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.

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.

Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro

Brand: Hoyo de Monterrey
Cigar: Maduro
Shape: Rothschild
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Price: $2.25

Appearance: 6
Construction: 6
Taste: 6
Value: 8
Overall: 6

I've had a fiver of these sitting in my fridgador for about a year so I decided to take a few along on a camping trip to try them out. The Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro is a nice enough looking stick with a medium-dark maduro wrapper. As I cut the cigar with my Palio part of the wrapper came undone and although the cigar remained smokeable the unsightly scar on the side was a real shame.

The little Rothschild lit right up and that was the last time I needed to use my lighter as it burned evenly right down to the nub. Since I was sitting around a campfire in the dark it was great that I didn't have to fuss with the cigar. And even though this was a fairly short stick it burned at a slow pace and lasted for over an hour.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro featured a typical taste profile for a maduro cigar with hints of unsweetened chocolate and espresso. There was no pepper or spice in this cigar and the flavors remained the same from beginning to end. It was a fine accompaniment to campfire conversation but I much prefer the more complex taste of the Dark Sumatras.

All in all it was a well-behaved but average tasting cigar and even at the low price I didn't find much to recommend it over other offerings from Hoyo de Monterrey.

Peter Stokkebye -- Balkan Supreme

Brand: Peter Stokkebye
Blend: Balkan Supreme
Style: Balkan
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran #150 Bulldog
Price: $13.50/8oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 8

In a last minute dash to try some new blends before Washington state's draconian tobacco law goes into effect on the 26th I've been ordering pipe tobacco left and right. Yesterday I received an order from the fine folks at Mars Cigars & Pipes and made the mistake of opening the package while I was still trying to get some work done. The spicy, leathery, and sweet smell of Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme soon had me rummaging for a pipe.

After a long time away from Latakia blends I've been slowly coming back around to that wonderful leaf but find that I prefer it with a bit of spice which is why I've been reaching more for the Orientals. Although Balkan Supreme is, not surprisingly, a Balkan blend I rarely use that categorization term myself and tend to refer to tobacco of this type as Oriental but that's just me.

The tobacco is a fairly non-descript dark brown shag-cut blend that smells great straight out of the package. The appearance and aroma reminded me a lot of Dunhill's My Mixture 965 which is high praise indeed.

I know that I should have dried this out a bit before smoking but I just couldn't help myself so I loaded up my Peterson Bulldog and got right to work. The tobacco easily lit up and provided a nice, steady burn from beginning to end. Where the lack of drying got me was in the tongue bite since the extra moisture made for a few jolts of uncomfortable steam in my mouth. Ouch!

The flavor of the Balkan Supreme was superb with just the right mix of leathery Latakia, spicy Orientals, and a hint of sweet Virginias and Cavendish. I really enjoyed the spiciness of this blend and it provided the same sort of tingle I get from a good Nicaraguan cigar.

I found it to be the perfect blend for a long, contemplative smoke in which each different type of tobacco leaf could be coaxed to shine by varying the speed of puffing and length of draw. Long, leisurely smoking highlighted the Latakia; short, rapid puffs brought out the spicy Orientals; and rapid but long draws allowed the sweet Virgina and Cavendish component to peek through.

Balkan Supreme combined some of my favorite aspects of the aforementioned My Mixture 965 as well as Samuel Gawith's classic Squadron Leader. This blend is a great English/Oriental go-between and provides just enough of each style while still retaining its own unique place in the tobacco pantheon.

The room note followed the trend of the taste in that the rate of smoking had a direct impact on the aroma of the smoke. From the classic Latakia funk to the almost tart hints of exotic spice the smells provided all sorts of variety -- some very nice and some not so nice to the nose.

Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme is often mentioned as a replacement for the long-gone Balkan Sobranie but since I've never tasted that classic blend I have to judge this one on it's own merits and what I find is a great Balkan blend that has a very complex taste, behaves well in the pipe, and can be purchased in bulk at a ridiculously low price. This is truly a wonderful tobacco.

A Year Already

The one year anniversary of this blog came and went unnoticed last week. What started out as "Cigar Meanderings" quickly evolved into "Meandering Smoke" as my interests veered more in the direction of pipes than cigars. I still try to review the occasional stogie but for the time being pipes are much more my thing. At any rate I started this blog mostly for my own future reference but hopefully it's provided some information to others who've happened this way by hook or by crook. I would offer up a champagne toast but beer is more my speed so here's an Alaskan Summer Ale for you!

John Middleton -- Carter Hall

Brand: John Middleton
Blend: Carter Hall
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $4.10/1.5oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 6
Room Note: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 7

While picking up some stuff at the local Rite-Aid I noticed a pouch of Carter Hall for sale on the shelf. If you're familiar with the sorry state of tobacco retail outlets here in the greater Seattle area then you'll understand my surprise at finding a tobacco I actually wanted to try at a fairly reasonable price. Needless to say I grabbed that pouch and as soon as I got home I filled my trusty corncob pipe and headed out to try yet another classic, codger, drugstore, heritage, or what-have-you blend.

Carter Hall is a basic ribbon cut Burley and upon opening the pouch I was met with a uniformly cut tan tobacco that smelled nicely of raisins and figs. I don't know what it is about these classic blends but they all sure do smell good.

With the first charring light there was a short burst of harshness but that passed just as soon as the tobacco started burning evenly. From that point on the blend smoked like a dream requiring no fuss and only one relight to get down to the last ashes. I wish all pipe tobacco behaved so well.

The tobacco had a nice, mellow Burley flavor that was very unobtrusive and occasionally subtle hints of citrus could be detected as well. In some ways you could even call it boring but sometimes the tried and true is just what you're looking for in a good smoke.

Similar to other Burley blends I found that smoking Carter Hall too fast brought out an unpleasant cigarette-like taste so be sure to smoke it slowly.

As with most mass-produced tobaccos I also found there to be a chemical aftertaste and that's the one sticking point that keeps me from abandoning all my fancy-pants tobaccos and just going with the drugstore blends on a full-time basis. I understand that they have to be able to hold together for however long they're left languishing on store shelves but I do wish that there was some way to achieve this that didn't so adversely affect the tobaccos' flavors.

The room aroma was that of a classic grandfather's pipe which isn't surprising since most grandfathers smoked this type of blend.

In the pantheon of codger classics that I've tried so far I found Carter Hall to be the best behaved but least flavorful blend. I now understand why so many folks use it to break in new pipes since it burns so well while leaving behind no strong aftertaste. And it's clearly a favorite for mixing as it lends so many positive burn characteristics and offers up a nice, plain palate for adding new flavors.

My appreciation for these old blends continues to grow and while Carter Hall wasn't my favorite I'm still planning to buy a tub since this utilitarian tobacco has so many uses.

Altadis -- Count Pulaski

Brand: Altadis
Blend: Count Pulaski
Style: English/Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural Oscar #313
Price: $6.96/4oz.

Appearance: 6
Taste: 7 *UPDATED TO 9*
Room Note: 4
Value: 10
Overall: 7 *UPDATED TO 8*

In my search for an anise-flavored tobacco one name kept popping up on various forums -- Count Pulaski. Since I grew up in Detroit I'm well acquainted with Casimir Pulaski the Polish cavalry officer who fought and died for the American side in the Revolutionary War. Heck, the fellow even has a nice statue downtown. But what about the tobacco?

Count Pulaski is a blend from the huge tobacco company Altadis and while many pipe and cigar smokers hold their wealth of offerings in disdain, I'm not one to make snap judgments without first sampling the goods.

Described as being a combination of Burley, Virginia, Carolina and Latakia leaf with a topping of rum and anise, Count Pulaski is a difficult blend to categorize. The strong Latakia component places it firmly in the English camp while the added flavorings indicate that it belongs to the aromatic family. For my purposes I'll just call it an English-style aromatic.

Count Pulaski is a very coarse cut tobacco consisting of fairly large pieces of mostly black and some light tan tobacco leaf. Unless you're smoking a large pipe some further break-up is required before packing and smoking.

The pouch, or in my case bail-top jar, aroma is overwhelmingly Latakia and my nose could detect none of the advertised toppings be they rum or anise.

I set some tobacco aside to dry for a few hours then loaded up my pipe. The charring light revealed that I should have torn the tobacco a bit more as large pieces started to burn and rear up out of the bowl. It took a lot of tamping and charring to get this mess tamed but once it was under control in burned just fine.

The first flavor to hit was of course the Latakia and it left no doubt that this was predominantly an English blend. The large Burley component added a nice nutty undertone that one doesn't typically find in this style of tobacco while the Virginia leaf brought some spicy sweetness to the mix. Heavy puffing also brought out a very strong cigar type taste which was very much to my liking.

Since I bought this tobacco mainly for its anise flavor I waited and waited for that aspect to emerge but it never really did. No anise, no rum -- just a slightly herbal undertone to tickle the tongue. Some of the smoke had a faint licorice aroma but I've found that in other English blends and tend to attribute it to the Latakia.

Save for that slightly sweet scent, the room aroma of Count Pulaski is not likely to win many friends as the Latakia assaults the nose like moldy sweat socks thrown on a campfire. I for one enjoy that smell but most innocent bystanders will likely be knocked on their keisters.

The coarse cut did give me some problems with burn issues but the blend still behaved well and offered up a cool, bite-free smoke. The tobacco also burned down to a nice dry ash and left no goop behind in the pipe which is surprising for an inexpensive bulk aromatic such as this.

Count Pulaski is an interesting blend from Altadis and is likely to appeal to fans of light English or aromatic English tobacco styles. I was a bit disappointed that the anise flavor never came through for me and without that added twist there's just not much to recommend this over many other similar blends. Where I can recommend it is in both behavior and price since the tobacco burns well (if torn up a bit beforehand) and is offered at a ridiculously low bulk price.

*UPDATE 6/27/09*
Last night I stumbled on a cob that I had loaded with Count Pulaski a few days earlier to take fishing and had forgotten about. I decided to light it up and was met with one of the finest, most sublime smokes I've yet experienced.

The missing hints of anise were finally there and the pleasant cigar-like taste had evolved into a richly mellow leathery taste that was superb.

All in all this neglected bowl of Count Pulaski provided a nearly perfect smoke and my ratings have been bumped up to recognize that fact.