So I Tried Deer Tongue (Crooner)

Natibo I was like you, I grabbed 8oz to try and was indifferent about the flavor so I jarred it to see what happens down the road. 8)

I got to try it at an SPC meeting. I had a spare pipe I didn't mind ghosting. It was good... and different, but not mindblowing.
Agree with you guys. I have the rest in a jar on my desk will try it again in about 6 months.

C&D's Gentleman Caller is a deer tongue blend that has a tad less of the herb than Crooner. I smoke it quite a bit and dedicate one pipe to it. I like GC because reminds me of the old Half & Half from the 60's and 70's.

The "new" H&H is very different.

This was one of the first blends I tried and I have to say I hated it. At first I thought it was Perique and then looked up what was in it and it must be the Deer Tongue as I generally like VaPer's. I have it jarred as well and will try it again in maybe 30 years.

Couldn't quite put a handle on this blend. I kept looking for something special but came up short after trying 4 different pipes and various moisture levels.

John Dengler's "Anniversary" is an example of a good mixture with Deer Tongue. Admittedly, I have not tried any other blends that incorporate Deer Tongue, so I cannot comment on others' experiences with the condiment.

The "new" H&H is very different

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Could not agree more. I have had a tub of Half & Half around for a year or so and kept trying to like it. It was no way close to what I remember from the 70S. Gifted it to a homeless guy whom I have given pipes and tobacco to and he was happy to receive it...

I agree with the majority of posts here too. I tried a couple of ounces of Crooner about 6 months ago, and thought, meh... Was a little too much like incense for me. So I too jarred it up, and will try it in the future, which still hasn't arrived yet. :lol:

By the way, I did notice that Half & Half removed deer-tongue from their blend several years ago. The absence of the "green deer-tongue-leaf" is noticeable in smoking and visual perception. The reason it was removed? Expense and very hard to come by in modern blending.
The herb, deer-tongue, is not toxic. It is essentially a vanilla "type" flavor but tilted in a different direction. Vanilla by itself is "flat" unless enhanced with another spice or flavoring ingredient. When appropriately enhanced, vanilla extract gives a companion flavoring an extremely smooth and mellow characteristic.
Deer-tongue is extremely expensive and hard to come by. I remember the "late" Craig Tarler of C&D telling me that he acquired a pallet of deer-tongue (quite expensive) and that he was guarding it with his life. If you try a blend containing deer-tongue, please use a specific pipe for it. You can never get rid of the "ghosting" of deer-tongue. I have two pipes dedicated to such blends and nothing else. I am rewarded for that when I smoke a blend containing deer-tongue. It's worth trying. Just don't use a pipe that you may desire to convert to a non-deer-tongue blend as you will "always" taste the herb. I also enjoy Gentleman Caller from time to time in a specific pipe dedicate only to that blend due to "ghosting".

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I had no idea that Half & Half once contained Deer Tongue. I have a couple of sealed 7oz. tins that were originally sold by Rite Aid for $4.62. I am hoping those will be old enough to be the sort that contained Deer Tongue.

buroak, based on the price you paid, these tins should contain the herb. Look for a "green" leaf sparse in the blend. It is a strong condiment and if present, you will see it as you sift through a handful.

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captainbob, Thanks for the tip. Now I will know what to look for when I crack the first tin.

Deer Tongue, or White Trout Lilly
4Noggins did carry it, but they are out of it now. It's available elsewhere, stocked by her dealers. We have a lot of it growing on our property.

So Dan, do you use the stem, or the flower petals? That picture looks exactly like what has come up numerous times in the summer around one of our pecan trees. I don't remember any green leaf being on it, though I'd have to look closer next time it springs up

David, I have not used it, but I would expect that you dry the leaves, shred and smoke.

captainbob, thanks for the information on deer tongue, particularly regarding its ghosting characteristics. As of yet, I don't have a pipe that I can dedicate to C & D's Gentleman Caller, which I've been wanting to try or Crooner, which I've just ordered a taste of in bulk from P&C. When it arrives I'll have a few corncobs to choose from to give the plant a try.

Gulp... deer tongue? I do not approve of some of these tobacco names, but the marketing seems to work so hey whatever. I'll soon be releasing a small shipment of a rare blend of my own making called My Hairy Ass. I'll post an announcement when it goes on sale ::

Deer Tongue is the common name of the plant Erythronium albidum, a lilly. It is also known as Adder's Tongue, Dog's-tooth Violet, Serpent's Tongue, Trout Lily, and Yellow Snowdrop. I recognized it as Trout Lilly, and had no idea that they were one and the same.

I tried one of the 4noggins blends over a year ago. I still have the tobacco minus one, awful bowlful.