Sir Walter Raleigh Regular (?) -- Hey, What's Up

[mso489]

The Sir Walter Raleigh brand includes two blends, the so-called regular and the aromatic. The aromatic blend is burley based with Virginia as a condiment and flavored with three liqueurs. Okay. But the so-called regular blend comes in a pouch that says, "An Aromatic Blend of Burley Tobaccos, Excellent for Stand Alone use or Blending." So it is also aromatic, but with what flavoring? I know the Kentucky rough cut burley Granger is flavored with molasses. I taste nice burley with SWR, but no flavoring comes to my attention. What's going on? The pouch also says, "A Classic Burley Smoking Tobacco Savored by Pipe Tobacco Smokers for 75 Years."

 

[spicy_boiii]

Yes, very different. I get a licorice topped burley in the regular, while the aromatic has virginia, vanilla, and booze toppings.

 

[karam]

I haven't smoked either but I'd guess that they use the word "aromatic" in the same way we use it in Greece, meaning "fragrant" rather than "flavoured".

 

[Chasing Embers]

Anise and molasses.

 

[newbroom]

I get a similar flavor from a few burley blends including 5 Bros., Amphora Burley, HH Burley Flake.
It's kind of like a spice cookie and it varies but it's not uncommon to me.

 

[mso489]

I'll have to pay closer attention. I'm smoking some SWR regular right now. I think I can get the anise, faintly, but not yet the molasses. Also, I think the word aromatic may be used in the sense of fragrance rather than to distinguish flavored from unflavored, though I think you all are correct -- there's something in there, if pleasingly subtle.

 

[bullet08]

There's a bit of sweetness in SWR. But never really paid a close attention to it. Liberate some tobacco and cobs from storage yesterday. But only took SWRA and others. Will give more attention to SWR when I get a chance.

 

[mso489]

The description on SWR regular, in the PC tobacco of the week sale, states the flavoring is anise and molasses. I only needed to read. Being told to taste it, I now taste the molasses too. Ha-ha. So it too is aromatic. I like both versions quite a bit, though it took me a decade or so to get the hang of the regular version. I'm tempted by the sale price on a tub, $34 and change, though I have enough tobacco on hand to sustain my one-bowl-a-day habit for another ten years. It is interesting that one blend is called aromatic when they are both aromatic.

 

[MARC52]

I smoke Sir Walter Raleigh on the regular it seems to have that old time room note most people recognize from times past and like today. The only time I ever had a complaint from smoking a pipe was in a cigar lounge in Columbia, South Carolina. I was smoking Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic at the time, can you believe it?

 

[RookieGuy]

The only time I ever had a complaint from smoking a pipe was in a cigar lounge in Columbia, South Carolina. I was smoking Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic at the time, can you believe it?

I can! Columbia, South Carolina left a definite impression on me as the kind of place where people would complain about SWRA. Of course, that may have something to do with Columbia being right outside of Ft. Jackson, the Army base I did my basic training.

 

[mso489]

Maybe the Army has a particularly demoralizing boot camp. The Navy boot camp at San Diego during the Vietnam War, was shortened to eight weeks, and was pretty harrowing in the first four weeks, but got gradually better as they primed us for graduation and, for many, sea duty. At graduation, we'd gotten back our smiles, to a degree. A woman colleague at work went to visit her son in Army boot camp. Heck, he was signed up to serve as a musician, which he did, and made a career of it. But she was appalled at his appearance and mood. And she is a very sturdy unshakeable person in the face of a lot of trials, but she was really concerned about her kid -- who later did fine and played in Pershings Own band for decades, for inaugurals and high state events. A talented clarinetist, he is.

 

[MARC52]

I can! Columbia, South Carolina left a definite impression on me as the kind of place where people would complain about SWRA. Of course, that may have something to do with Columbia being right outside of Ft. Jackson, the Army base I did my basic training.

You might be right, the cigar lounge was owned and operated by a retired Army Sargent Major and his wife, also a retired Army Sargent Major and the majority of the regulars there were active duty and retired Army. It was a nice cigar lounge that did allow pipe smoking as long as it didn't interfere with people smoking cigars, guess my choice of tobacco that day was not welcomed.

 

[f4phantomdriver]

The description on SWR regular, in the PC tobacco of the week sale, states the flavoring is anise and molasses. I only needed to read. Being told to taste it, I now taste the molasses too. Ha-ha. So it too is aromatic. I like both versions quite a bit, though it took me a decade or so to get the hang of the regular version. I'm tempted by the sale price on a tub, $34 and change, though I have enough tobacco on hand to sustain my one-bowl-a-day habit for another ten years. It is interesting that one blend is called aromatic when they are both aromatic.

I've been reading your posts for a few years and you did talk quite a bit about SWR Regular and Aromatic. I was always curious is to how you didn't taste anything in the regular. SWR regular was my all day smoke for a couple of years. I actually started with the aromatic version first, then I bought a pouch of the original. At first I thought I had gotten a old pouch because it was bone dry. But I loaded up my cob and gave it a go. I've been buying them both by the tub ever since. But I tired of it and switched to Prince Albert. I see that your Dad smoked Granger. My friend smokes Granger by the bucket full! I don't know how he can smoke it, it bites my tongue so bad and to me, it smells and tastes like burning plastic. I've changed again with my tastes. Now I have been liking Gawith Hoggarth Coniston cut plug, Kendal Flake, and Rum Flake. Also I'm REALLY liking Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake and 1792 Flake. Funny how tastes change

 

[mso489]

I've had some problems with Half and Half for harshness, but Granger seems pretty smooth to me, if you don't rush it. SWR and SWRA seem effortlessly well behaved to me. PA loses too much tobacco flavor to the cocoa flavoring to my taste.

 

[Grangerous]

I can! Columbia, South Carolina left a definite impression on me as the kind of place where people would complain about SWRA. Of course, that may have something to do with Columbia being right outside of Ft. Jackson, the Army base I did my basic training.

Tank Hill, Echo 1-1, Fort Jackson - Summer of 1982

 

[Peter Turbo]

i just finished a pouch and detected no flavorings. my pouch was dried out/old and just got nice burley flavor when smoked, i heard more moist versions have a little bit of the topping come through, i think its anise or licorice. will deff buy again it was great in the car to smoke on my way to work. currently working through some american OTC's, captain black is what im on now (aside from my "premium" stuff)