Gallaher Limited Condor Ready Rubbed (Green)

The extreme subjectivity of reactions to tastes and smells is nowhere more apparent than in the case of scented flakes. My system rather likes 1792 Flake and St Bruno Flake but does not react well to Bosun Cut Plug, Coniston Cut Plug or Irish Flake.

I found Condor Long Cut to be somewhat milder in scenting than any of the above named blends. The room note is commensurate with the pouch aroma. The nicotine content is substantial - anyone seeking to give up smoking cigarettes could try Condor. The burning characteristics are good and the ash fine and near white. But for all that, the base tobaccos are not quite as good as in 1792 Flake or Irish Flake. Those who like scented tobaccos or would like to enter that universe owe it to themselves to try Condor Long Cut.

Recommended because it's something one has to try sooner or later, a great classic. I suggest to dry the flakes a bit, because they're very moist into the pouch, then you can crumble them or smoke it the traditional way, no great difference in taste. The flavour is something you'll remember for a long time (and your pipe will do as well, so I suggest not to smoke it into your favourite high grade freehand, at least for the first time). Despite its format and strong flavouring, it smokes remarkably cool.

Notes: My review is based on an older tin, perhaps 20-30 years old, as well as old and new pouched versions, so please take this into consideration when reading. These days, it is only available from the UK, and then only in the pouch form. Due to the residual scent remaining in the pipe, it may be best to dedicate a pipe to this mixture.

Appearance: A deep brown to nearly black oily, supple long-cut sliced tobacco, cut from a dense cake. It has virtually no tendency to flake apart and is easily folded to fit in the pipe, as is my preference. It gives the appearance of being strong, and I immediately got a picture in my head of some old salts sitting around laughing as a young novitiate pipe smoker earns his stripes through dry heaves after being induced to smoke a bowl of this.

Aroma: A very soapy, oily slightly bitter aroma. I detect English tea, Bergamot, Patchouli, and myrrh. The blends of the Lakeland district were known for this distinctively British ?floral? aromatic style, which often utilized Tonquin seed pods (from their colony of British Guyana) and the rind of limes as casing agents. This blend is fairly representative of this style. It has a slightly astringent quality when it hits the nostrils, which is reminiscent of the slightly alkaline odor of Ivory soap ? pleasant and pungent if you like that sort of thing. The density and uniformity of the aroma make it seem slightly daunting.

Taste: It lit easily with a single match and I was immediately presented with a classic soapy British Lakeland flavor. The blend was bitter on the lips quite soon, a sign of its high nicotine content. It is certainly not sweet, as many aged Virginia blends have a tendency to be, but it does not display a prominent Latakia flavor either. Instead, it is simply slightly bitter and perfumed, with a strong smoky Oriental-type flavor dominating. The flavors are very strong indeed: tarry, jammy, concentrated! Condor has an honest, pure tobacco flavor, contemplative and smoky, with a wonderfully integrated floral bouquet.

It struck me as exceptionally smooth and easy to smoke, and while not a simple blend, then a harmonious amalgam of its various components well wedded into an intense whole. In all I found this to be a very relaxing smoke. I personally prefer very strong, high-nicotine blends (e.g. Royal yacht et al), so this must be considered. Despite this, toward the end of the second bowl, my nose was running a bit and I felt a bit queasy for a moment when I got up. Now, I attribute this to the fact that my first two bowls of the day had been Condor (at around 8 a.m.), and perhaps it might be easier later in the day and not on an empty stomach.

After several bowlfuls, the flavors are consistent, with the tobacco burning down to a fine ash. It does give a bit of pipe gurgle, and the pipe cleaners always come out jet black with tarry resins, so I don?t recommend inhaling this one!

Comparisons: Nothing compares to Condor; the taste is distinctive, although it is clearly a Lakeland scented flake. It falls in line with Gawith's scented flakes, such as Nos. 1-7 and 1792, but the flavor is different, perhaps closest to Black Aromatic. Having compared this with the modern pouch version, I can say this much: when one smokes the modern version of this old favorite, one is reminded of the older version as a gentle memory softened with age. The new blend looks much the same but the tobacco is very lightly flavored and the nicotine strength is markedly diminished. The new pouch version is a faint and indistinct echo of the older Condor, like the barely discernable shadow of a great monument fading into the dusk at twilight.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a very strong, high-nicotine blend with a pronounced soapy flavor, you may like this one.

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.

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.

I did not really get the soapy taste that others have described. It reminded me a little of Rattry's Hal O the Wynd. It has a nice flavor that is not overly aromatic. It aso has a nice nic hit.

Thought I'd try a Lakeland and selected Condor due to the rave reviews. The pouch scent is like diesel and perfume with the diesel the dominant scent.

After a few puffs I quickly dumped the bowl to save my briar from ghosting. Absolutely vile stuff. The worst tobacco I ever tasted.

I wouldn't call it a strong or manly cigarish tobacco, like say craven or other non-Lakeland English blends. The underlying tobacco is actually quite mild but the heavy girly perfumey casing made me feel sick to my stomach. How anyone could smoke this is beyond me. Unless you like smoking the underarms of old ladies blouses.

When the wife smoked it, it smelled even worse than it tasted. For the love of god please don't inflict this on anyone - smoker or non-smoker.

To be fair I am a 'super-taster' so that may be why I don't like it. I will air the pouch out and get a dedicated pipe for it and revisit this blend due to it being an 'acquired taste' but I'm not getting my hopes up.

If you are a first time pipe smoker avoid this like the plague.

UPDATE 17/05/13 - Let it dry out a bit. The perfume taste is now only there for the light. After that it is very rich and full which I like but it tastes of blood and bone. I can understand why others like it now but still not for me. Didnt ghost.

UPDATE 20/05/2013 - After leaving the pouch open for a few more days, the blood and bone taste is gone and this is starting to taste like a nice deep, rich leathery grandpa English blend of yore. I keep reaching for the pouch to sniff it. The diesel is gone, the floweriness is slowly being replaced with raisiney fruitiness. It is growing on me after every pipe. I am now very interested in trying St Bruno and Grousemoor. Consider me a tentative Lakeland convert. If you dont like condor at first dont throw away the pouch, let it sit for a while. Upgrading from 1 star to 2.5 stars.

UPDATE 5th June 2013 - I enjoy a pipe of this before bed nearly every night now - upgraded to 3 stars.

Condor, Condor Condor!

This leaf seems to have taken on mythical qualities on various forums and it seems this tobacco is a leveller of many. However, undeterred I decided to try my luck with it.

The 25g pouch was bought from a local Co-op supermarket near to my works and it was I believe nearly £6 which isnt bad, isnt good.

Upon opening, you are hit with a strong soapy scent with hints of brandy and liquor but with a little lavender in there as well. It is a tad spicy and very very pungent. The black rubbed flakes are slightly moist and are very dark brown.

Packing was easy enough and on first light it is an odd tobacco. It stayed lit even after the charring light and stayed lit til the end without any bite whatsoever. The taste however jarred me. Was it soapy? Was it spicy? Was the smoke at all like pipe tobacco? My missus said it smelt herbally like an old chemists and very flowery like incense and rather like lavender.

To me the taste is similar to the smell with hints of roasted coffee and the smoke is smooth if you sip but will kick if you puff (burner of throats!) as for the Nicotine. I am sensitive to Nicotine but I hardly felt this that is to say it was no worse than Players Medium Navy cut or St Bruno, the latter being similar to this but I prefer Condor. The after taste is very soapy, as if you have had your mouth washed out but to my pallete this is preferred over the crappy taste of burley infested aromatics that make my mouth feel like a pub ashtray.

Not for everyone and a ghoster of pipes I did enjoy this smoke even though it is a bit rough around the edges. I guess it doesnt suit everyone but it was a nice change.