Uhle's Old Shoe Blend

There’s some nuttiness and earth, a little molasses, toast and grass from the cavendish and burley. Mostly what you taste is a whisky topping that has a little richness. Has a mild nic-hit. Won’t bite or get harsh. The strength is a step closer to medium than it is to mild. Burns cool, mostly clean, at slightly less than a moderate pace with a very consistent flavor. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering sweet after taste with a sour note. Can be an all day smoke. Three stars only because I get an occasional slightly distracting alcohol essence from the whisky at times that’s not the kind one expects when drinking the bottled spirit.

-JimInks

I don't know why, but I have always been attracted to whiskey enhanced blends. Maybe in an effort to find one that really shines. Borkum Riff had a really nice whiskey taste, but Hell itself could not have burned hotter. Old Shoe blend was truly much better and straight forward. Imagine yourself smoking a dry burley leaf while alternating puffs with a good stiff shot of sour mash. Well, that's what I got while smoking Old Shoe. No way would I give this blend the boot.

Pipestud

Well what do you know, a full on aromatic I can stand. It did not burn my tongue or leave my mouth tasting of ashtray. I guess when you start with quality components good things can happen. Nice whiskey aftertaste and the burley from Uhle's (finest burley you can get) fill this out nicely, gives body, so it doesn't taste like I'm sucking air with flavoring... And the whiskey topping lasts through the bowl. Probably not going to be a regular, but worth keeping a few ounces on hand in case of any ecumenical gatherings.

My go-to smoke for 35+ years. Lucky to have the Uhles store so close by. My father smoked this in the 1960’s and I remember the aroma well. If Borkum Riff, is your thing, you’ll love this! A VERY good grade of burley with a whiskey-ish note and flavor. Kind of a “ high class “ aromatic. Even staunch English fans will enjoy this I believe..... From a very long time local blender in Milwaukee WI

This was one of the first blends from Uhle's I had when I started smoking a pipe. At that time I did not review blends, so I wanted to revisit it. During their pipe sale this week, I strolled over to the tester jars and shoe-horned some into my pipe.

It is billed as an aromatic, but I was hard pressed to detect much of a distinct flavor other than a general tobacco scent. Well no harm no foul. I gave it a go and a very mild nuttiness came through. For an aromatic I crave much more flavor.

Halfway through the shoe just didn't hold a flame and it took several relights. It was at this point I was getting a gross dry ashy smoke, so I tamped the rest out and called it quits. I guess no one won, since my gal wrinkled her nose at the smoke wafting about.

Maybe my pallete changed or I'm likely missing something others seem to enjoy, but this was a pass for me.

A moderately applied whisky flavoring complements quality burley base tobaccos. The whisky comes through in the taste and smoke but so do burley tastes. It does not smoke hot with any restraint in puffing. A superior blend. Three and a half stars.

WOW!!! I thought I would never be able to find another blend that I would like as much as my beloved Boswell Berry Cobbler or Christmas Cookie but I have found it. This stuff has a taste that is a little hard to describe. Once lit it is good but halfway through the bowl is is exceptional. It kinda has a what I would describe as a slight spicy taste, a little earthy. Very smooth on the draw and I love the way it seems to just nibble at the tounge, it does not bite but it seems to have a little tingle on the tounge. When I first seen the name Old Shoe I thought who would want to smoke anything that tastes or smells like an old shoe, but after smoking the first bowl I realize that it is as comfortable as an old shoe.

Absolutely love this stuff!!!

Uhle's blends just about speak for themselves. Excellent quality tobacco is used in all the Uhles stuff. Seems moist in the bag but actually smokes on the dry side. Once you get it going (light-tamp-light) the flavor, which does seem to be a little "rooty" as in root beer, (and just a tad sweet) is, if anything, understated. Nice mix of good casing and underlying tobacco flavor. Burns down to a dry ash with no bitters or goop. Room note is superb.

My go-to Blend. I stumbled across this and haven't looked back. I supplement my hobby with different blends, sampling English, Aromatics, and the basics, but this stuff is habit forming.

I can't quite describe the flavor explicitly, usually because I am too busy enjoying the party in my mouth. It's creamy, it's sweet, it reminds me of coca-cola cake. However, there is enough tobacco flavor to remind you that you are smoking, not sucking on a jolly rancher.

My biggest gripe with aromatics is that after the initial light, you lose the flavor and the smoke starts to taste like that flavored smoke. With this blend you have the tobacco flavors all the way through the bowl, just a tasty, creamy, rich flavor.

If you've not tried the Old Shoe, call or stop by Uhle's and try it out, I bet you'll like it. If you don't, send it to me.

No longer flavored with root beer. It is now a Whiskey based aromatic. A good one but nothing spectacular.