This morning while enjoying the development of a cool, cloudy, panchromatic dawn over Dogtown I savored my first-ever bowl of St. Bruno (Ready-Rubbed) in an estate no-name Prince of Wales briar with straight fishtail bit. I purchased this pipe years ago from an antique mall in Hastings, Minnesota. It has absolutely no stampings or markings, but, likewise, no fills or defects and the drilling is spot-on. Its color is what I would call a dark cordovan, and it highlights the attractive grain nicely. The best part is that it is an excellent smoker.
The date code on the clear seal-strip of my pouch states 'Sep 2023" and I found the moisture of the tobacco to be just right. Although the label states "Ready Rubbed" it was VERY chunky and benefited greatly from a trip through my little Black & Decker 1.5-cup food processor. Still, it took several matches to get a good ember going.
I found the character of the smoke to be almost chewy and this, together with its taste, was delightful right down to the bottom of the bowl. Further, it smoked relatively dry and left a pleasant aftertaste.
I don't know why I waited so long to try it, but I'm glad I did. St. Bruno is a welcome addition to my rotation and my cellar.