I had been wondering about Country Doc. Thank you for the heads up.
Old American Blends
- Thread starter steveclarkus
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
Like I said, may have been a bad batch but I doubt it. I just ordered Sir Walter Raleigh and Velvet and will write up Half and Half at the same time. I believe those will wrap up my “Codger” trials. Actually, I have Match Edgeworth Ready Rubbed and Sugar Barrel on backorder. I used to smoke Edgeworth regularly and it is a very good Burley and I recall Sugar Barrel being quite good but need to revisit it. Granger was a decent smoke but I found it to be a bit bitey.
Last edited:
Have you had the Lane Limited Ready Rubbed? It's supposed to be Edgeworth.
- Thread starter
- #24
No. It’s on backorder. It was a common smoke in Virginia back in the day. It came in slices in a blue tin. Always kept a tin in the car. Very good Burley. I’ve not tried the Ready Rub as far as I can remember. Should be much the same though.
I applaud your reviews. I have enjoyed most of the old time American drugstore blends that I've tried. The ones I didn't much care for were usually the weakest ones. I heard that Lane Ltd. was bought by Scandinavian Tobacco Group -- hope all the good blends survive the transition. (They make Half & Half, Captain Black, Borkum Riff, and W.O. Larson)
Prince Albert and Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic are my two favorites, so far. They seem to have a little more flavor for me than another perennial favorite; Carter Hall.
I had some Borkum Riff Cherry many years ago, and it put me off aromatics for a long time.
I will be following this quest along with my own -- to be open minded to all tobaccos, however humble.
Prince Albert and Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic are my two favorites, so far. They seem to have a little more flavor for me than another perennial favorite; Carter Hall.
I had some Borkum Riff Cherry many years ago, and it put me off aromatics for a long time.
I will be following this quest along with my own -- to be open minded to all tobaccos, however humble.
- Thread starter
- #26
Thank you Lane has done a good job recreating blends after Pinkerton blew it. Half and Half is a favorite of mine. I just ordered some SWR. I didn’t care for it last time I smoked it a few years ago but want to give it another try. Walnut is worth a try. It is best described as an American/English blend but not as pronounced as a true English. I have a couple of pouches of Velvet on the way. I’ve never had it but it gets good reviews and has been around since the 1920’s. The OTC blends are good to learn to smoke a pipe on without jumping from blend to blend. In my case they will be the blends to finish on. I’ve smoked a lot of high end blends in my day but am finding more and more satisfaction in the old American OTC’s. Hoping Velvet is as good as reported.
Both Velvet and Mixture 79 are pretty interesting, but both (for me) were on the weak side -- to the point that I ended up puffing like a steam engine, in an attempt to get some stronger flavor. As a result, they both smoked a bit hot -- had to force myself to sip slow and enjoy. They are both crowd pleasers by reputation.
Still, not at all bad -- they both, although different, remind me of soda pop...maybe Dr. Pepper!
I have an as-yet unopened pouch of Half & Half -- got a bunch of smaller quantities and samples that I'd like to finish up before I open anything new, but I'm looking forward to it.
Still, not at all bad -- they both, although different, remind me of soda pop...maybe Dr. Pepper!
I have an as-yet unopened pouch of Half & Half -- got a bunch of smaller quantities and samples that I'd like to finish up before I open anything new, but I'm looking forward to it.
- Thread starter
- #28
I believe the Velvet will be here Thursday. It looking forward to it. I prefer mild simple Blends for everyday smokes. I tried Mixture 79 when I first started smoking pipes and it bit a lot (hadn’t reall learned to smoke a pipe yet) and I didn’t care for the flavor. I gave SWR another try last night and still didn’t care for it much but will give it a better shot this time. Half and Half and Victoria are my favorites at the moment. I recently bought an MM Tom Sawyer to keep in my car for running errands and jaunts around town. It has a small bowl and rather narrow chamber but a decent ratio diameter/height. I was smoking it out back tonight and found it to be quite spectacular. First of all, you get to that mid bowl wonderland quickly and stay there for nearly all of the smoke. You get a good volume of smoke just sipping it and it stays just warm. I also liked the rough cob finish on it. I get about 45 minutes of sipping with it. I do believe I’ll get a couple more. When you get to the Half and Half, pack it easy and just sip it holding the smoke on the back of your tongue for a few seconds and look for some creaminess. The flavor will come. It has a mild topping but the Burley gives it a good fullness and the Va provides a pleasant sweetness. If you go at it hard, you will miss it. Regardless of your first impression, do the whole pouch. I smoked a whole tub a few years ago and didn’t really “get” it. I must have been going at it differently. I’m glad I gave it another try.
- Thread starter
- #29
I finally got a pouch or SWR and smoked it last night. I didn’t dislike it but didn’t light my fire. I’ll keep at it. Maybe I’m smoking it wrong. It does have a significant following.
With burley blends, it's the nuttiness in the smell of the smoke even more than the taste that gets me. SWR and SWRA both have great "nose". So does Prince Albert.
Speaking personally, if I must get up early (especially before first light) that first slurp of hot coffee, coupled with a lovely old codger burley in my pipe is one of life's simple joys.
Pure bliss!
Speaking personally, if I must get up early (especially before first light) that first slurp of hot coffee, coupled with a lovely old codger burley in my pipe is one of life's simple joys.
Pure bliss!
- Thread starter
- #31
I gave Velvet a shot today and was , unfortunately underwhelmed. The pouch note was beautiful - smelled of berries I believe but the topping didn’t come through during the smoke. It was a rather tasteless Burley. Too mild even for my tastes. I spent the rest of the day smoking Walnut and Half and Half. Those two played surprisingly well together when smoked consecutively. Victoria likes to play alone. I’ll finish the pouch of Velvet to make sure I’m not missing something though. I’m looking for a four tobacco rotation with room for interments. Number four is up for grabs and I want to find a good one.
I bought a 12 ounce tub of Chestnut on a whim -- it's Hearth & Home's match for Walnut. I've only had a half dozen bowls or so, but it isn't likely to become a favorite, I'm guessing. I have had tobaccos that required me to smoke them awhile to warm up to them, but usually, by this point, I'd be getting glimpses of something better to come. So far, it is just something to smoke -- not bad, not great, but it has the nicotine, so I will smoke it. I will soldier on for a while longer smoking it straight, but eventually I might try using it in a blend -- maybe it will mix with Captain Black - Grape and produce something interesting.
We'll see . . .
We'll see . . .
There is little doubt it'll produce something interesting...
- Thread starter
- #34
I’ve never tried that one. The Captain might be a good idea. Might give it some tobacco flavor. I like Match Walnut a lot. It tastes and smokes like the original. I have to give the Match Revelation more attention. Perhaps this evening.
You'll have to let us know how the Match Revelation is. I know I've been curious about what the good professor used to put in his pipes.
- Thread starter
- #36
Smoking it right now. Man oh Man good stuff. It has overtaken Walnut. This has a good chance to get into my daily stable. Had a bit of an interruption. Now having a bowl of C&D Epiphany, another take on Revelation. I’ll get back to you later on that one. So far, I haven’t been a big fan of C&D so we’ll see how this one does. So far I prefer the Match but haven’t hit mid bowl yet.
- Thread starter
- #37
I finished a bowl of the Epiphany and didn’t like it as much as Match Revelation. All the C&D blends I have tried have been a little “rough around the edges” for my tastes. Of course, many enjoy that quality in blends. Although not having ever experienced the original Revelation, I would expect it would have been closer to the Match having been an OTC. I’m a pretty mellow fellow and mellower blends are more suitable to my personality. The Epiphany is available in bulk so you probably should try both and decide. Both are excellent and have my recommendation for what it is worth. Also, you might consider an ounce of Walnut while you are at as it is a mild English as well and the Latakia is a bit more noticeable.
You make it sound so good! Next order might have to include some Match. Both Walnut and Revelation. I like the idea of a lighter mellow English.
- Thread starter
- #39
Smoked both Epiphany and Match Revelation. Prefer the Match blend.
- Thread starter
- #40
Velvet: I got a pouch of this, smoked a bowl and didn't care for it at all. I didn't really find any flavor in it and I wrote this in another thread I can't seem to find at the moment. Now, I would like to retract that statement. This morning and early afternoon I smoke four bowls of Revelation and pretty much wasted my tongue by over smoking this rather full blend. Later in the day I wanted another pipe but something light and simple so I thought I would give Velvet another smoke and I did just that. This time I found it to be a mild, discrete and lovely mildly sweet smoke. It is just a lightly topped aged Kentucky Burly - very simple blend. The first time I smoked it I simply smoked it wrong. I was going at it too hard trying to find something good about it and I got it all wrong. Tonight's smoke was very good. I packed it lightly and sipped it gently and what a great smoke it was. Velvet will not come to you; you have to go to it gently. Give it just a gentle kiss and it will kiss you back. Velvet is the lovely girl next door you hang out at your window hoping to catch a glimpse of. No hussy that Velvet. Before I abandoned my lawn chair under the shade of a tree, I ordered a 12 oz tub. I want to develop a lasting relationship with Ms. Velvet.
Similar threads
