Borkum Riff - Bourbon Whiskey pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Sweetbriar	10/11/2010	Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
When the fall comes rolling in, I crave pipe tobacco really bad for some reason. Past few years its been Sail green. i can't find the sail anymore so picked up a pouch of this BR bourban whiskey. I have been smoking it like crazy. I dont know alot about blends and did order up somw gawith and davidoff. i just love the stuff and look foward to trying out a vareity. I like the BR bourban whiskey and after the pouch got some air to it, it started burnin better and NO bite. nummy ~sweetbriar
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Pyrenish	09/17/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable
as a new pipe smoker i was lead to belive that pipe tobacco was far superior to cigarette tobacco, however after only 1/2 a bowl of this blend i would prefer a cigarette any day, now, this may be attributed to the fact that A. this was my first bowl, B. it was smoked out of a fairly badly made homemade pipe, and C, im fairly shure i dident follow proper packing technique. still, im am not a fan of this blend, i relit this bowl upwards of 10 times and it refused to stay lit, the tobacco had quite a bite, magnified due to the fact that i had to continuously puff on it for it to stay lit, and the flavor was quite underwelming, tho i plan to re-review this after purchasing a proper pipe and paying more detail to packing and lighting, i can honestly say that i am far from impressed.
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Shawn_M	09/13/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Not the greatest blend I've tried but not quite the worst. It does not smoke the way it smells, but its not totally unpleasent, there is a flavour somewhat like bourbon whiskey but somewhat unlike it. WARNING: It's a biter, slow and easy with this one unless you want a very painfull tongue. I probably won't be buying this again, but I would not turn it down if offered. Updated 10/8/10: The other day I found I had half a pouch of BW as well as half a pouch of Half and Half and decided to blend them. I was rather surprised as they compliment each other nicely, H&H stands well on it's own and it really mellowed the BW and improved the flavour. I suspect that BW goes well as a blending agent with other tobaccos and plan to experiment.
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Yeti	08/14/2010	Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Strong
terrible. as others have said, i wanted to like it. it SMELLS great in the pouch. someone out there probably likes it, if they like the taste of wet, salted vegetables. it burned well though, but bites hard and stings the next day. hate it. every few weeks i mix it in with some cavendish, and ruin an otherwise good smoke (i still have no idea why). dont buy it. it sucks.
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mitts	07/26/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
I AGREE WITH MOST OF THE REVIEWS IT SMELLS GREAT IN THE POUCH BUT LETS ITSELF DOWN BY BEING A BIT OF A TOUNGE BITER WITH A AVERAGE TASTE SOME CLAN SMOKERS MIGHT LIKE IT
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Claudius Stradivarius	07/24/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
The new manufacturer has significantly improved this mixture. The original mixture was so much cased that it would bite and the casing would harass your senses. This one actually tastes of tobacco. It's an acceptable mixture occasionnaly when I seek a change of pace.
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dwilliams	07/11/2010	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
This is only my second tobacco I've tried, the other being Captain Black Cherry. Of the two this is far superior. The taste reminds me of a cigar and while there is not a huge whiskey taste, it has all the burn. Would not recommend for those seeking a mild tobacco but for those who would like a tobacco with the burn of whiskey, pick this up. It was extremely mild, I only smoke every other week or so( and only one bowl) and unlike the Captain Black, I experienced no nicotine headache after smoking a bowl. I did how ever experience a sharp taste on my tongue when drinking soda afterward. overall a nice, cheap tobacco for smoking slowly and thoughtfully.
