Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-02-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

You'd better like nutty, earthy, dry, woody, unflavored bold burley with a few rough edges and hint of spice, or you won't like this even a little bit. The red Virginia adds a very light dark fruit sweetness, wood and earth, but it's hardly a major player in this blend. The perique is strong and plentiful and adds a strong nic hit along with a very obvious pepper and plum taste, so don't smoke it on an empty stomach. Not an all day smoke, but if you want a strong burley with kick, it'll satisfy. The strength is closer to strong than it is to medium. The taste is a step shy of being full. The nic-hit is near the center of medium to strong. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent flavor, but puff slowly or risk a cigarette-like, ashy taste. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Has a long lasting after taste. The room note is pungent, and won't make your relatives happy, but if you don't like them, this will increase your enjoyment. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

144 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-02-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I initially wanted to try this blend because of the name, and have since become a fan of both Cristopher Morley (the author of the book for which the blend is named), and Bob Runowski (the originator of the blend.) Normally, I prefer Virginias, and Latakia blends, but this Burley impressed me greatly.

Appearance: Predominantly medium reddish color, with a fair amount of lighter leaf, and a small percentage of darker tobacco. The cut is random, with some cube-cut apparent. A bit drier than most blends, but perfect for my taste in that area. I usually have to let most tobaccos dry out a bit before I can enjoy them.

Aroma: Mostly a clean, nutlike and slightly sweet aroma, with a trace of ?mustiness?. This is probably the perique?s characteristic aroma

Packing: Packs easily by just dropping it into the bowl a pinch at a time. No special care seemed to be necessary. Packs easily in different size pipes.

Lighting: Lights easily, sometimes one match does it. A little tamp in mid match, and it?s ready

Initial flavor: I taste the Burley mostly in this blend at the beginning, (which means more body than flavor), pleasant and natural. Stays lit well even at a slow burn rate.

Mid-bowl: Flavor develops nicely, with a cigar characteristic. NO, not a big Cuban or Dominican, more like a small dry cigar in the Dutch or German style.

Finish: Finishes pretty much like the middle, without a gurgle. Leaves a clean, gray ash.

Tried in the following pipes: I tried this first in an old pair of Rhodesians: a Parker Goldenbark, and a Savinelli Punto Oro. Next, I tried it a pair of Peterson Barrels, and a fresh corn cob. (I know, should have tried it in the cob first). Also smoked in a Sasieni billiard

Summary: This is Prince Albert with an attitude, and without the casing. If you like a natural Burley base with just a little condiment, this should be excellent.

Particularly liked: The cut, the burning qualities, the honest flavor. An excellent all-day smoke that will even work in the evening.

Particularly disliked: Nothing. I would like a little more red virginia (I always do), and a dash more perique.

89 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-02-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I see that the overwhelming majority of reviewers here enjoy Haunted Bookshop, and I can certainly understand why. With focus on enhancing "pedestrian" Burley leaf, I think C&D has found a niche. Pennington Gap and Old Joe Kranz were winners in my book and Haunted Bookshop works for me too.

Haunted Bookshop's robust Burley taste has been elevated by a smidgen of Perique and a delicate touch of Virginia. This one is more sweet than bitter and more heavy than light. Although not at the level I enjoy most, the nicotine content is recognized with no problem either. As is the case with most Burley blends, Haunted Bookshop is an extremely cool burning smoke with no bite to it.

I finished my tin in a week and will seek more in the future.

74 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2012-10-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Another favorite from C & D and Bob Runowski. This is a codger burley with an attitude. Not so powerful as Old Joe Krantz (which I also love), but but with enough juju to kick your butt if you're not careful. And that's being said by an ex-cigarette smoker. It's a great tobacco to just sit and enjoy without trying to figure anything out about it. Simply sit down, light your pipe, and relax. It is what it is... and I think it's superb.

44 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Prince Albert fans will probably love this. Burleyphiles probably will as well. The rest of us... um... perhaps, perhaps not.

The high quality leaf gives this an extra star from me, but frankly I find little going on here. Very cigarette-like in flavor, the burley overwhelms to the point where the virginia and perique are barely noticeable. The taste doesn't change its shape as the smoke progresses unless it's to become harsher. It's a lot like smoking hot air (which might be what reviewer Old Puffer meant when he said strong but dull, or words to that effect).

The blend is not cantankerous in the least, and smokes fairly easily down the bowl with no tongue bite. I guess as predominantly a virginia and VaPer smoker, I'm just used to a lot more complexity. There is something to be said about a tobacco that doesn't demand much of a smokers taste buds, however - something comforting, perhaps. It's just that when one averages only about 10 bowls per week, perhaps something with a little more personality is required. At least for me. With tobaccos, as with most things in life, your mileage may vary. I'm going to add a dash of blending perique to this and see if I can spice it up a bit.

UPDATE 1/21/10

As I become more enamored of burley and try different blends, this one needs to be elevated from 2 to 3 stars. This is a great take on the American OTC blends and is something I'll return to occasionally. The complexity I mentioned above... well, I'm not sure complexity is the point here. I think this is just a nice, tasty, interesting bowl of tobacco that one could smoke all day if one were so inclined - and I think that was true of most of the old OTC burleys. Good stuff!

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-03-15		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I get a kick out of reviews for burley blends that state the tobacco tastes like cigarettes. Cigarettes have burley as the main component. That's why burley tastes like cigarettes. Unless you sauce the hell out of burley, you're going to get cigarette "flavor" at some point. Even Aged Burley Flake, which is so highly revered by so many tastes like cigarettes.

It should be no surprise to anyone who knows anything about tobacco that Haunted Bookshop tastes at times like a cigarette. But it's a damn fine cigarette! If I could have bought cigarettes that tasted this good, I probably would still be smoking them.

The perique and virginia tobaccos lend themselves well to the overall balance in the fine blend. The perique goes from peppery to fruity and back again throughout the bowl. The virginia adds a nice but subtle sweetness that remains constant.

At times the burley tastes a little like chocolate, at others it's kind of nutty. It's subtle and if all you think about while smoking this is that it tastes like cigarettes, you'll miss it.

The first light is harsh. It takes a couple of minutes for it to settle down. It's not pleasant, but it is tolerable. Don't freak out.

It burns nice and clean. Easy to keep lit. It's a great burley.

Don't smoke it if you don't understand burley tobacco. This is a great blend and deserves to be reviewed by those who can appreciate burley for ALL of its flavors and nuances.

33 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael Kindt (18)	2014-09-05		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A very American blend with a very English name. Well, "haunted bookshop" sounds very English to me, anyway. Here in America, people don't really read. It'd be like "haunted Walmart" or something.

I struggled with this blend. When I first tried it years ago, I thought it was too strong, so thought "Well, I don't really like strong tobaccos." I mean strong, robust, LOUD, as in flavor.

This has turned out not to be true. I love many very robust pipe tobaccos. Byzantium, also by C & D, is one of my faves.

Then I thought it has too much vitamin N for me, which also has turned out not to be true. I enjoy many blends these days that have a bigger kick.

I thought maybe I didn't like burleys: not true. I thought maybe I didn't like burley and perique together: not true.

In other words, I was trying to blame my lack of enjoyment of this tobacco on myself, on my tastes, but what it boils down to is that I don't like Haunted Bookshop because it is poorly done. Musty, stout, heady, spicy, dark, full--and very unbalanced.

You would think this blend would work and be delightful, but it just doesn't. Of course, as with everything on Tobacco Reviews YMMV.

It's a blend that tries to be 'rustic' and thinks 'rustic' means lacking any and all subtlety or nuance, and being completely off balance.

The same thinking that creates these modern craft beers with stupid, ridiculous levels of hoppiness also created Haunted Bookshop.

Cool name, though.

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2018-02-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Haunted Bookshop has been on my top five tobacco list for years now. Hell, it may be on my top three. Christopher Morley may well have been the last author to write about and so evocatively depict a lost glory days of American pipe smoking, and Bob Runowski was among the last blenders to continue to evoke it into our own time. I'm glad that C&D has the good sense to continue to produce and distribute Mr Runowski's concoctions, because few if any other companies even remotely bother with this kind of mixture anymore.

Think of Haunted Bookshop as a boutique codger burley and you will get some idea of it. It's mostly burley, and it's a bitter, powerful, almost cigar like burley at that. Some people might be put off by how the strong, ashy, burley is almost reminiscent of cigarette tobacco. The rough and chunky little squares and ribbons of Haunted Bookshop, however, assure that this is a slow burner easily ladled into any size pipe.

The fact that the strong burley leaf is of the highest quality should satisfy enough people, but, as I must always remind myself, there are people who desire something more than burley in their pipes. To round out the sooty bitterness, there's some very nice red Virginia in here as well. The sweetness that the red Virginia furnishes is rather minuscule, I'll admit. The Virginia is there, but it's almost like taking a bite of biscotti along with your unsweetened Italian espresso.

The only reprieve from the earthy wood and hay like sweetness that will otherwise dominate the flavor profile comes from the perique. As is to be expected with perique, though, it more adds to a level of depth and complexity already to be found, so don't expect this blend to let up on you as you smoke it. In my experience, perique can transform a grassy, earthy blend into something more like an old fashioned spice cake with dried raisins and figs. A deep, oily sweetness that certainly doesn't make this any easier on someone unused to strong tobacco.

Does it smell good? No. Not unless you like the smell of tobacco not pretending to be anything else. Does it taste good? Yes, but only if you want strong, assertive, monochromatic burley blandness wright there in the foreground and never relenting. Will I smoke it again? Well, I've smoked Haunted Bookshop since I was a much younger man; it may well have been the first blend that showed me what burley can do in a pipe. I'm smoking the last of a 500 gr tin right now. All I need to decide now is if I'm going to order my next 500 gr now or a little while later.

Pipe Used: Cobs, briars, and meerschaums

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz, Prince Albert, Five Bros..

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was gifted by a good friend. Thanks D.

This is a really nice smoke. The Kentucky leads with it's earthy, spicy, very mildly nutty, and very lightly smoky flavors. There is also a very clear nutty note that can only be coming from a standard Burley. That note is most evident in the first half but can be detected throughout the bowl. The Perique adds just a slight amount of flavor and some spice. The Virginias add sweetness and little else. It's a smooth smoke that I find very pleasant. I can't find a single reason why I shouldn't give it 4 stars.

Medium in body. I detect no added flavoring. Taste is medium to full. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Marcus, Country Gentleman, Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: gifted

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-03-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop.

I'd wanted to try this ever since I first saw Matches860 (John Harden) on YouTube highly praising it; the way he smokes it with his lovely story telling skill highly implored me towards it. Sadly though, in the U.K. it's unavailable so I was enthralled when I got in touch with Gentleman Zombie and he very kindly did me a trade; thanks Franck, you've made an Englishman's day! I wanted to wait a few day's rather than imminently reviewing it, but I couldn't wait anymore so had to put some words to it today! Enough babbling, on with the review:

The course cut mixture is perfect in the department of moisture, it can be smoked straight from the tin. The aroma from the tin is nothing great or spectacular; what'd you expect from the tobacco's used though? I gravity feed my bowl and, then, like a kid in a sweetshop, light her up! What a smoke: I find it has a nicely rounded flavour, with the Kentucky and Burley leading. I can't get much flavour from the Virginia but I must admit that the Perique is a little stronger than I anticipated; I don't mean it's a 'Perique Prodigy', but it's a great strength to embellish the smoke without taking full control. The actual burn?...very, very, good; I can't add anymore to that subject! The nicotine's about medium; again, there's not much more to say. Room note? Very pleasant; once again, to finish succinctly, that's about all I'll say about that!

This is a very nice blend, Highly recommended; thanks Franck!

Four stars.

Update: having enjoyed this blend so much I decided to read its namesake; Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley. This is a must read for any book and pipe lover. It just compels the reader to settle down to a good book with a relaxing bowl!

Pipe Used: Stanwell Pipe Of The Year 2016

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Trade

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2016-02-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a tobacco that I got 4 oz. of and never reviewed. I ended up buying a pound, so that makes it a 3.5 in my book.

Edit 1/1/17 I have now smoked three pounds of this.

The pouch note is a musty, slightly agricultural note from the perique. It takes a match well and is an easy smoke.

This one is a cousin of OJK, and it has a very good flavor profile. It is a hearty earthy and slightly bitter burley experience. The Kentucky and the perique present as spicy, although the perique could be adding to the sweet. That sweet could be the Virginia too, but I am not getting any of the distinctive Virginia flavors. They just contribute a little to the burley. I don't detect any topping. There is a distinctive slight tingle to the tongue after a bowl that I attribute to the Kentucky.

OJK for me is more of a special occasion smoke - like after dinner. It is a mouthful of flavor and comes with a nicotine punch. I like the stuff, but I don't just fly through a pound of it. I could not smoke OJK all day as much as I might want to. Haunted Bookshop is more of an all day smoke for my palate, but I like burley and don't mind a little of the vitamin N.

It is a solid recommendation. If you like burley, it is really a 4.

Pipe Used: everything on the rack - cobs sing with this!

Age When Smoked: fresh from C&D

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	whitebriar (31)	2011-09-30		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

it is Burley--that's what the blender meant to showcase--the other tobaccos play a seasoning role-- the Perique is noticeable a bit into the bowl --not quite as much Perique as OJK--

it packs well, lights easily, and i rarely have to relight until down to the dregs in the bowl--

i can't decide if Haunted Book Shop or OJK is my favorite, so i have stocked up on both

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobacco (52)	2014-06-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note: bread dough on a bale of alfalfa hay. Great quality old time tobacco in the rough. I recommend preening this stuff before you pack your pipe. Charring light is best done slowly (it is chunky). Behaves nicely after the relight. Sweeter and milder than Old Joe Krantz (a daily smoke for me). I'm used to a lot of Perique, so there's just enough to keep me interested but some folks will be timid here. This would be a great blend for someone who wants to walk down the perique pathway; you'll be hooked and moving on to the hot sauce. This blend builds a surprisingly heavy cap of very fine ash, so break though instead of relighting and you'll get a cooler, sweeter smoke to the bottom of the bowl. I agree that Haunted is a bit milder than OJK; instead of bricks on the chest you get a hickup and a buzz. A very respectable medium strength/medium bowl blend. Leaves the pipe clean and dry. Another great American tobacco from C&D!

Pipe Used: MM PATRIOT COB

Age When Smoked: 7 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2017-03-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

You would expect a pipe tobacco named Haunted Bookshop to smell musty. You would expect a pipe tobacco named Haunted Bookshop to taste musty. Cornell & Diehl's Haunted Bookshop does in fact smell and taste musty. This pipe tobacco is a solid offering for burley-philes.

Open the can (or bag, it is also available in bulk) and you find a reddish mixture of tobacco which also displays some specks both lighter and darker. The cut is varied, partially small cubes and partially ribbons. Sniff it and you get a bready and musty smell, not at all different from what you would find in a used bookshop, haunted or otherwise.

Haunted Bookshop loads easily and offers no challenge in getting a good light. I find no difficulty in maintaining the light throughout the smoke, and only very occasionally need a relight. Unless you puff vigorously the burn rate is slow. The pipe produces heavy clouds of white smoke, and burns to a dry ash with almost no dottle. Few tobaccos offer less challenge for tongue bite than this one.

The basis for the blend is burley,supplemented by Kentucky (smoked burley), red Virginia, and perique. The burley/Kentucky dominate with a nutty, musty taste, offering a full but nevertheless mellow smoke. The perique is obvious, although not strong, but the Virginia lurks in the background.

The room note is pleasant enough, natural tobacco, but without the sweetness that wins compliments from non smokers. In fact, the aroma is not unlike a non filtered cigarette. The nicotine punch is medium to medium plus. Haunted Bookshop is sometimes labelled as Old Joe Krantz Lite in reference to its C&D sibling which consists of the same tobaccos. OJK has a similar, but fuller taste, and a considerably brawnier nicotine hit.

Haunted Bookshop does not ghost your pipes. As a consequence you do not have to be too careful as to which pipe you smoke it in. Nevertheless, I most often use a cob, as cobs and burleys mate well together.

Few smokers who really enjoy burleys will fail to find this a satisfactory offering. Those who primarily smoke latakia, aromatic, Virginia, or Virginia/perique blends, but who also use burleys as a change of pace will most likely find HB a perfectly good smoke, although most will not put it on their keep-in-stock list

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2014-10-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I had a healthy sample of this given to me by a fellow forum member. It is similar to OJK, but maybe a little lighter in body. Little by a small increment as it is still a pretty heavy burley, but it stops well short of overwhelming. It is pretty typical of a number of C & D blends and, although I enjoyed it more than OJK, it didn't really stand out as something I would rant and rave about.

As it is a vaburper, it wouldn't even jump up into the top 5 that I would recommend in the genre. It may seem like I didn't like it. Lets just say, I didn't dislike it. Overall I would say, I will likely not be buying more. I think my preference with blends that contain these elements leans to those heavier in the Virginia element (HOTW, Strang, LBF) rather than the burley, or even Perique dominated. This, like most C&D blends is burley dominant and the perique is pretty strong too, but not as much as in OJK. And definitely not as overwhelming as Burley Flake 3.

Similar Blends: OJK.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JSimpson (3)	2018-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop. It has taken me the longest time to review this tobacco, it is my personal all time favourite - for many reasons. Favorite of m860 and based on a book by Christopher Morley it holds a special place in my heart. How can I love a tobacco so much? When there are plenty more that taste more appealing? I am not a fan of perique tobacco, and it is quite detectable in this blend, although I love burley and the perique really brings out the nuttiness.

Burns extremely fast, and contains lots of chunks of unbroken flakes, but it is so easy to keep lit. I can feel when it needs a tamp, or the ash dumping, or a pipe cleaner in the stem, and for this reason it is my favourite for taking outside to smoke - pretty much hassle free, strong enough on windy days and nearly lights itself!

The first time I tasted it I remember saying to myself how "savoury" it tasted, and I had never tried a blend like it. I was expecting something sweeter. However as time has passed I feel it does have an almost sickly-sweet taste at times which is indescribable. Definitely unique and very pleasant.

Nicotine hits fast and hard from around middle of the bowl, but I often get an ultimate/nirvana smoke from HB, and I attribute that to the nicotine content, very relaxing and satisfying.

In my opinion, it is best smoked in a corn cob, I have a Great Dane pretty much dedicated to it. Charred rim, tanned in color, stem a little too loose after much abuse, but for me Haunted Bookshop and my favourite corn cob pipe are two of my very best friends.

Pipe Used: Mostly a cob

Age When Smoked: Less than 6 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-08-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I would have to say this might have been my first introduction to VaPer burley type blends.

The tin note is identical to a box of raisin bran. The nuttiness of the "flakes" comes from the rich brown burley, and the "raisins" from the sweet Va. The perique adds a distinct mustiness to the bookshop. Packing and lighting is as easy as it gets. Easy on the tongue, never wants to bite.

