Favorite OTC "Codger" Tobacco? (Poll)

[Pipelady20]

Good to know.

If you ever want to try it, C&D Crooner is the deertongue bomb of the bunch. Then you have Gentleman Caller, New Market, Engine 382, and 4Noggins Mojo.

 

[Jwebb90]

My vote was cast as "other." I enjoy Carter Hall but I enjoy Velvet a bit more.

 

[Pipelady20]

I'll have to look up Mixture 79. Not sure if *all* of these are at the store but I do know they can be ordered online. I just recently heard about Velvet so ill have to do some research. Thanks.

Mixture 79. The only blend listed that I've tried is Prince Albert, which I dislike because it reminded me of cigarettes.

Are these blends still readily available at say, a Walgreen's or Rite-Aid? Or do you have to find a B&M or order on line?

 

[Pipelady20]

Simplicity is where it's at.

I started pipe smoking with SWR 44+ years ago. I, like most, became a tobacco snob over the years and probably stayed away from codger blends for 40 years. Now that I am codger, I have added SWR, SWRA, CH, PA, all of the Captains, all of the Borkums, and all of the Amphoras to the cellar. When the Tobaccolypse comes I would still like to have reminders of what used to be. I like all of the Amphoras (especially the VA and Burley) and the SWR, SWRA, and the CH I occasionally have the urge to enjoy, and I do. Like, the other Duane mentioned, bulk is now usually cheaper than these blends. I enjoy the simplicity and, mostly, the nostalgia of the codger blends. BTW I voted for SWR.

 

[Pipelady20]

Good point about the UK blends. I've just read about them for the first time on this thread. I certainly learned something new.

All your OTC blends are for the U.S market. If you had a second poll for U.K OTC blends you might get a different result. Incidentally some far sighted person remarked on the forum that there really aren't a lot of U.K OTC blends left kicking around and it was represented by Clan, Gold Block, Condor and St Bruno. I realize I have been away for a while from the U.K but surely they cannot have wiped out so many well known and beloved blends in an act of cultural vandalism?

 

[Pipelady20]

What differences have you noticed between PA and CH?

Most OTC blends aren't strong enough for me, but I used to smoke quite a bit of Prince Albert.

When I was a kid, my dad smoked Carter Hall incessantly.

 

[Pipelady20]

This is good to know, didn't realize there would be that much of a difference between the pouch and tub.

For those who want to try either Carter Hall, Prince Albert or Sir Walter Raleigh, I'd suggest you try it from the tub versus the pouch. They taste a whole lot better from the tub, trust me. My suggestion is aimed at those who tried the blends from the pouch for the first time and seemed to like them. For first timers I'd recommend the pouch to at least give you an idea of what the blends are like. No sense on paying extra for a tub and find out you have no interest whatsoever in the blend.

 

[cshubhra]

I like Five Brothers. Not tasted any of the ones mentioned in the poll

 

[Country Bladesmith]

It was so much better when it still had deertongue in it.

Would’ve liked to have tried the Half and Half back then. I love Gentleman Caller in the morning with my coffee. Has the “base blend” for Half and Half changed? I guess what I’m trying to ask is could one add a bit of deer tongue to a new-production tub and have a facsimile of the older version?

 

[Pipelady20]

Right now Carter Hall, followed by "Other" is leading. I am learning about other blends from this poll which is something I hoped for. Ones I've not heard before now: Velvet, Mixture 79, Five Brothers, UK brands and a few others.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I recently got "Gentleman Caller" by C&D and it has deertonngue in it. I haven't smoked it yet but now I'm more intrigued after reading this.

Oh, quit waiting! ?
Be warned though, it does ghost pipes. You might want to dedicate one to deer tongue blends. Maybe a cheap cob since you haven’t tasted it before,

 

[sittingbear]

I haven't seen any votes on here yet for Edgeworth/ Lane Ltd Ready Rubbed. That's my "other" after Carter Hall (or rather, Chatham Manor)!

 

[Jaylotw]

So far Carter Hall seems to be a favorite on here. What have you found is special about it?

Prince Albert is not far behind.

For me, Carter Hall is nostalgia. It was the first tobacco I ever smoked in a pipe...my friend’s dad smoked it and we’d steal it by the handful when we were teenagers. He knew, of course. The tin note brings back memories of huge music parties, playing old-time fiddle music around a kitchen table at 2am and my crazy teenaged years of wild adventures and dodging the small-town cops.

The taste? Not bad at all. Good, in fact. Chocolatey and goes great with coffee. It’s really my memories tied to the blend that makes me see Carter Hall as a cut above the rest of the pack, but it seems as though a lot of others prefer it on taste alone...

 

[mingc]

I'll have to look up Mixture 79. Not sure if *all* of these are at the store but I do know they can be ordered online. I just recently heard about Velvet so ill have to do some research. Thanks.

Be warned that it's a love it or hate it kind of blend. There's an old fashioned floral component to it that many find objectionable. These days, the dominant note is licorice.

 

[Waning Embers]

I'll have to look up Mixture 79.

Look under Sutliff Mixture 79 as it is available in bulk as well. Love the stuff. The bulk is currently on sale at Smoking Pipes.

 

[python]

I'm not a fan of any of them really. Not because they are bad, they are decent blends. But because, in my opinion, there are much better blends that I can smoke for the same price (and sometimes cheaper) that taste much better to me.

 

[mso489]

I voted for Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic. So what's to like? It's burley based, with Virginia as a condiment, and favored with three different liqueurs. It burns well and the flavors are carefully balanced to my taste. Pretty high tone for a pouch blend.

 

[Pipelady20]

Poll closes in about 9 hours.
Results so far:
1) Carter Hall
2) Other
3) Prince Albert.

 

[smokey789]

Mmmm cloves sound good. Did they smell like cloves too?

A little.

 

[Bowie]

Bowie, what are differences and why do you like them? Thx

Original has a good spicy taste that I don’t find in the other two, but it also has a lot of vanilla taste. The Gold has more citrus and tartness than the other two but is quite mellow. Royal is the most well-rounded of the three and is very smooth and not too sweet.