Lane Limited Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of ERR. It is a cube cut which has a wonderful, natural burley aroma in the tin and when lit. The cube cut is nice for smoking outdoors as it burns slowly and stays in the pipe, but I find it more to my indoor smoking habits when rubbed out a bit. I did not detect any humectants; this stuff will dry out into a pebble-like state if left uncovered. It starts out smooth and mild with a generous volume of smoke. I found it got a bit harsh and ashy about 1/2 way down the bowl. I can see why this tobacco had a dedicated following for those wishing a very straightforward burley smoke at a low price. There are better burley tobaccos on the market nowadays than ERR, though (Haunted Bookshop, for instance). I will gift my tin to some dedicated ERR man who misses it, just send me an email.

Edgeworth was one of the first tobaccos I learned to love, more than 35 years ago. I suppose the ready-rubbed was around then, but the only cut available to me was the original slices--not the version on the market today. Back then, the slices were domestically-produced and in a celophane pouch with a baby-blue wrapper. And they were by far the best burley buy on the market.

Until yesterday, it had been some years since I smoked the Edgeworth RR offering from Lane Ltd. A rather interesting discovery got me to try another can.

This stuff is still a top-of-the-line burley, albeit one slightly changed from what I remember. It seems somehow diminished, though not enough to nullify its wonderful qualities. There simply is not (and never was) anything like it. The notes of other reviewers pretty well describe the taste and aroma. But no words can do justice to this tobacco's singular character. If one runs out of Edgeworth, Prince Albert is an acceptable "make-do"...and FAR less costly, too. Kentucky Club burley cube doesn't even come close.

Love it or leave it alone; Edgeworth RR is what it is... a substantial, earthy, straightforward, classic American tobacco.

I smoke burleys during the warm months and English/Balkan blends in fall and winter...as I have since 1971. If it works,don't fix it! If you can get a can of Edgeworth RR, grab it and enjoy!

On a lark ? I spotted and purchased a 14 ounce tin of Edgeworth Ready Rubbed. I thought that I had become a bit snobbish about blends and also realized that I was really starting to enjoy Burley, despite my terrible experience with ?Crooner?, and decided ? what the heck.

Now, the results of this lark: This stuff is terrific. It is way beyond what I expected and I have smoked a considerable amount of it now to feel comfortable to write this review. In fact, I haven?t smoked anything else for a considerable time, and I have never done that before. Indeed, I?ll circle back to my rotation favorites, which include Oriental and out right Latakia blends. However this blend has given me so much enjoyment and has completely uncomplicated my experience that I?m in no rush.

In appearance, many reviewers here have described it quite well. I have spotted some broken flake in the tin as well. Mostly though, it is small cubes and shards of deep dark brown and brown tobacco. The tin moisture was just right. The aroma from the tin is that tobacco and bittersweet chocolate. Nothing that is sweet to the nose. If one tells me it?s cased, I?ll acquiesce ? if someone were to tell me it isn?t ? I?m okay with that too, because it does not change my smoking experience in the least.

Char light is two minimum for me before tamping ? sometimes three. All Burley in the first few puffs. After that it settles right away into a moderate duo of nicely aged and soft Burley and some stoved VA that pokes its head now and then. This tobacco is mild to medium in strength so it wasn?t until I smoked it in pipes the second time around that I got the extremely subtle nuance of the blend. But my perception from the onset was already pleasing. It was my experience that the third smoke in the same pipe was devoid of the alkali or acid from my other blends embedded in the cake. It really became smooth, with some complexity but most of all, satisfying. And that?s why I smoke a pipe in the first place. Satisfaction.

Once this starts humming it doesn?t stop until the bottom of the bowl. It doesn?t get hot, wet or unnecessarily strong. It is very well behaved and very kind to one?s mouth; and, at the same time very enjoyable. I never dreamed that I could load up a nice pouch and just keep smoking the same tobacco, but I did and I am.

The ash is mottled to dark gray with some really dark bits, but it burns completely down to the bottom of the bowl, with the only regret being that it?s done. I?ve packed the pipe with the pipe in the tin or pouch with one finger like something from an old movie, and I?ve carefully packed it using the Franck method. I?ve smoked it in large bowls and small bowls and it has always been satisfying.

Despite this tobaccos current pedigree (or lack thereof) I?m giving this my highest recommendation. I don?t care if the recipe changed, I don?t care who makes it, and I don?t care if it?s sold in drugstores or fancy parlors. I love this stuff and I am smoking it bowl after bowl and enjoying it very very much. Even my pipes seem to love it. The cakes in the bowls are mysteriously smoothing out. It smokes cool, dry and the extra bonus is that the room note is pleasant. Again, I don?t mean aromatic pleasant ? just plain basic smell of nutty Burley.

It was my endeavor to find a milder smoke that would still hold my interest and not be hot air. I had already started to really enjoy some basic Burley blends. This was a complete surprise and I?m very pleased. In fact, I wrote this review while enjoying a bowl of Edgeworth Ready Rubbed in a Sasieni 4 Dot Rough Root.

Cheers, VC

Burley is my favorite so its no suprise I like this one too. Much better class of burley in here as it seems to avoid that bitter end that plagues the other drug store blends. At one time this may have been the ready-rubbed version of the slices but I don't believe it is anymore. This is now a Lane product and still easily available unlike the slices version which has been discontinued. At anyrate its good, packs and burns good, doesn't bite, and will be hit hit with any burley fan. That said if you can find em get the slices!

I find this to be a harsher and bitier blend than Edgeworth Slices, despite the alleged presence of a Rum casing. If you really like Burley, you may like this, but I think you would like Edgeworth Slices a lot better. I do. I won't be buying any more of this.

This is most definitely a burley tobacco; that is apparent from the first puff. I should also say here that I don't like most of the burleys I've tried, but I did attempt to give this a fair trial. I ordered a sample bag of this, so the appearance and smell may differ for you, if you buy a tin. In the bag, I can smell a rather ordinary, basic tobacco, with perhaps a hint of sweetness. Though the description says it is cased, I would not know that from just the smell. It is in a rather ragged cube cut, partially rubbed out but mostly in small chunks. It packs well, and appears to have average moisture content. On lighting, the smoke is a nutty, ordinary smell, very similar to other burleys I've smoked. It burns OK, needing a larger than average number of relights. For the first third of the bowl, I get hints of a sweet casing of some type, though I can't identify it. The strongest flavor, however, is the nutty, somewhat harsh burley. This is not a bad flavor, but there is some bite and the harshness is not appealing. Into the second third, the casing disappears, and the nuttiness becomes stronger and darker. Tongue bite is still a threat, lurking ever in the background. The final third is a repeat of the second, though the harshness does become more pronounced. If not for that and the bite, I might enjoy this, since the flavor itself is not bad. It isn't anything special either, however, and it's just not worth fighting the problems for what is a fairly ordinary smoke. Overall, not very impressive. If you enjoy burleys (and GL Pease's blends don't count!), then you may like this. I don't, and therefore will likely not be smoking this very often. NOTE: My first impression above was confirmed through trials in two other pipes; nix on this one.

Sometimes things happen for a reason, like strolling through an Antique Store not expecting much as far as pipe tobacco. But then again those antique stores unviel gems from time to time. Spotting a paint can of Edgeworth RR wouldn't interest most. Finding it empty didnt surprise, but would seem the common course. Picking the can up, I realized that this was a Long lost OTC. I decided immediately that $14 wasnt bad for nostalgia. Looking back down at the table, there lay an unopened Pouch of Edgworth Ready Rubbed.( I'm not disclosing the price, some of you would puke) to buy or not to buy? The tobacco could be trash, but the price? Why not? Boy did I score. I mean I scored. 45+ year old tobacco, unopened? I got home, broke the seal, the tobacco was in fine condition. The dryness was like a brand new tin of C&D Haunted Bookshop. The leaf was dark mahogany, some tan thrown in, with the faint aroma of burley and topping. I Couldn't believe it. I need To inform, I'm not a fan of OTC's, the tobacco always comes across as cheap and tasteless. Not this stuff. This is what you always expected an old Codger Burley to taste like. Charter Hall tries to be ERR, no even in the same ballpark. Not even the same game.

The topping, for the most part, was gone. But there is a faint aroma of cocoa, rum, and molasses there. The tobacco is beautiful, earthy and spicy at times with the topping way in the background adding a pinch of sweetness on top of the exquisite Virginia's. Fairly good amount of nicotine. This is what an OTC should taste like. Damn this stuff is good. It's not complex, but would be a great all day companion. That's why I turned around and ordered some Sutlif Ready Rubbed. It's pretty damn close. Age it for 45 years and I wouldnt be surprised if it didn't taste the same. The topping on the match is what I would imagine ERR to be fresh. In other words, an all day companion found. Sometimes things do happen for a reason.

Edgeworth sits nobly in the pantheon of American greats. At the round table located in Carter Hall, presided over by Prince Albert, seated next to Sir Walter, the faithful hunting hound Granger at his heels, Lord Edgeworth is there.

The initial aroma out of the can is deceiving. Something akin to old pub floor, cat's urine and cheap white wine sitting in a jug unrefrigerated for several weaks assails the nose. However, once the flame hits, optimism is restored and we realise that this is a masterpiece of the blender's craft. The smoke has to be sipped to catch the flavour. Some call it "nutty". I would call it more like the scent of cut wood. That may just be the effect of the briar I use for it.

A good N punch, quite a lot of smoke, no bitterness 2/3 of the way down, Edgeworth just smokes and smokes. As a basic burley this one will be difficult to match, because the flavour is very subtle. I don't taste any casing, though there must be some.

The Larus brothers and their successors must have worked at this one, because to achieve that kind of flavour is no easy task. They must have started with the tobacco itself, and I have read that Larus actually had its own dedicated growers as suppliers. Whatever the case, there is nothing quite like Edgeworth -- at least not that I have sampled yet.

This is a cube cut relatively unadorned (by todays standards) burley. It burns cool with no bite - not to worry about artificial moisteners with this blend, there are none, it is bone dry. After nearly 40 years of wandering about the pipe tobacco universe I have come to the realization that my favorites are the traditional over the counter (codger if your prefer) burlies. Accordingly, this is among my favorites, and its passing will be mourned. Others have commented on finding notes of chocolate or rum flavoring and these indeed can be found on occasion. It burns cool with no bite. The pipe world is a poorer place with its demise.