Tobaccos War Horse - War Horse Bar

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2016-08-13		Extremely Strong	Very Strong	Extra Full	Strong

The dark air cured Virginia provides an abundance of tangy dark fruity, toasty, boldly earthy and woody with a little smokiness, sugar and floralness, and fair amount of spice as the lead component. The floral dark fired Kentucky also has a bit of smoke, herbs, vegetation, sourness, nuts, earth, wood, some spice, mild barbecue, and a touch of cocoa. It is a supporting player. The burleys offer a lot of earth, wood,nuts and bread in the third slot. Almost equaling the burley is the tangy ripe, fermented, sugary dark fruit red Virginia, which also offers some tart and tangy citrus, earth, bread and wood. The toppings are the very rich Valerian root, and a deep anise extract along with a tonquin-like essence. While they do sublimate the tobaccos a little, they also work well together to create a sweet, floral synergistic contrast to the varietals. The strength and taste levels are very strong, as is the powerful nicotine content. I recommend you do not smoke this on an empty stomach. There’s no chance of bite, and there are no harsh spots or dull moments. It does have some rough edges. The plug has a little density, but is easily broken apart to suit your preference. It’s a little moist, but needs no dry time. Packs well and lights with no trouble. Burns a tad slow, cool and clean with a fairly smooth, sweet and lightly rugged, very consistent rich, deep, bold flavor from start to finish. Easily burns to ash, and requires a few relights. Leaves a slight dampness in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers. The room note is potent, but not unattractive. It most certainly is not an all day smoke, but if you like really strong tobaccos, you’ll have more than one bowl a day. Will ghost a briar, and no meer is safe either.

In comparison to the 1970s and 1980s versions that I have smoked, I find the amount of the various tobaccos in the new release are not far off from the earlier versions regarding the flavor. The only differences I note are that this is mildly more spicy, and a shade less earthy. The toppings are close as well, though the new version is a little sweeter. However, the toppings on the earlier incarnations may have faded just a little, which furthered my impression of the sweetness level of this plug.

-JimInks

63 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-01-18		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

There are always a few new blends that seem to come out every year that are worth continuing production while many are just attempts at adding to the bottom line by throwing together this and that and then giving it a clever name. War Horse Bar has a clever, eons old name attached to it. And, it measured up! I really like the stout presentation and the Kentucky leaf shines. Others here call the topping Vanilla but I did not get that impression. It was kind of mysterious to me and added greatly to the overall presentation. Solid, stout, a little on the sweet side and palate pleasing. I was gifted my tin but am now going to spend some coin on getting more for the cellar.

32 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Warwick (37)	2016-12-08		Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

First impressions review. Upon opening the tin, the aroma is odd - something of a cross between mild mothballs and scented candle, albeit not floral per se. It's not overpowering or offputting; just curiously odd. Unlike some other reviewers, I don't get any distinct sense of tonquin aroma akin to 1792 or Bracken Flake.

I can easily tear off a corner of the well-formed and pliant dark brown bar. This is much looser than, say, GH Dark Plug. The piece pulls apart remarkably easy and I can tear it into small pieces with little effort. No knife required.

I let it sit for only a couple of minutes and although I would usually expect to need to give something like this quite awhile to dry, it seems ready. So I load it into a pipe and off we go.

It lights with little fuss and burns quite well. The scenting is fairly pronounced at first - even now its still hard to put my finger on the flavor. I'm reminded of Lakeland florality, but while this is scented it just isn't floral, so its quite different from something like GH Bosun Plug. The tobacco is unduly smooth, easygoing and a bit understated; slightly dark, slightly earthy, slightly spicy, slightly toasty. The room note is warm and pleasant. One might think this was intended as an all-day smoke. I had expected to tangle with something more visceral like GH Brown Twist or Dark Plug, but this is seemingly altogether a tame horse.

However, as the bowl progresses, the scenting recedes some and the tobacco comes forward until at mid-bowl the two meld and it reminds me of gingerbread. It is so smooth and pleasant that I am puffing along at a good pace and am quite surprised that at 2/3 of the way down the nicotine has suddenly made a grand appearance. Whoa, where did that come from? This turns out be fairly potent, yet still retains its deceptively good manners and deliciousness almost all the way down. There is a slight ashiness in the final moments.

If subsequent bowls are like this one, this is going to be a favorite.

Pipe Used: MM Shire Cobbit

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-12-11		Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Standard Tobacco - War Horse Bar.

This surprised me. I only opened this with the intention of reviewing it because it's snowing outside and due to a disability I have I'm unable to walk in the snow. My dog, Thelma, will have to wait! I didn't expect to like this so had the idea of a doing a review pipe, or two, passing some time, and re-cellaring it.

The presentation isn't quite congruent with the word plug. The tin contains one dark brown slab of tobacco, it measures 7x7x2cm (sad, and pedantic, I know, I used a ruler), but it's halfway between a plug and kake. Don't expect something like Warrior Plug, where you risk a serious back injury trying to slice it! Succinctly put: softer than a plug but firmer than a kake: a dichotomy. The moisture's perfect, it appears to be maybe a bit damp but once crumbled I could see it was smack on.

I don't want to sound like a rhetorical, chauvinistic pig, but boy, this is a seriously manly smoke. The dark fired Kentucky gives a perfectly clear flavour, fire-cured without coating the mouth with acrid, stickiness. Although there's the flavour from curing it also has a woody note to it. The Burley has the usual nuttiness, which along with the Virginia's tangy fruit flavour, keeps the Kentucky restrained. There's a herby, tonquin flavour, but unlike a lot of folks on here I wouldn't suggest there's a vanilla type of character. As well as the herby nuance the smoke has a touch of liquorice. After half a bowl an added sweetness gains recognition. The flavour of the smoke's immense, but I avoid retro-haling as this can cause too much sharpness to the back of my nasal passage. The best accompaniment to this is a nice and strong coffee. It burns quite slowly and the smoke stays defunct of bite throughout.

Nicotine: strong. Room-note: quite heady.

War Horse Bar? Has to score a full house. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Altinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: One month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cobguy (3)	2016-11-19		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Immediately upon opening the tin, I recognized the smell of Tonquin / Coumarin. This also comes through quite strongly in the smoke as a vanilla-like flavor which decreases throughout the smoke. Once the topping subsides a bit, the overall tobacco flavor is that of the Dark Fired. Smoky, earthy and robust in flavor ... like a Kentucky Cheroot with a light French Vanilla addition. Overall, it's a bit too "aromatic" for my everyday smokes but will be a sweet, yet powerful, change of pace now and then.

