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

Need a nicotine buzz? Here it is. This is a good one to have a bowl of when you get home from an especially long or hard day at work, or just before bedtime.

Very sweet-cigarish in taste and extra stinky room note, instantly my mouth is burning from the nicotine and my saliva thickens up. A nose blow yields a wasabi-like sensation. The gag reflex is trying to kick in and I feel the hiccups coming on. About this time the bowl goes out. I take this opportunity to grab a drink and allow the initial nicotine inrush to decline.

Once you relight the bowl it's a bit more mellow. You've had a few moments to adjust and while still potent, its now more manageable. To me this tobacco has a really pleasant sweet cigar taste which hangs in for most of the bowl. It's too powerful otherwise for me to smoke a bunch of, but I will clip off an occasional sliver when the mood strikes.

I think Brown Bogie is a fine tobacco for what it is. It'll make a man of you for sure. I realise that it won't be everyone's taste, but I'm giving it four stars because I actually rather enjoyed it's extreme strength, taste, and experience, and have no complaints or regrets.

Just what I have been looking for.A good strong smoke.when smoke slow you can taste its true flavor. I use a medium size meer. I find it smother smoke that way. Just remember to put the pipe down when you have enough nic hit.not a everyday smoke. Maybe after a good meal on the weekends .

It's a bit of an animal this 🙂

A full rounded flavour and strength, much like the rest of the brown ropes from G&H and SG...they all share a family resemblance as you would expect. Much the same as Dark Birdseye..in fact the same baccy but in rope form. Bogie is a full on tobacco for those who love Lady N...I'm one of them.

Highly recommended. Dry it out a bit before you smoke it.

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.

As others have noted, this is very strong, and probably not an everyday type of tobacco. But that doesn't prevent it from being an occasional delight.

I do have to admit that even though I'm growing fond of the stuff, it looks and smells disgusting in it's natural state, but if you can get past that, it's a bracing and unusual treat.

I cut it into coins with a cigar cutter, then rub it out. I kind of like the fact that you can control the thickness of the cut. I cut it thin and use a light hand when packing it, and it fires right up, almost without needing a second light.

The flavor when it's burning is fairly unusual, a bit like a cigar, a bit "meaty," with an elusive salty and sour taste that's hard to identify. Although I quite enjoy the room note, I don't imagine that it would be too popular with non-smokers. It has a lot in common with 1792, but without the tonquin.

All in all, a very satisfying smoke.

---------Update September 3, 2008

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I've gone through more of this and I'm going to bump it up to four stars. The more I smoke of it, the more I like it. I've taken to slicing off a week's supply of coins at one time using a utility knife.

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.