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Welcome to Codger Country, the series where we'll be smoking every Codger blend — commonly found over-the-counter tobacco blends — we can find and ranking them in an effort to find the "definitive" Codger blend. From Carter Hall to Captain Black, we're giving them all a fair shake. Today, we're smoking a Sir Walter Raleigh, which according to the marketing "has been savored by pipe smokers for over 75 years."
Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco was first introduced in 1927 and has been a staple in cellars across the world. It was acquired in 2000 by Scandinavian Tobacco Group, though at the time of acquisition they were Lane and were available in two styles: Regular and Aromatic. There was a third at one point in time named SWR Gold but it's since been discontinued. We'll be smoking the regular SWR today, which is topped with anise and molasses.
Initial Impressions
Open up the pouch, take a whiff, and it's a subtle smell at first. There's a lot of earthiness but I can smell the tickles of spice and cocoa. There's a nuttiness that's familiar to Burley smokers. I have a feeling this is going to be a mellow smoke. As with most pouches, it's a little brick until you run your fingers through it. Moisture level is just right straight out of the pouch. It's a cross-cut Burley blend, somewhere in between cube-cut and ribbon form, resulting in a chunkier format compared to most ribbon-cut mixtures.
It packs easily into my Savinelli St. Nicholas 2018 320 KS, and takes to the flame easily. No false start in my experience, just nice and easy puffing straight from the jump. In the first couple puffs I get a lot of that classic Burley nuttiness. There's tickles of cocoa and baking spice too. As I puff on, it starts to remind me of a classic American coffee like Maxwell House: smooth and bold, warm and comforting. It's a really good fall smoke, perfect for a stroll through the neighborhood with crunching leaves underfoot and cool winds blowing.
Towards the end, it becomes more creamy, with a lot of hazelnut and cocoa coming through. It's a satisfying conclusion to a smoke that burns cool throughout and leaves a little pile of gray ash to dump into the wind at the end. Like so many codgers, SWR is an easy, all-day smoke, though I preferred it in the morning with my coffee then switching to something more complex when the pot ran empty.
Nicotine is medium; Burley can pack a punch if you're smoking too fast or just aren't prepared but it's gonna be as high as something like Five Brothers or Riverboat Gambler. SWR is peanut-gallery approved. Among all the folks I've smoked it around, no one complained and some even went as far as complimenting the room note.
Is Sir Walter Raleigh Regular Worth It?
Sir Walter Raleigh regular is an easy, no-nonsense smoke. If you want classic, nostalgic, traditional pipe tobacco, then this is for you. It's safe, reliable, affordable, and convenient. While not my favorite OTC I've smoked in this series, I did enjoy my time with it. There are others I'd put before it based on my preferences for an all-day smoke but I wouldn't complain if it's all I've got. Available in 1.5oz pouches or 7oz tins, SWR is accessible for those unsure of its staying power in their rotation without a large commitment and affordable for those who want a lot of it around with no chance of running out.
Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts on Sir Walter Raleigh regular. I'd love to know what everyone thinks of this beloved blend. Join me next time as we continue our journey through Codger Country together.
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Comments
I've been waiting for this.
What year was this pack from?
Please take one from current inventory. They completely messed up this blend and it's a vinegar bath now. And they have done nothing to fix it, it's been a couple years now.
I've noticed the same thing with SWR. A strong vinegary taste and smell. I'd love to smoke some of the older stock
SWR was my first tobacco as a young pipe smoker. I found it easy to light, with the cocoa notes coming at the first puff. Learning to enjoy my pipe I tended to rush it a bit and got tongue bite. Room note was acceptable to my wife (who is not in favor of stronger tobacco room note}. I still have two pouches that are about ten years old. I am sorry to hear that the blend has been changed. It was a staple in my humidor for years.
The blend has completely changed. It is all vinegar now. I would encourage you to review the current production and it will vary considerably from this review.
I first smoked SWR from a pouch and enjoyed it, so I bought a tin late last year. I really tried to smoke it but the vinegar smell was just too much. I jarred it and put it in the very back of my cabinet, hoping it’ll calm down by the time I finally get back to it again. If not, I’ll just throw it away, which is NOT something I normally do. I won’t be buying any more though.
I agree with everyone else about Sour Walter Raleigh. I still like it because there's no chance of an alkaline bite, but I would like to have tried the old blend without all the vinegar (or sodium diacetate). It's almost like smoking a bag of salt and vinegar chips.
I was disappointed in reading this review of Sir Walter Raleigh. As many others have noted here, SWR no longer no longer exists. The writer of this review must not have read any of the comments on this site's SWR page. Do your homework.
I wanted to like this for outdoorsy smoke in cobs, but the I couldn't get past the vinegar. I thought I was doing something wrong, but I finally threw it away. The Aromatic blend is not vinegary and smokes a lot differently.
The aromatic blend is a solid hazelnut smoke. Simple hazelnut, and the leaf tastes like Sir Walter Raleigh with some added Virginia taste. Not something I personally reach for as I don't care much for aromatics, but I'm happy to have tries it.
The SWR Aromatic is a great smoke. One in my rotation.
SWR regular still smells of vinegar. I was excited to try it, but very vey disapponted. I opened 2 pouches tonight and tossed them both. Super heavy vinegar aroma. I ain't smoking that. Not a chance. 3/12/26
New pipe smoker here. I agree. I was not expecting vinegar. Fortunately, I only purchased the 1.5oz. I will let it sit in the shelf for awhile as others have mentioned. Surprised the manufacturer has gotten away with this for so long.