Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Happy (Brown) Bogie Unsliced

I've been enjoying Black XX for a while now, but this morning was my first taste of Brown Bogie, from a jar that's been aging for half a year. I was surprised at how mellow this stuff is based on the reviews I've read. This is a very good tobacco.

I shaved off a few coins and pulled them apart into a pseudo-shag, and just stuffed it into a small freehand. It took just a little greater than average effort to catch fire, and required a few two-second relights during the smoke, but nothing extensive or inconvenient. It starts off almost too mild, requiring some concentration and coaxing to get the flavors to reveal themselves. After ten minutes it becomes richer and settles into a mild, rich, toasty smoke with not even a hint of the oiliness inherent in Black XX.

Plenty of white smoke, no bite at all, smooth and tasty, a wonderful way to start the day while soaking in the morning sun. The room note is surprisingly nice, again nothing like its XX cousin. I wouldn't want to blend this with other weeds because I think the delicate flavors would be lost. I can tell this is going to become a favorite when I'm the mood for a simple, classic smoking experience based on a very long historical tradition.

This is a 'slap your mama' smoke. Not for weenies. The cigar equivalent would be a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero or Triple Ligero. A nice break from wimpy tobaccos. This is a a full flavored straight tobacco with no prisoners taken. Slice up and let dry a bit before loading into your chosen nicotine delivery device.

Definitely a whomp of nicotine. Have a big meal before this one. I can handle quite a lot of nicotine and halfway through the bowl even I was feeling quite light-headed. It has a tendency to bite if you puff too fast, and it'll bite hard. But if you smoke smooth and slow it has quite a nice flavor to it. This is definitely not an "all the time" blend but for once in a blue moon it really fits the bill.

My main reason for not smoking it a little more often is that I can't be arsed to cut up the rope. Too much of a hassle. I like my flakes but plugs and ropes are too much of a bother most of the time. So maybe this should be two stars, but I'm not basing this on ease of packing, just flavor qualities and smokability.

Another High nicotine punch here, just like the Brown Irish Twist. Again this is full unadulterated tobacco flavor, no casings here. I think this is a bit milder than the brown Twist but stronger than the Black. All in all a good smoke, even if it does have a funny name. Don't try this one for the first time on an empty stomach or if you have to operate heavy machinery. A good after meal smoke to relax you, full of flavor and again, a bit of the old time style of smoking. If you only like mild smokes, stay away from this one, it is a powerhouse of flavor and nicotine. I found it to be a very refreshing smoke. a 9 out of 10.

Wow! This is the strongest tobacco I've ever tried. It is even more potent than Samuel Gawith's Brown #4 Kendal Twist, which previously held the title. I tend to have a taste for stronger pipe tobacco and cigars, but brother this is powerful. I recommend eating a meal and sitting in a comfortable chair indoors in the A.C., if your going to step up to the plate with a bowl of this one. But ya know what? I liked it and I will smoke it again. There is a really interesting musty, antique sort of flavor to this blend. It's another one of these blends that really transports one back in time. There is no flavoring and you get a full, unadulterated tobacco experience with this blend. It can border on overwhelming and does take some getting used to. But it's like single malt scotch, espresso or Retsina. You have to give yourself time to develop a taste for it before you write off something that, given a little patience, can bring you pleasure.

Deep musty pitchy aroma of fresh rope was strong enough to tell you about power of tobacco. Rope is easy to to cut and easy to prepare. Good to leave from one to two hours lay in corner and than pack to pipe. Burn with fair tempo, need several relights. Taste is spicy full but not complex too much. Major taste is spicy sweetness with hint of natural vanilla. Companion is oily nut.

I smoked it only from medium or small bowls and it was fair enough.

My wife was in the kitchen with me as I opened the box containing my 2oz of Brown Bogie. When I pulled this out of the box she said "whoa, they sell cat turds too?". Several pieces of unbelievably rustic looking 5/8" dark brown rope in a baggie.

I let it air out for a bit as I also had a big luscious bag of Ennerdale Flake on the same order and the topping on that stuff is worse than glitter or beach sand, it sticks to everything. Smell it through the bag, baby! Once the Lakeland faded away I was left with a big, ropey pile of Copenhagen turds. Smelled like a bunch of Ligero in an Oscuro leaf. Glorious. The wrapper leaves coming off the ends helped me to see that this was actually twisted whole leaf. "Hmm, maybe I should just try smoking one like a big cheroot?". I wisely did not.

Sliced off a few 1/8" coins, cut them in half and rubbed them out into thick, moist, very pliable ribbons. Half an hour or so of counter time and I packed a half bowl in my Eaton cob, my smallest pipe. Charring light took a few good goes, but after the tamp it lit right up. My immediate first impression was "whoa, very last puff of a good strong Habana just before it turns". Almost brought a tear to my eye it was so good. Strong, yes. Full, yes. Harsh, no. Smooth as glass, like a 20+ year old cask strength bourbon that makes you want to pour it over ice cream.

After my third real puff off the Eaton my stomach told me in no uncertain terms "bro, you better throw some ribs or a steak down here pronto if you intend to take even one more whiff of this Brown Bogie business". Pipe was lit maybe 2 minutes and my garage smelled like I'd held a busy cigar event and all the ashtrays were full.

I immediately put the pipe down, lit my smoker and went to the store to buy a rack of baby backs just so I'd have an excuse to get back to that bowl. I think I've found my digestif.

Happy (Brown) Bogie Unsliced [Twist];

Star Rating = 3.5;

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst;

Pouch Note = 9;

Room Note = 9;

Flavor = 9;

Bite = 9;

Burn = 9;

After Taste = 8;

Raw Score = 53;

Rated Percentage = 88%;

Comment = Smooth, Strong Strength, Rich Full Body Tobacco Flavor, has a slight After Taste.

If you are one who likes to “play” with your tobacco, by all means get this “Twist” form of tobacco, you can spend countless hours “Slicing, Dicing and Drying” this “Twist” tobacco before it is ready to smoke. I admit I am a lazy pipe smoker so I didn't find this necessary extra preparation exercise to be of any value to heighten my pipe smoking enjoyment. You had better have a sizable ignition source on hand because you are going to need a lot of BTU's to get this “Twist” tobacco to light. Once you achieve the first ignition you will need to have your best “Tamping Tool” at the ready to handle the endless re-packings and re-lights that this “Twist” form of tobacco requires. Perhaps you have detected that the “Twist” form of tobacco is not my “cup of tea”.

Very plain, very strong. Somehow more plain and bland overall than brown Irish, but also vaguely spiced, with a set of fleeting flavors that i can only describe as petroleum-adjacent. No fruit, nothing green or fresh or bright. No smokiness or sweetness. Sliced into thick coins and roughly chopped and rubbed out, it burns well enough with no dry time. Still requires more effort to light and more relights than most tobaccos. I highly recommend you try it, some people will love it, but probably more will hate it. Worth knowing where you land, but don't start off buying a pound of it.