Gallaher -- Condor Ready Rubbed

Brand: Gallaher
Blend: Condor Ready Rubbed
Style: Lakeland
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Acquired via Trade

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

In the U.S. the popular, old-time pipe tobaccos are affectionately referred to as drugstore or over the counter (OTC) blends because way back in the hazy past when most men smoked pipes these were the blends that were available at every newsstand and corner store. If your granddad smoked a pipe then he most likely smoked one of these classics.

The same is true for pipe smokers across the pond except that in the UK they smoked, and continue to smoke, a completely different line-up of classic blends. Most of these are no longer sold in the US so the only way to acquire them is through a fast diminishing handful of websites or tobacco trades and swaps with fellow brothers of the leaf.

A few years back I traded for two, 50g pouches of Condor Ready Rubbed and they somehow ended up buried deep in my tobacco stash. Last week I did a much needed inventory of my cellar and at the bottom of a box I found those two emerald green pouches and decided to jar them up and finally give the blend a try.

To my mind a Lakeland blend is a British aromatic style that uses natural floral and botanical flavorings layered on top of strong tobacco. I have had mixed results with Lakeland style blends and know that they usually ghost a pipe almost immediately upon smoking so I decided to use one of my trusty cobs instead of a briar pipe.

Even after a few years left in the pouch the tobacco was still at a perfect smoking moisture level. The dark, reddish brown tobacco was very finely cut and felt and packed just like a classic shag cut blend.

The pouch aroma gave immediate notice that this was a Lakeland blend as it smelled of rich, sweet tobacco and that almost cloying mixture of floral and citrus scents that are the hallmarks of this style.

The pipe lit right up and after the first few hard puffs I was rewarded with an itchy sensation in the back of my throat. That was my first warning that this was not a blend to be hurried through.

The flavor was initially subdued with the sweet taste of the Virginia leaf coming through. But it didn't take long for the Lakeland essence to make its presence known and soon enough all I could taste was potpourri. I tried slowing my smoking cadence down a bit and that did help to temper it somewhat as I began to taste a faint coffee and liquor presence instead.

As if wrestling with the gamut of flavors wasn't enough, Condor Ready Rubbed is also a strong tobacco and all the puffing and fussing soon had me feeling the effects of the nicotine. The blend is like a brute in a fancy suit with a flower in his lapel -- as you lean forward to sniff the blossom he lands a right hook to your jaw.

The room aroma was also overpowering and the smell of potpourri and incense hung in the room for hours much to my chagrin.

Condor Ready Rubbed is a classic UK pipe tobacco that falls firmly in the love it or hate it category. While I appreciated it on some levels I find that I just can't get around that classic Lakeland essence. I've always been sensitive to perfumes and such so this is clearly never going to be my style of tobacco. That being said, it did burn quite nicely and packed a real punch so I can see how it has stuck around for so long. I'm glad I had a chance to try the stuff but I think I'll be passing the remainder on to the next pipe smoker who wants to give it a whirl.

Cornell & Diehl -- Star of the East

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Star of the East
Style: Balkan
Pipes Used: Cob & Briar
Price: $10.40/4oz.

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

I've spent much of the past year revisiting old blends and therefore haven't opened a new tin in quite some time. As part of that process I've been smoking many English and Balkan style tobaccos and have found that I really enjoy those with a healthy amount of Oriental leaf. So in my most recent tobacco order I decided to try some of Cornell & Diehl's Star of the East as it is often cited as packing a lot of Turkish punch.

The tobacco was a ribbon-cut mixture of black, tan, and dark brown leaf. The aroma in the pouch was very much Latakia-forward and reminded me of Balkan Supreme, my current favorite Balkan blend. Upon lighting up I was immediately surrounded with a cloud of thick white smoke that remained until the final embers in the pipe died down to ash. Since the blend is advertised as containing 50% Latakia I was fully prepared for a somewhat funky smell but was surprised to find that the Orientals really took charge and brought a pleasant incense-like aroma.

The Latakia was also somewhat subdued in the flavor department and lent a creamy, piney taste rather than the expected leather and oil profile. Mixed with the Turkish leaf this lent the blend a light flavor with hints of jasmine tea. The Red Virgina came on about halfway through the bowl and brought some very welcome nutty sweetness to cut the spice a bit. The smoke finally wound down with an almost astringent aftertaste that left my palate feeling nice and refreshed -- not typical behavior for a so-called Latakia-bomb.

Everything from the aroma to the flavor and even the burn characteristics reminded me of the aforementioned Balkan Supreme but this blend was less forceful and much more subtle. If you're looking for a true Latakia-bomb stick with Pirate Kake or Lancer's Slices but if you're searching for a pleasant Oriental blend then Cornell & Diehl's Star of the East fits the bill perfectly.

Pulaski Day

Being new to Illinois I had no idea that there was an official state holiday to commemorate the great Polish cavalry hero of the American Revolution, Casimir Pulaski. Since Count Pulaski is one of my favorite pipe tobacco blends you better believe I'll be loading up a bowl to celebrate the life and accomplishments of this truly unique hero.

How the Time Does Fly

I can't believe it's been 8 months since my last post/review. A very unexpected cross-country move certainly put a big dent in my time and access to my pipes and tobaccos but the real reason for my neglect of this blog is that I've been revisiting and enjoying some of my favorite blends as of late so I haven't popped open a new tin in quite some time hence there's been nothing to review. I'm thinking of posting some snuff reviews on the site as that should give me something to write about.

Hearth & Home -- Louisiana Red

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Louisiana Red
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: No-Name Apple
Price: Free Sample

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

While most tobacconists offer their own proprietary house blends, rare is the shop that develops such a wide array of quality pipe tobaccos that they're able to mix, tin, and distribute them for sale by their own competitors. Such is the case with the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe -- better known to Internet connoisseurs by their web address pipesandcigars.com.

I've enjoyed many of their blends over the years and since they seem to keep devising innovative pipe tobaccos I guess I'll never run out of new things to try. I've been sitting on a sample of their Louisiana Red for a while now and finally got around to giving it a whirl.

Hearth & Home's Louisiana Red is a Virginia/Perique (VAPer) blend made up of two kinds of Red Virginia leaf and a healthy dash of St. James Perique. Out of the tin/pouch it appears as a classic medium brown ribbon cut tobacco and smells sweetly of dried fruit.

I loaded up my favorite pipe, a cheap no-name apple shape, lit the tobacco and started puffing. My first response was that it tasted like McClelland's 5100 Red Cake with the same mix of nutty sweetness that I love in that blend. Since both are predominantly Red Virginia blends I guess that stands to reason.

But after a few puffs the added Perique began to poke through with a rich, boozy taste of homemade fruitcake. This added some real depth to the blend but the Perique remained a sweet condiment and never added any spice or kick whatsoever. I actually enjoyed this departure from the classic VAPer flavor profile but I would certainly rank Louisiana Red as a mild blend in that genre.

Toward the bottom of the bowl a rich cigar taste and aroma briefly emerged which really brought the smoke to a stylish and satisfying end. The room aroma in general was fairly pleasant and nicely complimented the flavors.

The blend was also well behaved in the pipe and smoked cool and dry with no problems whatsoever.

Hearth & Home's Louisiana Red is a unique VAPer that provides a most enjoyable and flavorful smoke. The fact that the blend can now be purchased in tins (1.5 and 8oz.) from multiple retailers at great prices offers a nice alternative to bulk for those who don't enjoy canning up their own tobacco. LA Red is a winner from top to bottom and I certainly plan to stock some away.

Mac Baren -- HH Vintage Syrian

Brand: Mac Baren
Blend: HH Vintage Syrian
Style: English
Pipe Used: No-name Apple
Price: Free Sample

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

Mac Baren is one of the world's largest producers of pipe tobacco so I was a bit surprised when I realized that I had only ever smoked three of their blends and that none had made it into my regular tobacco rotation. Perhaps that explains why I sat on this 1 oz. sample of HH Vintage Syrian for so long without ever giving it a try. While going through some loose baggies of various samples I stumbled on this one and decided on a whim to finally give it a go.

The blend was a coarse cut mixture of brown and black tobaccos and the pouch aroma was sweet and smokey like many light, or Americanized (in this case Danishized), blends. It definitely had that classic Mac Baren sweetness that many refer to as a honey-like topping.

My sample had dried out a bit so I loaded the pipe bowl then gave it a few puffs of air to get the moisture level up before lighting. The pipe lit up easily and the tobacco burned at a perfect pace.

Mac Baren promotes this blend as a throw-back to simpler times when the tobacco itself was allowed to shine. Made up of the titular Syrian Latakia, Turkish Oriental, various Virginias, and a touch of Dark Kentucky this is one complex "simple" blend!

The first taste I was hit with was the high quality Latakia that was in just the right amount to offer up some smokey goodness without the skunkiness that accompanies many Latakia-heavy blends (not that I don't love that too).

The blend then gave my tongue a bit of a spicy tingle which I assume was due to the Oriental leaf. And the various Virginias provided the sweetness of dried fruit and a bit of nuttiness reminiscent of McClelland's Red Cake while the Dark Kentucky lent some cigar-like strength to the blend.

HH Vintage Syrian is one tasty and well-balanced blend and even the aftertaste was full of pleasant floral undertones.

The aroma was that classic pipe smell that we all know and love and I enjoyed smelling the stuff almost as much I did smoking it.

The blend burned down to a fine gray ash with only a few relights required and was easy on the mouth and tongue even with some slightly frenzied puffing.

Mac Baren's HH Vintage Syrian is an excellent light English blend and I can easily see myself smoking through a goodly amount of the stuff as that's one of my favorite tobacco types. Whether it truly does harken back to the blends of a century ago I have no idea but I do know that it's a perfectly balanced combination of high quality tobacco that absolutely sings in a pipe.

And if that isn't enough to recommend the stuff there's also the fact that you can acquire a 100g tin for a measly twelve bucks or an entire pound for around $37. I love great tobacco and a great bargain and this blend offers both.

Hearth & Home -- Lakeland Brickle

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Lakeland Brickle
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 4
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 6

When a tobacco is described as being a Lakeland blend it usually means that it comes from one of the famed blenders in that region of England and is imbued with that famous floral-like essence. Since the aroma and taste of this style of tobacco is so unique it tends to have a rather polarizing effect on pipe smokers.

Given the recent shortages of tobacco blends coming out of the Lakeland region, the folks at Pipesandcigars.com have decided to try their hand at imitating the style and the result is the brand new Hearth & Home entry, Lakeland Brickle.

Open opening my sample bag I was immediately hit with the overwhelming aroma of potpourri as I gazed upon a sticky mass of tobacco that looked to me like one of my favorite trail snacks, the inimitable Clif Bar. The medium brown tobacco was very moist so I broke off a chunk, rubbed it out, and set it aside to dry for a few hours. Fast forward a bit and the tobacco was still just as damp so I decided to just smoke it anyway.

Given the powerful aroma of the blend I decided to smoke it in one of trusty corncobs so as not to ghost a briar. The tobacco packed nicely and lit right up.

H&H describes Lakeland Brickle as a Virginia (mostly Red) and Burley blend infused with classic Lakeland essences such as rose and tonquin and I have to admit that each of these constituent parts made themselves readily known on the palate.

The Red Virginia is evident in the sweetness of the blend which I found to have a vegetal nature akin to a sun-ripened tomato or cucumber. The Burley provided a richness and hint of cinammon-like spice. And the added essences really took center stage with flavors running the gamut from vanilla (thanks to the tonquin-style flavoring) to rose and lavender.

To me the taste was overpowering and alternated between a tasty piece of hard candy and grandma's favorite floral soap. I've often read complaints that Lakeland blends are too soapy and never really understood what that meant until now. Not only did it taste like soap but it also coated my tongue and throat in a way I haven't experienced since my four-year-old self called my mom the b-word and was treated to a taste of Ivory.

I'll also admit upfront that I'm sensitive to some floral scents such as eucalyptus and while I can't confirm that that particular essence is in this blend I was hit with a big headache soon after finishing the bowl. The truth is that strong Lakeland blends just aren't my cup of tea and this Brickle is one powerful tobacco done up in that style.

The room aroma was naturally very sweet and flowery so you're not likely to receive any complaints there and the tobacco burned nicely even with its high moisture content.

While the pipe smoking world laments how hard it is to procure many classic English-blended tobaccos, Hearth & Home has stepped up to the plate and attempted to emulate the famous Lakeland blends as a service to their customers. Lakeland Brickle takes its name seriously and delivers one wallop of an essence-filled blend. There's no doubting the quality of the product and I'm sure that it'll have many fans but sadly I'm just not one of them. For me the added flavorings are just too cloying and strong and overwhelm the natural tobacco taste.