Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Five Brothers

This is my second pouch of the FB burkey. First time I tried it didn't really like. But after reading some of the reviews decided to try again. This time I packed it tightly in my pipe and smoked slowly! Was a enjoyable smoke. The nutty taste of the burley came through and wasn't as harsh as the first time I tried it. No relight required and burned down to a white ash. I also add this to some other tobaccos for a little extra kick. I really enjoy this with my morning coffee! Keep in ny rotation now!

This is burley in the nude. As such, it does what burley should do. It smokes cool when packed well and tastes rather neutral,with some mild cigar notes and earthy overtones. Since the cut is so fine and the condition of the tobacco is dry, 5Bro will burn fast, so careful packing and gentle puffing are in order. This makes a nice, satisfying, quick smoke for when you don't have the time or concentration to spend on contemplation of a bowl of something more complex and you are not in the mood for something flavored, like PA or Carter. This is also good for cooling down hot mixtures. I blended 5Bro with some overly-mature Dunhill 965 that was harshly hot and the sting went right out of the mixture. When I have a bit of tobacco left at the end of a tin that isn't quite enough for a bowl, 5Bro is the perfect blending partner. I'd pay a lot more for this, but I'm glad I don't have too (at least until the SCHIP bill passes). I recently found a link to a book entitled "The City of Louisville and a Glimpse of Kentucky" by Young Ewing Allison, published in 1887. This brand, mentioned by name, was already a big seller for Finzer Brothers way back then. Five Brothers truly is a blast from the past.

This stuff is great. If you don't want to try a pouch tobacco, try Old Joe Krantz by C&D. I find it to be very similar taste-wise, but more complex and rich. However, I love me some Five Brothers!

The strength does not bother me. It's just nice. The flavor is smooth. Probably the most flavorful and complex non-aromatic OTC blend I've come across. Hopefully it's not goin' anywhere...

20230328 edit: I have to bump this up to 4 stars. My driving jar finally ran out, and I found I really missed it, ended up ordering a box of pouches. It's not especially nuanced, it probably won't win awards, but it really ticks all the boxes for me.

20230311 edit: smoking this exclusively during a few hours drive including lunch, it's not that bad. Plain unflavored burley taste, nutty, maybe a little bit of molasses. Maybe it's like drinking cheap liquor, after the first couple shots the perception improves; definitely better without anything to compare it to. Made for a very relaxing drive, it definitely has its place. Something you can smoke and not think about, while getting a significant nicotine hit. Prince Albert or even Haunted Bookshop would have been more pleasant, but without anywhere the nicotine content. In the end, I was sad to see that final bowl reduced to ash.

Tin note: Very mild, almost smells like my memory of my grandmother's unfiltered Pall-Malls. The smoke is mild in taste, nutty, but easily stings the tongue and back of the throat. The second hand smoke is very acrid. I believe I'd only smoke this again if I were looking for a quick nicotine hit; there's nothing here that I would call especially pleasant, aside from the nostalgia of the tin note.

Almost think I detected a note of cat urine somewhere in the void where taste would usually be. Seriously, this is not great. I hear it has use in de-ghosting pipes; I don't think I could smoke enough of it to perform that function, wouldn't do that to myself. Trying to find any reason not to give this a 1 star rating, but nothing is coming to mind. Maybe I'll give it 2 for the nicotine content alone; halfway through my tiny bowl and I'm already feeling a little loopy. Keep some rolling papers on you, and when asked for a cigarette, you could roll one which would satisfy the strongest nicotine craving.