House of Windsor - Country Doctor pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 38 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Connoisseur	03/02/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
To be fair I will preface my review by saying I'm not a fan of Latakia - even in small doses. That said, I agree with most of akaiser77's review on this unusual tobacco. Like so many of its long running, traditional American counterparts, you can usually only buy it in the big 14 oz can - not much good if you end up not liking it! Personally, I didn't and as dry as this concoction was it eventually succumbed to fungal rot after sitting for several years before it tossed it. I kept the can of course, mainly because of the quaint art work and in respect for an old time icon in American pipe smoking history.
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Ronnstein	08/14/2011	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
A nice blend, some latakia but not too much. I have about two more pipefuls left of this and will miss it (and Briggs) after it is gone, definitely one of the best HOW blends.
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R.M. Schultz	07/17/2011	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Mild, a good all day smoke. A lot of flavor without becoming harsh with constant smoking. Interesting notes as it lingers in the mouth. A bit pricey for me. Really good looking tin.
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Country Doc	08/28/2010	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
First bowl, smoked in a Stanwell Saturn Pouch aroma: light fragrance, sweet, smelling vaguely of brown sugar and figs Consistency: light and springy – do not overpack 1st puffs: very mild, no bite, sweet and rich Smoke character: medium thickness, easy to keep lit, just a few tamps 2nd half: the nic kick is there, especially toward the bottom, but nowhere near as intense as Big n’ Burley. The flavor strengthens, sweet burley, with some emerging muted spiciness and vague fruitiness. Very pleasant. Aftertaste: Sweet, figgy and not at all unpleasant Overall: A good, satisfying smoke. I have not tried Revelation or Union Leader yet, but this one is a keeper. Not regular rotation material, but nice to have on hand. *Note: I smoked the Altadis match I got from pipesandcigars.com. I do not know how it really compares to the HoW version. Also, thank you to akaiser77 for the notes on Jean Hersholt.
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DK	06/28/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Just finished up a 2 oz tin. No previous experience with this one but I also recently smoked Revelation, and as hard as I tried to avoid it, I couldn't help thinking of this one as Revelation Light. In this one, the condimental tobaccos were so faint that I really couldn't taste them. Perhaps they did something to cool or slightly spice the smoke but I tasted mostly burley, with some occasional VA sweetness and the topping. The flavoring was definitely on the same fruity side as Revelation and really didn't detract from the blend, as flavorings often do. This was predominately burley. It was a good smoke but this one threatened to bite me at the slightest provocation. I found that I had to slow my puffing cadence to the point that it was an effort to continue - I kept losing my relaxing, calm state of mind. A pretty good tasting smoke whose demise I do not mourn terribly. Revelation was better, IMHO.
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Dr.sadik	03/30/2010	Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
now this one i should be careful reviewing,, i bought an estate sale pipes from ebay and a fourteen ounce tin was thrown to the lot, i have to be honest when i say i was attracted to the name as a veterinary pathologist the doctor title got my interest "little that i knew, how old this tin was" i just popped the seal and it is 1967,,good LORD. this aging must have done alot to the flavoring however simply the fresh smell of figs and fermented dates slapped me in the face. the virginia and perique taste is obvious non the less hints of latakia is very weak, to be honest the latakia and oriental are weakly participating still it is a perfect blend, burns smoothly and finely with a reasonable strength and acceptable room note. if the new batches is any where near this one then it shall be my all day smoke
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Shawn_M	02/18/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant
Along with Revelation this is one of the better blends by HOW, simple and satisfying. I can't tast the latakia much, but the perique is noticable although subtle. This is another blend where, after I'm done smoking, I go outside for a short time and then come back to savour the pungent but pleasant aroma. It can bite if smoked too hard/quick, but it packs, lights and smokes very well.If you want a decent "drugstore" blend, you have to try this one.
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Bub	07/15/2009	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Are you an aromatic smoker that's looking to get started with an English blend? This may be the tobacco for you. It's kinda a cross between the two. Has a nice friendly aroma but a little of the English taste too. Give it a try. Pretty darned good. You'll have to hunt pretty hard for the Latakia flavor but it's in there. If you can't find it, try blowing the smoke through your nose. Very Mild. I could smoke this all day long.
