A Visit with St. Bruno

[fishnbanjo]

I pulled out my nearly one year old 50 gr pouch of St. Bruno Flake by Ogden's so that I might have a chance of keeping it smokey in the pipe made from Morta and Beech from Germany by Pipemaker Manfred Hortig.

The top third was filled with creamy smoke with a definitive citrus note and medium vitamin N as I continued on through the smoke evidence of warm prune came through with the citrus note still present in the background. The smoke lasted just under an hour and the pipe is now resting where it will stay until this afternoon when I will pop the 4 oz tin of St. Bruno from 1995 that came in the mail, I will then give my review of what 22 years of aging has done to this wonderful tobacco.

At some point I will purchase the US version offered by Mac Baren and see how it fares in comparison, if it's as good as the Ogden's rendition we here in the US can be assured of enjoying a wonderful tobacco our brothers across the pond have experienced for quite a long time, warmest regards.

banjo

 

[brass]

Thanks for the review Banjo. Do you have any comments on aging versus fresh Bruno?
Pax

 

[fishnbanjo]

Not yet since the oldest I've had thus far was the pouch I just opened. I'm anxious to find out what's in store when I smoke the 22 y/o tin later this afternoon, regards.

banjo

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Do you have the ready Rubbed version there in the States available same as in England?

 

[sablebrush52]

That pouch IS the MacBaran version, even though it says Ogden's Of Liverpool. MacBaran has been making St Bruno for Ogden's since 2006. I'd been buying it for years before MacBaran started exporting it to the US.
That is one blend for which I'd happily run the blockade. MacBaran says that the imported version is the same as their EU product. Frankly, I think that the topping has been reduced a bit. In any event, there will be differences between the MacBaran and the older Ogden's product, which was a bit more elegant in balance. But there will also be a loss or diminishment of some flavors after 22 years in a square tin.

Do you have the ready Rubbed version there in the States available same as in England?

Yes we do! Good stuff!

 

[fishnbanjo]

Well I popped the 22 y/o tin of St. Bruno and the seal had remained intact. The tin note was unbelievable, nothing at all like the St. Bruno pouch which I found out was actually made for Ogden by Mac Baren and has been sold in the UK for over 1 1/2 years.

I felt like I had uncorked a heady vintage Porto or Madiera. The creaminess I had in the first pipe was not what I experienced with the 22 y/o, it was thick, almost meaty with a Porto/Madiera note, as the pipe progressed it reminded me of the rich taste of warm New England Brown Bread. Further into the smoke hints of toffee, cinnamon and wine tickled my palate. I normally don't smoke longer than 20 minutes at a time since I can often get bored but not so with this tobacco it changed flavor profiles often and once and again you got that back note of citrus.
It was over an hour before the pipe went out probably the longest one held my attention as I did some chores around the garden, when it finally extinguished itself I was sad that it had ended but resolute in knowing I had to preserve this tobacco so I could treat myself again and leaving it in the tin was out of the question.

So there you have it, my report on keeping it smokey with the 22 y/o St. Bruno, I have photos of the pouch and tin tobaccos as well as what came out of the pipe and of course me smoking, regards.

banjo

 

[sablebrush52]

Fantastic! Thanks for the review and color me jealous! St Bruno is a smoke for the gods. I finished the last of my 1970's stash last year and dearly miss the character of aged Ogden made St Bruno. Perhaps another tin will find its way to me. One can always hope.

 

[didache]

I adore St Bruno! I have a St Bruno tobacco jar which Ogdens released as a promotional item many years ago. I always keep it well filled with the 'Patron Saint of Pipe Smokers' and it is a very rare day when I do not have a bowl of it. I think we in the UK are very fortunate as St Bruno (and Condor too) are so easily available and must be counted among the very best OTC blends you can find anywhere.
Mike

 

[mawnansmiff]

For some reason me and St. Bruno never quite hit it off. I do however have a pouch dated 2012 that I dearly hope will put things to rights...one day.
Like Mike points out, we in the UK do indeed have some excellent OTC blends. Condor (of course) and Mellow Virginia being my favourites of the type.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[oldmansmoking]

That St Bruno Flake looked great. Never liked St Bruno ready rubbed, but love Condor.

We are fortunate enough to be able to buy still at most supermarket's here in the UK.

Condor is one of my regular tobacco's.

 

[didache]

St Bruno was the regular smoke of the late Tony Benn, the politician. I know that he is probably not known to our American friends, but he is something of a legend among Brits, whether or not we share his politics. Benn used to pack two pipes and smoke them alternately, finishing both about the same time - an interesting idea which I have always intended to try.
Mike