Four Aces Red by Republic

[Briar Lee]

I wish that I could try this (it sounds wonderful), but unfortunately I have a low tolerance for nicotine. As cases-in-point, I've been walloped by Dunhill Nightcap (Murray's production) and Five Brothers, both of which left me dizzy, nauseous, and sweating profusely. The Nightcap was delicious, the Five Brothers was not.

Try the Silver Four Aces.

All the Silver blends of the bottom rack shag pipe tobaccos are intended to appeal to ultra light cigarette smokers.


They use lower nicotine leaf, or they soak out the nicotine, but those are good tasting but lower kick.

 

[anotherbob]

I wish that I could try this (it sounds wonderful), but unfortunately I have a low tolerance for nicotine. As cases-in-point, I've been walloped by Dunhill Nightcap (Murray's production) and Five Brothers, both of which left me dizzy, nauseous, and sweating profusely. The Nightcap was delicious, the Five Brothers was not.

don't know if this helps but five bros opens up a lot when sipped slowly and packed tightly.

 

[Briar Lee]

don't know if this helps but five bros opens up a lot when sipped slowly and packed tightly.

I wonder if Five Brothers was ever granulated to the consistency of coffee grounds and packed in a cloth sack?

I’ve only heard of Five Brothers since online tobacco sales and the internet. I’ve never seen it once, in a brick and mortar store.

All these ultra cheap shag pipe tobaccos are really improved, by my tastes, if ground up in a coffee grinder. I suppose more of it burns, packed tighter. It doesn’t help it enough I grind all of it, but as you noticed the tighter you pack shag the better it smokes, and keep a tamper handy.

I’d not be surprised if Five Brothers was just all dark fired shag cut Kentucky.

And the sliver cheap blends are likely mostly of not all bottom leaf flue cured Virginia, maybe some Orientals too.

If you like nicotine try the Gold (natural) and Red (strong) cheap shag plastic pillow brands.

Mixing with some premium pipe tobacco Cavendish blends is a welcome change, and try a tiny bit of shag mint to your favorite pipe tobacco.

If the Feds ever equalize the taxes between pure cigarrete tobacco and cheap shag pipe tobacco it likely will be all over.

 

[Cobler]

I’d not be surprised if Five Brothers was just all dark fired shag cut Kentucky.

I've been following these "plastic pillow bag tobacco" threads with great interest.

But I'm wondering if you're off with the dark fired references??

Dark fired is that unmistakable BBQ/smokiness that Stokkebye Amsterdam or Drum rolling tobacco or unflavored Parodi cigars have, right? I don't get any of that in the cheap shag tobaccos (wouldn't mind it though). Nor in Five Brothers (just intensely nutty, strong burley).

Do you mean dark air cured?

 

[sharpdressedan]

It does. This is like Five Brothers match bulk.

By golly, it does. I am now smoking 4 Aces Red, Perhaps the Great Guru of Frugal Piping will further explain the difference between Red & Gold 4 Aces. I may mix Red with some Super Value Black Cavendish or mix Red & Gold together about half and half. Or both at the price point. Briar Lee, you have edified and yet simplified my pipe experience.

My g/f is jumping in my stuff about smoking all the time, so I'll just smoke two or three bowls of this a day & shazam on through my life.

Blessings, Briar.

 

[Briar Lee]

I've been following these "plastic pillow bag tobacco" threads with great interest.

But I'm wondering if you're off with the dark fired references??

Dark fired is that unmistakable BBQ/smokiness that Stokkebye Amsterdam or Drum rolling tobacco or unflavored Parodi cigars have, right? I don't get any of that in the cheap shag tobaccos (wouldn't mind it though). Nor in Five Brothers (just intensely nutty, strong burley).

Do you mean dark air cured?

Whatever is the burley raised in Western Kentucky where they raise dark burley.

Most of it goes to chew and twist.

 

[Briar Lee]

By golly, it does. I am now smoking 4 Aces Red, Perhaps the Great Guru of Frugal Piping will further explain the difference between Red & Gold 4 Aces. I may mix Red with some Super Value Black Cavendish or mix Red & Gold together about half and half. Or both at the price point. Briar Lee, you have edified and yet simplified my pipe experience.

My g/f is jumping in my stuff about smoking all the time, so I'll just smoke two or three bowls of this a day & shazam on through my life.

Blessings, Briar.

I’ve not tried Four Aces Gold, but it sits on the same racks beside a dozen other Gold plastic pillow sack tobaccos.

I’ve tried about four other Golds, and favor Buoy Gold but they all are excellent.

Gold seems to stand for all natural Virginia flue cured, no flavorings or casings, a mellow smoke with plenty of nicotine.

Which is an excellent description of Capstan Gold, by the way, only it’s flaked.

The pillow sack Golds might have burley added, but not much.

The Blues are milder, a mix of burley and Virginias.

The Silvers are ultra mild.

Turkish has Orientals added, and is strong

Green is menthol, and strong

But each one is made of FDA graded leaf and aged until it smokes well, or it would not sell any at all.

Many of the larger stores offer the customer at least fifty choices of tobacco.


Competition is the smoker’s friend.

 

[bearwolf56]

I have

Tamp this down hard, and it burns cool and sweet.

I was curious why you say to tamp it down hard? I've read where others, referring to other tobaccos say the same thing. I was under the impression that one shouldn't tamp down hard when filling a bowl because it will be difficult to smoke and will burn hot. I'm sure you're correct in what you say, just wondering why.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

I have

I was curious why you say to tamp it down hard? I've read where others, referring to other tobaccos say the same thing. I was under the impression that one shouldn't tamp down hard when filling a bowl because it will be difficult to smoke and will burn hot. I'm sure you're correct in what you say, just wondering why.

Dry ribbons and shags—especially those with little or no pg—often smoke better with a fairly tight pack. I believe the reason is simply that these style tobaccos burn fast and the tighter pack slows the burn. I smoke pretty much exclusively dry ribbons and shags and after years of experimenting I’m a believer in the benefits of a tight pack with them

 

[Cobler]

Whatever is the burley raised in Western Kentucky where they raise dark burley.

Most of it goes to chew and twist.

Seems like there are a few different dark air tobaccos grown in southwest Kentucky, besides whichever ones they end up firing to cure.

Heck, it was one of your epic twist posts where I learned about the fantastic "One Sucker" dark air cured strain. Remember? You called the lady at R.C. Owen in Tennessee and chatted and confirmed that most of their twists are made with One Sucker. I've got one of their Futurity twists (all Burley, unsweetened) and Wild Duck (unsweetened One Sucker). They both smell fantastic and are good strong chews.

Back to big bag tobaccos -- I bought a bag of Sparrow. It's pretty nice, "pipey", some interesting top notes (like Half and Half, but without all the PG goopiness). Not bad at all...

 

[Green Hill Hermit]

Briarlee is the jiminks of crap tobacco.

 

[newbroom]

I've smoked quite a few burleys. I used to smoke Drum ryo for years. I quit smoking for 3 yrs. I still had some cheap OHM I'd brought in to try to save a nickel, and papers, so, in a moment of extreme stress, I returned to nicotine to help soothe in any way. I wasn't happy with the taste and a cough started rather quickly. I've always suspected a huge part of a smoker's cough (cigarette smoker) is due to the chemicals in the paper. Somehow, the papers I got with Drum tubs didn't seem to bother.
So I got a pipe at the drug store and smoked it like a cigarette. The taste was not improved, but I was bypassing papers.
I stumbled into my curiosity to explore new tobacco and then I found this forum!
I think Lee said 4 Aces was moist. I know that Five Brothers is quite dry.
I guess the comparison is to taste and strength?

 

[Cobler]

Seems like there are a few different dark air tobaccos grown in southwest Kentucky, besides whichever ones they end up firing to cure.

Heck, it was one of your epic twist posts where I learned about the fantastic "One Sucker" dark air cured strain. Remember? You called the lady at R.C. Owen in Tennessee and chatted and confirmed that most of their twists are made with One Sucker. I've got one of their Futurity twists (all Burley, unsweetened) and Wild Duck (unsweetened One Sucker). They both smell fantastic and are good strong chews.

Back to big bag tobaccos -- I bought a bag of Sparrow. It's pretty nice, "pipey", some interesting top notes (like Half and Half, but without all the PG goopiness). Not bad at all...

View attachment 305300View attachment 305301

Oof, replying to my own comment...

But click on that photo of the loose tobacco spread out. It's fairly high resolution. Chime in with what you see.

Some online blurbs claim Sparrow has some Cavendish in the blend. Just looking with the naked eye, I was skeptical. But getting in close for inspection...

 

[Briar Lee]

Seems like there are a few different dark air tobaccos grown in southwest Kentucky, besides whichever ones they end up firing to cure.

Heck, it was one of your epic twist posts where I learned about the fantastic "One Sucker" dark air cured strain. Remember? You called the lady at R.C. Owen in Tennessee and chatted and confirmed that most of their twists are made with One Sucker. I've got one of their Futurity twists (all Burley, unsweetened) and Wild Duck (unsweetened One Sucker). They both smell fantastic and are good strong chews.

Back to big bag tobaccos -- I bought a bag of Sparrow. It's pretty nice, "pipey", some interesting top notes (like Half and Half, but without all the PG goopiness). Not bad at all...

View attachment 305300View attachment 305301

Let’s say you and me own a little tobacco company. Our grandfathers started it.

We could try making cigarettes.

But if we did that we’d be competing against Altria and Reynolds and lawyers and do gooders we can’t imagine would start chasing us.

But the good news, is we can contract for or buy all the good burley or Virginia tobacco we want for $2-3 a pound.

We don’t have to pay the $2.83 a pound tax until we sell it.

We must age our tobaccos. They are unsmokable otherwise. But we’ve got warehouses full of three year old $2.50 a pound tobaccos.

There’s still profit margins a $10 a pound, even with the $2.83 tax baked in.

But our tobacco has to taste good.

Or game over.