I'll be moving to Switzerland very soon, and of course part of the excitement is the availability of plenty of Gawith tobaccos through Synjeco. During a short visit a month ago I had to get something - from Sven Steinmann's wonderful pipe shop in Basel.
This is Bad Nun 2, made by Gawith & Hoggarth for Synjeco alone. It is a very VERY heavily stoved - nearly Cavendished - robust Gawith Virginia with 5% Perique.
This is a very interesting blend. It looks similar to something like Lakeland Dark - a Dark Fired Kentucky powerhouse - and smells like it contains DFK, yet it does not by the description and taste. It is nearly black and comes as semi-rubbed out broken flake, rubbery and slick in texture, with some larger pieces here and there.
It smells sweet, heavy, woody, and oily, as well as earthy. The plug has clearly been very heavily stoved before being cut and rubbed. The broken flake/ribbon feels quite wet but no drying is needed, it takes fire straight away but does need relights. Relights never bothered me if the overall smoking qualities are good, and with Bad Nun 2 they are!
Taste-wise, it tastes a lot like it smells: sweet, heavy, oily. There may be some whiff of florals akin to Lakeland Dark, however despite being produced by Gawith and Hoggarth it is not at all a "Lakeland". It is very filling, full taste, sweet with the occasional spicyness from Perique rearing its head. Another reviewed called it "malty" and I'll agree, there's some wholesome, warm, fermented wheat taste about it. What's odd about this tobacco is that I find I get the best taste if I puff hard enough to get the pipe hot, typically a cardinal sin for Virginias, yet it works here. Smoked hot(ter) its strength shows up, starting to feel the nicotine on the nose, as well as the spice and sweetness remaining and not turning acrid. Overall the blend is not prone to smoking hot unless pushed a lot, otherwise it is a smooth, cool, long and deeply satisfying smoke. It's supposed to be very strong, I don't find it so personally. It's very full tasting but in terms of nicotine I'd put it well below stuff like Lakeland Dark, 1792, Dark Birdseye, or nic bombs like Motzek's Dark Twist, HH Rustica, Brown No. 4etc
It is quite addictive overall, and will be getting more of it soon.
This is Bad Nun 2, made by Gawith & Hoggarth for Synjeco alone. It is a very VERY heavily stoved - nearly Cavendished - robust Gawith Virginia with 5% Perique.
This is a very interesting blend. It looks similar to something like Lakeland Dark - a Dark Fired Kentucky powerhouse - and smells like it contains DFK, yet it does not by the description and taste. It is nearly black and comes as semi-rubbed out broken flake, rubbery and slick in texture, with some larger pieces here and there.
It smells sweet, heavy, woody, and oily, as well as earthy. The plug has clearly been very heavily stoved before being cut and rubbed. The broken flake/ribbon feels quite wet but no drying is needed, it takes fire straight away but does need relights. Relights never bothered me if the overall smoking qualities are good, and with Bad Nun 2 they are!
Taste-wise, it tastes a lot like it smells: sweet, heavy, oily. There may be some whiff of florals akin to Lakeland Dark, however despite being produced by Gawith and Hoggarth it is not at all a "Lakeland". It is very filling, full taste, sweet with the occasional spicyness from Perique rearing its head. Another reviewed called it "malty" and I'll agree, there's some wholesome, warm, fermented wheat taste about it. What's odd about this tobacco is that I find I get the best taste if I puff hard enough to get the pipe hot, typically a cardinal sin for Virginias, yet it works here. Smoked hot(ter) its strength shows up, starting to feel the nicotine on the nose, as well as the spice and sweetness remaining and not turning acrid. Overall the blend is not prone to smoking hot unless pushed a lot, otherwise it is a smooth, cool, long and deeply satisfying smoke. It's supposed to be very strong, I don't find it so personally. It's very full tasting but in terms of nicotine I'd put it well below stuff like Lakeland Dark, 1792, Dark Birdseye, or nic bombs like Motzek's Dark Twist, HH Rustica, Brown No. 4etc
It is quite addictive overall, and will be getting more of it soon.
