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This is the place to post your reviews of any, and all, "drugstore" blends (aka- old codger blends, OTC tobacco, etc.)...:pipe:
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This is the place to post your reviews of any, and all, "drugstore" blends (aka- old codger blends, OTC tobacco, etc.)...:pipe:
Prince Albert
A no nonsense old codger blend that is a monument in the pipe tobacco world.
The cut is very coarse, and I like that. It's semi-dry out of the pouch and packs and burns easily. You may even be able to get this to the bottom in one light with concious puffing and gentle tamping. It almost always burns to a fine white ash with little to no dottle.
No flavor surprise here, it's a burley. I find it to have a very earthy and mossy flavor profile with subtle hints of nuttiness and a slight cocoa flavor (not that any chocolate like has been added). I wouldn't be surprised if sugar or something like that was used to case this but I highly doubt there is any topping. Just a nice natural burley flavor throughout the smoke.
I will admit I was grazed by the N train sometimes. Didn't knock me on my hiney but you can feel it if you haven't eaten anything or are hydrated.
While I prefer the sweetness of Carter Hall over PA, it's still a great smoke, especially in a cob. This is a great tobacco used to break in a pipe as it doesn't ghost and will form a nice cake. For the OTC burleys I list them as 1. Carter Hall 2. SWR/PA 3. Half and Half. Still gotta get some granger one of these days...
Tobacco: Borkum Riff Vanilla Cavendish
Age: 6/11/2013
Blend Contents: Burley, Cavendish, Kentucky, Virginia
Pipes: “The Pipe” full bent and a Missouri Meershaum
Tin Note: Vanilla
Prep: No drying time. I pinched some off the brick, and loaded the pipe using the Frank method.
Notes:
The aging time has melded the tobacco into a brick. It broke apart easily into a nice mix of multicolored strands of tobacco.
The pipe loaded well, and I headed outside to light it up!
I got the char light done and began to enjoy this gifted jewel of the grocery store!
Well… that’s about as far the enjoyment went.
My tongue went numb almost immediately. I couldn’t pick up a note of anything, save a little vanilla and a bit of chemical.
On the positive side, it did burn, and it did make smoke! The smoke was of a good consistency.
I can't, in good conscience, suggest this to anyone.
Carter Hall
Age:3/8/2013
Blend Contents:Ribbon cut Viginian and burley
Pipe:Dr.Grabow non-filtered straight
Pouch Note:Slight aroma or apricots
Prep:None,loaded the pipe using the "Frank" method
Notes:
This is the first time I've tried CH,and will not be the last.The cut and
moisture content made loading fast and easy.The initial light came with
memories of grilling with peach wood.A sweet dry flavor with hints of
saltyness around the edges.I didn't have to relight,the CH burned well
and smooth clear to the bottom.A very cool smoke in the hand as well as
in the mouth.This OTC is welcome in my cellar any day.
Thank You for giving a noob a chance and a change.
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Tobacco: Troost Special Cavendish 2013
Pipe: MM Great Dane Spool
Tin Note: Out of the pouch I smell the familiar scent of a nutty Burley, Chocolate, and a little bit of sweet Virginia hints.
Cut/Burn: Special Cavendish comes in a loose/broken flake cut. The quality of this OTC tobacco vs. other OTC's I have smoked is quite a bit higher. Unlike the processed and chopped findings that appear in most OTC pouches, this blend actually looks, feels, and smells like a quality tobacco product. Definitely not a tobacco that you would expect to find inside of an OTC pouch! Being called Special Cavendish, I expected to see some wet, black matter in the pouch but was shocked to see nice brown with light yellow speckled bits of tobacco instead. The tobacco packs well enough and takes light easily. It did require a couple relights and minor maintenance, but overall a "worry free" kind of smoke.
