Has Borkum Riff Changed ?

jpbass · Dec 29, 2013

I know that their tobaccos are usually the scourge of a lot of the people on this forum, myself included. But I got a coupon in the mail to get a pouch for a $1.00, so I went for it. I got the Bourbon blend, and I'm actually rather enjoying in, and it even looks different from what I remember. of course I hadn't purchased any since the early 80's. has anybody else tried their new tobaccos, and if you have, what do you think ?

sjb3 · Dec 29, 2013

I tried their bourbon blend about a month ago (free sample pouch) with very low expectations due to all the hate it gets and I found it actually quite pleasing. Nothing great but better than what people have said about it. I thought it was just a personal taste thing but it seems like others (you) like it as well. My package was really dry so I wonder if that had anything to do it. Was your pouch moist or dry?

mso489 · Dec 29, 2013

My sister and her husband brought me two pouches of Borkum Riff a Christmas ago,

from The Netherlands, and I found it pretty good, and occasionally jazz it up with

other tobaccos. But it was not bad on its own. Since Forums isn't too supportive on

this brand, I didn't talk it up, but I did mention it, and the fact that I found it okay.

At the time, I thought maybe the blend sold in Holland was better for some reason.

I think many of the OTC tobaccos are better than their reputations. We all love the

high grade tins and bulk available, but most of the OTC's are durable old blends and

satisfactory and sometimes quite satisfying. I say, when you can get a pouch for a dollar,

go for it.

jpbass · Dec 29, 2013

My package was really dry so I wonder if that had anything to do it. Was your pouch moist or dry?

I found it to be a little more dry than a lot of the blends I'm accustomed to, but not excessively dry. I don't mind baccy that's a little on the dry side though.

Perique · Dec 29, 2013

The last time I smoked Borkum Riff was about 3 years ago. And it was horrific. It would be great if they have upgraded the quality of their product.
Any other testimonials?

JimInks · Dec 29, 2013

Someone bought a pouch of the bourbon blend, and sent me part of it a couple of months ago. It's much better made than it used to be, and is made by a different company. A couple of bowls had a chemical taste, but many did not. It's not a nirvana smoke by any means, but at least it didn't burn hot and give me tongue bite like the old version used to. And it did taste like bourbon, which the old version hardly ever did.

jah76 · Dec 30, 2013

I had a pouch of their cherry blend last year and couldn't finish a bowl. Something in it hurt the roof of my mouth and made it taste like metal. To be fair...many higher end Aro's tend to do the same thing too.
I tend to stick with CB: Dark when it comes to OTC.

sjb3 · Dec 30, 2013

jpbass and jiminks, I wonder if they are using less preservative chemicals in the tobacco now, hence the dryness. This may allow for better tobacco taste to come through. My pouch was not goopy at all like the other otc blends that i have tried (even though it doesn't bother me a bit). I just received the same $1 coupons today so i will be able to better formulate my opinion on Borkum Riff.

judcole · Dec 30, 2013

It couldn't be worse than it used to be. :P

lawmax3 · Dec 30, 2013

Just tried some of it yesterday for the first time (free sample pouch).

It was not terrible but was not something I would buy in the future. I had to smoke it very slowly. If I pushed it I could tell that It was going to bite horribly.

aristokles · Dec 30, 2013

Poor Borkum Riff. I smoked plenty of the original Whiskey (bourbon) before confirming my preference for English blends back in the late '60s, early '70s. Yes, it has changed some since its introduction, but it is close to its old self.

It seems that anything pouched sold in the USA is assumed to be a cheap OTC (Sail comes to mind as well). This does not hold in Europe,imo. At a buck a pouch, I will exercise my coupon soon (real soon, it's short dated).

moses · Dec 30, 2013

OP: I got that same coupon in the mail and gave it to a gent I work with. He's the only other pipe smoker at my work, and he ONLY smokes Borkum Riff. It worked out well! :D

johnnyiii · Dec 30, 2013

Smoking a bowl of original blend right now. Living in the country its the best I can get with out a mail order or a 1 hour drive. They were also the first blend I tried when getting back into pipes over a month ago. I like the bourbon whiskey, cherry Cavendish, and original blend which was like chocolate and nuts. the cherry liqueur almost made me throw up, and did make me throw that one in the trash. I found them all to be kinda dry, but for me that is ok as it helps my bowl to dry out after my wetter arro's. No problem smoking those to a white ash.

mikestanley · Dec 30, 2013

Borkum Riff is now made by Mac Baren. IMHO it's a very acceptable range of aromatics.
Mike S.

admin · Dec 31, 2013

Borkum Riff is now made by Mac Baren. IMHO it's a very acceptable range of aromatics.
Mike S.

This is incorrect. It used to be made by Mac Baren.
Borkum Riff has been made by STG since early 2012 or late 2011.
Check this:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-tobacco-reviews/smooth-sailing-with-borkum-riff/

johnnyiii · Dec 31, 2013

Seems like Borkum Riff is like a technology company. Changing hands like a penny.
I will add to my last post that I don't like the coating on the tongue, but still call it my in a pinch tobacco.

mikestanley · Dec 31, 2013

RE: Kevin's reply about BR. I see. Thanks. I thought they were the distributor. I seem to always have a pouch in the house. I'm one who could actually enjoy this brand, even the previous incarnations. It was my first tobacco back in 1981.
Mike S.

admin · Dec 31, 2013

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) owns the Orlik pipe tobacco factory in Denmark that makes Borkum Riff, STG also owns Lane Limited in Tucker Georgia.
More details are in the link I gave above.

papipeguy · Dec 31, 2013

It's been about 40 years since I had smoke BR. I'm glad to hear the positive impressions of late. Maybe someday I'll take the plunge again.

romeowood · Jan 1, 2014

You know, I reviewed the line of BR and found them rather more agreeable than even I expected--and was raked over the coals, to put it mildly, on other less interesting pipe forums because of it. At the end of the day though, I had the last laugh--because I found another tobacco that I enjoy. :P

Has Borkum Riff Changed ?

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