Volumes of tart, white smoke envelope you in your favorite smoking chair.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-04-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

In the bag, along with some rich, earthy scent, there is a definite whiff of something added. As the tobacco undergoes a little needed dry time, the scent dissipates. At first light, there’s a sharpness to Haunted Bookshop that I didn’t like. But it quickly settled down with a lot of nut, and earthy flavor from the Burley. I am with Pipestud on this one in that it is a bit pedestrian, but not poor. The red Virginia adds a touch of sweetness and there is more than enough Perique, but not overpowering. I am convinced that there is a manually, albeit very lightly added sweetness to HB. Since most Burley has some sort of casing in the processing, it may be just that. All of this comes together rather well as this is a flavorful smoke. There isn’t a lot of complexity and I don’t find it as strong as some have claimed, but I tend to smoke higher nicotine blends so your mileage may vary. I think that proper cadence is really important to get the most from this blend as a warmer bowl detracts from the flavor a bit, although it never turns bitter. Although I am not an everyday Burley smoker, I could easily see Haunted Bookshop as an all-day blend for Burley lovers, especially at HB's bulk price.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2014-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend made the perfect addition to my autumn smoking rotation. It is a robust and distinctive blend that is well suited to the changing, cooling weather. It is mainly burley spiced with undisclosed quantities of VA and Perique. Cut flake, what appears to be dark fired cube cut, and an assortment of wide cut ribbon comprise this blend. It is full bodied and bold with a largely musty character, evoking images and remembrances of having been in old/abandoned buildings. Perhaps thinking about hundred year old books does better service or characterizing the mustiness. In any case, the "must" is pleasant. I'm not sure whether the earthy/musty character derives from the perique or from one of the various burleys. There is some sourness that makes fleeting background appearances (white burley?). The VA does add some underlying sweetness that ebbs and flows. There is a persistently black peppery character that is present throughout the experience, and is never overpowering, but most notable on the retrohale. This is quite a strong smoke that stands up to and complements black coffee. Having something on one's stomach is recommended when smoking this wonderful blend. The smell that I caught on the sidestream reminds me of the smell in the room after my grandfather smoked one of his Camel unfiltered cigarettes. Again, this may sound unpleasant to some, but wonderful in my view. Others have described a similar non offensive and earthy aroma.

Pipe Used: Rattray Marlin and Highland billiards

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: nothing I have ever tasted.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-04-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I 100% get this blend. The aroma reminds me of musty old books. It brings me back to the days when I was a kid exploring my great grand dads old motel on Route 66 long after it had shut down and been abandoned for years. It took me about 2 ounces to finally dig deep and understand it however it is not complex at all. This blend either appeals to you and you keep packing bowls or not. It is very easy to pack and oftentimes the initial charring light is all that it takes to get it going. It is pretty straight forward burley blend I can barely detect the red virginia. What I really enjoy is the perique that goes back and forth from stewed fruit to spice. Inhale through the nose if you want to get more spice from the smoke. The flavors are very subtle and I detect most of the flavor from the scent of the smoke as I exhale. It is dry and burns fast so take your time. HB has enough nicotine to give youe a little kick, but not so much to make the room spin. Highly Recommended if you take it slow and enjoy.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Revised 03-01-2006 I have been having a love affair with this blend lately. I don't know why, but I just can't leave this blend alone. This affair started after I got over a cold and began to smoke again. So, I have upgraded to 4 stars... Go get some now! Original Review: Appearance and Tin Aroma: Man, this stuff smells like a good fortified hay. Beautiful multi-cut of cubes of burley, square cut, bright yellow VA, red VA, Brown Kentucky, and specks of St. James Parish' finest.

Packing and Lighting: As with most C&D blends, the moisture is perfect. Open tin, pack and light. 2-3 lights max.

Initial Flavor: A wonderful, complex symphony of Burley. A little sharp at the beginning, so start slowly.

Mid Bowl: This is burley nirvana! Round, mellow, full flavor. The Perique is but an occassional splash (which I prefer).

Bottom of Bowl:Strength builds nicely, the Perique asserts itself a little more, but never obtrusively. No bitterness if your puffing pace was kept slow. Ash that is left is grey and dry.

Overall: This is a delicious burley blend. IMO, no one does Burley blends like C&D. This is my favorite Burley blend period. This is still an ocassional smoke for me and a tin usually lasts me about 3mo.s, but I always have a couple of tins in the cellar. Definitely recommended...

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2017-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The ratios, it's all about the ratios. Whereas Old Joe Krantz is quite heavy on the perique, Haunted Bookshop is more balanced and won't develop rough edges because of this. All things being equal, I'd have HB any time over OJK. The nutty properties of this tobacco are more apparent here than in OJK. The problem with OJK is the perique will take over soon, and this will push back the burley properties of this tobacco. About HB, the main role of the burley leaf is not to add support, or to improve the burning properties of the blend. Burley leaf is rather added as the main component; this blend is all about the burley. There is nothing worth mentioning about the tin note, it just smells of tobacco, but if you like burleys you will probably find the smoking experience out of this world. Sadly enough, it tends to burn faster than expected, but it smokes quite cool in your bowl. The perique leaf appears to transition from tangy to peppery in the last quarter of your bowl, which is something to be expected. As for the nicotine content, it is still high, I'd say, but nowhere near OJK anyway. I think they call this blend HB because of the musty properties it develops as you progress with your smoke, but I say this in a good way. Yes, this tobacco ticks so many boxes for me, so it is going to get a rating of 4 stars.

(Edit 17/11/2017) PS. It looks as though they've named this tobacco "Haunted Bookshop" in honor of a novel written by Christopher Morley.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2017-01-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Another C&D blend of rather crude, high nicotine burleys. I can't understand why people can like this blend. Despite it's whole grain character with slight tang and fruit from the trace amount of perique and red virginia, the taste is just acrid and ash. I have smoked much smoother whole leaf burley than this stuff and I have to wonder where they are getting this leaf from and why choose it to blend with. There are much better choices with smoother taste for those looking for a robust non-flue cured tobacco i.g. Tabac Manil Semois, G&H/SG dark-fired shags, ropes, flakes, Five Brothers. Despite coming in a tin there is nothing premium about this product and definately is not worth the typical price for such a pathetic blend of unrefined and crude burley.

Similar Blends: C&D Burley Flakes.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2019-09-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Summary: a Burley-forward blend with a Va/Per hidden within.

Cornell & Diehl makes a range of its Burley, red Virginia, and Perique blends, starting with "Haunted Bookshop" on the gentle end, moving to "Old Joe Krantz" in the middle, and inching just a little past that with "Burley Flake #1." If you want sweet tobacco, go elsewhere; also, this uses a lot of the dark Burley which hits some people quite hard, especially in the digestive tract, and so they will rank it as having more nicotine than it does because the effect is greater on them. The slightly "green vegetation" flavor that accompanies such Burleys hovers in the background of this blend, which brings forth a harmonious relationship between the Perique and red Virginias that provides an undertone to the white/dark Burley mix which dominates its flavor. Over the course of the bowl, the Virginias caramelize and meld into the Perique flavor, making it more spicy like dark-fired leaf and less tangy like the sweet-sour taste of most Va/Pers. If you view "Haunted Bookshop" as a Burley blend that flavors itself with a Va/Per, the delight in this flavor combination becomes apparent. The low moisture content means that this blend burns quickly unless incubated with a breath smoking technique, and if you smoke it quickly, it will turn ashy. This is an all-day smoke for me, but only because I am inured to the Burley gut punch and it takes over an hour for a medium-sized bowl. Sweeter than "Old Joe Krantz" (or the massively dry-tasting and almost dusty "Burley Flake #1"), "Haunted Bookshop" delights Burley fans who want a blend without the intrusion of toppings or the sugar blast of bright Virginias.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	USVI sailor (16)	2018-12-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So for the last 40 years I've been primarily a VA/Per or Balkan style smoker. For the couple of weeks prior to trying Haunted Bookshop I have been smoking my last tins of Frogmorton on the Bayou and St. James Woods (both purchased in 04/2012) Also I'm rating a bulk tabacco and not the tinned version of this C&D blend. I mention these two points because it may impact my review of this blend.

The aroma of the fresh tobacco in the bag is unremarkable - definitely the woody mushroomy smell of burley dominates. The fresh cut hay smell of the virginia is there, but you have to conciously look for it as it is overwhelmed by the burley. I could not detect the aroma of perique at all. I purchased 4 ounces of Old Joe Krantz at the same time. They look similar and smell very similar so I would suspect a very similar smell & taste while smoking.

It packs well in the pipe but has but has a "springyness" to it that is good to the extent that it will reduce the chance of under or over packing. It took the charring light well and after tamping once or twice the next light was even. It is easy to keep lit so re-lights are minimal.

I tend to be a controlled sipper and that worked well with this blaend. I would think that long heavy drarws and this stuff would give you a serious case of tounge bite and a real nicotene rush. But with small sips it burns nicely.

The flavor changes very little in the course of smoking, but I noticed about half way into it and I was getting a noticible nicotene kick - most likely from the burley. If there is any perique I coudn't taste or smell it, so it must be a very small amount. To finish the bowl I had to get a glass of water to counter the nicotene hit.

So overall I'm not impressed with this blend - maybe if you are primarily a burley smoker you would enjoy it more than I have. I'll take the remaining 4 ounces and cellar it for a year or two and see what happens. Off hand I couldn't think of anything to pair it with - the nicotene content is high enough that after a cup of coffee I'd be bouncing off the walls. Likewise with black tea. Spirits like Scotch or Whiskey would probably make this blend taste bitter.

Pipe Used: Ascorti Apple

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2018-11-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Tonight’s feature presentation is Haunted Bookshop, and Burley is the star of the show! This is my anytime, anywhere, any mood pipe tobacco. When I can’t decide what to smoke, this is what I reach for. This burley blend always satisfies. Burns cool and dry. Lots of smoke output. Slightly above medium nic hit. Can’t beat it for the price when bought in bulk.

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz, Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-07-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Another hit on my quest to sample the best of C&D’s Burley-forward blends, Haunted Bookshop breaks the mold (pun intended) with cheek by actually smelling like a musty old tome both in its popped tin and when it’s lit and smoked. Short ribbons are at perfect moisture, so HB is easily stuffed, lit, and smoked down to nothing. Burn rate is a fair clip. The Burleys are quite nice, adding fragrant woods and some meadow flowers to the scent. The Perique is musty and a little sour, to balance the tannins and spices. The VAs seem to be mostly piquant, earthy reds, and perhaps some earthy browns, adding some sugar and some structural body to the blend. There's plenty of smoke. I smoke HB meditatively and it is consistent, top to bottom. Strength is medium. With a little application, tastes are toward full. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, trailing off with Angostura. Room note is great for me, hopefully tolerable for captives.

I suppose Haunted Bookshop won’t be a 4 for everyone, if only because it’s different in a different way. I’m in the aye camp, very pleased I followed other reviewers who have enjoyed this blend and reported their findings here at TR. My tin is young, and I’ll update here, apropos.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: young from tin and jar

Purchased From: Cup o' Joes

Similar Blends: Pretty much unique. Vaguely like C&D's Sansepolcro.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jamey S (9)	2018-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Just from smelling this one unlit, you know you're in for a ride. Now, I'm not a fan of ribbon cut. I usually find it too light for my Single-Malt-Addicted pallet. But this blend… It works… Lighting it reveals how burley should feel like. It bites just a bit (which I like), just to remind you the fact that you're having a pipe right now. The taste is earthy, nutty and rich – but not fermented and cigar like which means that it's just the right amount of Perique. Behind all that hides a sweetness, so mild that you'd need to meditate to detect. The right amount of Virginias. Pretty quickly, after a few tamp, flavor develops and balances. The body rounds up a bit and right there I moved to the breath method to enjoy the mid-bowl properly. The nicotine content in this one is mild-medium.. Didn't knock me off my chair, but also didn't really got that itch... It's a good blend for mid-day, but lack some nicotine for my taste.

Now, I love this blend but note that it's on the heavy side. Many pipers I know found it too heavy (which is good for me, since I got their batch), so I'd recommend trying a sample or a 1 oz batch before acquiring a stock of it.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog #124

Age When Smoked: 0

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	p120d16y (22)	2017-05-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop is one of my favorite blends, and a regular staple of my piping. A perfectly blended Burley centric blend with just a small dash of Virginia and a smaller dash of Perique to balance. I almost never tire of smoking it, and can smoke it all day. Runowski was a master blender with everything he touched, preferring to center on Burley and old world style American tobaccos. Just a straight forward Burley blend with a dash of zest from the other two components and done to perfection. Best in a medium sized bowl. Great in a cob. I worry when I get down to only a few pounds remaining on hand.

Pipe Used: Every pipe. Sings in cob or medium size briar.

Age When Smoked: Great fresh, only gets better with age.

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Other Runowski Burley blends. As many say, the Runowski trifecta of blends are Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz, and Pegasus. Don't forget to try Riverboat Gambler, Shandygaff (Tarler), Morley's Best and his others as well., **Shandygaff is in the same wheelhouse, but an old Atlas blend brought back by Craig Tarler of C&D..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adrian B. (29)	2015-03-31		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Supposedly there's VA in here somewhere...can't prove it by me. The Perique comes through with a bit of pepper and of course the nicotine punch in the jewels, but taste-wise for me, this blend is all Burley. Really good Burley though.

You really need to like Burley to like Haunted Bookshop I think. I don't think this blend would be a good choice if you just want to dip your toe into burley blends. The nicotine content is pretty high so if you're sensitive to that just beware and like most big burleys you need to puff this slowly. If you don't it just tastes like a cigarette and what fun is that? The other thing is the room note...it doesn't seem to be popular. Probably too much like cigarette smoke.

Keeping all that in mind though, I'd still give this 3 stars. If strong, earthy, nutty natural burley is your thing, this blend should work for you.

Pipe Used: Mostly cobs, a few briars

Age When Smoked: Tin fresh

Purchased From: SPC

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2020-10-06		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

This is dry, not in the humidity sense, but in the dry white wine sense. Nutty, woody, crisp, did I say nutty? A mild hint of a dry caramel back ground, if that make any sense. White pepper on the finish. base of earthy red VA, but I am not even sure it is a base or just a phantom I cannot say that this a dry smoke enough. I have never found anything like this in any other tobacco. It is a very unique smoke. I can't say I'd want to smoke this in a regular rotation, but it is quite good. Nose is cigarette tobacco our of the bag. All around a great Burley, I might say the best presentation there is. If you love Burley this may be Nirvana, if you don't it may be a nice distraction.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum and cobs

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeandCode (2)	2019-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

There is a great deal of hype around this blend - and many will be disappointed. Some will describe this as "bold", "strong" and "earthy". It's none of these. It is just an unbalanced, ash-tasting smoke.

Some of the positive reviews here negatively address people criticising this blend for its cigarette-like taste, justifying this by stating it's a "bold burley", or whatever. I am a 12 year piper, I am familiar with cig's and cigars too, and I will tell you that this smokes like a cigarette. I may as well have bought a pouch of roll-you-own-cigaette tobacco and put that in my pipe (I have done this in my student past, and it was a similar experience.)

I did get some natural tobacco sweetness coming through towards the end of the bowl, but not an awful lot, and this may have been due to ghosting.

This is a blend for recovering smokers who have turned to the pipe.

Room note: Wife says it just smells like I am chain smoking cigarettes and asked me to never smoke this inside - she hasn't asked this of me in the past

Pipe Used: Dunhill Dublin

Age When Smoked: fresh

Similar Blends: cigarettes.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2018-04-14		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is PA with the gloves off. The new ribbon cut puts this up a star. It's much easier to pack and smoke, but it's still basically a powerful codger burley. The kind of codger you don't leave alone with your kids.

As opposed to OJK, with its massive amount of Perique and more VA, this is more burley and not the real dark tasting stuff, but relatively medium tasting, but strong in N nevertheless.

I find myself missing the odd topping which I remember from PA or other minimally cased OTCs that I don't smoke anymore, despite the flavor from the Perique and VA (if there is any VA flavor it is miniscule). This slightly hollow flavor, despite the contribution from the Perique (This kind of Burley basically has no flavor which is why it is always cased) is the reason I give it 3 instead of 4 stars. Just a touch of that Rum stuff which GLP has in Haddos, for example, would really help this out, imo.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BurleyBhuddist860 (6)	2018-02-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Bob hit the nail on the head with the perfect proportions of each tobacco to make in my opinion, one of the best burley blends on the market. This is my go to daily smoke. It is a blend that you can never really get too tired of. Has the perfect amount of nicotine and burns without a problem any day. Highly recommend to anyone who wants a natural smoke.

Pipe Used: Mostly Savinellis, various other briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz , Riverboat Gambler.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cold Comfort (14)	2016-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I'll preface this review by stating that I tend towards VaPers, Orientals, and some aromatics. I don't mind burley at all, but prefer it way in the back of the bus. This has clearly influenced how I feel about Haunted Bookshop.

I wanted to really like this blend, but it is just rather blah. The tin note is earthy, with that classic tobacco smell - oddly, I do get some licorice notes in there. The taste is med, but (IMO) lacked any depth or imagination. It starts out tricking you into thinking that this might be a nice experience, but is soon replaced by an ashy, heavy taste that just never stops. I'll admit there are these little moments where it tries to seduce you again - but don't be fooled!

The room note is somewhere between leafy detritus, and a homeless man smoking a butt he found on the road. If you have a partner, don't to expect to get any compliments on how awesome it smells - trust me, you'll be outside and on your tod.

It packs well, lights well, and stays that way for pretty much the whole bowl. Please don't let my experience put you off, but if you are like me, don't say I didn't warn ya'.

Pipe Used: Vauen 1014

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	michwen (3)	2016-09-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

Why? Why selltobacco that tastes of ashtrays? This is the worst tobacco i´ve ever tasted. It only tastes harsh. It´s jarring to your senses. Stay away!

Pipe Used: Straight billiard size 5, straight prince size 2

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2014-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is another Burley Mixture from Cornell and Diehl. For me, I note only the Burley and the Perique, but not the Virginia. Is somewhat good, decent, I like, but is clearly inferior to other Burley based tobaccos as: Butternut Burley and Old Joe Krantz. 2 Stars.

Pipe Used: some, Brazilian made pipes

Age When Smoked: recently purchased

Purchased From: TabacosBR,Brazil

Similar Blends: Prince Albert - Prince Albert, Sutliff Tobacco Company - Mixture No.79, Cornell & Diehl - 126: Old Joe Krantz, pipesandcigars.com - Scotty's Butternut Burley.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Henry Davis (5)	2022-10-31		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Oh wow! What a pleasant surprise! I'd recently seen this baccy being recommended on YouTube (…either MuttnChopPiper or Alan Harrelson) and so I ordered a couple of tins which arrived today. So this definitely goes on my "A list". I'm an English Blend aficionado, but this stuff is to quote Mary Poppins "Practically Perfect in every way" (…well, so far!) - as to flavourings, toppings, casings, and all the other phrases and descriptions I've seen used in reviews, well I've only been enjoying the pipe for around 70 years, so perhaps in time I'll begin to understand what all these "experts" are yapping about! ;)

Pipe Used: Cheapo Beater ($20 basket)

Age When Smoked: 72 (last birthday)

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars.com

Similar Blends: The other tin of Haunted Bookshop which came with it! ;).

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TotoPipeDreams (44)	2020-12-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Beginning: I can’t even lie, this tobacco knocked me on my ass the first time we met. I had been smoking aromatics and had tried one Virginia based blend that I didn’t really care for at the time so the full bodied smoke and healthy dose of nicotine (especially on an empty stomach) really hit me. But it’s just what I had been looking for. I wanted tobacco that TASTED as good as it smelled. And boy does HB deliver.

