Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Granger

I came across this stuff again after a lot of years and since I have been slumming with old drug store blends again I decided to give it a try once more. Well it ain't bad. It burns cool and dry. It has a component of dark Kentucky like burly in it and has a dark, nutty taste that doesn't change and is not very sweet at all. I wish it also came as a flake. I'll bet if you added a little Red VA. and some Latikia and some Turkish leaf and pressed the hell out of the mixture for a day or so it would be excellent. It seems like a great mixer. I kind of like the stuff but don't think it will become a regular.

I've had my eye on this one for some time. It's the ones like Granger that aren't available locally that make me want to try them all the more. I ordered a 14 oz tin plus two pouches, in order to give it a fair shot without having to open my tin. I had a feeling ahead of time that I might like this one, after reading many of the other reviews. The packaging is very appealing in an old-timey way, and the tobacco when the pouch is opened is a nice chunky rough-cut, uniformly brown, with a beautiful smell of raisins, molasses, and maybe a touch of licorice. It lit easily and stayed lit, smoked beautifully in smaller bowls, but did have tendency to get a bit gurgly toward the bottom of the bowl-- nothing a pipe-cleaner couldn't handle. The flavor stayed consistent for me all the way to the bottom, but did get fairly strong overall-- stronger than any of the "over-the-counter" blends I've tried so far (haven't tried the infamous 5 Bros. yet). Overall, it reminds me a little of Half and Half from the same company, only all burley and without H&H's topping. I love it so far, and am glad I got in a good supply. You never know when (Heaven forbid) these great old blends might get discontinued on us. May it never happen.

Being a very big fan of Burley blends and Drugstore types, I was anxious to give this oldie a try. I ordered a pouch from my favorite online tobacconist, and on opening the pouch I was greeted with a wonderful sweet scent that only good burley can give. Granger in the pouch is at just the right moisture level that I prefer, without all the excess Propylene Glycol that other blends tend to have. Granger was very easy to pack and stays lit very well, the flavor is one I would describe as burley with a slight anise taste. I am planning on keeping a tub of this old codger blend around for a change of pace smoke. Recommended!

I have only been smoking Burley blends for a short time .Here in Australia they are non existant OTC at B&M Tobacconists. So its a matter of ordering them on the Internet from the US.Granger was the first one i tried. Its a lovely all day smoke that never gets hot and the taste is there all the way to the bottom of the bowl.CA and PH would have to be pretty good to equal or better this blend. I am looking forward to trying both of them in the near future.Granger gets ***** from me .I just wish it was available here in Australia.

I recieved a 14 oz. tub of Granger from Iwan Reis a few weeks ago. I have probably enjoyed about 3 oz. so far. I was prompted to try this tobacco as a result of reading the reviews noted on this web site. The aroma from the tin I found to be of dried prunes and raisins. My two daughters also noted the smell of raisins. I use my international bent briar that is dedicated only to burley blends of tobacco when smoking this. The tobacco in the tin is somewhat damp but does not hinder the ignition througout the smoke. The room note is sweet like warmed marshmallows which stays with you throughout; a pleasant aroma. The strength of this tobacco I find medium compared to other burley blends. Some mild bite is there but is managable and does not bother or hinder me from my enjoyment. When this tobacco is smoked slowly, there is no bite. The taste of this tobacco goes back to the raisins. After finishing this smoke it tastes like ate a box of sunmaids. Lately I have been experimenting with old vintage type burleys, Cartar Hall, Half and Half and Sir Walter Raleigh. I must say that Granger is my favorite of these blends. This tobacco can most likely be smoked all day without tiring of it. The beverage of choice paired with this tobacco is sweet tea. If anyone knows what the "Wellmans process" is regarding this tobacco please notify me. I am a fan of this tobacco and do recommend to all burley lovers. I found the price of this tobacco also reasonable. 25$ for tin. Thanks for reading.

Best of the codger burleys and gives a solid smoking experience for it's type.

Wish it was easier to find in my area but that is the value of Internet buying.

Plus it has a birddog on the can...that alone gets a R nod from me.

Read Redd's review - right on! I did have a little trouble with a plastic taste the first 1/4 of the tin, but non now. A really good burley that I like all day.

Update: 15 May 2009

The old dog doesn't bite. After 3 months in a jar, either it has lost its teeth or is too tired to bite. Tastes fantastic and even better than it did when fresh. Tastes the same to the end of the bowl.

I am not sure what to say about Granger. It has a good strong aroma in the can, and quite a burley taste once it gets going.

I have to rate it as really very good, in terms of the flavour and burning quality. I didn't taste any plastic, and once it was dried out I couldn't smell or taste any other foreign substances. Overall, a smoke I would definitely keep around.

The only problem is that it bites. Not the bite that you get from some blends -- the steady nibble of ferrets that have been sharpening their teeth on pumice stone for years -- the Granger bite is more like the snap of the hound dog's jaws once in a while. I haven't yet figured out how to avoid the bite, and keep smoking it hoping that the next pipeful will not bite as much.

I use it in my home made hybrid blends, usually mixing it with some Carter Hall and a Latakia blend. I often have Balkans and English blends lying around in open tins and get tired of them as is. Being a burley fan, I find that the Granger spices up the Carter Hall but doesn't damage the overall taste.

That said, Granger is not bad on its own, if only someone woudl feed the dog or tranquilise him. I think I'll fire some up and see if the dog is asleep this time.

I am a contractor in the home improvement feild, my jobs carry me into many once remote areas. I still find old mom and pop country stores, in my journeys today I found one that had a couple boxed pouches of this simple but surprising blend. I had read the reviews just this past week while looking over past blends I had tried, back in the 80's I had tried this blend and must admit I found it lacking, Back then it seemed it was a biter as well as being lacking in flavor, But at that time I was smoking mainly black cavendish blends that were heavy cased. Today was quite different I will continue my experiments with the old classics.., to sum it up just plain simple pleasure. never mind trying to analyze whats in it.