Flavors: From the initial light you are hit with some nutty Burley and chocolate flavors. It almost immediately mellows out into a mild, easy burning Virginia/Burley blend moving forward with a slight sweetness on the aftertaste. As the bowl warms up and you move into the half way point, you begin to notice a bit of that distinctive "black licorice" taste. I believe that the special part of this particular Cavendish must be an anise topping of some kind, seeing as there is a certain spice to it and a black licorice like taste as well. This topping works well with the coaco flavor from the Burley and the sweet hints from the Virginia's. The tobacco retains these flavor characteristics all the way down to the bottom of the bowl
Conclusion: A very nice tobacco, especially for the OTC variety. Please note; however, that to truly enjoy the flavors of this tobacco, it is going to have to be sipped. Puffing on it like a freight train will only result in bland and boring Burley flavors and a burnt up tongue. This blend will bite. Take it slow though and you're in for a decent and mannered smoke. My only qualm is it is a little on the weak side for me, in both flavor complexity and N hit. The flavor profiles are all there, but they are not what I would consider to be a "full-bodied" flavor...if that makes sense. On the "OTC rating scale" I would put this just after CH and PA for quality and taste out of all the OTC tobaccos that I have smoked...I would probably have it tied for 3rd best with Half & Half.
Thank you Tobias for sending me something that I have never smoked before! This was fun! :pipe:
Tobacco: Middleton's Cherry Blend from 2013 (pouch)
Pipe Used: MM Legend Cob
Tin Note: Not a real in-your-face cherry blast. It's much more subdued. However, you do smell cherry. I can imagine the cherry smell would be more intense in a fresh pouch.
I smoked three bowls of this in this order:
1. Fresh out of the pouch with about 2 minutes of drying time
2. About an hour of drying time
3. About 8 hours of drying time
I will refer to each by their number.
Sample 1: The tobacco was a little moist out of the pouch. I filled my cob and charred it. It charred alright and I got some cherry notes from the smoke off the char. As I smoked this down I kept waiting for a more pronounced cherry flavor. it never arrived. What did arrive however (from the get-go) was an acrid, bitey tobacco taste. I could taste burley in it but it was more of the cigarettey burley. Not the nice, nutty burley you'd want. I got hints of cherry on the retrohale from time to time but it was very, very faint. I got a PG film from the smoke. This is something that I can be fairly certain would be much more pronounced in a fresh pouch/tin/tub. I had about 6 or 7 relights on this one
The room note was more cherry than the taste but even that was subdued. I finished the bowl and it did burn down fairly cleanly without a lot of goop (probably because it was 2 years old - I can't imagine what it would leave if it were fresh).
Overall Impression of Sample #1: A 1.5 out of 5. The acrid nature of the smoke was just so very off-putting I couldn't wait to finish the bowl. The best thing I can equate it to is a very, very young cigar.
Sample 2: This one smoked almost the same as Sample #1. The only difference was I didn't need as many re-lights (maybe 3 or 4). Again, a very acrid-tasting, almost no cherry taste. Same as #1, I couldn't wait to finish this bowl to be done with it.
Sample 3: This one was a little different. After that long of drying the tobacco had almost no cherry aroma. What is did have was a more maple aroma. Weird, I know. I filled the pipe and went about smoking. It charred and lit just fine (it ought to). The taste was less acrid and more....you know what it reminded me of was Captain Black White. It was a very mild smoke with hints of sugar or maple with a very light tobacco taste. It wasn't nearly as offensive as samples 1 or 2. I caught some burley notes that were more nutty this time.
The room note wasn't cherry anymore. It was more like a straight tobacco smell. It wasn't unpleasant, it just wasn't cherry. I only had 1 or 2 relights (the tobacco was almost crunchy when I loaded my pipe).
Overall Impression of #3:I'd give this a 2 out of 5. The acrid nature of the smoke was lessened but there just wasn't much flavor to hold my interest (note: I'm not a Cap'n Black White fan)
Overall Thoughts: I wouldn't buy this, personally. Fresh, the room note and possibly the smoke would be more cherryish. However, it would likely be a goopy mess with the PG that's present in it (at least I believe it's PG). The 2 year old samples I tried mitigated the likely stickiness and probably helped the smokability of the tobacco. It didn't, however, help the flavor any. It was still a bitter, borderline harsh, smoke that didn't really provide any cherry flavor and only with substantial drying time did it change the characteristics enough to make it tolerable through an entire bowl. Overall I would rate this a 1.5 out of 5.
Much thanks to Tobias for supplying this tobacco for the review. I enjoyed doing this.
