Mark H.
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Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation - 1982 Pouch 1.5oz
Just not for me.
This is one of two 4th generation blends I bought. The aroma of this blend is nice enough, but it bites the tongue pretty badly. I won't be ordering this again.

Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation - 1897 Pouch 1.5oz
Pleasing, not overpowering
This is one of two 4th Generation blends I bought. This blend has a nice aroma without being too heavy. The room note is pleasant, but it doesn't overwhelm you. It has a nice, light aroma and doesn't bite the tongue like some aromatics do. I will probably order this again.

Velvet - Velvet 1.5oz
Good, but not what I remembered
My grandfather rolled Velvet when I was a little kid. When he died, we found a full can which had not been opened, so I kept it since I was smoking a pipe by then. It was a real codger blend, like Carter Hall and Granger, and it had a nice, pleasant non-aromatic, straight tobacco smell. The pouch that I just bought is not the same as what my grandfather had. This is entirely different. It is OK but it's not as good as the old blend. It seems like they halfway tried to make it into an aromatic blend but didn't quite succeed. It smokes decently enough but it doesn't really excite me. When I'm finished with this pouch, I doubt I will be buying another.

Sutliff - 150 Mark Twain
Nice and light
I like straight or light aromatic blends. This one is just a little more aromatic than I normally smoke but it is smooth, mild, and pleasant to the palate without the tongue bite that some aromatics have. Usually, with an aromatic, I have to mix in a little bit of straight tobacco to keep the aroma from being too overpowering. Not this blend. I can smoke it straight and enjoy it as is. This is a blend I had planned to order again, but I see that it has been discontinued like every other Sutliff blend I have taken a liking to.

Royal Comfort - Royal Comfort 2oz
Just like old times
I smoked Royal Comfort back when it was made by R. J. Reynolds. It was a nice, light aromatic with a balanced flavor. When Middleton bought it, they changed the blend, and I didn't like it as well. This is like the old blend that I enjoyed so well. It is just aromatic enough to be pleasing, but not enough to be overpowering. Just right. I will be buying this again.

Stanwell - Vanilla 50g
Smooth and Easy
This tobacco has a nice aroma. It's not as heavy on the vanilla as I expected, it is more subtle. It's still a bit sweeter than I prefer so I plan to mix it with some non-aromatic to balance the taste to suit my palate. Still, it is one that I had been wanting to try for a long time and I'm not sorry that I did.

Cornell & Diehl - Riverboat Gambler 2oz
Not really for me
I am not a fan of heavy aromatics, but I do like a little bit of aroma in my smoke. This blend was kind of a letdown for me. It's kind of like smoking tobacco straight out of the barn. There is not much flavor, just a taste like an old piece of leather burning. I will have to use this as a base for a custom blend. It will probably work well for that.

Captain Black - Original 1.5oz
Good blend for mixing
This blend is a little sweet for my taste when smoked straight but, when I mix it with a straight blend to even out the aroma, it makes for a satisfying smoke. Straight, the flavorings smother the tobacco taste. But, put a little bit of Virginia leaf or Kentucky burley with it and it becomes well-balanced and quite enjoyable.

Mac Baren - Mixture Scottish Blend 3.5oz
Not really for me
When I saw the name, I knew I had to try it. I had visions of the Scottish Highlands and the misty moors where my ancestors came from. This blend turned out to be quite a disappointment. I can't detect all the aromas that I've seen other people write about. To me, it's like smoking hay. I can mix it with different blends, and it works pretty well for that, but it's just not for me to smoke straight.

Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Interesting smoke with an edge
Being a Scot and a Presbyterian, I was infatuated by the name, so I had to try this blend. To put it bluntly, I wasn't overwhelmed. It is a decent smoke, but it doesn't really blow me away. Out of the can, it doesn't want to stay lit; it needs to dry awhile first. The flavor is decent but not as good as all the advertising made it out to be. This won't be a blend that I keep in my main rotation, but it is one that I will still bring out and smoke from time to time.

Lane Limited - 1-Q
Smooth and Easy
This tobacco has a smooth taste and burns evenly without leaving much dottle in the bowl. The aroma is just right, not too heavy but a little more than my usual non-aromatics. Just enough to be a pleasant smoke. It may not ever be my main smoke, but it will stay in my rotation.

Sutliff - #600 Mixture 79
Satisfying smoke
This mixture is smooth and burns well to the bottom of the bowl. There is very little dottle left and it is easy to keep lit. It's just sweet enough to have a pleasant aroma without being overpowering. Of all the tobaccos I have tried, this one is easy to smoke straight out of the package. I was going to purchase it again, but I see it is no longer available.

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Blog's Commented on

Codger Country: Captain Black Original
  • ► Captain Black is too sweet for me to smoke straight. I can mix in a bit of non-aromatic to tame it down and it's a good smoke. When I smoked store bought tobacco, I used to mix this with Sir Walter Raleigh or Granger, and it suited my tastes perfectly.
Codger Country: Half and Half
  • ► When I smoked off the shelf tobaccos, I usually smoked Carter Hall or Granger. When I tried Half and Half I was, to put it bluntly, let down. It wasn't that different from what I was used to, but it didn't leave a feeling of satisfaction that comes with a comforting smoke. I tried it several times and always had the same reaction. It's not for me.
Lee Van Cleef: Beady-Eyed Villain and Pipe Smoker
  • ► No one looked as natural smoking a pipe in the movies as Lee VanCleef because he smoked one at home as well. According to movie notes I have read, Sergio Leone bought that meerschaum pipe and gave it to Lee after seeing him smoking his own pipe. He thought it would be a good prop for the character. After the movie wrapped, Leone let Lee VanCleef keep the pipe. He mentioned in a TV interview that he still cherished it. To this day that style of pipe is referred to as a Lee VanCleef pipe.
The Collector's First Grail Pipe
  • ► My first grail pipe is a Barling Ye Olde Wood sandblasted Canadian that I got in an estate pipe sale. That started me on my collection of Barling pipes. I now have twelve Barling pipes, but none of the others are the Ye Olde Wood models.