
RUDYH
Reviews


Lighters - Colibri Cigar Lighter - Pacific Air Black and Chrome
Good but with some quirks
If you look up reviews elsewhere, you'll get more information. This model has been on the market for many years. I've been using mine for a few months and it works well, but with some quirks. I like that it has only one thing to operate, the button. An old boy style lighter has the cap and the flint wheel. I like a lighter that I can just click. It doesn't always light on the first click, but it usually does. The flame is easily blown out in a drafty place like in a car, whereas the old boy and the BIC Easy Reach lighter are both a bit more wind resistant. The flame size is nicely adjustable. The lighter holds a good amount of fuel and is refillable. It has a nice feel in the hand. One odd quirk is that when I click it, it will blow some of the ash out of my pipe if I am aiming the flame toward the ash. That has never happened with any other lighter I've used. The fix is to light the flame, then aim it into the bowl. Time will tell if it's durable, but so far, so good. I quit using the Easy Reach ligher and use this instead. I also use the Peterson old boy style lighter, which is my best one. Bottom line is that the only real problem I have with it is that it regularly needs more than one click to light it.


Tampers & Tools - Tsuge Pipe Cap
Excellent
This is an excellent tool for keeping ashes in a partially smoked pipe, or for keeping tobacco in a pipe that is filled for smoking later. Diameter of the plug is suitable for normal sized pipes-- too small for my pocket pipe. Bowl diameter of .75 inches to .85 inches is good. Larger than that and it's loose enough so that the plug goes deep into the bowl before sealing the bowl. That aside, It's a great tool that looks good and works well.


Tobacco Jars - 2-Liter CVault Humidified Tobacco Container
Superb
This, with the 62% Boveda pack is a great way to manage the moisture content of my tobacco. Highly recommended. I usually keep three Peterson tins, two pocket jars, and a hygrometer in mine. Compact. Easy to open and close. A good value for the money.


Peterson - Old Dublin 50g
Excellent
Old Dublin isn't my favorite English, but it's very good and I like it as an occasional change from my favorites. High quality and excellent flavor.


Peterson - Royal Yacht 50g
Excellent
An excellent occasional alternative to English tobaccos. High quality. Good flavor. Burns well and stays lit well. It does have a lot of nicotine, so I have to smoke it slowly. That's a feature, not a bug.


G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 2oz
Not my cup of tea
I like English tobaccos, but not this one. Tried it and discarded it.


Kramer's - Father Dempsey 50g
Not my cup of tea
Not much flavor. Makes my mouth feel dry. I tried it and discarded it.


Peterson - Irish Cask 50g
Very good flavor
A very good tobacco that I like as an occasional alternative to English tobaccos. High quality. Flavorful and pleasant.


Peterson - Early Morning Pipe 50g
Superb English tobacco flavor
Superb. Excellent flavor. Well behaved in the bowl: burns well and requires few relights. Good moisture right out of the tin, requiring little drying. Less nicotine than other Peterson favorites of mine, like Elizabethan and 965. There were a lot of reviews that said that there isn't much flavor. For me, the flavor is excellent and I will be buying it regularly. Reminiscent of Presbyterian, which I also like, though the two tobaccos are distinct and different.


Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Superb. Good on a hot summer day too
I just realized that I haven't smoked this in several months. I need to buy more. This blend is especially good on a hot summer day. I like the incense flavor of this tobacco. It is uniquely great for that incense quality. Delicious!


Davidoff - Danish Mixture 50g
Revised: My only aromatic
I tried most of the tobacco types over a period of a couple of years and learned to appreciate them all before choosing a few favorites. Though I favor English tobaccos, specifically 965 and Nightcap, most of the time, this mildly aromatic tobacco is superb. My favorite attribute of this tobacco is the variety of flavors I experience during a smoke: Strawberry, buttered popcorn, etc. There's always a delightful brief surprise in every bowl. Flavor is by no means excessively aromatic. It's subtly aromatic in a superb way. In my experience, it does not "ghost" the flavor of pipes that are used for non-aromatic blends. Also, this is a good blend for a hot summer day, which is something I can't say for many other blends.


Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture 50g
Revised: Great, but I have newer favorites
This was the first great tobacco I tried, and I still love it, but I have a new favorite: Peterson 965.


Sillem's - Black 100g
VERY aromatic
Excellent quality. Good flavor. A must-try for aromatic smokers. Do not smoke it in a pipe that is used for non-aromatic tobacco because the "ghosting" happens and it takes a few bowls of non-aromatic tobacco to remove the ghosting.


Sillem's - Red 100g
Not just aromatic, it's VERY aromatic
This is a good tobacco if you want to try a top quality aromatic. Excellent quality. Good smoking attributes.


Hearth & Home - Black House 1.75oz
Not my cup of tea
I tried to like this tobacco because it is highly recommended. I do not concur. I tried to like it but did not, and ended up discarding it.


Peterson - My Mixture 965 50g
Only 5 stars because 6 was not an option
This is a great tobacco, and if I have to choose one favorite, this is it. Great flavor. One of my favorite attributes is that the flavor varies considerably from pipe to pipe. It's always good, but the differences are a delightful quality. I will go so far as to say that this is the ideal pipe tobacco.


Peterson - Old Dublin 50g
Very good
If you're sorting through English tobaccos to find your favorite, then try this one. It's very good. Good flavor. Good cut. Excellent quality. Great packaging.


Cornell & Diehl - Super Balkan 2oz
I don't recognize it as ribbon cut
The cut is more like rubbed out flake tobacco, and I was expecting that a "ribbon" cut tobacco would be like the excellent Peterson ribbon cut. That made a bad first impression. The tobacco is of good quality, but the flavor is not my cup of tea. I prefer Nightcap and 965. That is too bad because I would like to buy from a smaller tobacco maker, but I just don't like this as much as I like my Peterson favorites.


Mac Baren - Plumcake 3.5oz
A good type of tobacco worth trying
I tried Plumcake because it's of the same type of tobacco as Peterson Irish Whiskey: a slightly whiskey flavored tobacco. This type of tobacco is under-rated. I recommend it to anyone who likes English tobacco and wants something compatible but a little different. I do prefer the Peterson Irish Whiskey, but I recommend trying both.


Peterson - Irish Whiskey 50g
Under-rated. Superb.
I didn't think I'd like this, but it is a favorite of mine. One of the few tobaccos I continue smoking after discarding every tobacco except those I like best. I compare it to Nightcap, but with a different flavor. The whiskey flavor is there, but I can hardly sense it. There's no latakia or oriental in this tobacco, but that is not a handicap. It's a bit strong, comparable to Nightcap. I have narrowed my preferences to English almost exclusively, but there are a couple of exceptions that I enjoy: This Irish Whiskey and Peterson Elizabethan.


G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 2oz
Not my cup of tea
I tried this as an experiment to see how it compared with my favorites (Nightcap and 965). I do not care for it, though it is of good quality. I did not care for the cut of the tobacco, which is a crumbly tobacco that is not like the easily folded and stuffed flake tobaccos. After smoking this off and on for about a month I discarded it. This is a good quality tobacco, but not my cup of tea. The biggest turn-off was the cut. That made a bad first impression, and since the Petersons are of such a superb ribbon cut, in addition to being superbly flavorful and well behaved in the pipe, I will stay with the Petersons.


Savinelli - Juno 2oz
Very good quality. Good smoking attributes.
This is a flake tobacco that is easily folded and stuffed. It burns consistently and stays lit well. I needed to dry it a bit after opening the tin, but that is normal for me. I tried this blend because it is a straight Virginia, which I had not had before. The flavor is of good quality tobacco, though it is not my cup of tea because I definitely prefer English tobacco. Oh well! Now I know. I will try other tobaccos from time to time, but I am clearly an English smoker by preference. For non-English, I do like the VaPer Elizabethan, which is nothing like Juno. Flavors are totally different.


