Which OTC Burley is Tastiest Between CH, PA and SWR?

[Anonymous]

I'm having a little craving for a classic OTC Burley and was wondering which, between Carter Hall, Prince Albert and Sir Walter Raleigh, had your preference with regards to a (certain) complexity in taste...that makes up for these offerings being rather light in the nicotine department.
I have tried Half & Half already and really didn't dig the casing. I also tried Granger but it just bit me like a son of a gun...which is unfortunate as its price is much better than the other ones.
As per usual, thanks for your suggestions, chaps. :cheers:

 

[AJ]

This is an easy one for me. Sir Walter Raleigh is by far the best of the three followed by Carter Hall, and way down on the list Prince Albert.

AJ

 

[Richard Burley]

I just finished a pouch of SWR, and just can't get into it. But it was much better this time, because I used to detest it. Huge chunks that wouldn't burn, bland taste when it wasn't tarry, etc. Maybe it was a QC issue. I think of it now as an OK blend, kind of a comforting taste, if that makes sense. I try it once every decade.

Anyhow, CH, which some old boys consider an aromatic, and is more of a "blend," might appeal to you. I'm surprised that Granger didn't. I've heard that the stuff in the can is slightly different from the small package, whatever that's worth. When you smoke any of these, you have to smoke successive bowls. It's only then that the plain, "natural" taste starts to appeal, at least for me. In other words, you can't smoke a bowl of PA, then Penzance, then PA and say, "Boy, that stuff is cheap crap!" They're made for a different type of smoking, in my opinion, hence their appeal back when pipe smoking wasn't an oddity and you could do it anywhere but church. I knew a guy who chain-smoked SWR. I don't think you'd want to do that with most premium blends--although Jim Inks might disagree. Personally, I'd take PA over SWR. And I'd take Velvet over any of them. It just seems more "pipey" to me.

 

[Fr_Tom]

I like Carter Hall the most. SWR is second, and PA is third. I have smoked tubs of PA, but it is well in third place. I have a tub of SWR open.

 

[idbowman]

CH for me. PA is a distant second, SWR a FAR distant third.

 

[Orb Weaver D]

I'm with AJ on this one. SWR, CH, then PA. Also like SWRA when I want something sweet.

 

[Jevverrett]

I like Prince Albert best myself, I buy that to change up my rotation. I also use it to break in new pipes. Carter hall is a decent second, and I never could get into sir Walter really. I had the same issue with the chunks that wouldn't burn. Maybe I should give it another shot.

Another good one is Peretti's burley plug cut if your looking to try a solid burley blend.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, thanks gents. SWR doesn't seem to be preferred by most people that replied to my question. I thought that a cube cut burley would be fancied. I will still get some as I do like Peter Stokkebye's Cube Cut. I'M not expecting it to be similar, but we'll see.

@jevverett: thanks for the Peretti Burley Plug. It sure is peaking my interest.

 

[Jevverrett]

PM sent

 

[Anonymous]

Just replied to.

 

[Brewdude]

Of the 3, I've only ever had PA and CH. And CH seemed a bit bland for me, so on that basis PA gets the nod. In fact I like to use it for breaking in new pipes, and enjoy the simple straightforward flavor. And also when I just want to grab a bowl of something that I just want to burn and not think too much about.

Actually, all the posts about H&H recently have piqued my interest. And since I've never had that before I might just visit the local "Discount Cigar shop" and see if they have any. It'll be painful to pay WA state taxes but a small pouch shouldn't be too dear. Or maybe not!


Cheers,

RR

 

[Jevverrett]

I decided to give SWR another shot today. I grabbed a pouch of it for a whopping 8$ in the smoke shop along my garbage route. It's awful, I'm sorry. The parts that did burn anyway. I had to chuck it. Lesson learned I suppose.

 

[Anonymous]

I decided to give SWR another shot today. I grabbed a pouch of it for a whopping 8$ in the smoke shop along my garbage route. It's awful, I'm sorry. The parts that did burn anyway. I had to chuck it. Lesson learned I suppose.

What was wrong with it, if I may ask?

