Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Half & Half Regular

I tried this blend in the 1970s and hated it. I wasn't ready for burleys and certainly not this one. Very recently, I decided to give it a try when I learned Lane took over production from Pinkerton, and a number of people said this was better now. I had to wait until I finished a pouch before deciding what to think of this blend. I didn't like the first few bowls. I was put off by the strong chemical taste and smell. I had thought about not finishing the pouch, but I soldiered on. I'm glad I did. The taste grew on me a bit. The chemical taste became less noticeable after I dried it out, and started smoking it slowly in a cob and one dedicated briar. The alcohol/liquor, anise, and other toppings (one of which has a cherry-like essence) and spices fairly overpowers the Virginia (which is lightly grassy), and halfway does the same to the burly, though I do get a nutty, earthy, molasses taste from it. There is a slight cigarette note, too. The nic-hit is mild. The strength is just past the center of mild to medium, while the taste is a step past that. It burns cool at a reasonable pace, and gives you a decent amount of smoke, and a very consistent flavor. Didn't bite or get harsh, but left some moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Can be an all day smoke. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

I tried this in 2010. It tastes and smells ten time better when smoked than it looks and smell in the pouch. Best thing in a corn cob. Overall nutty flavor, I don't like the anise flavoring because it is too similar to cinnamon which I despise. It is true that it looks like a one tobacco blend that smells like medicine, but its a pretty decent smoke.

As far as OTC blends go, not too shabby. I'd actually recommend it to somebody just starting, and only had access to a drug store, or cruddy tobacco shop. It's not a bad place to get to know your burley. The virginia didn't come out to me very much and almost non-existent.

A lot of OTC blends are over cased but this is pretty tasteful. I have my complaints, and I wouldn't buy it again, because of the chemical burning and some bad after taste. It does smoke cool, however. A decent mild aromatic.

As far as price goes, you can get a million times better aromatic burley over at mcclelland or almost any where else. For any beginners, I would start there.

As OTC burley blends go half and half is one of the better ones. Granted, thats not saying much. It burns well, smokes cool and has a nice nutty flavor to it. However the nice nutty flavor that it starts with quickly disappears and is replaced by a chemical flavor. The aroma is also chemical laden. Over cased, low quality. Yet somehow better than most OTC burleys. To any new pipe smokers considering this blend I'd say its a good starting place. Readily available and inexpensive. However I'd recommend new pipe smokers to go to pipesandcigars.com or smokingpipes.com and order some tobacco samplers. A much better place to start.

this tobacco is nor good or bad. For what it cost it give you what you want. Is pleasant, doesn't bite and havens good flavour. But the casting doesn't remain constant and after 2 weeks it become a so and so tobacco

I haven’t had this fresh in years. My jar is from 2013. Revisiting it now, it’s not as bad as I remembered it to be. Could be that the age has done it some good, or maybe my pallet has changed over the years. It burns fantastic. It’s very affordable, and easy to find in the states. The burleys have a hint of cherry added to them, but mostly tastes like warm aromatic burley air. I don’t pick-up on the Virginia’s at all. This one also slightly bites me, so those two things alone bump it way down. Its not for me, but It’s worth a shot. Many people really like this blend.

Smoking a bowl while writing this review. This blend is its own animal. Strong, somewhat dry, sour maltiness (think orange rind and bittersweet cherries) and a spiciness that stays pronounced throughout the smoke. The anise note is there, but acts more like a garnish. Midway down the bowl the blend became a tad sweeter. Some might mistaken the mix of sour maltiness and peppery aftertaste for bite. Which is more noticeable on the roof of the mouth rather than a sharpness on one's tongue. Smoking out of a cob it got hotter at the bottom, but slowing down between draws kept things cool and in check. I can't say I like H&H or hate it. This is a no frills blend that will be offputting at first to those who prefer aromatics. It does get some getting use to. The room note won't have you running for the hills either. The virginias aren't terribly sweet but the nuttiness of the burley makes up for that. I recommend airing out on parchment paper overnight then jarring. Which is what I will do once done with this review. Hopefully H&H will get sweeter and mellower with age. Just remember to take a leisurely pace with this one. To avoid the dreaded nip, tamper and sip. Not my favorite blend, but something to smoke once in a while.

Interesting tobacco. The pouch note smelled like light tobacco with a slightly fruity smell with a bit of something I can put my finger on. Maybe the licorice/anisette?

Wasn't too moist. Loaded into the pipe well, lit perfectly and stayed lit with no issues. A bit of tongue bite during first light, but after that it didn't bite at all. Slightly sweet flavor that increases around mid-bowl. There is a hint of licorice, not just in flavor but in mouth feel, that I assume is from the anisette. It's interesting and not too overpowering. Not much tobacco flavor, just light sweetness from whatever topping was added. I didn't detect cherry, but it did remind me of fruitcake with a hint of burley smoke and some licorice. It's not a bad tobacco, but it's not one that I would make sure I have in stock.

I have only been seriously piping for about two years after some early attempts 10 to 15 years ago when I tried at one point the terrible Captain Black and foolishly shag cut Bugler. Since then I started with some bulks and then happily moved onto tins. However, I am also going through a couple of the OTC pouch blends. After all these are the tobaccos that the men we admired smoked of yore and are the signature pipe tobacco aroma.

The cut is kind of a coarse broken ribbon, of mostly a medium brown with some brighter leaf. It's undoubtedly moist, but the stew of humectants, accelerants, preservatives, and flavorings is undoubtedly a miracle of industrial chemistry. One match is plenty to get this going so there is no charring light, it is instant ignition. It smokes steady, with a medium volume of smoke at a moderate pace. It is very tolerant of abuse, and no matter the ferocity of puffing I can't induce tongue bite or steam and little gurgle. Those factors are alarming- natural combustion cycles don't produce those results. Practically speaking, it means it smokes well outdoors, without much attention, and can be smoked when active. I like it when I'm up on my tractor. If it is pushed hard you'll generate the synthetic burning of the various treatments, but that at a pretty low level.

The taste is okay. It seems that it is treated with anise/licorice that seems to blend to cherry liqueur that is quite boozy. It is somewhat sweet and nutty, but the sweetness has a sour, musty, and even slightly pungent quality that reminds me of black walnuts, not just the nut meat but the green walnut hulls. There is also a distinct clay-like taste. The aroma is somewhat pleasant.

Overall, it's okay. The natural tobacco flavors are muted, burley is no doubt present but I would never pick up the Va half of it. The flavoring is interesting, but the entire experience of the smoke is artificial from the toppings to the burn. It will do in a pinch and I would buy it again, maybe as a change of pace once a year. I need something to smoke up on the tractor.