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

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-05-01		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The pouch note for this dark tobacco is earthy, musty, smoky. I cut it coarsely and it rubbed out to a fine tilth in the palm of my hand.

The room note is near enough identical.

It takes a light easily and stays lit until the end. I found I didn't need to tamp. It leaves no dottle.

This is a tobacco that produces almost entirely bass notes. It is deep, creamy, rich and satisfying. There is a pepperiness on the tongue and the back of the throat that is suggestive of strength but reports of its great power are imo overstated. This is a wonderfully behaved tobacco and quite moderate. There is zero bite. For some it will lack the excitement factor and interest of perique or latakia blends but as a faithful and honest tobacco it has few peers. I agree with other reviewers who noted the somewhat cigar like aroma of this tobacco.

I could easily consider this as an all day smoke.

Edit. Having smoked a bowl of this unrubbed I can see where some are saying this is a nicotine heavyweight. Not a smart way to smoke this tobacco imo, since it burned pretty quick this way and lost a lot of nuance, but I'm upping the strength rating of the tobacco to reflect its potential.

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2013-01-22		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A true classic of it's kind. Old fashioned tobacco as it used to be. Sure, there's a lot of nicotine, but smoked slowly it's a very gentle nicotine, if you see what I mean. Go at it too fast though and it's headache territory. Pipe bowls were relatively small when tobaccos like this were first created.

As for flavour, the Indian air-cured component adds a nice tangy/savoury edge similar to G&H's (unscented) Dark Flake but in an overall less harsh package (Indian cheroots are something else - more power than the strongest Havana). As for the Malawi fire-cured part of the blend, "smooth and deep" are the words that come to mind. The start is a dry taste that gathers some savoury sweetness as the bowl burns down, but without the over-load of sugar that some (e.g. Sam Gawith) flakes have.

Everyone should try this at least once. Not as a "rite of passage" but to experience and, hopefully, get to understand a truly fine tobacco that's been made pretty much the same way for a very long time.

If the hassle of preparing it puts you off, or if you've never tried to prepare a rope tobacco before, I suggest buying the ready-sliced version, at least to begin with. It's exactly the same tobacco, with the assurance that it's correctly prepared for optimum smoking.

I've been told by many people (including non-smokers) that the smell is pleasant. Some even use the word "nice".

I can't recommend it enough.

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kg0mz (54)	2009-04-04		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Quaint, these twists. There is a rich and robust pure tobacco aroma in the bulk form. I use a utility knife and a small wooden box as a cutting board to slice what I need to fill a cob bowl. The slices rub out with little effort. It is moist, but I don't dry it, and it burns just fine. It fires right up and burns cool and dry. Delicious. I think Dark Flake carries more tobacco strength, but the nicotine may be more evident here. Excellent African tobacco taste. No need to fear this tobacco. Puff away, there is no tongue bite. Bold yes, harsh no. I find this more enjoyable than the highly acclaimed flue-cured VAs.

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-08-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Starts with just a touch of florals which rapidly dissipate leaving just the natural flavors of the Virginias. Deep, bold and earthy. Very, very satisfying. Basically no complexity here, just a rich, stout Virginia smoke. Burns slow and cool even when very dry. I can find no faults with this rope. I find it to be very pleasing. One of GH's best.

Medium in body. Medium to full in taste. Not enough floral scent to rate. Burns perfectly.

Pipe Used: Chacom cutty, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-07-20		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Unnoticeable

This is a smoke for working men. In flat caps.

It's honest, straightforward, genuine.

It's a rough diamond.

It's salt and pepper. Musty and bold.

I absolutely love it!

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the shop.

Purchased From: Online.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2016-07-25		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Wellsir, I smoked it and I'm still here. That might surprise some the way that Happy Bogie is spoken of, but if you can smoke a cheap, pungent cigar you can smoke this.

A big, toothy cigar is really what this tobacco rope puts me in mind of. It tastes like dirt, leather, rotten wood, and strong, bitter tea; that is when you manage to taste anything other than thick, abrasive smoke. Happy Bogie is, essentially, an efficient means of nicotine delivery that hasn't bothered with subtlety or variation of any kind.

The most novel thing about it is that delightfully old fashioned rope presentation that you have to cut a portion of and chop up. It stays lit if prepared and loaded into the pipe properly. At times, I found smoking it oddly contemplative, if only because of the dramatic increase in heart rate that occurs shortly after lighting up and the overall stimulation of the central nervous system that cannot but occur when smoking something with this much nicotine in't.

I suppose that I would smoke it again, maybe, once in a while. I like a softer, more approachable tobacco for daily smoking, but Happy Bogie manages to be simple, strong, and unsophisticated in the best way possible.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-01-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Happy Bogie has been around for many years but was much more easily obtained in the USA in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I never saw one of those 8oz bags of this one but it was offered frequently at shops that carry G&H tobaccos in two ounce packages. My rope was about 10-years old when I obtained it, and quite dry, which made cutting easier. I used a hair pin to punch holes in the little discs once sliced, and then packed them one on top of the other in my pipe for smoking. The leaf burned very well in this manner but still very slowly. I was swooning at mid bowl, and the quality leaf within made me very.... well, happy!

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2014-07-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

A tin note of raisins with very subtle sweetness. This is a tobacco that demands respect. The rope form it comes in is a nice change from other forms. I use an Inuit ulu knife to shave 1/8" slices then lightly rub out. TW from an earlier review stated that these types of tobaccos are from a time where small bowled pipes were the norm. As such, I tried deep briars and cobs and found that my Peterson 407 loves this tobacco because of its small bowl. I've smoked several bowls of this and find that it is getting nicer each time. I store all of my tobaccos in mason jars and believe that this aids in aging immensely. The smoke is strong, but at the same time smooth and has a wonderful flavour. When exhaled out the nose, there is a tingle at the end that reminds you that it has power. I find that the "N" factor is quite manageable if sipped and savoured.

Also, I found that this goes well with a bottle of coca cola, (old timey glass bottle not the new plastic bottles). Reminiscint of fine cigars this one is not a tobacco to smoke as a fledgling, but it is different from the norm and a joy to smoke.

