Codger Country: Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey

Codger Country: Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey | Daily Reader

Welcome to Codger Country, the series where we'll be smoking every Codger blend we can and ranking them in an effort to find the "definitive" Codger blend. From Carter Hall to Super Value, we're giving them all a fair shake. Today, we're taking a look at Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey pipe tobacco, which if the old ads are to be believed, will be "Smooth Sailing with Borkum Riff."

Borkum Riff is one of the "newer" Codgers in the world compared to most, being launched in Sweden in 1962. The name comes from a lighthouse with the same name in Heligobland Bight off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. The lighthouse is a bit of an iconic landmarker for both seafarers and radio fans in Sweden, where weather reports would mention it several times each day.

The tobacco is a rough-cut blend of Virginia and Burley tobacco developed by one Bertil Sandegård, who created the original blend with the goal of breaking into the U.S. pipe-tobacco market. The initial sales for the original blend were slow at first but when Bourbon Whiskey was introduced to the U.S. in 1969, sales dramatically increased and solidified the brand as an iconic staple in cellars around the world.

Borkum Riff is currently owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group and is produced at their Orlik factory in Assens, Denmark.

Initial Impressions

Bourbon Whiskey is composed of Bright Virginia and Burley tobaccos blended and infused with eight-year-old Kentucky Bourbon, and as Kentucky is the home where my heart resides, I have some big expectations for this blend.

The initial pouch note is hay, like a gut punch of just straight hay. Give it a few seconds, smell again, and it's got a sweetness to it; you can tell this is infused tobacco. The pouch tells me this is 65% Virginia and 35% Black Cavendish, which definitely explains the hay I got. It's well packed together. I had to break out clumps and rub them between my palms to get it ready for my Eltang Basic Rusticated Brown Poker.

I didn't feel the need to dry this out. It's not gooey and feels ready to go out of the pouch. Unlike other Codgers, I didn't leave this in the pouch to carry around, instead opting for a Pocketjar, and putting the rest in a standard mason jar. I feared it would dry out too much for my liking if I kept it in the pouch. One final smell before I light, and I can definitely pick up on the bourbon more and feel the whispers of vanilla.

It takes the initial light well with not a lot of effort to keep it going on my part, and we settle into a rhythm. It's fine. The room note is very pleasant, not one of just bourbon, but that vanilla and hay, just like the tin note. The taste on the first couple of draws is a lot of that Virginia hay with some sweet citrus twinges. You can taste the bourbon to an extent. I think the use of eight-year-old bourbon is pure marketing. Until Jeremy Reeves comes and knocks me aside the head, you could tell me this was Pappy or Four Roses, and I would just smile and nod. There's some sweetness from the Cavendish, but overall this is a very underwhelming blend.

Most of the time with these Codger blends, Burley is a real star doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but here I'm not really picking up on it. Sometimes I get a whisper of nuts, but it's gone in the next puff. I'm searching for any real depth but it's not giving me a lot. It burns consistently, its taste and room note are pleasant enough, it's affordable, and easily attainable, but I think it lacks any real staying power, at least in my rotation. There's good clean ash when it's done that is easy to knock out of the bowl, I'll give it that. I have the mildest of nicotine feeling from a bowl, like I smoked a Camel Blue 99 too fast. A short and fleeting nicotine rush that calls for you to have another bowl if you want to keep that alive.

I spent about a week with each blend in Codger Country, dedicating most of my smokes to getting a feel for it, and Bourbon Whiskey was reliable. I honestly forgot what I was smoking a lot of the time; the placeholder title I used for this while writing was, "Uh I don't know, the pouch isn't next to me, I'll fill this in later." Which I think pretty much sums up my experience with Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey: I'll smoke it if it's around, but the moment it's not directly in my face, I'm going to forget about it.

As our third stop in Codger Country, I honestly have a hard time recommending this one. It's perfectly acceptable, you won't hate it if you try it, but if you went your entire life without smoking this, I don't feel like you're missing out on a golden goose. You can get it in both a 1.5oz pouch and 7oz tub on-site for a reasonable price. I wouldn't cellar it just like I wouldn't waste eight-year bourbon on it, but if this is your favorite tobacco, then I always recommend having a stockpile.

Have you tried Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey? Got a Codger you're dying to see me try? Let me know in the comments below, and join me next time as we continue our journey in Codger Country together.

Codger Country: Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey | Daily Reader
Category:   Tobacco Talk
Tagged in:   Codger Country Tobacco

Comments

  • Travis W. on January 19, 2025

    One of the first pipe tobaccos I ever tried, and one of the first I forgot about. Spot on. Please post these more regularly!

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  • Egrubbs on January 19, 2025

    Borkum Riff Bourbob Whiskey brings back fond memories for me. Back in the 70’s and 80’s a father figure to me and my pipe smoking inspiration smoked this. This was before the internet and boutique tobaccos. You picked this up at the local mom &pop grocery store along with the other codgers. I keep some in the cellar to smoke a bowl and reminisce every now and then. R.I.P. Doug Craig

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  • Paul B. on January 19, 2025

    I haven’t had this since the 70s. Before the internet most of my purchases were at the corner drug store. Not much of a choice. I remember when this showed up and we all glad it did. Smoked a lot of it. I’ll have to try it again.

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  • Popeye on January 19, 2025

    Rose, you seem to have the magic touch. Please review Butera: Pelican 2oz Pipe Tobacco, maybe it will appear available and on sale 💲💲💲 Even if the most sour hearted pipe smoker didn't like the blend, they would secretly be loving the tin art in their seafaring heart🌊🐚⚓🏴‍☠️

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    • Rose on January 20, 2025

      Thanks, Popeye.
      I'll see what I can do in regards to trying Pelican.

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  • Douglas F. on January 22, 2025

    Thanks for the writeup. I did the codger journey last summer. Prince Albert and Velvet ended up tops for me, but there are a few good ones, including Sir Walter Raleigh Original, Half and Half, and Borkum Riff Original. Don't forget Paladin, which sometimes gets a bad rap but is both a good codger and a good cherry. Within the codger family, you'll notice slight differences in the burn, which can sometimes be the go-ahead feature over a similar blend. Enjoy the series!

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  • Gary B. on January 22, 2025

    Been meaning to try this blend along with the Cherry Cavendish and the Cherry liquor. Would like to you review those two along with Half & Half.

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  • Buffalo Bill on February 3, 2025

    The whiskey flavor comes through pretty good. Taste like Irish Whiskey (Jameson) to me. Very clean whiskey taste, unlike spicey bourbon. I thought the flavor was good. The hottest tobacco I have ever smoked. Almost dangerously hot. I tried it once and once was enough. If you try it, make sure to use a filter or use a Canadian (6") long pipe. If you get tongue burn, I told ya so.

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