Gallaher Limited Condor Ready Rubbed (Green)

Being still a newbie piper (all of two months) I have managed to try out all of the more commonly available OTC tobaccos out there, plus a few of the more obscure blends (courtesy of Johnnies Of Newquay) and find that of them all Condor 'green' is by far the best of the bunch. It is indeed a 'strong' smoke but after many years of rolling my own (Sampson, Drum etc.) I do not find this a problem. I tend to leave my 50g pouch spread out on a tray for an hour or so afore bunging it in a bail top jar, that is as I tend to find it a tad moist straight from the pouch. Once lit I rarely need to relight it and it burns down to a fine grey ash with no issues from start to finish. A very pleasant smoke indeed, particularly in an old L.Roux rustic poker or an old Swiss Bernina (with antler stem!). Certainly would recommend this baccy and as for a soapy flavour? Well I have never experienced that.

I just had my first bowl of this one for months after a day of my usual St Bruno and Full Virginia Flake, albeit St Bruno Ready Rubbed from Tesco, whilst waiting for a delivery of Long Cut and St B flake to arrive. I had forgotten how much of a welcome change it can be. On the way back from Haywards Heath where I picked it up in Sainsburys on a whim I couldn't help opening it to test that aroma again. Decidedly stronger than RR St B and more flavoured. Whilst I adore the (admittedly odd) aroma and taste of both available St Brunos, the (really peculiar but somehow delightful) taste of Condor had me gazing into the early winter sky and contemplating life as a good bowl should. It is almost like St Bruno flake with added nicotine, a dash of Balkan mix, something bitter and something sweet. You would definately hate it or immediately add it to your rotation. It's joining mine again along with it's (long cut) flake brother. I think I really like it. Tomorrow, when the post comes I can enjoy (hopefully) Bruno flake in a Condor ghosted pipe. Nice. PS I remember I used to pack them in layers so one merged into the other and back again. That works well. Oh yes, and it's NOT inferior to the flake at all, just very slightly different. Also it burns so evenly it's borderline impossible. In that one respect it even trumps St Bruno. RR Condor is the easiest tobacco to smoke well I've met.

Smoking history and class, all in one smack of Lakeland infused Vit N.

This doesn't hold back, right from the char light there is that flowery soapy smack of goodness, right between the eyes, but its not a one trick pony, behind it lies some very good and well cared for VA's which come through well and complement the flavoring.

Not meant to be messed with and tamped all that much, it packs and lights well, and then you sit back and it stays lit easily and smokes very well and smoothly.

Doesn't change all that much, the VA's tend to fade into the hinterland as the flowery/soapy goodness just keep coming on strong, but for what it is, its very good.

This tobacco blew my head off a couple of years ago! I couldn't believe the sheer, raw strength that came through as I smoked it in a Falcon pipe. It seemed to physically impress itself so forcibly that it was like being bullied into a corner with it. And I loved the aroma! Heavy, rich, deep, moist, fruity (that is, stewed fruit in dark sugar, heavily boiled until it is marmaladey and syrupy) but also strong liquorice and figs. Is that enough flavouring there?! Not quite. Something like old leather and wet earth too and a decided tarry, macadam flavour, oily, almost chemical. Inhaling this stuff is seriously ill-advised. It will coat your lungs with enough tar to make a road. What, however, I loved was the sheer intensity of the flavour. It is packed through with a depth that is extremely satisfying and lingering. Yes, in my naïveté, I smoked another tobacco later in the same pipe and, yes, I noticed the ghosting, but it burned off after a while and my pipe was still there, offering its services. I haven't had this blend in a while, switching to lighter stuff, but writing this from memory serves to make me wonder about getting another pack again soon and diving into its depths once more. Those heady moments of thick, swirling, fulsome clouds of Condor have somehow come to life again. If I do give it a go again, I'll let you know my latest thoughts as I enter the Condor club after several years' break. This is one tobacco that comes highly recommended if you want a straightforward, explosive and nicotine-laden blowout once in a while. But for that regular morning smoke, I'll keep to something less intrusively demanding.

Another good 'GO TO', over the counter tobacco. I always have a pouch of this around for those days when a big nicotine hit, Condor Moment, is needed.
Must be be smoked slowly because it will bite your tongue and if you inhale it will knock you back a bit, but I don't mind that.
I smoke it in my Dr Plumb Dinky because it does tend to ghost the pipe.

New to pipe smoking so tried this OTC brand, Not sue about it maby my taste buds arned mature enough to develop an instant liking, Understand what the others say about soapy and a strong flavoured taste, i like sweet. Smoked in a cob hoever thats the end of the cob. Burned well and no tounge bite. Ive mixed it with an other i didnt like maby hoping it will change into something else eventially floral soapy taste being diluted.

This tobacco is testament to itself.I can recall my childhood memories of pipe smokers and i always remember the smell of this excellent over the counter tobacco.As rich and full flavoured a tobacco as one could wish for.Full aroma of liquer/alcohal backed up by a musty,fruity smell.I enjoy just sipping and allowing the smoke to breeze past my nostrils to gather that full bodied rich aroma.A terrific blend with a nice glass of Irish whiskey after a nice steak meal.I never tire of this traditional english blend,and it occupies a permanent place in my rotation.

...While I prefer the Long Cut, this in short. is a great classic British tobacco!

I have smoked Condor for many years and it has always been in my top 10 tobaccos. Packs, lights, and behaves well in any pipe, and I smoke this throughout the day without issue. I also appreciate the floral/parfume scent, and there is nothing quite like it anywhere.

Agreed...you either love it or dislike it...no in between...I don't reserve any pipe for this and smoke it in all of my pipes. It is now difficult to buy unless you have someone who can send it to you...and I have it shipped to me every 2 months...Never tiring, hardly a day goes by without at least one bowl!

...a pipe is to be savored...

I bought this on a whim, merely as a joke, in reality I was hit with a strong soapy, floral and citrus flavour which in a way was quite pleasant, the nicotine hit was strong but tolerable, it is supposedly top dressed with a liquor flavouring similar to cloves or rum but it was fairly subtle at it's strongest, the room note is pleasant also, it's a very calming smoke, it is a blend of air cured virginia's and probably dark fire cured leaf too and I like it very much, even for an "Over The Counter" blend.

A couple of problems though, that "Soapy" flavour ghosts your pipe for a long time, so I'd suggest that you would have a pipe that is dedicated to this blend, secondly it can dry out too quickly and burn rather hot if smoked like this, resulting in some very unwanted toungue bite.

Overall, comparing this to St. Bruno, I prefer this blend when it comes to any OTC blends, I have 2 pipes that are dedicated to it, a Mini Cob and an MM Macarthur, I would say that you should smoke this blend in cobs or a clay, overall, a nice pleasant all round, everyday smoke.