House of Windsor - Briggs pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 37 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Blue Bayou	04/13/2012	Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Rather drab. I mixed it with other non-favs to make a tolerable blend.
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htduck	10/05/2011	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
I like Balkan, Burley, and Boswell's. "When a Fella Needs a Friend," come on, who could pass that up? Found a tin in a local pipe shop two years ago and put it into the cellar. After this summer of no rain and 112 degrees for 3 months straight the first cool front blew through and I fired up a bowl. I neeeded a good friend. My angel of a wife said it smelled pleasant but that's about all the good I can say for me personally. I gave it two stars because it is a good beginner smoke but PA and Boswell's Best Burley leaves this in the dust. I do love the tin and the art on the label. I think I'll load the tin with Spillman's and pretend. (It does pack well, burn great and leave a good clean ash.)
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Ronnstein	07/24/2011	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I smoked a pipeful of this today infact. Of the HOW blends, this is one of my favorites, as far as the nostalgic blends of yesteryear, I really like this one. Nothing too anything about it, just a nice unassuming natural tobacco taste, if you can find it, give it a try.
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DK	05/12/2011	Very Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant
Having quite a bit of success with HOW blends in the past (Union Leader, Mapleton, Revelation, Country Doctor), I was pleased to find a 2 oz tin of this and eager to get into it. The best laid plans.... Very flat and anemic tasting blend of golden virginia and burley. This possessed a very musty odor in the tin that perfectly translated to the taste, and the blend fared miserably as a result. The flavor was mostly of old rubber mixed with uncooked lima beans. The good news is that the flavor was extremely mild, bordering on simple hot air. I managed to smoke 3 bowls of this before giving it away. The good news with this one is the exceptional room note. Very clean, not too sweet and refreshing. I certainly wouldn't mind being around someone who smoked this one, as long as I didn't have to smoke it myself. One star blend, but as it's not nearly as foul as other one star blends, such as Mixture #79. In the realm of my one star blends, this is a 1.3 and #79 is a solid 0.6... just to provide a frame of reference. This one is best left in the halls of memory.
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chetking	09/25/2010	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
For me Briggs is a standout light Burley, golden Virginia mixture. It is surely deserving of 3 or 4 star billing - a superior rating that many elitist or "tin" only aficionados among our ilk cannot possibly fathom providing to a lower than low "drug store" blend. Very, very taken I am with this Altadis "match" version purchased at the Habana Premium Shoppe (PipesandCigars.com) in Albany, NY. Mr. Russ Oullette, their iconic master blender, told me to come over and bring my pipe for a sample. But I trusted Russ and just for the memories bought an 8 oz. bulk sack on the spot. No buyer's remorse. Reviewed as a House of Windsor and P. Lorillard blend on tobaccoreviews.com, PipesandCigars.com website reports, "We've added (Briggs match) from our friends at Altadis who have taken the time to blend matching tobaccos for some of your old time favorites...previously discontinued." I must say that this is as true a replication of the Briggs "back in the day" in the early 60s when as high schoolers we stole an illicit smoke or two down behind a sub rosa place known as "The Rock." Previous reviewers use such descriptors as "bourbon," "vegetal," "apple," "fennel" and "coriander" to describe some of the many exquisite aroma and tastes emanating from this mixture. I distinctly remember a "sweet metalic" flavour coming from my old boxed pouch, and the same secret aroma right after char light. Never thought this feller would ever need such a fond memory from an old friend. Very pleasant. Happy hunting...
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Mr. Brizzi	07/29/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I used to smoke Briggs, but recall that rarely did I ever finish a full bowl. I would put the pipe down and smoke it at a later time. Revisiting this long gone mixture, I conclude, what did I ever see in it? If possible, I would rate Briggs at Half-of-One Star. The Burley base goes sour, and the Virginia leaves blisters in my mouth. I need to touch the bowl with the flame, and as soon as the pipe goes "Smoke On", remove the lighting source and sip the tobacco smoke via its whisp. Multiple lightings required. The room note is okay, exactly what one would expect from a Burley and Virginia product. The flavor is immediately ashpot and goes sour, then bitter. I've smoked cheap cigars that had more class. But in the pipe smoking world, with reluctance, I would barely opt for Briggs if only nothing else were available and not really recommend it. The bizarre thing, is that years ago I had a yellow Lab who was more like a son than a dog; no leash required. In the surf he swam like Johnny Weissmuller. Every time I smoked Briggs, he would fall asleep, at my foot. I think I smoked this tobacco, more because I loved that dog, and he seemed to like the aroma, or something. He lived to be 14 years old, and when he passed, that was when I stopped smoking this pipe tobacco.
