Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. -- Sweet Rum Twist

Brand: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blend: Sweet Rum Twist
Style: Twist
Pipe Used: No-name Apple
Price: $6.89/1oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 8
Room Note: 6
Value: 6
Overall: 7

When you embark upon the hobby that is pipe smoking it's with the understanding that you're venturing into a world rich in history. And nothing harkens back to the days of old quite like classic rope or twist tobacco. This is the stuff that was chewed, snuffed, and smoked before the days of our relatively modern tobacco mixtures and flakes.

I've always been intrigued by the gnarly looking ropes of tobacco featured on many a tobacconist's shelves -- virtual or otherwise -- but was scared off by the notoriously strong flavor and high nicotine content typically found in this style of tobacco. But in my latest order I finally worked up the courage to add in a sample of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Sweet Rum Twist.

When the tobacco arrived I was greeted with about a seven inch long tobacco rope (thanks for the generous extra amount smokingpipes.com!) that was fairly moist and had that rich tobacco aroma I typically find in my cigar humidors -- what a great scent! I sliced off three thin coins of the stuff, rubbed it out into ribbon form, and then set it aside to dry overnight.

When I went to load up my no-name apple-shaped pipe this afternoon the tobacco was still a bit moist but I still forged ahead. It took a few extra charring lights to get it going but soon I had a lit pipe and an insanely great volume of deep, rich tobacco smoke swirling about my head.

Sweet Rum Twist is supposedly made up of full-leaf Virginia tobacco that's topped with a sugar and rum mixture before being twisted into ropes and cold-pressed. So what you have here is a pipe tobacco blend that is created in much the same way as a rudimentary cigar so perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that the flavors reminded me very much of a good cigar while at the same time tasting nothing like a cigar -- if that makes any sense.

The taste was very full and strong but still pleasant with the natural Virginia sweetness combining with the added sugars to bring out a robust flavor similar to a mild cigar but without the complexity that comes with the addition of the wrapper and binder leaves. And the faint presence of rum also reminded my palate of Esoterica's Stonehaven to some extent although the Rum Twist was much stronger.

Make no mistake, this blend is very heavy as the lack of stoving or heat-treating of any kind makes for a very raw and powerful tobacco flavor and punch.

As mentioned, this blend produced scads of smoke and it was pretty heady stuff as well so it isn't likely to win any prizes in the room note department.

Since the tobacco was moist I had to relight the pipe frequently but that actually helped in a way by causing me to slow down and not smoke as fast as I usually do which is probably why I encountered no ill effects from the heavy nicotine content. Since I tend to be very sensitive to the vitamin N this is probably the smoking cadence I'll stick to with this blend.

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Sweet Rum Twist is true tobacco classic and I'm glad I finally worked up the nerve to give it a try. What I found was a strong tobacco loaded with heavy flavors and lots of smoke that should be smoked slowly and savored while the mind harkens back to the time of tall ships and tobacco-loving sailors.

This certainly won't become a part of my regular rotation but as an occasional treat Sweet Rum Twist fits in nicely between typical pipe blends and cigars on the tobacco strength continuum.

Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial

Brand: Oliva
Cigar: Serie V Maduro Especial
Shape: Torpedo
Size: 6.5" x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Price: $11.99

Appearance: 8
Construction: 8
Taste: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 8

While most of my smoking these days has focused on pipes I still have a hankering for a cigar from time to time and with a fridgador full of singles there's always something new to try. I'm a big fan of Oliva cigars and decided to fire up a limited production Serie V maduro torpedo this afternoon.

The torpedo is 6.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and features a dark brown maduro wrapper. Construction was perfect with a nice tight wrapper and well-rolled tobacco evident from examining the foot of the cigar.

I snipped the tip off with my Palio cutter, toasted the foot, and started smoking.

The flavor of this cigar was very complex while still remaining mild to medium on the palate. The predominant flavor was cedar-like and it took me a few minutes to realize that what I was tasting was more akin to smoldering mesquite chips on a BBQ grill. There was a bit of spice as well but the maduro wrapper tempered it with creamy unsweetened cocoa and coffee flavors. As the smoke progressed these savory elements really took hold and made for an enjoyable cigar experience.

The Serie V torpedo burned well and required only a few touch ups to keep the burn line even. Smoke output was fairly subdued and non-obtrusive for such a large cigar and the nicotine hit was fairly strong. The cigar lasted for well over an hour until all that was left was a pile of rough gray ash.

The Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial is a great cigar featuring the Oliva family's standard fine attention to detail. As a limited edition it is pricier than their typical offerings but is well worth the added investment.

McClelland -- Beacon

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Beacon
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McClelland's Beacon is a blend that was originally part of the Pipe Collectors Club of America (PCCA) line of tobaccos. Since it has always been blended and tinned by McClelland it's likely that the newer batches follow the same formula as the older incarnation. Since I've only ever smoked the newer stuff that's what this review will cover.

Beacon is a Virginia/Perique blend made up of lemon yellow and orange Virginia leaf combined with a touch of Louisiana Perique. The tobacco arrives in a broken flake and is medium brown in color with obvious flecks of those bright Virginias peeking through. The tin aroma is slightly sweet and full of that classic McClelland tang.

The sample I was given dates from 2007 but was obviously well cared for as the flakes were still pliable and a bit moist. To get started I grabbed a pinch of the broken flakes and stuffed them into my Missouri Pride natural cob. It took a few charring lights to really get things going but after that the blend burned nicely even with a heavy dose of ambient humidity.

Beacon started off with a light, sugary taste that had none of the heavier molasses overtones often found in darker VA flakes. The lemon and orange Virginias lived up to their names and delivered a delightfully astringent citrus zing that reminded me a bit of kaffir lime leaves. And rounding out the flavor profile was just enough Perique to add some much-needed depth and a jolt of pepper to the mix. To my taste buds this was essentially Thai lemongrass soup in a pipe and provided a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy.

The room aroma was fairly light as well but there was a bit of mustiness evident from the Perique and the tobacco gave off a constant wisp of smoke as it smoldered in the pipe.

I'm a bit of a fast smoker but had no problems with tongue bite as the blend burned down to the bottom of the bowl leaving nothing but dry ash. I did have to relight the pipe regularly but that's the norm for me and flakes.

As a big fan of VA/Pers I had been looking forward to giving this well-regarded McClelland creation a try for quite some time and all I can say is that I was not disappointed. Beacon's bright Virginias added a lighter dimension than is typical for this genre and it proved to be the perfect smoke for a hot summer night. This is a truly remarkable blend and I fully intend to add some more tins to my tobacco cellar post haste.

G.L. Pease -- Haddo's Delight

Brand: G.L. Pease
Blend: Haddo's Delight
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Mario Grandi Poker
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 8

Haddo's Delight is a blend I've heard much about and which was on my "to try" list for a long while before a tobacco trade finally netted me a nice sample. There is a lengthy and ongoing online argument over whether or not this tobacco should be classified as a Virginia/Perique blend since it also contains Burley and a quite obvious topping of some sort. For me the proof is in the pudding and ancillary flavors aside this one sure tastes like a stout VA/Per to me.

One thing I've always appreciated about Greg Pease's blends is that he takes the naming of his fine creations seriously and a cursory investigation of this particular concoction reveals some very interesting tidbits that portend what a pipeful of this weed has in store for the smoker.

Aleister Crowley was an infamous English occultist of the early 20th century and among his many passions was a love for smoking straight Perique tobacco. Even the most ardent fans of this unique leaf would be hard-pressed to stomach such a full-on onslaught of this typically condimental tobacco.

Oliver Haddo was a character featured in W. Somerset Maugham's novel "The Magician" and was loosely based on the occultist. Crowley was none too pleased with this skewering of his character and later adopted the Oliver Haddo nom de plume to write a scathing rebuttal in which he pointed out Maugham's plagiaristic tendencies.

So from this bit of literary history one can assume that a tobacco named Haddo's Delight will likely be a Perique-laden blend filled with a cutting sharpness.

The tobacco itself is a Virgina/Perique blend with some added Cavendish and Burley to flesh out the flavors. The tobacco is a mixture of ribbon and cross-cut tobaccos that span the range from almost white to jet black in color. The tin aroma is lusciously sweet and smells to me like rum raisin. And here we run into yet another controversy regarding Haddo's Delight, namely does it feature a topping of some sort or not. While many claim that the aroma is due strictly to the melange of tobaccos my nose detects alcohol, namely dark rum, so until proven wrong I'm convinced that there is in fact a liquor topping used here and I have absolutely no problem with that.

Over the past few days I've tried this tobacco in cobs as well as my dedicated Va/Per pipe, a stubby Mario Grandi poker shape. The tobacco loaded easily, lit right up, and was a snap to smoke as it burned well and required no fussing to keep the pipe going.

Haddo's Delight provided a wonderful flavor range as the various types of tobacco made their presences known on the palate. The dominant tastes were sweet, savory, and meaty, akin almost to the umami flavor of Japanese teriyaki. This was accompanied by a spicy tingle and rounded out with a delightful caramelized sugar aftertaste. It was a bit less sweet than most Va/Pers but certainly spicier.

Perique is a peculiar tobacco that can be both spicy and savory depending on its use and in this blend we get the best of both attributes as it adds a background hint of Szechuan mushrooms to the mix. Some folks find even the smallest dose of Perique intolerable and while I love the stuff I can readily tell it's present in a blend as I get a tingling sensation on my lips and face while smoking. In Haddo's Delight the Perique is a force to be reckoned with as I was hit with not only that pleasant prickling sensation but also a bit of numbness as well. For those who can't abide this leaf you should stay far away from this blend!

The pipe aroma was both sharp and sweet and the voluminous clouds of smoke made for a pungent smell in the room.

As mentioned, the blend burned well and left nothing but a very fine gray ash in the bowl. The ash was so fine in fact that even the slightest bit of puffing back into the pipe resulted in a mini eruption of ash onto my shirt.

Haddo's Delight is yet another masterpiece from G.L. Pease. And while its very forceful nature won't appeal to every pipe smoker I found it to be a perfect morning blend as it goes great with a cup of coffee and provides enough zest to help get my day started. Whether Aleister Crowley would approve is another matter entirely but I dare say that he wouldn't feel compelled to adopt his Oliver Haddo persona in order to take Mr. Pease to task.

McClelland -- Christmas Cheer 2007

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Christmas Cheer 2007
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Amalfi #313
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

As winter approaches I always seek out a tin of the new Christmas Cheer to add to my cellar. Since I've been planning to age each tin for at least five years I hadn't actually had a chance to try any of this blend's various incarnations until a friendly trade landed a sample of the 2007 vintage in my lap.

Christmas Cheer 2007 is described as a zesty Red Virginia culled from the 2001 crop and then pressed into flakes. I've always treated single-crop blends like fine wines and put them aside for further aging before smoking. I'm a sucker for holiday themed pipe tobacco and love good quality Virginia flakes so I was very eager to finally put some of this stuff to the match.

The tobacco was a dark brown broken flake and had that funky aroma unique to McClelland's Virginia blends. Often referred to as a ketchup, or vinegar-like smell, I've always equated it with the sweet smell of fermentation and never minded its presence in other blends. But the Christmas Cheer 2007 really had it in spades and smelled more like sauerkraut mixed with ginger snaps than pipe tobacco.

Since this is a broken flake I used the sticks method to load my pipe. First I gathered up a pinch of the tobacco in my fingers, oriented it so most of the bunch was pointing in the same direction like a bundle of sticks, pushed it down into my pipe, and then used my fingers to pinch off the excess from the top of the bowl. The trick with this method is to get a good burn going then put that tamper away lest you muck things up.

The first few puffs gave off that sweet hay-like flavor often found in light Virginias and once I got the pipe going I slowed way down as gentle sipping typically brings out the best in VA blends. Well in this case slow smoking only seemed to bring that tangy tartness hinted at by the strong tin aroma to the fore and that is not a flavor profile I seek out while enjoying Virginias. The taste was akin to that of a soured pipe and that is just not tasty at all.

But once I picked up the pace and started puffing like a chimney the blend went right back to being tasty and sweet with hints of citrus. Odd behavior to be sure and I'm still not sure what to make of it. And since a heavy hand was required I was glad that I was smoking a thick-walled pipe otherwise it surely would have gotten too hot.

The aroma was fairly decent and for all the moaning about the strong fermented tin aroma and tobacco taste none of those sour notes appeared in the room note -- thankfully.

Flakes tend to require a bit more tending than mixtures and this one was no different. As mentioned, I avoided tamping and just stuck to occasional relights to keep the tobacco going strong. And since I seldom have problems with tongue bite I had no issues with this blend.

After all is said and done I still don't know what to make of Christmas Cheer 2007. I'm of the camp that typically finds the McClelland "aroma" to be an indicator of well-aged and actively fermenting Virginias but in this case the smell and subsequent flavor were a bit too forceful. So I'm left with more questions than answers: will these blends mellow with age or is this the flavor I can expect to find with other vintages as well?

Now that I know how to smoke it to get the most from this blend I intend to enjoy the rest of my 2007 sample while glancing at my other Christmas Cheers and wondering what they have in store for me down the road.

McCranie's -- Red Ribbon (2000)

Brand: McCranie's
Blend: Red Ribbon (2000)
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Amalfi #313
Price: $8.95/1.76oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McCranie's Red Ribbon is a straight Red Virginia blend sourced from a single vintage of prime North Carolina leaf, harvested in this particular case in 2000. The tin opens to reveal a ribbon-cut blend of well-aged and fermented red tobacco leaf that covers the color spectrum from very dark brown through medium red and into bright yellow. The tin aroma is magnificent with a rich sweetness backed by a hint of citrus and dried cherries.

My tin appeared to be at the perfect moisture level so I loaded up one of my dedicated Virginia pipes and gave it a light. The tobacco took a few relights to really get going as it was a bit wetter than I at first thought.

