Gallaher Limited Condor Ready Rubbed (Green)

I had the chance to re-visit this lovely tobacco recently when a friend from 'cross the pond sent a few pouches my way. There is really no smell like the one you encounter upon opening the packet...floral, mysterious, beckoning. I can see that to some it could have the redolence of strong soap, mais, pour mois, it is heavenly. Flakes are very dark, somewhat sticky and pliant to the touch. As with any scented flake, one must have a pipe for it, not only as it will haunt the briar relentlessly, but all the more to enhance the ritual of smoking this tabak in a constant vessel. I do not find it overly strong, nor complex, but the flavor is most unusual and it burns very well in a large Stanwell. Smokes cool, with few gurgles, the perfect porch tobacco on those windy days...This should be experienced at least once by all.

Ah, Condor! The grand, gruff patriarch of tobacco. Strong, noble, and smooth. This is what smoking a pipe is all about . . .

The aroma in the pouch is thick and rich. Condor has been described as "soapy." I would describe it instead as mildly, subtly floral. In my humble opinion, this slight addition works rather well. I find it to be one of the more stubborn flakes to rub out, but the reward at the end! Upon lighting, I am greeted with the dark, roasted flavour that reminds me why I smoke a pipe. The flavour of Condor does not change very much throughout the bowl. However, perhaps because it burns so slowly, I find myself, as my father would say, "smoking matches." Only available in England, it is not easy nor inexpensive to acquire. However, I urge all pipe smokers to try Condor. It is unbeatable

In the UK this is probably the most popular pipe tobacco going, along with St Bruno. It is a very distinctive tobacco, which I personally have never found any other tobacco to have the same sort of flavour and aroma as it does. With the pipe packed well this tobacco burns cool and slow and has a very full flavour. The room aroma is either loved or hated, fortunately most people love it. The taste is very fruity and has a very suble hint of woodyness.

It is said that that this tobacco can leave it's mark on a pipe, I tend to agree, try it in a cheapo basket pipe before smoking it in your best Dunhill as once the flavour is in the pipe, it's very hard to get rid of. A word of warning this is a strong tobacco, IMO you need to smoke it slowly and with a good rythym, if you overdo it will send you flying such is it's strength.

This used to be my daily bread until it moved to Poland. It’s move was a negative, condor as I knew it had its wings clipped and I swore I would never smoke it again. However after a recent folly with st Bruno I thought why not try it again.

Opening the pouch the aroma is back. That tangy almost vinegary fruity leathery aroma is a punch in the face, oh my god could this be back to its usual self? Packing is a doddle and lighting you are greeted with thick plumes of chunky smoke. Now I will say the flavour is a touch muted than the old Irish version but if I was trying this for the first time ever without trying the Irish I would have those down as a four star smoke.

The smoke is beautiful, leather, stewed fruits, a hint of carbolic, heavy meatiness almost. This is british pipe tobaccos at its finest. Although many say st Bruno is similar, it isn’t, both are unique and condor really does scratch the itch for a full flavoured, heavily scented blend with a good whack of strength. Pairs beautifully with dark ale.

It took me awhile to finally getting around to trying this one after securing a pouch prior to its present change in production (I believe it is now made in Poland), so this review is of the prior version of this blend.

I have often smoked Condor Long Cut and love it and always assumed this to simply be the rubbed out version of LC. After smoking RR, I no longer think that is the case as I find RR to be much stronger and stouter than LC. On that earlier assumption, I packed my first bowl into one of my group 5 sized pipes and was surprised that I was unable to finish the bowl as I started to feel nauseous.

It was smaller bowls of this that followed, lightly packed group 4s or group 3 sized bowls. With this adjustment, I was able to enjoy the Condor moments so many speak of. I was surprised to find that this has no burley in it, as it just feels like a virginia/burley blend similar to say, Irish Flake or Erinmore. The reason I felt this was due to the feel and heft of the blend as I smoked it. Since the topping is quite strong, it makes individual leaf types difficult to distinguish.

Even with such a heavy topping I did not find the topping to be overwhelming; probably because the leaf is so stout. The topping does remain throughout the full bowl, so the typical properties of the Virginia leaf never really asserted themselves to me. Overall, this was a pleasure to smoke. I can't say I will be disappointed that I don't have more cellared, but I am happy to have tried it.

My first ever pipe tobacco in 1991 was Condor Mild Blend, and that was a decent enough intro to pipe smoking. My second tobacco was Condor Ready Rubbed. Maybe this was not a wise choice for a second tobacco, but it was a familiar name.

Opening the packet exposed me to the full, floral soapy goodness that Condor is so famed for. Lighting it ramped up that experience. The packet promised slow-burning, and that is exactly what it gives you. It is full and robust, and will satisfy any nicotine craving for absolutely hours.

This is not one for smoking around others, as its room note is not too agreeable, but the pleasure is in the smoking itself. If you are alone, this stuff is your friend. Nothing should disturb that Condor moment.

I bought a pouch of Condor after receiving my latest clay pipe as I fancied a smoke of tobacco to try it out. It's a very strong tobacco and I can agree with some other reviewers in this website about the strength, nicotine content and how it can give a huge nicotine rush and increase your heart rate! I lost my footing and ended up walking backwards into a tree! However, it smokes well in my clay pipe, with a good thick smoke and leaving a fine white ash. I can agree that the ash went all over my clothes, as another reviewer has said. I enjoyed the full flavour of this pipe tobacco and have smoked 4x 25G packets of Condor in the last week - it went down well in my clay!

This used to be a four star "over the counter tobacco" in my opinion, but they moved production from Ireland to Poland and the strength and flavour are nothing like it used to be. It might be still a decent tobacco for someone who hasn't smoked the old Condor, but it's a shadow of its former self.

There is, however, some good news, Condor plug, while worse than the old plug still retains some of the magic of the old ready rubbed, and I still buy the plug frequently

RR - One/two stars

Plug - Three stars

I purchased this from a Scotsman at the Chicago pipe show. I found it to be soapy tasting on first light. This dissappered as the bowl got warm. While a tasty blend the flavor was too mild and the tobacco too mild for me. I will not repurchase.