Pinkerton Tobacco Co. - Granger pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 77 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
fr_tom	05/17/2013	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is my favorite OTC, and it was my grandfather's daily smoke. This is a good basic burley that is hard to find locally. I find the pouches and cans have a different taste. I would like to see a better distribution for Granger, and I would smoke it more often if I could get it.
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nesta	04/25/2013	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Much is made of Carter Hall and Prince Albert. True, these are "no nonsense" tobaccos suitable for smoking from first thing in the morning until bedtime. True, they are tried and proven. True they burn well almost no matter what, go well in a cob, and taste "like tobacco." But for those of us who prefer more robust tobaccos, Granger does EVERYTHING that PA or CH does and does it better. It's not strong by my standards - medium bodied, perhaps even mild to medium. It has a fairly full taste, though, being more medium to full. Burley is often praised for it's "nutty" flavor, but Granger is the nuttiest of all. It is semi sweet. It smokes easily. It is cheap. It has real tobacco flavor and a depth and richness that most "drug store" blends can't match. I wouldn't say this is my favorite tobacco, but if I had nothing other than this, I'd still be a smoker - and a reasonably contented one at that. I recommend this tobacco. If you don't like old school American burley blends, it may not be for you. If you only like mild blends, it may not be for you. But I like it a lot, and I think you should try this classic blend. For my money, the only American "OTC" still produced that can approach this one is Sir Walter Raleigh, which is sweeter and semi-aromatic, but could stand up to Granger in terms of body and depth. Get a pouch and give it a try. You might discover you like it a lot. I didn't expect too much from it, but I ended up really liking it.
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furious	01/26/2013	Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is as close to the true old fashioned burley taste of yore as one is likely to get in a major tinned production tobacco. The rough cut does facilitate slower burning and the Wellmann process, if still used, adds to the charm of this very old codger blend. Flavor improves to the bottom of the bowl and usually produces a fairly dry smoke even when the tin is first cracked.
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Suttonwood	01/13/2013	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I wanted to experiment with an OTC tobacco and chose this one because of the bird dog, very scientific. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a straightforward American tobacco from yesteryear. It has little or no subtleties to it and is very consistent. I find this to be great when I want to smoke and not think, like when I am fishing or mowing the lawn. At those times that I don't want to contemplate the subtleties in a Balkan or fine aromatic, I will go for Granger. It also seems to go hand in hand with a cob.
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ColonelStJames	01/02/2013	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
My son gave me a can of Granger for Christmas, and I couldn't have been happier. My Great-Grandfather smoked this and nothing but this his whole life, and now I know why. You just didn't mess around with Grandpa. He was very straight forward, and that's what I have found out about his favorite tobacco. Granger is just a really good, nothing fancy, but very satisfying smoke. Smells good in the can, smells good in the room, and even though there's a dog on the can, it will never bite you! Grandpa was, at the very least, a no-nonsense kind of guy, and Granger is all that in a pipe tobacco. I still prefer CH as my everyday burley, but Granger is a nice alternative.
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Chris Patey	10/21/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
An excellent Burley tobacco. The light topping adds a very mild sweetness but isn't chemical tasting or bitter. This is one of the few burleys that I could smoke all day long. Simple, tasty and easy on the tongue. This isn't the most complex blend on the market, but it isn't supposed to be. You could pay a lot more for tobacco much worse than this.
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Blue Bayou	09/18/2012	Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Smoked it for the first time recently. A bit hot & harsh, but flavorful, nutty aroma & taste. A good OTC blend.
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chetking	07/02/2012	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
An iconic, rich and substantive 20th Century U.S. American burley tobac standard. Glad to know it has survived the years and is still readily available at reasonable prices if you are willing to investigate. I try to forget this great national blend is owned by Swedish Match, a huge European tobacco and food product conglamorate. Hadn't tried it for decades, but after recently purchasing a 12 Oz. tub glad I did. From the first whiff upon opening the lid, tamping down the emminently packable leaf, and settling in after the first needed char light, I felt relaxed,content. But don't hurry this leaf along as it can induce some bitter blow back taste and residue if puffed too aggressively. Also seems to taste better in smaller bowls. Love the name "Granger," the signature friendly dog image, and its nostalgic reminder of an agrarian and rural America pretty much lost as the world has turned so many times.
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brogreggblues	04/14/2012	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
As a traditional OTC blend, Granger is comparable to PA, Mild Kentucky Club, Carter Hall, etc. To me, Granger is the best of all the above. This blend is very consistent from first light to bottom of the bowl. Not complex, even monochromatic. Smooth, no bite, copious clouds of smoke. Room note is not great, so I wouldn't describe this as a "social" tobacco. Pouch aroma and taste produce a distinct, sweetish raisin flavor. Almost the equivalent of smoking a Dr. Pepper soda pop. I enjoy Granger most when I'm doing something else: mowing the lawn or working in the garage. Recommended.
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Earl Grey	04/13/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I got a tub of Granger. I've read the reviews and was troubled about the 'plastic' taste everybody talked about. I opened it up and proceeded to pack my cob. I lit it up . . . It wasn't bad. As one reviewer said here, it did taste 'raisin' like. The plastic taste came and went. It was also hard to keep lit. I puffed like a maniac and burned hell out of my tongue. I will see how it goes as it ages.
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Phototone	03/20/2012	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
This is another tobacco that has changed over the years. The cut is nowhere near the "rough cut" it used to be. Still a pleasant smoke. It seems like most of these old time drug-store blends are now made from the same "cut" of tobacco, regardless of blend.
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musicman	01/30/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I really wanted to love this tobacco. That blue package with the pointer on the front makes me think of old times, of good old fashioned hard working people, and morals, and the American dream. Unfortunately all I found was a pretty bland burley tobacco. I do not want to mislead people. This blend delivers exactly what it advertises. It is a no nonsense straight forward smooth and cool smoke. No tongue bite, not gurgle, no hot pipe, and next to no exciting flavors. It burns great, has a great price point, but does not interest me at all. Here you have a typical nutty burley blend with a slight sweet topping. Pairs well with a nice cup of coffee but I prefer Sir Walter Raleigh and Carter Hall to this one. Some people find a really great thing in this blend, and good for them, I wish I could see it too. Just not for me. Not because of what it is, but because of what it is not. As always, try it. It is not expensive or hard to find, and if nothing else your hard earned money is going to keeping a long time brand running.
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Henry Mars	11/14/2011	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I came across this stuff again after a lot of years and since I have been slumming with old drug store blends again I decided to give it a try once more. Well it ain't bad. It burns cool and dry. It has a component of dark Kentucky like burly in it and has a dark, nutty taste that doesn't change and is not very sweet at all. I wish it also came as a flake. I'll bet if you added a little Red VA. and some Latikia and some Turkish leaf and pressed the hell out of the mixture for a day or so it would be excellent. It seems like a great mixer. I kind of like the stuff but don't think it will become a regular.
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mbmc82	10/16/2011	Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant
I tried to like this blend but to no avail. There is a strong off flavor..,plastic like.
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mr.vintage	10/07/2011	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
You're probably wondering why people would enjoy Granger when the famous Prince Albert has won the hearts of so many pipe smokers(myself included)and there's two easy answers for that...1.you don't normally find Granger at every grocery store2.Prince Albert and Granger are very different from each other despite being a straight burley.The cut of tobacco in Granger i'm not really a critic on,straight burley is a scoop and serve tobacco.The smell of Granger in the can and pouch has a creamy molasses yet slightly raisin scent to it.The taste of Granger is no surprise it's straight burley-just a smooth and nutty taste that gets bolder towards the bottom but what makes Granger different is it has a dark and rich character to it,making it a tasty smoke which I believe is thanks to it's fermentation process.Granger does leave your pipe dry,I was expecting the rich taste to leave alot of residue but surprisingly my pipe was pretty clean afterwards.Would I recommend Granger?definitely.I'm an all-day every day PA smoker,but Granger I consider to be an indulgence since it's not exactly on every street corner.