Pipe Used: Cobs and Pete's

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2014-12-18		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Gawith Hoggarth - Happy/Brown Bogie.

Strong, strong, strong! This tobacco has a lot of power, possibly too much for some however I think it's a good smoke! The twist itself is robust in stature, it's not as as much as something like Deluxe Twist but it is a good c.m thick. The aroma from the twist imminently makes me think "this is going to be a hearty smoke", its quite a strong aroma that becomes more available when sliced into coins and rubbed out. Mine is of a good moistness, that said though, it's been in a baggie for about a month so it may have been a bit damp to begin and the water has diminished but sadly I can't comment!

Happy Bogie lights up with incredible ease, and if the bowl has been loaded correctly it burns steadily leaving a white ash as it goes. The tobacco flavour from this is very full and to me it tastes a little fire cured. Did I mention that this is strong?!! I think, basically, if you don't like nicotine then KEEP AWAY! The smoke is of a good temperature and doesn't bite any, so if you like to 'chug' hard this will suit you! A less positive attribute is the room note, it has a slightly acrid/burnt tone to it, one of the few low factors. Sadly, when the pipe is finished another negative exudes itself, my mouth has quite a heavy coating of goo in it but if it's smoked for a quick 10 minute nicotine fix I don't get the mouth coating.

I think, considering all the different qualities, this is a great 'short break' smoke but if you require something to sit and relax with all evening then this won't suit!

Pipe Used: Peterson Racing Green 221

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: G.Q Tobaccos

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-09-02		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Are you the kind of person who takes the words "all you can eat" as a challenge? Do you order the hottest hot wings or vindaloo just to see if you can take it? If so, this might be for you. More of a rite of passage than a pipe-tobacco, Brown/Happy Bogie will test your limits. I could feel the nicotene burning my nose as I smelled it in the tin; an indication of things to come.

"Bogie," my fellow Americans, is not (just) a golf term, it is the British version of our word "booger." That's right, a tobacco named after something you'd find in your nose. But one look at it, and you'll see why that's by no means the worst thing you could compare it to. Looks to me more like something your dog leaves in the grass. But I digress. My method of preparation: Slice it into thin coins and then dry the coins out, then partially rub it out and it's ready to smoke.

The smoke will knock your socks off. Strong, bitter, and often harsh. But that is mostly only in the initial light-up. Then it settles down, smooths out, and is nice and coffee/cigar-like. To be enjoyed in small doses. Not an all-day or even every-day smoke, just a once in a while, or once in a lifetime smoke to teach you not to fear lesser tobaccos.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2020-04-28		Very Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

The fermented, savory, rugged dark fired and dark air cured Virginias provide a ton of earth, wood, tangy ripe and dried dark fruits, plenty of smoky barbecue, spice, vegetation, floralness, leather, some tangy stewed fruits, herbs, grass, bread, light tart and and tangy citrus, and a few sugar, tea, cigar and sour notes as the lead components. Very strong and extra full in flavor, the nicotine level is very potent. It won’t bite, but it has hints of harshness and plenty of rough edges, even though the creamy quality of the Virginias does tame them a mite. It needs some dry time, and a sharp knife to cut it. Well balanced, it burns cool and clean at a plodding pace with a very consistent, boldly deep and rich, mildly complex sweet and savory flavor that translates to the long lingering after taste, and pungent room note. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a fair number of relights. Not an all day smoke by any means, and I suggest a small bowl for this one. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1979 (62)	2017-04-06		Very Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ah, truly a grandpa tobacco.  Grandpa was the sort of fellow who would buy a cigar, break off a 1" bit and park it in his jowl.  He was a braver man than I, as I only smoke them.

I would describe the taste of Brown Bogie as dark, sweet and powerful.  The "lakeland essence" mainly burns off by mid bowl.  The room note is a mixture of cigarish and perfumey and lingers a good while.  I would wonder about the reasoning behind adding such a perfumey scent to an otherwise manly tobacco but the idea of using this as a chew explains it all.  I've never tried chewing it and probably won't, but I'll bet it's tasty.

It seems like a few of my fellow reviewers mention smoking this in a small bowl.  That's understandable due to it's strength.  It's reputed nicotine strength is what attracted me to Brown Bogie initially, and it's the only tobacco I currently smoke capable of inducing hiccups.  But I'd like to mention that it seems like when I smoke it in a larger bowl, the power seems somewhat reduced and more virginia flavor seems to come out.

This one is a keeper for me...

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2016-07-16		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Who would have thought that such a tiny rope could have such strong and bold flavors. This stuff took me be surprise! It has a very distinct dark roasted flavor that I've never experienced before I was schooled on the GH&Co. blends. I'm a big fan of the Indian leaf they use and this is indeed a very strong blend, I do not recommend this one for beginners. I don't detect any flavorings added and there's nothing but good natural tobacco flavors here. Simply essential.

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Savinelli, Neerup.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Brown Irish X.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old German puffer (106)	2015-09-27		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Strong

Rope and plug tobbaco are my favorites. Always brings back memories of my childhood and watching my grandfather and great grandfather smoke with the family. It seems to special the extra care that is given here. It is raining this am and I pulled out...Happy Bogie. This is a very strong tobacco. When fixing for a smoke you can smell the wood, smokiness and spices. If not rubbed correctly tends to go out. Slice very thin and rub out to small flakes. Lights easy and needs to be smoked slow. I would say a seasoned pipester tobacco

Pipe Used: GBD Prehistoric

Age When Smoked: Rope over 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-05-29		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Having tried Black Bogie a while back and been very disappointed I've been very reticent in trying rope again. However, after trying a string of rather strong plugs, some of which tasted like a remind of it, I decided to have another go of the stringy stuff and plump for 25g of this stuff.

The note in the packet was one of earth tones with a hints of mustiness and cigars. Cutting and rubbing out proves easy thus making packing a doddle. A few relights are required, though this is easily got round with a little drying. The smoke itself is just gorgeous, the earth notes come to the fore and the cigar flavour proves stronger. It's a slow smoke too so no need to pack a big bowl. The nicotine is strong but not something I haven't had worse with other tobaccos.

Before I bought this, I would have said I would go nowhere near ropes. Now, though, I have a rather nice spanner in the works. It's an absolutely gorgeous smoke, probably best saved for the evening due to the strength. Question is, do I try other ropes? Yes, I think I will, I might even venture to give Black Bogie another go, to see if age and experience have changed my tastes. This stuff isn't for beginners, I'd recommend at least a couple of years good hard smoking before trying it. But when you get to a point where you're ready for it, this is as good as anything out there.

Pipe Used: MM Legend

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-02-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A strange brown rope arrived in the mail rolled up and held together with two nails. I cut the rope with a sharp knife into coins, pulled apart the coins a bit and stuffed them (not too tightly) into a largish pot style briar. The reward was a nice cool flavorful smoke. This tobacco doesn't have the overpowering sweetness of some virginias nor does it have the bite. There's a hint of a cigar-like flavor but it barely comes through and doesn't stink up a room like a cigar. Pleasant flavor from beginning to end. Burns to a nice grey ash.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2015-04-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Need a short blast of pure VA power with strong N? Smoke this. The twist cuts easily with scissors and rubs out fairly well afterwards. Pack it fairly loosely to start. A little peppery. Yes, it's strong, so try it the first time or two in your smallest pipe (I favor a little rosewood pipe). It smokes fairly cool, but if you rub it out a lot it does burn a tad on the fast side.

Pipe Used: various briars, cobs, and a rosewood

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Mars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2010-12-16		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Strong

I do love this stuff, it is ideal in a small bowl on a cold night and for a quick smoke. It does not bite and just keeps delivering the nicotine! I will keep trying different varieties but I've got a feeling I will come back to my bogie for more!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JLong (36)	2009-12-11		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This tobacco pretty much lives up to what everybody's saying about it. Strong and full bodied. It's got a cigarish taste to it and leaves you with a good nicotene buzz. There is no level of stress this stuff cannot conquer.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2009-10-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

If you find yourself confused, as I did, with all of these ropes, here is some help: In Gawith Hoggarth parlance, ropes come as Pigtails, Bogie, or Twists. The only difference is in the diameter of the rope, with Twists being the thickest, and pigtails the thinnest. Samuel Gawith has the thin pigtails, and Rope, which is the diameter equivalent of GH Twist. Generally, pigtails are intended for chewers, and Twist & Rope for pipes, with Bogie in the middle. But one can smoke them all, and with the current spotty availability of Lakeland tobaccos, that is important to know.

The ropes come Brown or Black (well, they also come flavored with cherry, rum, and such, but I dislike such flavorings and will thus ignore them). Brown is light, clean, crisp and very strong. Black is rich, oily, tarry, and not as strong, but still strong.

Both can be purchased pre-sliced, which can be a nice convenience, particularily with the Black. The Brown slices up nice as you please, but the black not so much. All the tar tends to gum up the cutting implement, and the process can become tedious. I plan in the future to buy my Black pre-sliced.

It's great fun to buy this stuff a pound (500g) at a time. The large coil of rope you receive is wonderful to contemplate, complete with a 4 penny nail hammered in to hold it together. Conversely, buying these tinned makes for a rather poor first impression. These tobaccos are quite dense, so 50g is only a few inches of rope. Thus, upon opening the tin, the first impression is that it is half empty, and the other is that it resembles (well, you know...).

For how these taste and smoke, see my Black and Brown reviews under Samuel Gawith, and happy smoking!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-09-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Yet another blend that I most likely would never have known about. Thanks to TR I have another favorite. This rope is a very full flavored, all tobacco blend. While it is quite strong (I like) it is oh so smokeable. Some may find it is boreing to deal with ropes, but to me it is enjoyable to sit and cut, and rub this blend out while I'm puffing my pipe. My method for this one is to slice off thin "coins" with my cigar cutter, let dry for a short while, and then it rubs out easily. The pack, light, and burn are excelent. This may become a "desert island" blend.....also a great blender. Rate

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CR (29)	2018-02-23		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of course, this has Lakeland essence in it, and it must be straight Virginia.

Now, it’s been a few years since I’ve had the chance to smoke Brown Bogie, but it’s obvious isn’t it? That unusual undercurrent of dank floral notes also accompanies Kendal Kentucky and Dark Bird’s Eye. This is a Lakeland tobacco. Why restate it? Well, I had the fortunate (or rather unfortunate) opportunity to smoke many high-end tobaccos like this one early in my piping journey. Casings can be deceptive at first. Does this have Burley in it? No, I don’t think so. Regardless, I also don’t think my opinion otherwise has changed. This is Brown Bogie:

The high nicotine content is mitigated by the heavy flavor content. This is a rich smoke to be savored, with a musky sweetness that lingers long on the senses. It might be called a booger and look a bit like feces (or pig intestines, as a friend of mine once commented,) but those who enjoy the taste of a good cigar and like a smoke they can really feel in their heads should treasure this. My only complaint might be that it’s hard for me to wait for it to dry after I prep it. There is a certain sweet spot after the rope is cut, which of course varies with the thickness of the slices. It’s well worth the inconvenience. I must also add that calling the room-note pleasant is relative to where I go. My house smells nice, but I’m also a smoker. People in public are more discriminating.

Pipe Used: Briar, Cob

Age When Smoked: 1 Week

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RamEcl (3)	2017-08-05		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

An excellent offering from Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. This twist/rope tobacco was not as thick as I had thought it would be when I received it, however that was not a problem. The rope smells quite extraordinary, quite similar to the GH Rum Flake I have too, but rather than that rich fruity smell of raisins this is a far more earthy leathery aroma.

This was my first rope tobacco and I will say I think it's a very good way of packing/storing tobacco. Especially if you want to cellar tobacco or store it in bulk for whatever reason as it's very space efficient. As well as this it gives you freedom to cut the tobacco to ribbons or chunks of your liking. My suggestion is that you cut a nice thin slice and pull it apart completely as packing a solid block into your bowl can make this tobacco overpowering.

This brings us to the strength, and yes it is strong, but not harsh or overpowering provided you smoke it right; packed properly in a small bowl and sip slowly. In the right conditions this is a dream to smoke, a lot of depth and various flavours that come in and out and last a very long time without relights or need for tamping.

My caution would be this, if you don't have the patience to go through with preparation and packing correctly, or self control to sip on this slowly you will probably have a bad experience. However if you enjoy the overall process surrounding pipe smoking, like having to clean your pipe and pack it, you'll enjoy this tobacco, especially if you like very strong, robust tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Chacom Little

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-king.co.uk

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2015-11-02		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Slice, fold, pack, light, smoke. I do wonder how many of the terrible experiences with this wonderful rope come from people who Frank-packed a bowl of the stuff like suckers, and from people who will puff mercilessly to make sure that a bowl never goes out.

This is an incredible tobacco to remind you that pipes don't have to be meticulously stuffed all the time, and that life isn't a slow smoking competition.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2012-06-14		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Extra Full	Tolerable

This blend is a serious one. It is not for school girls.

If is so strong that i had to dump the contents at our Pipe Club Meeting last night after about 10 puffs.

The gentleman across the table from me Inhaled a puff and thought his lung was gonna collape. Not a good idea with any pipe tobacco, ESPECIALLY this one.

The taste is extremely Full, there is just no other way to describle it. While i was puffing i could feel a tingling on my tongue similar to tongue bite. The difference was that it was the sheer strenght of this tobacco and not bite at all.

Be carefull when smoking this.

Mo, South Africa

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	n9inchnails (10)	2010-04-19		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

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.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2007-02-21		Overwhelming	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Very Strong

This, as many of the Gawith & Hoggarth's go, is the everclear of tobacco. The trashcan punch. The rough "woman of negotiable affection" at the Texas border down on the Mexican side.

A great pipe tobacco if you enjoy movies full of violence, action morbid horror. I do.

Also great if you are an ex-cigarette smoker trying to stave off nicotine cravings. Be satisfied in spades.

Images evoked include a zombie crawling through murky swamps with sliced hamstrings and a penchant for alligator brains.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (149)	2006-03-08		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

An interesting tobacco, from a historical point of view. I enjoy smoking unusual tobaccos for the fun of preparing them. This was no exception, but the smoking characteristics were less fun. It was very strong for a start, and rather harsh. I put the pipe down for 15 mins as it was so strong, but on relighting the harshness was 10 times worse. It wasnt bite so much, just a harshness that irritated my mouth and throat. The flavour was very natural, woody, nutty, slightly smokey, but the harshness made it unpleasant to smoke.

I've heard of this style of tobacco that miners would chew while in the mines, then put the chewed quid in their pockets. Later, when it was a bit drier, they would smoke it, and kept some of the ash for their wives to blend with their snuff. Perhaps by chewing it first it gets milder. I'm not too enthusiastic to find out, but in the interests of historical research I suppose I should. Ill save it for a rainy day, but will report my findings when I do.

-------Update 2019-------

So I never did bring myself to chew this, but did smoke it again, if only because I think it's the very strongest tobacco I've found, and wanted to check if my tolerance has increased. It has, and I can now smoke a Falcon full of this stuff and survive... But it still stands as the strongest weed I know of. The harshness I complained of when I first tried it is I think a nicotine tingle, which grows as you progress through a bowl of this. The flavour is otherwise mild, astringent and nutty, and there is no tongue bite as such. The main issue for me is that its hard to keep lit, rubbing it out well and packing loosely helps with this bit make sure you have plenty of matches.

Handy weed for a high speed nicotine hit from a small pipe, but not the sort of tobacco to settle down with for an hour or so. The unusual presentation and heroic strength makes this one any nicotine fiend should try. I'd be interested to know if anyone knows of a stronger tobacco...

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2021-04-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Last Saturday a friend of mine gave me a nice section of this rope. This one is slightly smaller than a dime and cut easily with my cigar cutter. Dark brown, all-natural Virginia it says. When I unraveled my small cut off plug, I was greeted with leaf tobacco somewhat like a cigar wrapper. This stuff is probably the moistest tobacco I have had and was a BEE to keep lit. I have had about six bowls of this in my Poker Meerschaum and find it fairly potent in the nicotine department. This has a really nice strong natural tobacco taste. Like others have said probably one for a little more experienced pipe smokers aka as nicotine junkies. Other than the problem of keeping lit and I am not exaggerating on that point, I found it really good. In my limited patience I even let this dry out some. Maybe my problem was I was stuffing the whole leaves into my bowl. Maybe I should have torn it up more but I digress. This apparently is hard to get as I searched 3 popular online sites and they were all out of stock. I signed up for an email notification on one site and was number 788. Good luck getting that one.

Pipe Used: Altinay Meerschaum Poker

Purchased From: Gift

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-07-13		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Thinner than the twists, the bogies can be chewed like the pigtails or cut down and smoked in a pipe. G&H brown twists, bogies, and pigtails aren't cooked, so they are stronger and more direct than the black twists.

Brown Bogie has the same flavor as Brown Irish Twist, the primary difference being that it's 15mm instead of 20mm thick. It's pretty interchangeable, but if you like to chew this is the one to buy.

I still recommend the rum twist for smoking, a little flavoring goes a long way with strong, raw tobacco like this.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Furqueron (2)	2013-05-21		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Sweet, earthy smell. Simple unadorned twist. For the person who appreciates a dark musty tobacco. But be warned. It does indeed deliver some serious nicotine.

I love it. Not every day, but once or twice a month.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-12-02		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Unnoticeable

I chew this like plug chewing tobacco when I cant smoke but I don't enjoy it very much in the pipe. I dipped Copenhagen snuff for 16 years and I am trying to stop, when I have a craving I don't buy Copenhagen I just chew a small cut of this rope and find it satisfying.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-10-10		Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2012-06-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

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.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeQuest (20)	2011-05-17		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2010-10-20		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

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.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2018-03-27		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

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.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChollyWheels (12)	2020-11-16		Overwhelming	None Detected	Extra Full	Extra Strong

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.

Pipe Used: Savinelli large "grezza" 9mm charcoal

Age When Smoked: Years.... dried out and rehydrated

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RedScot (6)	2020-02-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

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.

