Now that I can compare this to the Edgeworth Ready Rubbed Match from Altadis, I realize the Match is very close to the original. The original has a little fuller, deeper taste, but that is the only difference I could spot. It'll sure do you if you miss the original.

If you are reading these reviews to determine whether or not you should spend the 25+ dollars on ebay to get a pouch of ERR then I advise you to save your money. ERR is NOT the holy grail of pipe tobacco people will lead you to believe. The same goes to Balkan Sobranie (both original and current incarnation)

ERR is a good tasty smoke, so I will give it 3 start because it is a good smoke, not because it was discontinued.

ERR is very similar to Sir Walter regular but a little sweeter, with a touch more of the cocoa flavor burleys tend to exhibit.

If ERR was your all time favorite blend and you want to hoard every pouch or tin you can find, then by all means do so. If you have never tried it and want to smoke it because people told you you will get an orgasm in your mouth, forget it. Great blend but not worth 25 bucks a pouch.

There are plenty of fish in the ocean, try them instead.

Having some experience with the Lane version, I expected similar flavors of nuts, molasses, and smooth burley in the Larus product. What I experienced, however, was something truly unusual. An aged Edgeworth with over 60 years in a controlled environment. When I emptied the tin's contents into a jar for long-term storage, the top inch or so was fairly dry, but the remaining tobacco was quite moist--to the point of needing a pipe tool to loosen it. I was quite surprised by this. Anyway the flavors of sweet burley and molasses were there in spades, but there was this fruity, tangy flavor present which I have never before experienced in a tobacco--esp. Edgeworth. Perhaps I was detecting the effects of its three score nap. Nevertheless, I was enamored by the subtle and complex nuances of this time tested blend. I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to smoke this extremely well aged leaf.

Another fine old Burley of the likes of Granger,and Kentucky Club, though I always liked Edgeworth better than the previous two. Cube cut granules that unravel almost into a ribbon cut. This is Kentucky and Tennessee Burley, with just a very little Virginia thrown in, so as not to be one dimenional. The sweetener added is most likely molases instead of true Rum. Lights easy, nutty, sweet burley billows. Creamy, chocolatey nutty mild and delicious. Please bring this one back. It's a Burley smokers go to tobacco.

The two stars are for the overly-aged pack (not tin) I smoked, and this tobacco may well have been better. (or worse, how do I know?)

A bit darker in colour, it was a pleasure to smoke it.

I must say though that I went back to the store and saw that more was on the shelf. This time playing the same game about the dryness and bought the remaind seveal pouches there. :~)!

Yeah man this is a FOUR STAR tobacco!

Upon opening the tin, the tobacco had the moisture consistency of what I would normally dry a fresh tin of this sort out to before smoking. It was a combination of rough/cube cut tobacco on the darker side of brown - darker than what I remember from years ago. The tin note had a delicious, fruity smelling - bordering on rum and chocolate - presence. My daughter said the tin aroma smelled like Fig Newton's. Considering I don't know how old this tin was, the tin note was very strong and fresh smelling. Packing and lighting were a breeze. The taste reminded me of Granger, but with less accompanying harshness and no palate burn. There was, however, a chemical taste that was ever present; similar to that found in Granger, detracting from the smoking experience - each and every time. See my review of Granger under the Half & Half listing if interested (TR glitch!).

At times I felt I could taste chocolate and a bit of molasses, however, they remained very much in the background. Although burning a bit hot, there was no bite to speak of, only a tingling to lips and the tip of the tongue. There was very minimal moisture and no goopy residue at the bowl's end; just a medium to dark grey ash. I found ERR to resemble similar Mac Baren's Golden Extra with regard to mildness in taste, but with way less body than Mac's. Although I prefer a fuller-bodied Burley, ERR would have been more enjoyable if it wasn't for the chemical taste. It does ruin the experience.

