Gawith Hoggarth’s Rum Twist is a rope spun with stoved Virginia and flavored with rum. To properly prepare this tobacco, I recommend slicing shavings from it—as thin as you can make them. The twist was originally intended to be a convenient means of transporting tobacco on long voyages in a compact format that would hold its humidity. While a couple of centuries have passed and there is no longer a need for 3-12 month stowing at sea, it still holds humidity in spades. If you cut it too thick, you will struggle to keep it—or any of Gawith Hoggarth’s twists—lit for very long.

The note of the tobacco is strong. You can smell the rum on the rope, along with smoked wood, nuts, and a whiff of vinegar. Upon lighting, there are notes of smoked and roasted nuts, wood, hay, and citrus with an undercurrent of rum in the background. The retrohale is spicy and smoky, along with woody and sweet notes. The finish is lightly sweet with flavors of wood and nuts.

As the bowl progresses, the finish gets thicker and lingers, and the rum topping is a bit more noticeable but does not overshadow or downplay the tastes of the tobaccos. It gets smoother and creamier as well, and yet at the same time, it has a drier finish. Notes of hay, nuts, and wood. The retrohale gets a tad more peppery towards the end as well.

Rum Twist is a medium-plus bodied blend that is also medium-plus in strength. When you take the time to cut it correctly, Rum Twist is certainly not just blowing smoke, but is a rich and strong trip down history lane as you are enjoying twist done the same way as it has been done since the late 18th century, and on the same machine! Highly recommended.