Pipe Used: Sasieni 4dot RuffRoot bulldog.

Age When Smoked: Two months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChadwickGHurlburt (24)	2019-09-07		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Strong

I picked up a bulk order of this when I found it available early 2018. It's one of those blends that seem to sell out quickly, which supports the belief that there are many who turn to this blend as a favorite.

My initial couple of bowls of this had a definite "Lakeland" essence that tasted like some old foral perfume to me. Not a flavor I enjoy at all. I decided to cut some from one of the other ropes in my order and was pleased to find that I could not detect any of that Lakeland essence in the other ropes. I think that, for whatever reason, there might have been some of this batch accidentally exposed to the Lakeland flavoring Gawith, Hoggarth & Co uses on some of their other blends.

As for the smoking, this blend is rich and strong in every way. I wouldn't recommend anyone smoke this in a kingsize pipe. Sure, there are a few who could handle it, but the nicotine is heavy with this one and most people will turn green. I find that this is a perfect blend for when you only have time for a small bowl. A small bowl will leave you feeling like you had a much longer and larger smoke than you might think.

For me, I like to smoke it as a nightcap on the front porch just before bed. I typically choose one of my slightly smaller medium sized pipes and I take my time with it. When smoked slow it is a nice rich no nonsense tobacco flavor with no chance of tongue bite. The flavor gradually develops into an increaingly rich smoke as the bowl proceeds, but doesn't really change in flavor. Supposedly this is a blend of Virginia and Burley tobaccos. Judging by my tastes, it is about equal portions of each. Typical grass, citrus, and hay notes of Virginia tobaccos won't be found here. I pick up a bit of nuttiness from the Burley, but mostly just a rich tobacco flavor. It's a one-trick-pony, and that's just fine. While it isn't my favorite rope tobacco, I do like it enough that I consider it a highly recommended blend. The occasional hint of Lakeland essence is the only thing that turned me off. I'm not sure if that flavor is an accident or intentional. At the moment, I'm assuming it isn't intentional.

There are occasioins when a pipe smoker wants to have a super strong smoke. I've found that rope tobaccos almost always fill that niche quite well. The nice thing about this blend is that it fills that niche without tasting like pure tar halfway through the bowl. If you've ever smoked some of the American made twist style rope tobaccos you will know what I'm talking about.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AC (19)	2018-09-27		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am a Burley lover, and in fact, only smoke (strong) Burley blends. Years back I used to smoke all strictly non-aromatic ropes from Gawith Hoggarth, however, I gave up after a while as I found the C&D Burley Flakes (1 and 4) which became my favorites. Still, once in a while I try new blends, and I was decided to try again "the Bogie". What a surprise! Such a wonderful smoke, rich, flavourful, exciting to the end. It needs drying out for about 30 minutes, but it pays off immensely. Highly recommended for the lovers of full Burley tobacco blends or who just are tired of wimpy smokes! Warning: smoke on a full stomach, because the vitamin "N" will leave your head spinning. Enjoy!

Pipe Used: Custombilt Tracy Mincer Era

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: C&D Burley Flake #1.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Col. Stuffinpuff (14)	2017-04-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-07-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Supposedly a tobacco for the "experienced" smoker. I find it to be one of my absolute favourites. Great full tobacco taste which is earthy and strong. Lots of nicotine, which can leave me more than a little light headed if smoked in a hurry. It has absolutely no tongue bite whatsoever, and burns very cool and slowly. I like to smoke it at a medium pace, and find a medium bowl at this rate lasts me a couple of hours. It definately needs a lot of preparation before it can be loaded into your pipe. First I cut it into coins with a cigar cutter about 1.5-2mm thick. I used to cut it with a really sharp knife blade, but found that after 5 or 6 cuts the knife was covered with a thick sticky tar like resin, which made neat cutting hard to do, and required lots of blade cleaning. The cigar cutter does a better more consistant job, but it's still extremely heavy going, and hard to cut. I keep the coins in a sealed glass jar, and to prepare it for my pipe I cut the coins into quarters then eighths and lighly rub it out, packing the pipe fairly tight. A firm favourite for me, but not one for the morning or on an empty stomach, or my head is buzzing for a couple of hours after it's finished.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-07-09		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Strong

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scamp (20)	2011-06-28		Overwhelming	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

I Tried this purely out of curiosity. I tried black bogie, which I quite liked. So I thought I'd give this one a go, knowing it is stronger. There are some nice flavours that come through in this tobacco, which have stopped me throwing it away. But this is just too strong and way too harsh for my liking. Might smoke it occasionally to see if it grows on me, but I doubt it will.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gungfu (2)	2011-03-21		Very Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

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 .

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipemanuk (76)	2009-11-11		Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-11-01		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-11-22		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	butter_side_down (12)	2008-09-03		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

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-------------

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2008-07-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Once you get past the smell, you've got it licked.

Once sliced, rubbed and dried a bit, it lights easily and produces clouds of white smoke and a good nicotine hit. It just doesn't seem to taste like much.

It does make a fine chew, and I think I may grind some into nasal snuff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2007-03-26		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-06-24		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2003-08-18		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Very Strong

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (84)	2023-03-09		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

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.

Similar Blends: Brown Irish rope, Brown twist sliced (less similar).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nicolas7 (2)	2022-12-02		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Like all Gawith Hoggart tobacco there is an obvious and fast quality degradation with this tobacco, it lost its intensity and amount of nicotine. I think it should be a problem with the crop or the process of tobacco leaves as it fade out. What I don't like is the fact that this company deny it totally and the prices increase. My review is over 25 words..lol

Age When Smoked: 43

Purchased From: Online shops

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (77)	2021-04-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

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.