Middle: It smelled musty, dusty, with a hint of figgy, nutty, sweetness in the background. Not that bready kinda sweetness of VAs. Not as subdued with the citrusy lightness of Virginia’s. Nothing like I had ever had before. I loaded up a bowl with a cup of coffee by my side and it was a whole newww world. Burley world, that is! I was in love!

End: The taste is akin to a cigar in terms of its intensity. But the flavor itself is a rounded, nutty, peppery smoke that pairs so well with coffee! Smoked slowly, you really get more nuanced flavors of each of the particular components mingling around in your bowl.

Now, to be fair, I had been watching a few Matches860 videos before trying this out. And his love of the blend was 100% the driving force behind me trying it. But I can’t say I regret caving into his peer pressure. It changed my Smoking life.

Who this blend is for: Cigar lovers looking to break into pipes. Lovers of big bold flavors. Call me crazy but besides Carter Hall, I might even recommend HB as a first burley blend to other smokers. If you don’t like it, then chances are you aren’t going to like any burley blends any time soon. But luckily, it’s a cheap standby that’s readily available. So whenever you’re feeling the itch to try it again, you can always come back for more.

Who this blend is not for: If you aren’t into burley, you will not enjoy this. Period. BUT! Give it some time. Our tastes changed, pallets get tired and interests get piqued. Come back to HB if you’ve tried and weren’t a fan. Smoke it slower than you did before, try it in a cob! Try it with coffee! And whatever you do, enjoy yourself!

Happy smokes everyone

-Toto

Pipe Used: Briar, cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: B&B Tobacconist Asheville, NC

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novaki (41)	2020-04-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This kicked my ass. The perique in this blend is too much for my weak stomach to handle. I'm used to smoking "rocking chair" blends and this knocked me clean out of it.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2020-03-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I kept seeing people tout the positives of this weed, so I pushed down my aversion to C&D products, saddled into the Mystery Machine, and joined the gang to solve the "is it any good?" mystery.

The bag opened to some lackluster nose appeal. As advertised, there were no Aromatic flavors inside, nor was there much presence from the background Virginia, just the subtle damp earth Burley to greet you. The cut was pretty shaken apart for being coarse (likely due to being a bulk), but there were still a few flakes to rub apart. Great moisture and packed like a champ. My first puff (and I have no idea why) caught me off guard and I actually started coughing, my second puff (after calming down), while still strong, brought me to a world reminiscent of a cigar. The effect was a leathery, unapologetic, deep tobacco taste, which I didn't hate, but was overwhelming for my default Aromatic sensibilities.

I got used to the smoke midway, and ended up being less intense than a heavy English, so it was within the realm of smokable strength for me, just not something I personally crave (again, think cigar here). The room afterwards reminded me of the air that hangs in a well worn smoke shop, likely filled with dozen of customers who crave this type of concoction, so to that extent, I get why folks gravitate towards this Haunted Bookshop, but for myself, I'll be down the aisle reading another book.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kaisersoze (10)	2020-03-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Okay, so before anything this is the first non aromatic I have ever tried. I have been trying aromatic blend after blend, but never had that special moment where my vision of what pipe smoking would be, suddenly became reality. I have been hesitant to try a natural flavor tobacco because of things I have read, like soapy, cigarettey, ashy etc. but ultimately I wanted to see for myself. I started watching matches860 on YouTube and he loves this stuff so I figured I’ll give it a try for my first. Tonight I sat down on my back porch and suspiciously loaded a bowl thinking “I won’t like this, I know it.” But, to my surprise I had that Aha! moment where vision became reality. To me it had a little bite to it, like some cayenne, a little nuttiness, and hint of sweetness. No cigarette taste to me as I’ve read from others. Oh and the best part was how well it burned for me. I can tell that this tobacco is going to be a friend for life and constantly in rotation. Rip matches860, I now understand why you cherished this blend so much, and thanks for the introduction. To anyone thinking about trying this blend, but are hesitant, just give it a shot like I did. You might love it!

Age When Smoked: Fresh

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2017-03-24		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

First let me say that I love burley. Burley based blends like C&D's Big n Burley are very good, straight burley's like Solani 656 are wonderful. This, this is a different animal. The smell out of the jar is simply burley, a nice mild smell. The entire sample is a light brown, where is the red VA, I cannot see it, its not in the aroma at all. A very small smattering of perique by the look of things too. Taste is no better. I get a sourness that is not really present in burley for me. Don't confuse sour for bitter, a slight bitterness comes in good burley with a note of cocoa. This is not that, it is sour. Occasionally a little pepper comes in from the perique but no dark fruits nor are there tangy elements from the VA. I don't think this has any red VA in it! At about mid bowl it turns from this sour mess into a harsh ashy cigarette like flavor profile that continues until I have had all I can take. This is not from the pipe. I have tried it is several pipes I have cleaned my pipes and tried it again with the same result. I will not finish the sample.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TwelveAMnTX (28)	2016-06-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got a 2 oz. bulk of Haunted Bookshop to try out. I really enjoyed the tobacco, although I did not buy more yet. It consists of a couple different genres that I like to smoke all in one tobacco. It has a deep burley taste with a Va/Per twang & kick.

In the bag it has an earthy barn-like quality with a little spice note. Upon initial light I got a bit of a harshness that died down as I smoked. It was ready to go from the minute I opened the bag, no dry time needed & stayed lit very easy. I got some bite when I got overzealous, but that helped me to slow down & enjoy all of the flavor profiles. There's a good dose of perique mixed with a decent burley flavor rounded out with a touch virginia in the background. It burns down to the bottom of the bowl with very little dottle if any. The room note is not something a non-smoker will enjoy, but will wow tobacco lovers for sure.

For me it is definitely a strong full tasting tobacco, but not too overwhelming if taken slowly. It's best to smoke after a meal, the nic will get ya if you're not used to it. Overall it's a good smoke, but not something I can smoke all day.

Pipe Used: assorted MM cobs & hardwoods

Age When Smoked: fresh to a few months old

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JAnder (2)	2015-10-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a great Burley blend with just the right amount of Perique. Something very familiar tasting to ex-cigarette smokers. This is easily an every day blend. This is very similar to Old Joe Krantz, but with a little less Perique, I believe. Its dry out of the bag, lights easy and stays lit. I find that it burns pretty quick and will often need to reload since it can be gone before you know it.

finding this blend kept me in the hobby. I had started with Virginians and Latakia blends, but just wasn't feeling it. After really discovering Burley, I found this blend which was my real first all-day, go-to pipe tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson Castle 606, Peterson 120 Irish Army Mount

Age When Smoked: new from distributor

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz, Cornell & Diehl - Burley Flake #1.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I found this blend to be somewhat of a challenge, and after smoking my fair share of it I have decided that it isn't quite to my taste. Haunted Bookshop is not without its merits. It does have ample strength, and those that enjoy strong burley with plenty of structure will likely appreciate it. However, I think that it lacks the counter sweetness of its big brother blend Old Joe Krantz. The flavor carries a light hint of burnt tire rubber and as well as an astringent bitter quality. However, minus OJK's higher percentage of Virginia leaf, Haunted Bookshop has a drier flavor and presents a smoke that's a bit lighter in body but more rough on the tongue. It's not as spicy, flavorful, or as inspired as OJK and as a result, not as interesting. The flavors improve towards mid bowl and smooth out quite a bit once a good layer of ash is formed, but altogether I just can't find the same enjoyment or wow factor that I found in Joe Krantz.

UPDATE 4/24/15 - I am bumping this up a star. It seems over the last month that I have developed a taste for Haunted Bookshop. I won't pretend to understand exactly why; all I know is I have been continually reaching for this blend. That said, the thing that I enjoy the most about this mixture is how skillfully the perique is applied. With each sip of the pipe it provides a polite piquant sting and if I draw a little harder, the spiciness intensifies and the flavor noticeably deepens. With several bowls under my belt, my palate has adjusted to Haunted Bookshop's earthy bitterness and the nicotine level is near perfect. Now, I still find Old Joe Krantz a bit more interesting, but from the standpoint of strength, Haunted Bookshop is more accessible and not as stout.

Pipe Used: Cob

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brukspatron (14)	2014-04-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This mixture is not my cup of tea, it was too harsh for my taste. I think it taste somewhat cigar´ish but not in a good way, more like a 1$ cigar from the gas station. But in other hand I also found that the taste was a little nutty in the background, which I liked. But that did not weigh up to the taste of cheap cigar

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pilotpuffer (6)	2014-02-02		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Maybe it’s just me. I really enjoy the VaPer blends such as GLP’s Haddo’s Delight, and even Dunhill’s Elizabethan Mixture. This was my first foray into the burly/perique territory and will be my last! The sweetness and perique just doesn’t mix well on my tongue. The aftertaste was not the usual for perique and there must be other casings in this mix which did not add any enjoyment. After the charring light a strange goo taste and texture began to emerge. Then the bitterness of the hot smoke kicked in.

Honestly, I have VERY seldom dumped a bowl halfway through, but I did with this junk. Sorry, C&D , you have some excellent blends, but this is certainly not among them. Even Cater Hall is a burly blessing compared to the dusty and dank bookshop.

Age When Smoked: new

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mochzky (8)	2013-03-05		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

When I called C&D to place an order for the tobaccos I usually smoke, such as Briar Fox, After Hours, Habana Daydreams, etc., I added one more tin for a trial, on a whim, as I was attracted to the name. This was my first foray into Haunted book shop and became my last.

The nose delivers the damp smell of English antique furniture, which matches the images the said name gives. The musty smell of old books. Taste: dusty, bitter, and earthy. I am a big fan of C&D, and I love VA/PE blend, but it's not my taste. So far, I skip this one in my next order. At least, until I come back to it some day with some more experiences.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	don1688 (27)	2010-03-15		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The flavor jumps around pretty nicely.

I don't taste the burley so "up front" throughout the bowl as most reviews have noted.

I taste the Va within all the time and it is the dominant weed in the first third. Burley does come through more there after and is the main character with perigue giving that pepper and fruit flavor in-and-out like a non-perique dominated smoke should, this blend progresses very nicely.

Nice tobacco and a blend I can see smoldering in some pipes all day.

I have smoked "fresh" and currently a tin I opened with 3 1/2 years age. I feel the aged tin has a more Va feel, but don't think this is one you must age to be satisfied. "beeftip" sums it up quite nicely.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-08-31		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

I bought this tin, solely on the name alone. In the tin it smells like a mixture of old cigarettes and hay. It was rather dry if I remember correctly. As for the taste, well it was like smoking cigarettes. I have kept the tin in hopes that I could add something like McClelland's 5100 to improve it, but I have yet to do so. Not recommended.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-04-05		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I consider the three C&D blends of Old Joe Krantz, Haunted Bookshop and Riverboat Gambler to be closely related family members. However, I consider Riverboat Gambler to be the best of all three because, for me, it combines the best of the other two and then some!

Haunted Bookshop is a delightful and very mild blend. Virtually a non-aromatic. The extremely light topping strikes me as possibly just a touch of Anise. I consider it a non-aro. I enjoy the quality leaf, the easy light and comfortable smoke it delivers. I do highly recommend it. But you should also try the other two as well or you will be missing something.

This is an excellent blend for Burley lovers but it has a bit more character than a pure Burley. This is something that I welcome in a blend of this type.

Enjoy it. It could be an easy all day smoke if you are looking for one. It is a good investment and will likely not let you down.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tobold (7)	2009-01-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

01/15/09 - This is a "blue-collar" review from a long-time pipe smoker who is neither a connoisseur nor a gourmet. I like subtleties up to a point, beyond which I cannot detect them. There are very few aromatics that I like anymore. I love orientals, latakias, and Virginias, but burley gives me some trouble. Most of the time, I like stronger blends over weaker ones and in larger pipes than smaller ones. I have exceptions to all of the above. With that said . . .

This review is of tobacco from a 50 g. tin of fresh vintage.

Medium brown and light tan ribbons, this smells like straight burley. Starts out very mild with little taste. Pleasant room note! Tastes a bit nutty early on, but by mid-bowl, this has turned monochromatically sour and bitter. Having little experience with burleys, I got this after reading all the reviews and references. I really, really wanted to like this, but it has convinced me that unflavored burley blends are NOT for me. My loss.

Compares to any unflavored blend where the burley predominates. While I dislike most burley blends, C&Ds #104, Crooner, has a great taste and doesn't turn bitter in the bowl.

I will not be keeping this blend on hand.

I give it only two leaves out of nine.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2008-12-04		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I really hate to give this only one star, especially in light of its many fans, but I find no redeeming qualities here whatsoever. I love burlies (especially C&D burlies) yet all I've found here is a musty, dried out mess that tastes and smells like a stale generic cigarette. I smoke Old Joe Krantz and Morley's Best all the time, but I've completely given up on this one.

I hope your experience with this is better than mine!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simmerdown☕️ (1)	2021-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Very few blends can satisfy me as Haunted Bookshop. The toasted nuttiness of the burley pairs perfectly with the subtle sweetness of Red Virginia 🍂. The peppery perique provides both spice and dried fruit components that cradle the blend fully. I’ll admit that Matches 860 introduced me to HB and I’m forever thankful. This blend is a no nonsense straight-up enjoyment for me. Something I can plug in and play at any moment. It currently resides as the first smoke of my day with ☕️. A simple pleasure every time.

Pipe Used: MMs, Briars, Meers

Age When Smoked: Fresh & Aged

Purchased From: SP.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-01-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Well I thought I'd review a blend that has very polarizing reviews: Haunted Bookshop. I've heard plenty that hate it saying it tastes like cigarettes, and I've heard plenty say it's their favorite smoke and an all day blend. Burley is the key component in most cigarettes, and I understand why that might turn off some from buying a blend that might remind them of cigarettes. The truth is as you will see that Burley can be a very satisfying smoke.

When you get your tin open the first thing noticed is a pretty even ribbon cut. There are a few stray stems but the blend packs well and comes at a reasonable dryness for smoking. The blend smells toasty, nutty and chocolaty. Lighting is pretty simple and the blend tends to burn pretty well without getting too hot. This blend does best when puffed slow, fast puffing will yield an ashy taste.

Once lit I taste the Burley's nuttiness, some chocolate, some earthiness. There are other components in this blend like Perique that add interesting characteristics. I definitely get the spice from the Perique and some dark fruits. There is Virginia in here and I'm going to assume it's a red, it adds breadiness, and hay to the mix. The Perique is quite strong in the nose on the retrohale.

The taste here is a solid medium. I feel the smoke has an average easy characteristic to it. As to strength Lady N doesn't know what she wants. I want to give this a medium edging onto medium-strong. The amount of Perique in here could easily warrant something being eaten before smoking this. All in all I think it is a decent blend that I return to every now and again. Three Stars.

For a Latakia-friendly version you can try Haunted Pirate Ship which is: 50% Haunted Bookshop 50% Pirate Cake.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oceano Poker

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McClintock (15)	2020-12-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Musty , spicy and earthy in almost a cigar like sense. Nutty and toasted, robust flavor from start to finish with strong/dry after taste. If you’re grandpa was a macho ranch hand type...this was his burley smoke. It’s rugged and unabashedly American as a pair of wrangler jeans...and just as unpretentious and practical.

Need a smoke that tastes like tobacco? Haunted bookshop. In need of a nicotine fix? Haunted bookshop. Looking to please non/smokers with a pleasant room note? Not Haunted Bookshop.

I was hoping for something a bit different due to all the hype, but as a rugged, unpretentious burley blend...this one is successful . It does smell rather haunted in the bag/tin, evoking a sensory experience similar to entering an antique store - equally musty and dusty.

I’m summary, it’s moderately strong and a grizzled tobacco man’s kind of smoke. I like that about haunted bookshop, and you just might too.

Pipe Used: Duke of Dundee 6mm filter, small billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh from bulk

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lamphere (1)	2020-08-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tasty, nutty, earthy, I tried a 2 oz tin then ordered a pound. I definitely will be keeping this on hand, C&D have a winner with this, definitely a favorite.

Pipe Used: Lacriox Canadian.

Age When Smoked: Just opened

Purchased From: Bulldog pipes and cigars Couer d Alene, Idaho.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bent_bulldog (6)	2016-04-01		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this blend, I decided to try it after trying Pegasus and loving it. There is an earthy, musty, comforting Burley base to the flavor of this tobacco, over which the Perique provides some spicy highlights. There's enough sweetness from the Virginia, I find this blend has a great melding of the flavors into one delicious treat.

It does pack a nicotine punch and if I pack to big of a bowl, I'm likely to end up woozy.

Pipe Used: Savinelli poker, author, cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-10-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Smells like dirty feet and is very strong and peppery I get how you could like it just not for me

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Dusty,musty, old warehouse that needs sweeping all come to mind with this selection. Falt tasting, tounge burning trash.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-10-04		Strong	Strong	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

Now I know why they call it "Haunted Bookshop" - everybody who smoked this expired.

Worst. Tobacco. Ever. Like smoking floor sweepings.

Save yourself the hot, dry, ghastly grief. DO NOT buy this vile blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeteSavinelli (8)	2010-05-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This tobacco is vile. The pouch note, if any, is moldy and sour. In the bowl it is horrid. I thought it was just because I wasn't a "Burley guy". No. While I'm not a "Burley guy", I've smoked Burleys which I would be happy to give between 2 and 3 stars. I wouldn't smoke this again if someone gave it to me free.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pagercat (40)	2008-11-10		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

INTRO: Burley is such a versatile creature. I think of it as the rice of tobaccos. Alone it is nutty, full, creamy and higher in nicotine than its condimental counterparts. Used properly in a blend it will take on any flavor thrown at it like a chameleon running across paint swatches. When used improperly, it is bitter, harsh and just plain nasty. Haunted Bookshop is one of those blends where prime leaf is used and used very well. The burley base retains much of its nutty flavors yet gets along very nicely with the red Virginia and Perique.

CAUTION: The cut is rather fine and upon inspection the visual appearance looks like something you would see in a little jar of seasoning. Due to this cut, I have noticed a lot of "dust" in the tins which makes packing tedious as one tends to get tiny particles of tobacco in the mouth when testing the draw and lighting up. Lightly shaking the tin helps to settle a lot of the finer particles which helps to avoid having a sandstorm hit your tongue.

CHARACTERISTICS: Haunted Bookshop burns faster than most other blends. It also makes a lot of powdery ash that usually requires dumping halfway through the bowl. Tamp this tobacco lightly and you should have no problems. It burns dry, bites very little and leaves the pipe clean. It will "color" your pipe on the first bowl so avoid trying this in a favorite pipe to avoid ghosts.

SMOKING: On the initial light you taste the cigar-like flavor of the burley and Perique. Throughout the bowl the cigar flavor trades places with the subtle sweetness of the red Virginia. The nutty flavors are there and the prune-like presence of the Perique speaks its voice each time you sip it softly. When puffed hard the burley flexes some muscle and you get a big bold bass note with a sidekick of nicotine.

SUMMARY: This blend is similar in the vein of "Old Joe Krantz" but with more high notes, sweetness and less nicotine. It is strong enough to satisfy a nicotine craving, yet light enough to be enjoyed all day.

