Borkum Riff - Whiskey pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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orka	07/21/2007	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable
I bought a pouch of this for the sake of trying, was a while ago, but on rare occasions I (usually) smoke it in a cob. It doesn't really deserve all this negative press, even if it's hardly the best tobacco ever made. It is quite strong, which surprises me a little. I can detect the burley and a faint taste of bourbon (more like a hint of sweet-corn after taste than anything else, which does intensify somewhat further down the bowl). Can't sense any virginia in there, though it is probably in there somewhere, if you look hard enough. It treats my tongue well, but I guess it'll bite if you tempt fate (what tobacco doesn't?). At worst a small tingle on the false light. After that it burns without any problems at all. It is very thinly cut, almost like loosepacked cigarette tobacco, which makes packing a breeze. This makes it burn pretty fast also, for better or for worse. Should you try it? Who knows, you might like it. As far as I am concerned, I probably won't buy another pouch of it, but on the other hand, I don't regret buying the one I have now.
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Nick O'Teen	06/23/2007	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
One really has to hand it to the folks at Borkum Riff. They pulled off one of the biggest con job advertising/packaging campaigns in the history of pipesmoking. Low grade tobaccos and flavorings packed in an attractive pouch and sold as a premium product in drug stores. Pretty slick. Even slicker is how they manage to foist this crap upon the public in this day and age. With the advent of the internet and subsequently so much information about pipe tobacco and a whole new level of availability for previously hard to find tobacco, it's amazing that anyone would settle for this type of low grade product. "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." - H. L. Mencken
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Fofo	05/15/2007	Strong	Medium	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong
I smoked this stuff along with half and half when I first started smoking a pipe. At first, without much to compare it to, I thought it was alright. Years later I revisited this blend hoping I would grow fond of it since it is readily available. Well, the second time around i didn't think it was alright, in fact i hated it. I smoked about three quarters of the pouch just to see if i could make myself like it but i had to stop. The taste is strong but it doesn't really taste like tobacco or whiskey, it was like smoking pencil shavings. My tongue was so sore after a while that it was a pain in the butt to brush my teeth. It's easy to pack and keep lit, but it is too dry for my taste. I don;t know, since i see this stuff everywhere i guess it's good, otherwise why would it be so popular? It's just not exactly my kind of smoke. My advice would be to just give it a try, you might like it. UPDATE: I changed my mind, I thought about it and there are so many decent blends out there with two start that this one does not deserve two start. Downgrading it to one star
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Glorfindel	05/04/2007	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong
One bowl, 5 puffs and the package went into the trash. Abysmal. No offense to those who like this one, but its not for me. Smelled like a pack of cigarettes that had been sunning in the dash of a truck for about 3 years. Live and learn.
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Xeneize	04/13/2007	Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable
Where's the whiskey in this stuff? It burns hot, it tends to dampen, it's tasteless... Move along, nothing to see here.
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fatherDougal	03/26/2007	Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
Wise was I to try this old standard in a cob! I got a hold of an older (mid 70s)pack of this blend, awakened its dry contents with the help of a tart apple slice, and after a few days, smoked. I can only imagine that those inclined to like the floral flavours might, just might, appreciate this tabak. There is something of the Lakeland taste in the smoke. The smell in the pouch is sweet and enticing. However, that's where the fun stops. I have joined the chorus on this note...out the window it goes.
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savage	03/05/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This tasted and smelled like cigarettes. I started smoking pipe tobacco for a reason... to get away from cigerettes. This rancid smell from the pouch should have tipped me off. Unfourtunately its so widely available; I'm not too sure who even buys this stuff. If you like chemical ridden smoke then this is it... If you like pipe tobacco... definately try something different.
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Archie Medes	02/09/2007	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

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DrY11	02/06/2007	Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Let me just mention my cons: Too expensive - I can easily find far better aromatics for half the price (say Amphora Red - this is not my favorite, but it is much better) Burns too hot The aroma is quite heavy / stale It tends to give a wet smoke. I will stay away from it as much as I can.
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Tantric	01/22/2007	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is one of the first pipe tobaccos I ever tried (together with Capt. Black, Amphora Red and Clan). In my opinion, this is the best of the Borkum Riff range or, if you so prefer, not as bad as the others in this German-Swedish family. It is not as goopy or cased as either the Black or Cherry Cavendish varieties, and it does have more body and presence than the Ultra Light or Champange versions. Evidently a popular tobacco, and readily available almost anywhere, it has enough Virginia flavour to fight back the Bourbon whiskey casing, and the Burley adds a certain sharpness which I find rather enticing. To put it briefly: it does taste of tobacco. The samples I remember were not particularly moist, and the famous (or infamous) riff cut (long thin strands) were never an obstacle to pack and light it easily. I assume it must contain some humectant or artifical substance to keep it fresh, and that tends to give it an industrialised undertone. But it's not that bad. I would rate BRW a mild to middle strength smoke, not really sweet, and if smoked slowly it won't bite. Not a particularly cool smoke, it does leave a tolerable room aroma. Within the range of highly commercial brands, this blend is pretty good and can be smoked safely by both aromatic and non aromatic smokers. Definitely not an exceptional tobacco, but if stranded somewhere in the wild, it can become a passable option. __________ NB: I just tried the new, Danish blended version. It is much better than its previous German version. The taste is fuller and rounder, and the casing seems to be now a topping, providing a more defined and richer tobacco flavor, with a stronger Burley presence. Hence, one more star for this readily available blend. Smoke it slowly, though, because the tongue bite is still there...(January, 2007)
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rlaw	01/12/2007	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Forget it, don't even bother with this stuff. Just simply bad, not much else you can about this. If you are in a pinch and this is all you can find, stop smoking a pipe until you can get some real tobacco.
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giturra	12/02/2006	Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I've always had bad experiences with borkum riff, so far everything I've tried by them has been disappointing to say the least, this mix was no exeception. But I'd like to note that there's a slightly different and better version of this by borkum riff as well, it's called "High maltland whisky", and to be honest with you, that one is pretty good, it's the ONE BR mix I can enjoy, then again, it's not like that this other mix is the best thing ever, but at least it's smokeable, and tasty so try that one, and forget about this dreadful one.
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rsvp2rip	11/27/2006	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I found this to be surprising. I was suprised it cost me $5. I was suprised I paid it. I was suprized it contained so many stems. I was suprised it burned my whole mouth and made me physicaly ill. But hey, I had to try it for myself just to see how bad it actually was... What's that sound? Thats me slamming my head in a door so as to remind me not to do this again. A total failure as a smoking mixture. 0 of 10
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Maimonides	10/31/2006	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable
TOAST, WEAK GOLDEN RAISIN This is not quality, but is easy to obtain, very inexpensive. It is light, flat, mild, a little toasty.Weak raisin like-toast... Unilateral and no suprises. BETTER PICK: GL PEASE BARBARY COAST, TROOST BEST PICK: Dunhills Light Flake, Orlik Golden Slices
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scotty815	10/19/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This was one of my first tobaccos, Last year i picked up a pouch of this for the sake of nostalgia. I dont know what kind of whiskey they use, but i assume its rotgut. It will burn a pipe to the ground, along with your eyes and nose. dont bother with this.
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Wriggles	09/27/2006	Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Every so often I slip back 35+ years and buy Borkum Riff. How I remember the fancy package with the sailing ships. As a young soldier, I thought this was expensive tobacco. (at 35 cents a pack) Today, I find it barely smokeable. If it had no nostalgia value, I'd say it was a too sweet, tongue biting smoke. Much better tobacco out there. However, I can't understand why this stuff is sold everywhere, when decent tobaccos are very difficult to find.
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Helmsman	09/26/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable
Yuck!!! This stuff is full of casing. It is a hot and harsh smoke. It dried out my mouth on the first draw. I could not finish my bowl and ended up throwing the whole pouch away. Oh well I learn the hard way.
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Maverick	06/22/2006	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
It's hard for me to believe it now, but when I first took up the pipe in the mid-80s, this was actually my favorite smoke !?! No wonder I actually gave up pipe smoking for several years. In fact, given that this "tobacco" is sold nearly everywhere, I assume that many people are buying it, and I can't believe that they somehow stick with the hobby, as I have. Amazing. It's not worth much time or effor to either write a detailed review of this blend, nor for the reader to spend much time reading it. Let's just say that for the same or less money, there are so many blends that are wonderful smokes, and not a tongue-scorching torture experience like this is. In fact, the only way I would every buy any of this tobacco again is if I needed to convert my briar into either a cutting torch or a flamethrower. This stuff smokes HOT, and leaves a gnarly aftertaste for a considerable time period afterward. Do yourself a big favor, and look elsewhere for your pipe fodder. Definitely not recommended.
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D'Jullius	05/27/2006	Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable
Sigh, A man I greatly admired smoked this and I bought and tried it. I am suprised and decided to give it a fair review. Aroma: Booze, Raisins. Taste: at start, am I smoking? 1/3: toast, light sweet 2/3: a salsa-like tingle, light sweet 3/3: stronger toast and mild spicy tingle. sweet through nose. Super availible, Mild fix when your out of your overpriced boutique crap. I have spent four times as much for tobacco I have tossed out. It is adequate. Virginia/ Burley mix.
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Toe Bacco	05/11/2006	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
I recieved Borkum Riff Whiskey as a gift from a friend. I was very new to pipesmoking. In fact, the only other tobacco I had smoked by the time I received BRW was Clan. Because I was new to pipe smoking, I wondered what the appeal of smoking was after trying this tobacco. The taste was terrible and it burnt my tongue. Thank God it's buried away in clutter and I have found better tobaccos. My advice: Cut to the chase and dump this crud. Find other tobacco.
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