The Red Ribbon started off with a subtle sweet taste before hints of tangy lemon and cherry liqueur began to appear. There was also that great nuttiness I usually find with Red Virginias and the tobacco finished with a bit of a spicy kick.

The room aroma was fairly nice but did get acrid when the pipe was smoked too hastily.

I never have issues with tongue burn so I can't report on that front but the blend did require regular relights and left behind a bit of damp dottle. Guess it wasn't nearly as ready to smoke as I at first thought.

McCranie's Red Ribbon (2000) is a wonderful blend and its single source origin makes it possible to compare and contrast it to previous iterations if you're lucky enough to have some of the '83 and '96 crop on hand. Full of flavor, this is a Virginia that is sure to benefit from further aging.

Now comes the big question, how does Red Ribbon compare to its kissing cousin McClelland's 5100 Red Cake? While the McCranie's version is a vintage tin, McClelland's similar offering is available only in bulk. At first glance the Red Ribbon is darker than the 5100 due to the comparative age of the tobaccos but the cut, aroma, and smoking characteristics are all very similar.

So how about the taste? Here we find the biggest difference as the Red Ribbon offers up a deeper, more nuanced flavor than the much brighter and spicier 5100 and at no point would I ever confuse the two. Red Ribbon is the single-malt or prime vintage to 5100's blended nature. Both are excellent but they are not one and the same. For my money I actually prefer the zestier 5100.

And while the 5100 Red Cake can indeed be had at cheaper bulk rates, the price per tin of the Red Ribbon is on par with similar offerings and not at all excessive for such a premium product.

Samuel Gawith -- Full Virginia Flake

Brand: Samuel Gawith
Blend: Full Virginia Flake
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar #313
Price: $31.50/16oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 10
Overall: 9

Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake certainly qualifies as a touchstone tobacco as no discussion of straight Virginia blends will go on for too long before this one is mentioned. It may not be right at the top of everyone's list but FVF somehow always manages to crack the top ten.

I first bought a tin of Full Virginia Flake about three years ago and since I was still fairly new to pipe smoking I had a hard time enjoying it and soon gave it away to some fellow newbies over at Smokers Forums.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself enjoying straight Virginias and ranking FVF's stablemate, Best Brown Flake, as one of my top 5 tobaccos so I figured it was high time to revisit Full Virginia Flake.

Of course deciding to reacquaint myself with FVF was only half the battle as most pipe smokers know that Samuel Gawith blends are very hard to come by these days. Fortunately I was able to score a whole pound of it in bulk form during the most recent window of opportunity. It may sound daft to buy that much of a tobacco I once had issues with but at the paltry price of $31 per pound it's really a no-brainer as I could easily trade it away if it failed to live up to my lofty expectations.

Recent batches from Samuel Gawith have been arriving fairly moist as the pent-up demand has allowed no time for proper aging. With that in mind I set out a few flakes to dry over the course of the day before rubbing them out and loading my pipe. I often smoke flakes folded and stuffed but given the residual moisture I figured the rubbed out mixture would burn the best.

The thick flakes were dark brown with streaks of white, sugary goodness running lengthwise and had the rich aroma of brandied fruit. There was also a slightly piquant fragrance common to under-aged tobacco which leads me to the one big caveat for this review -- Full Virginia Flake is a blend that practically begs to be aged and the fact that I'm smoking this stuff fresh off the boat means that my review would most likely be very different were the tobacco cellared for a few years beforehand.

While some straight Virginias have a subtle flavor that must be gently coaxed from the pipe, Full Virginia Flake came out swinging with a strong, in-your-face presence. This full-bodied blend has an astringent quality that adds a fermented, sauerkraut-like element to the subtly sweet Virginias. Whereas many VAs are sweet through and through this blend is about half sweet and half savory sort of akin to a mincemeat pie.

To my palate, FVF had many of the same qualities as a well-aged bourbon with its dark molasses element mingling with tongue-tingling tartness and backed up with grassy, oaken undertones. And just as with whiskey, gentle sipping brought forth even more flavors in the form of citrus and maple.

The room aroma was fairly inoffensive although certainly stronger than most Virginia tobaccos and that fermented tang was detectable.

The blend burned evenly and didn't require any fussing as it smoked down to dry, gray ash. FVF also didn't cause any tongue bite but it did deliver a roundhouse kick of nicotine when I got carried away puffing while reading so I would recommend a slow and steady smoking pace with this rascal.

What more can I say? Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake is a top-notch tobacco that's packed with flavor and the promise of even more a few years down the road. I still give a slight edge to Best Brown Flake as I prefer something a tad lighter most of the time but I fully intend to keep my cellar well stocked with FVF and can't wait to revisit it as it ages. At a real steal of a price I say buy it and smoke if you can get it.