From what I remember, I feel the Larus Bros. version that I used to smoke regularly was better all around, and the Lane version a poor substitute for what was once a truly fine smoke. Overall, Lane's was a sweet smoking tobacco, but too mild of a Burley for my taste. I still enjoy the Edgeworth Sliced better as I enjoy the fuller taste that Burley can provide. Lil Brown Smoke Shack (lilbrown.com) has a ERR substitute on there web site under CCC Bulk blend and listed as Ready Rubbed. I emailed them for the particulars and was told that it is a substitute for ERR produced by Altadis. Their blend description is identical to the Lane description. I have yet to try it but I will do so in the hope that it is similar enough to be enjoyed as a good substitute.

This is not the same ERR of old. 4 stars for the Larus original, but only 2.5 for Lane's version. What I spent for this tin far outweighed my enjoyment of it. All in all, OK if you enjoy a pleasant, mild Burley tobacco.

UPDATE 7-21-10: After sitting in the tin for the past few months and drying out considerably, the chemical taste has reduced to a tolerable limit. But, after having smoked more fuller bodied/tastier Burleys, ERR is no bell ringer for me. For a codger Burley, I prefer Sir Walter Raleigh Regular over this.

UPDATE 12-12-11: Chemical taste totally gone and contents dried out considerably. The chocolatey notes are very apparent. I can only now highly recommend the Lane version of ERR - too bad it's a thing of the past excepting for the occasional tin on ebay. Thankfully SWR Regular (which I enjoy more) is still readily available.

Larus created this blend to be an all-day smoke with a spicy nuttiness but not overly flavorful... a nice "set it and forget it" tobacco, with no bite and that is cool burning. They succeeded in spades. There is just enough virginia here to create some zest but the predominate flavor is the toasted oatiness of the burley. I could not make this stuff bite, although more forceful puffing did open up the bitters. Very easy on the tongue with a light but satisfying flavor. The cube cut gave me no problems with lights or relights. So far in my experimentation, this is the finest OTC burley I've found. Naturally it's no longer in production. But if you can find some, buy it. As others have said, if and when it comes back, it likely won't taste as before.

Any way, rant over but I must say, this blend is the King of Burley OTC's, it is just flat good, does not bite at all, the cube cut which I normally find hard to lite and keep lit, was easy to light and it stayed lit well, burning down to a nice fluffy greay ash in the bottom of my pipe. Very little if any dottle. Why I did not smoke this while I could will be a regret I will walk around with for a long time. This blend smokes smooth, really smooth, creamy and with a nutty good flavor that just made me smile. I smoked three bowls back to back and was ready for more. This was gifted to me to review, so came in a baggie from a tub. It is all a rich medium brown leaf, cube cut but aith vsome moisture to it from being pressed, and not dry like a lot of cube cuts. One must like burley and I do, and if so this will satisfy. It has a very nice room note that reflects a touch of rum though I do not taste it. It has some Vit N but will not make your head spin. Great with a cup of coffee. If this were still available I would buy tubs of the stuff! It's that good. I am grateful to have had the chance to try it again and I now clearly understand why so many mourn it's loss. Highly recommended!

The initial aroma out of the can is deceiving. Something akin to old pub floor, cat's urine and cheap white wine sitting in a jug unrefrigerated for several weaks assails the nose. However, once the flame hits, optimism is restored and we realise that this is a masterpiece of the blender's craft. The smoke has to be sipped to catch the flavour. Some call it "nutty". I would call it more like the scent of cut wood. That may just be the effect of the briar I use for it.

A good N punch, quite a lot of smoke, no bitterness 2/3 of the way down, Edgeworth just smokes and smokes. As a basic burley this one will be difficult to match, because the flavour is very subtle. I don't taste any casing, though there must be some.

The Larus brothers and their successors must have worked at this one, because to achieve that kind of flavour is no easy task. They must have started with the tobacco itself, and I have read that Larus actually had its own dedicated growers as suppliers. Whatever the case, there is nothing quite like Edgeworth -- at least not that I have sampled yet.