Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Brown & Williamson -- Sir Walter Raleigh
Brand: Brown & Williamson
Blend: Sir Walter Raleigh
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $4.99/1.73oz.
Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8
After trying a fair number of older blends I finally got around to picking up a pouch of Sir Walter Raleigh. In online discussion groups I tend to hear a lot about Carter Hall and Prince Albert but rarely does anyone mention this long-time classic.
When I first opened the pouch I was greeted with the typically sweet rum raisin aroma shared by many of these drugstore blends. What I wasn't expecting was a very dry tobacco since these pouch blends tend to be laced with plenty of propylene glycol (PG) in order to keep them moist and fresh for however long they're left sitting on display. The tobacco itself was a medium brown blend of ribbon and cube cut Burley.
I tend to prefer my tobacco on the dry side which with the damp climate here usually means a relative humidity of about 45%. Since I didn't need to air this stuff out at all I just filled by trusty cob and lit it up. I find that a simple gravity fill tends to work best for cube-cut blends.
Sir Walter Raleigh is certainly one of the best behaved tobaccos I've tried as all it took was that first light to get it going and then it burned clean down to the ashes without requiring any relights or even tamping. I really appreciate tobaccos I don't have to fight to smoke so this was a big plus for me.
The flavor of the blend was smooth and mild with a prominent nutty Burley taste accompanied by a very faint hint of sweetness reminiscent of maple syrup and dark molasses. While this may be a simple blend the flavor was very good and stayed consistent throughout the smoke.
When smoked hard the flavor took on a bitter edge but since I'm a fan of hoppy beers I actually found myself puffing furiously in order to get that extra tang. Fortunately the tobacco remained bite-free even with such abuse.
My real taste test for these codger classics is in the aftertaste as even those that are good in the pipe often leave behind a chemical taste that lingers long after the smoke is finished. Happily, Sir Walter Raleigh proved to be the exception to the rule and the only lingering taste was that of Burley tobacco.
The room aroma was nice as well and never took on that stale cigarette smell that plagues many Burley blends.
Sir Walter Raleigh is a really good, old-time blend and has jumped to the top of my list of favorite OTC (over-the-counter) tobaccos. I was very pleasantly surprised by the flavor and behavior of this blend and can't wait to buy a tub to see how that compares to the pouch version.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ruminations
Today I decided to stop and take a look back at my experiences over the past few years with pipe smoking. I ordered my first two cobs and two tobaccos (Squadron Leader and Penzance) back in June 2007 and, as is often the case, I just couldn't get the hang of it so they were quickly tossed on a shelf in the garage and forgotten.
Fast forward seven months and I stumbled on the stash while cleaning and decided to give the pipe another go. My technique was still shaky but I finally understood what all the fuss was about as the dried and slightly aged Squadron Leader just shined in that cob.
From that point on I was hooked and started buying new tobaccos to try; estate pipes of all shapes, sizes, and materials; various pipe smoking accessories; and started down the road to cellaring. In less than two solid years of pipe smoking I've amassed 60 different tobacco blends and a relatively paltry but enjoyable 14 pipes.
I realize that I'm still a novice but I think I've learned a thing or two about the fine art of smoking a pipe so I've decided to throw together a list of five helpful hints for those who might be starting down the path.
Top 5 Pipe Tips
1. If your tobacco looks and feels dry enough it probably isn't. Given the seasonal humidity in the Northwest it's a real battle to keep damp tobacco lit most of the year.
2. Slow down. Nope, slower. Even slower. There you go. Slow and steady keeps the pipe and smoke cool and leads to a nice even burn. I'll be the first to admit that I still have a hard time with this.
3. Relight as much as necessary and don't feel bad about it. Some blends I spend more time relighting than smoking but so what?
4. Resist the urge to tamp unless the pipe won't stay lit and even then a gentle stir and smoothing of the top ash is better than a tamp.
5. Buy some cobs. So what if you look like Popeye. Easily the most versatile and affordable smoking implements available. My most smoked pipe is one of those original two cobs (a Missouri Meerschaum Pride) and it goes everywhere with me.
Fast forward seven months and I stumbled on the stash while cleaning and decided to give the pipe another go. My technique was still shaky but I finally understood what all the fuss was about as the dried and slightly aged Squadron Leader just shined in that cob.
From that point on I was hooked and started buying new tobaccos to try; estate pipes of all shapes, sizes, and materials; various pipe smoking accessories; and started down the road to cellaring. In less than two solid years of pipe smoking I've amassed 60 different tobacco blends and a relatively paltry but enjoyable 14 pipes.
I realize that I'm still a novice but I think I've learned a thing or two about the fine art of smoking a pipe so I've decided to throw together a list of five helpful hints for those who might be starting down the path.
Top 5 Pipe Tips
1. If your tobacco looks and feels dry enough it probably isn't. Given the seasonal humidity in the Northwest it's a real battle to keep damp tobacco lit most of the year.
2. Slow down. Nope, slower. Even slower. There you go. Slow and steady keeps the pipe and smoke cool and leads to a nice even burn. I'll be the first to admit that I still have a hard time with this.
3. Relight as much as necessary and don't feel bad about it. Some blends I spend more time relighting than smoking but so what?
4. Resist the urge to tamp unless the pipe won't stay lit and even then a gentle stir and smoothing of the top ash is better than a tamp.
5. Buy some cobs. So what if you look like Popeye. Easily the most versatile and affordable smoking implements available. My most smoked pipe is one of those original two cobs (a Missouri Meerschaum Pride) and it goes everywhere with me.
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