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Dr. G	08/25/2011	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
This was one of my grandfather's favorites and for that reason alone, one of mine. In his honor, I smoke one bowl a day in in a no-name double bent briar he carried in the trenches near the Argonne Forest during WW I and only this burley and his other all day blend, Half and Half, can ever touch this sacred relic. That said, and with an attempt at sidelining my obvious bias, I will provide my insight. I can't comment on the quality nor consistency of this blend out of the pouch as I only buy the 14 ounce tub - the tobacco therein I immediately transfer to the tin my grandfather left at our house during his last visit in 1969. On opening, the tin note is unmistakably slightly overbaked chocolate cake with a faint fermented dark fruit bouquet. Neither transfer to the taste. The appearance is a consistent, medium- to-dark brown rough cut although not quite a shag. Regarding the taste, this is a classic burley-flavored burley cased in burley with a heavy burley topping. Burley, burley, burley, all day burley. That's it. No more, no less. No frills. I never experience bite, although my cadence with this one is always slow and contemplative. Good, dry ash with minimal to no dottle can be counted on at my slow cadence. Packs well and stays lit with minimal tamping and relights required. Aftertaste is pure tobacco. According to my wife, the room note compared to my usual blends and aromatics, is nothing to write home about, although I rather like it. A classic that will appeal to any burley aficionado. Recommended
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DaSquid	01/25/2011	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
Another one of my long time favorites - heck, it is my favorite. One of the grocery stores in a the city where I work has it from time-to-time, and I always make sure to pick some up when they have it. Mild strength, pleasing aroma, and a flavor that I can't quite figure out but like. Just be sure to smoke it slowly because it can heat up on you and bite the dickens out of your tongue. My uncle Danny was a huge fan of old-time classics like Granger, Velvet, Prince Albert, and Carter Hall, and smoked them all in his trademark corncob pipes. I find that these are the same tobaccos I gravitate to when I don't feel like driving 35 miles to the nearest dedicated pipe shop - which is most of the time. Sure, I could buy "premium" tobacco and smoke it in $300 exotic briar pipes but after 30 years I find the my uncle Danny really did have good smoking sense because I get just as much enjoyment from bowl full of inexpensive Granger in a cheap $5.00 corncob pipe.
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TK Pipe	12/07/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Granger... Another old timer. To best describe this stuff, the phrase … “Straight no B.S. tobacco taste” hits the nail on the head. For my mouth chemistry, I do not detect any evidence of a topping, just mild to almost strong tobacco flavor, depending on my puffing cadence. Not unlike many other blends where some basic smoking technique is required, Granger is no different, as careless puffing can produce some noticeable harshness, due your part and you may find why Granger has survived the test of time. With all of that out of the way, for my taste Granger is not my top choice for (OTC) burley blends, I prefer SWR, KCM or McB’s GE when it comes to burleys, but I do enjoy Granger on occasions. Overall a slightly stronger basic no frills burley, that I’m sure many will find just what their looking for. Enjoy. My personal rating 3/5
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Wriggles	08/21/2010	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
Update 01/27/11: I've smoked about half the 14oz tin, and I can honestly say this tobacco has grown on me. A bit mild, but good tobacco flavor and aroma. I think all tobacco smokes best in a cob. Granger is no exception. Brings back the good old days, when a pipe smoker could walk to the drugstore and buy an endless variety of burley based tobacco, and smoke a pipe anywhere. Original review: I ordered a tub of this online, as I haven't seen it in stores for decades. Also, in over 40 years of pipe smoking, I had never tried it. Objectively, this stuff is very, very mild. I smoked a few bowls in both filtered and unfiltered briars.(Kaywoodie and Dr. Grabow) As an old codger, I want to really like this tobacco, but flavor is at a minimum. The aroma out of the tin leads you to believe that it will taste like good burley with a light topping, but I really could not taste the topping. Decent quality tobacco, I will have no trouble finishing the tin. Nothing harsh or unpalatable about Granger. Maybe I'm losing my sense of taste, Half and Half (my 40 year tobacco of choice) seems to have lost its flavor. I remember it smoking with much more flavor than the current stuff. All in all, I recommend Granger to the burley inclined.
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krg1000	07/19/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I have been on an OTC binge as of late. This blend was next on the "hit list." Overall, not a bad blend in the genre. It fills and lights rather easily and stays lit throughout the bowl. It does seem to burn down to a nice ash with some dottle in it. It produces a decent amount of smoke with a nice amount of Vitamin N to keep you going and the price is right. I would definitely recommend this blend if you are just getting started.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 77 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >