Gallaher Limited Condor Ready Rubbed (Green)

?Nothing should disturb that Condor moment?, read an ad in a magazine for this very classic brand in England, over a composed image of the Queen?s regiment parading in full regalia but with the soldiers all wearing slippers, instead of boots.

You?d think that ?Condor moment? is a peaceful, silent, and intimate one. The strength of the tobacco, however, tells me otherwise. This stuff?basically a cavendished Virginia in flake form, with a soapy undertone and a prune-like sweetness?is rather potent and, in its own particular way, almost raw. It?s definitely stronger than St. Bruno and almost as dense as something called The Digger (the latter, in my opinion, an absolutely unsmokable Virginia flake). It?s not the type of straight Virginia you?d expect, for example, from a house like Rattray?s. Compared to Condor, Rattray?s strongest Virginia, Hal O? The Wynd is a smooth aristocratic smoke, with an almost feminine finesse.

When I lived in Britain, I bought only two pouches: one, when I first arrived (after all, ?when in Rome??), and the other, five years later, when I was about to leave. Not exactly my finest memory of British tobacco blending industry. The first pouch I could never finish. The second one, well, I don?t really remember what happened to it.

In Condor there?s really no subtle interplay of flavours. What you smell is what you get: an intense, straightforward and consistent blast of highly scented full Virginias, which, if smoked on an empty stomach, induce dizziness and sweat. Condor, however, does smoke cool, burns slowly and even, and is long lasting. It comes slightly moist. It?s red-brown in colour, and the aroma and room note, in my humble opinion, are not something to die for (rather, they are something to die of, as I gather from the esteemed Pseudo Nim and his faithful dog).

I understand this is a very popular tobacco in Britain, because, like St. Bruno and Gold Block, it is readily available and it?s not particularly expensive. However, I also think this is especially popular amongst the older, established smokers, who really don?t care what kind of social statement?if any?their tobacco makes.

"Condor Original" actually comes in two versions. The ready rubbed variety which comes in a green pouch and "Long Cut" ie flake, which comes in a brown pouch. I am reviewing the ready rubbed.

Simple, cheap, basic plastic pouch similar to what you get with St Bruno and Three Nuns. No tin option available. No descriptive words on the pouch of what the tobacco is all about just a cryptic "Break seal gently...for that Condor moment" slogan - this refers to an ad campaign from the good old days. Aroma in the pouch very similar to St Bruno RR. Appearance and feel of the tobacco similar too, if a little stickier.

There the similarities end.

When you light up the floral nature and soapiness of this tobacco immediately hits you. Then a profusion of flavours. I detect some of the tobaccos used in Clan in this blend but much smoother, creamier and tastier here. A distinct licorice taste also. The soapiness anaesthetises your tongue by the end. I'd imagine this soapiness would recede the more you smoke this blend however.

Good nicotine kick to leave you feeling full but not unsteady. Smoke aroma seems very "retro" ie what pipe smoke *should* smell like. No bite at all when smoked in a 9mm filer pipe.

This is a good tobacco although whether I'll buy again depends on how the rest of the pouch fares.

UPDATE - after only two small bowls of this tobacco, it has completely tainted the pipe in which I smoked it. No matter what tobacco you put in it now, it tastes as if you're still smoking Condor! Thde floral soapiness is indelible even after reaming, sweetener and alcohol.

Therefore be very wary about smoking this tobacco for the first time in any sort of decent pipe. I feel I have to downgrade to 2* for the sheer brutal uncompromising nature of this weed.

A heavy aroma greats the breaker of the seal on the packet of ready-rubbed I bought at my local convenience store. (it was 6:30pm and my tobacconist understandably had shut!)

The tobacco was in little brittle strips, and was very dry compared to my usual diet of light Virginia/Cavendish or aromatic blends. It was very easy to pack, but in order to keep this dry bushfire under control VERY slow smoking was necessary - so every once in a while I'd leave it too long and need to relight. Maybe it's just me smoking it wrong but it seemed very high maintenance to me.

High nicotine tobacco puts me right off, and here is no exception. There is a slight VA nuttiness breaking through the smoke, and this is in itself very tasty - hence the Mild/Med taste value. It is however intermittent - tailing off as the nicotine builds up toward the last quarter or so of the bowl.

A tolerable room note and very soft ash residue are the hallmarks of a well processed and refined mass production tobacco - But not of a great one!

Better mass-market VA can be found IMHO, see B&H Mellow Virginia.

When I was a teenager I pinched one of my dad's pipes and a hefty pinch of St Bruno and went fishing. An hour or two later a very concerned ghillie was helping a very green and nauseous kid to come to his senses! It tasted nothing like the wonderful aroma coming from dad's shed but rather like I'd taken a huge draught of carbolic soap straight into an empty stomach! Now in my 59th year I decided to revisit it and see if things had changed and by golly they have by a country mile! It's no longer a massive soap bomb, but a very well behaved and somewhat stout tobacco with a mad, savoury flavour that I found myself gulping down to try to get a bead on it. Not something I would smoke every day but if you need a decent dose of vitamin N and a very satisfying smoke then this is probably the best OTC blend available here in the UK. I wouldn't recommend to a novice and I would take the first bowl in a small pipe to see how it affects your body. Needed a few lights to get started and the vinegar note from a fresh pouch is a bit disconcerting, it also needs a few lights halfway down the bowl. This is a rich, happy tobacco that can take care of itself without being a haymaker. Very nice when paired with a porter ale or a cold Guinness. Has a meaty almost bbq flavour that develops as you progress down the bowl. Who knows, ill probably take it fishing next time I go! Oh, and it will ghost your pipe, your cardigan and slippers!