Kyle Weiss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 11,988
- Reaction score
- 7
HO (that's "high octante") extravaganza! I've been enjoying a few of these ropes lately, the last being GH's Brown Pigtail. Some of these I hesitated at first, not because of the high nicotine/flavor blast they provide, but the possibility of some soapy, granny-panty horridness lurking within.
Happily finding none in either Brown Pigtail or Happy Brown Bogie, and finally getting a grasp on Brown Bogie itself, I can make a neophytic review of yet another realm of tobaccos.
Happy Brown Bogie, like its cousin ropes, come in a strange coil of twisted tobacco. Moisture content of these is almost greasy in nature, rather than "moist." The twist itself seems to hold tight the goodness of the tobacco, and something about the process makes it strong and overwhelmingly flavorful.
Wherein Brown Pigtail has an intense woodsy flavor, alive with creosote-like meatiness, very savory and sometimes even cocoa flavors, Brown Bogie is spicier and even a little heavier. Narrower in dynamics, cut mattered more with Brown Bogie than it does with the Brown Pigtail. Since Brown Pigtail is a little harder to get (most don't even know GH&Co makes "Brown Pigtail"), Happy Brown Bogie is perhaps a better choice for people looking to try a coil of tobacco intensity.
This was a hard write-up for me to do. My palate is sensitive, but not intimidated--it took me a while to warm up to the Pigtail, and even more so for Brown Bogie. Brown Bogie, when I finally found a few preparation methods that unlocked some fantastic flavor, varied quite a bit.
What I discovered was how thick the "coins" cut from the rope reacted. In Pigtail, a 1/8" to even 1/4"
cut (scissors or cigar guillotine cutter both work well) really made the flavors come alive, or, focused them a little. Bogie likes very thin cuts, at least for my tongue--dark-roast coffee, a smidgen of pine, sourdough toast and toasted almond have been found. I was using a smaller pipe (Kirk's Prince he sent me has been a real friend with these HO tobaccos) with a fairly balanced, small chamber.
Bigger pieces of Bogie upped the spiciness, and muted the subtle flavors...it could taste strong but bland at the same time, which sounds strange, but I felt like I was tasting the process of the tobacco more than the tobacco itself--this happens with coffee that gets roasted too dark, and how I suspect Starbucks gets its "consistency" with beans that not only come from likely hundreds of different locations, but are subject to the growing conditions and practices of where it came from. Though Brown Bogie I know is quality tobacco, and to confuse things further, it has a dark coffee flavor that I find I actually like, even if dark-roasted coffee isn't my thing. Dark coffee has a flavor, which apparently lends itself better to be smoked than drank. I don't suggest people smoke their coffee, however.
Tobacco for all of us will have a way to be prepped that works for us. Brown Bogie was little tougher to handle than Brown Pigtail, and it isn't a tobacco for everyone. It demands respect and consideration. I have barely scratched the surface with the ropes, HO tobaccos, and have a bit of work to go through to determine all of what it can do. I feel like I've been given a fighter jet when all I've been doing is racing Geo Metros and the occasional old Corvette. I have a lot to learn, hopefully not crashing from nicotine overdose. :lol:
Good stuff, though. Well worth the challenge for those willing to take it on! As usual, I'll post more thoughts as I gain footing (altitude? :drunken: ) with these tobacco thoughts.
8)
Happily finding none in either Brown Pigtail or Happy Brown Bogie, and finally getting a grasp on Brown Bogie itself, I can make a neophytic review of yet another realm of tobaccos.
Happy Brown Bogie, like its cousin ropes, come in a strange coil of twisted tobacco. Moisture content of these is almost greasy in nature, rather than "moist." The twist itself seems to hold tight the goodness of the tobacco, and something about the process makes it strong and overwhelmingly flavorful.
Wherein Brown Pigtail has an intense woodsy flavor, alive with creosote-like meatiness, very savory and sometimes even cocoa flavors, Brown Bogie is spicier and even a little heavier. Narrower in dynamics, cut mattered more with Brown Bogie than it does with the Brown Pigtail. Since Brown Pigtail is a little harder to get (most don't even know GH&Co makes "Brown Pigtail"), Happy Brown Bogie is perhaps a better choice for people looking to try a coil of tobacco intensity.
This was a hard write-up for me to do. My palate is sensitive, but not intimidated--it took me a while to warm up to the Pigtail, and even more so for Brown Bogie. Brown Bogie, when I finally found a few preparation methods that unlocked some fantastic flavor, varied quite a bit.
What I discovered was how thick the "coins" cut from the rope reacted. In Pigtail, a 1/8" to even 1/4"
cut (scissors or cigar guillotine cutter both work well) really made the flavors come alive, or, focused them a little. Bogie likes very thin cuts, at least for my tongue--dark-roast coffee, a smidgen of pine, sourdough toast and toasted almond have been found. I was using a smaller pipe (Kirk's Prince he sent me has been a real friend with these HO tobaccos) with a fairly balanced, small chamber.
Bigger pieces of Bogie upped the spiciness, and muted the subtle flavors...it could taste strong but bland at the same time, which sounds strange, but I felt like I was tasting the process of the tobacco more than the tobacco itself--this happens with coffee that gets roasted too dark, and how I suspect Starbucks gets its "consistency" with beans that not only come from likely hundreds of different locations, but are subject to the growing conditions and practices of where it came from. Though Brown Bogie I know is quality tobacco, and to confuse things further, it has a dark coffee flavor that I find I actually like, even if dark-roasted coffee isn't my thing. Dark coffee has a flavor, which apparently lends itself better to be smoked than drank. I don't suggest people smoke their coffee, however.
Tobacco for all of us will have a way to be prepped that works for us. Brown Bogie was little tougher to handle than Brown Pigtail, and it isn't a tobacco for everyone. It demands respect and consideration. I have barely scratched the surface with the ropes, HO tobaccos, and have a bit of work to go through to determine all of what it can do. I feel like I've been given a fighter jet when all I've been doing is racing Geo Metros and the occasional old Corvette. I have a lot to learn, hopefully not crashing from nicotine overdose. :lol:
Good stuff, though. Well worth the challenge for those willing to take it on! As usual, I'll post more thoughts as I gain footing (altitude? :drunken: ) with these tobacco thoughts.
8)
Meanwhile, I might suggest that when that special order does come in, ask Mike to throw in a 2oz ration of Brown Bogie as a test subject along side the Brown Pigtail!