Pipe Used: BPK, Stanislaw, Jirsa, MM cob

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: etrafika.cz

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	shikano53 (4)	2020-07-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Has a medium peppery taste on first light that subsides as the bowl burns down but stays throughout the smoke. Brown sugar sweet throughout the bowl that strengthens somewhat as you get to the 1/3 and last third. A nutty, hazelnut taste that is very slight but adds to the overall flavor profile. Doesn't burn hot and leaves very little moisture at the end. If you smoke too fast you may get the burpies. Stop, have a sip of water, and perhaps a few saltine crackers and wait for the burpies to stop. Slow your cadence down. This is a very rich and enjoyable tobacco. Smoke is rich and deep. Not an all day smoke. I enjoy it most in the evenings before bed. Has a pleasant room note and a nutty aftertaste. Four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AJS2323 (32)	2020-04-25		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Wow. I think this is the first tobacco that actually tastes pretty much as it smells, a little sweeter and smoother than the smell but pretty much there. This is a nice rope, it is quite fine in diameter but it is very manageable and easy to prepare. The rope is fairly dry anyway so it doesn’t require as much drying as the larger or aromatic ropes. The burn is nice and consistent and slow. Very nice earthy, smokey and sweet flavours come through and a little bit of a spiced hit on the retrohail but it is not unpleasant. I used fairly short pipe to smoke this and there was absolutely no tongue bite. On one day it was windy and the burn was hotter than the other days but still no bite. Slightly burnt taste though.

I would recommend this tobacco even to curious beginners. It is easy to rub out, easy to dry and smokes well. It is my go to smoke and I do smoke all day if it is in the rotation. I will be getting a 500g bulk buy of this and working it more frequently into my rotation.

Pipe Used: Erik Nording Snake ; Rattrays misfit

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke king

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HauntedMyst (22)	2020-02-02		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I was gifted about half a pound of this tobacco and what a gift is it. This is the strongest of the G&H ropes that I've tried (the others being Rum and Cherry Twists). Despite being 12 years old, this tobacco was very moist when I cut it. Last night I cut up roughly at 5 o'clock and then left the bag open for 6 hours and it was still the wettest smoke i be ever had. Today I had a couple more bowls but microwaved them for about 15 seconds first which did wonders for it. All the favor remained but the gurgle was gone. The flavor is full, rich and deep as others have mentioned but it's not sharp or overwhelming. The nic level is high - higher than most pipe tobaccos. If you have smoked cigs in your past it probably won't bother you but if you haven't, or are nic sensitive then go slow. People have said this is cigarish, which I didn't get at all in the taste but oddly I did get a very cigar aroma from it briefly at first. It does have the same warm, earthy richness of a cigar but this doesn't taste like any cigar I have ever had.

This is a great tobacco if you enjoy this particular niche style.

Pipe Used: Multiple

Age When Smoked: 12 years

Purchased From: A gift

Similar Blends: The other G&H ropes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Dunhill 23 (39)	2019-12-03		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Happy Brown Bogie is like having a Bull in a china closet in that you know what is going to happen: It's a strong earthy rope tobacco that gives plenty of Vitamin N and is very predictable. I imagine this is what my forefathers smoked and chewed back in the day.

The tobaccos used for this rope are clearly of superior quality and distinctive in flavor but if you are seeking the lighter side and nuance, this is not the blend for you. This is Graduation day stuff and everyone should try this blend to get to know the "Darker Side" of pipe tobaccos. All this being said, it's still not as strong as most cigars and about 100 times more flavorful.

I REALLY enjoy this stuff but not in regular rotation, rather as a treat or to extend a foul mood or maybe to run my wife out of the neighborhood.... It will need some serious drying time.

A fairly solid 4 stars from me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	denholrl (22)	2019-04-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received a few inches of this twist from a friend, to sample. I sliced some and found that it needed an overnight drying to smoke without too much effort. The taste was rich and satisfying but after half a bowl I got an unpleasant buzz and thought I tasted cigar leaf, which I avoid like the plague. Perhaps that is the wrapper. This blend is tasty but I would recommend it only to those who can handle the cigar-y nicotine buzz. I could not.

Pipe Used: Matro de Paja 1/4-bent apple

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: gift from a friend

Similar Blends: The buzz reminded me of Stonehaven..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2019-04-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have almost no sense of smell, so pouch note and burning aroma mean nothing to me. Having said that, if your looking for a good honest tobacco taste, with a good dose of vitamin N, without being overpowering, you'll enjoy this one. I tried this several years ago and remember quite enjoying it but for whatever reason, I didn't buy more, most likely the wrong season for me, not a hot weather tobacco, although I must admit I am finding this to be a very smooth biteless tobacco.

I bought several tobacco's over the Christmas period that I'd never tried before and a couple that I hadn't had in a long time, this being one of them, when it arrived, it was oily, too oily to smoke even after some drying, after cutting and slicing it was like trying to rub out plastercine, or play doh to our American colleagues. However, now spring is upon us and it has had time to dry and age a little in the plastic pouch it arrived in, it behaves much better, smooth and creamy, it takes to the match with ease, will not bite but will provide a good honest tobacco taste, no flavourings or chemicals, a little monochromatic for some, but then you shouldn't have bought an unscented one, should you !!!

I can see this going into rotation along with Dark Plug. So if your looking for a good, honest northern English tobacco that's been around since Adam was a lad, you can't go far wrong with this.

Pipe Used: Chacom, Comoy and Peterson 150

Age When Smoked: New to 4 months

Purchased From: GQ

Similar Blends: G&H Dark Plug, only smoother and lighter.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Calamiti (84)	2018-12-18		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Happy Bogie is a noble example of old-fashioned English rope tobaccos. A nicely satisfying smoke. Flavourwise it's noticeably drier and thinner than other ropes from Gawith & Hoggarth. The closest parallel in the world of wines would be a strong dry sherry.

I'm totally fine with its level of Nicotine strength and don't think this rope is excessively strong. It does need some respect however, as too fast a pace may lead to Nicotine easily overwhelming all other flavours which aren't too intensive.

Generally, I prefer sweeter and fuller ropes from Samuel Gawith. However, while both Gawithes offer similar (still not identical) Black and Brown ropes in their product lines, this one remarkably has got no counterpart on the other side.

All in all, I may earnestly recommend Happy Bogie to those seeking a good potent and "clean" smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cajomu (80)	2018-02-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I honestly don't understand why Happy (Brown) Bogie is rated so highly. To me, it tastes mainly like a cheap cigar.

