Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Sir Walter Raleigh

My father-in-law is 101 years old, lives by himself and is on local bank and hospital boards. He has smoked Sir Walter Raleigh since 1933. He smokes a 14 oz. tin every two weeks, and attributes his long life and independence to the brand.

I was stuck in the bayous of southern Louisiana last year for 5 months. The availability of pipe tobacco was meager to say the least. I did run into a canister of SWR and although I smoke mainly Va/Pers and straight Virginias, I went with it. I'm glad that I did. Tasty, no bite, soothing and satisfying. I smoked this exclusively for many weeks and never tired of it. I'm home now with access to any blend that I may want but when others aren't doing it for me, Sir Walter Raleigh never lets me down. I often run into problems with consistency with other blends but not with SWR. It's not just a great old codger OTC blend but just a great tobacco PERIOD!

Sir Walter Raleigh.

The blend is presented as a medium brown, fairly fine, cube cut, mixture. Something that nonplusses me a touch is the aroma from the pouch: this makes me think the smoke's going to be quite formidable with the added flavour, but when the pipe's burning I can only get a very slight extra taste of aniseed, with an equally slight sweetness. The Burley tastes like it's of a very high quality: it doesn't have that cheap cigarette flavour, but a more eminent one. I enjoy the character of the flavour from Sir Walt', and the pleasure's increased by zero tongue-bite.

To round things up, I'd summarise the flavour as being fairly uncomplicated, the nicotine's mild, and the room-note's pleasant!

I was unsure whether to award this three or four stars, but I only wanted a bowl of this the morning after reviewing it! That answers my question:

Highly recommended.

This tobacco is the elephant in the room. Everyone looks over it because it's a drugstore blend but most who deride it have never actually tried it. I know, because I was one of them.

Sir Walter was the ONLY tobacco smoked by a dear friend for over 25 years. I always liked the room note but never tried a bowl from his ever present tin in his office. I spent those 25 years smoking 1 tin after another in the quest for the next great tobacco. He just continued to savor his pipe day after day after year and always seemed content.

SWR Smells like a rich chocolate liqueur from the pouch or tin. It seems a little too dry, but it packs and smokes really well. Further, if it is a bit dry verses other drug store blends, then you just get more tobacco and less water per pound so that's another plus.

The taste is very smooth. The chocolate is present with a sort of raisen back flavor. Smokes nicely down with rarely a relight and so far, never a bite. I quit whenever it goes out after I'm past 1/2 bowl. Usually about 1/8th bowl left unsmoked dottle. It just keeps smoking nicely with a rich cloud of smoke and a very pleasant aroma. I wish I had tried this many years ago. I have wasted a lot of time and effort on higher cost, lesser flavor tobaccos. I certainly endores SWR Regular.

When I first started smoking a pipe in my late teens, I smoked a lot of awful whiskey- and cherry-flavored abominations but somehow skipped all the classic "codger" blends (Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Granger, Half and Half, Five Brothers, Sir Walter Raleigh). I decided 2022 was the year to rectify that omission, and so I started with Carter Hall. I was relatively disappointed with Carter Hall (see my review on this site) and was afraid all of the codger blends on my list would similarly disappoint. I was wrong. Sir Walter Raleigh is simply an amazing pipe tobacco.

First, the name itself is a tribute to a Renaissance man and adventurer who, if he didn't introduce tobacco to England, at the very least popularized it. I discovered by browsing the Wikipedia entry on Sir Walter that after his execution a tobacco pouch was found in his jail cell that was engraved with the Latin words: "Comes meus fuit in illo miserrimo tempore" ("It was my companion at that most miserable time"). Who among us hasn't thought that of their pipe and tobacco??? So, yes, smoking a tobacco with Sir Walter Raleigh's name adds to the experience.

Next, the packaging is just exquisite. The font, the engraving of Sir Walter smoking a pipe, the colors. It solidly feels like it came out of the 1920's and your grandfather's (or perhaps great-grandfather's) piping days, but also has a timeless quality that could just as easily fit in the Victorian Age or today. I just love it.

The tin note is of wonderful classic burley tobacco with hints of cocoa and coffee. It will bring you back to the memories of the first time you walked into a tobacco shop. And the cut just "feels right" and packs wonderfully.

Now, onto the smoke itself: it is simply divine. It lights instantly and welcomes you with a rich burley flavor with strong chocolate notes. It is the classic pipe tobacco taste that you may have never realized you've been searching for, and you just want to keep smoking it. It produces a luxuriant, thick smoke that you can feel in your mouth and nostrils. It burns extraordinarily cool and leaves just a bit of moisture in the bowl. It has a light nic-hit (which I like; I'm a lightweight when it comes to Vitamin N) and leaves pleasant room note. It can easily be returned to throughout the day. And, added bonus, the aftertaste it leaves in your mouth is rich, chocolatey and pleasant.

I was really blown away by this tobacco, and spent a full week comparing it to Carter Hall and some other pipe tobaccos to see if maybe I was being too generous with my initial impressions because I had set the bar so low. But in the end I have come to the conclusion that this is a top-notch pipe tobacco. If I was told Sir Walter Raleigh was the only pipe tobacco I could smoke for the rest of my days, I would not be disheartened.

This is a great tobacco at any price. The fact that it is so inexpensive is just one extra plus.

Sir Walter, this is the El Dorado you were searching for all along.

