Bellerophon (or USS Constitution, if you prefer).
Should be accompanied by four-water grog made from overproof Navy rum. Hot, at this time of year.
I shall certainly be purchasing some of this beast to lay down for a decade. If I can keep my hands off it for that long.
Many thanks, @jaingorenard !
The bag note was unobtrusive until you took a deep inhalation - then sharp and quite untobacco-like; I don't know what-like. Maybe a venerable, vintage dark rope twist that has been cellared for at least 9 years. Clears the sinuses, though.
A pipeful sliced up nicely into thin, damp ribbons and after half an hour's air drying, burned surprisingly well for a Gawith tobacco. I chose a new morta to smoke it in, considering that it would be a good, neutral medium and that a slow-burning tobacco would pose little risk of the burnouts and overheating cracks smokers of morta pipes had warned me about.
The first puff was cigar-like, full-bodied yet surprisingly mild. A minute later, I began to realise what a powerful nicotine punch it packs. I took it slow, showed it some respect and, as it required a few relights, had a brief rest in between lights with a sup of coffee.
The taste may be rough edged but I couldn't describe it, as others have done, as harsh. The cigar-like mellowness reminds me of Semois tobacco and this, and the way the Virginia leaves are dark fired fooled me into thinking there was a lot of Burley in the mix.
By the first third of the bowl it was definitely a shade darker and deeper than Semois, but the familiar savour of old barn hay was certainly there.
Halfway down the bowl, I thought I detected the occasional, subtle hint of licquorice, then strong, black Indian tea with a strong cigar aftertaste.
By the last quarter of the bowl, tangy deep dark bitter Seville orange marmalade peel added to the not very complex mix of flavours, and a silly smile was spreading over my face. Tasty and strong.
I knocked out my pipe, rather regretful that the experience was at an end. There was a lingering aftertaste of molasses. It had required some nursing and fussing with the pipe tool throughout but that's most likely down to my inexperience of Gawith tobaccos and my caution in smoking a new pipe.
Well, bloody Hell! That was a smoke and a half. You really know you've had one - and I speak as a hardened smoker with a high nicotine tolerance. It's a manly, Old Time-y kind of smoke. It will put hairs on your chest, a tarred pigtail down your back, give you whiskers and tattoo your knuckles with the letters H-O-L-D F-A-S-T. It will turn your pipe into a blackened old clay cutty, and put you below decks in HMS Bellerophon (or USS Constitution, if you prefer).
Should be accompanied by four-water grog made from overproof Navy rum. Hot, at this time of year.
I shall certainly be purchasing some of this beast to lay down for a decade. If I can keep my hands off it for that long.
Many thanks, @jaingorenard !
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