Since its a rope, it has to be cut into coins (which I rubbed out) and, as it comes very moist, it requires a bit of drying. It also requires a few charring lights to get it going but, after that, burns well to a dark ash, leaving just a bit of moisture in the bowl (maybe I didn't dry it enough). It tingles the nose at the outset but by mid-bowl settles down to a consistent, although unpleasant, cigar-like flavor. The room note is strong and it actually smells better than it tastes. At the very end of the smoke, it displays a hint of grassiness and a very little sweetness. It isn't nearly as strong as the other reviews led me to expect.

Maybe I got a bad batch but, based on my experience, I'd suggest you try something else.

Pipe Used: African Meerschaum, Delft porcelain, briars

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: A cheap cigar..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OsborneCox (4)	2016-03-17		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Extra Strong

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.

Pipe Used: MM Eaton

Age When Smoked: fresh from shipping box

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-09-16		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an overdue review... Despite the higher cost and a bit of fussy preparation, Happy Bogie has become my Virginia of choice. There's just nothing out there that I know of that can deliver the fullness of flavor that this great stuff does. Bag note is a sweet bacony Virginia with not even a hint of floral (thank you). I tend to be a bit lazy, so instead of the usual slicing, dicing and drying, I just drop about 3/8" for small bowl, or 1/2" slice for medium bowl into my coffee grinder and give it a few seconds time. I prefer an older twist that has dried out a bit, but still enjoy a fresh twist but I do dry it thoroughly, sometimes in the sun before smoking. Even dried, the charring light is persinckety, as is the relight. Paper matches will get the job done, and once well lit, this stuff behaves very nicely in the pipe. The flavor is deep dark caramelized Virginia so good that it will spoil you. Happy Bogie smokes good all the way to the bottom of the bowl, and it is a long, strong smoke. Very satisfying!

Pipe Used: MM Dipomat COB

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-07-24		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable

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”.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2013-06-06		Very Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Strong

After having tried two of GHC's black rope preparations and having had high hopes for this one going by the reviews of GHC Brown Bogie, what a disappointment.

Out of the pouch, the rope has a rather tame aroma; cutting discs is easy, stuffing and lighting also. Unfortunately, when smoked, this stuff tastes like a cheap cigar. Not a quality cigar. Cheap. Flat. Bitter.

Going by that impression, I tried out a bit of the rope as a cigar. Not hard at all. Unfortunately, that way it also tasted like a cheap cigar, with no sweetness at all. Not even smoky, like I would have expected from the advertised Dark Fired tobacco.

To cut a long story short, I have gone through about half of my pouch by now trying just about everything possible to get some joy out of this blend; I have failed. The nicotine content is quite high, but I wish they'd boiled this 'baccy, like with the black varieties. And I wonder what I am going to do with what I have left of this stuff. Can't foist it on my friends -- I don't want to lose my friends. Can't smoke it myself -- don't want to lose my lunch.

== this review was originally posted in a different section because the name of the blend had been changed just before; since the naming has been cleared up in the meantime I am re-posting here and have deleted my original post from 2011-06-26 ==

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Loboatomy (41)	2013-02-25		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Potent. Delicious. A bit peculiar.

Recieved an ounce of this along with another GH twist. Have tried and liked SG Black XXX twist, so I had to try a brown twist. Yes, it looks like a turd.

Sliced into 1/16 inch disks and rubbed out. Really pissed off my wife by using a "good" cutting board and one of the Henkels knives. Let dry on table overnight until dry but not crunchy. I expected it to be potent, so I packed it into my smallest bowl- a small filtered prince.

Nice, true tobacco flavor from first light. Even, clean burn. Substantial bluish smoke. Smooth and biteless. Wonderful nose notes- almost maduro cigar scent. Reminds me a bit of a Parodi or DeNobili dark italian style stogie. Then the nicotine hits after about 5 minutes (and I'm not a nicotine lightweight), wow! Cottonmouth, throat tightens and a bit of heartburn. Put the bowl down! Sipped on a pint of iced tea and watched the rest of the Bigfoot show. Lit it up again- this time the flavor is SO much nicer and even delicately fragrant. Once again about 5 minutes into it- cottonmouth and a little N rush that I haven't really felt since chuffing down Lucky Strike Unfilterds in the boys room between classes in high school...

I like this stuff. Drug tobacco for the masses. Probably would be great for a night of drinking hard spirits or dark and bitter beers.

Even this little bowl is a bit to big for this stuff-just too much drug delivery- will try it in a corncob pony or maybe one of my small clay pipes that get too hot. Or perhaps I'll dig out thos chunks of pipe shaped cherry branches that I've been hiding in the garage and actually fashion a 1/2 inch diameter deep bowl pipe that I'll use just for this stuff...

I'll definately be ordering more of this. Definately a primo choice for those doing the cigarette to pipe thing. Jeeze, this might me the only tobacco that I hide in my marsh shack next to that bottle of bourbon for end of the world use...why not.

Certainly recommended...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottyspipesebay (25)	2012-10-09		Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Pleasant

Same as Brown Irish X (Brown Irish Twist). Extremely excellent strong stand alone, or as a top end blending agent. It's a helluvalot more convenient for prep because the rope size is 2/3 less the width. The positive consideration for the aforementioned fat lovely rope is that it's width allows for moisture retention that will age nicely in glass jars for at least 30+ years, and like fine wine, ONLY GETS BETTER! Providing you and I live long enough to enjoy the outcome. At that point, we could only hope that family members/friends have the good fortune to inherent such a curious thing, and the knowledge that would allow it's privileged pleasure.

Anyway, I love this stuff. It is for the experienced smoker. See my review for Brown Irish Twist, and you'll have my review for this super little twist.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-05-23		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Strong

First impression; it looks like turd. Thankfully smells like tobacco, hopefully will smoke better than turd.

Not an everyday smoke this one but as an ex-cigarette smoker I get the nicotine hit I need with this stuff. Sadly I only get the nicotine; no flavour. It's just (for lack of another word) harsh as others have said before.

