Thomas M.
Badges

St. Bruno - Flake 1.75oz
My Go To
This has become my favorite smoke. It comes a little damp, but I rub the flakes out and let it air our for a little while and it smokes like a dream. This has become one of my most smoked blends. I wish it was a little cheaper, and also that it would go on sale when there are deals on MacBaren products. Next time there is any kind of sale that covers St. Bruno, I will probably buy a dozen tins.

Warped - Scarecrow 2oz
Something Different
I ordered four tins of this when it first went on sale. I sat on them for a few weeks and then immediately started plowing through my first tin of it. Has an interesting tin note. Kinda sweet, kinda boozy. It rubs out nearly perfectly with minimum effort and lit and stayed lit extremely well. This tobacco seems to be purpose built for use with a MM Little Devil Cutty. When I first started smoking a pipe, I'd see reviews for tobacco that ended with "burns to a clean white ash." I thought that was some stuff you guys made up, because that doesn't happen in the real world. Except it does. At least with this tobacco and pipe combination. I should have bought another couple tins, but I've got plenty of other tobaccos to smoke, but I'm hoping this becomes a yearly release.

St. Bruno - Ready Rubbed 1.75oz
A New Favorite
I ordered a pouch of this off of the strength of a Mystery Tobacco Review. It sounded like something I might enjoy. I opened the pouch and was a little confused by the smell, but clearly I got over it and dove in head first. This has become the blend that I take with me when I'm going out somewhere. It's slightly more moist than I like my tobacco, but that works out perfectly for me, since I throw a few bowls worth in a tobacco pouch and it slowly dries out as the day goes on. It's easy to pack, easy to light and keep lit, and it tastes incredible. I've blown through several pouches of this and a tin of the flake. I only wish this was sold in bulk. I would buy it by the pound.

G. L. Pease - Windjammer 2oz
Delicious
I love a navy Flake. My tins definitely aren't flakes, but they're delicious nonetheless. Not as heavy on the perique as I thought it would be, but that isn't a bad thing. This is like a complex red wine. I really enjoy it. I ordered 2 tins right off the bat and then when Pease blends went on sale I bought another 8. I'll probably be buying these ten at a clip every time there is a sale, because I really like it and I think it is going to age extremely well.

Mac Baren - HH Burley Flake 16oz
Perfect Everyday Smoke
I found a tin of this at a B & M I was checking out. Got it home, popped the tin, and proceeded to blow through it in about a week. I'm currently cellaring as much of this as possible. It's a slightly less intense Solani Aged Burley Flake, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I typically rub my flakes out, and it smokes great in every pipe I've put it in. Highly recommended. I forsee myself buying several pounds more and filling many, many, mason jars of this.

Cornell & Diehl - Redburn 2oz
Nice Strong Burley Blend
I started getting into burley about a year ago, so I ordered this because it seemed interesting. For whatever reason, I never popped the tin. I eventually got around to it, and when I did, the tin had probably just under two years of age on it. I've been smoking it in bigger bowls, and really enjoying it. It's got a decent amount of nicotine, and the flavor is pretty good. You get a little sweetness, a little booze, and a decent amount of tobacco flavor. I will be buying this again to age and smoke somewhere down the line.

Five Brothers - Five Brothers 1.25oz
Perfect For What I Need
I have a high nicotine tolerance. Like, problematically high. The only time I've ever felt any nicotine effects from pipe tobacco is when I smoked a HUGE bowl of C & D Redburn followed by a cigarette. That got me a little clammy. I kept seeing this listed as a high nicotine content blend, and went back and forth on ordering it for over a year. I finally pulled the trigger, and it's pretty obvious I'll be getting a pouch with every order. I love smoking 1 Q, but there's no oomph to it. If I pack a bowl half and half with 1 Q and this, it is my absolute ideal nicotine level. I don't taste a ton of the 5 Brothers, but it helps the blend burn a little drier and delivers that sweet, sweet, lifegiving nicotine to me. I haven't tried smoking it straight yet, but this has been a gamechanger for me. Plus, you can't beat the price.

Mac Baren - Navy Flake 3.5oz
Excellent
My tins of this showed up with a couple years of age on them, so I think that maybe my first experience with this blend is somewhat biased. It showed up at the perfect moisture. It rubs out super easy, and lately, it's been smoking perfect. I get a real strong honey taste from it, with a little rum mixed in. It does really well in a big bent billiard I have, with a deep chamber. I should have ordered more than 2 tins.

Cornell & Diehl - Easy Times 2oz
Still Trying to Figure it Out
This blend is hit or miss for me. Sometimes it's cool and tasty, and other times it burns hot and kind of gross. When it's good, though, it's really good. So good, in fact, that I'm going to keep trying to figure this one out, because it could be a favorite some time down the road.

Kramer's - Father Dempsey
Great English
I've been smoking Cary Grant for a while now. I always wanted to try Father Dempsey, but I kept forgetting to order it. When Kramer's went on sale a little ways back, I said screw it and ordered 8 oz of it without ever trying it. I'm glad I did. This is going to be my on the go English blend. Cheap, easy to pack, and delicious. I love Westminster and Star of the East Flake, but this is right up there with them.

Cutters & Accessories - Craftsman's Bench V-Cutter
I Guess It's Ok
I smoked cigars when I was younger, and had a cheap v cutter that worked perfectly fine. I lost it at some point in the 15 years since I last smoked cigars. I ordered this just to have a cutter. Mine doesn't open all the way, and feels like it gets stuck while you're cutting your cigar. It cut the cigar, but just barely. I guess in an emergency this would work, but I'll be purchasing a different one soon.

Cornell & Diehl - Crooner 2oz
Weird, In a Good Way
I've been curious about this blend since I started smoking a pipe. When I saw C & D was on sale, I figured I'd give it a go. It's got a unique smell. I keep smelling cinnamon and other baking spices. I like the smell. It was the perfect moisture, the cut is fun and easy to work with. It packs well, takes the flame well, and smokes cool and dry. It's got an interesting taste, but all in all, it's fairly enjoyable. It's making me curious about other deertongue blends. Not sure if I'd buy this again, or keep it in the cellar, but that could very easily change.

Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Classic Burley
After smoking this in several different pipes, I've finally found a winning combination. Smoked out of a larger bent billiard, this blend smokes cool and dry. Slowing your cadence down to a snail's pace brings out a slight sweetness that I wasn't getting in smaller bowls. Tends to veer into cigar like notes if you push it, but all in all, this is a pretty decent tobacco at a good price. Came at a perfect moisture, which is tricky with bulk blends. Not sure if this will be a regular smoke for me, but I'll probably always have a few ounces on hand.

G. L. Pease - Westminster 2oz
Almost Perfect
I've been on the lookout for great English blends since I started smoking a pipe. I've got some I really like, and some that didn't really agree with me. I kept hearing about Westminster, and decided it was time. I popped the tin and it was a beautiful ribbon cut with absolutely perfect moisture. I smoked it in a Ropp pipe with a fairly small chamber, and wasn't terribly impressed. I then started working through the pipes I reserve for blends with latakia, and it smokes like a dream in a big bent pot and in a Dublin I have. I've been smoking at least one bowl a day of this for over a week. It's actually helped me become a better pipe smoker. I've slowed down my cadence and it's made all the difference. I often want to just puff like a freight train, but now that I know that I am capable of smoking slowly, I'm doing it more often. This is a beautiful, dry smoke. It's a little incensey, it's a little smokey, and to be honest, it's almost gone. I will be ordering this on a regular basis from here on out. A true "All Day English."

Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture 50g
Does It Live Up to the Hype?
Short answer? Sort of. Long answer? This is another blend that's been put on a pedestal by a lot of smokers. When Peterson reintroduced the Dunhill blends, I decided to take the plunge and order a tin. I've been enjoying it, but it's nothing special. At least not for me. I'm going to keep trying different pipes and packing methods, because while it isn't what I thought it would be, there's something there and I want to see this through.

G. L. Pease - Gaslight 2oz
Still Trying to Get the Hang Of It
Everyone flips out about this blend. I'd never smoked a plug before, and I was super interested in it. I followed Mr. Pease's instructions and sliced it thin and rubbed it into a fine shag and loaded it into a small chambered pipe. It was pretty good, but I was left wondering if this blend was overly hyped or if I just don't know what I'm doing. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I do enjoy this blend when I'm smoking it. It's just not the sublime tobacco experience everyone swears it is. I'll keep trying. I may order a few tins for the cellar and see what a few years aging does to it.

Lane Limited - HGL
Not A Favorite
I love 1 Q, I love English blends. I was sure that this would be the be all, end all for me. Kramer's A Blend For Cary Grant is a favorite of mine, so anything listed as an "English Aromatic" will at least pique my interest. It smelled interesting when I opened it, and not necessarily in a good way. I smoked a few bowls of it, and it just didn't do it for me. Perhaps I should revisit this blend in the future.

Solani - Aged Burley Flake - 656 50g
My Favorite Burley
This has become one of my top three blends, and my number one burley blend. 3 mornings a week, I rub out a flake, let it dry for 20 minutes, stuff into some sort of billiard, and smoke it as I drink coffee on my way to work. It tastes great. I get a little bit of cocoa if I slow down my cadence. I think a lot of people that describe tobacco in flowery adjectives are full of it most of the time. For me, you either like the taste or you don't. And I like the taste of this. A lot. I've got a dozen tins stashed as we speak, and will be adding more as often as I can.

Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox 2oz
Very Interesting
I've been trying to expand my horizons in regards to pipe tobacco lately. I typically go for heavy English blends. I decided to order a 2 oz tin of this, and I've been enjoying it. When I'm actually able to control my cadence and smoke as cool as possible, Briar Fox is delicious. Of course, I get that taste, and get excited and puff entirely too hard and it gets a little spicy for my taste. Once I learn to pace myself a little better, I can see this being a regular smoke for me. Besides, who doesn't love a crumble cake?

Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Pretty Good
I ordered a tin of this the last time it was on sale. Sat on it a little while before I opened it. I had too many other blends to smoke. I finally got around to trying it one night outside of my old place. I had just finished my charring light and initial few puffs when a skunk ran past me. I put the bowl out and went back inside. Second time I tried it, it was a freezing cold night and I was almost racing through the bowl to get back inside and warm up. Then one night, I brought some to a wedding with my Ropp pipe, which has a smaller chamber than most of my pipes. I hastily packed a bowl and went outside while my friends smoked cigars. This time, the weather was right, there was no skunk, and I chose the right bowl. It was a great smoke, and I've been enjoying it ever since. It smelled so good that one of my friends expressed an interest in pipe smoking, so I recently gifted a tin of it to him, along with a corn cob pipe. I bought another tin for myself to cellar, and will enjoy this on special occasions from henceforth.

Cornell & Diehl - Corn Cob Pipe and A Button Nose 2oz
Not for me.
I was excited to try this one. I'm pretty sure that I ordered it the day it was released. Waited till the middle of December to pop the tin. Smelled exactly as advertised. I packed a cob and lit it, and then... meh. I know most tobacco's don't taste like they smell, but I was hoping this one would, because it smelled delicious. The cut on it was great, really easy to pack and was ready to smoke with no drying time. Mechanically, it was great. As good as any tobacco I've tried. But for me, the taste wasn't there.

Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East
An Experiment Gone Right
I've been loving Star of the East Flake, so I decided to check out the bulk offering of it. Ordered a 1 oz sample. It came a little dry out of the bag, but my unsophisticated palate couldn't tell the difference between the flake and the bulk. I may screw around and order a pound the next time C & D bulk blends go on sale.

Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake 2oz
A New Favorite
I've been digging deeper into English blends, and this one seems to be my favorite thus far. Smells like salty bbq sauce out of the tin, rubs out easily, packs easily, and smokes like a dream. Blew through a 2 oz tin, and ordered a couple 8 ouncers. One to smoke, one to cellar. The 8 oz tins showed up with a year of age on them already, can't wait to give it a try.

Lane Limited - 1-Q
Just What I Was Looking For
I ordered an ounce just to see what the fuss was about. My tastes generally lean towards all things English, but this scratched an itch I didn't even know I had. Not particularly bold in the taste department, but something I can put in any pipe and mindlessly enjoy. I'll be ordering more with my next order, and it's gonna be a lot closer to a pound than an ounce.

Davidoff - Royalty 50g
My First Tobacco
So, I decided to start smoking a pipe. This tobacco sounded good. I bought a tin and a couple cobs, and gave it a whirl. It was apparently good, because I've been smoking a pipe every day since this showed up in the mail. Excellent flavor, great moisture out of the tin. I enjoy this at night, it helps me relax. It won't knock you out with flavor or nicotine, but it's still a pretty great smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - Blockade Runner 2oz
Maybe It's Me.
I was super excited to try this. I really like Virginias. The nautical thing is appealing to me. I popped the tin, and it smelled like Red Man chewing tobacco. Another plus. The cake rubbed out with little to no effort. It packed easy. It took the flame well. And then I just couldn't get into the taste. I may sit on this for a little while and come back to it. Hopefully some age will do this well. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I had hoped for.

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Bang For My Buck
The price is right on this one. Smells great out of the bag and burns well. No tongue bite. Easy to rub out or fold. I will probably buy more when I run out to smoke and age.

Kramer's - Blend for Cary Grant
I can dig it.
Ordered this bulk based on the strength of the reviews and curiosity over "Irish Aromatic." I really like it. I used it to try out two pipes I restored. Smoked a bit wet in a bent apple, but was just right in a nice bent bulldog. I could see this becoming an every day smoke.

Velvet - Velvet 1.5oz
Time machine?
I tried giving this 4 stars but for some reason it got stuck on 3.5. I don't know a single person that's ever been a pipe smoker. No saintly grandfather, no beatnik uncle. I have zero formative memories of pipes or smells. But smoking velvet makes me pine for a time that never existed for me. It's pretty great. Smells great, tastes pretty good. Doesn't burn my tongue even though I puff pretty hard. I'm just waiting for a 12 oz tub to be restocked.

G. L. Pease - Chelsea Morning 2oz
Nice First Smoke of the Day
I went through about a month long phase of packing this into a cob first thing in the morning at work while I drank coffee and delayed getting started. The cut is good, the moisture is good, and it tastes good. Didn't notice a ton of nicotine, but it was a good contemplative smoke for the morning.

Sutliff - Ready Rubbed Match
Decent Burley Blend
This didn't seem to be as aromatic as advertised, but still tasted pretty good. A pleasant, if barely noticeable room note accompanies a light chocolate taste. Easy to pack, but it needs a little dry time. I bought 4 oz of it and will probably be sitting on it for a while, as I've found other blends that I enjoy more. I will probably revisit it some time in the future.

Orlik - Golden Sliced 50g
Good Beginner Flake
This was the first flake I ever ordered. It rubs out easily and is also conducive to effective fold and stuff packing. The 50 gram tin is easier to deal with than the 100. Good moisture out of the tin and a very nice taste that seems perfect for summer months.

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