 

[Jevverrett]

Maybe I've never gotten a fresh pouch, but it is dry and flavorless to me. Maybe a bit sour and doesn't burn well for me either. It has chunks in it that just won't light. I know some people love the stuff, but it's just not for me. Way too many good burley blends out there to get hung up trying to learn to like it haha

 

[Anonymous]

Yea...When the Missus and I were on the West Coast, we visited Washington and Oregon states during a 2 week trip in 2010. I remember, one night, while in Portland, grabbing a pouch of SWR in a convenience store right by our hotel. Man, the tobacco was so dry that the cubes were almost hard as rocks and the pouch aroma was totally inexistant. So I didn't even bother to try out, I knew it was not boding well. It was the first time I had bought SWR and did not get to try it. On a positive note, the Marlboro packs were 4.90 or something. I went right nuts; a pack of 20 in BC was like 9 or 10CDN at the time.
On that trip, as well, I had the pleasure, in Portland, to try my first Triple Whopper - I've only seen Doubles in Canada in the Burger King I have been into. Anyway, I got to the restaurant (close to the hotel too) and placed my order: chicken nuggets, and the Triple Whopper combo. The lady asks me what kind of pop I wanted. As I was happily intoxicated, I replied : " No need for pop, ma'am; I have lots of beer in the room!" with a big smile on my face.
Well the lady cracked up laughing and told me that as I had plenty of replenishment in the room she would not charge me for the chicken nuggets. That was really nice of her. :lol!:
That burger was just great! :cheers: :albino:

 

[Brewdude]

Of the 3, I've only ever had PA and CH. And CH seemed a bit bland for me, so on that basis PA gets the nod. In fact I like to use it for breaking in new pipes, and enjoy the simple straightforward flavor. And also when I just want to grab a bowl of something that I just want to burn and not think too much about.

Actually, all the posts about H&H recently have piqued my interest. And since I've never had that before I might just visit the local "Discount Cigar shop" and see if they have any. It'll be painful to pay WA state taxes but a small pouch shouldn't be too dear. Or maybe not!


Cheers,

RR

Well, my visit to the local B&M didn't pan out.

Virtually no pipe weed to speak of, unless you count pouches of Borkum Riff into the equation, as well as jumbo lb bags of some unidentifiable nonesense masquerading as "pipe tobacco".

I asked about H&H and CH, but the proprietor just shook her head. Pretty much as I figured.

They mainly sell some rather expensive Fuente and other sticks, ciggies, vape stuff, glass pipes for their intended purpose, and other nonsense. I normally only patronise them when I need Zippo fuel, flints, or Butane. Anything else is a waste of time.

So, I'll just bide my time and grab some H&H at some point in the future.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Anonymous]

I hear ya, Brew. I have had a hard time finding anything decent in a B & M in Washington and Oregon states while on vacation. I believe there was a decent shop in Portland but its prices, compared to the online vendors, had refrained my desire to stock up. Which is really sad because I would have preferred to buy in an actual real building while chatting with the employees on site.

 

[KevinM]

Great Q. I'd say PA is my fave of PA, CH, SWR, and Granger (without putting the others in any particular order).  PA's slightly Cocoa, nutty Burley taste, EZ maintenance -- and reasonable price -- are a hit with me, which isn't to say the others are unsatisfactory.  I spent a week on the Maine Coast last month accompanied by PA and three cobs and was content as could be.  But FYI briars like PA, too, I've found. If you visit the TR site, you will witness a wide disparity in individual ratings of these well-established codger blends. One smoker will say "my fave," the next might say "lawn clippings." My belief is that any "I like" or "I don't like" statement is true, because the person is reporting his / her own preferences. Even "better than" statements often reduce to "I like" or "I don't like." So with that caveat, PA has my vote, but the best, indisputable test will be your own taste.

P.S. -- The TR reviews of codger blends often warn of a tendency to bite. For whatever reason, I've never been bitten by any of them. Not even nipped. Just lucky, I guess.

 

[Richard Burley]

Just a thought: There was a time when Mac Baren's Golden Extra was an OTC. It was available in virtually any drugstore and many supermarkets, at least here in the northeast U.S. I would recommend it over any OTC discussed here, having once spent a decade smoking nothing else. (Once in a great while I'd cut something with it, usually with good results.) It was my gateway weed to the higher echelons of weedery. A rather tasty, mostly burley blend that has that "plain" thing about it. It's kind of chocolatey, but I guess that's inherent in good burley.

 

[huffelpuff]

I'm probably not the best person to ask this question but SWR, PA then CH have never been able to find Granger locally. I'm not partial to the newer SWR though. I haunt old antique shops and flea markets looking for tubs that date back to the 80's or old is preferable. I'm very carefully smoking my way through a tub from the 50's that's Devine. Fortunately I can't and haven't been able to smoke for at least a year now so it's lasting quite nicely lol.

Jim