Tinder Box Norse Gold

This is a classic Tinderbox blend that has been around for eons. I know I must have tried it in my distant past, but can't put my finger on when or where. The small 1 ounce sample tin I just popped open the other day must be at least 10 years old.

Norse Gold's gentleness to the palate and subtle Vanilla/Licorice flavoring was a nice change of pace for me. I did want a little more "oomph," so, just for fun I slapped a quarter bowl of Five Brothers on top of Norse Gold for my second bowl and got the desired effect.

If a light aromatic with true tobacco flavor is your cup of tea... well, here you go pardner.

Norse Gold is a good Danish blend. It is mild in nicotine, pleasant in aroma, and richly flavored, but a wet smoker. Its flavor and aroma are both pleasant and similar to one another. The primary tasting notes are curiously absent from the list of ingredients for this blend. I taste sweetened Black Cavendish, vanilla, and a hit of anise. The smoke is warm but in a comforting way though I suppose an aggressive puffer could burn off his taste buds. The big problem with this blend is that it smokes wet. I can't stand getting water out of the stem of my pipe and the infamous wet pipe gurgle drives me mad. If you are a fan of mild aromatics that still taste of tobacco and don't mind the wet this blend is a good choice. If the wet gets you but like me you still enjoy the smell and aroma of this blend I suggest moving up the price ladder to W.O. Larsen's 1864.

I cannot believe I am the first to review this classic Tinderbox Blend. I started smoking this in High School back in 1978 and I thought wow!!!, this is really what pipe smoking is about. Well, 29 years later I am a little wiser but I still have a fond place in my heart for Norse Gold. This was the blend that got me smoking pipes 3 decades ago. This is a remarkably unremarkable aromatic by todays standards. It is primarily light colored cavendish with some sweetened black cavendish and an unusual Vanilla type topping.Actually, I still find it a step above other aromatics. It burns very cool and has a pleasant dry sweetness to it. There is something in the casing that makes this aromatic different, and different enough to survive at least 30 years! That is no easy feat! It really is worth a shot for something unusual that is till available today , yet takes us all back to those glorious neophyte days that would mark the beginning of our future pipe smoking adventures. Judge it for what it is not what you might like it to be and you will be happy. 3 solid Aromatic Stars!!! 10 stars for Nostalgia!!!!!!!!

The sweetened black cavendish has a light vanilla aspect, a little less than one might expected. The cavendish sports a mild honey note. The Virginia is a little dull and grassy with very little citrus. The nutty, earthy burley component is drowned out by the marshmallow and licorice toppings, which are not strong, but do tone down the tobaccos a little. There are a few sour notes that some may find off putting. I find the flavor bottoms out a bit near the end of the smoke. Has almost no nicotine. Doesn't bite, but gets warm if not sipped. Burns a little fast with a consistent flavor. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, and needs few relights. Has a plain, short lived after taste. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

Nice tin note, nothing exceptional, vanilla and perhaps as one reviewer said; licorice. Started out really mild with the vanilla in the background and the toasty Marshmallows out front. Burley comes on in the middle of the bowl. Not too bad a bite but I did get a gurgle midway though the smoke. Great room note. You shouldn't get any complaints about smoking this one around friends and family.

I tried to come up with something other to add to this review than "vanilla-marshmallow" flavoring, but I find I can not. The other reviewers have it spot-on with this blend, and "vanilla-marshmallow" really is the best way of putting it.

Right out of the bag it smokes well, and is very tasty. The flavoring is just enough to keep you interested and alert, and the tobacco isn't too strong or weak either. The room note is usually pleasant on this one. I have only had one complaint from a non-pipe smoker (she caught a full puff right in the face on accident), and even then her comment was "wow, that stuff stinks, but it's really good for clearing out the sinuses!" This blend does have a tendency to smoke a bit hot and dry, but if sampled carefully it serves to accent the flavor, rather than detract from it.

The smell really does stay on you all day, but in a pleasant way, and once the smoke goes stale in a room or car it really isn't unpleasant at all.

My only problem with it is that it leaves a sour taste in the mouth after-wards. I just couldn't get past that. Without the sour mouth-taste, this one could have been a four star.

Mild all around; strength, taste, and flavor. I get a hint of toasted vanilla flavor. Pleasant in all aspects, but seems lacking overall. Probably not one I'm going to reach for often, but still recommended if you're looking for a mild aromatic.

I think I must have bought this by accident. The pouch aroma is nice and floral and light but for me the fun stopped there. It burns hot, starts off bitter and only becomes a vaguely nice experience for about 5 minutes towards mid bowl. It bites a bit and is somewhat tasteless. But it is a mild and fuss free beginners experience I imagine. Thing is it always leaves my tongue feeling funny and numb. I've still yet to be won over to aromatics. Not stopping by for any Norse Gold again.

This is the third installment of mine for a Tinderbox tobacco after my recent visit to the store in Palm Springs. I have enjoyed Norse Gold on and off over the years. In fact, my late father enjoyed it occasionally back in the 1970s and 1980s.

To me, Norse Gold is a Danish/Scandinavian style Virginia/Burley blend in a rubbed out flake similar to say Skandinavik or even the old Sail. It has a mild old-fashioned vanilla-ish topping. Some have called it sort of a roasted marshmallow flavor and I agree completely. But don’t let that scare you off, it has a natural tobacco flavor enhanced with a bit of sweetness from the topping. It is not a sweet modern black cavendish aromatic at all. Probably due to the Virginias, it can nip if you puff fast. It burns reasonably cool and clean and dry. It has a very pleasant traditional “pipey” smell.

Give it a try if you at all like Va/Bur blends or Danish/Scandinavian blends. It sure is a trip down memory lane for me and something I will continue to enjoy.

There's some kind of flavor steering beyond just adjusting the pH here. I find the vanilla note very light and get more of a honey note, but mostly anise. In any case, this seems to me a rather odd concoction, tasting like a Golden Cavendish that has had some added anise flavoring. Anise works well with Burley but in this blend it doesn't work for me.

Aside from the relative oddity of it, there's nothing wrong with this blend and it burns clean and steady. Worth at least two stars.