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supersmoke	06/30/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
I will bore you all with a quick story on this one. We take our summer holidays on the Costa Brava at a town called Estertit in the Catalonian area of Spain. There is a lovely litle cigar shop there that sells Pipe Tobacco but not pipes. They obviously do not stock Gawiths Best Brown or Ennerdale Flake, I would not expect them to. But they allways have the good old European favourite St Bruno and at about four euros a go I buy a few packs and bring some back with me.However this time same shop, same girl serving, no St Bruno. I was right out at this point so I scanned the shelves.There were a lot of European blends that I know off but do not trust and a few of the Borkum Riff range. When I first took up the art I used to have Riff Cherry Cavandish but quickly moved onto other things and have never looked back. I am also aware that Borkum Riff gets a right hammering on this site. I went for the Bourbon Whiskey thinking that this could be a bad holiday. I was pleasantly suprised, I was waiting for tounge bit that never came, I am not sure what Bourbon Whiskey tastes like but I could not taste whiskey of any kind in it. It is very heavily cased but smooth aromatic and has a very sweet chocolate taste. After a couple of bowels I was smokeing it without a second thought. I am actually smoking it now and I have got two packs in stock as it was so cheap.I proboly wouldnt buy it out of choice, I am virginia man myself but I would not dismiss it out of hand if you fancy an aromatic. If there are aromatic smokers who have not tried it yet, get you some at once!
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Fubber	05/01/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Just don't ....
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moresco	03/25/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable
I'm beginning in this "science". So, I don't have patterns to compare w different tobaccos. But I can talk about the experience of smoking this one. It burns your tongue! The guy in the shop said that was a good tobacco to start. LIAR! Easy to pack, easy to light. Just it. I know how bourbon should taste, I didn't find this on BR Bourbon Whiskey. It doesn't let a good smell in the air too. So, I say: you may try it, but... UPDATE: After trying better tobaccos, unfortunately I have to downgrade this one. I discovered that the tongue bite of this blend is way stronger than others (some just don't have it!). so, now I give it just one star.
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Fellow traveler	03/19/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a different product from a year ago, drier and less aromatic, pouch aroma is alluring but faint. More of a light Danish topping rather than a heavy casing. Can't say it smells like Bourbon, a bit like Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic, but much less pronounced and enjoyable. Somewhat dry in the pouch. I tried it in different pipes including a cob, with the same result - heavy tongue bite. Difficult to light, the smoke is dry and mild bodied. The pouch smell does not translate into the taste of the smoke, which is pleasant - more mild virginia and less sweet burly with a hint of chocolate. Actually quite nice. The side stream is mild and smells of tobacco, not any flavoring or casing. This could be a very enjoyable smoke if it did not bite. Aftertaste is similar to smoking a mid grade cigar, the taste of tobacco and a tingling sensation in your mouth. But after the tobacco taste fads the tongue bite remains. Another reviewer mentioned the Borkum Riff products are now make by McBaron (in the review for the BR "Natural"). Since I enjoy the Danish presentation (a light flavoring that burns off quickly leaving a clean tobacco taste in a dry smoke), I decided to try it. For me, McBaron and Borkum Riff products bite while Peter Stokkebye is just fine. since I only smoke 1 or 2 pipes a day, this weed is not worth it, there are to many exemplary smokes on the market at the same price point. Pass on this one.
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Dewey	03/16/2010	Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant
I've been smoking a pipe a little over a month now and I will say this is the best I've ever had. Being unexperienced I have only Prince Albert and Carter Hill (also Black Cherry & Vanilla aromatics but I don't count those) to compare to. I took a chance on this at the tobacco shop because I'm still experimenting and was hoping to find "the one". I own two very old Dr. Grabow's that belonged, one to my grandfather, and the other to my uncle, both around 50 years old. I can remember being very young and finding these on the bookshelf in the stand they've stayed on for years, taking them down and smelling inside the bowl. The smell was something so rich and sweet I will never forget it, and it's that particular aroma that I'm hoping to one day find and call my own. SO far this tobacco is very close to what I'm looking for. Along with a very pleasant smell it has virtually zero tongue bite. It's very "light" for lack of better terms, which is somewhat of a tradeoff to what I'm actually looking to find as a daily tobacco, since it is very light on flavor also. There is a hint of whiskey taste to it. If I could find a Brand with this same smokability but with more robust flavor, and keep the tongue bite out of the equation I'd be in heaven. For now, I'll try the Borkum & Riff Vanilla Cavendish next since I already saw it at the shop next to this blend, and keep Borkum & Riff as my favorite smoke.
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Uncle Arthur	03/03/2010	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable
In a word. VILE!