Hello guys so todays review is an american classic sir walter raleigh

Opening the pouch the cut reminded me of another classic otc available in england..condor and the aromas make me think it is laced with alcohol particularly mulled wine Fed into my cob it packs very well And smoking it tastes not to dissimilar to carter hall a good nutty chocolately burley that i could smoke all day long It is a beautiful smoke and just a good honest bowl of tobacco which leads me to wonder why it isnt imported to england but ce la vie

Highly recommended for anyone looking for something straight foreward and simple I can see why it has such a loyal following

"Comes meus fuit illo miserrimo tempo"... Or in my native English "It was my companion at that most miserable time." This is what my tobacco was to me.

'Twas many years after my escapades in the Americas, what I hath considered to be the prime of mine own life, that I was sitting in my prison tower, awaiting execution. It wasn't the first time I had been in prison. My first imprisonment came shortly after I broke off my relations with Queen Elizabeth for one of her hand maidens. This enraged the Queen, my backing out of our love affair. I wanted someone new, young and fresh. In the end, I spent the fair Queen for all she was worth in the Bedroom; the woman was experienced, I shall commend her to that. Quite naughty was our affair; many times she wouldsts pleasure me in most the inopportune of places, such as at the royal Banquets. Often during those banquets she would commence to pleasure me beneath the dinner table by giving to me a handeth jobbeth amidst the meal and conversation. The Queen's methods were quite clever in nature, often she would take a pat of butter or grease from a turkey leg in place of lubricant in order to "do her Majesty's work". I would maintain my composure through out, not a one at the dinner parties wouldst be aware of what was occurring beneath the tablecloth, for even at my moment of climax, my face was as solemn as a sailor. She took thrill in the possibility of being caught. Many times I wouldst receive a reacheth aroundeth, or she wouldst ride me as if I were a noble steed. But however pleasurable she may have been, nothing could make up for that foul face which she bore. And her hand maiden was privy to all the same tricks as the Queen, and more refined and well developed tricks of a younger generation. I shouldst mention also that the youth of the bonny lass contributed to the dexterity of her hands and fingers. She was also able to rolleth her tongue. Consequently the Queen, in a Jealous rage, threw us into prison. We stayed there until the Queen needed me to embark on expeditions to the Americas. This only gave me more free time to explore the maiden's "Golden City."

That 'twas the first time. On this second occasion I am accused of espionage, which may or may not be truth. As I sat there I sought back in mine own mind to the prime days. Days when I explored for the city of Gold, and found only jungle and women whom wouldst pleasure me to the extent of which I felt as if I had turned to gold! I think back to the disaster days of Roanoke, that glorious debacle. I lighteth my pipe of tobacco one last time, to enjoy my old friend before death is dealt my way.

I take my last puff of smoke as the guards come take me away to have my head severed. No matter, I hath shared a bed with more women that one couldst count; my life 'tis complete. I am guided to the city square where many hath gathered to watch the Great Sir Walter Raleigh be executed. I look into the executioners eyes as I kneel down before the chopping block. I request to see the blade that will take my life. 'Twas a good blade, indeed. To the executioner I say "Let us dispatch, At this hour my ague comes upon me. I would not have my enemies think I quaked from fear" I lay my head on the block, ready for the death dealing blow of the ax, as I cry out "STRIKE MAN, STRIKE, as I did to thine mother last night!" In blind rage, executioner swings his axe. Darkness.

I really like this tobacco. When I picked it up I expected this to be another chapter in the book of Uncle Sam's, good old american pie hard workin' blue collar tobacco blends. Blends like Carter Hall, Velvet, and Prince Albert are all blends in this category. In the end they are good no nonsense blends but nothing to really get excited about.

Surprisingly Sir Walter Raleigh got me excited. There is a topping here, I think it is licorice/Anise. Whatever it is it is very subtle on the smoke. Its almost like the pipe you are using has been used to smoke licorice blends for years. Its just in the background, and has just enough presence to keep me interested. I find myself chasing that taste, and every once in a while it will really come through and scratch that proverbial itch, then it is gone again.

This is a usual burley blend. It has a nice nutty taste and it pairs beautifully with coffee.

The cut of this tobacco perplexes me. It reminds me of mulch, or that gunpowder green tea, or those rocks you put in the bottom of a fish tank. There are some small tobacco "pellets" that are hard to break up and kinda make this blend an annoying one to pack. I think this may affect the burn too as sometimes this stuff needs the gentle reminder of a lit match.

If you really want this blend to shine devote a pipe to it, even just a cob. The flavors develop when the tobacco has its own natural habitat.

Good stuff, highly recommended.

I think we have been misjudging what the Ole Sir Walter has to offer us pipers. As seems to be the case with most drugstore blends over the years. To really enjoy this blend's full potential, spread some on a baking sheet and let air out until.crisp or dry to the touch. Next, rub about a bowlful between your fingers letting it turn into a powdery mix (not as fine as sawdust though). Proceed to fill the bowl using the gravity method gradually and stop about three quarters of the way. Tamper down then give a false light. Tamper again gently then relight. Brother, the experience is like night and day. At first the taste is salty, slightly sour, followed by.a nutty and milk chocolatey note. Midway down a hint of sweetness and floral lurking underneath. Being a fan of Velvet this took me by surprise. For the aroma, think of brownies baking. This can be one's go to, morning delight or after dinner treat. Trust me you won't be disappointed.