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All New Pipes
Michael H.
Reviews
Rattray's - No. 7 Reserve 100g
A Just Right English
Decades ago, a dear friend had settled on this as his favorite pipe tobacco. I went into the Amphora direction and largely stayed there until Amphora was no more. So, I cast about for a staple blend, and thought of Peter's old favorite. I was not disappointed. Here is a sophisticated English-style blend of high quality tobaccos without added flavorings or strange chemical tastes. In my younger days I enjoyed Red Raparee, but these days, some 5 decades later, I prefer this. Yes, it can be an all day blend. It's lovely stuff with excellent manners.
Rattray's - Westminster Abbey 100g
High Class
It had been a long time since I purchased Rattray's products. I had always considered them to be of the highest quality, and a bit pricey. Westminster Abbey was a new one, to me. Having read about it, I though I'd give it a try. Well, what a nice surprise. If a pipe tobacco could be a person, I think this one would be the English actress, Emillia Fox. Like her, this comes from a long line of exceptional heritage. It's sophisticated, extremely well mannered, educated, unique and refined. It is on the aromatic side, but in a fresh new way. There's nothing heavy or phoney about it. There's no chemical taste. It strikes me as a very clean tobacco mixture with a light caramel topping.
Granger - Granger 7oz
A Ghost of Itself
I used to smoke this in the 1970s. It was OK and quite affordable, available at every newspaper store. I know this brand has been sold to other makers and it somewhat resembles the old Granger. But this stuff is like smoking a pale reminder of what it was. I find it rather pointless.
Erinmore - Erinmore Flake 50g
Satisfying and dependable
Years ago, in England I could easily get good old Condor green ready-rubbed and Erinmore everywhere -news agents, super markets, you name it. But in the US, Condor has disappeared. Too bad. Erinmore is excellent, and it's my everyday start as I drive to work, and after dinner. I remember the flutist , James Galway, saying the girls he knew in Belfast smelled like Erinmore because they worked in the factory. How charming., I would have like to meet them.Though no longer made in Northern Ireland, it's still very good.
Peterson - Sweet Killarney 50g
What were they thinking?
I've been a pipe smoker since 1972. My usual favorites are Erinmore Flake and Amphora Original. Erinmore was out of stock, so I tried this. All I can say is that must have been made by a 4 year old who wanted people to abandon pipe smoking. I'm not prone to using bad language, but this made me think of dozens of very naughty words.
Falcon - Twisted Stem Black
Unique
I had been curious about these pipes for a long time. I remember when almost every pipe smoker in London, and throughoutAll of the UK, had these in the lmid 1970s and through the 1980s. After 45 years of pipe smoking I bought one together with a Dover smooth bowl. The workmanship is very nice, and you either like the look of it, or not. I found this to be one of the worst pipe purchases I ever made. dealing with the condensation in the bowl collector is one thing, but finding that it leakedat the bowl threads was another. I gave it a few weeks, but in the end, I tossed it.
Heine's - Heine's Blend 14oz
A simple pleasure
I found this to be a very acceptable, affordable all-day tobacco. It's nothing fancy. It doesn't have strange chemical tastes as so many tub tobaccos do. It's an honest, simple blend to have around. For goodness sake, my wife's grandfather used to smoke it.