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Shawn_M	02/18/2010	Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
A rich but mellow burley blend, smometimes there is a hint of a sweet flavour, but mostly all I taste is somewhat like bourbon. My wife says it smells somewaht strong, but not too bad, I enjoy this blend and it's one of my staples when I can find it.
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sobejon	12/21/2009	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Its a shame that the House Of Windsor operation has closed down, as for sentimental reasons i would have loved to still have Briggs in production... Briggs is a burley lover's delight. A rich burley flavor with tones of a light VA with hints of apple and bourbon. I have had several different cans of Briggs (all made by HoW, of course) and since they're from different ages they are all a little different looking and smoking, but the taste stays pretty constant. I have one can that I got recently that seemed a bit dry. for Christmas this year my wonderful wife found me one of those old Briggs wooden barrels that have the clay (?) insert in the lid to maintain moisture in the barrel. I put the drier Briggs in the barrel today and i will update how this little experiment turns out later. If you're a fan of Burley Blends then Briggs is a good one to try. Otherwise, this old time blend may not be your cup of tea Just a side note here :All brands that were made by House of Windsor were picked up by a Panamanian company called Durfort Holdings: Argosy Black, Field & Stream, Revelation, Country Doctor, Union Leader, & Bourbon Street. I believe it is the intent of the Panamanian company to continue making the previously listed items, But I have no information on all the other HoW Blends and recipes that this holding company now owns, which unfortunately includes Briggs and Model
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Dr. Sweetsmoke	12/09/2009	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable
Ah....old Briggs. I remember the days when the old guys would head down to the local Soda Fountain and pick up a fresh tin of Briggs, The Prince, or Tuxedo. These blends reflect a grand time in Americana, when pipe smoking was the norm amongst men, and "when a feller needed a friend" he got his hands on some Briggs! Well, I recently had to pay my respects,in a Norman Rockwell kind of way, to this old tried and true. It had been years since I packed a bowl of this. Intitially, the blend is decent, lights easily, has an alright room note, and a slightly sweet taste. However, the older I get, the more I realize why so few a gents smoke these classic drugstore blends these days. There are just too many other better options out there. I don't regret my trip down memory lane, heck I even did some pre-smoke prep. and broke out the old straight razor, got a clean shave, splashed some Clubman aftershave on, and put on a sweater vest and my old Gentleman's hat - just to fit the part. But in the future, "when this feller needs a friend", I think I will dip my fingers back into my fresh tin of Mac Baron's "Chocolate Honey". Nothing like a tickle to the old sweet tooth. If you happen to be reading this and are into drug store blends, well more power to you. To each their own.....I'm just glad I'm not too short on friends these days. Happy Smoking.
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wosbald	10/15/2009	Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
The tin aroma of this beautifully fabricated mixture of cube and flakey chunks is of a sweetly vegetal tobacco scent topped with something vaguely seedy: perhaps coriander or fennel. This blend falls on the light end of the spectrum: a gently sweetened mixture of light burleys and gold VAs with a touch of dark cavendish for variance. The brightly sweet, gold VA takes the lead with the burleys quietly adding background huskiness. The sweetener smoothes any edges while the evanescent topping is virtually transparent. Another thoughtfully and scrupulously produced House of Windsor triumph, Briggs epitomizes the best tradition of burley/bright american mixtures. It is phenomenally suited to the all-day puffer seeking elegantly flavorsome and austere simplicity. This seemed best in a narrow gauge chamber.
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Wriggles	08/02/2008	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I opened a tin of Brigg's a few days ago. I find this a pretty good smoke. A full flavor smoke, in my opinion. Seems that the nicotine content is higher than I expected. I did not notice a casing or topping, just good burley and Virginia. At almost twice the price of H&H and the Prince, and only available online or mail order with shipping charges, I probably will only buy this occasionally. I never tried this stuff when you could find it almost everywhere(decades ago). All in all, this tobacco is good. Makes a person long for the good old days.
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Auroraboy	07/10/2008	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Another House of Windsor revival that I really wanted to like. Came in the tin in fairly large woodchip-like chunks. Mostly uniform nutty brown. Very difficult to get lit, unfortunately, and the rather strong applejuice flavoring got in the way of any real enjoyment. No idea what the old blend was like, but at the prices they're charging, the current blend is not worth the dough.