Sutliff - Z92 Vanilla Custard
Excellent. Did not like it at first
I tried this in May 2022 and did not like it because the flavor was too strong. I stored it in a mason jar until October and tried it again and I like it a lot. A very good aromatic. Letting aromatic tobaccos age a bit is an important trick that I use. Sometimes they are better after they are aged for a few months, other times they are no better and I throw them away.


Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil 18ml
Am using as directed
I only use this because it's recommended for maintaining Vulcanite stems. I just assume that it works. I treat my vulcanite stems every couple of months with this and they do look like new. I honestly don't know why vulcanite stems are still made. Modern materials are much better.


Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - B. J. Long Pipe Cleaners - Extra Fluffy (32 pack)
Fabulous! Good if your pipe stem will accommodate them
These have a larger diameter than standard pipe cleaners, and that's a good thing for pipes that you can pass them through. I have bent pipes that don't work well with these, but they do work well with my straight pipes.


Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - Savinelli Magic Cloth
I like it and use it after each smoke
This cloth is very convenient to use and it helps keep my pipes in good condition. After a smoke, I clean it with pipe cleaners, then wipe it down with this cloth. Worth it if you have nice pipes that you want to keep looking good. This is for maintenance, not for buffing to remove scratch marks or rim discoloration. Five stars.


Stands & Pouches - Single Pipe Stand (Solid)
Excellent. For group 1 to group 6 size pipes
This works well for pipes ranging from small to large. Blonde colored wood. Nicely finished, good looking, and also works well as a pen holder.


Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture 50g
Fantastic!
This is a great blend. If I could only have one, this would be it. A bit spicy, and thus a good fit for a slow smoker. If you are a fast smoker, it might be a bit too harsh. This is my favorite mixture that contains perique. Five stars!


Peterson - My Mixture 965 50g
Very good but I prefer Standard Mixture
I like this blend, and it is excellent, but I do prefer Peterson Standard Mixture. They are similar, but different enough to make a difference to me.


Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
One of my favorites
Great flavor and savoriness. A good tobacco that tastes different in different pipes. In one pipe I get a strong incense flavor. In another pipe the incense flavor is muted and the other flavors are enhanced. I can understand why it's so popular. Five stars!


Peterson - De Luxe Navy Rolls 50g
Excellent. Like Elizabethan but more mellow
I like this and Peterson Elizabethan mixture. They are similar, but this one is not quite as spicy. Both are excellent. I like smoking half a coin of this in a tiny Peterson Belgique pipe for a twenty minute smoke. I just break a coin in half, fold one half, then stuff it into the bowl. It's a convenient "form factor". Works in larger pipes too, where I fold one coin in half, then in half again, then stuff it into the bowl. Five stars!


Peterson - Standard Mixture 50g
Well named and excellent
A great English tobacco. Very well named. I enjoy this at any time of day and anywhere I'm smoking. A good savory blend. Five stars!


Sillem's - Black 100g
Try this if you like aromatics
This is a superb aromatic. The topping is the star, and it is pleasantly sweet-like, similar to a good pastry containing fruit and vanilla. Delicious. I usually smoke English and VaPer and I like this for a change of taste. This tobacco does "ghost" my pipe and so I only smoke it in a pipe that's dedicated highly flavored aromatic blends. Similar to WO Larsen Signature blend: High quality, good flavor, very aromatic reminiscent of fruit and vanilla.


Peterson - Irish Whiskey 50g
Under-rated. This is excellent.
If you like Peterson Nightcap, you will probably like this too. They are similar. The flavors are different but similar. Both are good relaxing blends with a noticeable but not overpowering amount of nicotine. Five stars.


Peterson - Nightcap 50g
Excellent full flavored tobacco
I was reluctant to try Nightcap because of its reputation for having a lot of nicotine. I did not want that. But I tried it and it is really good and the nicotine is not very strong. It is relaxing and I do agree that it is a tobacco to smoke at the end of the day or on a day when you're housebound due to bad weather. Relaxing. Pleasant. Good English flavor. I will always have some of this on hand. Five stars. Also see Peterson Irish Whiskey blend which is similar, tastes good, and has about the same amount of nicotine. Also relaxing and under-rated.


Lane Limited - 1-Q
Excellent mouth feel and good flavor
I like this as a vanilla flavored aromatic because it has excellent mouth feel and it does not seem to "ghost" my pipe like some aromatics. This is a great aromatic. Five stars.


Davidoff - Danish Mixture 50g
My favorite aromatic
Excellent. The tobacco is the dominant flavor, but the added flavoring is superb. I get occasional different flavors that are delightful, like strawberry and buttered popcorn. They are brief delightful flavors that seldom repeat. The variety of flavor during a bowl keeps the flavor from being too sweet and cloying like a lot of aromatics are. I can smoke a large bowl of this for over an hour whereas I usually smoke aromatics for about twenty minutes before I've had enough. Five stars!


Tobacco Jars - PocketJar Smokingpipes.com Black
Excellent! Better than advertised
I bought all five colors, added two or three bowls worth of a different blend to each one, and dried all five to the best moisture content for smoking. Then I closed the PocketJars. For someone who only smokes a few bowls per week this is a great system. They are also very good for the advertised purpose of being convenient to carry. Each one is about the size of the containers that smokeless tobacco is commonly sold in for easy carry in a pants pocket. This is a great invention for the moderate pipe smoker. Five stars.


Davidoff - Danish Mixture 50g
Excellent overall
This may become my favorite tobacco. The overall pleasantness of the smoking experience is what makes it attractive. It is pleasantly relaxing, has good and varied flavor, and has pleasant room note. Flavor is delightfully complex, but seems to vary with ambient humidity and temperature and the pipe it's smoked in. Every day it's a little bit different. I have had flavors like strawberry, buttered popcorn, rose, rum-like liquor, and several unidentifiable but pleasant flavors appear in some of the puffs. It's delightful that way. There is no definite persistent flavor except that it tastes like good tobacco with these occasional bursts of surprising flavor. I like this understated fine quality. I have had other tobaccos with occasional bursts of good flavor, but this tobacco has the most pleasant and varied flavors. I tried this tobacco because I was looking for a tobacco that has good flavor and a pleasant room note. That is in reaction to other tobaccos I have tried that have pleasant room note but not much flavor. This tobacco has both good flavor and good room note, so it's pleasant for both the smoker and people who smell the smoke. My favorite pipe for this tobacco is the Savinelli 207. Technique notes: Smoking technique is to focus only on smoking. No reading or work or other distractions. Just enjoying the smoke. Outdoors only. A few bowls per week of pipe smoking. Lightly charring the tobacco initially and with relights. Sipping. Occasional retrohale. Peterson pipe lighter with smallest practical flame. Sometimes a BIC EZ Reach lighter. Am using a variant of the Frank method to pack a 2/3 full pipe without first putting loose tobacco in the bowl. I just take a wad of tobacco and press it into place Frank-style. Tobacco is stored in OXO POP container with size 60 Boveda 72% pack. Savinelli 207 smooth is my favorite pipe and favorite pipe design. Pipe Used: Various good quality briar pipes Age When Smoked: New to a few months Purchased From: SmokingPipes