Haunted Bookshop is a natural blend reminiscent of the old-school blends of a time when a man came home to a clean house, a hot meal and a happy family. No fancy tricks here, just good honest tobaccos skillfully put together to form a delightful and relaxing smoke. Well done!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2002-10-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop is a mixture with a plain, grassy, natural aroma, predominantly from the Burley component. It is composed of mid to light brown leaf, and IMO the Perique and the Virginias are very lightly applied. Compared to many bulk tobaccos, this one comes fairly dry in the pouch, smokes very dry (not stale) and clean, and has an overall nutty and slightly piquant bouquet. I must say this is my first experiment with a Cornell and Diehl blend, and I was very impressed by the quality and excellent craftsmanship of Haunted Bookshop. Packing it in a rusticated medium size Savinelli Octavia was quite simple, and it took the initial light gracefully and immediately. A very cool and dry smoked followed, with that intriguing though rather dulled Burley flavour, alleviated by the somewhat impish presence of the Perique and the smooth, sugarless variety of matured Virginia. There were no surprising twists throughout the smoke, the flavour remaining consistent. Only had to relight almost at the end of the bowl, after DGT. Though I did enjoy this tobacco, I did not find anything particularly extraordinary about it, nor did it remind me of any bookshop, haunted or not. Rather, it projected a country like feeling, as if in open fields. Pardon me for saying so, but IMO this tobacco can be seen either as a sophisticated and highly upgraded version of Prince Albert, or as an unsweetened and brandy less version of Barbary Coast. The Burley here is superior than the variety used in PA, but not as rich and smooth as the one employed by G.L. Pease. All in all a very good quality smoke, light and simple, quite along the lines of Larsen?s Kentucky Gold, though not as strong.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fountainpens&pipes (3)	2022-11-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Definitely an earthy tin note upon opening. Stays lit without any noticable issues and was the perfect moisture out of the tin

It has a sweet and spicy taste with the spice being especially noticable on the retrohale. Not a complex smoke, but that isn't a negative, sometimes it is nice to know what you're getting so the brain can stay wandering to other thoughts. The room note is not a knock your socks off experience as most of you who smoke these kinds of blends have come to expect.

If you're looking for a simple smoke that lets your mind wander other places, look no further.

As an added note: i didnt pick up on a super strong amount of nicotine, but years sailing has basically given me an immunity to the "buzz" so dont take my word for strength.

Pipe Used: Basket briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thepipehunter (43)	2022-08-02		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

From bulk Haunted Bookshop comes on the dryer side and ready to smoke. It’s a ribbon cut with a few larger chinks and broken flakes thrown in. The tin the note is earthy, nutty, musty, a little sour, with a touch of fruit.

Upon lighting the Burley leads and smacks you in the face. It’s a pleasant punch if you’re a Burley lover. It’s earthy, nutty, with light cocoa. Walnuts come to mind. The VAs are Red and offer a hint of sweetness, with a little fruit and spice. It trails behind the Burley by a few paces. The Perique is used as a little more than a condiment. It’s plumy with a bit of a black pepper kick and spice. You have to be a burley lover to enjoy this one I think, but it is an amazing blend once you “get it”.

Haunted Bookshop plays well. It takes to flame well and stays lit without hassle. It doesn’t get hot, but can offer a sharp, rough, cigarette note if puffed aggressively. It left a clean dry bowl behind and a very fine ash. I don’t think it is as strong in the Nicotine department as some folks let on. It’s not light, but it isn’t heavy. It lets you know it is present and when you’re done with a bowl you’ll feel “full” after but not stuffed. It goes great with morning coffee and also after a meal. 3.75 out of 4 stars.

Similar Blends: C&D Easy Times, and Old Joe Krantz..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason09 (5)	2021-11-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

As a relatively new pipe smoker, this blend knocked me on my butt. Made me feel like a teenager again going green from ducking down their first cigar. Definitly an interesting flavor but something I will have to come back to when my palate developes

Pipe Used: Comoy Bulldog

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	D.K. (58)	2021-01-10		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

A Christmas gift from a friend who bought if because of the name/tie-in. Gosh it is awful. It tastes like an old stale cheap cigar. Not just old, or cheap, but old stale cheap. That's the best thing I can relate it to, almost to a T. There is nothing at all about this that left a good memory. I was told the room note, I quote, "stunk". Maybe they use moldy old books. I'll give it 2 stars because I feel I must be missing something. PA is just plain old average, and whips the dust jackets off of this stuff.

Pipe Used: 5th Ave cob, and savoy

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: santa claus

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Palermo09 (23)	2020-09-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Revisited this blend after about ten years. I was not a fan the first time around. I thought it to be a one demisonal burley blend. No thrills. This time around I can really taste the perique. The burley is still forward but richer and more vibrant in flavor. Really enjoying it.

Pipe Used: 1974 dunhill shell briar billiard

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (221)	2020-08-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Haunted Bookshop is maybe the nuttiest tasting burley blend I have tried . It is not so much sour or bitter at all . I think C&D added just the right amount of Virginia and Perique to round these Burleys out perfectly! A little bit of fruity sweetness and figs and a little pepper spice that goes in and out through the bowl from the condiment tobaccos. No fuss with the tobacco, stuff it right in from the tin and it burns down perfect to the bottom with no moisture left over . I am enjoying this blend and will buy more . 3 1/2 rounded up to 4 .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	troyniss (38)	2020-07-04		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Presentation: Rough cut/ Chop cut pieces. Nothing real special about the form factor. An array of red, brown, burnt orange and a few dark leaves from the perique. I have heard that some are getting longer, semi-broken flakes in their tin or from bulk, but decanted into a mason jar revealed none of these. I opened a 7 year old tin and perhaps the processing is different now. Came more dry than average, and was probably the driest blend I've smoked, other than Bayou Morning. Had a large and noisy hiss built up inside.

Palette: Opening the tin and removing the paper disc, I was met with a super tangy and semi-sour scent, along with a brown sugar sweetness. A tad musty that can only be described as fermented grain or leaves left in the damp waiting to dry out for the burn pile. The burley offers a very nutty, somewhat dry taste on the tongue. Reminds me of last years wood pile that is now the perfect dryness for the firepit. I don't get any of the chocolate notes that burley is famous for, but this format is still delicious. The VA's offer a very tiny touch of sweetness and a bready tone and compliment the burleys to add some balance. The perique here is somewhat more than lightly applied, but the retrohale is where it really comes through. I don't get it too much in the taste, other than the famous tickle of my nostrils.However, the spiciness recedes a bit after 1/3 of the bowl. I do reckon that the perique does contribute to the the plummy and sour funk in the tin aroma. Alot of nicotine, at least from my experience. I had only eaten a snack about and hour before trying this and had to put it down after 2/3 of the way. I recommend a full meal before smoking.

Performance: Lights up pretty well. Burns more hot than average, probably due to the dryness and the cut of the tobacco, but it doesn't in anyway translate into the smoke itself. The smoke itself was relatively cool and stayed consistent. Just the bowl was a bit warm for my liking.

Conclusion: I've heard through and through that HBS is like a cigarette. While I can see some comparison, especially in the room-note, I think HBS shouldn't be put on the stoop with cancer-sticks. If you go into pipe smoking with previous knowledge of what cigarettes taste like, then I can assure that no matter what tobacco you smoke in your pipe, you're going to find a similarity somewhere. If you however have never tried a cigarette, then this blend should have no qualities of it. I think that HBS has been mocked and downgraded because of this. If you want to review HBS, compare it to another burley tobacco or even just another blend that has similar components, not cigarettes. If you want to do cigarette reviews, there's a website for that. It's like comparing a high-end S Class race car to the first car your parents get you in highscool. They are both cars, but both have different purposes. HBS and cigarettes are tobacco, but they shouldn't be compared for the same reasons. Perhaps I'm biased in that I had a 7 year old tin and yes, I have mentioned some qualities of other blends to having notes of a cigarette, but to outright claim you should just smoke cigarettes instead of this is just bonkers.

All in all, HBS has great potential for aging, as my experience has lent me and is a great blend if you disregard the cigarette fiends. It reminded me of Briar Fox, but with the burley and VA tobacco percentages reversed and added perique. The tin note was almost identical and I got some of the VA notes in HBS as I did in Briar Fox, which I really liked. The bready, sweet and brownsugarness in the background. I'm not sure if I will buy this again as I am currently comparing other burleys (PS CubeCut, McBaren Golden Extra, Newminster Light Burley), but it sure has left impact if anything. There is a reason why it has so many reviews and is one of C&D's best sellers. Either love it or hate it.

Pipe Used: Peterson Burren X105

Age When Smoked: 7+ Years

Purchased From: B&M South Korea

Similar Blends: Briar Fox (if it had perique).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Do I have enough beard for this? (3)	2020-06-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I MADE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP LITE!

First off, I love HB! It's my go to early morning with a strong cup of coffee blend. Being a former cigarette smoker and current user of smokeless tobacco products as well as keeping my pipe going all day, nicotine has very little effect on me , and I've never been "knocked over" by HB or any other baccy for that matter. That being said, I do find the flavor of HB to be a little too strong and rough around the edges to puff on from dawn till dusk.

ENTER HAUNTED BOOKSHOP LITE!

Ingredients: 70% HB + 30% Prince Albert.

I find that the young, soft, lightly topped burley of PA melds perfectly with the stout, nutty, deep burley flavors of HB. The PA also smooths out the Perique spiciness on retrohale. It's still there, but just barely.

I might try an 80/20 mix to see if the perique is a little more detectable.

I have only tried this mix with prince albert thus far, though I'm sure it would work fine with any OTC burley (ie: carter hall, half and half) or any milder burley forward blend.

In closing "hanunted bookshop lite" is absolutely something I could smoke all day every day. Anyone who is a burleyphile like myself would probably agree.

P.S. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ever think of this and I'm not claiming to reinvent the wheel, just loving this mix so much I felt compelled to share.

Pipe Used: Dr Grabow Golden Duke

Age When Smoked: HB was fresh/bulk PA maybe 1 month in jar

Purchased From: Online/ B&M

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2020-06-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend sealed is just not for me. I pick up nutty, woody, and earthy notes that are associated with Burley. Its molasses character comes through as well. The dark prune note from the Perique adds a bit more nuance to the character spectrum and it is consistent in its pepperiness.

The flavor is fairly full and the nic level is near strong.

I have a great enjoyment of Burley Flakes but this blend leaves me quite wanting in flavor and actually gives a bad after taste. Out of respect for its reputation and Matches860, I give it a 6/10. Unless I add additional Virginia to it (which I'll probably do), I wont return to it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2020-05-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Tin note is all natural but very intense, very yeasty with aromas of natural tobacco fermentation. It is mushroomy, it also has notes of fruit. Quite complex and promising.

It is a nice ribbon cut that loads easily and as moisture is optimal (to the point of being dry-ish), it can be enjoyed without further preparation. Now the smoke itself is exceptional from the first whiff. Pure, natural Burley taste, potent, tasty and yet smooth. I think I can discern notes of chocolate and cigar leaf. Now, as a predominantly Burley blend it lacks the sweetness Virginias have and the addition of red Virginia here is very subtle. On the other hand the Perique is quite evident both as spiciness and dark stewed fruitiness. It depends on personal taste whether you will like it or not but it is certain that this is a quality blend. To my taste a it needs some more sweetness and this I achieved by blending a little more Virginia to it. Burns cool, is not exceedingly strong but room note is quite heavy for nonsmokers.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2020-04-13		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

What a stinky blend! It tastes pretty good though. Comes in the tin a bit too dry and it is coarse cut so it will burn a bit hot. If you like a well balanced burley blend with lots of flavor, go for this.

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	boc777 (39)	2020-03-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

I resisted the urge to try this blend for as long as I could. It would appear to be what all the cool kids are smoking, if you browse reddit or FB groups. Sometimes a very popular tobacco will really exceed my expectations, and that just makes my day. Sadly, with HB, that did not happen. This was a huge disappointment for me. From the moment I opened the tin, the aroma just hit me like a freight train: cigarettes. The ribbon cut was nice, but the moisture level was extremely dry. I was dubious before I had even packed my pipe. This stuff smokes like a jet engine. Part of that is me, as I tend to tug a little bit greedily at times. This left me feeling like I was smoking a really cheap cigar or a bad cigarette. And I have never smoked even one cigar or cigarette in my entire life. Pipes only! So, if you are a reformed (or closet) cigarette smoker, you will love this Burley bomb. I love a full English, don't mistake my disgust with this baccy for being faint of heart. I absolutely love strong tobacco and I only occasionally smoke Aromatics (mainly to keep wifey happy!) I smoked this when the wifey was out of town, which was a good move, as she would have protested LOUDLY! LOL. I think this is a mediocre tobacco that has a great name. Like many other great names (true for beer, wine whiskey, ect.) People tend to get sucked in and convince themselves something is better than it actually is. And I am definitely guilty of that as well! But sadly, Haunted Bookshop's cool name was not enough to dissuade me. This blend is complete garbage for me. I smoked one bowl of this weed and I was completely turned off. Now I am stuck with nearly a full tin. Message me with your address and I will ship it to you.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billiard

Age When Smoked: new

Similar Blends: Dirty socks.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	paulw (76)	2020-01-31		Medium	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I finally got to try this blend.I have found this to be a very good burley blend.The mellow burley typical of burley blends.The Virginias citrusy and grassy.The perique tobaccos with just enough spice.The room note was of a non aromatic blend.The nicotine content in this blend is a little higher than most blends that I smoke.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: New One ounce pouch

Purchased From: Just for him in spfd mo

Similar Blends: Similar to two timer but more complex with the Virginia’s and perique added.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pappy1975 (13)	2019-07-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note: I get nutty wheat/oats and raisins. Flavor/aroma: Earthy. Nutty. Hay. A little fruit. Pepper. I taste the subtle sweetness of the Virginia the more it ages. Haunted Bookshop is definitely one of my top 5. I am a burley lover, and a deep appreciator of virginias, especially red, and perique. This blend is perfect for what it is. The aroma is pleasant. Cigaretty here and there if you puff aggressively, but even then, only what you’d expect from a premium cigarette, if there is a cigarette of that level of quality these days. It’s never bitten me. Smoked this stuff in every kind of pipe pleasantly. Gets world’s better with 6-months aging in your cellar or more. It’s cool smoking and fairly slow smoking even when it’s slightly dry. Won’t bite. The vitamin N is past medium, edging on strong, but if you’re sensitive, you might rate it stronger.

Pipe Used: Briars, cobs, clays

Age When Smoked: New to a couple year old

Similar Blends: Pegasus, Old Joe Krantz.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordon Tavistock (23)	2018-10-28		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

Like smoking old books covered in dust. Absolutely delicious of course. Lots of burley nuttiness and some spiced potpourri in the background. Quite a heavy wack in the gob, but when you get it in the zone it makes up for it.

Pipe Used: BIlliards

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2018-07-31		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

On trying this for the first time, I wasn't all that impressed. But now that I've had the chance to smoke around 4 ounces, I've found this blend has gotten a whole lot better. It grows on you. The flavors are subtle, and not even close to overpowering. I smoke a lot of Burley blends, and though this one isn't my favorite, down the road I may order some more, and cellar it for awhile...

Pipe Used: Tom Howard Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: 5 Brothers, but way less potent..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darren (6)	2017-03-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not exactly crazy about this one. I'm new to a pipe but have smoked Camel cigs for years. This blend tastes more like my old Camel cigs than any blend I've tried up until now. I find I have to really sip this blend to enjoy it. I'm trying to find the right tobacco for me right now and the closest I've come to that blend so far is C&D Mild English. There's something in it that is really pleasing to me. Especially toward the bottom of the bowl. Maybe it's the Latakia. Think I'm gonna order some straight Latakia and try to fix this batch to my liking. Hope it works. I'm looking for the perfect blend that has that same taste but more of it. I know that burley is used in cigs more than any other, so I'll try something with less burley next time. HB has a bitter nut taste to me which is ok but it's not the reason I took up a pipe. It seems the further down the bowl I get the more it taste like cigarettes. I'll finish this batch and try again. Unfortunately I bought a pound of HB, so It looks like I'll be smoking this for a while. Maybe the Lat will make it more suitable to my palate.

Pipe Used: Peterson Army, Peterson bent egg

Age When Smoked: New

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SydPiper (5)	2015-11-28		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

As a long time smoker of Haunted Bookshop I highly recommend it for those seeking an extremely well mixed Burley Blend. It can easily become an all day smoke without wearing your tongue out.

Pipe Used: Brair and Cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 months to 5 years.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2013-10-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The haunted bookshop I smoked to write this review was cellared in 2008, so be aware that this is the well aged version of this blend.

Haunted bookshop is a very interesting tobacco in the sense that it really separates the pipe smoking community. People seem to absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it. I don't mind it but it is not a favorite.

I have smoked this in the past and remember it being alot more brash and acerbic, but this ages sample was nice and mellow. The tobacco is pretty dry by today's standard but I find this to be the case with most C&D blends.

This blend lit well and stayed lit well. The first half of the bowl had this fragrant perfume like taste, but only in a natural tobacco kind of way, there is by no means any flavoring added here. That fragrant flavor that I loved eventually transitioned in to a nice mellow nutty burley flavor. Not bad.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quaffer (18)	2013-09-21		Very Strong	Extremely Mild	Overwhelming	Tolerable to Strong

My first impression was that it started off dry and peppery but eventually warmed up to a bit more of a straight up burley taste. It had some interesting flavors throughout, lots of nicotine, gave me niccups.

Following that first impression however, after smoking many more bowls I did not find myself enjoying this blend. The perique overpowered the blend and made it somewhat putrid and foul tasting, and I don't know if anyone has gotten this, but I usually get it if I smoke anything with cigar leaf in it through my pipe, I get an uncomfortable feeling of a lump in my throat (and I'm fairly certain that it's not a tumor).

This tobacco is too strong (in terms of flavor, and nicotine). Behind all the strength there was an interesting flavor buried away, but this blend was unbearable to smoke. Worst of all it ghosted my pipe, meaning that the next few smokes were less than enjoyable no matter what tobacco I was smoking.

C&D should go back to the drawing board with this one. Don't make the mistake of buying this blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2013-02-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

What interested me at first was how dry and natural this tobacco is. Others have described a peppery taste, which dominates the first part of the smoke. As you progress the rich burleys come through and virtually no sweetness enters into the picture. This was a tough one to get used to but, one of the nice things was the strength--just right for me; a little kick of nicotine to relax the nerves.

Overall I think 7formy1911 nailed the description. My review comes somewhat recommended mostly because I'm an English lover at heart. Top quality tobacco though, as you'd expect from Cornell and Diehl.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2012-12-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This tasted like a stale cigarette smells, my mouth was unhappy from the first puff.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-11-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

If you like Burley, you'll likely enjoy this. If not, then move along. Pleasantly nutty-earthy. If you start puffing away negligently, then you'll be punished by an overt cigarette note and flavor. If you slow down, you'll pick up some nuance from this one.

Don't get me wrong, this tobacco is incredibly linear and consistent from bowl to bowl, which is likely why you are smoking a burley to begin with.

This one also can get a tad strong in terms on nicotine, so don't pack and light up on an empty stomach.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of my favorite blends of all time. This virginia burley mix has the perfect amount of perique giving it the perfect strength. Everyone should give this a try if you like perique.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-01-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Wide ribbon cut, about the same moisture level as Carter Hall. The tin note was of nutty burley with a slight hint of the Perique. Packs well and burns very well, smoked cool and dry.

As a big fan of Burley London Blend, I bought Haunted Bookshop hoping it might have a little more depth to it, but it really doesn't, not in my opinion. The two dominant flavors are of course the Burley and the Perique, the first few moments as a matter of fact are pure Perique. But it settles down in just a few minutes to be a nice smoke. Every now and then you get a nice whisp of the pepper and spice from the Perique and the sweetness of the Virginias.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-01-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop? I just had to try this just to find out for myself. Nothing haunting about this one, unless it cries out for more of almost everything that this stuff is made of. Not bad but not that good either. It can stand to be a little sweeter along with everything else it seems. The only good thing about it is the strength department, whereas the big N word is satisfying enough but nothing really worthwhile beyond that. Skip on this one in favor of something more interesting, as C&D has much more interesting blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-11-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bought a 2 oz bag of this blend. It arrived extremely dry. Extremely easy to light. Burns hot but not too hot. It alternates between a 2 and a 3 stars. The perique is not very noticeable but when it comes through it is very pleasant. The virginias are more noticeable than the perique and are nice. I would have liked a bit more perique and virginia and alot less burley. This blend has a tendency to smoke a little bitter. Stayed lit the entire smoke, however I only enjoyed about half of the bowl the other half all I tasted was burley. This blend is very mild in flavor and almost no nicotine effect is noticed. If your a fan of burley i would recommend this blend however if you're looking for loads of flavor I would not recommend this. The room note is a nice mild smokey smell which is quite pleasant. My rating is 2.5/4 stars for Haunted Bookshop.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-11		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

Like someone said of C&D's Purple Cow: I really wanted to like this. I'm a burley man. No objection to a few spiced points to a tobacco. Also naturally a Virginia fan.

This stuff, which I purchased a bit of, from bulk, was dreadful. I can't ever say I have tasted moldy gym socks, pepper, and stale Chinese food all-in-one, but this is it. It has a bite that I hated, and I'd also classify it as rather sour.

I noted the dryness of the sample I received. It was odd. Then I noted it had NO aroma of any kind. It doesn't even smell of tobacco. Is it possible I got something old, dry and with a hint of mold? Perhaps. It sure tasted like it.

The reviews here are vastly overrated if that is what that stuff IS supposed to taste like. It took a malted and a bowl of Lane's 1-Q to fix this mess.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-10-20		Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a tobacco to go to and just smoke for awhile. When you do not want to think about what pipe with what tobacco for a while. Just pack it up and get to know the burly that comes through on the first few puffs. Do not let this discourage you the virginia is soon to follow. And when you let it pass through your nose you are glad they threw in the perique. A nice light tobacco taste is nice change for this flake and plug aficionado. I let all my other tobacco's age and just smoke this for a month or so. Ok so sue me I still hit the Condor too!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Puffer (42)	2009-01-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Not my idea of what a baccy ought to be. Comes, IMHO, too dry, has a strange cut, very mottled appearance, takes 3 matches to get started, no flavor but STRONG taste (I know this is hard to imagine), and gives absolutely no satisfaction of any kind.

To it's credit, once properly started, this mixture stays lit well but what the heck for?; Does not bite and smokes cool; No apparent casing or topping; No problems with packing and does not stink up the pipe (This is a little "maybe" since I couldn't finish the pipe and dumped the first load at half bowl}.

Am gifting the wife with the remainder of 4oz. tomorrow as a possible enrichment to her plant potting mix (she's getting used to this).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I was worried that this was going to be very similar to Old Joe Krantz as its ingredients seem simalar in the description. Haunted Bookshop seems to be a milder,sweeter, blend and is not similar to OJK. The perique and virginia are more pronounced in this blend in my opinion. I could easily smoke this all day.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2007-11-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

My bulk sample came powder dry. On purpose? I dunno but this was the worst pipe tobacco I have ever tried, even worse than Borkum Riff Whiskey. Smelled and tasted like cigarettes that had been opened and been left to air out in the sun of the dash board of someone's truck for a few years - HARSH!!

I had not even finished pulling down the flame on the first match when my tounge was stung like a scorpion sting. Biting hard right out of the gate to be blunt.

I was actually astonished that a blend could be engineered to bite so quickly. I never before had a bite, and such a hard intense one, happen so quickly in over 20 years of pipe smoking - even with the cheap stuff that I know will bite at some point.

The taste was awful - like smoking molded hay or floor trash sweepings - simply repulsive. This stuff is bad to the point it that makes me angry.

I hope my supplier had stored their stock incorrectly which led to this unpleasant experience and waste of my money and time. I would hate to think that someone at Cornell and Diehl knowingly made the tobacco this way.

If C&D is out to drive away customers, they have a winning strategy for sure with this poison.

I would give my sample away but I don't want to make any mortal enemies or be arrested for assault.

Sorry C&D, if this is a representative sample, it is simply an awful creation.

(-1 stars if possible)

:(

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Little to add except to say that this is a really "comfortable" blend, relaxing like the company of an old and valued friend. Seems to me to smoke better in larger bowls where the cube cut burley has a touch more room to expand as it smoulders. Good any time of day.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-05-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really wanted to try Haunted Bookshop after reading the book of the same name by Chris Morley which can be downloaded for free here; http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/172

Learning that this blend was one of Bob Runowski's made it even more appealing since he also blended one of my favorite burley blends, Morley's Best.

Now, I totally enjoy great burley blends and this one is one of the best out there. It packs and lights easy and has an immediate nutty burley taste with just a hint of perique. Like Morley's best it has superb burn characteristics and is a great all day smoke for burley fanciers. Four very solid stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-02-18		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

i was anxious to try this blend after finding out that it had been blended by bob runowski. he also did one of my favorite tobaccos, "morley's blend". after smoking it in two pipes, my bent peterson and striker long draw, i wasn't disappointed. it lights easily and one first notes the nutty burley taste, with just a hint of peppery tang from the perique. as it burned down, the perique became more apparent in my peterson, but pretty much stayed the same in the striker. it finishes with a clean powdery ash in the bottom of the bowl. just as with morley's best, the burn characteristics are superb. i love the nutty taste of good burley, and this one will make a great all-day smoke. I must admit, however to prefering Morley's Best to this one just enough to knock it down one notch. Three stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Exedwardsguy (11)	2004-06-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Like one or two of my fellow Haunted Bookshop reviewers, I first read Mr. Morley?s book The Haunted Bookshop while firing up a bowl (or five) of this distinguished Cornell & Diehl creation. I found the combination enchanting. Even if one doesn?t care for burley blends, I highly recommend this charming book. I got my 2-ounce pouch as bulk, and opened the rather industrial poly bag to be greeted with a dusty nutty burley aroma. The stuff was dry! I was worried, but I packed it carefully into a 50?s vintage Algerian briar Wilke Author, (promotion number two: One can still have one of these from Carole Burns at Pipeworks & Wilke ? she found an unsmoked stash of many of the old shapes and is offering them on the P&W website), and the mixture of chunky cube cut and ribbon cut loaded without trouble for a fine draw.

Initial light took two tries, which was surprising considering the dryness, but cubes usually take the match gently. The ensuing smoke was voluminous, cool, and richly nutty with a very slight sweetness. This is strictly a natural blend. Most gratifying! There was not much variance from this flavor until mid-bowl.

The last half of the bowl was as dry, cool, and ashy as the hero of the book. This is a good burley, and what little Virginia is present lends suppleness to the finish of the smoke that shores up the usual final sag in flavor that is often characteristic of even the best burley,

I was surprised by the seemingly low amount of nicotine in this tobacco. Though the last few draws gave me a bit of spiciness at the back of the palate, I found myself without the little buzz I would have expected from a mostly burley blend.

This is not a complex mélange of more than two or three flavors, so it is great for smoking while one is otherwise occupied ? presumably reading ? but it leaves one satisfied and somehow refreshed. Another masterwork of creative blending from Cornell & Diehl, simply and elegantly executed. Good stuff!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2004-02-17		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I love the name for this blend, as I am known to haunt quite a few bookstores myself. However, this blend just leaves me cold. The taste reminds me of an upscale Prince Albert. I like burley,but this stuff has the bitter, sour tastes that make me stop in a hurry. I really wanted to like this one, but I can't.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-06-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After seeing this name around ASP for a couple of years now, I decided it was time. Actually, it was the latest issue of P&T that prompted it. In it were several mini-reviews of new C&D blends, and since it was time for an order....

I was looking over the vast array of C&D offerings. I needed to come up with five for a sampler pack. "Hey," I thought, "why not try a bit of 'Bookshop'?"

There's not much description on the site or the brochure that Craig sends out with orders, just "A predominantly mixture of Burleys with a touch of red Virginia and Perique." Well, that's factual enough.....sort of like saying that the Grand Canyon is a fairly large hole in the ground!

The pouch aroma of this blend that reminds me of my Uncle Jerry, the only pipe smoker in our family. He was a dedicated smoker of Revelation, and I guess the Burley base of this blend gives me that sensation. BTW, a little research uncovers an interesting similarity of ingredients, e.g., Kentucky Burley, Va bright and Perique are apparently common to both. There is something spicier about the Haunted Bookshop, though, which is intriguing.

Craig notes on his website that most C&D blends may seem drier than the customer is used to, but to me this pouch is not 'dry' at all. The tobacco packs very easily, and the first bowl is under way.

The initial light is even and complete. After tamping and cooling, I re-light, and the tobacco springs to life evenly across the bowl. My first impression is that this is a very mild blend. Several quick puffs bring a good volume of smoke into the mouth, and I detect the first sensation of sweetness. I like this flavor; there is a bit of nutty quality as well.

In the first half-bowl, the flavor increases and broadens considerably. I detect more of the spicy quality that was hinted at in the charring light. I'm sure this is the Perique doing what Perique does so well. While it's a real presence in the total mix, it's not at all overpowering. I can definitely taste the fruity/spicy highlights against a separate underpinning of the nuttiness.

As the bowl burns down, I am impressed with how evenly the tobacco burns. About mid-way, the spice seems to give way to the nutty quality. That happens to be a personal favorite of mine, so I'm a happy camper at this point.

The last of the bowl is fuller-flavored, but still mild. In fact, after letting the pipe sit for some time and re-lighting, the fullness of the blend is more prominent, but still pleasant. At the finish, the bowl has become a smooth, gray ash, and nary a gurgle anywhere. I am delighted!

(The pipe, btw, was a Jirsa Rhodesian, well-broken in, and a really decent, inexpensive little smoker.)

I've taken to smoking my pipes more on a full-time basis recently, and I have been on a search for tobaccos that are milder -- for all-day capability -- but still flavorful. Haunted Bookshop really answers that description precisely, and it will definite be a regular blend for me. Tony Florida

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-24		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

20230315: Definitely won't be making 4 stars, but for a mainly straight burley, I still like it quite a bit. Just wouldn't choose it over say a mild dark fired KY when I want something burley-esque, or a stronger DFK when I'm in the mood.

Tin note: Smells faintly of perique, and sort of mildly nutty. Very mild scent. I think I taste the slightest bit of fruit from the perique/VA, maybe a little bit of warm/sweet spices. Not sweet to speak of. Mainly getting earthy, nutty burley.

Partway through the bowl, I'm starting to get a lot more perique influence. Sort of foot-adjacent, something people these days would probably describe as "funk". It works here, I think, though I'm usually not the biggest fan of perique. I think burley can get lost when mixed with sweet Virginias for example, but the perique isn't drowning it out. It's enough to keep it interesting, burley can be fairly dull on its own. And the perique isn't so prevalent in the mix as to be unpleasant, which I sometimes find it to be.

Strong nicotine kick, which I prefer. I don't like to smoke all day, I like to smoke slowly, and I like to feel something from my smokes. This fits the bill. This may end up making it to 4 stars when I get more experience with burley. It's nearly everything I want in a burley forward mix, I think.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FreeJazzPipes (9)	2023-01-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I purchased a bulk 2 ounces of Haunted Bookshop from a local tobacconist. The pouch note recalls a mild sourdough and straw and was perfectly dried to my taste with an even amount of moisture. The burleys are initially nutty and grassy, developing a hay-like, peppercorn spice quality. The Virginias are consistently woody, spicy, and somewhat sweet with a stone fruit-like quality throughout. The nicotine strength is a hair shy of strong and is almost cigar-like, which I think is mostly from the perique; this is a rough cut burley blend that offers a hefty kick of nicotine. The room note is powerful, with an almost Turkish cigarette-like odor. Don't expect a lot of compliments from passersby. A definite recommended blend for cigar-lovers, ex-cigarette smokers, and burley advocates.

Purchased From: Superior Smoke Shoppes LLC

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Printer Piper (18)	2022-12-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Owning a printing company, how could I not try this ? I thought it would be too powerful for me being a moderate English smoker. It does have a peppery, smokey and spicy taste, but not overbearing. I'm not a nicotine fan and I do get dizzy when its too high, luckily I read a lot of reviews before buying this and took it very slow - Bottom line: I liked it, but if I smoke it quickly it will definitely get me sick - However, if I sip it slow and pace myself, it is very enjoyable. This tobacco deserves respect - its the real deal definitely evokes a "Haunted Bookshop" type of feel - Enjoyable - but be careful because its Haunted and has the power to send you flying.

Pipe Used: Savineli Clarks Favorite

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Plantpartaker (7)	2022-09-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is delicious. If you Want a balanced nutty earthy woodsy flavor profile with a hint of spice and chocolate undertones try this blend. When I am not in the mood for a straight VA or a Latakia blend, haunted bookshop hits the spot. It’s a blend that doesn’t overpower your taste buds and some people will not like it. I was skeptical to try it but it has a robust tobacco taste which I like. The burley in here is nutty and made me want to try more burley blends.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cherry picker 1779 (52)	2022-09-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

One of my favorite blends / pieces of art in tobacco blending - possibly my favorite. Burns like a dream! Smoky and satisfying. Perfect nicotine content. Smoke it straight out of the tin. Pretty much a full strength full flavor and full taste blend that stops where it should and doesn’t overdue itself. Burley at its best along with the musty perique and slight presence of red Virginia. I am smoking the HB cake right now and I’m not sure how different it is from the ribbon cut HB because I am out of it because I smoke it all so fast every time. However the cake is doing just fine for me however it seems a little more rounded without the rougher edge that I actually prefer. But I still love it in cake form. If you take a lot of perique out of old joe Krantz you would have some version of HB. If you like natural burley and perique , you will love haunted bookshop and it will most likely be your holy grail. And that’s another good point - this is natural tobacco with no addition of any flavoring. Smokes cool and really does seem to be OJKs younger nicer brother. Only downside is probably the room note because I don’t think a non smoker would appreciate it at all. I haven’t had a single relight on this pipe once since I started this review and I am taking my time writing. No nonsense straight forward tobacco. If u like it you love it if you don’t like it you’ll probably hate it. This blend kind of reminds me of burley flake 1, 2 , and 3 , but it’s just a little lighter than those blends and has a much a more manageable nicotine level as well. So if u like the burley flakes but can’t handle the nicotine, try this. You will love it. And that’s not to say there is not a decent nicotine here. It’s close to the high mark on nicotine, but I believe it’s still falls in medium level in that catagory.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tobaksrøg (53)	2022-09-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hugely underrated blend. The tin note reminds me of cigars, but the taste is really different. I get an earthy, mushroomy, woody flavour which I haven't found anywhere else. An excellent blend for sure.

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BonyTony (4)	2022-01-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

When you get this blend it comes with lighter brown ribbons that are on the drier side, making them perfect to load straight into your pipe. The tin or bag note on this is shocking. At first is smells like a good rolling tobacco, but then has an overwhelming funky note that I've grown to love. This tobacco overall in strength is just a hair over medium and the taste is also around a medium. I would like to describe this blend as being on the darker side of the flavor spectrum, but it comes around in a strange, unstrong way. What you can expect from this blend is a very earthy, nutty, and dry flavor. The burley dominates this blend, with the virginia providing almost no sweetness, and the perique adding the occasional pop of sharpness and pepperiness. If I could explain this blend, I would say that it is very similar to eating a bowl of plain oatmeal. The flavor is there and it is delicious and stout, but it isn't anything too crazy. I always smoke this blend when I want something simple and satisfying. This blend smokes cool and easy, but can be a bit to strong at times. This is a great unpretentious tobacco that smokes well and will be loved by any burley lover.

Pipe Used: Numerous, Dr. Grabow Golden Duke

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Vegan-Comrade (4)	2021-05-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is my favorite tobacco, hands down. A predominantly burley blend with a bit of Virginian and Perique added.

The taste is balanced with just a touch of sweetness and pepper to compliment the nuttiness of the Burley, and it works perfectly.

Pipe Used: Rossi Piccolo, MM Country Gentlemen

Purchased From: 4Noggins

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (153)	2021-02-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

In his ultimate wisdom, Plato once asserted that opinions are the medium between knowledge and ignorance. Okay, so accepting the plausibility of that argument, what is one to conclude when the spectrum of opinions readily available on a specific topic of discussion are contradictory in nature? Perhaps the most pragmatic approach is, that in consideration of other’s opinions, while giving them proper audience and thoughtfulness, we remain open-minded but true to self. Maybe the real truth that we all eventually arrive at is highly subjective and somewhat dissimilar in nature. In plain terms, the wisdom acquired is not in fact one dimensional nor is it singularly or universal in make-up. It is the product of our own personal synthesis.

Wow, too cranial and too deep sir for a tobacco review; perhaps? Nonetheless, if this concept is valid, then the answer to the question at hand, “what is one to conclude”, then easily grasp that the true knowledge of the subject (a tobacco review) is actually the embodiment of a collection of opinions. There is no right one, there is no wrong one. There is merit in the multiplicity of impressions submitted for consideration. Each must be given proper license to co-exist in service to all interested camps of thought, thereby serving the better of the whole. Clear?

An individual review of a tobacco blend is just that. Although, please work with me on my feeble attempt at some tongue and cheek on this particular one. For all purposes, it should be the honest subjective reflections of the ensuing experience on the part of the reviewer of record. There neither again, will one find a correct nor an incorrect response or appraisement; only an opinion. Hopefully we’ve defined how that all works via my overly ambitious intro.

So where am I going with all this heavy-browed conceptualizing? Quite simply, I found myself toiling over the various postings, blurbs, and formal reviews (i.e., opinions) of the principal blend, Cornell & Diehl’s (C&D) Haunted Bookshop, with hope of gleaning some insight for the hobgoblin lurking inside. It struck me rather clearly that, folks either most definitely like this phantom, or they perceive him to be one step above ghastly excrement. The compilation of published stats model voices of ardent support attesting to, “yeah, it’s great, I give a thumbs up” with equally strong opposition by those professing to, “nah, this stuff most certainly sucks”, revealing to the newbie smoker about a 50-50 split. The spread in the rankings occupy the full spectrum of the range if you will. Some postings are tendered by scathing epitaphs, leaving the kiss of death with the proverbial “0” rating. Others more exuberantly wave the “5” star banner praising its heavenly spirit. Oddly enough, there appears to be no middle ground. What a perplexing head scratcher for the clueless neophyte taster.

Within the context of my expansive study into the world of Burley, I am choosing at least two highly published and representative blends per manufacturer for my subject sampling plan. Cornell & Diehl (C&D) offers an impressive collection of Burleys @ 30 within its massive line of product offerings that carry the “recommended” distinction. This one, Haunted Bookshop, and the tougher grand daddy Old Joe Krantz were the test blends of choice. Subsequent to this writing, an independent review of the latter old fellow of note will follow. For the namesake alone, Haunted Bookshop, with its somewhat mystical nature and general popularity, is the focus of this initial dance with C&D Burleys.

Although a fairly young company, C&D operates with a true appreciation for the fine traditions and history of American Burley. In doing so, C&D has amassed a comparatively established and notable position in the market for the presentation of quality mixtures. Several of these product offerings are attributable to the late Bob Runowski. Specifically my research disclosed that Runowski talent lies behind at least dozen of C&D’s top-selling American Burley blends. An impressive accomplishment appreciated by countless scores of Burley aficionados.

As with my present tasting exercise, I find that C&D’s particular base Burly has its own selective character. I learned that the specific Burley strains that C&D uses are primarily grown and cultured in the great states of Kentucky and Tennessee. Now understand that Burley is grown virtually world-wide. However, like wine, although the seed may be universal, the “terra”, the mantra, the essence, the natural influences of the soil and climate themselves in which the mother plant is grown, naturally impart a distinct and highly recognizable character. Impressions native to the particularly biochemistry of the mother earth and ambience find their way through to the finishing taste. Of course, the processing techniques deployed by the manufacture can and definitely do impact the final product’s personality, much can be deferred to its original DNA and environment.

Upon breaking open this spooky, sinister tin, I spied a very full and healthy pile of interestingly dark and broody-looking tobacco. Maybe the spirit in the can was making its ethereal introductions. This is a rather complex and hairy matrix of coarse cut, ribbon, and what I discovered intact shards of pressed tobaccos. The palate of hue is deep browns, earthy, mottled lighter browns, and some very distinct and deeply coffee-tinted flakes. The base Burley makes up the bulk of the wooly mass. Spread out intermittently were the remnants of pressed pieces, I assume that to be the Red Virginia. And in final, the coarse and darkest pieces in this bushy ensemble, that being the infamous Perique, are thrown about in a random fashion. On a side note, the blend I found to be is very dry right out of the can.

Haunted Bookshop has some very nice tooth with respect to the tin note haunting. Without a doubt, the standard woody-nutty Burley essence proudly materialized, smacking me loudly in the face. As I inhaled deeper and more discernibly, I gathered a really pleasant softly sweet grass, citrusy, raisins/prunes, doughy fragrance that was peppered lightly with a distant spiciness. I smelled it twice more just to be certain, yes, an array of perfume hovering divinely that I rather liked.

The aforementioned dryness and the random clustering of the assorted cuts on this mixture made packing the pipe a little interesting. For me, it required finessing as the various pieces of tobacco gave challenge due to its loose and errant nature. Haunted Bookshop apparently was not done with its ghostly flight as I had to work somewhat to keep limbs from flying here, there and everywhere as I inserted the whole into the bowl. Once this spirit was in control, I found that the tobacco to be full up and rather springy in its posture.

With the initial flame, which was in a MM cob, the soul of the blend finally spoke. The smoke it produces is thick, full and very dry. The Burley, and especially the flamboyant Perique, came immediately to the forefront with vengeance jangling its chains. The Kentucky and Tennessee Burley showed their character sure enough; portraying themselves as charming benevolent fellows of a rich mellow dark engaging woodiness. A woodiness I would describe as weathered, being very much different than other Burleys I’ve yet tasted, decidedly aged and tempered. A few compliments of musty real-world earthiness and the obtrusive peppery belt from the Perique really animated my olfactory senses. The Perique did eventually tame down, enclosing its magnetism with a more tolerable final zingy, smoky note thankfully.

Interesting enough as the blend continued to toast, I was picking up a unique taste. The standard light chocolate, dark prunes, nutty flavors were on the tap per par, but it was all cradled by a sort of a subtle yet lovable wintergreen minty twist. Never have I had a mint tone come through on a Burley, nonetheless, it was consistently what I was registering; interesting. By any means, nothing too overt by but in all actuality a really nice finishing accent all the same.

As for the Virginia, it used as a compliment and a toner because the degree of presence was very fleeting in my humble opinion. Occasionally I did register the usual sour sweet-tang and hay/grassy influences. It came in sprays somewhat disjointed and independent rather than intermingled. With a spirituous howl, it seemed like the Virginia threw in a voice periodically in order to proclaim stealthy attendance. By and large, the red Virginia is strategically metered from within the matrix of spirits just to mellow the rash staunchness of the natural Burleys and softly feather-out the recognizable thrust of the bold Perique.

I should state this very important point, nevertheless. When I smoked Haunted Bookshop within a briar the blend definitely melded together more superbly. The internal force from within the tin was less malevolent. Essentially, its character was less racy and rough. The join of flavor was much much more balanced and smooth, manifesting in a more enjoyable experience. Note to self, burn this one is a briar. Definitely I would score this higher with that particular venue as a final comment.

Haunted Bookshop burns naturally cool and slowly. Texturally, the smoke feels gratifying inside the mouth although dryness is somewhat of a specter. The effect of the Perique I felt persistently kicking at the back of my throat. As this blend burns it leaves a black-silvery ash that blankets the whole cake to the very foot of the bowl’s chamber. Some proclaim that the level of nicotine screams at them on this one. Being a cigar smoker, it’s very difficult for me to say, as pipe tobaccos tend not to influence me in that respect.

The resulting room note is pleasantly sweet, (as in Burley-speak) and smoky. The classic burley attributes hang smugly, moaning with its dark fruits, burning wood, toasted chestnuts and a bitter campfire incensy feel. However, they seemed to dissipate quicker than other Burley blends I’ve trialed. Overall this ghost I would classify as an aroma that is tolerable and amiable in demeanor. On another note, I didn’t get any of the cigarette- like impressions that others seemed to have attested to. Short of the tin smelling remotely like the Burley inside a fresh pack of cigarettes, I gleaned no similarities whatsoever.

In summary, Haunted Bookshop in my opinion, here we go again, is a noteworthy blend. Taken as a whole, I liked the distinct nuisances that C&D have mastered here with this product configuration. It is not what I would badge as a complex blend, yet it does present some interesting attributes. A tobacco that offers memorable qualities that I will more than likely find myself re-visiting in the future. Whether this ghoul continues to disturb my rotation of house Burleys, we will see given my ambitious agenda venturing into quality Burley-dominant mixtures. Give it a try, unless it scares you, to formulate your own personal opinion, therein will lay the truth for you and you alone. On a final note: Could it be that Plato was remiss on one very important point of conjecture? Namely, our own opinion, standing perceptions, and therefore our own collective wisdom on a subject matter, in this case a puzzling tobacco, are inherently a personal matter. Maybe the case for Haunted Bookshop stands as an unearthly monolith to that assumption? This rancorous and baffling haunting hereby has been spoofed.

Pipe Used: Cob and a briar

Age When Smoked: 4 weeks old from the tin

Purchased From: The Wharf

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl Old Joe Krantz.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2020-10-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

C&D's Haunted Bookshop

Wow!

Just "Wow" . . .

"Wow" why?

"Wow" #1: This stuff is great. Pryhosm hit the proverbial nail on the head: "Dry white wine -- nutty, woody, crisp."

"Wow" #2: I can't believe this is only a "2.4" with 42 ratings in the 1-star category (and 85 in the 1-to-2-star arena).

I mean, I do "get it" -- I would not be wanting to load my Ashton XL with this stuff in the midst of an August heat wave. I was lucky enough however, to have loaded a simple sample of HB into a Peterson Belgique on a crisply cool autumnal September morning, and the results were . . . "Wow"! I mean, if there ever were a blend that was perfectly crafted for a crisply cool autumnal morning, this is it -- and I would encourage all of those 1-and-2-star raters to reconsider HB in a small bowl, sipped on a cooler morning -- perhaps in the middle of a pumpkin patch somewhere . . .

Superbly sublime (keep the "white wine" thing in mind) . . .

4-sols

Pipe Used: Peterson Belgique

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael D (33)	2020-08-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was wrong. The original tin I made this review off of was put in a jar and pushed to the back of the collection. Last month 1-23, I revisited it. I found no citrus tingle, but I did find some pretty good burley. I found myself reaching for this over the old codger blends for a burley fix. I also bought 8 more ounces. I don't know if my taste buds have changed or if time heals all tobaccos.. either way I up dated this another star and find the blend pleasant.

Original: I was quite disappointed with this blend. I liked the tin art. The tobacco on opening was very dry. The taste was like a stale Prince Albert with some Citrus tingle to it. Nothing I could say good about it, other than the tin art. Well, if you can buy it in bulk , you can get down to Prince Albert pricing.. I would rather buy more Prince Albert and lose the citrus tingle. I may blend in some PA and see if I can finish the tin.. I am cheap that way.. Not one of C&D's better blends in my opinion. Citrus lovers might like it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Karam (59)	2020-05-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Nearly indistinguishable for me from Old Joe Krantz so I'll borrow what I wrote of OJK for this.

The smell from the tin is not the best, it's very similar to OJK (sour) but a tad sweeter, I've come to consider this the smell of C&D blends with Perique. Didn't get a lot of what I think of as burley smell.

Initial draw was of Perique, and "generic" - if there's such a thing - tobacco taste. It's not Oriental, it's not Virginia Flake, it's not VaPer, or Latakia, and definitely not flavoured. It's tobacco, no more no less. The bowl smoked effortlessly to the heel, coolly and consistently. However here's where the problems started for me, there was not much flavour here! I'd get the unmistakable taste of Perique on the nose, lower amount than Bayou Morning Flake, but quite a hefty dose still but really not a lott else I could put my finger on. Unpleasant? Not at all, just a bit bland. Definitely not something I'd consider having a nicotine kick either.

Another similarity this tobacco has with OJK is that bowls seem to disappear in a flash, even packed tight, even considering it was at perfect moisture for immediate smoking from the tin. That's not a problem, just a note.

This is most definitely an all-day tobacco, sometimes one does not need to be stimulated all the time, and this tobacco would fill this niche.

Purchased From: smokingpipe.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

C&D- Haunted Bookshop

I recently purchased this tin dated 20Mar2020, after struggling to find it in stock. As many others have noted when first opening the tin it has a sort of musty barnyard smell, hay and the accompany smell of other parts a musty decaying foliage or wet leaves smell, the smell of citrus and tree nuts are also there intertwining quite well.

This blend was ready to pack and smoke upon opening and needed no drying time. This blend needed no drying time, and no re-lights.

Upon smoking I get nutty burley and hay, with a cinnamon cocoa type room note interspersed with a slight peppery fig not probably from the slight hint of Perique in the blend.

The Perique gives a slight tickle of the nasal sinuses but isn’t driving the show here.

The nic hit which so many rave about is average at most, I just finished running a few miles and on an empty stomach can easily smoke this blend whether this speaks more of me or the blend is up for your own interpretation.

This could be an all day smoke for those fond of burley forward blends goes well with coffee. I will add more to the cellar.

Pipe Used: Rossi 320

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus, Cornell & Diehl - Burley Flake #1.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Harbor Seal (12)	2020-02-16		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A great interpretation of the american burley based OTC blends like Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh etc.

Tin note: sweet cocoa, and an intriguing scent that reminds me of luke warm butter thats mixed with vanilla sugar.

Initially a nutty, earthy burley with a generous amount of spicey perique. Biting on pepper corns comes to my mind here, some may like it, some may not. The virginia stays in the background but adds an edge to the blend. I might wanna call this blend a Bur-Per. As you go down the bowl, the perique tunes down a bit. Burns fairly quickly, but no issues with bitter taste or tongue bite.

Edit 03/20: I reduced the rating by one star. Two reasons: first of all, some people have noted that the tobacco comes pretty dry. Same for me, I also noticed that it tends to burn very hot. Though, I did not notice any problems with the taste. I decided to rehumidify the tobacco. Secondly, the very earthy burley and the perique are almost a bit too much spice for me, definitely not a smooth blend, but it gets better after half the bowl. Very high nicotine content, so be aware of that.

Overall quite a good blend, and the favourite blend of Matches860 who had passed away too early. Recommended to VaPer lovers who would like to try something different.

Pipe Used: Golden pipe (pear wood) w/ 9 mm charcoal filter

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lt.LeoJ (1)	2020-02-01		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin note is earthy and savory with hints of dried fruit and a Savory aroma of aged cheese. The moisture level was good straight from the manufacturer but a little on the dry side. The smoke is dry and nutty with hints of cayenne pepper spice. Requires multiple relights without constant tending, but leaves hardly any moisture in the bottom of the bowl. It gives me a little bit of a nicotine hit but I'm not super sensitive it could be a little strong for some. It burned down to a fine gray Ash. A fairly decent smoke, but would not be my everyday blend. I was turned on to this blend by Eddie Gray and matches860 may He rest in peace.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie 98b

Age When Smoked: 1 mo

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cam91 (23)	2019-10-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

I really enjoy this blend. I've tried it in both bulk and canned, and there isn't much difference. The one thing I would change is the moisture level- it is too dry. Despite that, it is one of my favorite smokes. Earthy and savory. When the perique or virginia peak through the mix it is awesome. I carry this around with me to smoke in my cobs throughout the day, but I find this does pretty darn well in a briar, almost getting whiskey like flavors at times. It may just be my overactive imagination but the flavor of this, along with the name, reminds me of an old stale library book. Recommended 3 and a half stars. Would be 4 if it was a little more moist.

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingDuncan83 (25)	2019-05-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a blend that is either love/hate haha! I happen to love the Bur/Per in this blend. Very much hay, raisins and spice! If you do not like burley you will not like this blend. However, C&D has the best burley blends on the market!

Pipe Used: Cobbs

Age When Smoked: Unknown bulk version

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar and Blues (4)	2018-11-20		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

It’s a burley fan’s VaPer. Earthy, strong, spicy, “dry”...it’s not going to blow your mind with complexity but it’s a solid smoke. The Reds and Burley play nice together and the Perique flavors juuuuust before it gets to be too much.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2018-08-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

1-23-22--- Changing tastes.. the story of a blend with cool tin art. When I got back into pipe smoking in 2017 or so, I bought an 8oz tin of Haunted Bookshop based on the tin-art and loving the book. I expectedly popped the tin to discover what at the time was the strongest, foulest of blends. It was "rough" tasting and it had "nic kick" that I didn't enjoy at that moment. I dumped the tobacco into a large jar and put the can on display on my shelf. Over the years, I kept seeing references to it and how people thought it was so great and was their everyday smoke. I just remembered that first impression. Slowly, very slowly as my smoking has progressed I started to try and enjoy other burley forward and stronger blends. One day, digging through the jar cellar.. I found that jar.. and decided to give it a try again. Now the tobacco "spoke" to me.. and I was able to get flavors out of it that were "lost" on me back then. Fast forward to today. I start most mornings with a bowl while I'm enjoying my coffee. I wait for sales to make sure I have some bulk back in the cellar and I've started using it as a blending base for other tobaccos I'm trying to use up.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rick778 (13)	2018-06-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Burley, burley and burley (with a little hint of something extra). I found this to be a straight forward burley blend with a touch of perique and virginian. It is simple and uncomplicated.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: One Month

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2018-06-23		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Update 4/30/2019: This stuff ages nicely. Has a great jar smell, like prunes and bread. Taste is straight forward VaPer. The burleys taking on all the other tobaccos characterises. Differently but and cellar for a year.

Been reading about this blend for years on all my Facebook groups. You either love it or hate it. Well I like burleys but others can't stand the smell it leave. So learned a new trick, take a fabric softener and rub on clothes after smoking. Now back to the review. Love it. Straight Burley with a dash of Virginia and Perique. I like the natural taste and full flavor. Strong if not puffed slowly.

Pipe Used: Moretti

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyinMD (27)	2018-06-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find Haunted Bookshop a very smooth blend. It has a little pepper, which I'm assuming comes from the little perique. Unlike others, I do notice the Virginia, mostly in the sweetness it adds to the blend. The burley keeps it cool all the way down, and gives it a healthy amount of Vitamin N. The perique may help with that, but it's too light to notice much of a difference. Because of its strength, I enjoy Haunted Bookshop in smaller pipes. A couple of bowls full goes a long way. The burley also keeps the Virginia from biting, as Virginia blends can leave me with a scorched tongue from time to time.

While several people note a cigarette flavor, I didn't really. I guess it could be cigarette-ish, but not cigarette-like. As someone else noted, American cigarettes are heavily burley with a little Virginia thrown in. Unlike cigarettes, I just taste the nuttiness of the burley tobacco, without that acrid taste. Same goes for the room note. I smell tobacco - a little sweet, a little spice, a lot of nuttiness - kinda like a tobacco barn in the spring, but I don't smell cigarette. And the smell doesn't get into everything like cigarette smell does.

Haunted Bookshop has become a regular part of my rotation.

Pipe Used: Luciano, IPE

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Champagne InHand (3)	2017-11-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Nutty, earthy, wood filled with a touch of black pepper. Some smokiness from the perique and of medium strength. I guess I expected a bit more from this blend, but it is pleasant enough. Not as complex as the pipe tobaccos from SBC I have been smoking lately and much different that DE Gatsby Luxury Flake which has a similar make up. I would give the nod to the Gatsby in this regards. I have 6 ounces to burn through and my impressions may change as I make my way through this jar I packed up.

Pipe Used: Rhodesian Briar

Age When Smoked: Unknown. Purchased in bulk

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: A weaker similarity to Gatsby’ Luxury Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (106)	2017-09-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I got this one to try something new. There was a sale on the bulk, which may be a bit different from the tin version.

Tin note is very burley, with perique and a whiff of smokey Kentucky. It's mostly ribbons of gold and brown, with a fair amount of broken flake in it. Some decent sized pieces at that. This is why I say the bulk may be different, as I didn't notice anyone else here mention them. I ended up going through the 1 oz bag I bought and rubbing those out a bit to make them easier to load with the dip in the pouch method.

It still packs a bit rough. It worked better in a slightly wider bowl ultimately. It doesn't light easily, a few good charring lights get it going though. It burns as to be expected, well enough. The flake bits come in line about 1/3 the way through the smoke. It does require some relights, with a need to ash the pipe first. It won't light when the ashgets thick. It picks up in flavor on the last 1/3 of the pipe.

The taste is a nice burley. The va does make it a bit sweeter than I expected. The perique is noticeable, I like perique a lot though. The earthy, smokey notes to it give it some depth of body and round out the predominance of burley.

I smoked only this blend thoroughly for two days. It is good, but may be a bit strong for some. I got a little spinny from it after smoking three bowls back to back haha. It could be an all day smoke, but it may get dull for non burley lovers. Not sure it's for newer smokers, as the packing and lighting could be frustrating for some.

Pipe Used: One small, one medium

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Orion's arrow a bit..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wildrage (6)	2017-07-05		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is one of those blends that grew on my over the years. When I first started pipesmoking, I tried this blend and absolutely hated it. It was like chewing a pack of cigarettes (I've never smoked cigarettes before). It also made me very light-headed. Now, some years later, I have revisited it, I can appreciate this blend for its simplicity. It's a rough around the edges burley with a moderate nicotine hit. Recommended on a full stomach, or the end of the day, if you're N adverse. Worth giving a second change if you've tried it and avoided it in the past!

