Lane Limited Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed

Everything started off good, the pouch aroma was great(although i couldnt detect jamaican rum)The cut i found intesting and thought it packed rather well. Now heres where things went wrong!It burned rather hot and left me with a sore tounge and mouth. I couldnt taste the topping as described, and didnt enjoy it at all.

I was lucky enough to secure a couple of boxes of this from the 70's for not too obscene an amount from ebay. I just recently finished the first one. I am estimating its age as it was not listed; however, a card inside the box was bragging on how it won some award in 1971. I can't imagine this would remain too relevant for too many years after this so I am going with early 70's.

As it came in a box that looked pretty beat up I was concerned about what I would encounter inside. What I found was the tobacco sealed in a foil bag that apparently held the tobacco together pretty well over its 40 years. It was dry, but not too dry. I gave it two nights in a Tupperware with the damp paper towel method for rehydrating and it worked fine.

Anyway, on to the tobacco itself. It was a pretty tasty tobacco, but nothing I would seek out, like say, VaPer three nuns. My only experience with anything like ERR would be the match made by sutliff. I found the topping to be better on the match, but found the ERR to have more of a burley backbone to it. The difference in topping could be due to the age of the ERR that I had. The topping is a slight anise taste. Slightly sweet like molasses. And there is definitely a rum presence.

Overall, I was not a big fan as I prefer my topped blends to have more body ala Cornell & Diehl or Gawith Hoggarth. As this was out of production before I started smoking a pipe I don't know how this was marketed, but I believe that this was an OTC blend back in the day. I would say that SWRA and Carter Hall can give one a similar flavor profile that actually may supercede what ERR delivers.

Remaining objective and realizing that 40 plus years may have effected what I was smoking I give this one 2 stars as I found it alright, but would suggest several other blends before dropping a lot of money on this one. In fact,y favorite bowl was my last bowl where I mixed it with enough Mac Baren ODF to make a full bowl. lol There are just too many great tobaccos being made to waste time on this one. IMHO only.

EDIT 11/7/2018

I decided that, based on my previous experience, the second box of this I had was primed to smoke. I also decided to try something different with this one in that I did not attempt to rehydrate the leaf and I found it much tastier with a more defined topping taste. I found the topping to be heavier on the anise flavor than I previously thought.

It was much better this time around than it was the first time. A friend of mine has a tub that he has promised a sample from once he has opened it, so it will be interesting to see how much better it is from a tub than a box. I will report back, but in the meantime, if you happen on a box of this around the same vintage I would not recommend trying to rehydrate. I believe this attempt drew out most of the flavor of what topping remained after nearly 50 years in the box.

A little harsh and tastes sort of sweetish in a medicinal manner. Burns well and a good smoke volume. A little bitey, but I was smoking to quickly at one point. Sort of a sweet dirt like flavor and a fiber cereal burning aroma. Not totally bad, but definitely different, odd.

I'm smoking a really old sample pack. It was sealed, and is a tolerable smoke when sipped. These old burlies have kind of a winey taste. Halfway through the bowl, the bite went away (I was getting roasted at first, perhaps because the tobacco is super dry) and I got some nice flavors for an (old) OTC. I don't know what it was like fresh, but I can at least tolerate this, and neat to try a classic.

The two stars are for the overly-aged pack (not tin) I smoked, and this tobacco may well have been better. (or worse, how do I know?)

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.

This blend is so-so and I dont think I'll buy anymore of it after this stash is gone. I used it to blend with some VA and am waiting for it to marry some to see how it goes. Good pack, good light, good volume of smoke....very monogustatic which can be either good or bad depending on your preference. I don't mind a singular flavor but this burley is too bitter. Prince Albert is better on the cheap and Wessex/Solani is better if you spend more.

I bought a tin of this based on reviews here and on a few forums.I can't say I'm disappointed, nor am I overly pleased. The taste for me reminds me of a good burley, with a subtle addition that I haven't figured out yet. Perhaps I will add to this review at a later date, but for right now, I'll say, not bad/not great.

**UPDATE** Edgeworth and I have formed an unusual relationship as I'm nearing the bottom of the tub. The blend has dried and the flavor has changed slightly. I've had some really good smokes as is, and found it to be a nice addition to Virginia tobacco (50/50). I'm getting another tub, but Carter Hall is still #1 for me as far as OTC burley blends.

As a bit of trivia, LL Bean used to sell Edgeworth as their own special blend. Old LL never had a problem taking a common product and making it his own. The famous Maine Hunting Shoe, for example. This was not a new idea when LL hung a new moniker on it and made it his flagship product. This was back when LL Bean still pretended they were just a New England general store with a catalog, instead of the mainstay of preppiedom they were/have become. The blurbs were written as if old LL were sitting there in front of the woodstove advising his customers. Not being disparaging, mind you, just poking gentle fun. It was, as several have remarked, right up there with Half and Half, Prince Albert (in the can), Raleigh, Granger, Barking Dog ("It never bites") Amphora and Sail for the henpecked, and other drugstore blends back in the 50s and 60s. The classic American pipe smoke was burley. Period. Leafing through old Montgomery Ward and Sears Roebuck reproduction catalogs bears this out. My personal favorite was Granger.

***Update**** While this hasn't changed, I have. Since trying Safe Harbor by C&D (Essentially a resurection of the original blend of RR- plus better ingredients), I can't smoke this....Its good for what it is....Downgrading to 2 stars as there is a better alternative out there...



I have never had the pleasure of trying the original Edgeworth RR, just the lane product. I had put it off because my only available source was J&R, and its 6 2 oz pouches or a giant tub for $17. I finally went for the 6 pouches. Wish I had gone for the Tub. This stuff rocks. By and away the most flavorful of the so called OTC blends. I would swear there was perique in it as it has the best spicey in your nose exhalation. Its never boring. The samples I got were a little dry, so the begining was a little strong. Exhaling gently as I went not only stoked the little cubey chunks ( the cut made gravity fill easy on the loading)- but got the moisture level on target. Future bowls treated with humidor disk were perfect start to finish. All in all the best of the OTC Burley blends. It's on to the big tub for me!