House of Windsor - Field & Stream pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 48 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Timonh	05/20/2013	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I bought a can of this stuff because some one had told me it was Gerald Fords favorite tobacco and I thought, "if its good enough for a president"; I was wrong there are presidents who do not have a taste for a good smoke. I thought that it might have been the worst stuff that I ever had; not trying to be a wise guy, I just didn't like the tobacco. I normally don't smoke aromatics but even so it was a very unpleasant experience. Guess that is why there is chocolate and vanilla. Sorry Gerry
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shagsmoker	03/19/2013	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is for MATCH field and stream from pipeandcigar.com. I cut this by a third with a fine Virginia blend to mellow out the licorice and maple notes and then dried it out to just shy of moist. The smoke was tasty leaving a good aftertaste on the palette. This is a SLOW smokers blend that stayed lit and burned to fine ash all the way to the last bit. It worked best with a narrow bowl and Cobs. It gets hot but not so much to bite the tounge if dried right. If you don't like black licorice or maple then this is not for you. If you don't like to blend it with some fine Virginia and dry it just right then move along. The curious flavor and easy smoking was good to me and my stash is marked for fishing, lol.
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DK	03/04/2012	Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant
Found a 2 oz tin of this and jumped on it, as it is one of those old HOW blends that often produce hits. This one was mostly a walnut-brown colored crimp cut, close to a cube. Tin aroma was mostly licorice with a strong hint of mustiness. Properly dried out, this is kind of a Mixture #79-lite blend. The perfuminess was diminished and the flavor was a relaxed kind of licorice/maple. Sounds weirder than it tasted. Sort of non-commital, but definitely preferable to moist out of the tin, where the taste was profoundly soapy. The best part about this one was the room aroma which all 3 of my kids described independently as like cookies. Indeed, there was a pleasant, homey sort of smell to it in the room. Nothing special, this one, but I didn't find it as bad as a lot of people. Worth a try if you can find it and you're curious about these old-timey OTC blends. For me, decent but not repeatable.
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John Offerdahl	01/08/2011	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
One of the things I like about aromatic tobaccos is that they take me on a trip down memory lane. They say that smell is the strongest trigger of memory. In the case of this tobacco I certainly found that to be the case, though I can't say it was a great memory trip. The pouch aroma of the blend is quite pleasant. The color of the tobacco ranges from a golden brown to a deep brown, though the overall look is pretty consistent. In appearance, the tobacco is somewhere between a cube cut and a rubbed out cube cut. Though I found my sample to be slightly dry, it was not overly so, and packs nicely into a pipe. The first memories brought up by the blend hit me with the charring light, and remained as I got into the smoke. I was taken back to my days in college, when I had a roommate who almost constantly burned incense. The taste I was hit with was exactly what I would have expected his incense to taste like. And I asked him to not burn the stuff when I was in the building. Not the room, anywhere in the building. A second memory came to me deeper into the bowl, taking me back further into my childhood. It was the memory of the smell of the plastic that the old G. I. Joe's were made of. Again, what I tasted seemed like what that plastic probably would have tasted like. And then I thought of an album I had, vinyl, of course, which would have fit the tobacco – Frank Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh." Except, of course, I liked the album. By the end of the bowl the flavor was becoming acrid, as some aromatics are prone to doing. I am a great admirer of William Serad, and both envy his job and admire his ability to review tobaccos. However, if memory serves he spoke reasonably well of this blend. I wish I could agree with him. House of Windsor deserves our support, and this blend has some fans. Unfortunately, for me it simply doesn't work.
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Mr. Brizzi	07/19/2010	Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant
I am currently hunting down the remaining Field & Stream, purchasing this beauty to savor, add life to bland blends, lift my spirit, dry out my nostrils. A little Field & Stream will flavor a pipe bowl for quite some time to come, so be careful. If you do not like black jelly-beans, stay away from this. I happen to love black jelly-beans. I also love anise/fennel. Onion, fennel, venison liver/heart, little salt and pepper..,who has it better? When fresh, yes it was pungent in aroma and did offer what I am reading from the younger smokers, "soap dish" flavor. Get a piece of paper. Lay out the Field & Stream on the sheet, and spread it with the flat of your palm as thin as you can get it to fit the paper size. Leave it alone, overnight. The next mid-morning, the heavy "soapy" flavor is tamed a bit. Casing of Anise, that's all. I've thrown more of this out over the years, and today regret every bit I discarded. I had an uncle who was a tanker and professional soldier. He told me that Field & Stream was one of the most sought after pipe tobaccos because it is one of the aromas you never smell in combat. It was a smell, of home. He always grabbed what I was chucking away. The flavor is Licorice. The room note, fantastic. When sipped, I love it. Too bad I had to wait for my tastebuds to mature. Smoke rolled through the nostrils will dry out the sinuses and each Spring, it is a staple in my pipes. Have any really bad tasting pipe tobacco? Simply place a good pinch in your palm, rub both hands together, and add the rubbed Field & Stream into your undesirable blend. It will truly make the unwanted mixture, very pleasant. I rate this at Three Stars. Another loss, since House of Windsor closed the business. Every time I smoke it, I think of Easter, Christmas Day, and the Beloved Ronald Reagan, who was a black jelly-bean lover; The simpler things, and simple times, we recall to memory every so often.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
the old man	06/23/2010	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
this tobacco is easy to pack, and lite. taists outdoorsey. appears to be a burley base. try p.pesandcigars.com to find it. i am not really crazy about this tobacco.
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Shawn_M	02/10/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Smoked right out of a freshly opened tin it reminded me of dish soap and cheap perfume. There was an odor of anise that got lost somehow after I had lit up, and I hid the tin in the the corner of my basement. Several months later I came across it and decided to give it another go before I tossed it out. It had changed during that time, the soapy perfumely aromoa was gone and I could taste some anise. Unfortunalty I could also taste the maple which I personally did not care for.
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South Mantis06	11/27/2009	Mild	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
I had to try this for the same reason others did. It was a transport back to the past. Upon opening I was met with a soapy, flowery aroma which I found quite nauseating. Lighting up and smoking wasn't much better. So much for nostalgia and F&S. I have to admit though, I do like the artwork on the tin!
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wosbald	09/12/2009	Strong	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
The tub aroma hints strongly at licorice with herbal background notes. The cut is a well-fabricated, coarse, crimp-cut burley cavendish with a minimal amount of residual fines. The coarse chunks are probably best broken in order to facilitate burning and ensure proper airflow. This is a pure burley blend which is heavy on the licorice and flavored with maple syrup, presumably. Herbal extracts lend a fresh, clean impression. The burley is of very good quality: smooth, rich, and husky. Field & Stream is an excellent blend which is made all the more ingratiating by the flavorsome additives. This will quickly ghost a briar and was best in a narrow gauge chamber.
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Bub	07/14/2009	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
You have to dry this out if you don't like the soapy taste. Let the tobacco sit out on the table in an open container for a few days or a week and it smokes just fine. The flavor is OK. I probably won't be buying this again as there are so many others I like better. I didn't mind trying an oz though.
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Capt	07/02/2009	Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I am sure your parents, like mine, always said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it. Well, I always assumed they were referring to people, not tobacco. I ordered a 2 ounce tin of this from Iwan Ries back in August of 06. I went on some sort of drugstore tobacco spree, trying out the old "classics". First impression of this tin was someone spilled Palmolive soap in this tin. Throwing caution into the wind, I packed it in a cob (no way I am taking chances in a briar) and proceeded to set fire.... I felt like Ralphie from "The Christmas Story" after dropping the "F" bomb. That is really all I remembered, was soap. Now, July 2nd 2009, I decided to visit the tin again. I opened it up, and the contents were BONE dry, almost powder. The soap subsided, and once again, packed into a cob and lit her up. Not nearly as bad as the last episode, no more soap, and no tongue bite. Decent room note too! But the only reason I fail to rate this any higher is tobacco should be ready to smoke out of the package, not after two years of dry storage. It also leaves a funny cigarette ash feeling/taste in my mouth I do not care for.
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Baccyman	03/08/2009	Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant
I've been looking to try this tobacco for a long time, given that it is no longer available. Alas, House of Windsor is no more. I remember my father and grandfather smoking this when I was a child. I finally happened upon a lone 12 oz. tub of F&S in a tobacco store in Salem, MA and bought it immediately! Upon opening, I caught the distinct aroma of woods and flowers and noted that the tobacco itself was in rectangular chunks. Unusual. So I rubbed it out well and put it in my Bjarne pipe. WOW! I was instantly transported back to riding with my family to New Hampshire with my dad smoking this in his bowl! There is a preliminary blast of floral sweetness that some have interpreted as "perfumy" but that soon settles down to a most unusual and original smoke. The secret to enjoying this mostly burley blend is rubbing it out well and smoking slowly. I do have a "match" from Altadis but its really no match. The room note gets compliments every time. Try this if you can find it. And if you find it, please let me know if they have another tub/pouch/tin. I'll be looking for more!
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DakotaPeacePipe	01/29/2009	Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant
This is a relatively highly flavored cube cut burly. Unlike many aromatics it is not doused with artificial moisteners, it is dry out of the can or pouch. It burns cool with no bite. Many reviewers have compared this to the much maligned Mixture 79, there are similarities but also critical differences. As with Mixture 79 at first light there is an initial explosion of flavor, but as the bowl progresses this fades and the burly comes to the front. Personally I find the flavor (most often described as licorice, which works for me) pleasant indeed. This blend will certainly ?ghost? a briar, which since I much enjoy the flavor is not a problem for this piper. I smoked this years ago when offered by Phillip Morris, and find the House of Windsor version to be faithful to its heritage. As I work through my stash will have to seek out one of the ?matches?.
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Wriggles	09/19/2008	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Update: I've smoked most of my 2 oz. tin, and I can really say that I enjoy this tobacco. The perfume and soapy taste seems to stay in the background while smoking. I find the flavor pleasant. I probably will try to have this on hand for an occasional smoke. Best in a corncob. Original review: I just received the HOW sampler (I've had a hard time finding this, and had to order it online)and this is the first tobacco I opened. Although I've had a cold or flu all week, I know my senses of taste and smell have been affected adversely. However, getting this package in the mail today has been the high point of my week. Objectively, I could notice the old lady perfume aroma in the tin and the soapy taste while smoking. I could not taste the licorice others have experienced, however, the tobacco seems to be of good quality. It seems to be a milder version of Mixture No. 79, of which I'd say milder is better. I'll give it initially two stars, and will update when my taste & smell are back to normal.
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JABrookEsq	09/11/2008	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant
My first two-ounce tin of F&S was bequeathed to me as a holiday gift from a professional acquaintence a few years back when I had first started pipe-smoking. I was so excited to open the tin up (having never had a tin before, only cheap mall tobacconist pouches full of shredded tinder). Immediately, the aroma wafted from the tin and enchanted me. I can't catagorize the aroma definitively, but I certainly would not characterize it as "old lady perfume" or "soap". I think "floral" is more accurate. However one chooses to describe it, I found it heavenly. I'm sure that smoking F&S, back when my only concern was not enduring the embarassment of having the pipe go out, I burned my mouth, esophagus, and had the kind of tongue bite that only a bear trap can deliver. Despite the pain, that delicious aroma kept me wanting more. But a years-long haitus from smoking ensued, and those memories are lost. I am now a far more experienced and patient man. And this is key. About the time I chose to re-enter the life of bowl and stem, I was on my way to my father's boat for a canyon fishing trip (60 miles off the NJ shore). I passed Greentree Tobacco in Washington Township (a wonderful place for pipe-smokers in South Jersey) and eagerly picked up another two-ounce tin of F&S, and a Corncob pipe (I wasn't about to lose one of my two briars overboard). That was a about 6 weeks ago, and I am just about finished the tin. Here are my thoughts: I love this blend. My enjoyment of pipe smoking comes less from nuanced tastes than from the overall sensory experience of smoking, and it is this holistic view that lends itself to really enjoying F&S. As noted throughout the reviews, the tin art is wonderful. Just fall into the scene and everything will be okay in this world. Every time I open the tin, from the first opening to just this evening when only a couple pipes-full of tobacco are left, I am greeted by an aroma I wish I could bottle. Closing my eyes and inhaling the heavenly vapors, I am transported to a wild-flower laden field next to a gurgling stream. I'm in heaven. I look into the tin and find hearty chunks of tobacco, colored as if I just splashed my warm mug of coffee with a touch of cream, and the carmel and darker brown colors are mingling together. I reach in and feel the satisfying texture betwixt my fingers, and watch it fill my bowl. The light releases the aroma, and I sit, relax, and just enjoy the sight of the curling smoke licking at the currents of air on my back deck, the smell of the smoke, and the feel of a comfortable pipe in my hand and my mouth. The complete sensory experience. Is there anything better? Some notes on smoking F&S: Experiment! After packing light and heavy and everywhere in between, I find filling to the top, tamping down lightly to 3/4 full, then overfilling and tamping down to full is best. Using a heavy hand on the tamper never gave me good results. After lighting, I make judicial use of the tamper, making sure that the tobacco doesn't expand too much as it burns down the bowl. Experiment with pipes as well. I've had the best smokes of my life with F&S in my Missouri Meerschaum. Something about the briars that keeps F&S from burning well for me. While I do get bitten now and again, everything about the smoking experience with F&S keeps me wanting to learn how to smoke it better. One week ago, I would have rated the strength as Mild, but three days ago, after puffing away in a particularly determined manner, my head swam for an hour. I'm a poor judge of room note, since I always smoke outside. I base my 'pleasant' response on the fact that I love catching whiffs of the smoke in my nose, and that my wife, who hates that I smoke at all, said, in reponse to the 'room note query', "I don't want to encourage you, so I'm not going to say anything." Certainly sounds like she likes it, but doesn't want to admit it, for fear that mouth cancer is sure to follow. In sum, I highly recommend this blend to anyone who hasn't tried it. I don't recommend it because you are guaranteed to like it, but you certainly owe it to yourself to experience this unique blend. Some hate it, some love it. Try it, and work with it, and see where you fall. As for me, I'll be looking out for a ten-ounce tin next.
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Eonwe	07/14/2008	Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
when I first tried this blend (from the pouch) a few months ago, the "old lady perfume" smell was a huge let down, especially with the great picture on the box. I stuck it away and didnt even think about it, until an older fellow told me to rub it completely out, and use a cob...well I took his advise and I can say its allot better. the casing is less pronounced and the burly leaf comes through well. Overall I sort of like Field and Stream now, for a change of pace, and the fact that its the only HOW blend that acually has nicotine in it, Im sold...Two stars says I...and perhaps I'll even finish the pouch!!
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iggy	03/21/2008	Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Strong
I decided to give a free sample of F&S a try, after reading that President Gerald Ford was a fan of this. The aroma is pleasant, the strength is nearly overwhelming after a full bowl, and it?s best smoked in the car or wherever else pipes are tolerated. F&S doesn?t have a luxurious flavor but it?s entertaining.
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renoguard	10/02/2007	Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable
They should change the name to TRASH AND SINK. I think I may have smokes 2 pipefulls, before dumping it (not into the stream, since I wouldn't be so cruel to the fish). I have not said enough bad words as a child to aquire a taste for SOAP! I don't want to smoke it as an adult. I refuse to "aquire" a taste for something to "fit in" (been there, done that). If I wanted to smoke soap, I would take up crack and buy it from my nutty neighbor.
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Redd	09/20/2007	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
It took me a while to get hang of this blend. While FS is Sweet it is yet very smokey. Sort of like a drugstore Cigar with the wrapper being sweet but the cigar smoke itself being harsh,very 1940's Americana. Now once you relize this approach you will then understand this pipe tobacco better. Years ago a man smoked cigarettes Daily, Cigars for special occasions(or a night out with the fellas), and pipes on the weekends or after work to relax. All their tobacco needs were purchased at a local 5 & dime or candy store. The smokes were generally very close in taste. As to not sway you away from one or the other. Now as for FS the taste is close to a sweet cotton candy or sweet cream corn. FS burns fast no matter how slow you smoke it. You can go through a bowl quickly. The room note is alright but the aroma is closer to a sweet mildew aroma. A Good smoke to think about life during the old days. The one thing that I really like about this blend is the cut of the tobacco. Very easy to fill a bowl no matter how much falls on the floor.
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Nick O'Teen	06/23/2007	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I think that Redd nailed this one, saying "FS. is a slighly better version of MIXTURE 79." This, of course, is not saying much for the virtues of F&S, which is but another soapy, licorice flavored repugnance. On a positive note, it's difficult to find. :^)
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 48 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >