So I Tried Deer Tongue (Crooner)

[natibo]

I have been wanting to try out this deer tongue for a while so i ordered 1oz of Crooner from smokingpipes. Many have said that you either love it or hate it. I will have to say that's not true. I'm indifferent. It was not the horrible thing I have heard it described by many. It does have an odd tin aroma, sort of a vanilla/mint. I think I would just prefer a vanilla topping though. Crooner is a strong burley blend, which I like. I think the deer tongue burns off about 3/4 way through the bowl, leaving a nice cube cut burley blend. There is a slight ghosting, but nothing a couple of bowls of an aromatic or strong latakia should not take care of.

 

[mcitinner1]

Natibo I was like you, I grabbed 8oz to try and was indifferent about the flavor so I jarred it to see what happens down the road. 8)

 

[wyfbane]

I got to try it at an SPC meeting. I had a spare pipe I didn't mind ghosting. It was good... and different, but not mindblowing.
Agree with you guys. I have the rest in a jar on my desk will try it again in about 6 months.

 

[papipeguy]

C&D's Gentleman Caller is a deer tongue blend that has a tad less of the herb than Crooner. I smoke it quite a bit and dedicate one pipe to it. I like GC because reminds me of the old Half & Half from the 60's and 70's.

The "new" H&H is very different.

 

[zitotczito]

This was one of the first blends I tried and I have to say I hated it. At first I thought it was Perique and then looked up what was in it and it must be the Deer Tongue as I generally like VaPer's. I have it jarred as well and will try it again in maybe 30 years.

 

[schaum]

Couldn't quite put a handle on this blend. I kept looking for something special but came up short after trying 4 different pipes and various moisture levels.

 

[buroak]

John Dengler's "Anniversary" is an example of a good mixture with Deer Tongue. Admittedly, I have not tried any other blends that incorporate Deer Tongue, so I cannot comment on others' experiences with the condiment.

 

[weezell]

The "new" H&H is very different

Could not agree more. I have had a tub of Half & Half around for a year or so and kept trying to like it. It was no way close to what I remember from the 70S. Gifted it to a homeless guy whom I have given pipes and tobacco to and he was happy to receive it...

 

[agnosticpipe]

I agree with the majority of posts here too. I tried a couple of ounces of Crooner about 6 months ago, and thought, meh... Was a little too much like incense for me. So I too jarred it up, and will try it in the future, which still hasn't arrived yet. :lol:

 

[captainbob]

By the way, I did notice that Half & Half removed deer-tongue from their blend several years ago. The absence of the "green deer-tongue-leaf" is noticeable in smoking and visual perception. The reason it was removed? Expense and very hard to come by in modern blending.
The herb, deer-tongue, is not toxic. It is essentially a vanilla "type" flavor but tilted in a different direction. Vanilla by itself is "flat" unless enhanced with another spice or flavoring ingredient. When appropriately enhanced, vanilla extract gives a companion flavoring an extremely smooth and mellow characteristic.
Deer-tongue is extremely expensive and hard to come by. I remember the "late" Craig Tarler of C&D telling me that he acquired a pallet of deer-tongue (quite expensive) and that he was guarding it with his life. If you try a blend containing deer-tongue, please use a specific pipe for it. You can never get rid of the "ghosting" of deer-tongue. I have two pipes dedicated to such blends and nothing else. I am rewarded for that when I smoke a blend containing deer-tongue. It's worth trying. Just don't use a pipe that you may desire to convert to a non-deer-tongue blend as you will "always" taste the herb. I also enjoy Gentleman Caller from time to time in a specific pipe dedicate only to that blend due to "ghosting".

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[buroak]

I had no idea that Half & Half once contained Deer Tongue. I have a couple of sealed 7oz. tins that were originally sold by Rite Aid for $4.62. I am hoping those will be old enough to be the sort that contained Deer Tongue.

 

[captainbob]

buroak, based on the price you paid, these tins should contain the herb. Look for a "green" leaf sparse in the blend. It is a strong condiment and if present, you will see it as you sift through a handful.

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[buroak]

captainbob, Thanks for the tip. Now I will know what to look for when I crack the first tin.

 

[woodsroad]

Deer Tongue, or White Trout Lilly
4Noggins did carry it, but they are out of it now. It's available elsewhere, stocked by her dealers. We have a lot of it growing on our property.

 

[davidintexas]

So Dan, do you use the stem, or the flower petals? That picture looks exactly like what has come up numerous times in the summer around one of our pecan trees. I don't remember any green leaf being on it, though I'd have to look closer next time it springs up

 

[woodsroad]

David, I have not used it, but I would expect that you dry the leaves, shred and smoke.

 

[davidas3]

captainbob, thanks for the information on deer tongue, particularly regarding its ghosting characteristics. As of yet, I don't have a pipe that I can dedicate to C & D's Gentleman Caller, which I've been wanting to try or Crooner, which I've just ordered a taste of in bulk from P&C. When it arrives I'll have a few corncobs to choose from to give the plant a try.

 

[iamn8]

Gulp... deer tongue? I do not approve of some of these tobacco names, but the marketing seems to work so hey whatever. I'll soon be releasing a small shipment of a rare blend of my own making called My Hairy Ass. I'll post an announcement when it goes on sale ::

 

[woodsroad]

Deer Tongue is the common name of the plant Erythronium albidum, a lilly. It is also known as Adder's Tongue, Dog's-tooth Violet, Serpent's Tongue, Trout Lily, and Yellow Snowdrop. I recognized it as Trout Lilly, and had no idea that they were one and the same.

 

[edgreen]

I tried one of the 4noggins blends over a year ago. I still have the tobacco minus one, awful bowlful.