Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Velvet

The tub aroma of this crimp-cut burley is of licorice and that same sweet-sour topping common to Half & Half which is reminiscent of amaretto, though as another reviewer noted, it may very well be hickory.

The light and brown burleys are husky and full of character which the generous sweetening (old literature mentions maple sugar) and flavoring compliment well. Chewing a bit of the leaf reveals some licorice which does not translate obviously into the smoke.

Though an all-day blend, Velvet has the rugged and flavorsome character needed to stave off vapidity. This went well in a chamber of any gauge.

Velvet (revised)... This stuff is the all American hot dog with yellow mustard of tobaccos, there are times when nothing else will due. That's my Velvet. Smooth and almost too mild, but when that urge for a mild burley comes, its Velvet time. Other than maybe the application of a different topping, this one is not too different from what I remember from my youth. I always keep at least 1 tub around. I find it a first class blender, and use it for that purpose quit a bit... On the other hand, I can see why a newer pipster would find this stuff not very inspiring, as there is a much greater selection today, with the internet and all. But when you finally had your fill of spending money on tobaccos that make all sorts of demands for proper enjoyment. Remember there are still all day blends, that's only demand is that you have a pipe and some matches, one is called Velvet. 3 Stars. My personal rating 4/5

This is another one of my blends that i keep coming back to. Upon opening a new tin, you are indeed greeted with sun ripened burley that has this irresistable aroma that is much different than the regular burleys that come off with a sweetened essence. This one boasts a delicious cherrylike flavour that is fresh and sweet, mild and slightly fruity to the palette as you smoke down a bowl gently and carefully as to grasp its unique taste. Smoke this in a clean briar and you will experience its true worth. Simply delicious. I give this blend three stars only because it isn't considered as an all day smoke, though it is part of my rotation that i will always keep on hand.

This is a tobacco that is not always consistent. One time it will be very smooth with no bite and the next time it may feel like a t-rex is gnawing on the inside of your entire mouth. When you get a bad batch like that simply cellar it for a year or two and it will improve considerably. It amazes me how many people throw away tobacco that can be fixed with simple aging. Generally speaking Prince Albert is a better smoke but when you get a good pouch it can be worth it.

When you open the pouch you will find the old playdough smell is still there. Thankfully it doesn't taste that way. This is another one of the old tobaccos that can be rolled as a cigarette and at one time it came with it's own rolling papers. Don't expect a heavy tobacco out of this.

Like many of the really cheap tobaccos if you can find an older box get it. The older the better. Many times in small towns you can find these brands in grocery stores sitting on the shelves for years without being touched. Both the flavor and quality can improve with age.

I recently traveled to the bad river indian reservation and bought a 14oz can of Velvet pipe tobacco. The can looked very intruiging. It was recommended by many natives that this is a good tobacco to use in pipes and ceremonies.

Many of you probably never heard of this but this is a great tobacco to mix with Kinnick-kinnick: a smoking mixture used by native Americans when tobacco was scarce.

After I bought it I opened it up and it smelled of chacolate and vinilla. I smoked a bit of it in a couple of my briar pipes and I thought that it lived up to its name: it was so smooth I could barely detect its flavor. I was expecting a more of a punch like Sir Walter Railiegh. It smells good and has a light aroma. All in all, it is a nice and enjoyable smoke.

The downfall of this tobacco is that it does come with toungebite.

I would recommend this tobacco to anyone who likes a light smoke.

I must admit,this is a very different type of burley 'drugstore blend'.Velvet is a slight unusual burley that's slight topped with something that I can't put my finger on,if you smell the pouch it reminds me of cherry twizzlers which always struck me as odd.Now the taste is something interesting that actually has made this a enjoyable tobacco..it reminds me of the scent of bacon cooking on the frying pan in the morning and the tobacco is mid-range in quality.I wouldn't recommend Velvet as an all-day smoke but can be a nice change up for the burleyphile.

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.

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.

I generally enjoy very simple burley blends that cost next to nothing and this falls into that group. Like most blends of this sort Velvet is a decent smoke to enjoy while engaged in some activity since it is undemanding and low key. Sometimes these over the counter blends can be preferable to the odd flavored aromatics in the jars at the local tobacco shops. Cheap burleys like this great for reducing the overpowering and over the top flavoring in some aromatics by blending it in with them. So even if you hate this tobacco there is some use for it. There is definitely a odd hint of flavor in Velvet that is hard to identify. This smoke gets better after it is allowed to age after being opened, it gets rid of that hint of sour mash or whatever is in there. I think it could grow on a regular user who likes burleys.