Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Half & Half

To be honest sometimes this stuff is just awful. It can smoke hot, bite, and taste terrible. On the flip-side it can be a wonderful simple Virginia/Burley with a nice top note. One out of every five bowls is a great smoke.

When it shines, the burley is very nutty with some chocolate. The Virginia is grassy with some hay. The topping is vaguely reminiscent of deer-tongue. It's herbal, tart, and sweet. It reminds me of ginger-ale. The retrohale shows some spice. I've grown to really enjoy this OTC Tobacco but it is tough to find the sweet spot of humidity. Too wet and it bites too dry and it tastes foul. Oh well one out of five bowls is good enough for me.

Never had any earlier versions of this stuff, so this review is of the current Lane production. I've recently gotten back into the ole drug store tobacco circuit, trying to rediscover the blends that launched me on the pipe journey. Half & half was one I missed along the way, being preoccupied with the Carter Hall, PA and SWR. It's not a bad smoke. Actually, and especially considering cost, this is a pretty decent blend. I don't find any virginia, but I do get a healthy dose of nutty, bready burley in there. The topping is reminiscent of a much tamer Velvet, which always reminded me of peppery cinnamon (specifically of the Big Red chewing gum variety). The topping in Velvet is a bit overdone, but much more balanced and relaxing in H&H. Keep in mind that burley is a love it or leave it kind of tobacco...some people like me can't live without it, others shudder at the thought it should ever touch their pipes. If you enjoy burley, this might be an affordable all day sort of blend for you, but if not you'll likely be another 1-star rating hater. It does burn well and never bites me. I'm giving it 2 stars, just because I'm more likely to go for Carter Hall or SWR burley when out with a pouch.

Half and half has been around a while. Both as a pipe mix and a roll you own blend. Toasty nutty Burley and Bright Leaf Va. While Half And Half has taken some bad ratings, it is what it is, a simple solid no nonsense tobacco. Will it bite you, yes if you huff it too hard. Will it deliver the nicotine, yes an ample amount. Will it taste the same from top to bottom, I believe it does! While I don't smoke this everyday I do smoke it every week and I enjoy it. While this blend is not a top drawer blend it ain't exactly floor sweepings either. Solid 2 1/2 stars. I give it 3 because on the initial light it reminds me of my Grand Daddy and the Lucky Strikes he smoked.

I'm confused. I've been smoking pipes for over 45 years and Half & Half has always been a good old standby. Now I'm reading about differences between the blend produced by Scandinavian Tobacco and the blend from Pinkerton. The Half & Half I've gotten, lately, that seemed odd, not quite as good, but still smokable is from Scandinavian. Which, I think, bought the brand from Pinkerton? So, it would be the newer? Seems to have a bit of bite that it used to never have. Conversely, I've got Half & Half from Pinkerton, bought from a local b&m and it seems to be much closer to what I recall from days of yore. Half & Half has always been a favorite to take along on fishing trips. For some reason, I always catch more fish when smoking Half & Half.

I just came back to this brand today. About 10 years ago in DC I bought enough to fill a large quart jar. It had been infused with honey. It was a shop special and seemed to sell. I just opened up the jar today and it has to be the sweetest thing I have smoked. I put it in a Dr. Grabow bulldog and fired it up. It smoked very fast but it was a small bowl. Wow. I am not a big fan of half and half but this tasted great. If I had known I would have bought more. Now if anyone knows how this shop did this please tell me!!! I might just burn up my pipe on this but the taste is Awesome.

The Lane LTD. rendition is really superb. Mild, good flavor. Nothing to fear here, if semi-aromatic burley blends are your thing. It's not the horror that it's made out to be.

This is just not a good pipe tobacco, and I tried again and again to give it the benefit of the doubt because it's an old school blend that everybody's grandpa used to smoke and blah blah blah. Has an anise, woody, sharp scent while smoking that isn't exactly unpleasant, but I tired of it quickly. I sometimes got burnt sugar/caramel notes, too, which WAS kind of unpleasant. All it's pipe-tobacco-ness goes away after about half a bowl and it becomes basically a cigarette tobacco. Made it through most of my pouch, but every bowl was less enjoyable than the last until I was like "Why the hell am I smoking this?"

As a cigarette tobacco, this may be quite good and I could possibly see it as being a transition tobacco from cigarette smoking to pipe smoking, but I'm giving it one firm star.

Been smoking pipe since e 1980's and still quite passionate about it.Smoked H&H back then. Found out from another blends(mostly so called English). Last Saturday got a tin of H&H from my uncle who's been smoking pipe around 60 years. This old fella smokes mostly Carter Hall,Prince Albert,Holland House,Erinmore flake and H&H. We have had discussions 100 times about H&H and finally adjusted my mind to this blend witch's made again by it's original recipe after Scandinavik started to make it .The tin aroma is sweet and little bit odd...is it from burley or what.I dunno.Took my old faithful Chacom Billiard with medium size bowl.The smoke was quite nice...the burley blends nice with sweet virginia...there's some kind of peculiar sweetness which I haven't met for awhile...No bite,burns nice and smokes cool all the way down to the end.Next day I smoked H&H with my old MM diplomat and now I understand my old Uncle...the smoke was quite rich,cool and pleasant. H&H is not my favourite blend or blends but let's say taste from old times...I'm gonna finish my tin and perhaps some day I'll buy a another.Too many people ignore this blend and I can imagine why-young lads with perhaps just a few years of smoking in their belt can have this absurd thought that pipe smoking is rocket science or feast for people with cultivated taste and etc...Give H&H a change...I should know after almost 30 years of smoking different blends from OTC's to posh blends.

I have no idea what the topping/casing is on this stuff (variously descibed as anise or fruit) but it disagrees with me in no uncertain terms. I have tried letting the tobacco "breathe", sometimes overnight, with no relief. I cannot get past two or three draws before the taste gags me and I have to dump it out.

I have attributed this to the topping/casing, but I guess it could be some other additive. Because of this reaction I cannot really gauge the strength of the blend. Some pipesters like this (obvious by those four star ratings) but I cannot recommend it.