Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Half & Half Regular

Personally I love Half and Half. It's been my go-to, everyday pipe tobacco for years. It's simple, cool, dry and clean, making it easy to smoke all day long. There are those who dislike this tobacco and I'm not really out to change anyone's opinion here. I think that too often pipe smokers become like craft beer enthusiasts, unwilling to try or enjoy tobacco's that aren't "trendy" or "hip" and they turn their noses up at OTC brands like H&H or Captain Black. While I enjoy a good tin of more expensive "craft" tobaccos as much as anyone else I look at tobacco like Half and Half as the "workhorse" of pipe tobaccos. It's the Genesee Cream Ale of pipe tobacco and while it isn't fancy and doesn't have the "mystique" of other tobaccos it's still a solid product and it gives you exactly what you are paying for.

OTC tobaccos for me are what I like to call a "baseline" tobacco. You can't truly enjoy good tobacco unless you have a point of reference. Half and Half is simple and sweet. It's a classic old school flavor that you probably remember your Grandfather smoking. It's not going to blow your socks off but at the same time for those of us who enjoy smoking a pipe all day long you would be hard pressed to find a more reasonably priced tobacco with the same quality and flavor as Half and Half.

Give it a shot and even if it isn't the most incredible tobacco you ever smoked you are only out a few bucks. I think I picked up my pouch for less than $4.00 so it's not exactly breaking the bank.

Not a bad smoke. Far superior to CH among the OTC's.

Lane recently took over this brand , thank goodness . Imo , the Pinkerton version had a Listerine flavoring added and I could not tolerate it . It was really just plain ole bad . Todays is such an improvement ! I jokingly say it has a flavoring of Rolling Rock beer , but I don't really know what the topnote Is , other than a bonus to the blend . This blend might be one of the easiest blends to light and keep lit on the market , as an OTC should be . I assume it's half Burley and half Virginia but I get more Virginia up front than any kind of solid burley flavor . I smoked a number of pouches of this blend this past summer . It is mild+ in nicotine . It's mild in body and will produce a full mouth of smoke . I rather like it and think it's a vast improvement to the last version . For the three bucks it cost ... it's very much worth a try

I enjoyed my first bowl of this tobacco in a corn cob. My initial reaction to this "old codger" favorite was OK. It was smooth with no bite and a pleasant note without being overly done. H&H will not be my go to blend by any means, but it was enjoyable enough and left a good overall impression. I would recommend it.

I have to say I enjoyed this blend much more than I expected. I guess some things are classic for a reason! Really straight-forward tobacco. Ribbon cut, pleasant pouch aroma: I smell grassy notes from the Virginia, cocoa notes from the Burley, and a sweet scent with notes of anise and cherry (reflecting the colours of the packaging?). These flavours comes through clearly in the smoke as well, along with some coriander and nutmeg notes. As expected quite a light smoke, but pleasantly sweet and consistent with the pouch aroma, and surprisingly consistent from char to heel. Surprisingly low on nicotine for a classic tobacco. Really quite sweet and pleasant room note. While far from an ecstatic smoke, I think H&H is one of those tobaccos that every pipe smoker should try at least once.

The current Half & Half by Lane(STG) is different than the one by Pinkerton...I won't get into a definitive comparison but I find the Lane version a bit "softer" and not as over the top in flavoring, and will still be an OTC I continue to keep in my Rotation. Frankly, I like the taste and aroma of Half & Half and find that half the bowls I smoke weekly are of the OTC genre...Mainly a plug and flake smoker for the last 35 years, I do enjoy a wide variety of strong, complex, and refined tobaccos, but the last 10 years I have moved back to the OTC side more often than not... Based on the reviews, I suspect folks either like or don't like it, but its a worthy contender in the OTC line-up and perhaps the Lane version might be more appealing today more than before...

I do miss reading the by-line..."a cargo of contentment in each bowl"...

No longer in a 14 oz. can...only 12 oz. can or pouch. 10/18/16...I have read a number of reviews and folks talk of a cherry top note...I do not taste or smell any cherry flavoring when I smoke this...

Good burley everyday smoke. Mild to medium taste, burns good, medium nicotene, and great price. I would recommend it to any pipe smoker that has a taste for good ole burley tobacco and occasionally inhales. I always keep a 12 oz. can on hand!

Picked this up with some other OTC blends I was trying out, to see if there were any staples of cheap easy to find tobacco to fill my tobacco collection. This is definitely one I will keep smoking.

In the pouch it has a strong, powerful aroma that I can't place, but love the scent of. It was easy to pack and light and stay lit for me easily.

The taste was strong, spicy, and nutty, and I loved it. It was a taste that I knew I would be able to use as an all day smoke. The room note is very pleasant and great smelling.

For me, this was a great find for a cheap OTC that I can easily get a hold of and enjoy.

Half and Half is a really nice American blend that has stood the test of time. Dont let the internet experts put you off of trying this iconic blend that many of our granddads called number 1. Many of them like to sound pretentious and would eat worms if you gave them a fancy french name. Smoke some properly and in a cob and you'll understand.