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2017-04-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It has been awhile since I had a C&D blend. Now I remember why I don't get them anymore. Opened up a fresh tin of this blend and it was as dry as hay that's been out in the sun too long. Surprisingly, it does not burn down as fast. With a slow cadence you should be able to stretch it to maybe 25 minutes, but don't hold me to it. The taste is along the lines of the old OTC burley blends that are still out there. Just not my cuppa. YMMV. Over all, it is only slightly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gus Evening (10)	2017-04-13		Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I would recommend not being too hasty with your review of this blend. Give it some time, because I think it takes some experience to really appreciate this blend. I normally smoke English blends but this is quickly made its way into my rotation for something different.

I would say the nicotine is on the high side but not overwhelming. I do get quite a bit of sweetness from the Virginia and some spiciness from the perique but not too much. Burley is the main tobacco flavor in this blend. At first I thought it was harsh, but I think I was smoking it too fast, when I slow down a little bit I noticed quite a bit of interesting nuance. Excellent. Give it a try.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum, briar and cobs

Age When Smoked: 2

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OomPaul Guy (7)	2017-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have to give credit for me trying this blend to YouTube Pipe Community Presenter, "Matches860" who touts this blend very highly. I am predominately a Burley smoker, however, this is actually my first uncased Burley blend.

This blend is truly awesome!! The balance between the Burley, KY and VA is capped off beautifully with just a splash of Perique. The flavor is very distinctive and unique, unlike any I have tried before. There is a bit of a Nic hit detected, but, being a cigarette smoker, not at all overwhelming for my tastes. The Perique is nice, giving you that pleasant tongue tingle like eating a very mild hot pepper. Very enjoyable and easily an all-day smoke.

Thanks John!!

Pipe Used: Savinelli "Solaria" 614, Savinelli "Roma" 614

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Burleyblues (2)	2016-12-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

Loose cut, pretty dry, very little aroma from the tin (sort of old-book scent...), packs, lights and burns easily. No bite. The burley and the kentucky are the major players, the virginia brings some smoothness and the perique is barely perceptible (maybe in the strength). The blend is very simple, rough, earthy, slightly nutty with a good level of vitamine N. It is not for beginners who may find it too bland but it is a good uncomplicated all-day smoke for those who enjoy burley. It mixes very well with other blends, bringing them strength and smoothness. Update 2017-02-01 : Make sure that the tobacco is at the good level of moisture to appreciate it fully.

Pipe Used: Non-filter pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AlebrijePIPE (1)	2016-06-24		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I can't smoke cigarretes because it left a terrible taste back of my tongue. A lot of times - specially on cold days - people on street smoke and then I said: wow, what a smell of that cigarrete! Then, I try with another brand, but results are the same. Until I reach to pipe world. I know burley sometimes is renowed as a "poor man tobacco" Who cares! I just get my package from SP and I taste it. Smells good and tastes like the same! Thanks to Matches860 to introduce me through his videos to this blend!

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corvus (36)	2016-02-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In my reviews I try to take a methodical chronological approach from tin appearance through to aftertaste with a concluding statement. This blend requires a different take based on impression, and that impression is that this is damned good. There is just something so satisfying about it that it hits the spot in a very honest way. When I'm at work thinking about my after supper bowl it is this blend that I'm packing.

I've found that of the Cornell and Diehl blends I like, which is about 80%, they have a singular quality of growing on me from an initial neutral impression, to appreciation, to craving. It may very well be the burley, which is not harsh but because it is unadulterated is unrefined, literally and figuratively. When I first received my bulk order I was rather nonplussed and a little alarmed by how dry it was. As a result, this was ignored for some time, but that recess helped to take the edge off and really improved this smoke. This is a straight up tobacco experience. I love the dry, toasty, earthy, woody, roasted nut burley and the malty red Virginia. The tangy Perique puts it over the top. There is a definite mustiness, redolent of aged books, that works perfectly with the name. Healthy burley strength to this too. In the bag it has some faint vinegar notes.

This is really a great blend and will be a staple, and in fact I'm awaiting a shipment this afternoon. To others looking to try it for the first time, be patient and persistent and let it mellow for a few months.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haebar (52)	2015-11-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a very intense Burley blend. It has rich Burley body and depth of flavor. There is not a lot of complexity here but lots of good Burley tobacco taste. There is just enough Virginia and Perique to keep it from being cloying, not enough for a balance of flavors. In terms of nicotine strength, this one is substantial, definitely above the mid-range of the spectrum. It has burned dry and cool in every pipe I have smoked it in: Orlik billiard, Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman, and a Sunrise Canadian. HB is easy to light and it stays lit with very little effort. Mine was a bulk tobacco and was smoked right from the bag with no air time. It is a very satisfying smoke if you like Burley tobaccos. This is one that I will be coming back to in the future.

Pipe Used: Orlik billiard, Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2015-10-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Hunted Bookshop is a wiiiner, that is if you like Burley, and I do! The Burley is the big player but you cant ignore the sweet virginia or the spicy plummy Perique. Excellent mixture for those damp cool fall days when I need to kick back with a strong cup of teaand a pipe. While it is not Old Joe there is still plenty of strength to slap you around. Not an all day smoke for me but certainly an everyday smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2014-11-01		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Haunted Bookshop... Ah the name got me... Again marketer's take note, anything with "Haunted, Autumn ,Dark, Mysterious, Hollow etc. will get my attention... Anyways I do like these types of blends although HB is a bit too musty for my taste. I like my Burley blends to have more sweetness and less spicyness. I would recommend HB to a veteran that enjoys very earthy and slightly bitter spicy burley blends... Room note will not earn any praises...

Pipe Used: Cobs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2011-06-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop is a mixture of ribbon and cube cuts, burley is the main player on this one, the burley has an earthy taste which is very common in most of the burley from C & D, the perique plays a second part maintaining a good balance along with the burley, the virginia weave in and out providing a necessary sweetness to this blend, in my my most humble opinion I would not be surprised is there's a little of unflavored cavendish on this mixture. It packs easy and lights the same. HB flavor profile reminds me of Haddo's delight they are both geared toward the burley smoker but the difference for me is that Haddo is a harsher smoke due to the excessive amount of perique use where HB the perique is use with more restraint and does not have any noticeable topping added.

Would I buy this again? maybe... the tin that I'm smoking is close to the 4 year mark, I think that this blend needs a couple of years in the cellar to let the virginias aged and bring that necessary sweetnes to this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-13		Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This came to me highly recommended as i enjoy burley a bit, tin note is your typical sweet molasses/raisin that usually signifies burley. Slightly moist out of the tin but 15 minute drying under my desk lamp cured that and it lit easily in a MM Diplomat. First flavor was somewhat nutty with a pepperish blast but mellowed out quickly to a very mild nutty-ness with a slight pepper taste with the sweetness of the virginia peeking through every now and then. I enjoyed it until about half bowl where the N kick hit me which i wasnt expecting since i can smoke PA all day long and barely feel it. Room note was somewhat pleasant and dissipated quickly but im going to have to finish this tin at a half bowl pace. Apart from the N hit i give it a solid 3 out of 4.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Haunted Bookshop has been referred to as Old Joe Krantz Lite. Both tobaccos were blended by Bob Runowski, who knows his Burley. The constituents are similar, but the nicotine dose of HB is considerably lower than that of OJK. However, to belittle this blend as a "Lite" version of anything else is to really sell it short. I think it may be a blend that you either like or don't, but I also think that any burley lover should really appreciate Haunted Bookshop. The tin opens to a mix of brown and tan ribbons, with some of the cut being pretty big ribbons, consisting ofBurley, Virginia, and Perique. Keeping with the comparison to OJK, the cut is finer. The aroma from the tin is sort of earthy, and pure tobacco goodness. For my tastes the moisture level in the tin is just about perfect; on the slightly dry side but with enough moisture that I still let it air a bit to dry. Sometimes, while it dries, I like to just smell the tin. It packs well into a pipe, but I suggest packing it more lightly than most other blends as it seems to condense easily, tightening the draw if not. Upon lighting it is the burley that drives the blend, but at times I notice wafts of flavor that remind me of the taste of a good cigar. Obviously the burley, but what a great taste! The Virginia adds a top note and sweetness to the blend while the perique adds spice and depth. HB stays lit nicely through a smoke. Good clouds of heavy smoke are produced, but if smoked slowly, with lighter puffs and clouds, there are rewards from all three constituents not found if puffed heavily - the burley is a flavorful one with more nuance than many, the Virginias provide a nice high end with wisps of fine sweetness, and the Perique's fig-like nature provides a flavor delight on the bottom. Regardless of how it is smoked, though, HB has a rich, full earthy flavor. It reminds me of walking through Durham, NC, in the 1960s. Early in the smoke I notice the "hot" flavoring of the Perique, but this dissipates further into the bowl, then makes a fairly dramatic return in the last quarter or so of the smoke. The pipe and the smoke stream stay cool and dry to the very end. Unfortunately, my wife isn't fond of the room note, and this is a problem. Because I smoke a lot of this stuff! (Thank goodness for Lampe Berger!) And I can smoke pipe after pipe without tongue bite. Haunted Bookshop has risen to the top of my favorites list, where it has stayed now for at least a couple of years. There is more of it in my cellar than there is of any other blend. I can smoke it in the morning to relax on my long drive to work, in the evening after a good meal, and all day while watching football or walking the dogs. Like other blends from C&D, it needs to be aged before it is opened, but once aged it is Nirvana.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable to Strong

I got this because i liked the name mistake. I is a sour smoke and reminds me of old stale cigarettes.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davetopay (43)	2010-03-20		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got this in a trade, so I can't vouch for the average condition when you buy it in a shop. It didn't feel cased and doesn't taste to me like it is dosed with flavorings, but just tastes like good burley which has been spiced with perique and VA leaf in such a way as to create a very relaxed soft tasting blend. I have come to like it as a palate cleanser of sorts between bowls of my more pungent blends. The sweet/baked va shows up every now and then and the burley has a nice aroma without being perfumed. This is what I had always hoped more of the codger burleys would be like. A solid 2.75 star tobacco. Nothing wrong with it, not too complex or high falutin' and fancified. Just tasty, cool burning, easy going pipe smoking.

One little note...if you are a quick puffer, you won't get burned or bitten, but if you can keep this on the edge of going out it will show you a bunch of little surprises.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	aadelma (67)	2008-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Update 4/29/2009:

This is now my main smoke. I smoke as much of this as all other blends put together. A few more months (total of 9) tempers the bitterness a bit more to a level I find perfect for any occasion. The last few puffs at the end of a bowl have a nice Va/Per flavor which makes the bottom of the bowl something to look forward to rather than dreaded. I find this blend tastes a bit acrid in large bore pipes. A medium or small bowl pipe works best. This blend will not wow you at first but wins you over given some time.

"The Haunted Bookshop" is a book by Christopher Morley which features a lot of pipe smoking. It is no longer copyrighted in America, so you can read it online, for free, at:

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Christopher_Morley/The_Haunted_Bookshop/index.html

Smoking this blend while reading it's namesake is a very relaxing experience.

Original review 12/16/2008:

This review is for the tinned version of HB. As with all C&D non-cavendish blends, don't even think about smoking it unless it has some age on it or you will be rewarded with a poor smoke. I waited until my tin had 6 months on it. It was dry but not excessively so. Packing and lighting are a breeze as long as you leave a bit of room for the cube cut burley to expand. For the first 1/4 bowl, it is slightly sweet, grassy, mild, and light in taste. After that, welcome to flavor country. The burly really comes forward with a nutty bitterness which is tempered a bit by the perique and VA. This goes great with a sweet cup of coffee, but if you aren't in the mood for an earthy, non-sweet tobacco flavor, it can be overbearing. But this is the flavor it was obviously designed to present, and it does so well. There is nicotine here but it is not overbearing. It stays like this to the bottom of the bowl. This blend reminds me of Prince Albert, except that it far more flavorful and of vastly higher quality. It isn't finicky about pipes or puffing pace. The room note won't win you any friends as it is somewhat cigarette like, but I appreciate the straightforward tobacco aroma. I like it and would buy it again, but if the bitterness were just a bit more subdued by a smidgen more VA, I would smoke it more often and I think it would win over a few more fans.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2008-11-27		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop, a non-aromatic but wonderfully flavored Burley blend is, for me, at its best as a midday smoke when my palate is clear and I'm a bit hungry. I find that its piquancy (the Perique) makes it a poor choice with morning coffee, when bland Prince Albert works best, or after dinner, when L J Heart Burley's broader flavor produces a more complimentary finish.

During the day however, I enjoy the earthy, musty, sometimes downright gamey brown-tone flavors; and Haunted Bookshop's peppery edge adds interest to an otherwise routine smoke. This is Runowski at his best; a most tastefully accomplished blend.

If you're a Burleyphile do give Haunted Bookshop a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-11		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This reminds me of Prince Albert, only way better.

I'm smoking 4oz of Haunted Bookshop in bulk, and it burns like tinder - whoosh! and it's gone. Pack it tight so you can to slow the burning.

Personally, I like a longer smoke that lingers. This burns too fast for my taste. If they make this in a flake form I think I'd buy it again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-06-05		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Please pardon my indolence, I blogged a review to this on another site I frequent and figured I couldn't say it any better. So here it goes: "Even a cursory comparison of the constituent tobaccos of this blend and OJK will immediately gear you to expect something very similar to OJK. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While the ingredients are indeed the same, the presentation, character and taste of HB is an entirely different animal.

While both OJK and HB are certainly modern incarnations of my beloved codger burlies. In presentation, OJK would seem to be a perique blend with large quantities of burley and a little virginia to mitigate what would otherwise be a perique flavored tire iron to the face. OJK is cigary, acrid and borderline harsh, everything that HB is not. Although the ingredients of the two are identical, HB remarkably seems a very different tobacco. No harshness at all here. If OJK is Thai food, HB is meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn with just a healthy sprinkle of black pepper.

The uninitiated have sometimes referred to HB as boring or monotone. I just don't see that. Like it's big brother OJK, HB is simultaneously simple and extremely complex. For me, this blend smokes like a parfait. The top of the bowl is very lightly cigary. Mid-bowl the grassy sweetness of virginia comes front and center with the burley just perceptible enough to make the virginia a bit doughy and totally bite free. Towards the bottom is a grab bag of any taste you've ever heard assigned to burley (i.e. bread dough, chocolatey, nutty, cigary) with the grassy sweetness of virginia peeking in and out just strong enough to be noticed before it gently fades and another burley taste emerges. What about the perique? Well, it just doesn't seem to be a huge part of this blend. At its strongest the perique in HB is condimental. Seems just enough to provide that extra "something" that is neither burley nor virginia but not readily identifiable as perique either. I would compare the perique content of this to something like PS Luxury Navy Flake (i.e. just above invisible). Without a doubt this is an old style burley blend but is light-years ahead of most codger burlies with regard to sophistication and character. It is a smooth, all day smoke which remarkably does not lack vitamin N. So perfect is the balance of burley and virginia that one could nearly be persuaded that there are equal quantities of both in this blend. They just seem to take turns being the tobacco in front. At times, this could probably be mistaken for a virginia with condimental quantities of burley and perique. Other times it is unmistakably burley with condimental quantities of virginia and perique.

In my rotation HB initially was my light change of pace tobacco from OJK. More and more though, I see Haunted Bookshop and OJK sharing my pipe days in equal measure. Haunted Bookshop covering the earlier portion of the day and OJK for the afternoon kick in the pants. I would strongly recommend HB to any virginia lover exploring burlies. Even if body chemistry conspires against you and your are averse to perique, I would think you'd be OK with Haunted Bookshop (this means you Rick!) It's low maintenance codger burliesque smoking manners would also make a great "doing something else" tobacco great for yard work, fishing, driving, woodworking, etc. If your normal fare is heavily latakia'd and smokes like a shredded truck tire, Haunted Bookshop would be a great, light, change of pace without having to contend with the vitamin N depletion normally brought on by most "light, change of pace" tobaccos. This one is a keeper. The more I smoke of it the more I like it. Top Shelf Smoke for sure, Well done Mr. Runowski, well done.

I would only add to this a spot on analogy made by my most excellent friend Quaffer, "OJK is the Beast and Haunted Bookshop is the beauty."

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I like this much more than Back Porch, which is somehow more grassy and harsh. A blend as convincing as any of quality burley's merits when blended tastefully and without added sugars.

While I am not sure I can picture the characters of Christopher Morley's "The Haunted Bookshop" smoking this, the blend is a fine enough tribute to Morley's whimsical style present in the honored title. Bob Runowski's blending skills are far from fictional. I wonder if someone will write a book about them?

This might be a good place for introducing someone to Perique, too.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	earl (12)	2007-06-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The differing palates of individuals is a fascinating thing and thought that I was tasting a different tobaco that several of the recent reviewers when I saw their ratings. My reaction to this was more in accord with pipestud. I like perique but my stomach doesn't. So was delighted when I tried this tobacco. Has just enough perique for flavor without assaulting my stomach and melds so well with the burleys. For burley lovers who enjoy a tad of perique, can't think of a better one and it is currently one of my mainstay blends.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoy a good burley blend and this one qualifies as one of the best I have smoked. Strong enough in the nicotine department to satisfy and mild enough not to be a large bite risk. It is somewhat on the dry side in the tin, which is a good sign. It packs easily an lights without any effort. A very satisfying and flavorful taste that burns well all the way to the bottom of the bowl. An excellent all-day smoke. If I could sum it up in one phrase, I would say it's a good blend with a smokiness in the background that really satisfies.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-02-25		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Came across this by purchasing the C&D sampler. No tin descriptions so I began looking up the contents of each tin on this website. The description lead me to the book - purchased the book on a lark. Loved the book! Classic 20's americana with great references for the bibliophile. I'll get the first now: "Parnassus on Wheels". The tobacco itself is true americana, in the vein of House of Windsor; and I really am a sucker for historical or literary links. So far so that I purchased a Peterson Shannon Sitter specifically for this tobacco. Buy the book - buy the tobacco - tell me you can't picture yourself in that second hand bookshop! This one for me was a really fun discovery. Highly recommended journey!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-07		Overwhelming	Strong	Full	Pleasant

I really wanted to like this one, but I can't. I remember the very first time I smoked this blend, it was with my Big Ben Royal Silver 343 and the combination aroma/flavor really reminded me of what a haunted bookshop would be like. Tastes like it's very high in nicotine content.

However, this blend just leaves me feeling nauseous. The taste reminds me of a cheap version of Prince Albert. I don't like burley, and this stuff has the bitter, sour after taste that made me dump out the remaining bowlful and left me w/ the conclusion that I was never going to visit that book store again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I've been smoking this blend (bulk variety, not tinned) nearly every day for two weeks and I like it. I am a burley fan and there's a lot to like about Haunted Bookshop. My sample has dried out a bit since I first started smoking it, hence, it has been burning a bit on the hot side lately. The drying out is due to my own neglect of keeping it properly stored. I will order it again but will go for the tin next time. Judging by the other reviews I anticipate a higher moisture level in the tin. The aroma is just what a burley ought to be, smokey and musty with a nutty character. The flavor is a bit nutty as well. No complaints here. I'll update this review after I sample the tin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I am very pleased that quality burley blends are so widely available. If you like burley and don't have anything against perique, you're almost sure to be happy with Haunted Bookshop. The tin description is concise and to the point, as is the taste of this blend. What you see is what you get. I would highly recommend this tobacco to anyone looking to explore burleys so I've given it four stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-11-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

C&D excels in its blends that are burley-centric. They have an uncanny ability to take high quality burley and bring out full flavor; then add small amounts of other tobaccos that compliment the burley in a most pleasant fashion.

