ERR is also unique in that it's the pipe tobacco that most resembles a cigarette's taste, so I'd recommend it as an introduction to the pipe world to anyone who just quit smoking, if it wasn't for tongue bite. Most drugstore blends are horrid tongue biters, thou, so nothing to blame to this one in particular.

I've been buying the Ready Rubbed in the pouch for the last year or so, and I find it to be a very good tobacco. As other folks say, its really easy to pack into the pipe, it burns well and it tastes good. I do think it burns a little hot and it always leaves me with a burnt feel in the mouth (nothing like the Mac Baren products I've tried though).

Its too bad they have discontinued this brand. I think there is a lot of American smoking history here. My little general store still has quite a few pouches and a few cans on the shelf. I suppose I should snap them up.

UPDATE-I am still enjoying what's left of my tub and the smoking experience has been positive.Ilet this tobacco get some air time. The sweet taste/topping I have identified as cocoa and works for this blend.I actually find myself smoking SWR mostly for it's darker spice casing(suitable for fall and winter).I must admit it's a high quality blend and I will definitely keep it in my rotation.

This is a great tobacco of predominately high quality Burley and Virginia in a granulated cut. It is nutty and sweet. It never bites and is just wonderfully tasty. In fact, I like this better than G.L. Pease's Barbary Coast, which is a high quality and much more expensive Burley/Virginia blend in a similar cut. It burns beautifully, and is balanced in its flavor from top to bottom.

As I said, there are many good reasons why Edgeworth RR has been around for over a hundred years, and with a bowl of this wonderful tobacco one knows why.

Until yesterday, it had been some years since I smoked the Edgeworth RR offering from Lane Ltd. A rather interesting discovery got me to try another can.

This stuff is still a top-of-the-line burley, albeit one slightly changed from what I remember. It seems somehow diminished, though not enough to nullify its wonderful qualities. There simply is not (and never was) anything like it. The notes of other reviewers pretty well describe the taste and aroma. But no words can do justice to this tobacco's singular character. If one runs out of Edgeworth, Prince Albert is an acceptable "make-do"...and FAR less costly, too. Kentucky Club burley cube doesn't even come close.

Love it or leave it alone; Edgeworth RR is what it is... a substantial, earthy, straightforward, classic American tobacco.

I smoke burleys during the warm months and English/Balkan blends in fall and winter...as I have since 1971. If it works,don't fix it! If you can get a can of Edgeworth RR, grab it and enjoy!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I went on an Old School, Over the Counter, Burley safari starting in about September. No such undertaking could be complete without an icon of classic American burley like Edgeworth RR. True to the era, there was not a lot of complexity with this blend. That won't be a factor though if straight burley is enough to keep you interested. When I opened the large tub, I was greeted with the typical nutty, bread dough, burley smell with a very unassuming casing smelling something like cocoa or instant coffee, almost too light to be detected. The cut was different and it kind of reminded me of Grape Nuts cereal (texture wise at least). Once flame was applied, it really began to shine though, after a charring light and a subsequent tamp, we were off. True to the breed it was not a sickening sweet aromatic type smoke, if anything it was almost a neutral room note with just a hint of sweetness and casing. Basically, it smoked and smelled very similar to the tin aroma. That's what I've really learned to like about burley blends, they are a nice medium between the cloying, sickening sweet aromatic and the musty, leathery, smokey English blends. The burley blends are nice and middle of the road, no scented candle smell but you're never mistaken for a road repair crew either. The room note was typical of a burley but much fuller than, say, Carter Hall. Every once in a while the chocolate/coffee casing peaked through but never seemed to be pronounced or lingering. A full blend, old reliable, all day, every day smoke that smoothly smoked to the bottom of the bowl and quickly jumped out as the front runner of my burley excursion. Also typical of the breed it is very low maintenance and wouldn't bite if you asked it to. After smoking half of the tub I decided to experiment with some hybrid home-blending. Nothing too complex or expensive. I ran to Walgreens, got some toasted cavendish and mixed 2 parts Edgeworth to 1 part toasted cavendish. THIS STUFF rocks. The toasted cavendish managed to bring out a bit more of the burley creaminess and while what I am smoking will never be mistaken for an aromatic, it took great and made it that much better. While the toasted cavendish gives it a bit more complexity, the burley is still the star of the show and the toasted cavendish basically gives the effect of a little heavier casing and a mildly sweet, creamy, (but still nutty and kind of doughy) taste (without being too over the top.) All in all, by itself or with the toasted cavendish, Edgeworth RR is a winner, highly recommended. One of those blends that you may or may not smoke for years at a time but will always eventually get back to.