Peterson - De Luxe Navy Rolls 50g
Pleasant. Convenient. Good flavor.
I like Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls because they are very pleasant in a small bowl pipe, and are very easy to pack well. One folded and stuffed coin per bowl in a small bowl like a Peterson 406 prince or Peterson Belgique is good, but one to one and a half coins in a more standard sized bowl is good too. I do not sense much perique and it is not nearly as spicy as Peterson Elizabethan. Although I usually prefer Elizabethan, the coins of this tobacco are charming and I like having them. De Luxe Navy Rolls are a good choice on days when I want something with a milder flavor than Peterson's Elizabethan, but with the same essential character. The small bowled Peterson Belgique is my favorite pipe for this tobacco, though I do smoke and enjoy it in larger bowls, as in the Savinelli Porto Cervo 122 pot. Technique notes: Smoking technique is to focus only on smoking. No reading or work or other distractions. Just enjoying the smoke. Outdoors only. A few bowls per week of pipe smoking. Lightly charring the tobacco initially and with relights. Sipping. Occasional retrohale. Peterson pipe lighter with smallest practical flame. Sometimes a BIC EZ Reach lighter. Pipe Used: Various briar and meerschaum Age When Smoked: New tin smoked occasionally for about two months Purchased From: SmokingPipes Similar Blends: Peterson's Elizabethan.


Lane Limited - 1-Q
Great mouth feel. Good flavor.
I like 1-Q because it has a great mouth feel and is a good change of pace after smoking English, VaPers, and Danish style aromatics for a while. I sense it as a sweet flavor with some vanilla flavor on retrohale. I can understand why it is as popular as it is. I always keep some and smoke it regularly. This is my favorite vanilla aromatic. My least favorite vanilla is Sutliff Z92 Vanilla Custard because it is so heavily flavored. Mouth feel of 1-Q is the best of any tobacco I've tried. It really is a pleasure and I wish more tobaccos could duplicate this quality. Technique notes: Smoking technique is to focus only on smoking. No reading or work or other distractions. Just enjoying the smoke. Outdoors only. A few bowls per week of pipe smoking. Lightly charring the tobacco initially and with relights. Sipping. Occasional retrohale. Peterson pipe lighter with smallest practical flame. Sometimes a BIC EZ Reach lighter. Am using a variant of the Frank method to pack a 2/3 full pipe without first putting loose tobacco in the bowl. I just take a wad of tobacco and press it into place Frank-style. Tobacco is stored in OXO POP container with size 60 Boveda 72% pack. Savinelli 207 smooth is my favorite pipe and favorite pipe design. Pipe Used: Various briar and meerschaum pipes Age When Smoked: New to 1 year Purchased From: SmokingPipes Similar Blends: Captain Black Original and several of vanilla flavored aromatics, but better.


Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Pleasant perfume-like flavor
My first review. I like Planta Presbyterian because it has a pleasant perfume-like flavor. It is this distinct flavor that I find attractive. I don't sense it as a sweet flavor, but like a musky perfume. Interesting is that the tin note smells like barbecued pork or similar savory smoked meat, but as usual, the smoke tastes nothing like the tin note. As of August 2022 my favorite tobacco is Peterson Elizabethan. Am happily exploring the Danish style aromatics, with reviews to follow. Will edit this review for meerschaum soon, if possible. Otherwise I'll enter a new review just for the meerschaum. Technique notes: Smoking technique is to focus only on smoking. No reading or work or other distractions. Just enjoying the smoke. Outdoors only. Lightly charring the tobacco initially and with relights. Sipping. Occasional retrohale. Peterson pipe lighter with smallest practical flame. Sometimes a BIC EZ Reach lighter. Am using a variant of the Frank method to pack a 2/3 full pipe without first putting loose tobacco in the bowl. I just take a wad of tobacco and press it into place Frank-style. Tobacco is stored in OXO POP container with size 60 Boveda 72% pack. Pipes used: Peterson X105 Billiard, Dunhill 4107 Prince, Savinelli Porto Cervo 122 Pot, Savinelli Giubilieo D'Oro 207 Billiard Variant. Savinelli 207 smooth is my favorite pipe and favorite pipe design. Pipe Used: Various good quality briar pipes Age When Smoked: New tin smoked occasionally for about two months Purchased From: SmokingPipes Similar Blends: Nothing else I've tried..