Thoughts on Condor as a mixing tobacco.

andrew369 · Oct 20, 2013

My parents just came home from a trip to the Canary Islands, and decided to surprise me with some pipe tobacco. They bought some Condor Ready Rubbed in a 250g box from the shop keepers suggestion that it was "mild". I'm assuming he has been smoking all his life because this stuff has such a Vitamin N hit I think I turned as green as the packaging for a few minutes. I am a relatively new pipe smoker and although the taste is really good I think this stuff is just too strong for me to smoke straight at the moment. Anyone any experience with this blend and maybe something nice to mix it with? I realize a lot of people here are from the US and may never have heard of it before but any help on toning down a strong tobacco in general would be great.

bryanf · Oct 20, 2013

This is God's gift to mankind. To mix it would be a great sin. Hold on to it, or sell it. Many including myself would be more than happy to take off your hands. Best tobacco ever conceived. In time, I think you'll like it.

andrew369 · Oct 20, 2013

Maybe it was just the initial blast of the nicotine compared to my usual blends. Not even Blue Mountain hit as hard and that is the strongest tasting blend I ever tried. Will go through this packet of it and see what I think. Will make sure to put it up for trade here if anyone wants some. My parents picked it up cheap and it seems pretty rare outside of UK and Ireland so will be happy to swap it over to anyone.

bryanf · Oct 20, 2013

You got that right. It's super strong. I only smoke it in very small bowled pipes. If you're trying to smoke a full big bowl of it, I'm not surprised if it's too much. Try a small pipe. Bowl less than .750 dia and not too deep. A pony express cob or a little featherweight billiard. If you don't have a small pipe, try a half bowl and work up your tolerance. It's my all time favorite, and that 250 grams is worth a lot of money in the US. Costs me about $85 to get that here in California! I like it so much that I still do...but if you don't like it, might as well trade to some lucky smoker for some tobacco or a nice pipe.
There are blends that are even stronger, though. So, if you can smoke the Condor, you'll be able to smoke blends like Irish Flake, Bracken Flake, 1792, etc...opens up a new world of dizziness. I'm going to smoke a bowl of Condor right now in fact. Hopefully you're doing the same. Enjoy.

andrew369 · Oct 20, 2013

I actually just went for a bowl of Blue Mountain instead. Thinking about it in my last post gave me a craving lol I might be able to ship it out to you if I can't get into it as a blend.

I think I have a really small Dr Grabow Duke floating around which I bought thinking it would be bigger that may be nice for it. Hopefully it will "trial by fire" me into good nicotine tolerance, especially since 1792 and Irish Flake are blends I would like to try, sound really good.

bryanf · Oct 20, 2013

That grabow duke is a perfect sized bowl for condor, or any strong flake tobacco. My dad has one and they smoke real nice. I normally ditch the filter, but you might try using one to catch the nicotine more. Get ahold of some screw top mason jars to store your baccy and keep fresh. I would trade you for the condor, but all I have are blends as strong or stronger and I'd rather that you learned to like it, or someone else does. My dream is to one day see Condor at my local rite-aid and that's not going to happen unless more guys like it!
Hold on to it and join a pipe club. I guarantee you will be the most popular guy there if you show up with samples of the elusive Condor! If you store in a mason jar, it will stay fresh for many years.
Let me know how it turns out in the grabow. Sip real slow and try to figure out what the hell they use to flavor it. After at least a thousand bowls, I still have no clue!

andrew369 · Oct 21, 2013

That is good to hear that the Duke will be good, will try it over next couple days, on a bit of a smoke break at the moment, tiny bit of tongue tingle. Although Condor is available in just about every shop here in Ireland so I doubt many will be bending over for a trade LOL. Will definitely look into getting some decent air tight jars and will give a heads up once I try it.

kris · Oct 21, 2013

Just remember that whichever pipe you smoke it in will forever be your "Condor Pipe".
Ghosts like a bastich. Evil stuff!

stbruno70 · Oct 21, 2013

Condor is a classic Brit flake.
If the nicotine or taste are too strong, try diluting it 50/50 with any Gawith brown flake.
Hope this helps.

andrew369 · Oct 22, 2013

Currently trying it in the Duke. Not the best pipe quite hard to keep lit, but god this stuff is good, love the sort of flowery quality of it, not as strong tasting as before either.

tennsmoker · Oct 22, 2013

Kris is awfully right about Condor ghosting your pipe. I got some from my daughter who had been visiting England and brought me a couple of tins.
That was several years ago. I decided to smoke it in one of my very small meers. The Condor is still there.

bryanf · Oct 22, 2013

Awesome Andrew! Glad to hear you found the right pipe combo and enjoying it! You will never get the taste of condor out of that duke now, which is a good thing! You might enjoy Ennerdale Flake by Gawith Hoggarth if you like the condor. It is not as strong in nicotine, and a little more flowery. My second favorite smoke. For something about equally flowery, but stronger in nicotine as condor, try dark flake scented by GH. Both will also smoke well in your duke. Another favorite of mine. Once your duke is firmly ghosted with the condor, try a bowl of carter hall or prince albert in it. You will be pleasantly surprised at how nice the ghost compliments these plain flavored OTC's.
PS. If you get through that 250 grams, your duke is going to be just about closed off with cake....going to need a small reamer or better yet a pipe knife...

condorlover1 · Feb 17, 2014

I am hoping to pick up some Condor Plug as I will be flying Air Fungus so I get a five hour layover on my way to the UK. I will certainly be loading up in Duty Free although a chum of mine tried to Fedex me some the other month and the courier said he could take it as it was inflammable! Go figure the logic of that statement. Bryan is spot on the money with his advice. I suppose you could mix Condor with Mellow Virginia or Gold Block to water it down a little but if you persevere you will in time be inducted into a world which I have happily inhabited for thirty odd years! Good luck.

bryanf · Feb 17, 2014

Nice. I envy you. One can never have enough Condor.
I once tried stuffing the lower half of a bowl with Condor and the upper half with Prince Albert, trying to stretch out a pouch of Condor. It all tasted like Condor.

condorlover1 · Feb 18, 2014

I have not tried that one. I have mixed it up with Mellow Virginia and Gold Block and the result was Condor. I guess Condor has the dominant gene!

oldtoby · Feb 18, 2014

Condor Plug = pure ambrosia

billypm · Feb 18, 2014

I tried mixing a bit of 5100 with some Condor RR and it wasn't half bad. Easier to get through a bowl strength-wise, but maybe not quite as amazing a smoke. Some things just are what they are, I guess. A smoother weaker Condor won't be Condor. I might try some P&W Nut Brown Burley as a mixer next.

Thoughts on Condor as a mixing tobacco.

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