Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Five Brothers

The midnight train is whining low and do take heed of it’s coming because it’s about to run you over my friend, yikes! Boarding call: If you’re looking for a simple Burley based blend that will bring an uncomplicated but poignant smoking experience, then climb abroad. The travel advisory of note: Do not be misled by the humdrum conservative packaging nor the homey kith and kin branding, Five Brothers will stand you up right now, making sure you take notice of its shaggy machismo.

Coming at you with full head of steam is a one-dimensional recipe of 100% raw, scraggly, potent Kentucky Burley. Five Brothers’ blend is a forceful experience that will be most definitely remembered by the stout-hearted rail-riders or painfully forgotten by the walking wounded. Going back to the late 1800’s the five Finzer brothers of Louisville introduced this all-powerful iron horse to the world of pipe smoking, perhaps originating the well-known fact that down in Kentucky they don’t mess around when the subject is Burley. So, jumping yet another OTC ride, the observations of my initial raggedy hobo passage have finally rolled safely into the station.

Although originating in Louisville, like most blends under the sun this pouched product is now owned and manufactured by STG in Denmark using the original Finzer recipe. Whether the strain of burley present is the actual crop that Finzer formally used is debatable. If nothing else the tobacco tendered must be of Kentucky seed at least. Five Brothers’ unassailable character is remarkably consistent with the ornery temperament one encounters with the Bluegrass native crusty Old Joe Krantz.

Rolling away from the station, as I released the seal of the pouch, a dark wooly ZZ Top beard of tobacco lunged forth like an enraged Kentucky wildcat. A gust fragranced by deep spicy, earthy hardwood sharply rolled past my nostrils leaving a shadowing trail of chocolaty floral aroma. I think the correct reference in today’s cultural slang is this stuff is “diesel”; pungent and strong.

Grabbing an initial pinch from this defiant heap, I found that the cuts of tobacco are so densely packed and sliced into ultra-fine shag that the awakened clumps of brown moss engulfed my fingers in protest to the disturbance. One must skillfully pull these gnarly bales of Burley apart in preparation for the bowl, which is somewhat of a challenge given the springiness of these tenacious matted patches. Straight from the pouch the moisture is so dry the packing encompasses a methodical process of disentanglement, stuffing, re-stuffing, and finally topping loosely for the impending burn.

Moving down the line with the boiler stoked and wheels a-hummin, I withdrew my Bic to ignite this bad boy. Instantly a decisive hit of flavorful smoke came rolling forth, moving fast, and punching a full, strong, toasty, and rash wallop. A ruddy twist of ancient earthy wood bounced densely, being charged with an impactful thrust of robust spice to be precise. Whoa! There must be Dark Fired in the strain’s DNA as a primal smoky zest reeked havoc on the back of my throat and sinus cavity. The latter was soon followed by a monstrous and rocking smack of vitamin N madness.

On the initial legs of this journey my pipe was tightly clenched as I constantly wrestled with a rough and harsh texture of the sooty smoke. Eventually, with a few more miles and bowls into the trek, things seemed to ease up as this rocking train and myself re-centered successfully on the scorching rails. Namely, the rush of this experience gradually mellowed. A softer sweetened offering of delightful Burley flavor came forward, accented by native traces of dark sugar, cocoa, and tart-sour pungency. Moreover, a charming undertone of roasted nuttiness shined through splendidly.

With a much slower smoking tempo, I discovered that Five Brothers finds tranquility as the blend continued to become progressively docile. Prolonged and exaggerated sips pacified the stark raciness that was jostling my preliminary ride. In its replacement, the finishing tone morphed into a gentle floral note that was almost minty/evergreen, making the experience pleasant and interesting to say the least.

Respectfully acknowledging how to properly experience Five Brothers, I kicked back in my seat to thoroughly enjoy the remainder of this ride. A first-class ticket reminding me of the need to properly adjust the smoking approach based upon what the tobacco is delivering, which can be dynamic at times. This strong full-flavored mixture, however, is very monochromatic, down-to-earth, and consistent in nature.

Some final technical notes, Five Brothers burns unusually fast yet is cool and dry, promoting no bite. Nonetheless as I stated, too strong of a cadence will poke the bear of roughness given the heightened meaty spice and virility of the blend. Additionally, the room note is not to be missed. The immediate and soon thereafter, the entirety of the smoking area fills with a very strong essence of heavy smoky soured wood; it’s a true Burley. A heavenly perfume by my accounting but the wife did not share in my zeal for this brawny “stench”.

Summarizing this affair, the Five Brother locomotive can be a coarse and jolting smoke of a ride. As you see it took a Burley enthusiast like me a series of bowls to adapt to the optimum smoking method. I do not rate this mixture as a standard all-day option unless you possess special pipe smoking superpowers.

Furthermore, I would not recommend this mixture to the inexperienced piper based upon the aforenoted adventure. However, it does mix well with Smoker’s Pride Black Cavendish as an alternative pass. The matrix of flavor really softens the overt candied sweetness of the Cavendish while enhancing a smoother presentation of the Burley. There is also a nice licorice like accent that seems to emerge in their fusion, so there you go neophytes.

Recommendation: Give this one a try with the knowledge of my OTC trial observations, especially if you have a passion for tasty simple Burley. It really turned out to be a pleasing passage despite the initial thrashing I withstood when the train rolled over me as it chugged forward towards its ultimate destination, the land of notable OTC Burleys.

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