GUEST REVIEW: Pipe Tobacco: American Black & Gold (7/10)

Xirius has been struck down with Glandular Fever and won't be smoking for a while, so I, Ragados, have been drafted in to do another guest review (any more of these and I'll be on the staff!). This time it's the American Black & Gold by Gawith and Hoggarth. Jim the tobacconist recommended this to me as I looked for something a little different and heavier than the light flavoured pipe tobaccos I tend to smoke. 

The first thing you will notice is the rich aroma of buttery molasses that the tobacco has been soaked in, producing a warm and slightly ginger flavour. The smoke keeps this rich flavour and has a tarry taste that can take a little getting used to, although it is far from unpleasant. There is unfortunately a dryness of the mouth than many not-so-sweet tobaccos seem to cause. Black & Gold is a tobacco for those times you are looking for some weight in your smoke; this is not going to be to everyone's taste but is perfect as an indulgence after a heavy meal, ideally with a snifter of brandy or possibly some tawny port.

• Flavour: 6/10
  
• Smoke Sweetness: 7/10
  
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 5/10
  
• Value for Money: 7/10
  
• Indulgence Factor: 8/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

GUEST REVIEW: Rollie Tobacco: Strawberry (6/10)

Apparently I have inspired one of our followers to write a guest review, so thanks very much Ragados!

The Gawith and Hoggarth 'Auld Kendal' Strawberry rollie tobacco may sound like just another sweet and fruity flavoured loose tobacco, however, this one is special. Unsmoked, the tobacco has a definite Strawberry scent, though when smoked, the flavour becomes a smooth, almost chocolaty affair. Everyone knows how well chocolate and strawberries combine.

The Strawberry tobacco produces a light, mild smoke, so if you smoke for the nicotine buzz then this is probably not the tobacco for you. I would recommend this if you are smoking around other people who might not like the dry cloying smoke of Drum or Golden Virginia or a more conventional pre-manufactured cigarette. In addition, the Strawberry keeps well for a long time before drying out which is certainly useful for me who only goes through about 12.5 grams per week or less. Give it a try, it is a pleasant, light, smooth smoke.

• Flavour: 4/10
• Sweetness: 6/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 3/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 5/10
• Overall Rating: 6/10

Pipe Tobacco: Ultimum (8/10)

Terribly sorry for not posting in a while, I have been ill, and TheGreatPhDExperiment has been busy... but here we go:

According to our sources (Jim, the tobacconist), the Ultimum pipe tobacco by Gawith and Hoggarth is relatively new, and supposedly in response to the success of the popular Peter Stockebye tobacco entitled Optimum.

I have to say I really quite enjoyed this tobacco. I was slightly skeptical on seeing it (I'm not one for trendy names labelling tobaccos), but upon smelling it in the jar in the tobacconist, I was quite taken by the aroma and decided to buy some. I have to say I was also quite pleased with the way it smokes. There is a distinct butterscotch flavour to the Ultimum, and it is very lightly sweetened without causing the dryness of the mouth than many not-so-sweet tobaccos seem to cause. The Ultimum is quite tarry, but with a good pint it is not a problem. I would suspect that this tobacco would be an excellent accompaniment to a whiskey old fashioned or a Manhattan for those who are so inclined, and will be trying this theory out myself in short time.

• Flavour: 8/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 6/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 3/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 8/10
• Overall Rating: 8/10

Rollie Tobacco: Vanilla (5/10)

I haven't a lot to say about the Gawith and Hoggarth 'Auld Kendal' Vanilla rollie tobacco. It is exactly what the name suggests- tastes of vanilla. In fact, there is quite an intense vanilla aroma, both in the unsmoked tobacco, and in the smoke itself... strong, but I wouldn't say overpowering. It will be all down to your taste, but I would not recommend this tobacco if you are not a vanilla fan. I would recommend it if you are smoking around other people who might not like the dry cloying smoke of Drum or Golden Virginia.

The Vanilla tobacco is only moderately tarry, and not terribly strong. In addition, it keeps for a rather long time before drying out which is certainly useful for me who only goes through about 12.5 grams per week or less. Give it a try, it is neither spectacular nor bad in any way... just vanilla-ey.

• Flavour: 5/10
• Sweetness: 5/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 4/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Cigar: La Rica Tubitos (6/10)

It is quite nice to be able to review a cigar with which we were quite impressed, and even more so, these were not even Cuban, so our American friends can purchase them with ease. Hurrah!

La Rica Tubitos are a small 32 gauge panatela. They are composed of Nicaraguan hybrid filler (mixture of full leafs and short bits) with an Ecuadorian wrapper. They are also hand-rolled, and very tightly packed. This gave them a nice thick strong-flavoured smoke that was entirely pleasant. They are moderately tarry, but this was not a problem because they were only slightly over 4 inches long, and finish before the tar builds up to irrigating levels. Finally, they were well packaged (a very important bit of production most cigar manufacturers overlook) in that they came in well-sealed tubes and should last a considerable time before going dry without the aid of a humidor.

We recommend La Rica Tubitos; while there are certainly better cigars out there, one cannot beat the cost. they should cost you only around £2 each.

• Smoking time: 12-18 minutes
• Flavour: 6/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 3/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 6/10

Cigarillo: Exotic Fine and Flavour by Neos (3/10)

Well, once again we bring you a cigarillo by Neos, a Belgian manufacturer. Despite the name, we found these cigarillos to be neither fine, nor exotic, nor terribly flavourful. They have a definite added sweetness which is demonstrated not only by the sweet smoke, but the blackness of the ash. Quite amusingly, halfway through the smoke, which is dreadfully short, the cigarillo collapses between the fingers, which leads me to believe the only reason they were not deflated initially was due to the dry stiffness of the filler- as soon as the tar built up... squish. After this happens, the smoke gets quite hot and you know it's time to give it up... We don't recommend the Exotic Fine and Flavour by Neos, they're just not right... If you do find them and want to give them a go, it'll cost around £3 for 10.

• Smoking Time: 2-4 minutes
• Flavour: 4/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 7/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 8/10
• Value for Money: 3/10
• Indulgence Factor: 2/10
• Overall Rating: 3/10

Pipe Tobacco: American Sweet Peach (5/10)

Well, what can I say about the American Sweet Peach by Gawith and Hoggarth: It is sweet, has a peachy flavour, and is presumably American...

To be fair, I expected this tobacco to be blow-your-head-off sweet, a kind of sickly syrupy cloying sort of sweet- it was nothing of the sort- indeed, it was well-balanced. There is a definite peach overtone to the flavour, and it is very aromatic, but it was quite nice. Apparently, according to Jim, our tobacconist, this tobacco was one of the most popular until Gawith and Hoggarth released their Cherry and Vanilla.

The Sweet Peach does have a couple drawbacks though; first, it produces a very light smoke unless puffed quickly enough to get the tobacco really hot. This is related to the second problem, which is that the tobacco goes out with incredible ease. Most of the pipe-fulls I had went out at least twice during the course of the smoke. For one who is skint, matches are not a cheap commodity, and it was irritating to have to waste as many as I did relighting the pipe. The tobacco is also quite tarry, and I suspect one might need to clean their pipe every other smoke with this one.

If you enjoy aromatics that are relatively sweet, I recommend giving this tobacco a go... just invest in a lot of pipe cleaners, a pipe-knife and matches first!

• Flavour: 6/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 8/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 4/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Indulgence Factor: 3/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10