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Wriggles	08/13/2008	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable
I recently purchased a 2 oz. tin of Country Doctor. I haven't smoked this stuff since I started to smoke a pipe 40 years ago. Anyhow, having no past memory of this tobacco, today I find it a pleasant full flavor smoke. Although I have many pipes, I prefer a corncob over most of my collection. CD smokes excellently in a cob. I could taste no topping, and I didn't feel any nicotine punch, also no bite. A nice, nostalgic trip into the past. Recommended as a nice change of pace.
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Auroraboy	07/10/2008	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Along with Revelation, I liked this of all the HOW blends. The tin aroma seems simpler and fruitier than Revelation, but other wise smoked very similarly. Good burley flavor, mostly plain tobacco with occasional hint of the tin scent coming in once in awhile. Packaged with that beautiful portrait of Jean Hersholt, the movies "Country Doctor," this one is worth trying for both nostalgia and real smoking's sake.
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wmjotten	06/30/2007	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
As I recall some couple of years ago one of the Pipe/Tobacco magazines had a subscription offer whereby you got a sampler of tins of 5 different HOW blends along with your subscription. Thankfully, I loved the magazine because the HOW tobacco really didn't seal the deal as far as I was concerned. That said, of the 5 small soup sized cans that came, Country Doctor was the last one I tried, all the previous ones really didn't do a thing for me. I might have been saving the Country Doctor in the hopes it'd save me if the HOW tobacco's got any worse. This one of the bunch was perhaps the best of the lot, and maybe only because of my fondness for a blend of Virginia, Latakia, and Perique. The last two were in relatively tiny amounts too, far less than I now enjoy in other blends. This might have been an outstanding blend in its day, today its nothing to get excited about. I didn't finish the can.
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indyf1	05/27/2007	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant
An excellent blend, half-way between an aromatic and an English. I was intrigued by the name ("Country Doctor") and the hokey picture on the can, so I just had to try it. Turned out to be a very good smoke. Some nicotine punch, mild on the tongue, and with a bare hint of that English spiciness. This is a good choice for the aromatic smoker looking for something different that is substantial, but without the unpleasant characteristics of the English blends. It is a perfect all-day or frequent smoke. With Country Doctor billowing from my bowl, I see myself at the racetrack, straw skimmer atop my head, as I puff away on a straight briar. The humidity is marked by the growing stains under my arms, but the daily racing program makes a convenient fan for my face. The young lady accompanying me sports a wide brimmed hat, with a white lace band and a navy blue satin bow. The clouds of smoke I send into the air are forgotten as the field thunders by, my horse on the rail, gunning for the win.
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peakbagger	11/02/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I've been smoking some of HoW's blends for the last year, Revelation, Barking Dog and Country Doctor; Country Doctor is my favorite of the bunch. I'm mostly an English / Balkan smoker and this is only an occasional blend for me. The mixture is mostly cube cut burley with some VA and Latakia mixed in along with a teeny bit of Perique for spice. There is a pleasant aroma from the fruity topping but it is not overpowering nor does it add much to the flavor of the smoke. Packing is a matter of dipping your bowl in and then gently tamping for the first light. This burns slow and is quite easy on the tongue; alas there is not enough flavor to keep me very interested. When my tin runs out I won't be buying any more. 3 out of 10 Stars.
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Maimonides	10/21/2006	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable
One of House Of Windsors best. Every one want's Revelation- and everywhere it's sold out. I think Country Doctor is a better blend. How has its issues... the paper tins, the tobacco dust- But their tobacco is a fair price. this reminds me of one of my favorite Dunhills Early Morning Pipe (As Others Have Said) But it is ALL AMERICAN and cheaper. It also doesnt stain my mouth as bad with leftover odors. Give it a whirl folks.
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aadelma	07/08/2006	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Like many, I tried the trio of re-released old time blends from HOW: Revelation, Barking Dog, and Country Doctor. Barking Dog was impossible to keep lit and tasted like charcoal brickets, Revelation tasted mainly like perique and knocked me out with it's nicotine punch, but Country Doctor really captured my fancy. I like to think of it as America's answer to Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. It starts out tasting of burley/va then finishes off with a nice taste of latakia. The taste is fairly full from the first light, but it never overpowers. Nicotine is a bit high but not overpowering. It tastes like tobacco; I can't taste the topping at all. It has a traditional burley aroma which I like, but non-smokers might find it too much like cigarettes. It tastes best in my Kirsten, so probably a meer would be good as well. I am prevented from smoking it more than I would like as I find it a bit abrasive on my throat and tongue.
