Tinderbox - Philosopher pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 21 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Geschichtlich	02/27/2013	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This may well not be a proper English blend, but it certainly smokes like one. Or, I should say, it smokes somewhat like an English blend, albeit an English blend without the hard edge of a burning rubber tire and the stomach-churning nicotine content. Philosopher is a very smooth, flaverful, and gratifying blend. Its every feature is subtle, perhaps too much so to satisfy occasional smokers who demand more power and presence in their smokes. But for regular puffers who seek solace instead of an experience, this blend is ideal. It has a terrific flavor and aroma, too. Recommended.
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JimInks	10/27/2012	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
This tobacco has a decent amount of strength and even though you can taste all the components, there's no real complexity of taste compared to other blends of this kind. Often, I found it to be slighty soapy. The smokeyness of the latakia is typical, and the orientals are noticeable, but lightweight. They overpower the Virginia. In truth, there's nothing special about this blend. It's not bad, it's not great. You'll find more enjoyment in Dunhill My Mixture 965 or Dunhill Standard Mixture Full.
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Smokey45	10/28/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I first tried this blend 10 years ago, and very much enjoyed it. Sadly, all the Tinder Boxes in my area have closed down over recent years, so I did not have any access to this blend, unless purchasing it in bulk from the Tinder Box webpage. Recently, my nephew, who is also a pipe smoker, discovered a Tinder Box not too far from his home. He thoughtfully picked up a couple ounces of this blend to give me upon a recent visit. Contrary to some other reviews on here, I still think it's good stuff! As soon as you open the pouch, you are presented with that unmistakable aroma that says "English Blend." The Latakia (not sure why it's not labeled as having Latakia tobacco, as you can most surely smell and taste it in this blend) immediately jumps out to greet you with its distinctive smoky aroma. The Orientials are also very present, but in a balanced way that keeps this tobacco interesting. It lights and smokes well, albeit a bit on the hot side. Is it the best English blend in the world? No. But, it is certainly a very enjoyable tobacco, with enough nuances to keep one's interest. I like it, and frequently smoke it in a large meerschaum while listening to lectures from the Teaching Company philosophy course "Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition." A time of delight for the mind and the senses.
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gladi8tor96	05/06/2010	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

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Meisterlowin	03/12/2010	Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I tried this blend with some reluctance particularly considering the other reviews but I have to say Philosopher isn't bad. It's not great mind you but it is tolerable. I am accustomed to smoking Squadron Leader for the most part and as I ran low, I went and picked this up to fill the down time until a new tin of the former arrived. Philosopher cannot, in my opinion, come close to being comprable with Squadron Leader but it beats the other heavily-cased PG-laden blends that are found at my local Tinderbox store. Burns cool and with minimal bite although it is a little too moist and i had to relight more than once.
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cmhpipesmoker	01/07/2010	Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant
I picked up a complimentary ounce of this blend after buying a VERY nice black, rusticated Savinelli Trevi pipe from my local Tinder Box pipe store. In explaining to the manager what type of blends I preferred, it didn't take long for him to reach for Philospher. I packed a bowl when I got home (not in my new Savinelli though) and can say that I was not impressed. This is a completely harmless tobacco for anyone who thought this was an end of day robust smoke. It's very bland, not much taste and definitely no aroma whatsoever. In the baggie it came in, I could only detect the slightest hint of a sweet somewhat pungent aroma. However, that's it. It's borderline English aromatic if there's such a thing. On the plus side, I didn't get any tongue bite that I usually get from blends with unnatural casing. It doesn't smoke hot and I smoked it pretty hard. Lights easy, no relights and burns to a white/gray ash. I can't recommend even for those seeking to switch from aromatics to Balkan blends because there's gotta be something out there better than this. Two stars, would not buy again nor can I or recommend.
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Cullen	10/11/2009	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I enjoyed this blend it was the second tinderbox flavor I've had the first being midnight which I would not recommend. In brief though the tobacco never lost its flavor and burned with only a little maintenance. This blend of tobacco did not burn hot and it burnt slow enough to enjoy on a nice night outside
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Demetri	09/26/2009	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Not that my tastes are more refined or discerning than any other smoker here, this blend did not come through for me. While pleasant to a degree it had no body, no real flavor. Let me say it was for me rather thin or weak. Burleys (Mexican?) are too heavy, Latakia non-existent (it doesn't purport to have any, really.) And where are the Orientals? Maybe this is what called an American-English? It is cheap enough, however. After effects in my mouth: pasty gumminess, perhaps from humicant. If I were shipwrecked on a desert isle with my pipe and a supply of this alone, I would not give up smoking; hence it gets two stars.
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Mr.Dark	05/24/2009	Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
* I've just taken up the pipe, so by all means lend little credence to my humble reviews. At the moment, I'm simply using this very fine website as a sort of dossier. Visually dark with a robust scent out of the bag --- unfortunately, it doesn't translate well to the pipe. Philosopher seems one dimensional, and is surprisingly weak and un-rounded. Not that I mind mild tobaccos, its just that I was looking for something full and that is exactly how the employee at the TB represented it. In fact, he warned that I should only fire it up after a hearty meal. The threat was definitely unwarranted. I "somewhat recommend" because it is rather inexpensive and certainly tolerable. Being a rather broke law student, both are important considerations.
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iggy	03/21/2008	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
It has been so long since I tried my first and last pouch of Philosopher that I do not remember much about it other than it made me a pipe tobacco fan after a few failed attempts in years prior.
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Pipemanuk	03/21/2008	Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Ooooh I wish people wouldn't call this kind of tobacco an English blend! English blends do NOT have orientals or balkan leaves in them. English blends are straight Virginias, often from Africa rather than America though not exclusively. They might be cased but never have any east european or mediteranean tobaccos in them. Sorry about the rant. You Americans! Love you to bits, but you always get us Brits wrong!
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renoguard	10/12/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
I got an ounce form my loal TB. The smell out of the can is different. the flavor is pretty good, but I cna't get overr the AFTERTASTE!!! After smoking a bowl of this, It left a waxy aftertaste in my mouth for a couple of hours. This isn't something you would smoke while on a date. The aroma is a bit uuhmm....reminds me of a woodsy, camp fire smell. Notbad, but nothing I would make into a car air freshener.
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Stacey	05/30/2007	Extremely Mild	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable
Lights and smokes easily, but not much here to excite anyone. If you just like to stare at smoke or love bland food this might be for you.
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Puff Daddy	01/30/2007	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
Back when I got my first pipe or two, this was my first foray into anything English. I remember liking the fact that it didn't give me as much tongue bite as the aromatics that I'd started with. But, as time goes on, and you get introduced to the real quality English blends, this is just revealed for what it is - a light, monochromatic English blend. Oriental means a dash of latakia, and the Virginias are okay, but not stellar. It is what it is, folks, a reasonable English bulk product. There is a noticable, albeit mild, casing, and like most Lane bulk tobaccos, too much PG. The best I can do for this one is to somewhat recommend it. If money is a real issue, then this might be good for you. But frankly, if that were my situation, I'd smoke a lot less, and make it count, with one of the Frogs, Odyssey, or even Penzance.
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Philo Beddoe	12/05/2006	Mild	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I opened the pouch and smelled Latakia I packed the pipe and had good feelings, but to no avail. Once lit it was a pale one dimensional light English blend. I tried it again in a meerschaum but it still did not impress. I can see no reason to revisit this tobacco again.
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Maimonides	11/05/2006	Extremely Mild	None detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable
This blend albeit priced right, reminds me of when the garbage disposal in prison backed up and the chopper blade sprayed me in the mouth with the molested fruit left behind by the well satisfied rectums of the 'lifers'
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Mr.Vince	11/22/2005	Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable
I found this blend a little to light for me. While I could taste the blend there wasn't alot there, or perhaps I just felt like the smoke itself was not "thick" enough. it may have been to moist, or it may have an additive of some kind on it because it left a waxy feeling on my tongue. just not enough "there" there for me.
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smoker390	11/19/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Pretty decent for a Lane bulk English. Reminds me of Dunhill Early Morning. My only issue: too much moisture or PG right from the tobacconist's jar. It dried out, but not quite as much as it should have - indicative of PG. Aside from that; good, rich, mild / medium bodied oriental taste with nominal spiciness.
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BriarLaw	10/17/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
It is easy to become prejudiced against bulk pipe tobaccos, particularly in today's market where many, many, fine "boutique" or "designer" English blends are available in fancy tin format. Of late, I have been working on avoiding that stereotype and wanted to try some bulk blends. So the other day I visited a local Tinderbox store. I grew up going to the Tinderbox when, during the 1970s, I would go with my dad who was an avid pipe smoker (for decades he smoked Tinderbox Cavendish and Lamplighter blended 50/50). His son, on the other hand, loves Latakia. Anyway, I bought 2oz. of Philosopher. Is this a Lane? Don't know for sure, but either way I very much enjoyed it. To my taste, Philosopher is generally an English/Cavendish blend (e.g., Frog Morton). A mix of black and brown tobacco with hints of light tobacco. Smokey pouch aroma with hints of sweetness (like BBQ sauce) from the Cavendish. Easy to light and burns well. The ash is mottled with a bit more dottle than I prefer. Dry and fairly cool burning. Yes it has a humectant of some sort. The flavor is generally medium in body with a gentle sweetness, not bitter, and a mild Latakia smokiness. Not much "nuance" (I think "nuance" is French for lawyer) but flavorful nonetheless. In sum, Philosopher is a tasty, readily available, medium English that is slightly sweet. A good one for everyday puffing or as an introduction to English flavors.
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Pipestud	10/02/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
I think the reason UncleGar's impressions of Philosopher did not match up with the stated descriptive is because this present day version is not even close to what Philosopher once was in the 1970s. There is an esteemed reviewer in our group (OSR) who worked for the Tinderbox chain for many years who no doubt can give a better history lesson regarding this blend than I can. I recently received a tin of Philosopher as well as another called Lamplighter. I am told both tins are 1970's Tinderbox originals. Philosopher does indeed have a somewhat cased "English" type taste. The very broken flake was dark and easy to light. It certainly provided an unusual flavor presentation that was almost sour. I am wondering if the casing caused this because I have noticed that cased blends with 20 or so years of aging actually cause the blend to head south over time. After reading UncleGar's review, I think I'll take a pass on the new stuff.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 21 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >