Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Velvet

Update: I bought a package while visiting a distant city. I think it's been at least 15 years since I last smoked this tobacco. It has surely changed.

I smoked several bowls before deciding to update my review. The current stuff bit like a bulldog, and a plastic taste overpowered the burley. I was very disappointed as I remember Velvet to be an excellent tobacco. I knew a very rich older gentleman who swore by the L&M offering. I'll stick with Half & Half and the Prince.

Original review: I haven't seen Velvet anywhere in my area for a long time. I used to smoke it as a change of pace from my usual standby, Half & Half.

Velvet seemed less harsh than some of the other burleys, although it had less flavor. A good tobacco, all in all. I will eventually purchase a can on line to reminisce about the days when drugstore tobacco counters had dozens of brands to choose from, along with excellent selections of pipes.

I'm not a big Burley fan, but this stuff ain't as bad as some other OTC's I've tried. Overall it's pretty mild all the way around. Flavor, heat, room note, all in all a mild smoke. Nothing to rave about, but it'll do for a budget priced tobacco. I didn't taste the licorice flavor mentioned by some others, though I was more aware of a cigarette-like tobacco type flavor. Definitely better than anything Borkum Riff makes. I like this better than Prince Albert. For price and availability, you could do worse.

As a burley fan, I was very pleased with Velvet. It was smooth and smoked cool, with no bite (with proper technique, of course).

Some call this a "drugstore" blend, which makes no sense to me. What drugstores sell tobacco products? None I have come across and I'm in my late 30s.

Anyway, it is very affordable and readily available down at the grocery store at the bottom of the hill. Much cheaper than the fru fru tobaccos available online these days (many of which I like).

Velvet has a unique taste that I haven't really found in any other burley based blends. I feel it is due to fermentation rather than topping, but what do I know. The taste is a hair spicey and a hair licorice-y. It's pretty yummy.

The wife doesn't have to go out on the porch when I smoke a bowl of this. She said it smells kind of good.

I recommend it to anyone who enjoys burleys and who doesn't associate low-price with low quality.

Ten to fifteen years ago, when this was easily available throughout East Tennessee, Velvet was one of my favorite blends. It was far more flavorful than Prince Albert or Carter Hall, and it was difficult to make it bite or burn too hot. About a month ago, I headed up to Johnson City and found a store that carried it. As I hadn't even seen a package of it in years, I gleefully bought a half-dozen pouches (prompting odd looks from my wife). Unfortunately, this tobacco seems to have gone through a sad transformation. In place of the smooth, creamy, natural smoke I once enjoyed, I encountered the taste of chemicals and (for some odd reason) burning plastic. The problem wasn't as pronounced in other pouches, but was still there. This might be a quality control issue, but it was unpleasant enough to turn me off to this tobacco.

I have reviewed several drug store blends , I guess because I have smoked a lot to them at times. I think we all have when we are in a jam and can?t get our hands on whatever we please. I smoked a lot of this last summer because they carried it at a couple of gas stations I passed on my way to work and I have to say that it is not to shabby a tobac. It?s burley with no flavoring very similar to Prince Albert. It?s there when you need it and I will buy it again I?m sure. If you see this on the shelf buy it and enjoy, you won?t be sorry.

***Revisiting this simple burley blend I have to think that the quality or manufacturing is just too inconsistant for me to mess with. My last foray resulted in some pretty bad tongue irritation and the flavor was not worth it. I don't think this is cured properly anymore and I've switched to Consolidated Gold Burley for this type of tobacco***



At the risk of stating the obvious, this is much better in the can than the pouch, especially after the can is open for a few days. I mainly use Velvet as a blending burley and find it's better for this than PA, which is stronger and nuttier. Velvet is as advertised; mid bowl a relatively rich, complex burley flavor does develop, with hickory overtones. Otherwise it is pretty straightforward, smooth and bordering on bland but never quite boring.

The burnt plastic aftertaste I notice in Granger and to a lesser degree in Velvet is even more in the background in the canned version.

Another unflavored, rustic American classic worth a visit now and then.

Velvet appears to be cased with some sweet, licorice type flavoring. I could smell it in the pouch. Not bad, but quite different than most of the standard burley crowd. I found it pleasant to smoke for about half a bowl then I got a sour taste that I can only describe as hot jagermeister mixed with prince albert. Not my cup of tea.

While scanning the tobacco shelf of my usual beer depot, I spotted, of all things, a box of Velvet. After the clerk handed it to me I noticed it was somewhat dusty and the date on the box was 1998, Pinkerton Tobacco Co. Upon opening it I noted a pretty strong smell and it was, of course, still fresh. What I have does not sound like what has been described here. This is more of an aromatic. It has a fairly strong smell and taste, sort of a licorice, anise, horehound that I can't exactly pin down. It's kind of like a souped-up Half & Half in that it has more of an added flavoring, similar to Half & Half, but stronger. It's pretty good, actually, which is sad because it sounds like the current stuff will be quite different. Oh, well. They didn't have but the one package, and I noticed the next time I went in there that the spot on the shelf had been taken by somethng else. I don't think this is an all day, every day smoke for me, but it's pretty good in cob, now and then. It has a stronger taste than something such as Dark Strong Kentucky. Pinkerton still lists Velvet on their site, so I'm a bit confused about who currently makes this tobacco. I'm not in love, but it's a bit disconcerting when you develop a taste for a blend and then it either gets changed or disappears.

This is a fine choice when you need to buy pipe tobacco from a convenience/grocery store. Indeed it is a godsend if you aren't a Half & Half, or Captain Black kind of guy. An undemanding, cheap, OTC burley, very much along the lines of Prince Albert, Carter Hall, and Kentucky Club Mild.

A fresh pouch smells like Bourbon and Burley. If the smell puts you off at first, just air it a few days. You could do much worse...