Ryan S.
Badges

Reviews


Cornell & Diehl - Sun Bear Bourbon Cask 2oz
Previous SB Navy Cask 100x Better
This is a bland boring blend with the "bourbon" labeling being a marketing gimmick. But I'm glad to see SmokingPipes giving its first offering to their favorite Chinese customers (scalpers). Imagine waiting in an online virtual line just to get a basic blend that was worse than last years edition. I paid B&M prices, but at least I didn't wait online and buy a bunch just hoping to resell it later at a minor profit. 每分钟都有一个傻瓜诞生，而你就是其中之一。

Lane Limited - BL/WB
Overly Vanilla Aromatic
No complexity besides a little nuttiness and wood from the burley. There is a heavy sugary vanilla topping which dominates the tin note and flavor. I immediately knew I wasn't going to like it very much, as it's basically an aromatic. I didn't notice a change in the flavor from beginning to end, and the tin note does match the flavor. So that's the good news. It also burned cool and clean at a moderate pace, though a little moist out of the bag. It has no bite as the name suggests, and little nicotine. The strength is very mild, and the taste is mild. Leaves some moisture in the bowl. The after taste and room notes are pleasant, but short lived. I was hoping this would be a regular burley-based "codger" blend in my cellar, but it's basically just an aromatic for beginners. I'll finish my 2oz sample and not be purchasing again. I like quality leaf and blenders who don't use a lot of sugary vanilla flavoring.

Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Mixture 50g
Full Virginia Flake is Better
This isn't a bad pure Virginia blend, and I don't mind the ease of use in a ribbon cut, but for some reason I just get more flavor and appreciation for the Flake version. I don't think the recipe is necessary different between the two, but after several side-by-side comparisons I see why the Flake version gets so much more praise. Personally I think it just ages better, and this being a blend that definitely benefits from some age, that might be the reason why. Over time it just has more of that natural sweetness and depth you'd expect from a quality aged Virginia flake. My advice is to try the Flake version first. Preferably with at least a few years of age.

Cornell & Diehl - Shandygaff
Took A Gamble - No Regrets
So I didn't know what to expect with this one and started out with just 1oz to sample. I was very impressed. Didn't get the "salty sea air" from the description, but after smoking and looking up the tasting notes I immediately agreed when I read that it had flavors of ginger. It's not a ginger bomb pipe tobacco, but it's there and it's absolutely fantastic. I don't really know how else to describe it, but this is an excellent every day, all day codger burley blend - and at a great price. This is probably my favorite "under-rated" blend since nobody ever talks about it. No online hype, no hoarding or scalpers - just an easy to buy blend that's ready to smoke with no dry time. Burn well, stays lit, and doesn't bite no matter how hard you push it (and I do push it at times). I have special bulk jars that I use to rotate my favorite burley dominant blends, and I'm now including this along with Old Joe Krantz, Haunted Bookshop, etc.

BriarWorks - Bacon Old Fashioned 2oz
Unique - Though Not For Me
On the tin note I immediately got hints of smoke, bacon, some zesty fruit like oranges or lemons, and a faint whiff of cheap bottom shelf whiskey. I like a good old fashioned bourbon, but the addition of an orange zest makes this a really weird blend. It feels like it shouldn't really be there. And that's true for an old fashioned. The bitters, sugar, and orange peel aren't supposed to dominate the drink. Certainly not the orange. It's not an orange flavored drink. Mixed with the bacon and smoke it becomes something sweet, aromatic, and almost even chemical in taste - which I despise. It's a decent attempt at something that shouldn't have been blended in the first place. One is a drink with lots of variation, the other is a tobacco blend. I love that they come in jars, but that's not a big selling point. The higher 2oz price negates that anyway. It's also pretty wet coming out the jar, with some PG added for sure, but with the right drying time it can burn cool with only a little bite. It's just not for me. It's actually one of the most polarizing blends I've come across and that was why I bought it. I wanted to try something very different and this didn't disappoint in that regard. I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. It's definitely different, but nothing impressive unfortunately. And I highly doubt it'll get better with age. Out of 10 with 5 being a true "average" - I give this a 4.75 just slightly below average. Give it a try if you've already tried a lot of different blends and are looking for a new aromatic that's quite different.

Seattle Pipe Club - Hogshead 2oz
Chinese Scalpers Reviewing
This is an OK Virginia plug, but nothing special. It smokes cool, but only mild natural flavor from the tobacco. Some aging might help. And for the 中国人 scalpers who want to buy it all and resell at a markup - stick to trading Pokemon cards. This industry is a bad business model for that behavior. Fake 5 Star reviews to create Artificial Scarcity only works on here. Most of us will find the same product elsewhere even if you buy it all here. We'll then shrug our shoulders at the FOMO and laugh at you. Get a real job.

Rattray's - Exotic Passion 100g
Excellent Aromatic
This one tastes very similar to how it smells, and I definitely get black tea notes with a hint of orange zest. It's a nice, cool burning summer smoke with mild-medium nicotine and strength. It does need about 30 minutes or a little more to dry out, but that can vary depending on your climate and how long the tin has been open. So far two months out from opening the bag inside the tin, it still holds it's flavor true to it's tin note and aroma, which I enjoy. It's not some goopy wet aromatic. It's an overall pleasant smoke that would pair nice with an iced tea or hot black tea infused with orange peel. On my personal 1-10 scale I gave it a 7.5. Overall a good easy smoking summer blend.

Favorite Products