Edit: I see Doc noted the 1792 comparison ... another Tonquin inspired tobacco. For those of you that use nasal snuff, if you've ever had SG Elmo's Reserve then you know the scent. I ground and snuffed some of the WH Bar and it was much lighter but similar.

Pipe Used: cobs and briars both

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-20		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

All three components are very well married making it difficult for me to separate them. The overall natural flavor is delicious. Earthy, woody, nutty, mildly smoky and spicy. Pretty dang smooth too. I'm a little conflicted about the topping. At times I find myself really enjoying it and at others I find it a little too "perfumey". It tastes like a mix of vanilla, fruit and florals with a nice sweetness. It's a stout smoke and never fails to satisfy. It's a little better than 3 stars, but I just can't go 4.

Medium to strong in body. Full in taste. Flavoring is mild. Burns pretty well.

Pipe Used: MM Marcus, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2016-12-29		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Formed of leaves pressed into what more resembles a cake than a bar, the new War Horse Bar comes out of the package with a strong vanilla scent indicating the ever-popular top flavoring (among others) has been applied here in strength. It burns off quickly, however, revealing in sequence the smoky taste of the Dark Fired Kentucky Burley, followed by the sweetness of Virginia, and underneath it all, a heart of dark Burleys beats, giving the blend a reasonably strong presence of Nicotine and a broad, rich flavor. Unlike the UK plugs, this blend will not put you on the floor, but it has reasonable strength and a solid flavor, if a bit less integrated than the variants from across the sea. The grim fact is that little can compete with the steam-powered presses that are used over there, as PipesMagazine Forum member "misterlowercase" opined some years ago, and so this bar more resembles the loose-cut blends of the Americas than the European variety. In this blend, the dark fired and Burley tobaccos form a pleasant synergy and mostly absorb the Virginia, but there is not the smooth integration from overseas. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant smoke despite the stench of roasted marshmallows it leaves behind, and if offered at domestic prices, would be a good addition to a regular rotation.

Thanks to Pipes Magazine forum member "cosmic" for this sample.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jackboy (2)	2016-12-09		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wow, this is a man's man tobacco! I've smoked pipes on and off for more years than I care to think and have recently taken it up more with a passion. I generally prefer many of the GL Pease blends (eg, Westminster, Maltese Falcon, Samarra, Gaslight, etc). All great smokes, very subtle and flavorful. War Horse is in another category. What a switch. Because my wife claims to be allergic to tobacco smoke, I have to smoke outdoors, which is a challenge here in PA with winter upon us. So I smoked my first bowl while driving-not sure I recommend this as the nic hit came on all of a sudden, making me a little woozy. But this smoke is extremely satisfying, sending me into a smoke filled nirvana (driving with the windows rolled up). Highly recommended, but not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: right out of the tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: nothing that I've recently smoked.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1979 (62)	2017-08-24		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Standard Tobacco Company - War Horse Bar

This has quickly (by which I mean "instantly") become one of my favorite tobaccos.  Although the info at top says it's made by Sutliff I seem to recall reading that it's made by Lane...?  Regardless it's very well put together.  I'd first like to commend and thank Mr. Ouellette and the folks at Standard for their work on this fine blend.

It was fun to read through the reviews as folks do their level best to call out all the flavors they found in the smoke, room note, tin note, etc.  All of them are correct.  I'd like to mention, bowl size or more likely shape seems to reveal or obscure these different flavorings to an extent.  Also I've noticed the tin note has changed from rich chocolate cake to playdoh to more of an anisette note since I've opened this tin.  The flavorings are potent but not obnoxious.  In the base tobacco I'm getting mostly warm nutty burley with occasional hints of dark fired.  As has been mentioned, this blend presents as far closer to a crumble cake than a plug.  It flakes apart easily and moisture was perfect, slightly moist, not wet or sticky, ready to smoke on demand. I'm hesitant to fully call this an aromatic, but it's far closer to an English style one than anything else I can think of.

Now a word about the nicotine.  It's potent too.  And it will creep up on you.  The beginning of the bowl will have you to think, "oh this ain't that strong," but just past mid-bowl, the nic-hit will leap out, virtually every time.  This is a very relaxing tobacco to me, and I suspect this may be the effect of the valerian root additional to the nicotine power.  I'd advise some caution on your first go with this.

A blend with no total equal that I know of, highly recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2017-04-18		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

A man could go mad trying to work out the flavour additives of some tobaccos. Different reviews cast up a cornucopia of potential flavours. My two cents, the predominant flavour is maraschino or almond cherry. I get some caramel/vanilla/butterscotch aromas, but I'm not smelling tonquin at all. I agree there are some floral spice notes as well.

Comes as a thin loose plug, more like a cake to be fair. It resembles dark peat in colour and texture. As others have noted, this is easy to prepare; you can just tear off a piece and it almost rubs itself out.

This is a full aromatic, and apart from some pepper from the Kentucky, I struggled to get real tobacco flavours underneath the casing/topping.

This is quite literally a one match tobacco and burns a treat with absolutely no tongue bite. It is autumn here in the southern hemisphere now, and this feels like the right season to enjoy this baccy. Not as a regular smoke for me, but for someone looking for an aromatic that had some nicotine strength and did not sparkle and crackle with chemicals, this might fit the bill. It will however leave an lingering aftertaste in the mouth.

Pipe Used: MM Cob

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Liquid360 (10)	2016-11-07		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I haven't ever been of fan of tobacco that tastes like anything but tobacco. Upon cracking the tin, it smelled so familiar, but couldn't place it. I'm the first to say so here, so perhaps I'm alone, but I smell Amaretto, almond liquor. I ripped off a corner by hand and rubbed it out onto a tray. It's a tad moist, but I packed it as is. It lights easy and burns nicely. As a child, my mother used to make something called Black Russian Cake which contained, if memory serves, Kahlúa. This blend reminds me of it. I taste chocolate, almond, and a slight coffee taste. It's very sweet which puts it right in my wheelhouse. The taste stayed consistent to the bottom. This is a VERY seriously tasty tobacco. It wasn't what I was expecting and turned into a very pleasant surprise!

Pipe Used: Dunhill 5128 Black Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: pipesancigars

Similar Blends: Nothing I've had.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2016-11-03		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

What I like about this the most is the ease of preparing for smoking. This is not an extremely dense plug as with many of the Danish produced plugs, ie Warrior's, Peterson's 3Ps, etc. It is very similar to the way Revor Plug is pressed - you can rip off what you without the need of a knife, rub it out and put it in your pipe. Even easier than with Revor as Revor is comprised of full leaf and War Horse Bar is not. The tin smell and pre-light draw was interesting and reminded me of chocolate cake (not the icing); very coaco like with vanilla in the background. I'm suspecting this is the valerian root extract? Lighting was easy and it stayed lit without issue. It remained cool and dry to the heel and never was there any bite. During the smoke it had a faint cherry like taste as well as the taste of chocolate cake previously described. I attribute this to heliotrope which does impart a cherry flavor/aroma to whatever it is added to. Very similar to Sam Gawith's 1792 Flake but not nearly as strong or flavored as 1792. WHB has been long awaited and certainly didn't disappoint. Good for when you want something different. A solid smoke, impeccably constructed. However, a bit less of the flavoring and more of a truer tobacco taste would really be great.

Pipe Used: Peterson tankard

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Sam Gawith's 1792 lake, but not as strong..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2020-04-19		Strong	Very Strong	Full	Strong

War Horse Bar has a very sweet tin note. While I can certainly say that there is tobacco present in the tin note the sweet toppings (whatever they are) are the predominate note. As for the smoke: The KY seems to be a little forward for me compared to the Burley and VA's. It has a floral, vegetative note that is unique to KY along with its woody note from the fire curing. It is slightly earthy and smokey with just a hint of spice. The VA's follow this and are slightly tangy that verges on tart at times with a dark fruit note that suggests Red VA's are present. I also get a little grass and citrus that suggests some brights were used as well. They too may have a little earthy note. They burley offers its usual nutty earthiness and falls behind the VA's but moves froward at times. The toppings are sweet and defy my attempts at figuring out everything that has been added. I do get something similar to tonquin bean/vanilla and there is definitely some licorice root extract there but there is certainly more going on that just that. Whatever it is it is quite strong and I have to really focus on the flavors to find all the nuances of the tobaccos. Yet, it is very complementary of the tobacco and works very well. This is a great scented plug! That has a nic hit that is right at the strong level and is very satisfying. It has too much going on to be an all day smoke and after a while it was not an every day smoke for me. The room note was noticeable for me and I usually do not notice it without leaving the room and returning to it. So it is strong. I found it very pleasant but others found it overwhelmingly intolerable. So you will either love it or hate it.

On a personal note I will pick up a tin or two from time to time but in the future when the mood strikes for this I think I will cut off what I want to smoke for a week and jar the rest for later use.

Age When Smoked: ROTT

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-11-23		Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

It is my understanding that War Horse Bar is a modern American attempt to recreate an old Irish staple plug. I hope someone will correct me if they know different. The tobacco is certainly pressed, whether or not with steam, I don’t know, but it’s pretty dark, consolidated, and dense. Tin note is tonquin over fruit leather and dirt that’s only slightly musty. I tried slicing flakes off the plug with no success, as they break apart, but I have not wasted a lot of time on this yet. Rather I have settled for crumbled tobacco that loads easily and lights and smokes down OK with regular tamping. Initial tastes and scents are like an amplified tin note, then the tobacco builds in strength and intensity as it is smoked down. The scent of tonquin is strong, and the Kentucky is strong and smoky, also somewhat bitter. The VAs are stoved reds and something like air cured brown, all fairly melded with the KY, and the tobaccos are well met in strength by the tonquin. Basically, if you dislike tonquin, don’t bother with War Horse Bar. I fiddled around with this tobacco for some time before trying it in an old briar pot that I’d recently resurrected by enlarging the air hole, which was constricted through its bit. Though a 1” bowl might be more WB than some wish to smoke, it finally “deconstructed” this concentrated blend enough that WB’s flavors are present and accounted for all through a lengthy smoke, including dark fruit leather, some sugar, and enough anise that I’m surprised I missed it for so many bowls. For comparison, WB is not so smooth as 1792, but it is similar in character, which is to say, strong. So, no surprise, strength is strong. Tastes are full. Room note is barely tolerable, and it stinks up one’s pipes, clothing, and person. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, trailing off with increasing sugar; quite nice, actually!

Here is another “he-man” smoke that I suspect will not please the majority of pipe smokers. It took me some doing to get its best. For me, it can be compared to 1792 or Bold Kentucky, though IMO it is not quite that good. FYI, I also like it from one of my old, group 5 KY pipes, though it hardly shines from other pipes I’ve smoked it in. Recommended 4 stars worth to fellow codgers, and not at all to beginners, unless they be fearless adventurers.

Pipe Used: varous briars; pot preferred

Age When Smoked: straight from tin and young from jar

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: 1792 and Bold Kentucky.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2016-11-27		Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant

In a word, delicious. The overall impressions come more from the flavoring than the tobaccos, although hints of the Kentucky come through. The flavorings strike me as cocoa, with hints of coffee and tonquin. The bar seems to be between a plug and a heavily-pressed crumble cake, but it breaks apart fairly easily. The N is well-hidden at first, but it does sneak up on you throughout the bowl. Unless you already smoke ropes and other heavy-N blends, this isn't an all day smoke. It lights easily, but does need a relight or two more than usual after the first half of the bowl.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, and meers

Age When Smoked: 2 months after purchase

Purchased From: pipes & cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigWhiteWilly (10)	2017-01-13		Medium	Strong	Full	Tolerable

On opening the tin it smelt just like 1792 Flake. I used a chefs knife and had trouble cutting it. (I cube cut it)The bouquet and flavor of Tonquin was medicinal and down right sickening. No tobacco flavor came thru at all. Every once in a strange but lovely floral aroma (not unlike The Lakeland Essence) made an appearance, but not often enough for me to want to smoke this on a regular basis. I am going to cellar the tin for a year or 2 and give it another try. Overall don't waste your money,there are much better blends around.

Pipe Used: Savinelli bent billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 week

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: 1792 flake, Westmoreland Mixture, Grousemore plug.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2022-03-04		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant

Finally, an aromatic I enjoy without fortification! Popping the tin, a strong smell of amaretto smacks you upside the head. Apparently, this contains "British-style Aromatics", listed as Valerian root, coumarin, and licorice. Perhaps so, but it smells exactly like cheap amaretto, albeit in a good way. I'll admit, I cringed a little at first; repressed memories of cheap amaretto aromatics I smoked in my early career made me leery of bite. I have to talk about the cut; complain, actually. I don't know who decided to just whack a slice of the end of a block and call it a plug, but it was a bad move. It's pressed sufficiently to hold together, but it's narrow enough to teeter dangerously under a knife. Why couldn't it be cut into a more standard rectangular plug?! Ok, I'll get down off my soapbox now. Once (very carefully) sliced into roughly square flake-y things, the moisture is perfect to be rubbed out and smoked immediately. Remember, such dark and compressed tobaccos like to be just a little more damp than ribbon cuts. Cold draw shows off more of the amaretto notes, with a whisp of woodsmoke. Two charring lights and a true light, and we are off to the races. The first few draws will be heavy with the top notes, but it soon pulls back into the middle distance, allowing some more woodsmoke and occasional dark fruit notes to come forth. The topping never goes away, but it harmonizes well with the tobaccos. Sweetness is moderate, and the body is heavy and creamy. Nicotine content is on the upper end of medium; I wouldn't smoke this in a large bowl, but neither does it make me woozy. The room note is surprisingly good for such a heavy blend; very reminiscent of charred marshmallows. I guess you either love that or hate it. Despite my gripes about the way it's cut, this is a fantastic blend for those who love heavy smokes but don't want to be antisocial. I'll be stocking up.

Pipe Used: St Claude apple, Pipo, Grabow Viking

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Dark Flakes with a more sociable nature.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeQuest (20)	2021-12-29		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Strong

The word plug is misleading and deceptive, this is not a plug, it is a crumble cake. If I had known that it was not a plug I would not have purchased it. The tobacco is also labeled as nonaromatic but it is and it will ghost your pipe, with all that said The smoke is fairly smooth, does not bite and the strength is almost perfect. If this was sold as a true plug (European style) I would buy a ton.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-01-07		Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First of all, I joined TR about 10 years ago & have since rejoined with a different handle & am copying &/or revising my earlier reviews. OK... about the War Horse Bar! The tin aroma is tantalizing... out of this world & the blend certainly doesn't smoke like it smells. It's a very sweet aroma that wafts from the tin with a flavoring that I couldn't possibly identify. It actually smells good enough to eat.

It's more of a crumble cake than a plug that can be scraped with something as dull as a butter knife or a good thumbnail & takes very little drying time. No sharp implement is needed. The first few tokes tasted a little like a sweet cigar that initially, is just a tad on the bitter side. However, that taste or flavoring tones down about one third to midway through the bowl as the nicotine kicks in & the awesome aroma of the flavored casing/topping, whatever, sort of disguises or diminishes the cigaresh taste.

It actually produced an alluring aroma as it burned off which seemed to make the blend more enjoyable... even when smoking outside. I don't smoke inside my home nor due I inhale which is the reason I prefer stronger blends & this one will absorb into your membranes without bite or harshness & will give you that added bliss you're looking for in short order.

It burns up pretty quick with little moisture, stays lit fairly well & leaves a light grey dottle in the bowl. I would purchase this again & it will be used as my "Nightcap" blend. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea but it works for me & goes great with a strong cup of hot coffee or tea. I wouldn't advise smoking it with anything stronger.

Pipe Used: Country Gent Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: I haven't tried 1792 or this ready rubbed version which is probably similar...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hakchuma Achukma (6)	2018-11-30		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow what a great tobacco! I've been smoking a pipe for 6 years and been trying to find the blend I want to stock up on. I bought one tin about a year ago and wasn't interested in opening it since I didn't like the first release version. I think that was some kind of English blend. Smoked half the plug and left the can open for two days straight by accident. I thought I might have ruined the tobacco, but I stuffed my pipe with it and it was still the perfect smoke. So I bought 7 more tins. This is with out a doubt MY tobacco. Next order will be twenty cans.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blackhorse (96)	2018-09-19		Very Strong	Medium	Very Full	Strong

Well, you don’t need me yapping about how great this is. Plenty of others here do a better job than I would. But I do want to give this qualifier: just because this guy or that guy likes or doesn’t like this blend doesn’t make it good or bad. It is what it is. If you enjoy Gawith Dark Flake (scented or not) you’re going to like this. For some reason I don’t get this giant Lakeland floral thing from it like most others have described. I just get waves of strong dark tobacco flavors with a slightly sweet note that takes the edge off rather like the Gawith Sweet twist flavors are subtle and sweetening. If you’ve smoked some of the Gawith scented flakes (which pretty much reek of the scent) this one is way down the scale. This is one of my favorite blends. Great, great stuff for those with the constitution to appreciate it. Five Stars.

Pipe Used: Full bent small briars - group 3 size.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Gifts - nice, eh?

Similar Blends: A few Brit flakes are sort of similar but this stands apart..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2017-03-27		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Update: 09-2017 ... Wow what a difference some "jar time" made with this blend. Since my original review below, I opted to break up & rub out the plug and jar it for a few months before giving it another try. The rough edges (charcoal-like taste) that I reported earlier are just about gone and the sweet fragrance of tonquin (I assume) is rather delectable. The fine burning characteristics as reported earlier are unchanged. This blend certainly deserves another star in my opinion. Still not an all day smoke but definitely a nice change of pace for me. Hence, 3 of 4 stars is my vote!

Original review: 03-2017 ... It ain't bad but it ain't great neither. The good: 1) lights & burns down easily to a white-gray ash 2) medium to full flavor and smokes relatively cool. The bad: 1) woody charcoal-like dry taste with an "odd flavor" that I just can't put my tobacco stained finger on 2) I think I'd prefer to eat a dog chit sammich.

Seriously, I'm sure some will find this tobacco appealing but it's just not for me. I'll probably try it with a little BCA rubbed in and see if that helps me make it through the tin. If not, I see one of my favorite pipe sellers below (pipestud) really likes this blend ... if I run into him at the upcoming Chicago Pipe Show I'll give it to him!

Pipe Used: Cobs-didn't want to foul my other pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2017-02-25		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant

A friend recently included a nearly 2oz sample of this in a tobacco care package. I have been enjoying it over the past few weeks and thought to share my impressions. For what it is worth, I have no experience with any other iterations of War Horse, recent or previous.

The tobacco comes in a small, flattish bar, the shape of which reminds me of an underwhelming chocolate confection we youngsters called a 'Cuban Lunch'. It is a mottled looking thing, shot through with blacks n' browns. WHB is not heavily pressed, and rubs apart easily with a bit of pressure, no need for a sharp knife. The nose of this stuff is heady: orange peel, burnt sugar, and shortbread, and all sorts of other things that ring bells in my head but that cannot be named. As per JimInks, there is a significant tonka-like essence at play here, so if you like that sort of thing, this could be very pleasant. If not, well, keep movin', cowfolks.

Lightup produces a blast of what I presume is the Valerian root extract flavour, and it doesn't really abate during a bowl. I found it enjoyable - sweet, in a marzipan sort of way, and lightly fruity, with the hint of almonds - but it does dominate the experience. Not much in the way of complexity here, or variation. Happily, relights are a breeze, and this is a very consistent tasting tobacco.

Speaking of taste, the prevailing one is of burley and dark-fired. I get throat tingles immediately at lightup, but if puffed gently, the spicy character of this blend is a treat - retrohale carefully. Drawing heavily turns it bitter and ashy, so a gentle cadence is needed. There's some strength here, too, but it builds slowly. I would put the nicotine at medium-full, with the taste being full. These both increase slightly as you make your way through a bowl.

This is fun stuff, something like an American riff on an English flavoured tobacco of olde. I like it enough that I am gonna order some.

Age When Smoked: Newish

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2017-09-15		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Strong

When I opened the tin, I was struck with a very strong and pungent aroma that reminded me of something I had smoked in the past. Something that considerably lacked in the quality department. It took me two days to figure it out : Backwoods Berry flavoured cigars. Yes, that's what War Horse Bar smells like. It's also what it tastes like. And it's also what the roomnote smells like. Low quality aromatic cigars. If you like Backwoods cigars, then War Horse Bar is for you.

Similar Blends: Backwoods cigars but in a pipe tobacco tin..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JJ Sir Emmitt (40)	2017-06-04		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is by far the best and most interesting aromatic blend I have had to date. The tobacco itself has a rich core of roasted nut, dark chocolate, with a deep earthieness, and rich sweetness, along with a sharp pepper. Then comes this very unique top flavor that I am having some trouble pin pointing. It has a difinate rose water flavor, accompanied by sweet herb, and botanical flavors. The aroma reminds me of Tibetan Nag Chomps. My only for giving this 3 stars instead of 4 is that it tends to burn hot in the last half, washing out some of the fantastic flavors.

Pipe Used: MM Freehand

Age When Smoked: 3 Months

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2017-04-19		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Very Pleasant

I looked forward to trying this one since I first heard of its recreation. It is a great Virginia/burley with a very tasty topping. The Kentucky leaf is nutty and toasty. The Virginia is sweet and earthy. I taste cinnamon, mild tonquin, and valerian tea in the top note. These flavoring drown the tobacco taste a bit but it's well done so I don't mind. The plug is very easy to work with though it benefits from dry time to get an easy burn going. I think with some age this could be a 4 star blend but it is a little rough around the edges and I get some harshness from the Kentucky. Still, an enjoyable blend with an awesome room note.

Similar Blends: Peterson - Peterson's Perfect Plug, Hearth & Home - Classic Burley Kake (Signature Series).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AcworthAl (38)	2017-01-16		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Unnoticeable

I am not sure what to make of this stuff. It has a strange smell, but a great taste. Not sure I believe it is all that strong i.e. 1792 Flake. I have enjoyed what I have smoked, but have trouble keeping it lit. Have not smoke many plugs. It sure is interesting and I am very happy I tried it. You should too.

Pipe Used: Cherrywood Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Out of the tin

Purchased From: Pipe and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-01-09		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

Like its sister War Horse Green, this is potent stuff. Not quite at the level of Gawith's 1792....but not too far from that. You have to sip it. Even so I found the strength a bit much. The green label is easier to deal with while still having a lot of nicotine for those that crave it (like me). The taste is something like Brown Bogie crossed with Kendall Flake and 1792. The room note will drive people away, so be warned. Earthy, and bears comparison to old school snuff flavoring. You either like this stuff or you dont. But its to Mr Ouelette's credit that he came up with a U.S. answer to the old school Gawith style plugs and flakes (I never smoked the original it must be noted). The plug is more a plug crossed with a krumble cake. Reasonably easy to deal with (green label is easier). Strong, perhaps too strong, but tasty. `The dark fired leaf predominates.....with the vanilla (or valerian root) and other flavorings in back (I taste licorice, and perhaps whisky...and maybe geranium). Its great...but not all the time.

Purchased From: 4noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-20		Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

20230501: Probably has hit the #1 spot on my list. It's complex enough in its aromatics to be interesting, but not overbearing or cloying, and the underlying tobaccos are excellent, perfectly suited to my tastes. More than sufficient in the nicotine department. I've come to appreciate the moderation in aromatics of WH bar as compared to Green, which has become a little too much for me lately.

20230313: Yep, upgrading my rating.

20230219: Compared to some of the G&H Lakelands I've tried, the (what I might call) Lakeland style topping is fairly light. In the jar I smell licorice, probably anise mainly, and I love it. Shaved some off the plug and packed it into an Old Dominion 'Jamestowne', a very small clay. I taste the licorice and anise, the Kentucky, maybe a tiny bit of baby powder, but also some cream. Moderately sweet, very strong nicotine hit. When it makes the rounds through my other pipes, I may upgrade my rating; not positive it'll end up a favorite, but this is definitely something I'll keep around. I almost find myself wishing the topping were a little stronger, it's very nice.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2023-02-19		Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

What can I say? This is a great tobacco. Nice strong Kentucky, nice topping. Sutliff manufactured this? And Russ Ouellette blended it. I like Sutliff's aromatics, except for Mixture No. 79. The guy who said it is like smoking a urinal cake was right about that blend. This, though? No urinal cake here. Nice Lakeland-type flavors, though of the rich and savory rather than the flowery perfumey type. Most importantly, high-quality tobacco that smokes long and evenly and well. Expensive, but highly, highly recommended. A crumble cake not a plug, but a good crumble cake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old man winter (1)	2022-10-31		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

Sweet floral, almost fruity back taste. I really miss the HH Rustica, but this is very nice. I will definitely buy this again. Nice early morning smoke.

Pipe Used: Rossi Vittoria, Canadian

Age When Smoked: 61

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

Similar Blends: Bold Kentucky with a bit of flavor added..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	neuron_md (37)	2022-09-22		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wow, this is good!

A lot has been said of its great attributes. But let me add my 2 cents' worth.

The plug is firm and you gotta slice it. I sliced it thin across the grain and it rubbed out easily.

It is good and full, in the same way the old St. Bruno and Condor tobaccos were good.

If you love those traditional and storied tobaccos, you will love War Horse Red.

Sip gently for full enjoyment.

Looking forward to trying War Horse Green.

Pipe Used: Savinelli prince

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Condor and the old St. Bruno.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-28		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Ah War Horse Bar... yes... stout. That's the word that sums up War Horse Bar. Stout. In taste, in strength, in everything. It's a stout blend. And I quite like it. Upon opening the tin/jar... the scent is quite potent. Smells are an interesting thing. Like Proust and his Madeleine cookies... smell brings back memories we sometimes didn't know we had. War Horse Bar has a topping that is very "old fashioned", at least in my mind. It brings me back to some nondescript 1980's setting for some reason, and I can't explain why. It's an amalgam of sweet floral anisette (vanilla also, maybe?) and maybe fruity/tonquin bean (although I've never smelled tonquin outside of a pipe tobacco flavoring). It's a wonderfully sentimental smell, though I can't say why. The plug is fairly solid, but easy to slice and easy to rub out. First few puffs... a stout Burley blend. Quite Burley-forward, with notes of sharper Kentucky adding complexity and even more stoutness and richness. The Virginias are there to add a natural sweetness and some tang... but the main stars are the Burley and the Kentucky. And the interesting topping works really well with the richness of the earthy Burley and sharper Kentucky. It has a pretty hefty amount of nicotine too, so be aware... and smoke on a full stomach.

Bottom line: Nice strong Burley/Kentucky blend. Has an old fashioned feel that I really appreciate. Great blend, solid 3 stars.

Pipe Used: My old Wally Frank

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Esactun (11)	2022-01-12		Very Strong	Medium	Very Full	Strong

First things first: this is not a crumble cake, nor is it truly pressed like a plug. It's like a block meant for slicing into flakes, left unsliced. Still soft and easy to tear or cut. Fresh, "manly" scent, like a mild and clean old time aftershave, in a perfect amount. Very much an Oulette aromatic; that master of burley has a definite style no matter who he blends for. The tonquin in combo with the other notes comes off more vanilla and less exotic than in 1792. Anyway, the Virginia is sweet and the burley is quite present, smoothing out the Kentucky, which isn't as strongly present as I expected. Yet while being smoother and a touch milder in taste than I expected (still a boatload of flavor though), it still has a serious nicotine content. Better to use a narrow flake pipe and not your XL Peterson. If you reclose the tin but leave the little plastic disc thingy out, it will delightfully scent the room.

Pipe Used: pre republic Peterson

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Despite lots of differences, it for me fills a niche similar to Erinmore (though a bit stronger). Smooth, moderately aromatic, burley heavy, slightly sweet yet substantial, and strong.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TotoPipeDreams (44)	2021-07-17		Extremely Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A Haiku Review: War Horse Bar

This tobacco is….

pretty weird I have to say

Unicorn, not Horse.

Equal parts flowery, almond, spice aromatic and knock you on your a$$ burley, this is blend is wonderfully strange. And will leave one heck of a mythical unicorn ghost in your pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O. D. Jones (25)	2021-06-03		Extremely Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Here's another potent one! A long time ago, I used to split a block of the original Gallaher's War Horse with a friend that worked at the tobacco shop. That tobacco was a special order, and the guy who ran the shop would be adamant that we were going to buy this if he was going to order it, because nobody else in their right mind would smoke it! And this was a shop that used to carry all the Irish ropes too... The old War Horse used to come in a solid brick with the word "War Horse" stamped on the top, and it used to take some muscle to split one of those bricks in half. The current version is a little easier to manage out of the tin. It's hard to recall after all these years, but whatever flavoring they used to use is pretty well mimicked here on the new one... it's a bit of an indescribable and unique flavor. I've had somebody describe it as "mothballs", and in that case I've always wondered how you could get those tiny moth legs apart to smell that 😜.... it may be an apt description though, despite the fact that maybe mothballs might not be the most appetizing way to put it. Not quite vanilla, not quite clove, maybe a slight anise note in there as well. Whatever it is, it's not like any other tobacco I can think of, except maybe Bosun Cut Plug. With the Bosun you definitely pick up clove, with War Horse, it is a little harder to tease out all the flavors. Both War Horse versions were very strong tobaccos, and even with the top flavoring you definitely get solid tobacco flavor... the older variety was that strong Irish tobacco, the newer version is maybe slightly more mild, I'm assuming using currently available tobaccos. Definitely nicotine here as well. Once it's well rubbed out and correctly packed, it needs maybe an average number of relights, and you might get a gurgle or two depending on your cadence. I like St Bruno; in comparison, War Horse is a good deal more formidable all around. This is one of those modern recreations that comes pretty close to the original, the big difference being you really can't get those exact tobacco varieties they used to use nowadays. Highly recommended for those of you that like potent smokes!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma Lucite 315

Age When Smoked: freshly opened tin

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: the old War Horse, Bosun Cut Plug, some of the flavored Irish ropes and pigtails..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-01-06		Medium to Strong	Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

It is a pity that the health warnings spoil what was originally a beautiful tin with a horse on a red background, which is now reduced to the upper half of the container (at least the one that touched me). Tin contains a dark brown block of tobacco. Although the plug is dense it crumbles easily and the not too high moisture content allows it to be loaded directly from the tin.

I agree with other users that it is a full-blown aromatic and that I also had a hard time getting real tobacco flavors under the coverage. This coverage is quite scented and in my perception the ingredient that stands out is anise. Sometimes it has a certain aftertaste of medicine, especially in the first pipes I smoked. Then I got used to it and it reminded me more of certain spices or medicinal herbs. Of course, it behaves frankly well in the mouth, with absolutely no tongue biting.

In general it is too aromatic for me to repeat but I understand that there are people who like it, since it cannot be denied that it has its virtues, and among them is the originality of the mix.

01/30/2021: I have continued to smoke this tobacco sporadically and although I am not a fan of aromatics, I have liked this more and more and I have enjoyed it as the typical “change of pace”. Add that being a tobacco very different from what I had tried so far, at first it seemed strange to me, but now it is precisely that difference and originality that I like, so I would recommend trying it and not staying with the first pipes, but giving it a try. chance smoking a full tin.

02/08/2022: I would also like to add that one year after opening the tin, the Kentucky is much more noticeable, without the coverage being able to overshadow it at any time.

01/17/2023: Definitely, the passage of time improves this tobacco a lot, increasing its virtues and reducing its "defects", (IMO).

Pipe Used: Santambrogio Freehand

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lower Alabama Piper (15)	2018-06-26		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

Well put together blend, I'm a new pipe smoker since March 2018. I've experimented with over a dozen different blends, I have found I'm not too fond of aromatics. I have tried pirate cake and it's not too bad I've tried White Knight pretty good. I've also tried GL pease Abington it was pretty good as well didn't care for the Peter stokkebye luxury twist too much. Just for experimentation I bought some of the perique for mixing just to see what it would taste like straight I liked it pretty good smoke straight I was able to smoke 2 bowls back to back and I found out what my first nicotine hit was like WowWee it was a hit also LOL. But when I try this War Horse bar, this is the first tobacco that I have tried in the pot so far that will definitely be a regular for me. It's strong it's potent it's got a good flavor that I just like. This is the first tobacco i've smoked that I could actually taste the nuttiness in it. I'm not sophisticated enough yet or experienced enough yet to pick up the other flavors. All I know is this this is the best darn tobacco that I have ever smoked it is well put together and I highly recommend it I'm by far and expert by any means. But to me this is good stuff very good stuff. It is become my everyday smoke after work and it pairs very well with a strong cup of coffee. I enjoy this tobacco so much I ordered more.

Pipe Used: Missouri meerschaum Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (562)	21 hours ago		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin note of anise, barbeque and sweet floral. Tobacco is a plug of dark brown, black and a little brown. Moisture content is great. Plug need slicing with a sharp thin knife or razor. Rubs out fairly easily. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is medium to strong. Flavoring is medium, with notes of Anise (spicy, aromatic, sweet licorice) and a Valerian Root like essence (herbal, woody, earthy, very bitter). Flavoring is quite potent in the beginning but dies down quite a bit but never drops to the background. Taste is medium to full and mostly consistent, with notes of anise, bitter, very woody, herbal floral, dryness, salty vegetation, spices, cigar, orange peel. mild cocoa, fermented tart/sourness, a spicy semi-sweet nutty background note, and a very peppery retro. Dark Air Cured is leading with Kentucky, Virginia and Flavoring supporting. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2016 Northern Briars Premier Rox Cut #4 Prince

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NMpiper (5)	2023-05-19		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Pretty good stuff. I like this blend. Tin note is interesting and slightly sweet smelling. Although this is called a plug its more of a firm crumble cake in my opinion. It burns nice and slow and no bite that i found. Definitely on the stronger side as far as nic goes. Not as much nic as say Macbaren Bold Kentucky but it is there. The taste is bold but smooth with dark fired as front man and virginia playing back up. There is a subtle topping of some sweetness that is along the lines of anise and vanilla and some herbal essence very faint in the background which reminds me of tarragon for some reason. Would I buy again? Sure, if it was on sale but not regularly.

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (72)	2023-02-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

This tobacco kicks like a mule. The strongest nic hit I have experienced from any tobacco. The flavour is not bad either, although the intensity of the nicotine overtakes it. The dark-fired Kentucky adds some character to this burley-based blend. There is reportedly an anise flavour, that didn't come through for me. Perhaps it was due to the antique pipe I used for this blend. I will say that this almost feels like an English blend with the pronounced smokiness, but at the same time it is nothing like that genre.

I came for the nicotine and stayed for the flavour. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the occasional heavy nic hit after a long day. Also great for the winter if you must smoke outside, since a little goes a very long way.

Pipe Used: Antique Cherrywood Straight Apple

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Black XX Twist (Rope).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2023-01-31		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

I really like this blend. It's a powerhouse of flavors from castings, toppings and Dark Fired Kentucky. The Virginia and burley play a solid base. I like how the Anise and Tonquin bean play well together. I call this an American Lakelands. Not quite the same as Gawith Hoggrath. It is a bold, strong smoke. I get the Dark Fired Kentucky on the retrohale.

Pipe Used: Algerian Brair

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: War Horse - War Horse Green but less aromatic..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jmagen (13)	2022-11-27		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great tin note, sweet and aromatic to start. Best to gravity load, and will still require many re-lights. I’m about done trying different tobaccos now that I have this. Strong, delicious, downright satisfying.

Pipe Used: Many, though best in medium sized bowls

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkansas Piper (47)	2022-10-19		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

What a neat smoke! The bar itself had moisture, but in a very good way. It was a no way dried out, and cut very easily. Plus it was fun to rub it out after cutting it.

The tin note was of cream and licorice. The funny thing is, I hate licorice and anise. But this had a very nice, moderate note to it.

It burned exceptionally well, and left a very nice, anise flavor in the pipe, so beware if you’re afraid of ghosting this flavor.

The room note was a creamy licorice flavor that was subtle yet pronounced.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RAsunGod (2)	2021-09-29		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I somehow feel compelled to write my first review. To say the least this “bar” pipe tobacco seems on the wet side. I believe it may be from the original having roots as a chewing/smoking blend favored by Irish miners (source not recalled). I cut two 1/2” sq., 0.125” thick pieces w/ no drying time & did a stuff, fold , stuff job, topped w/ some loose bits in the tin into the bowl of a new Pear-wood apple shaped pipe. So, it was hard to keep lit.

A couple of charring lights later w/ light tamping, I had a fruity, cherry taste & then the nice tobaccos. The aromatics seemed to fade rapidly & I was left primarily w/ pleasant strong tobacco flavors. [ w/ these hybrid aromatic blends I almost always have the same experience with taste of anything waning rapidly & then dominated by tobaccos .] As Elvis might, "I liked it very much, thank you." I might push it as a small sample to friend(s) ‘cause for me it was that good.

Also a noticeable hit of nicotine appeared @ abt one half hour & continued for another 30 mins; during the several relights of the bowl. I’d buy this again, if I ever use it up, which is doubtful as I enjoy the taste experiences of changing tobaccos frequently w/ many blends. My trends lately have been toward a strong preference for flakes, bars, crumble cakes & ropes almost exclusively.

I really did not seem to be able to find a www site for the manufacturer of this bar blend. So, I am a bit worried that it may meet an unanticipated, early demise ?

My best to all that share in the communities of pipe smoking and/or smokeless tobacco.

Pipe Used: Pearwood Apple Shape w/ 5.75" stem

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

Similar Blends: I'd say unique from my POV.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2021-07-09		Strong	Medium	Full	Very Strong

Expectations, expectations, expectations. Treacherous things.

I bought this for two reasons: a) presence of tonquin, b) claims of strength hinting towards 1792, one my top 5 tobaccos.

American tobaccos just can't do it for me, although this is closer to decent than most.

Smell from the tin is strong, mostly vanilla, and hint of liquorice. The contents are a square block of crumble cake - better than Jackknife Stack of Leaves but still not a plug - easily broken apart.

It is ready to smoke from rubbing out, which is probably the strongest point of this tobacco for me.

Taste is close to what it smells like, tonquin/vanilla and a lot of Kentucky. It really is NOT a very strong tobacco, I had several stronger and much stronger tobaccos in my time, but it is reasonable. For me this strength is just a tick above "just right". My issue with it is how the taste develops through the bowl. Unlike Gawith offerings, in this case the topping taste dissipates midbowl, but instead of giving way to tobacco it somehow morphs into something plastic and bitter, and quite unpleasant. Won't be buying again, but overall it does achieve being somewhat close to European tobaccos.

Fun fact, this is banned from the house by my wife, she absolutely hates its smell!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-05-06		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I bought this because it sounded interesting, even though I have a love-hate relationship with anise blends: Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky was not my thing, Peterson Irish Flake is one of my top five. So I think it has more to do with how much topping is used rather than the topping itself.

The tin is very old timey and the description is vague: made of dark fired Kentucky, dark air cured and matured Red Virginia. Sounds good. Opening the tin you will see a nice brick of tobacco mostly dark brown in color. In the tin note the anise and tonquin is very noticeable, I do smell some Kentucky spice and Red Virginia sourness and bread.

This strikes me as a crumble cake more than a plug. It's made of a pressed ribbon instead of whole leaf, and is thus really easy to break off, rub out and stuff in your pipe. It is really firmly pressed similar to the John Cottons Double Pressed series. But when I think of a plug I think of using my knife. It does come at a suitable dryness to smoke and it does take a light well.

I have no problem saying that when I first tried this I didn't like it and it sat in a tin for a month. Lighting up I do taste the toppings and they slightly sublimate the other tobaccos in the blend, but age has helped them smooth down. I can taste a smokey, spicey, and floral Dark Fired. The Virginias add a lot more bread than I detected from the smell and also some dark fruits hovering around in the background.

The taste is a medium-full, robust, smooth and well balanced. The strength is a medium-strong. It is there, it's not as strong as some of the other things that I usually smoke. The toppings make the room note very interesting and I do get questions about this one. All in all the topping works pretty well with this one. Would I go out of my way to reach for a tin off of the shelf? No probably not. Would I enjoy it when someone offers on occasion? Yes.

I give this three stars. A good tobacco to try and it may be a nice crossover if you like aromatics and you are looking to get into dark fired blends.

Pipe Used: Basket Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (85)	2021-03-26		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I'll just go ahead and say it - this was a love at first smoke.

I love the tin note of this blend. While everyone tries to guess what's in it I'll just say what it smells like to me: Soap/shampoo. Not a chemical note, but that smell after a shower. It first reminded me of the Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake aroma, but after smoking LTF again, I came to see that they have a similar character, but are different. What's this special smooth top note in Warhorse Bar? I'm glad to remain ignorant and just enjoy it.

Right off the bat, what I get in the smoke is a bit of spiciness, fair amount of fruit sweetness from the Virginias, and that special secret topping ingredient. The Kentucky adds a very welcome volume to the blend and just the right amount of smokiness. The Burley adds just the right amount of cocoa without overpowering other flavors. This is not a typical Burley blend by any means.

Despite the Kentucky only playing a secondary role, it does define the overall character of this blend and, together with the toping, makes it unique and hard to pin point. The topping is very mild and serves to highlight the natural sweetness as well as a perfectly balanced contrast to the Kentucky. It is absolutely not an aromatic blend. And by the way, my girlfriend is not a big fan of many of my more usual Virginia room notes, but she likes this one.

Despite its name, this isn't a plug, but rather a block of crumble cake. Crumbles very easily, packs very easy, and smokes very easy. I sometimes have to relight, but not every time. It's a very well behaved tobacco and the moisture is ready to be packed right from the tin. Whatever Russ Ouellette put to moisture this, it kept moist in my tobacco pouch for over a week.

I smoked only this blend for five days and still had enough to go for about a day or two, and I smoke several times a day. It didn't get boring, it didn't smoke too fast, it didn't get my pipes hot. All the mechanics were perfect. And while some view it as too strong, for me it was a perfect medium strength and an excellent all-day smoke.

It's one of those blends that have a complexity, but allows you not to distract you from whatever you're doing. The flavors balance perfectly, and it remains fairly similar throughout the smoke. Medium-full flavor, medium strength. Can be smoked in every shape and size, but I get the most out of it when smoked in a small bowl. In particular, my small apple-shape WDC pipe gets the best result.

I'm going to go ahead and order more of this. I think there's a serious competition to my current favorite. 5 stars out of 4.

Pipe Used: Small straight apple

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Tom (20)	2021-02-17		Extremely Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As I posted in a pipe group, while I know that my grandfather never smoked this, the aroma of the tobacco is so close to whatever he smoked, that it brought me back to when I was a kid poking around his stuff and enjoying the aroma of his pipe tobacco. I have several of his pipes and I will smoke it in them.

Beautiful hard pressed bar, more of a cross between a plug and a cake. Easily hand crumbled.

It's a rich full smoke. No bite. You get that taste on the retro. It's almost vanilla cherry like, with a tin note close to playdough, although no play dough in the smoking. I don't get the licorice that some speak of, but everyone's palate is different. I don't know what it smells like to others, but I imagine it similar to what most people may think about when they think of pipe smoke. My wife says that the tin note reminds her of stuff her grandfather smoked, but I smoke outside and I have no feedback on what it smells like to others when it's actually being smoked.

I am not a regular aromatic smoker, and I have seen this listed as a non aromatic while it is clearly flavored to a degree. The flavor fades into the distant background when smoking. Spicy on the back of the throat and on the retro. I am primarily a Va/VaPer and English/Balkan smoker, but this would be my pretty smelling choice right here. I can no longer see myself smoking a cheap drugstore cherry or vanilla, but this is a top shelf "version" of that, but it's NOT an aromatic. (the green label is said to be the aro version)

Between the dark fired Kentucky, burley, pressed Virginias... this is a WINNER. After trying it and being blown away as well as the memories of smelling my grandpa's tobacco stash which had a similar sweet tobacco smell, I was hooked and ordered 4 tins straight away, to have on hand, since it went on sale at that time.

I have been a longtime cigar smoker, so I know a bit about nic hit and even nicotine sickness (dizzies)... I never get that from any pipe tobacco, so while some others claim strong/full on the strength and flavor, I naturally would make this out more to the medium-full range in both flavor and strength, but leaning towards full. It is stronger than many a pipe tobacco, though. Great for ex or cigar smokers.

This is definitely a man's smoke with a pretty casing. It's a great change of pace from my normal and more frequent fare... It's a macho smoke. Don 't do it on an empty stomach! It's like that brothel lady who is pretty but will take you for a ride and maybe steal your wallet if you take your eyes off her.

Pipe Used: Grandfather's Dr Grabow Golden Duke briar

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes and P&C

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