The tobacco in the pouch smells "different" in a Gawith and Hoggarth way and is the perfect humidity to fill and light.

For about 10 years I was a tobacconist. The old men used to come in with their pouches of "drug-store" tobacco and would not really tamp the tobacco into the bowl; They would literally dip the pipe into the pouch and let the tobacco fill the bowl and dip the pipe again until the bowl was full; then they'd take their finger and gently press the tobacco down, light up, tamp again and smile. A true gravity fill?. This is how I fill a pipe with Field and Stream for best results.

The tobacco, upon lighting, has an aromatic quality but not in the way we think of aromatics in general. This is more of a G&H type of aromatic. The predominant flavor that I get out of this blend is licorice..and plenty of it!

F&S is medium in strength, enough to fulfull my taste for stronger tobaccos. The tobacco stays lit well and smokes pretty darn consistently all the way down. Nothing complicated and somehow charming in that "old school" sort of way.

If you are looking for natural tobacco then this isn't for you. Mostly Burley but the flavoring is going to be one of those things that you either like or hate. Thoroughly enjoyable but not recommended to those who don't like licorice! Fortunately I do.

That out of the way: this is a nice, smooth, cool burning all burley smoke that is about as retro as it gets. There are those who are put off by the licorice flavoring, which for me tends to burn into a somewhat floral note. In this blend it's not over the top and it's actually nicely balanced by the barely discernable maple (and apparently "other") flavors. A few minutes into each bowl I find the flavors settling down and the slow burning burley comes into it's own. It smokes down to the nubs without any souring or bite at all. Makes a great "puttering in the shop" kind of tobacco, with enough flavor to remind you of why you took up the pipe in the first place. The room note is very agreeable.

I recommend you avoid the pouch (which other's have noted tends to be too dry) and buy one of the 2 or 4 oz. tins: they come with just the right moisture and seem to be fresher.

My fellow reviewers are right when they identify the major flavor of this tobacco as licorice. It's pouch aroma is immediate and powerful, and when lit, Field and Stream retains its strong flavoring. I didn't particularly care for it, but it is cool and somewhat refreshing, and you won't find another tobacco that tastes like this (for whatever that's worth). And yes, Gerald Ford, a dedicated pipe man until he gave it up 10 years ago, made Field and Stream his blend of choice.

My major complaint about this tobacco is its cut. This is simply too chunky for my taste; I prefer a ribbon cut any day. It is also, like Bourbon Street, ludicrously dry in the pouch, which, combined with the thickness of its cut, makes it something of a bitch to get and keep lit.

To each his own, however. I'm grateful that House of Windsor has revived these old blends and kept (mostly) their original packaging. They've done a service to us pipe smokers, and maybe the tin of Revelation that's in the mail will redeem the last two blends. We'll see.

I see where they are going with this blend. It is a respectable smoke, if you like the flavor. I do not, which is why "not my cup of tea" is a fair assessment.

This particular blend was somewhat unique. The cut in the little tinfoil pouch was a rough cube cut. Very good for outdoors smoking. It lit easily and stayed lit well. It smoked dry and clean.

The taste was what set me back. I suppose I was not thinking of Lakeland floral when I bought the tobacco, but that is what I got. Or at least a hint of it. For some this is a prize to find, for others not. I fall into the latter group.I like the floral offerings from SG and HG. This blend too I found pleasant. The floral notes were not over-pronounced nor was there any hint of bite. A cool smooth smoke when you dont want an overpowering tobacco or something fussy. All in all I would recommend giving it a try.

***And editoral addition here: This blend will leave its esscence behind in the pipe, so be careful to clean it well or dedicate a pipe to it.