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

Lord have mercy, this is what I call a powerful nicotine delivery system. After smoking half a bowl, I had to be carried inside. This is very strong tobacco; you can hang yourself with this rope if you're not careful. This is an excellent tobacco for what it is, it is a cool smoking tasty tobacco with a little bit of sweetness which I did not expect.

This is my favorite of the G&H ropes. It has a smooth, full bodied all tobacco taste and a heavy dose of vitamin N. I find it doesn't taste as good as Petersons Irish Flake but it makes a good substitute. It costs less and is easier to find than IF, so this stuffs a keeper and I'll always have a pound at hand.

What's not to love? Probably the purest tasting pipe tobacco I've tried so far. It's a cool burning monster. Unlike the rum twist I tried this has a bit more complexity. It's mostly lower notes but some brighter tones can also be found.. that being said it stays pretty consistent. Earth, wood, spice... hard to necessarily put into words.. very satisfying. The nicotine will get your heart pounding. Don't be afraid but don't overdo it. It's like a really meaty cigar... where do you think cigars came from? Old world processing at its finest.

Another beautiful rope from G/H, i highly recommend trying all of G/H Twists & Ropes, they are all really good, i smoke them everyday and always get a good smoke from them,as long as you give the tobacco the respect its due you'll enjoy them.

Like all twists, this is very inconvenient unless you actually like all the fuss and foreplay that has to happen before you can smoke it (though you can buy it sliced up for you). Also, it's a little like going on one of those scary rides at amusement parks: some people enjoy it and can't get enough of it; others stagger around groaning and vomiting and looking green. The vital thing here is to smoke slowly: as slowly as you can (careful preparation is therefore especially necessary; otherwise it will just keep going out). If you do, you will get a strong, full, traditional tobacco flavour and a smoke that will last for a good deal more than an hour in a middle-sized bowl. If you don't, you will immediately join the fraternity of those who stagger around groaning and vomiting and looking green. It's very, very strong in nicotine terms, and very harsh if you rush it. Personally, I don't like it, because I'm a wuss. If you do like old fashioned, uncased, strong, Popeye-the-Sailor tobacco, this'll do you nicely. I give it two stars - I recommend it, but with a warning that you're in for a fight if you try it. This is definitely not one for the faint of heart, and definitely not for the novice.

I am always asked by cigar smokers who are switching to the pipe what would be a good blend to try that would replace the flavor of their cigars. I always recommended blends containing cigar leaf but after smoking a good bit of this blend this week, I will now suggest it to them from now on. This blend really does have the flavor and strenth of a good cigar. It packs a nicotine whallup, it flat out hits you and it will smoke from a nice mild beginning at first light and as it smokes down the bowl, it picks up strenth very quickly. It comes in a roll of rope that is thinner than most being it's only about less than a half an inch in diameter and it is a dark and rich brown. It's rolled very tight and must be dried out awhile to be able to crumble it up and smoke. The smoke is very creamy and heavy with a very sweet VA taste with the boldness of a cigar. The room note is heavy but tolerable, still has the aroma of pipe tobacco and not cigar like but it is very strong smelling.

The nice thing I like about this blend is that it has such a strong taste profile and "N" hit but it is at the same time gentle on the pallette and unless pushed to hard, it does not bite. It smokes at a nice slow pace, and burns clean down to the botttom of the pipe without much dottle left and it leaves a gritty grey ash. The aroma of the rasw rope in the pouch is very VA sweet and clean. I really enjoy this blend when I feel like a cigar and it's terrific with a good stout beer. Not for the faint of heart as it is a strong blend, but for more experinced smokers it is a must try blend.

There is an episode of Star Trek TNG where Data (the Android) has his first drink. He drops the shot neat, grimaces like mad, and says "I hate this! Revolting!"

Then he immediately says "yes please!" to another shot.

Bogie is like that. All the reviews (4 star and 1 star and inbetween) are true: it stinks. The nic hit will send even the experienced smoker into Aztec visions.

Then you'll want more.

The rope I had was dry to crunchiness. I rehydrated it a bit until it could bend a little without shattering, then cut it into coins and rubbed them out.

It is very fragrant before being lit -- fermented, ancient, with the rot and magic of opening a Pharaoh's tomb, or a wood cabinet in which one-sided 78s RPM records have been stored since the 1930s.

1/4th of a bowl was plenty. The aftertaste was delicious. It burned slow enough to make that limited amount worthwhile.

If you enjoy strong tobacco that tastes like tobacco, then Happy Bogie is a great smoke. I I can't for the life of me find any top note, but for the smoker this is delightfully, naturally aromatic. Flavor, after all, is determined in the nose as well as the mouth; aromatic here simply means that there is a huge amount of flavor to be enjoyed on the retrohale, as well as in puffing with an "open" nose. I've no idea what the room note might be, and am codgerly enough to not worry about it. All of the GH ropes I've tried so far have been similar in the base tobaccos, but Happy Bogie is a departure from the others. My palate isn't nearly well-educated enough to be coherent on this point, but my best guess is that the base tobacco here is dfk, rather than the dark virginias that seem to predominate in the other twists. There is a surprising sweetness through the top third ofthe bowl that never disappears, but as you progress deeper into the bowl the sweetness settles down and a rich, chocolatey tobacco flavor starts to really shine. This is an after supper, dessert sort of blend. I'm not sure what would happen if I tried to smoke Happy Bogie for the day's first pipe, but there's no doubt that Lady N would smack me down. So when I recommend this rope, it's only with the caveat that you have some experience and perhaps a good meal beforehand.

Strong, smooth, and not at all harsh to me. Throughout the experience I had the taste of lightly sweetened strong black tea. Pleasant room aroma, and a good deal of nicotine top off the experience.

I can see this becoming a favorite (in moderation).

Happy, indeed.