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appy	02/26/2010	Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Call me a purest, but this is NOT the whiskey version I puffed on from days gone buy. An attorney pal o mine drags on this fodder without exception. Recently the blenders of this trash went retro with packaging. Back to the old black classic package. My ambulance chasing buddie insisted it try it. So I did. My God. Tongue bite, mold, no flavor what so ever. Refused to stay lit. And honestly smelled like burning sweaty socks. The only thing Im my mind that would be that foul. Home I went and dug through my stock. A while back I purchased a new pipe and was gifted with several pouches of tobacco. I found Dutch Masters whiskey that I hadent tryed yet. WOW.Upon opening the pouch I was hit in the scences with the aroma of the old Borkum Riff Whisky!!!!! The look, feel, aroma was as i remembered. Very wet in the poly pouch, I jarred this for a month. Im a cob I proceeded to fire up this weed. DAMN!!! This was exactly the BR of old. Strong, smokey, heavily scented. Another card game with my shyster cronie. He took a wiff of my exhaust fumes and immediatly begged for a sample. His reaction upon lighting up was almost orgasmic. He insisted I tell him what B and M shop i aquired the weed. I just chuckled and imformed him that this is a Dutch Masters whiskey blend, and that in fact this is what the old BR was like. Its a true shame thata so many good OTC bakkys had to change. To the younger pipers reading here,, give the Dutch Masters whiskey a shot. You will find a pleasent aromatic for those that like alcohol fueled blends. I am in hopes that the blenders or alchemists that blend the current BR read and take heed. Like so many reviews here state, to bad old classics have been ruined or no longer available. Happy puffing to all the fine ladies and gents here!!!!!
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ELF	02/23/2010	Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable
This was the first Tobacco,I cut my proverbial-teeth on(30yrs ago)I took it for a spin,2mnths back...To see if it was as HOT+Mediocre as i remember....Indeed still"Poor"drugstore-tobacco!I would recommend it if;you have a Texas-Mickey of Whiskey to conquer over a long weekend(so you don't use up your good tobacco/and still have something to smoke) :-{
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Pseudo Nim	02/15/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Tried this some thirty five years ago, and once was enough. I'm not sure if I finished the pouch, I just remember a hint of cheap boubon on cavendish that burned on the hot side, judging by the reviews below, nothing has changed. How this could be recommended to new pipe smokers is beyond me.
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meanmrmustard	02/08/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Red Eye Whiskey, certainly not Jamesons 18! Young smokers beware, the bite you'll get from this may ruin your pipe smoking experience forever, it burns the tongue, gum's, palate, lips, need I say more? How can this abomination stay on the market? One word sums this up, GARBAGE!
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Robert	01/28/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This stuff bit me so hard I thought I would have to get rabies shots. Different people have different tastes and you may love this stuff. I won't throw this stuff away but I don't ever see myself smoking the rest of the pouch. Maybe if I was stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean and couldn't even find any sea weed to dry out and smoke I'd try it again. Until that happens it's going in a jar to be sealed away in the closet.
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DrDyson	01/28/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium	Unnoticeable
"A unique, captivating taste and aroma," eh? I’ve tried – God knows I’ve tried – to find a Borkum Riff tobacco that isn’t horrible. I keep trying out of a sort of sense of justice: I feel that I need to give these people another chance to redeem themselves. But still no joy. Bourbon Whiskey is dreadful: burns hot, wet and erratically, and has a cloying, chemical taste that defies description. It actually made me feel ill. It's strongish in nicotine terms, but it just isn't like smoking tobacco. The casing is very heavy, and if it's Kentucky Bourbon, I'm a boiled monkey. I can’t imagine what mass market sustains the production of terrible stuff like this. Are the Borkum Riff people involved in some international conspiracy to stop people smoking? I can't think of any other reason why a company should produce a range of such utterly awful tobaccos. Then again, people buy 'em. Maybe it's just me. The only thing to be said for Bourbon Whiskey is that it isn’t as comprehensively awful as Cherry Liqueur!
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Rewster66	01/27/2010	Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Strong
Bites like a injured pitbull with rabies! Have not found a way to help this blend at all. Only way I will ever burn this again is in the fireplace and hope it don't offend the neighbors. Minus 4 stars! So dry out of the pouch that it almost floats. Would not feed it to a horse or a wild goat for that matter. Other than that I have nothing bad to say about this blend.
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