Tobacco blend: Borkum Riff Mixture with Cherry Cavendish
Age: 2/19/2013
Blend Contents: 50% black cavendish from Africa and the Philippines mixed with 50% Virginia from Brazil, Argentina and India
Pipe used: MM Cob
Aroma in the tin/pouch: Maraschino cherry overload
Prep: Open the seal on the pouch and load 'er up
Loading + smoking Notes: Shag cut, mostly dark to medium brown with a few strands of blonde. The moisture level feels right, doesn't clump together with pressure. After the initial lights and tamps to get things moving, my first impression of flavor is a very thin artificial sweetness with a bit of a tingle on the front of my tongue. The tingle fades quickly but the flavor stays this way till about 20 min later when I start to get a bit of pine / menthol flavor on the retrohale. I think I get a tiny hint of cherry now and again. Sort of like when you eat a sweet cherry pie for dessert; then a few hours later a scrap of cherry skin dislodges from between your back molars, hits your tongue and causes you to quickly think "What the heck was that flavor?" Then it's gone before you can figure out what it was. This blend really demands a slower smoking pace, otherwise your pipe will soon be glowing like a cherry. It's very mild in body and strength. Hell my 91 yr old MIL could kick this tobacco's butt without breaking a sweat. The room note was pleasant.
I'll try this again in a meer and maybe a briar to give it a fair test, but I'm not expecting any vast improvement. Overall I'd give this 1 out of 4 stars. Thank you Tobais for providing this for review.
Prince Albert
Yessss Prince Albert. Tobias sent me PA to review.��
Not sure of the date cept someone wrote 3-18-13 on it... I guess Mar 2013, so it has some age on it.
It seemed to be about perfect moisture, not soaking wet but not crumbly dry.
Smoked it it a MM bent stem cob, MM general cob and a small briar estate bulldog from Pugsley.
I pack my pipe by sprinkling baccy in then grabbing some tightly and pressing it into the bowl. It works for men but don't know if it has a fancy name. The PA packed nicely.
Opening the pack and snuffling up the aroma... Nice, hint of sweet but burley is present.
Baccy lit well and held fire nicely nonreligts except when I laid the like down for extended time.
Room note, seemed okay, wife preferred aros over the Prince Albert.
Flavor. First bowl after doing industrial maintenance, well it wasn't great, but I blamed the residue I was covered in. Second and third bowl I was like meh, burley and something. The last few bowls I began to understand why people smoke and recommend it. The burley is present, i detected some sweet notes and about halfway through a bowl a touch of woodiness.
I'm a noob piper with an unrefined pallete. This was an enjoyable smoke to relax with. I can see an experienced piper smoking it when they don't want to have to think about what they're puffing, just enjoy the motions of smoking a pipe.
Not much else to say, I'll buy some when I get this pouch further down.
Thanks to Tobias for the baccy, and Pugsley for the 2 pipes I smoked it in.
I got Paladin Black Cherry for the review. I enjoy cherry aromatics and was looking forward to trying it.
The tin note (or pouch note for this one :)) was amazing. Very sweet cherry and you could smell the nutty burley as well.
The moisture was perfect. It was not at all goopy like some aromatics have the reputation of being. It was ideal.
I read on the pouch that it is made by Lane Limited, which explains the good quality. (Yes I'm a Lane fan) This makes me wonder how similar it is to the bulk Very Cherry blend.
I was surprised when I lit up and got it going that it wasn't as in your face as I was expecting. The cherry flavor is there, no doubt but it is not overpowering and the burley does come through well. By the time you're about halfway through a bowl, the burley actually comes to the forefront and the cherry takes a backseat. The sweetness that you would expect is there but not overly so.
I did not notice any of the chemical taste you hear about in some blends.
This isn't the cherry bomb I expected from smelling the tobacco but it isn't a bad smoke at all.
It was dated 2013 so the 2 years age could have mellowed the flavoring some. It may be more prevalent when new. This is neither good nor bad, as your preference would determine which way you preferred it.
Flavor and strength are both mild.
If you smoke it too fast it will bite you. Keep it nice and slow and it's fine.
I think this would be a good tobacco for someone just getting started with a pipe. It isn't too strong or overpowering in any way.
If I had to rate it on a 5 star scale, I'd give it a solid 3.5
It's certainly worth keeping around.
Thanks again to Tobias for heading this up. It's been fun reading everyone's reviews.
Happy smoking.
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I got Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey date on the pouch is 7-14
Open the pouch and it smells like Jack Daniels (back when I was in HS that would be a good thing) If I'm going to drink whiskey it will be Makers Mark now.
Pipe used was a MM Cob
Over 2 days smoked about 3 bowls, the first bowl was right out of the pouch using the scoop and then big pinch packing method. Taste was very mild on the char but then a very chemical taste then I got the bite (felt like I lite my tongue on fire). So I figured it was just too wet. (I don't think I was smoking to fast as it didn't stay lit)
Gave my self a rest and didn't smoke anything else.
Next day put some on a piece of paper and let it rest for ~30 min or so, using the same packing method lite another bowl in the same pipe. This time there was much less tongue bite but the chemical taste was still there (much more than the Super Value Whiskey Cavendish I have) the 3rd bowl was not much better.
I have not gotten a whisky taste from it even on the retorhal. it has been 2 days since my last bowl of this, I have been smoking other things, I will give it another try sometime this week and report back if there is a changes.
At this point this is something I will not be buying.
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@Tobias Lutz thanks for the chance to give this a try.
I'm beginning to see a pattern with the Borkum Riffs :)
Borkum Riff Original Mixture
date on the pouch 2-19-13
Smoked three bowls in three different briars
In the pouch it smells of chocolate, cherry, and dried fruit. It wasn't very hard to light. The first few draws have the cocoa flavor mild but at the forefront with dried fruit in the background. Not far into the bowl the flavors start turning chemical and then completely dissipate. At least the last half, may be more, is a generic smoke, warm air flavor. Every now and then a little Virginia tang or Burley nutty taste will sneak in but disappear as quickly as it arrived. Surprised to say I never got bit by this but believe it could show it's teeth if abused. I've smoked a little of the Bourbon and the Cherry Liqueur flavored Borkum Riff. While neither one of those was impressive, the Original falls short of them. Thanks for the opportunity @Tobias Lutz . I have wondered about this one. Now I know.
Captain Black Gold
Ribbon cut, slightly damp but not overly moist. Bicolored medium and light golden brown.
This is not a flavored tobacco but smells of sweet tobacco with over notes of rum and vanilla.
I smoked 3 bowls of this for the review; 2 in a MM Legend cob, and 1 in a briar.
The first bowl had no preparation, taking the tobacco straight from pouch to pipe.
The smoke output was adequate, but was light in mouth feel. The flavor was mild.
As I began to progress, I noticed that if I pushed it and got into a hurry, there was a nipping tongue bite.
I must have hit a sweet spot in my pace about halfway as I began to taste a very strong sweetness and nutty flavor in the back of my mouth with a hint of vanilla, reminding me of syrupy pecans.
The pecan flavor was transient, but the sweetness continued to fade in and out in varying degrees.
For my 2nd bowl, I prepped the tobacco by packing my MM Legend before work, where it sat in my car until the end of the day.
The flavors were not as pronounced, but the sweetness was still there in lesser degrees.
The nutty flavors did not make much of an appearance, but were there in hints.
My 3rd bowl was in a briar, but prepped similar to the first in pouch to pipe as I wanted to see if i could get that pecan flavor again.
This bowl was between the two in flavor character and intensities with a vague nutty presence.
The moisture level straight from the pouch seems just about right. Slightly damp but not too moist. I required very minimal relights, primarily only in the beginning and once when I laid the pipe down to tend to errands.
I feel you are most rewarded with more pronounced flavors by smoking it slightly damp as it comes from the pouch and taking it slow.
The flavors became a bit more harsh with a nip of tongue bite if the pace is pushed.
Average bowl smoke time was about 45 minutes. Strength was mild to medium.
I was disappointed I couldn't quite get that syrup pecan sensation again, but was still an enjoyable smoke.
The room note was very pleasant with vanilla undertones.
This would be appropriate as an everyday smoke, suited for when you don't want to pay a lot of attention, like standing on the shore of a pond, casting out a line.
Thank you Tobias for granting me the opportunity to review this tobacco and open my eyes to another OTC blend.
I am not a review kind of guy, but one of you who is, should try out one of the all time great "Walnut". It has been a mainstay pipe tobacco, like almost forever!
I'll post one up, along with my Borkum Riff Special Mixture 8. I have some open now, so might as well. I agree, it is a classic, and was one of my favorites. The Chestnut is a pretty good replacement, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnyflake
@Tobias Lutz , I seem to recall you bought a couple of metric tons of VA Gold about the same time I did - did you include the VA Golds as part of this set of reviews?
unfortunately, no. I jarred all that for blending- I only mailed pouchesQuote:
Originally Posted by Bruck
I did the same, except one of my 2-qt jars is full of VA Gold still in the pouches.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobias Lutz
Sounds like you're volunteering to do a review :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruck
Troost Aromatic Cavendish
I've smoked 5 bowls of this now, in a few different pipes.
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It's somewhere between a ribbon cut & a broken flake, medium color with some dark stuff too. Fairly sweet smelling in the pouch with a chocolate/anise aroma. Needs a little bit of drying time, but then it burns quite well. It burns a little bit fast for my taste, but it just requires concentration to slow it down. It can certainly bite if you're not careful. The flavor is quite good, like a very mild virginia, with a little bit of black cavendish added. It's satisfying though & the room note is excellent. I could see this becoming a daily morning smoke for me.
Thanks for the pouch Tobias, it won't last long! :pipe:
I was pleasantly surprised my Troost Special Cavendish I must say. For an OTC the quality was really good. so good in fact that my pouch is already gone!Quote:
Originally Posted by commonsenseman
I could do one - would you like it in this thread? I think it qualifies. I only have the Black and Gold, but happy to write a little review of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobias Lutz
This would be the place :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruck
Tobacco: Captain Black Royal
Blend Contents: Black and Golden Cavendish
Pipes: Stanwell bent and a no-name basket briar (my first pipe)
Tin Note: Vanilla
Prep: No prep, just pulled it out of the pouch and smoked it up.
Notes:
The Captain was cut into loose ribbons, and packed easily. It didn't seem too moist coming out of the pouch, so I just smoked it right away. I got a pretty nice vanilla aroma from the pouch.
This tobacco is very mild to me, and the vanilla I smelled up front doesn't come much through in the smoke - just a hint of vanilla and a hint of caramel, and otherwise very little taste. It did burn well and gave off plenty of white smoke, so points for that as well as the pleasant, mild room note.
I retrohaled a lot (is that still what we call it while piping?) and never got any nicotine feel, so I'll say this is pretty low strength in addition to the mild flavors. Can't say I'd buy more, with my tastes running to more full-bodied now, but there wasn't anything offensive about the tobacco and I could see it being alright to introduce someone to the world of pipes.
Thanks Tobias for the chance to try it!
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T.L. I have reviewed the baccy sent by you, I will compile my notes and photos and try to get the results on here tonight...FYI!
Tobacco: Borkum Riff Special Mixture No 8
Age: 6/11/2013
Blend Contents: Maryland, Burley, Cavendish, Kentucky, Virginia, Black Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish
Pipes: No name meer, MM Missouri Pride, MM Legend, Jima
Tin Note: Vanilla, honey, fruit
Prep: Varied.
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Notes:
The tobacco is a bit damp upon initial opening of the pouch, but not too damp to smoke. The cut is a fairly consistent ribbon with tobaccos ranging from very light to almost black, and everything in between. Their is a strong aroma of vanilla from the Cavendish, and also some sweet fruit and a little bit of honey.
While I mentioned this tobacco was smokeable right out of the pouch, I found the flavors and smoking quality to be greatly enhanced when given some time to dry. The best smoke I got from it was when I left some on a plate by accident overnight and packed it in a pipe for my morning commute.
Once dried, I found this tobacco to burn and stay light fairly easily. Only an occasional relight was needed.
The flavors were sweet, and to me, the vanilla from the Cavendish was more of a background flavor. The fruit and honey were more dominant, with a bit of nuttiness from the burley and some very faint VA flavors. The various other tobaccos I could not distinguish. The flavors and topping stayed true to the bottom of the bowl. The topping never burned off or diminished.
At times, the tobacco seemed on the very edge of biting, but never got there. If you pushed it, this tobacco could definitely fry your tongue. A moderate amount of temperature control is required. Ash was fine and medium gray in color.
I was pleasantly surprised by this tobacco. I've never had a Borkum Riff blend, and to be honest, I actively avoided them. Needless to say, I didn't have much in the way of expectations. I've smoked quite a few bowls so far, and plan on finishing the pouch. I don't think I'll buy more of this stuff, but it opened my mind about the various Borkum Riff offerings. Thanks for prying my mind open, Tobias!
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Tobacco: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Half & Half (Pouch)
Age: 3/18/13
Blend Contents: Burley and Bright Tobacco (Burley, Virginia)
Pipe(s): Missouri Meerschaum non-filtered Mizzou Corn Cob
Tin Note: Raisins
Prep: It needed no drying time; Packed: Stuff and Puff Method & Musket Ball (x2)
Notes:
Initial: My initial thought was that this tobacco had a great aroma. Though I do not care for raisins in general, they smell good and this tobacco smelled as such. The tobacco seemed to have just the right humidity and it packed very easily, each of the three times.
Smoking: It smoked very easily and stayed lit well. It produced a good ash, flat black with specs of white. It did however begin with an immediate bite, so I throttled back quite a bit and yet it continued to bite abrasively, each and every puff. The smoke was generally thick, light grey.
Flavor: Once lit, for me…it lacked any real flavor and quickly went downhill. It did have tiny hints of raisins but that would generally fade away after the first few minutes. To be honest, the tobacco reminded me a lot of cigarettes. That would make sense with the high content of burley tobacco and I was unable to find much Virginia. I had hoped it would get better as I smoked each bowl but it did not.
Conclusion: I love the aroma I get as I open the pouch; it tries to bring me back to a time of when I was young. However, after smoking the three bowls for the review (and since then, another two just to give it another try), this is not a tobacco that I would recommend. However, keep in mind that this tobacco has been around since 1909 and has a following just like any other. It has been reviewed thousands of times and it’s pretty much split from person to person.
Simply put: Once I was smoking H&H, it lacked any flavor or enjoyment…for me.
T.L…THANK YOU for the pouch and the chance to try something new. I really appreciate it and I do hope you can appreciate my honest review.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmoran
Careful, Tim!
You just might find everyone else's Borkum Riff leftovers in your mailbox! :D
I am in the habit of severely punishing anyone who sends unsolicited tobacco samples :cool: Hope you have plenty of room in your cellar for my proprietary blend of M-79, Ennerdale, and Captain Black White Pouch.Quote:
Originally Posted by BryGuySC
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Originally Posted by tmoran
Captain Black White (black cavendish and burley)
Date 7-14 Writen on pouch
Smoked in MM ozark mountain (only pipe I currently have so will try in some others once I get my hands on some)
Smoked outside so can't really say much about room note but the blowing smoked smelled very pleasing and it left a nice scent on me for a little while after. Can't smoke inside so this is as close to room note as I'll get...:(
I was secretly hoping to get one of the Captain Black's from Tobias on this, partly because I used to frequent their cigars but also for some reason I seem to recall it might have been the brand my grandfather smoked back before giving it up. I actually planned on ordering a pack of this with my next order to try so glad I was able to get it here for review. While I don't believe this is the one it did seem rather similar so I'll be on the look for some of the black and gold next to try. I'm still very new at pipe smoking so I'm sure I'll miss alot that this has to offer but I tried my best to pick up what I could from this.
Aroma was really good the moment package opened, vanilla/marshmallow, I could actually smell it the moment I opened the box it was shipped in. I enjoy it so much I've kept the open package in office after emptying into jar just because it imparts a nice vanilla like aroma in my dark corner basement office. To prep I just took it out of my jar, handful and loaded as usual, was a bit moist but not bad at all, packed nicely.
Sweetness of it could almost be tasted through the draw before lighting. Upon lighting the false light stayed mostly lit through the tamp, barely needed to use another match. It continued to stay lit through the whole bowl, no need for a relight. Tamped 2 or 3 times but other than that it was a nice fuss free smoke to enjoy on a beautiful spring day around the yard. Would pair really well with a cup of coffee, possibly a nice wake up smoke with the morning coffee.
Flavors I picked up were vanilla, smores and almost some nuttyness. This is a rather sweet tasting tobacco, so if that's not your thing then I'd pass, but me, I can honestly say I really enjoyed the flavors. It's almost what I'd imagine mixing McClelland 620 Mocha Black with peter stokkebye french vanilla would taste like. (I've only had a few different tobacco's so there may be better examples but the tastes seem to fit).
Flavor was present right from first puff to last and stayed pretty much the same. I've struggled with keeping my pace down both with cigars and now with pipes as well but this didn't cause any issues at all. Had no bite from it and seemed to stay a fairly cool smoke even through my reckless puffing. I believe this will also join the McClelland 620 in my regular rotation of everyday aro's once I get to the point where I'm setting up my everyday rotation.:pipe:
I want to extend a sincere thanks to @Tobias Lutz for not only setting up this review but including me in it, all the way up here in the great white north.
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Well I just opened the pouch of Captain Black Cherry courtesy of Tobias. Long story short it was like someone just washed their hands at Wal-mart then punched me right in the nose. You know that smell, that weird pink/white swirly soap they use in box store bathrooms. The topping on this tobacco has an uncanny resemblance to that soap.
Either tomorrow or Thursday I hope to give this stuff a go in my nice macaroni yellow Grabow aromatic pipe. I'll report back then.
Tnx for review. Captain Black White label - my favorite gooper!Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenoser
Virginia Gold Black and Gold
A few months ago, P&C was selling Virginia Gold dirt cheap, as in $12/# in pouches. Normally I try a sample of something before buying in quantity, but my inner cheapskate wouldn't let me pass this deal up, so a couple pounds made their way to the house of Bruck. I see it's on sale at this price again, so... no, two pounds should last me a while :)
I'm not much into aros, particularly the syrupy sweet ones, but among the Virginia Golds, this mild aro was purported to be less of a gooper. I figured, if it wasn't a good smoker, I could use it as a flavor basis for some interesting pressed flakes.
So here's the drugstore pouch review:
Ribbon cut; Virginia, Cavendish, and Burley; mild flavoring.
Pouch note: mainly the constituent tobaccos, plus some sweetness, with a hint of grandma's medicine cabinet. Moisture level slightly exceeding my preference, but not the gooey sludge that you normally find in a pouch aro.
Pipe used for this review: MM Diplomat.
First light - lit and burned well; easy to control burn/temp. Flavor is a good balance, not dominated by any of the components, some sweetness, and the medicinal aroma is not really evident.
Rest of bowl - flavor stayed pretty even, nothing really to write home about, the burley added a slightly bitter edge. Kind a whisky flavor came out as it warmed up. Never gurgled in the cob, but I'm thinking it would have in another pipe; after two bowls I could feel the moisture seeping to the outside of the cob.
Finish - burned pretty thoroughly; some dottle. Slightly medicinal aftertaste.
Overall I'd say this is not too bad but not great. I'll probably grab a bowl of this once in a while by itself, but mainly use it in other things. Another reviewer on torbaccoreviews.com suggested using it to cut stronger blends.
Alrighty guys, life slowed down for a few hours and I got to enjoy myself a nice cigar tonight. But first, as promised to Tobias, I smoked a bowl of his OTC sampler to write a short review on it! I didn't want to ruin my taste buds before smoking this beautiful pouch of dentist cherry goodness, so of course I went with the pipe first.
I'm going to steal the format from a few other reviews to make this easier for me ;)
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Tobacco: Captain Black Cherry
Age: Unknown
Blend Contents: Topping, Black Cavendish, Topping, Cavendish, topping
Pipe(s): Macaroni yellow Grabow Duke (circa some many years ago)
Tin Note: Rotting Cherry. Or what this Captain Black guy thinks cherries smell like.
Prep: 10 minutes drying time; Packed the old fashioned way.
Notes:
Alright. To start I have to tell a short story. I took the above picture like a week ago or so, then I transferred the tobacco to a ball jar as is my custom. I chucked the pouch in my trash can here in my office. Each day for the last week I would come home and think "what smells rotten in here?" After a few days of thinking that I decided that maybe it was something in my trash, so I went through it and got rid of a Starbucks cup that my wife had (it had milk in it, so it was a possibility) and a bag of kettle corn. Next day... still stunk like rotten food. Finally on Friday I thought "it sort of smells like rotting fruit!" That's when it hit me. I took the Captain Black pouch out of my trash and got rid of it. I opened the back door (there's a balcony off my office) and let the room air out a bit and voila the stench never returned! Sooo... the tin note in a nutshell is that story. Thanks Tobias!
I must admit that despite the bad tin note, this tobacco really had a decent -- though subtle -- flavor. Is that bad? I don't know, whatevs. The smoke output was ridiculous to be blunt. The flavor was a little cherry and a whole lot of warm air. There was hardly any tongue bite which really surprised me considering the contents. And I only needed one relight which was nice. The room note was really pleasant when it was being burned. I think that topping is just too powerful before it burns.
The biggest downside to this tobacco was the waxy feeling in my mouth after smoking it. It was like an oily coating on my tongue and roof of my mouth that lasted through the whole bowl. It had to be the topping. The only other tobacco I have with this much goop on it is CAO Black, and now I'm a little scared to smoke that.
All in all, it wasn't a bad experience by any means, more or less it was a lack of experience all together. The room note was great, but there wasn't a whole lot of flavor, so I could pass on this one in the future.
After that I smoked an original blend 5 Vegas Miami. It tasted like cherry in the first third, middle third, and last third. Thanks Captain Black.
And thanks again to an awesome BOTL @Tobias Lutz ! Whenever life hands me Captain Black Cherry, I just remember that someone once smoked an entire Po Boy sampler and it puts everything in perspective.
Five Brothers
Five Brothers right out of the puch is like no tobacco I have ever tried. It's dry (really dry) and a very fine shag cut. It reminds me of a mouse nest I have found in a long abandoned motorcycle air box.
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The first bowl was in a cob and I packed it like I would any other shag tobacco. This was a mistake as it burned hot and fast being so fine and dry. It was a bit harsh and with the heat developed a slight bitter flavor. My first bowl only took 15 minutes to smoke.
The following bowls I tried in a 519 Seattle Briar Billiard and an MM Country Gentleman. I packed the tobacco much tighter. It still burns quite quickly, but helped immensely in slowing it down enough to not burn so hot therefore actually being able to taste the tobacco. Smoking slowly enough it was much less harsh. This is not a complex tobacco. It's a straight forward burley smoke with a cedary no nonsense tobacco flavor. If you're looking for a nic hit, look no further than Five Brothers.
In conclusion this is not a bad tobacco at all, but it is something you need to be in the mood for. I normally use PA to calm down a tobacco that's too strong. I'll be using Five Brothers to liven up a weaker tobacco from now on.
Thanks for the pouch, Tobias!
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Middleton Apple Pipe Tobacco
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...b/DSC04366.jpg
http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/r...b/DSC04365.jpg
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I saved this one especially for myself because it is one of the first OTCs I ever smoked (along with CB White). For starters, I’ve always like the packaging. I find it to be very dated and kitschy. Upon unrolling the pouch, you get a very gentle scent of apple, masking a burley cocoa profile. There is a bit of hay thrown in by the Virginia, for good measure. It is actually quite moist and requires a decent sit under the lamp to avoid bowl swamp.
It starts pleasantly balanced and mild. The fruit topping isn’t ridiculous, or overly sweet. It reminds me of smoking Velvet while sipping apple juice. If sipped, it is bite free. I smoked while unpacking about twenty books that came in the mail today, so I was puffing at a very casual pace. It stayed lit with no real effort, and I didn’t find it to burn hot. It is somewhat monotonous, but not distasteful, like someone who is inoffensive but uninteresting. The Virginia is mainly filler and contributes little to the flavor. I did find that the burley nuittiness became a bit more robust as I went along. The apple stayed consistent.
Overall, it is pretty good for what it is.
It is not: very sweet, very heavy, or very strong
Nor is it: very expensive, unpleasant, or bitey (unless you smoke like a locomotive)
:pipe:
At long, long last I have had time to sit down and smoke a couple bowls of the tobacco @Tobias Lutz sent me weeks ago! To those that have been waiting...my sincere apologies. I do NOT remember college being quite this stressful the first time around! Anyway, here goes:
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Upon opening the pouch my nasal passages were caressed with the pleasant aroma of dried prunes. The tobacco is a coarse, ribbon cut, burley that was pleasantly moist and easily packed but dry enough to light up nicely. The smoke was, at first, thick and rich, playing around my head like a spring cloud; eventually becoming a light fog which playfully caught the currents of air through my open windows.
Upon retrohale I got the very pleasing flavor of raisins. The smoke was cool and flavorful with no bite at all. The room note was, at first, pleasant; filling the room with the scent of plums and raisins.
Unfortunately, and I find this typical of most OTC tobacco (and why I generally smoke them outside), the room note turned stale and unpleasant after a while. Lending the room the smell of old cigarettes.
Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. My only caveat would be that this would be better off enjoyed outside.
So where are the Granger and Mixture 79 reviews? Those are always fun...
Still wish that I could enjoy Granger - the tins are just so damned cool.