ERRd in the can is a mix of medium and dark browns with a slightly sweet, somewhat chocolatey aroma. I have heard a rumor that this blend is cased with chocolate but have no idea if that is true. It comes in a rubbed out cut that packs almost as well as a cube cut and makes it very simple to pack, light, and smoke. It has a very good burn rate; you won't need many relights with this one.

The flavor can best be described as a crisp burley nuttiness. In spite of whatever casing it may have, it is not a sweet tobacco. The flavor stays consistent most of the way down the bowl, although I did note a slight bitterness right at the bottom in a couple of pipes. I smoked this blend in a variety of pipes and found it works best in a larger bowl.

One excellent point for this quality tobacco is price. I purchased a 14 oz. can from JR Cigars for $19.95. With many blends exceeding the $30/lb. mark that is an excellent buy.

Scores for Edgeworth Ready Rubbed: Flavor-16 of 20; lighting and burn-9 of 10; value-10 of 10. 35 points gets ERRd a **** rating and the highest score I've ever given an OTC tobacco. It has found a permanent home in my tobacco cabinet.

Oh, that bit of trivia- I recently read where the former dictator of the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin, loved smoking a pipe and Edgeworth was his favorite blend, but he had to hide that fact since it was an American tobacco. Hope that doesn't drive anyone away from it as it really isn't that bad, IMHO.

**UPDATE** Edgeworth and I have formed an unusual relationship as I'm nearing the bottom of the tub. The blend has dried and the flavor has changed slightly. I've had some really good smokes as is, and found it to be a nice addition to Virginia tobacco (50/50). I'm getting another tub, but Carter Hall is still #1 for me as far as OTC burley blends.

After a quick gravity fill, the slightly sticky Burley cube cut burns steadily, although several charring lights may be required. The soft, slightly sweet casing (tastes like chocolate to me) adds a touch of sweetness to the mouth, but overall, a classy Burley taste prevails. The room aroma is beyond tolerable and may even be fairly pleasant to non-smokers.

To me, Edgeworth is the best OTC Burley blend available today, but Prince Albert is an extremely close second because it burns much better and it finishes a little less sweet.

Within the Americana OTC Burley blend genre, Edgeworth effortlessly earns 4 stars.

Many years ago, as a newer pipe smoker, I visited a large chain drugstore with an entire isle devoted to pipe tobacco. It was a hot summer morning, but seemed like Christmas to me as I marveled at all the colorful boxes, cans and pouches, spotting many brands and blends I'd never seen before.

I purchased many tobaccos that day but none as interesting as the one with the funny phrase, "ready rubbed" on the pouch. I had no clue what "ready rubbed" meant but fired up my first bowl of Edgeworth anyway.

Almost instantly, it dawned on me that this was different from the other drugstore blends I'd been smoking. This was my first taste of a decent quality blend.

No longer happily oblivious to the low quality stuff I'd been weaned on, I continued to smoke "ready rubbed" and began to seek out new blends at tobacco stores. I moved on to Troost Slices and my life as a piper was forever changed.

I don't see Ready Rubbed around the drugstores anymore and it looks like it's gotten a bit pricey in the cans. It's been years since I smoked it and am not sure how much I'd care for it today, but this one was a turning point in my pipesmoking life.

3 Nostalgic Stars * * *

I talked to someone at a local B&M who said he heard from an old blender for Edgeworth that they most definitely add chocolate. But this has a solid burley flavor that isn't marred by any sort of aromatic character. As with all OTCs, much better out of the tub than out of the pouch. Spicy and delicious. I would almost guess there is a dash of perique in this but it is not the case.