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pop-pop's pipe	02/10/2008	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Since im back on burleys I bought a pouch of this. Another trip back to the old days! Has that 1930's and 1940's flair about it. This is what was smoked back in those days! This blend is at the other end of the spectrum compared to Model or Prince Albert. This is full bodied, rich, and quite strong! You want nicotine, walla! If you never smoked a pipe and you pick this up because it says when a feller needs a friend, well you'll have a few after smoking this because the room will be spinning! By no means am I saying this is a bad tobacco, it's just not for beginners. This is one serious burley. It's so damn expensive though! What in the world is H.O.W. doing? 10oz cans for $23.00 is a bit steep for these blends. It's good, but not that good. If I want a strong burley I'll go with H&H or Granger for $16.00 a can plus 4 more oz. For now I'll just stick with the Prince.
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Eonwe	12/22/2007	Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Unnoticeable
I bought a 2oz tin of this stuff a couple years ago. I really wanted to like this blend as its been around a long time. after opening I was disapointed with the aroma. It smelled like dried saliva/spit (sorry thats the only way to describe it) It was extreemly dry. It almost reminded me of clumpy GrapeNuts cereal. I loaded up a very old Dr.Grabow and began my very boring smoke. I had a hard time detecting any flavor at all, other than a weak flat flavor of...um...smoke. It did burn well, a little on the quick side. Tongue bite shouldnt be a problem either, if smoked at a reasonable pace. I know that one star seems harsh, and Im well aware that many many people love this blend,but there just isnt anything here. I will stick this away in the closet, and try again someday...perhaps that will help. its not as if it could get any drier.
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Old Burr	02/15/2007	Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
From first introducing itself to me as an occasional 'treat' blend, this has become one of my favourites. You might even say, my signature blend/brand of choice, though expensive for my budget. I'm a burley smoker, mostly, though I'll smoke English, and very rarely an aromatic. Briggs is aromatic enough for me, although really a burley with a subtle topping. It does tend to smoke hot if you don't keep it firmly tamped, but you won't find yourself having to re-light it every few seconds, if ever. (Have you ever observed that pipe smoking is sometimes less smoking, and more playing with matches?). My wife, who is rather fussy about room odours, always speaks well of Briggs. There was once a cartoonist (Clare Briggs) who drew a cartoon series that was the same as the motto on the Briggs tin: 'When a Feller Needs a Friend', and his signature at the bottoms of his cartoons bears a striking resemblance to the Briggs label. I wonder what the relationship to the tobacco and the cartoonist may be?
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rduran1	11/17/2006	Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Burley fans unite and celebrate Briggs! This is a very well made blend that is unique amongst other burleys for its flavor, aroma and taste. Be advised that this is a MILD smoke, but one which will stand out from others if given attention. This is amongst my favorite tobaccos and is a fine example of House of Windsor's excellent work with burley. If you are enjoying a good book, a drink on the deck or simply taking a leisurly walk this is the tobacco to indulge in. Brigg's will always have a special place in my heart as it eased me through a stressful time with the birth of my first son a year ago. Someday when my boy is old enough I will share it with him. "When a feller needs a friend" couldn't be a better or more apt slogan for such a relaxing and pleasant smoke. The only minor complaint I have is it that it is a little dry for my preference out of the pack/tin. This, however, can be easily fixed. Buy some and remember I told you so!
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Spike	11/16/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
09/30/2004:This one has a Burley character with the Virginia along for the ride. The flavor I detect here is one of an apple. I like the big chunks of tobacco in this blend. If you put the big pieces on the bottom when loading your pipe, the smoke will last a good long time. Did not notice any soapy or floral notes on this one. This tobac is made for a cob or a Dr. Grabow pipe while you're working in the shop or weeding the flower bed. Very good for these pursuits. This blend is nice and dry and ready to smoke. I bought the 2 oz. tin. 11/16/2006 Update: No longer smoke as there are any number of classier Burley blends available. If you are curious as to what Grandpa's drugstore blend of the 1950's tasted like give it a try.
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Maimonides	09/05/2006	Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A very overlooked burley blend. Its such a good price for what you get. It is mild to me.
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BigSwede	03/24/2006	Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
Update After smoking increasingly strong tobacco, such as Black Frigate, I had a need for something mild. I dug out my old can of Briggs, filled an old briar and gave it another whirl. It had dried out considerably and that made the difference: it smokes much better when dry. This is the mildest tobacco I've ever smoked, it burns as cool as anything I've ever tried and there were no "burley bitters". The flavor is that of straight up burley and the smallest hint of a mild topping (which in the can reminds one of raisins). In my middle years I've become a minimalist and this fills the bill. Like one of the earlier reviewers I find this enjoyable as the first pipe of the day with coffee. Recommended for burley lovers who are looking for something simple and minimally flavored.
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The Unknown Piper	03/10/2006	Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 37 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >