Borkum Riff

[44 S&W]

I started pipe smoking in 1976. I gravitated to the BorkumRiff pouches,and my favorite was their Cognac and Champagne blends.I loved them. Very subtle flavor.. If I recall they had ,I think, give different blends then.
Eventually I discovered a shop at the Mall called Tobaccoland,and was introduced to latakias and various aromatics. I was hooked. I came home with a gourd calabash with meerschaum bowl. That pipe made everything taste better.
The old days

 

[JadeStarCat]

Th Calabash is my favorite all time pipe. I have had 2 of them and currently looking for a new one. These are pricey, but look very well made. Available in gourd and Mahagony:

Genuine Natural African GOURD Calabash Block Meerschaum Pipe handmade CPW #k2425 - CPW Calabash Pipes

DIMENSIONS: Length : 19.70 cm / 7.76 inches Height : 9.60 cm / 3.78 inches Width : 7.00 cm / 2.76 inches Bowl Diameter : 2.00 cm / 0.79 inches Bowl Depth : 3.20 cm / 1.26 inches Weight: 86 gram Every one of our “Gourd pipe” is made from a natural gourd. Being a natural product each one is...

www.calabashpipesworld.com

 

[Briarcutter]

I started pipe smoking in 1976. I gravitated to the BorkumRiff pouches,and my favorite was their Cognac and Champagne blends.I loved them. Very subtle flavor.. If I recall they had ,I think, give different blends then.
Eventually I discovered a shop at the Mall called Tobaccoland,and was introduced to latakias and various aromatics. I was hooked. I came home with a gourd calabash with meerschaum bowl. That pipe made everything taste better.
The old days

I too smoked some Riff about that time. Haven't had any in decades. Have you tried it recently and if so, how does it compare to the old days?

 

[Pypkė]

Brokem Whiff... My Dad used to smoke that.

 

[OzPiper]

I started smoking pipes in the early 1970s so my memory of brands from that era is pretty scatty.

Borkum Riff, Amphora, Erinmore and Mixture 79 are pouch brands I can recall.
And if you wanted to go fancy there was Dunhill - Aperitif, Early Morning and Nightcap were my go-to blends.

 

[Deano]

I remenber BR Cognac. I liked it. Tried some Whiskey a few years ago. Horrible stuff.

 

[spike]

I can offer only two comments: de gustibus non est disputandum. And in English, to each his own.

Just enjoy your pipe.

 

[Puff nstuff]

I remember trying BR Whiskey, SWR, Sail Aromatic, and Flying Dutchman in the early '80s when I first started smoking a pipe. I think SWR was my favorite.

 

[Lumbridge]

I actually kind of like the bourbon flavored BR.

 

[Sea Lord]

I still fancy very much BR Whisky and Original.

 

[The-CaptainBlack]

I don’t know what I was doing wrong but every time I would smoke a Borkum Riff (many years ago) I would get a nasty tongue bite. So I never tried again.

 

[wulfheard]

Borkumriff cherry was the tobacco that turned me off on cherry flavored tobacco for over 30 years... Just awful foul cough syrup flavored dreck.

 

[JadeStarCat]

I too smoked some Riff about that time. Haven't had any in decades. Have you tried it recently and if so, how does it compare to the old days?

This is one of the few of the old school blends that has not been " totally " corrupted and destroyed by the advance of time and the ultra low quality aspect that dominates these days. Its actually not bad, relatively speaking. An example of one of the worst that is not at all close to the original is the resurrection of Amphora, which once was a decent blend.