I might add that Carter Hall and Prince Albert are not made from poor quality leaf. John Middleton Co. has been around a long time in this country and has their hands on some great tobacco sources, passed down from generation to generation.

I recently had a change of heart, and this happens often with these blends, thinking I might have missed something. That box is strangely alluring, and I keep thinking a genie might pop out of it granting all my wishes, but usually I end up throwing the thing back in its place, overwhelmed by disappointment and wasted effort.

This time around I fired up a bowl, in a small pipe (the small pipes are a recent addition to my already crummy selection of overly large and very cheap pipes). They are surprisingly useful, these small pipes, and had I realized their utility early on, I might have avoided several nicotine induced panic attacks over the years. Immediately I could taste the Burley and it reminded me of the cigarettes I smoked before exclusively moving to the pipe. Not bad, but certainly not a flavor I want to encounter on a daily basis, particularly in my zeal for avoiding a return to cigarettes.

And in this mindset, I can see the popularity here for those switching over, who may be desperate for a nicotine fix and a similar flavor profile. Yes, the strength is enough to quell most any appetite and 5 Brothers works well as a pathway to more complex blends. Adherents have also put 5 Brothers forward as a blending component for bolstering those weak blends you may have on hand. It's relatively flavorless enough that I can understand the mentality here, but I will warn you that the shag cut does not mix well with many of the ribbons out there and you may screw up the burn rate, as this tobacco fires like kindling.

With that, my experiment had ended. I have little doubt that 5 Brothers has a place, but not in my smoking cabinet. Back in the box you go!

To be fair, I didn't like the first bowl. Now somewhere north of ten bowls, I can say I've changed my mind. Yeah, it's a bit harsh, but it's a shag-cut burley, unsauced...I wasn't expecting a leisurely contemplative smoke. Monochromatic...you betcha! Five Bros. is what it is...an American 'old school' 'baccy. Smoke it in a smaller bowl and enjoy. Smoke it in a large bowl, and...well, it depends on your tolerance. This 'baccy is an excellent '10 minute smoke break' blend. It burns fast and hits hard. Perfect for the workplace.

I should add-I'm also currently smoking SG's Black Rope, and I can say, for me, the 'Rope' is much more nic laden than Five Bros., FWIW.

Update 11 May, 2011...I still can't give this a forth star, but after finding a source locally have been smoking it daily. This has become a rotational blend for me. I often get subtle VA/Lake District notes from it...odd for a burley, I would normally think. I'm finding I enjoy this when nothing else will hit the mark, to. I've bought fifteen pouches in the last month... I think I've eight left. Even Irish Flake had taken a back seat lately. All said, I think my snobbish attitude just got put in check by a handful of pencil shavings. Interesting.

As for trying five brothers i liked alot of the reviews i read and thought i would giver a whirl. Glad i did!

The pouch aroma was about what i expected. Just tobacco. Kinda reminded me of the smell of my Dad's Red Man when i used to open up a pouch when i was younger. Extremely dry but im not so sure i mind that so much.

Honestly, i like a good nic buzz and this gave me an amazing one. Tightness in chest and throat as well as alertness and mind clarity were definately there. Strongest baccy i've ever smoked.

The taste varied depending on wether i exhaled through the nose or mouth. Through the mouth was just no frills full flavored burly. The usual bit of nuttiness and tobaccoey taste. Through the nose i actually caught a hint of cocoa. Way more than i expected.

I smoked it in one of my legend cobs and believe it or not it didn't get overly hot. Warm, certainly but not the inferno i expected. The smoke wasn't near as hot upon puffing as i thought it would be either.

Being as i smoke it outside i have nothing to say as far as roomnote goes. I would imagine it too be tolerable at least.

My only real complaint is that it was gone in about ten minutes. This stuff burns fast. It did force me to take my time puffing and thats something i really struggle with. I'm gonna have to go against the advice of most reviewers and try it in a larger bowl and just hope that it doesn't kill me.

Ive only been piping a few years and have many more to try but i think this is gonna be one of my regulars for sure. I gotta try to find a local store that carries it. I would hate to keep buying a pouches offline that cost $3 and some change if i could get it somewhere local.

It lights and burns easily in any circumstance, delivers a satisfying, slightly nutty and grassy flavor, and is definately fulfilling as to nicotine. However, it isn't, by far, the strongest tobacoo I've had nicotine-wise. The G&H ropes/plugs and the likes of Kendal Dark and Fairmorn's Dark Fired Shag are more potent.

I've a couple of sources for this in a fifty mile radius of where I live. I buy it by the carton (12 pouches) for a little under thirty dollars. The few places still selling it online are generally charging six USD or more per single pouch. My wife and I take semi-regular rides that include stops at the stores that still place special orders for it. I buy a carton to cellar and now I've quite a stockpile. It will soon be totally unavailable, I highly suspect. I think Pinkerton may be forced to discontinue, as a result of the new liberty-usurping laws.

I can't fully recommend it because it is certainly not for all -- too strong for some, too plain for others. Though it is great for what it is/its purpose and my favorite, I will only give it 3 (and a half) stars. I will be reserved with the stars and only give 4 to "masterpieces". We will see if I can give 4 to any others. I've a couple in mind. But again, we will have to wait and see.

I would miss many other tobaccos, but if I could only have just one.............

Note to Tee-Dub: The dryness still works ok for me somehow. I'm smoking some now that has been stored for several years. It's pretty much the same as it was when I first purchased it. Sometimes I will rehydrate it a little by filling an empty 50 gram tin (Gawith, etc.) with Five Brothers and placing a paper towel, that's dampened with distilled water, over the top. I put the lid on top of that and leave it that way for at least overnight. That even brings forth a fresh-like nutty burley flavor. I wouldn't do this with anything else.

It's strong and it burns really fast. But you knew that.

If you're looking for a nicotine delivery system, here it is. If you're looking for snobby subtlety and nuance, you probably wouldn't have bought this in the first place.

First thing in the morning with a strong coffee and yer off to the races! I'm gonna give this one FOUR stars. It is as I've stated evil, wicked ,mean and nasty. I will be ordering more. At this point I only have a couple of bowls of the stuff left and after only a week I've had some very satisfying smokes , great for the short quick fix as it burns rather quickly. Nice job Pinkerton!

The flavor is of very unaffected light and brown burleys unameliorated by condiments, sweeteners or toppings. It is remarkably well-selected tobacco which is notably devoid of lightness, exuberance and variance.

Five Brothers is a rustic and versatile component tobacco which is as well-adapted for blending as it is for chewing as well as for making roll-ups. As a straight pipe tobacco, it will likely appeal only to those seeking the most austere and stolid of smokes. This went best in narrow to medium gauge chambers.

The nicotine makes its presence known but it isn't killer. The tobacco is not harsh in the least and there is a decent sweetness to it I may mix it in with some underpowered but flavorful tobacco I have; I don't think it will harm the flavor of other blends.

The room note is cigarette but not in a bad way. You may want until you find it in a store so you can get a single pouch to try.

My guess is that this is what Huck Finn smoked.

20 Aug. 2010

After a few months, I think I will update my review. I had a dozen packs of this tobacco and my initial impression was so-so. I sent two packs to Steden and had one open leaving me with nine more to contend with.

Hydrating didn't improve the tobacco; it made it worse so I think it was meant to smoke rather dry. I didn't have much success blending it either so I started smoking my way through the rest. By the end of the second packet, I had begun to actually enjoy it. I found it a good tobacco for a quick smoke. It burns too quickly for sitting back and relaxing but it gives you a complete tobacco experience quickly. By the end of the last pack I was ready to order more. It isn't the kind of fine tobacco we enjoy but it is a tobacco I will want to have around. Steden occasionally furnishes me with two "common" Italian tobaccos that are rather strong and moderately quick burning. These are my favorite tobaccos to have around for a quick smoke but the price and availability of Five Brothers suffices to fill that need. I am giving it an additional star.

I did most of my Five Brothers smoking in a MM Country Gentleman cob as it just seemed to fit the tobacco: not too big a capacity and the cob structure perhaps absorbing a little of the kick. This is not a tobacco to smoke on an empty stomach. The taste was a little harsh to me but my sample had dried out quite a bit. Perhaps I will moisten it a bit and try it again and report back.

5 Brothers burns very readily and is easy to keep lit. It also burns very quickly and a medium sized bowl will be done in 20 m minutes.

It's not the easiest tobacco to locate, I got mine from Mars Cigars and I understand 4 Noggins also carries it.

Scores for 5 Brothers: taste- 14 of 20; lighting and burn- 9 of 10; value- 7 of 10. 30 points equals a good *** rating for this powerhouse.

I got good results when blending this with aromatics such as Lane's 1-Q. The best results were 40% Five Brothers to 60% 1-Q and I ended up with a High Octane version. The Five Brothers soaked up some of the sauce (actually DRIED it up) and the result to me seemed more than the sum of two parts. It provided a still soft but stronger version.

I also used this to great effect as "tinder" for other blends by sprinkling the top 1/4 bowl of a large pipe. The best mix was 3/4 McClellands Navy Cavendish at the bottom to 1/4 FB. That experiment was so successful that I've gotta get more Dark Star! The FB will certainly help that stuff burn better. I intend to continue to experiment with this tobacco - it really does add character to blends.

Four years ago after a 38 year hiatus I returned to the briar. Yes, I retraced the old route of aromatics but shortly thereafter found through the Internet some delightful English blends, Virginia and Burley offerings. I say delightful in that they complemented my Copenhagen. No pipe tobacco could truly satisfy... or could it. I then dared to query the Internet to see if there were any high octane pipe tobaccos available and thus did I find Five Brothers Smoking Tobacco. Finally. This shag cut burley approached the vitamin N level of my beloved Cope. For my body chemistry it's strength was acceptable and satisfying. It packed easily into a featherweight, burned swift and clean, and yielded no bite whatsoever. There were no added flavorings and it's taste was mild and interesting, simply that of tobacco. And so I was properly reintroduced into the realm of pipe tobacco.

Five Brothers has become my all business tobacco. It's excellent for the short break. It's perfect for inclement weather. It's a vulgar tobacco for men, a shit-or-get-off-the-pot smoke. But now having said that, please do keep in mind that all of this is coming from a snuff dipper of about forty years.

Now whilst I say that its taste is mild and interesting, it is singular without complexity. Enter the parfait. May I challenge you to experimentation. Carter Hall at the bottom of the bowl, a midsection of G&H Dark Flake, topped off with Five Brothers as kindling and kick at the top. Or perhaps a thin layer of Boswell's Christmas Cookie at the bottom, Prince Albert in the skinny middle with old Five Brothers crowning the top. I trust you see the pattern. You must incorporate Five Brothers somewhere in the parfait for a satisfying smoke and layering lengthens the experience.

Yes, Five Brothers is my dearest buddy who is always available when I need a shot of vitamin N, but I've since found SG 1792, and G&H Dark Flake and Dark Birdseye that all have commendable strength and lend themselves to sipping as if a fine bourbon. I'll sing their accolades elsewhere, but I mention them here for the benefit of some few who may be interested in what else this old addict finds acceptable as an alternative to Copenhagen snuff.

For a no-nonsense, satisfying, and to-the-quick pipe smoke, I highly recommend Five Brothers.

Kinda like Knob Creek as being the whiskey that John Wayne would drink in the Old West, I expect that this is the tobacco some would think the Duke would smoke after walking thru the bat-wings.

I would vote avoid if possible. "There ain't no money in it."

It could use some hydrating I suppose but for on the go stuff and light smoking, the dryness level is perfect.

This burns like a forest fire and is truly the most disgusting weed I have ever put in a pipe. There is really nothing positive I can say about this tobacco. I am a fan of strong blends, but the flavor and harshness of this tobacco just wouldn't allow me to even enjoy the nicotine level.

I rarely if ever dispose of tobacco in any other way but to smoke it, but this made a trip to the trash can after several unsuccessful attempts to get to know it. I even tried rolling it into a cigarette. That was equally disgusting. Life is too short to smoke anything like this. If I was stuck on a desert Island with this, I would quit smoking and use it to start fires.

A short side note: I had a hard time finding a place that had this in stock, so alot of people must be smoking it.