First Impressions: Half & Half

[Bowie]

I purchased a pouch from a tobacco store today. Summary: It's okay, but I'm not buying any more of this one.

I am a fan of all of the OTCs I've tried so far, including Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, Prince Albert, Captain Black White/Gold/Royal. I thought I'd try this one for something new.

H&H has, by a wide margin, the worst tin/pouch note I've smelled so far. It has a cloying, rotten fruit smell. I like sour, tangy, piquant, peaty smells, Scotchs, and tobaccos. I like aromatic tobaccos. I like fresh fruit. H&H's tin note is none of those. Maybe it's body chemistry, maybe a lost bad memory associated with this smell was triggered; I don't know. It was so off-putting, I almost put it away, but I smoked it anyway because I paid cash money for it, dang it.

I loaded up a MM cob. A cherry-like taste was very heavy for the first third or so of the bowl. It was not too bad. Definitely fresh, not rotten. Nothing like the tin note. The anisette liquor flavor took over and remained throughout the bowl, which saved the bowl for me. It smoked smooth enough and needed only a couple of relights.

Overall, it was unremarkable, except for the tin note.

1 out of 4 stars.

(WTT: One opened pouch of Half & Half, only one bowl smoked...)

 

[blackpowderpiper]

Nice review. I try not to pre-judge any tobacco without trying it. Unfortunately, I found Half and Half to be almost repulsive, at least to me. I smoked one bowl and threw the rest out. It seemed like it took forever to get the ghosts from that one bowl to leave me pipe. Definitely not something I would ever want to try again.

 

[ray47]

Half & Half is one of those love it/hate it blends. I like it, but it's not an everyday blend for me. It does, IMO, tastes better from the tub versus the pouch.

 

[BROBS]

It will ruin your pipe.

I liked it for about a week. Then just couldn’t smoke anymore.

 

[JMcQ]

Half and Half tends to be my go-to car smoke. It lights easy, it smokes easy and, to me, has a nice light flavor. I keep a tub or so in reserve and always throw a couple pouches in my online orders. For me, as far as OTC's, it ranks no. 2 behind the Prince.

 

[Casual]

In a world awash with blends, I will avoid this one for now. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[bullet08]

Yeah, it's OK, but nothing really stands out. I enjoy it now and then. Once done, will try SWR.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Oh and do remember, this stuff is expensive here in Eu,then it might be so that the EU version has less toppings and might be a bit stronger in nic dept,as for me, I tried it once ,I tried it twice and could not get around, so I let it be,,

 

[danimalia]

I almost put it away, but I smoked it anyway because I paid cash money for it, dang it.

Haha I can relate

 

[augiebd]

I gave H&H a try and liked it but it wasn’t that many bowls. I’m a little nervous to go back to it now.

 

[logs]

I went through a Half and Half phase. It's not bad for an OTC and certainly smokable, but the minute you try any better blend you'll forget about it. And yes, it will ghost a pipe (the cob was a good safe choice).

 

[canucklehead]

I smoke it mostly around Christmas, because it smells like Christmas (fruitcake and chocolate oranges) and has the appropriate colour scheme as well.

 

[mso489]

Half-and-Half has earned its way for about a century, so many find it a pleasing smoke. It was an old timer when I was a kid. It's a bit edgy for me, and not that good tasting otherwise, but no one likes all blends. I like SWRA not to mention Granger and Mixture No. 79. H&H just doesn't have the mellow notes that I look for in a Va/bur. But then again, I might find it the only blend available one day and rediscover it as quite pleasing. That happened to me with Iwan Ries Three Star Blue, and now I like it right well.

 

[Elric]

Completely agree on the pouch note; nasty. Suggests to me the scents carnivorous plants would secrete to attract flies.

 

[weezell]

I loved it in the mid to late 1970s. Bought some a couple years ago and......NOT good for me. Very sad, but was it me or the blend. Can't say I won't give it a shot again trying to recover that lost memory, but will be a while...

 

[homesteader]

I had a pouch of this sitting for about a year. I didn't like it the first time I tried it. I don't know what made me go back, but I tried it every few months and didn't care for it. Then one day I tried it and really liked it. For me pipe smoking is like hitting a moving target. I have blends I really like for awhile, then it seems my tastes change.

 

[anotherbob]

I loaded up a MM cob. A cherry-like taste was very heavy for the first third or so of the bowl. It was not too bad. Definitely fresh, not rotten. Nothing like the tin note. The anisette liquor flavor took over and remained throughout the bowl, which saved the bowl for me. It smoked smooth enough and needed only a couple of relights.

Overall, it was unremarkable, except for the tin note.

1 out of 4 stars.

(WTT: One opened pouch of Half & Half, only one bowl smoked...)

Yeah after buying my first pipe one of my friends bought half and half and let me try some. I thought it was horrid. The only other blend I disliked as much was Captain Black which just had that chemical taste that ruined what would have been enjoyable otherwise. But never liked Half and Half which I also think was a poorly thought out name.

 

[Old School 3319]

I am a relative newbie but I have just smoked half &half for the first time in my MM legend. I must say I read what a lot of people said about it but I bought it anyway. I really enjoyed it as I was packing it I was aliitle scared thought I might not ever get the taste of a skunks ass out of my mouth. I was very shock and I enjoyed it very much. Got through the whole bowl 1 relight and the taste was to me wholesome and very warm and sent my mind back to a time when I was young.

 

[dkmdvm]

I'm new to the pipe and burnt the crap out of my tongue with half & half. Only smoked one bowl. I do remember thinking it was kind of blah, not much there. The only "OTC" I have enjoyed thus far is Chatham Manor. I will give it another try if only for the color scheme of the package.

 

[mso489]

These old classic blends do vary, when the ownership of the brand changes, or just in the course of changes in sourcing the tobaccos, seasonal changes, and variations in blending, personnel and so forth. This applies to all brands, but I notice it the most with the ones that have been around for a century or so.