GH&C Brown Irish X Unsliced vs GH&C Happy Brown (Bogie) Unsliced

SERENTIL

Currently I have both the Brown Irish X Unsliced twist and the Happy Brown (Bogie) Unsliced twist in my Smokingpipes shopping cart ready for my next order.  I have tried the HBBU and find it quite enjoyable. I'd like to try the BIXU but I'm getting conflicting information about it.  Some suggest that BIXU is really HBBU just in a larger diameter rope.  If so, there isn't any point in ordering both.  It would seem to me that the constituent tobacco in each is slightly different.

Anyone have insight on this they could share?

PappyJoe

If you like HBBU order it. If you want to try BIXU order it. If you try it and find out that BIXU is the same as HBBU then you just have more of a tobacco you find enjoyable.

SERENTIL

Yes, I already thought of the common sense approach you suggested.  I was hoping for legit feedback as to whether or not BIXU is just HBBU in a larger diameter.

PappyJoe

@serentil - Okay. Here's some "legit" feedback. BIXU and HBBU are basically the same except for the dimensions of the twist. They are made using the same basic ingredients on the same spinning machine. The differences between the two is that the BIXU is sold as is from the spinning machine with no extra processing. The HBBU is thinner and MAY have some additional processing that BIXU doesn't get. 

The question is whether or not the size of the rope makes a difference in the taste of the smoke and what the subtle difference in processing are.

 It's been too long since I've tried them (I've smoked samples of HBBU, Brown Irish X and Black Irish X) to say more that all three can hit you in the back of the head like a baseball bat. I vaguely remember Black Irish X as being a smoother and milder smoke than the other two but I still had trouble moving fast after smoking it.

SERENTIL

I appreciate the information very much @pappyjoe.  Thanks!

SERENTIL

I've now smoked about 2oz of the 8oz of Black Irish X Unsliced I received and I can (confidently?) say that BIXU and HBBU are not the same tobaccos.  Obviously this is my unprofessional opinion.  They do not look the same nor do they smell or smoke the same.  BIXU is definitely the stronger of the two not only in room note & flavor but also in nic strength. 

Philip

If you had to pick one to recommend someone try, which one would it be?

SERENTIL

Of the two, HBBU is milder in strength and milder in nicotine than BIXU but they both are very strong tobaccos in comparison to other blends. 

If you're looking for a very strong rope tobacco and can handle a pretty good nic punch, go with BIXU.  If you're looking for an easier introduction to rope tobacco with only a slightly weaker nic punch, HBBU is the way to go.  Diameter wise, the HBBU is a bit easier to prep than the BIXU.

Having said that, I have found that all the GH&C ropes are very good. The Sweet Whisky Twist is one that I have reordered a number of times.  Strong but flavorful.  The Sweet Maple Twist is also very good.  A bit more sweet but strong as well.

Philip

If I'm going to try it out I may as well jump in with both feet. I think I'm going with the BIXU. Thank you for all the information.

xDutchx

Phil, to me the Gawith & Hoggarth Black Irish X tastes just like a charred steak straight off the grill. Their Brown Irish X is much more potent in nic hit than their Black Irish X,

I have never sampled the Happy Brown Bogie, so I cannot give any impressions on that one.

I just purchased a 500 gram bag of each, so I am going to be smoking rope for a few years. The stuff really is great value for the dollar.

Philip

Steak off the grill, oh man, I better overnight it now!

That settles it, I'm going to have to try them all now.  

SERENTIL

Another thing to add here...  it seems that BIXU creates a lot of tar in the pipe.  It tends to smoke 'wet'.  I regret not using a specific pipe just for the ropes as it gucks it up pretty quickly.

xDutchx

@SERENTIL, I have found that the more moisture that is left in the rope, the gunkier the buildup in the pipe. It can take quite a while to get the Black as well as the Brown to dry out. I usually cut up a three or four inch section of rope, and once satisfactorily dry, place it in a Tupperware style container. I have never added any more moisture back to it after allowing to dry, since it holds on to moisture better than any blend I have ever smoked.

Granted, in my part of the country, the humidity is quite high this time if the year, but these two blends really hold on to moisture well. I suppose that is why they can ship them in paper bags, with little concern for the packaging being airtight.

I do agree with you, that for a non aromatic blend, these tend to build cake at a very fast rate, but it is also very easy to clean out without a reamer. I typically just use a Q-Tip and some bourbon, and can get my bowl right back down to bare wood fairly easily.

SERENTIL

@xdutchx, thank you very much for the info.  I've started cutting the coins I intend to smoke a little thinner and letting them sit for 10-15 minutes.  That seems to help but I think I'll adopt your method for long term smoking of this wonderful rope.  I'll be trying the bourbon q-tip cleaning method tonight!  Thanks again!

xDutchx

@SERENTIL, I had a hard time getting the last piece of cut rope to dry out indoors with the air conditioner running. I ended up putting it in the bathroom, closing the air conditioning vent, and leaving the high wattage lights over the mirror on overnight. Next morning, the tobacco I had shredded the day before still had not completely dried out, but it had lost a noticeable amount of moisture.

I tried cutting the Black and the Brown into thin coins, but I never could get it to dry enough to my liking. These ropes are definitely a different animal compared to other tobaccos.

Philip

Yesterday I received my first order of rope and despite the advice to give it a lot of time to dry out I couldn't wait. It was stupid since my order had other items I wanted to try like the C&D Oriental Silk, but that's what happened. My first decision was which knife to use. I have a knife collection that is, well let's just say if a Psychiatrist were to see it one eyebrow would shoot up. I wanted a dedicated knife knowing it would get gunked-up. I chose a CRKT Graham Stubby folding Razel which turned out to be the perfect knife. It is now my tobacco knife. 

Started with the Brown Bogie and gave it about twenty minutes to dry out but was no where near enough time. That led to having a hard time keeping it lit which in turn led to me puffing too fast which led to . . . phew, my head feels funny. Things settled out about half way through and I was able to sip it, as Mr. Pappy is known to advise. This is definitely a sipping tobacco. I will now contradict myself in the same sentence, so I'm sorry. It reminded me of a La Joya de Nicaragua but it was not like cigar tobacco at all. It was not like pipe tobacco nor cigar, but in between. I know the La Joya is probably much stronger and I haven't had one in years but it sure reminded me of it. 

Since it was my first time tying it I know it probably wasn't representative of what's to come, but I really enjoyed it. I have to listen to Mr. Dutch as his advice has always paid off. I'll get it dried out correctly and give them the attention they deserve. It wasn't as strong or the nicotine as bad as I portrayed, it was just me smoking way too fast to try to keep it going. 

I can see why this is was so popular with sailors and travelers who could easily store it without it drying out. I can't wait to try out the others since I know it will only get better. Overall I regret waiting so long to try it. Thank you for getting me off my backside and giving it a go.

P.S. Aromatic only smokers. Move on, there is nothing to see here.

xDutchx

@Philip, Have you tried any plug tobaccos in a pipe? G.L. Pease has JackKnife Plug, and also Triple Play with some Perique added. These are definitely doing some fermenting in the tin, because every tin I have is bulging, and looks like they are about to burst.

Like rope tobaccos, you can buy a variety of plugs over the counter. I need to try some of the old standby plugs myself, like the Old Cannonball plug.

Philip

Yes sir, the jackKnife is great and so is the War Horse Bar. A couple of times I gotten what I thought was plug but turned out to be a crumble cake (Gaslight), which I also like by the way. The Triple Play I have not tried but Perique is the perfect addition to a plug I imagine. I've never heard of the Old Cannonball so that one I'll have to look up. Also on my need to look into list is Black Parrot. It's sliced but looks pretty good from what little I know.

Now I shouldn't be saying this here but you got me a bit excited about plug. A "review" I had about plug one time, referring to some Fribourg &* Treyer, It went;

I had some cut plug last night that reminded me of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Old, flaky, dried-up and left a terrible room note.

Sorry about that. Although true, it wasn't very nice.

xDutchx

@Philip, yeah the Old Cannonball Plug, Red Man Plug, Days O' Work, Apple Sun Cured, Brown's Mule, Levi Garret Plug, etc. can be found at the local gas station or tobacco outlet.

<quote< I had some cut plug last night that reminded me of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Old, flaky, dried-up and left a terrible room note. <quote>

So are you saying the room note smelled like prune juice?

SERENTIL

Jackknife Plug is giving me fits trying to prepare it correctly.  I've sliced off a piece and tried to rub it out to less than ideal results.  Love the smell and flavor but just can't seem to get it prepared to my liking.

xDutchx

@SERENTIL, I usually start with a razor blade, shearing thin slices off the plug. There always seem to be some larger pieces from the outside layers of the plug falling off, and I usually size those down using a pair of scissors.

SERENTIL

@xdutchx, so you're basically cutting it down to small cubes?  I've been trying to rub it out into more of a ribbon or even shag.  Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong.

Philip

Preparing the tobacco is the name of the game when it comes to rope. I've already learned the advice given above goes further than with most other tobaccos. Certainly worth the time spent to cut it, rub then dry it out properly.

SERENTIL

No doubt.  I've tried smoking it, as you have, right out of the freshly delivered bag with no drying time.  Way too many relights and it creates lots of gunk in the pipe.  As @xdutchx mentioned, there seems to be a lot of moisture in this particular rope which is probably why the gunk accumulates so quickly.  As he also mentioned, drying it out a bit before smoking helps a lot.  It also makes it easier to rub out.  I did try smoking a few whole 'coins' I had cut off but I find there is much more enjoyment in smoking this particular rope when it is properly rubbed out.

So far, I've tried 8oz Sweet Whisky Twist, 16oz Happy Brown Bogie, 4oz Sweet Maple Twist and 16oz Brown Irish X.  Of those 4, BIXU is by far and away my favorite. 

xDutchx

@SERENTIL, I wouldn't say cube cut exactly. I have found less flavor when experimenting with cube cutting. I have found the best flavors usually come from prepping a tobacco and getting it as "fuzzy," as I possibly can. I think this simply makes it easier for the tobacco to combust, when the heat from the cherry gets close enough in the distillation zone.

Those plugs tend to be built/pressed in layers, and some of the layers just need a little downsizing to make them fit into a particular bowl nicely. I wouldn't rule out cube cutting entirely though. Different blends will surprise you when prepped in certain ways, and smoked in certain pipes.

One of the worst ways a pipe smoker can cheat themselves, is to try a new blend in one pipe only. Then make the determination that they don't like the blend, before they smoke it in multiple pipes. The geometry of the bowl, changes the size of the distillation zone from one pipe to another. Pipe geometry and prepping method are two variables that can really affect the perception of a particular blend.

SERENTIL

Good info @xdutchx.  I've noticed the difference from pipe to pipe albeit that I only have 2 pipes.  Looking to expand as soon as the finances allow it.

I'll give it another try with Jackknife Plug this weekend.  The flavor was marvelous when I could actually get a decent puff.