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Talonr1701	06/20/2006	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
My first of the HOW blends, and a great start. This is a nice medium english- Latakia, va, & burley very noticable- with an interesting berry (?) topping. Can't find perique anywhere- But hey, not a prob. Not depending on the description, going only by the "Country Doctor" monicer- I sat and enjoyed a great smoke, boosted by some tweaking of my imagination for some historical nostalgia.... For the price, try some while listening to some old radio programs. Great!!!
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mel51us	06/12/2006	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
05242006 I purchased a pouch of Country Doctor from a tobacco shop in Tinley Park, Illinois on a whim. The price was right, $3.30, and I had read favorable reviews. Country Doctor appeared to be everything it was said to be. It did seem a bit too dry in the pouch, but packed very well in my pipe. A charring light, a tamp, and on more match, and we were set to go. With only the occasional tamp, Country Doctor burned slowly and cooly throughout the entire bowl. The tobacco flavors presented themselves very well. Occasionally spicy, but mild, and very flavorful. I smoked Country Doctor in a cob, and then in a briar with no bite. I might not recommend Country doctor to the beginner, but I would definitely recommend it to both the English blend and the aromatic smoker who was looking for a change of pace smoke. Country Doctor could easily be an all day smoke, and has earned a place in this pipester's tobacco rotation. ************************************* 06122006 The more I smoke this , the more I like it.
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Jakob Kiilerich	12/18/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Tolerable
Country doctor is quite an unusual blend. It is very flavoured, in that Union Leader fruity/honey-like way. Unfortunately I think the blender tripped the bottle into the blending machine. The appearance in the tin is not good either. Half of it looks like something someone swept from the floor with a broom; half cross-cut leaf and half tobacco powder. I could not find almost no Latakia and Périque. VA was only present in small doses: that leaves alot of Burley, soaked in flavour and PG. You should puff this one slowly and with caution, because it burns like MacBaren. On the upside, it does have a decent dose of nicotine and it does make an ok outdoor smoke. Two stars, max.. Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark
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Jakob Kiilerich	10/09/2005	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Tolerable
Country doctor is quite an unusual blend. It is very flavoured, in that Union Leader fruity/honey-like way. Unfortunately I think the blender tripped the bottle into the blending machine. The appearance in the tin is not good either. Half of it looks like something someone swept from the floor with a broom; half cross-cut leaf and half tobacco powder. I could not find almost no Latakia and Périque. VA was only present in small doses: that leaves alot of Burley, soaked in flavour and PG. You should puff this one slowly and with caution, because it burns like MacBaren. On the upside, it does have a decent dose of nicotine and it does make an ok outdoor smoke. Two stars, max.. Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark
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akaiser77	07/04/2005	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Jean Hersholt was a Danish actor who starred in a radio show about a Minnesota physician named "Dr. Christian" from the late Thirties until the early Fifties. The show was so popular that six spin-off movies were made in the Forties (I own one on DVD), and it was briefly a TV show in 1956, the year Hersholt died. It took place in the quaint hamlet of "River's End," where the quiet and kind Dr. Christian got into many "adventures," always helping the townspeople out along the way. Hersholt was a passionate pipe smoker, and the enduring popularity of his radio show led to the development of Country Doctor pipe tobacco in (I think) the early Fifties. That's Hersholt on the tin, lighting his pipe. Over the decades, Country Doctor remained sporadically available, and if one looked hard enough, you could still find it online in the late Nineties in a 12 oz. tub. House of Windsor then acquired the rights to this fine old blend, and it has enjoyed a renewed popularity in recent years. Country Doctor is often compared to Revelation, and that comparison is apt. Burley, Virginia, latakia, and perique are expertly blended for a rather stout smoking mixture, heavy on the nicotine. Its tin aroma is divine; you can smell the straight tobacco along with perique, latakia, and a faint berry topping. Most inviting. Upon lighting, the smoke is piquant, but as you settle into the middle third of the pipe, burley takes the dominant role, with the Virginia, latakia, and perique staying present throughout. Bite is minimal, and there is a delightful, smokey richness that suits my palate perfectly. Relights help reveal the evolving flavor the tobaccos, but you will go through few matches as this is a remarkably easy-burning smoke. I highly recommend this for fans of latakia, perique, or burley. This tobacco is versatile and should appeal to a wide variety of pipe smokers. Easily one of the best old-style blends on the market today, and (with Briggs and Revelation) a testament to the quality of HOW's burley offerings.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 38 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >