Tobacco Talk

Mystery Tobacco Review: June 2023

June 22, 2023 by Alan Britt

1 Comment

Welcome back to the Mystery Tobacco Review! We're pleased to introduce Lori Gregor of our Customer Service team, who has agreed to challenge Truett, Shane, and me with a mysterious, unidentified tobacco. Lori appreciates fine quality in her whiskeys, wines, cigars, and pipe tobaccos, so we may have something ... Read More

Tasting Notes: Drucquer & Sons’ The Merry Monk

June 8, 2023 by Shane Ireland

1 Comment

Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Tasting Notes. Today, I'll be reviewing the most recent release from Drucquer & Sons, The Merry Monk. I was particularly interested in this blend, because it satisfies two of my preferred criteria for an English mixture: Firstly, it's a flake-cut blend, and secondly, there's a little ... Read More

Proper Pipe Tobacco Humidification

June 2, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

48 Comments

The most wonderfully flavorful tobacco I've ever hated is Dark Star by McClelland, which is no longer manufactured. It was deliciously complex, with a fruity spice flavor and a sweet, complex, multi-flavored smoke. However, I was never able to keep it lit and it frustrated me. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: May 2023

May 31, 2023 by Alan Britt

5 Comments

Welcome back to the Mystery Tobacco Review! We're pleased to introduce Mr. Davis Hooker of our Customer Service Department, who has accepted the distinguished and powerful position of Inquisitor for this month's review. Davis is known for his practical and down-to-Earth approach to projects, so he may have chosen ... Read More

Top 11 Best-Selling English Blends

April 28, 2023 by John McElheny

85 Comments

While its definition has been the source of much debate, the English family of pipe tobacco, today, typically refers to any blend that contains a significant percentage of Latakia. Unlike Burley or Virginias, Latakia is not a specific varietal or type of tobacco, per se; rather, it's a type of Oriental leaf that has undergone ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: April 2023

April 13, 2023 by Shane Ireland

2 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of The Mystery Tobacco Review. Today, we have the pleasure of smoking one unknown blend selected for us by Mr. J.P. Hanna. Now for those of you who aren't local to our area, J.P. is an active member of the Low Country Pipe Club — a local pipe group that meets regularly at our brick-and-mortar store ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: March 2023

March 30, 2023 by Truett Smith

6 Comments

Hello, everyone! We're back again on another episode of the Mystery Tobacco Review with Shane Ireland, David Wheelock, Alan Britt, and myself. For this March 2023 edition, we turned to Laudisi Distribution Group's National Account Manager, Kaz Walters, as our Inquisitor. Kaz has featured in the Mystery Tobacco Review ... Read More

Tasting Notes: The Beast

March 22, 2023 by Shane Ireland

2 Comments

Welcome back to Tasting Notes, everyone. In this very special episode, I'm revisiting a blend I initially reviewed over seven years ago: Cornell & Diehl's The Beast. Originally released in 2016, The Beast was actually the second installment in the Small Batch line, and today I'm taking a closer look at C&D's 2023 ... Read More

The Return of The Beast

March 17, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

39 Comments

It has been two years since Small Batch: The Beast last lumbered from the primordial swamps of Louisiana to plunder and ravage the expectations of pipe smokers with its terrifying abundance of Perique. The Beast is 51 percent Perique — enough to satisfy the most intrepid enthusiast and possibly intimidate those seasoned by conventional mixtures. ... Read More

Erik Stokkebye: The Fourth Generation

March 3, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

3 Comments

Representing his family's fourth generation in the tobacco business, Erik Stokkebye has been immersed in the trade over his entire lifetime. Appropriately, Erik is the founder and driving force behind Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation tobaccos and 4th Generation pipes. ... Read More