C&D Haunted Bookshop

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

TheDesertPiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 5, 2021
137
538
Arizona
I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about Haunted Bookshop from others online. Some people really hype it up and sing its praises, while others would say its mediocre at best. I have been on somewhat of a VaPer/ perique kick as of late anyways so when I saw a tin at my local B&M whilst picking up some Sun Bear I decided It would be a good time to check it out for myself (I also got some windjammer to try out next).

Tin note is VERY much burley. Kind of nutty and earthy. I caught whiffs of dark fruit and sweetness underneath the burley, but they were faint. Tobacco was fairly dry right out of the tin so it didn't need any dry time. Loaded a bowl into my MM Eaton then went out back into the 100 degree Arizona night and sat on my patio to light up. From the first light I got that strong full burley taste. Very earthy and woody. Occasionally some plum/fig flavor would cut through. When retrohaled I got a lot more of a peppery perique taste then I did dark fruit, but I wasn't getting a lot of pepper on my tongue through normal smoking. I couldn't taste much of the Virginia in there. It was definitely hanging out waaaay in the background. I had read online it was a medium on the nicotine scale, but it felt a bit on the stronger side to me. It was kind of nice though. I almost never get any sort of buzz off pipe tobacco, and every once in a while I want to feel that nicotine surging through my veins. The tobacco burned fairly quick and very evenly throughout the entire bowl. The smoke itself was very smooth. Not sure if it was technique, the tobacco, or the fact that it was already so damn hot out, but my pipe definitely got hot. Probably a combination of all 3. As a result I had to take a couple of breaks to let the pipe cool down a bit. Never felt any bite though which is a plus. Can't give you an accurate room note as I smoke outside, but I would say your wife probably wont care for the smell of this one.

Overall it wasn't bad. It has a very natural tobacco taste, and a strong nic hit. I didn't fall in love with it, but I still enjoyed it, mostly because of the Perique. I have a feeling it would probably be a much better experience if smoked in cooler weather. I think I am going throw it in a jar and revisit it around October to see if that makes any sort of difference in my impression.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,080
49
Las Vegas
I think it's great stuff. I use it for a change of pace from VAs, VaPers, etc.

It is best smoked slow and cool otherwise it loses some flavor, gets an acrid-ish note, and tastes more like a cigarette. Smoked cool it's sweet and nutty and rather fantastic.

I'd encourage anyone who has some but is on the fence about it to experiment with getting to smoke as cool as possible.

Unlike a VA based blend, I won't attempt to revive it if it seems to be going out. I'll let it finish going out and relight it instead.
 

danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,385
26,440
41
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about Haunted Bookshop from others online. Some people really hype it up and sing its praises, while others would say its mediocre at best. I have been on somewhat of a VaPer/ perique kick as of late anyways so when I saw a tin at my local B&M whilst picking up some Sun Bear I decided It would be a good time to check it out for myself (I also got some windjammer to try out next).

Tin note is VERY much burley. Kind of nutty and earthy. I caught whiffs of dark fruit and sweetness underneath the burley, but they were faint. Tobacco was fairly dry right out of the tin so it didn't need any dry time. Loaded a bowl into my MM Eaton then went out back into the 100 degree Arizona night and sat on my patio to light up. From the first light I got that strong full burley taste. Very earthy and woody. Occasionally some plum/fig flavor would cut through. When retrohaled I got a lot more of a peppery perique taste then I did dark fruit, but I wasn't getting a lot of pepper on my tongue through normal smoking. I couldn't taste much of the Virginia in there. It was definitely hanging out waaaay in the background. I had read online it was a medium on the nicotine scale, but it felt a bit on the stronger side to me. It was kind of nice though. I almost never get any sort of buzz off pipe tobacco, and every once in a while I want to feel that nicotine surging through my veins. The tobacco burned fairly quick and very evenly throughout the entire bowl. The smoke itself was very smooth. Not sure if it was technique, the tobacco, or the fact that it was already so damn hot out, but my pipe definitely got hot. Probably a combination of all 3. As a result I had to take a couple of breaks to let the pipe cool down a bit. Never felt any bite though which is a plus. Can't give you an accurate room note as I smoke outside, but I would say your wife probably wont care for the smell of this one.

Overall it wasn't bad. It has a very natural tobacco taste, and a strong nic hit. I didn't fall in love with it, but I still enjoyed it, mostly because of the Perique. I have a feeling it would probably be a much better experience if smoked in cooler weather. I think I am going throw it in a jar and revisit it around October to see if that makes any sort of difference in my impression.
Excellent review... I was pretty underwhelmed with this and Old Joe Krantz when I first tried them. They are just... very unadulterated, for better or worse. Rustic would be a nice way to describe it, plain a not so nice way.

They really grew on me, though, and now I like them both an awful lot. It just took me a bit of time and multiple bowls to get over my expectations and to start appreciating the little nuances that are there. The respectable strength and body certainly appeal to me as well.
 

Bowlsmoker67

Can't Leave
Jul 29, 2021
455
5,077
49
Montgomery County Ny
I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about Haunted Bookshop from others online. Some people really hype it up and sing its praises, while others would say its mediocre at best. I have been on somewhat of a VaPer/ perique kick as of late anyways so when I saw a tin at my local B&M whilst picking up some Sun Bear I decided It would be a good time to check it out for myself (I also got some windjammer to try out next).

Tin note is VERY much burley. Kind of nutty and earthy. I caught whiffs of dark fruit and sweetness underneath the burley, but they were faint. Tobacco was fairly dry right out of the tin so it didn't need any dry time. Loaded a bowl into my MM Eaton then went out back into the 100 degree Arizona night and sat on my patio to light up. From the first light I got that strong full burley taste. Very earthy and woody. Occasionally some plum/fig flavor would cut through. When retrohaled I got a lot more of a peppery perique taste then I did dark fruit, but I wasn't getting a lot of pepper on my tongue through normal smoking. I couldn't taste much of the Virginia in there. It was definitely hanging out waaaay in the background. I had read online it was a medium on the nicotine scale, but it felt a bit on the stronger side to me. It was kind of nice though. I almost never get any sort of buzz off pipe tobacco, and every once in a while I want to feel that nicotine surging through my veins. The tobacco burned fairly quick and very evenly throughout the entire bowl. The smoke itself was very smooth. Not sure if it was technique, the tobacco, or the fact that it was already so damn hot out, but my pipe definitely got hot. Probably a combination of all 3. As a result I had to take a couple of breaks to let the pipe cool down a bit. Never felt any bite though which is a plus. Can't give you an accurate room note as I smoke outside, but I would say your wife probably wont care for the smell of this one.

Overall it wasn't bad. It has a very natural tobacco taste, and a strong nic hit. I didn't fall in love with it, but I still enjoyed it, mostly because of the Perique. I have a feeling it would probably be a much better experience if smoked in cooler weather. I think I am going throw it in a jar and revisit it around October to see if that makes any sort of difference in my impression.
I gently puff it to keep it cool and get a nice peppery finish..
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Wasn’t a fan either, but from the C&D range that’s par for the course for me.
I’m sure plenty of people like their stuff, but in my humble opinion I’d rather a manufacturer that produces a few great blends over a manufacturer that produces 100s of mediocre ones.
It's also my perception that C&D pushes blends out without the attention to detail that others, namely Pease, invest in their blends. They have 100s of blends.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pantsBoots

ofafeather

Lifer
Apr 26, 2020
2,769
9,044
50
Where NY, CT & MA meet
Respectfully, this has come up a few times recently and I think you guys are off the mark with your blanket criticism of C&D. You may not like their style of blending, which is a personal thing, but to dismiss them as mediocre because they have a lot of blends, or to suggest they don’t pay attention to detail doesn’t take any of the actual facts the into consideration.

C&D has been around for over 30 years as a small manufacturer and blending house. Their blends span the gamut of styles and tastes, unlike some of the labels like Pease that they produce for, which are more targeted.

In the pre-Laudisi years, Craig Tarler worked directly with many customers to make blends to suit their tastes, as well as manufacturing blending tobaccos and house blends for many tobacco shops. This is part of why their catalog is big. They serve a diverse clientele.

Haunted Bookshop, the blend this thread is supposed to be about, was developed by Bob Runowski, who was a connoisseur of classic American style burley blends. That’s where this and quite a few other burley blends in the C&D catalog come from. They may not be to your taste - that’s all good. They don’t have to be. But I can tell you they’re not mediocre and they don’t lack attention to detail. And that’s just one series. There are many other blends that have major followings and that doesn’t happen by accident. And this is from the pre-Laudisi days. C&D has been producing some stellar stuff since, as well. Again, maybe not to everyone’s taste but no brand is hitting that. Smoke what you like but there’s really no call to rag on something with general nonsense statements as if they are based in facts where it really ends up being false equivalency.

“I don’t like this blender’s stuff and they make a lot of it so it must be mediocre.”

I’d like to point out that not everyone accounts every GLP blend as a winner either but, again, this is personal taste and nothing to do with quality or lack of detail. I read one review of a Pease blend where they actually blamed C&Ds Virginias for not being sweet, rather than the person that created this blend with that flavor profile in mind. Don’t you think if Pease wanted sweeter VAs in this blend it would have happened?

Please, you’re all entitled to your likes and dislikes, but for the love of pipes, check the biases at the door and stick to the topic at hand. This was a review of HB. Let’s get back to that.

Rant done. Thanks for listening.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
Respectfully, this has come up a few times recently and I think you guys are off the mark with your blanket criticism of C&D. You may not like their style of blending, which is a personal thing, but to dismiss them as mediocre because they have a lot of blends, or to suggest they don’t pay attention to detail doesn’t take any of the actual facts the into consideration.

C&D has been around for over 30 years as a small manufacturer and blending house. Their blends span the gamut of styles and tastes, unlike some of the labels like Pease that they produce for, which are more targeted.

In the pre-Laudisi years, Craig Tarler worked directly with many customers to make blends to suit their tastes, as well as manufacturing blending tobaccos and house blends for many tobacco shops. This is part of why their catalog is big. They serve a diverse clientele.

Haunted Bookshop, the blend this thread is supposed to be about, was developed by Bob Runowski, who was a connoisseur of classic American style burley blends. That’s where this and quite a few other burley blends in the C&D catalog come from. They may not be to your taste - that’s all good. They don’t have to be. But I can tell you they’re not mediocre and they don’t lack attention to detail. And that’s just one series. There are many other blends that have major followings and that doesn’t happen by accident. And this is from the pre-Laudisi days. C&D has been producing some stellar stuff since, as well. Again, maybe not to everyone’s taste but no brand is hitting that. Smoke what you like but there’s really no call to rag on something with general nonsense statements as if they are based in facts where it really ends up being false equivalency.

“I don’t like this blender’s stuff and they make a lot of it so it must be mediocre.”

I’d like to point out that not everyone accounts every GLP blend as a winner either but, again, this is personal taste and nothing to do with quality or lack of detail. I read one review of a Pease blend where they actually blamed C&Ds Virginias for not being sweet, rather than the person that created this blend with that flavor profile in mind. Don’t you think if Pease wanted sweeter VAs in this blend it would have happened?

Please, you’re all entitled to your likes and dislikes, but for the love of pipes, check the biases at the door and stick to the topic at hand. This was a review of HB. Let’s get back to that.

Rant done. Thanks for listening.
Oh, I quite agree. I almost always only buy C&D, but then I only buy bulk. Not much of a fan of burley blends, nor straight Virginias. But, off the top of my head the C&D blends I've had and loved a time or 2 include Stratfordshire, Red Odessa, Odessa, (an American English which is burley based), Oriental Silk, and Orion's Arrow.
 

Grangerous

Lifer
Dec 8, 2020
3,251
13,104
East Coast USA
I enjoy burley very much. On most every occasion that I’ve smoked HB it lost its flavor. It was like smoking air. I don’t smoke hot or fast. I thought it was a fluke the first few times but it happens for me most every time. Pegasus I enjoy a bit more but it too can diminish quickly in the flavor department. Granger maintains its flavor to the end. But I digress.
 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
I enjoy burley very much. On most every occasion that I’ve smoked HB it lost its flavor. It was like smoking air. I don’t smoke hot or fast. I thought it was a fluke the first few times but it happens for me most every time. Pegasus I enjoy a bit more but it too can diminish quickly in the flavor department. Granger maintains its flavor to the end. But I digress.
That's how I felt about HB.