Preparing this stuff can be tiresome at times; cut into coins, cut some more into cubes, rub it out or just load it as kind of cubes into the pipe of your choice. Don't forget to dry it a bit as it will be difficult to smoke as it is. Even cutting this stuff is difficult; your knife will be covered by oily stuff.

Recommended to those who needs a quick nicotine fix not to those who wants flavour.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2012-02-12		Very Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Dusty earthy sweet and musty. A very stout smoke indeed! Cut a piece for a chew, I dare ya.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2011-04-21		Extremely Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Very Strong

The famed Brown Bogie is a very pleasant tasting tobacco but you can't spend too long actually tasting it. Even if you sip this tobacco very slowly it still delivers a knock-out blow. I recommend purchasing 25 grams for mixing – unless of course you're a masochist smoker. As a plug tobacco it looks like a small dog's turd and will retain its moisture for some time. That said, don't let it dry out for too long. The moisture helps to slow down the burn rate and with this tobacco - if you can appreciate it at all - you'll appreciate it not being too dry. After the few charring-light puffs just watch out for the upper-cut this tobacco delivers. As the hiccups begin and you start to go down you'll get the merciless kick to the guts. Enjoy!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fly ticky (26)	2009-01-10		Extremely Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a very strong smoke.I find it salty and flaverfull its not my every day smoke but once in awhile.I stored some and will let it age for a year.Will update in ayr.and let you know how it is.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30124)	2004-08-16		Overwhelming	None Detected	Mild	Very Strong

This is a different form of the Brown Rope. If you are looking for NICOTINE, this is for you. If you are looking for flavor, you won't find much here, unless you consider "harsh" to be a flavor. With this much strength, you might expect overwhelming flavor, but it just isn't here. Sharp and rough, no real tobacco taste here.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokily Dokily (12)	2023-03-06		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

Well, I have arrived. In my quest to smoke the tobaccos of my ancestors, I don't think it gets any more oldschool than this. This is the unadulterated, balls-out, no bullshit tobacco of soldiers, sailors, fur trappers and gunslingers. If they were of the inclination to partake of the leaf, men of all walks of life would've puffed this 200 years ago. From prolific, credentialed men of fine art and literature, like Mark Twain and Ulysses S. Grant, to simple farming and mining men like my great great grandfathers, they were united in their love of a good smoke, and after a bowl of this, I can see why many of the manly men of days gone by generally didn't live to see old age. This stuff is for men of a different constitution. Men of grit and nails. The kind that worked hard, drank harder, and had beards and moustaches.

Its presentation is antiquated. And not terribly appealing to look at. Looks like rope. Or old, dirty, clothwrapped wire. Or possum shit. This is tobacco that requires knowledge and a little elbow grease to prepare, as well it should. If you're even considering smoking this, congrats, you know a thing or two about tobacco. Or woe to you, because someone's bustin' yer chops. Treat it with the reverance that you would treat the first stiff drink you have with your father figure, older brother, or that special uncle in your life. It is to be savored. Enjoyed. Pondered, and most importantly, respected. Do NOT overindulge, or slam it too fast, or you'll rue the day you breathed your first. This is stiff. Rugged. Toothsome. Hefty. Grizzly. Buckle up.

It smells rather strong and oily in its unlit form. Like wet autumn leaves and earth, with a heavy presence of pitch and tar. Must. Mildew. Leather. Ammonia. But the refined smoker will notice subtle tones of dried fruit, even cocoa, with woody, spicy notes like cedar and cypress. There's a bready, almost honey aroma, that suggests the presence of natural sugars, and a prominent sizzle of nicotine, which this has in abundance. There's a funk to it as well, that I can only think to describe as being akin to compost, which makes sense. This is, after all, aged, dead leaves, twisted into a length of rope, in hopes that its own natural oils and juices might preserve it through fermentation and air-curing.

The taste is stout, to say the least. Slightly bitter, savory, and meaty, with grassy, hay-like flavors, and a truly leathery mouthfeel. Very one dimensional, without much evolution throughout the smoke. Thick and rich, this smokes, smells, and tastes like a hefty, full bodied cigar. Pure, high qualty tobacco in all its naked glory, with no condimental leaves or casings to shroud its...hairier parts.

I've encountered many rich, full flavored tobaccos, but to date, this is the only one that I could describe as "high gravity." It's literally filling. I couldn't finish the second half of my already modest bowl, but the first half gave me a satisfying enough smoke for the next ten. The nicotine here is serious, and not to be trifled with. It's tangibly present in the thick, and full bodied smoke. Despite being pretty grizzly, it's very indulgent and rich. Not an everyday smoke by any means, and might be a once a year affair for me, if that, but I can see how folks could get into this.

If you seek a symphonic, artisanal blend with nuance and subtlety that evolves as it's smoked, look elsewhere. This is not the zenith of refined artistic craftsmanship in pipe smoking. This is tobacco that laid the groundwork for that. This is the stuff shipped in barrels and crates and casks, that went to the guys who built the barrels and crates and casks that would carry it, along the roads on which it traveled (that those guys also built), and to the ships (they built these too) upon which it was shared with the world. This is fuel for hard working men, who appreciate a hard working smoke. Enjoy with caution, and get something done.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Jon's Pipe Shop (Champaign, IL)

Similar Blends: -Samuel Gawith- Brown XX rope, -Actual rope with which you hitch a cow to a fencepost.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (431)	2022-11-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Package note of barbecue, earth and mild ripe fruit. The wet 1/2-inch-thick rope is brown and darker brown and needs slicing into thin coins (with a razor or thin sharp knife) and rubbed out to get the fastest drying time. Burn is slow and requires numerous relights. The strength is very strong and nic is strong. No flavoring detected. Taste is full and consistent, with notes earthy spicy cigar, wood, leather, slightly sweet, wisps of coco powder and floral. Dark fired leaves leading more Dark fired leaves supported by dark air cured leaf, if I didn't read the "contents" above, I'd say burley was the lead component. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 2013 J.M. Boswell Poker

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blue Bayou (60)	2012-10-06		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Slimmer ring gauge than XX Black Rope. Brown feces-like appearance... Great as a blender to add stoutness & Vitamin N to weaker tobacco.

Nobody has rated this review yet.