Haunted Bookshop has a great musty aroma in the pouch/tin, along with a grassy sweetness. The various cuts play nicely together, making for an easy load, light, and even burn.

The burley taste is first to greet you, and a great one it is. Eventually, a bit of the red VA is barely detected, and the Perique adds a wee bit of spice. I find the Perique influence varies, dependent on how much I happen to include in the loading of the pipe.

I like it much more than Old Joe Krantz, which I find to be imbalanced by too much Perique.

Burley lovers certainly don't want to miss this pipe-weed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Norm's review pretty much summed it up. A good solid burley blend this is! After enjoying Old Joe Krantz, I wanted to try this more burley-focused version as I am a big fan of C&D's burley blends. It didnt disappoint. It has a delicious woody sweetness and smokes nicely down to the ash. I'll keep some of this around for when I feel like something a little less perky(less red va and per) than the OJK. Haunted Bookshop is yet another great vaburper from C&D, highly recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Noorrmm and Blevins summed this one up great! Full flavor up front (burley), then the musty perique coming through. I loved Morley's best and tried this one as well. Toss up maybe??!! Whats going to happen to the supply of Perique after Katrina?? If its gone, I guess This would be a very close second. Very good!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Ok, Norm summed it up, so I am not going to get into all the minutia of the smoke. I agree with him and most others here.

The reason I am reviewing this is that I generally don?t like Burley blends, at all. However, I like this one a great deal as a diversion from time to time. That is saying a great deal for a Burley blend.

It has none of the cigarette note or extra-sweet flavor I do not like from many Burley blends, but the entire nice nutty flavor with a pleasant sweetness to it that a great Burley should have.

It was a gift from a very kind friend and I am very glad for it. As Norm stated, it smokes well in any pipe, a great tobacco for trips or a long day. Namaste?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Like many reviewers, I was attracted to this tobacco due to it's name. Having recently read both Morley's Parnassus on Wheels and Haunted Bookshop via the free downloads at Project Gutenberg, I thought it would be appropriate to sample one of the tobacco namesakes.

After several bowls, I would characterize Haunted Bookshop as an enjoyable, thoroughly honest, Burley blend. It doesn't have any pretensions to be anything more. Thus it hits the mark squarely in terms of smoking enjoyment.

I found the tobacco to be surprisingly dry, but this lent itself to easy packing and lighting. It does generate a voluminous amount of smoke during this process but eventually settles down to something a bit more relaxed.

Early smoking is dominated by the taste of the Burley with hints of Perique. The Virginia makes an appearance just before mid-bowl to offset some of the Burley/Perique combination's earthy taste. This effect doesn't last, however, and by the end of the smoke the Burley is once again thoroughly in command, for better and worse.

By the end of the bowl, depending on how quickly it has been smoked, the remainder will either be pleasantly relaxing or mildly obnoxious from a bitterness perspective. Lesson learned. It wasn't the tobacco's fault but rather unfocused smoking due to a harried work week. Take time while enjoying this blend and you will be rewarded appropriate to your investment.

Unlike some other Burley blends (notably the far more complex Barbary Coast), this one doesn't leave any lingering imprimatur upon the smoker. I may revisit this review after a bit more experience with this blend, but for the time being, I would whole-heartedly encourage Burley fans to give this a try. Other smokers, wishing to branch out into this leaf could do far worse for an introduction as well.

I will be returning to the Bookshop often in the coming months and will look forward to my sojourn among its phantoms.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-02-22		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a great burley blend. Although I am very fond of Greg Pease, I never liked Barbary Coast very well. Something in that blend just didn't jive too my way of taste. After smoking this blend, it seems obvious to me that it was the brandy casing. I really like this blend. I could see myself smoking quite alot of this during the hot summer months. The Burley is excellent and the Perique is just enough to remind you of its presence. The Virginias are almost non-existent, but do lend some sweetness. The book itself is also a treasure. I own one of the early editions (a dollar at a garage sale-can you believe it?!!) and got a kick out of reading it while smoking this blend. Talk about setting the mood!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

I did not like this blend much. This was rather a surprise but to me it seemed a little on the hot side was quite confused for I really like Old Joe Krantz which had simular ingrediants. I suppose this had more of something in it that did not agree with me. I am perplexed.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-09-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

If McClellands is the master of Virginia leaf, then surely C&D is the master of burley. Part of Craig Tarler's success is his willingness to work with the amateur blender to develop a range of blends for a multitude of tastes. Haunted Bookshop is one such blend.

The darker burleys dominate this blend. The Virginias hold it together, while the perique is a subtle note in the background. This blend is easy to light and clean burning. The flavor increases towards the bottom of the bowl. This is best smoked in a large bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bassicallybob (6)	2023-03-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extra Full	Tolerable

I've tried on multiple occasions to get into this blend, but I just can't do it. C&D makes some of my favorite blends, but this one has too many strong flavors that aren't my taste whatsoever.

Seems to burn hot and kind of just tastes like a cigarette. I know it's beloved, but I don't get the hype.

Pipe Used: Vikings Assens Evening, Dr Grabow Freehand

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ingz (8)	2023-03-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Manches860! Had to order it from across the pond. Importing tobacco customs go mad! That being said it is totally worth it imo. American Burley blends! You have to have them. So far C&D blends offer a flavour profile you otherwise wont find with EU mixtures. Crisp, somewhat sharp and in comparison unadulterated. On the drier side out of the tin. Nutty, crisp, tingly, little hay and something i cant put my finger on from the VAs i think. Glad i ordered 16oz, will gladly order more in a couple of months. When in Burley mood this or Solani ABF/MB HH BF!!!

Pipe Used: Sav. 673

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2023-01-29		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

This one is deceptively tricky. Tin note is amazing. Nuts and molasses. Packs and burns easily - no fuss. But enjoying a bowl requires me to be very mindful of how fast I'm smoking. Nice and easy... I get the a beautiful sweetness balancing out the burley and perique edge. Too fast... and I taste nothing but ashtray. What appears simple and unfussy is, to me, actually a bit of a chore to enjoy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bubbamorris (16)	2022-06-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Strong

A divisive blend. People either love it or hate it. I definitely belong to the latter group.

I bought this in bulk, so I currently have it in a 32oz mason jar. After letting it rest for a month, it had a very strong aroma when opening the jar. At first, there was pungent sour note, almost like vinegar. I wasn’t expecting that smell from a predominantly burley blend, but it was there. That smell soon faded to the background though, and that’s when I began smelling the earthiness and nuttiness with a hint of cocoa and a bit of the perique.

Upon lighting, you get the blast of semi-sweet earth, nuts, wood, and a very slight hint of cocoa. There’s a spicy tingle from the perique as well, along with a slight bitter note. On the finish, I can taste the virginias. It’s not a very complex blend, and the flavors don’t really progress down the bowl, but it does stay flavorful the whole way down. I’ll also add that the nicotine is quite strong on this if you aren’t used to it or have an empty stomach.

Being a cigar smoker, I believe I really like this blend due to the fact that it has many of the same notes as a cigar; nutty, woody, earthy, spicy, etc. I know a lot of people liken it to a cigarette, but I think it’s much more like a nice cigar. Sometimes when I get a Cuban cigar that’s too plugged up to smoke, I’ll unravel it, chop the tobacco up into pieces, and pack my cob with it. This blend is very reminiscent of the flavors I get when I do that. For pipe smokers who only smoke pipes, they may only be used to the mostly savory and sweet flavors that pipe tobaccos offer, so when they smoke this they think it tastes dull or “like a cigarette”. It doesn’t have a super noticeable, in your face flavor like an english, but it does have a lot of flavor.

So overall, if you do have a palate for more neutral, woody, earthy flavors, I think you’d really enjoy this. I like smoking this in the afternoon, as it’s satisfying enough to hold me over until night, yet not so full-bodied that it would make me not want to smoke later. While I wouldn’t label it an all day blend like the late Matches860, it could definitely become an everyday go-to blend for me. It’s reliable, it burns well, and it’s satisfying.

FUN TIP: If you wanna add a little aromatic flavor to this, mix 50% Haunted Bookshop and 50% Peter Stokkebye Optimum together for a great light aromatic that contains a ton of natural burley and virginia flavors with a good amount of sweetness, some spice, and a bit of berry topping. I’m calling it Optimum Bookshop.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 111

Age When Smoked: 2 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	K.E. Powell, III (15)	2022-06-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

For burley lovers, Haunted Bookshop has been something of an anchor, a reliable yet assertive burley and perique blend that delivers full-bodied flavor and stout (but not overwhelming) nicotine hit. For some time, burley has been unfairly characterized as a lesser leaf, associated as it is with mass market over-the-counter (OTC) blends such as Half & Half. There has been something of a burley renaissance in the last few decades, with Cornell & Diehl leading the way with excellent, top-quality burley blends. Perhaps their most popular of these blends is Haunted Bookshop.

Now, I'm not a coffee aficionado, so I'm somewhat hesitant to draw the following analogy, but I get the impression that those who love this blend love it in the same way a coffee enthusiast likes a quality dark roasted black coffee. Its simple, bitter pleasures and immediate caffeine jolt scratch an indelible itch that is only temporarily relieved and demands attention again the following morning. This blend, with this its earthy, bitter, and nutty burleys and fairly stout nicotine presence, scratches a similar itch for pipe smokers looking for a robust tobacco without toppings, casings, or other superfluous ingredients. The Virginias used in this blend help cut the bitterness and only marginally make their presence known. The perique is an inspired choice, adding spiciness and just a hint dark fruit flavor to the blend. This is a tobacco that tastes like tobacco, and makes no apologies for it.

As a burley fan myself, this is a blend always in rotation, but just misses a four star rating. There are now more complicated and complex burley blends out there, including those who combine burley and perique in healthy portions (it's a combination that is too little appreciated). Even so, this blend has ever been consistent, and its toasty and full flavors always scratch that itch in a way only it can. For burley fans, HB is obligatory.

Pipe Used: Stanwell bent tomato

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: C&D Old Joe Krantz.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mhaque (13)	2022-06-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a mysterious tobacco for me. Definitely Burley forward with Virginia and Perique in the background. Quite harsh if smoking fresh batch. If you put the tobacco in a mason jar for a few months, the sweet Virginias start to come a little bit forward. The Perique content will definitely make it's presence known. When you learn to appreciate the blend, you will find a very earthy and nutty flavor with slight sweetness to it. Every now and then you will hit the spicy Perique that rounds the blend and give body. Nicotine content is past medium. Definitely a full flavor blend. No toppings detected. I recommend this blend for fall and winter when weather is cooler. If you are not prone to nicotine, and looking for a very earthy, nutty, slightly sweet, spicy, and bold flavor blend, this is for you. This not an all day smoke for me, athough at times I smoked this blend for weeks straight during fall. Not recommended for beginner or intermediate pipe smokers. Seasoned pipe smokers might find it interesting and may want to revisit from time to time like me. If you like Burley blends, definitely give it a try. 3 out of 4 stars for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma Lucite 412

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Hearth & Home - Delta Days (Signature).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2022-04-08		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Burley!! The Tin note smells like a pasture. Moisture from the tin is perfect. This is a strong Burley with Perique, The burley is nutty and the perique gives it lots of spicy notes if the Virginia's are there its way in the back seat. Not much sweetness. The perique is quite strong in this one as well. If you like a strong burley blend this is absolutely it. Burns even, clean and cool all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Nic hit is a bit past medium. Could be an all day smoke.

Pipe Used: many briars

Age When Smoked: 6 months old

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2022-03-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Smoking now:

bias alert : I am not a fan of burley tobaccos as it tends to not agree with me.

Bulk version. Bag note is a woody, barn like aroma. Not hay, but vegetative musty kind of wood smell. A little spice.

Moisture and all that is perfect. The flavor is dry. A dry wood barn, slight vegetative, nutty, earthen flavor. There’s a spice to this that’s welcome and familiar with a vaper smoker: perique. It’s interesting to taste it in a burley forward blend. It adds a dry fruit and spice to this that I enjoyed. This is an interesting blend with the decent amount of perique added to it.

It’s probably a 3 star blend without my bias against burley tobacco. This did dry my mouth out and started to bite my tongue but that’s my chemistry not the blend’s.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dozy Dad (1)	2022-02-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Strong

The depth of the grave, the must of the tomb. "The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume". The ash of the pyres, the stench of the fires. A glimpse of the fate of the wicked and liars.

Haunted Bookshop takes you to Hell and shows you how cozy the void can be.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (401)	2022-02-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Over the years I have thought about trying this, probably more due to the name than anything else. I was given a nice sample that panned out to about 5 good decent smokes in a Missouri Meerschaum Patriot Corn Cob pipe. This is a very natural tasting Burley blend that offers a consistent smoke. I do not have much more detail to add than oh did I say it tasted like Burley? I found the nicotine hit to be around medium I suppose. A good all-day blend for those who like Burley. Tasted good in a cob. With over 253 reviews this one must be popular.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mids_pipeandcigaruk (4)	2022-02-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

After hearing mixed reviews on this I bought 2oz to see what it was about. Glad I did. This as been the only tobacco I have smoked since receiving it. Upon light up a sweet earthy and nutty taste fills the palate. This continues through the bowl and the perique spice builds towards middle but not overwhelming a nice accompaniment. I will be getting a bulk order soon

Pipe Used: GQ tobaccos Dublin

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	apizzlefoshizzle (4)	2022-02-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Haunted Bookshop is a very specific smoke for me. It has two sides to it that makes it interesting. But let's go through it from start to finish. In the tin: shockingly dry when you first open it. But as I'll explain down the line, that is not a bad thing. But compared to nearly every other tinned tobacco I have ever bought, it is dry as a bone. The tin note in my opinion is fantastic. It is musty in a sort of fungal, forest floor, old books type of way. I know that won't appeal to everyone, but it certainly does to me. Reminds me of the musty earthy undertones in a good old-world or Oregon pinot noir. Packing and lighting HB could not be easier. It is ready to go right out of the tin. Honestly the quality of the smoke in relation to the dryness of the tobacco in the tin probably serves as a lesson to most of us that we should let our tobaccos dry out a bit more before smoking them. A charring light, a quick tamp, and you'll be off to the races. The smoke is plentiful, the mechanics as un-finnicky as I've ever experienced. I've never been able to get this to bite my tongue, even puffing like a freight train (although I don't recommend this as the taste becomes ashy). The flavor is sublime; earthy and nutty with a slight funk similar to what you smell in the tin, combined with some stewed plummy notes from the perique and mild sweetness from the virginias. It requires minimal relights in my experience, again I attribute this to it being perfectly dried in the tin. I've found that the flavors darken slightly in the second half of the bowl. This is the only tobacco I've ever been able to truly smoke down to a fine white ash at the bottom of the bowl without leaving behind significant dottle. The nicotine in this blend is definitely present, but certainly not enough to give me the spins. I probably wouldn't smoke this on an empty stomach but I doubt it would kill me even if I did.

So - after all the praise I have heaped on it in the first half of this review, why does this remain only a somewhat-recommend for me? Frankly, the room note and smell that lingers on you and your clothes after smoking is identical to the smell if you had been chain smoking cigarettes. It is foul. If you are a former cigarette smoker, live with a cigarette smoker, or are otherwise unbothered by the smell of cigarettes lingering on you, then this might not be an issue, but for me, this tobacco will be relegated to times when my SO is out of town and the weather is nice enough for me to smoke fully outside, and I am willing to take a shower and do laundry immediately after finishing the bowl. This has relegated HB to a tobacco I smoke only a few times a year. Which is a shame because the experience of actually smoking a bowl of this tobacco is wonderful. So proceed with caution.

All that said, I can’t rate this anything other than a 4/4, despite the fact that it makes you and the area around you smell like an ashtray.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal Rocky 106

Age When Smoked: Fresh, 1 yr aged

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz, Pegasus, but Haunted Bookshop is very unique..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FudloeZ (3)	2021-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

For we Americans that do read and know our American authors, the name of this blend couldn't be more appropriately American. For we Americans who understand Burley, this blend couldn't be more spot on. A musty tin note reminiscent of opening an old book (one that may have been drooped in manure, mind you) and is immediately comforting. Just drop in the bowl to fill, light and realize that complexity in no way needs to hit you over the head to exist (unless you're unfamiliar with subtlety, in general). Woody, nutty, grassy with a slight tinge of spice and a vague sweetness to the finish, Haunted Bookshop is by far and away the greatest take on American 'codger' blends to have ever been created. It packs a substantial nic-hit, so if that's not something you're used to, a full belly is recommended before striking a match. The room note seems to be pleasant enough to my lady, who tells me she loves the lingering, comforting, masculine scent on her clothes when we're apart. For me, this is and C&D Crooner are my go-to all day smokes, but I can completely understand those who aren't Burleyphiles finding it a bit on the heavy side. For me, however (a devout Church of Burley parishioner), this is possibly the greatest blend ever created. I start my day with a bowlfull and a piping hot cup of black coffee and end my day with another and a cup of Earl Grey before turning in. Again, however, as it is for all things, Haunted Bookshop isn't for everyone and I can understand some folks aversion to it. I try at all times to never dismiss entire groups out of hand, this includes pipe tobaccos and my fellow countrymen. So, give Haunted Bookshop a go, if you're so inclined. Or don't. Hopefully, if you do, you'll love it as I do. If not, I won't be so bold as to assume you didn't read this review!

Pipe Used: Stanwell 220, Savinelli 673

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Keir Campbell (1)	2021-11-04		Medium to Strong	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was my first foray into a burley forward blend. Having only been pipe smoking nearing 2 years now, I had tried some various tobaccos that were rather Virginia forward and found them to be my favourite.

That was until I tried Haunted Bookshop.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a pretty basic “tobacco” smell. It wasn’t particularly ANYTHING, other than tobacco.

I found it an easy bowl to pack. The tobacco was mostly cubed with some ribbon, and even what seemed to be rogue strands of coins throughout. It was springy, but held shape well when packed.

Upon my first light, I found it taking off much faster than other tobaccos. It could easily be lit from the first light and smoked without need for the “true” light, however for me the ritual of doing both wins out over the temptation to do so.

Once it was lit (quite easily) and I drew in my first proper taste, I hated it. No sweetness, at least not like I had previously experienced with others. It just tasted like tobacco. A retrohale out the nose stung a touch, peppery perique (not my favourite, at this point) making itself known immediately, which seems to be in contrast with others experience but has been mine each time since.

But I had a tin, and I was poor. I had to endeavour forward and just smoke this tobacco.

Further down, about a third of the way down, I realized at some point I began to enjoy the not overbearing peppery perique, and had found some notes of sweetness. Subtle, yes, but certainly present. This tobacco was no slice of cake after dinner. This tobacco was the main course!

As I hit the halfway point of my bowl, the perique’s strength began to mellow (again in contrast to others experience) and the sweetness became more forward, although still quite subtle. It began to taste quite like the small cigars my father used to smoke in the driveway, giving me the occasional puff as a small boy. I began to suspect I might not just like it, but that I may quite like this tobacco.

Reaching the last third of my bowl, no need for a relight, nor excessive tamping, nor a cleaner to soak excess moisture, the perique’s peppery nature had all but vanished, turning instead into a most toothsome flavour I still couldn’t quite explain to you. The sweetness too had somewhat dissipated, but stil was definitely pleasant. While a constant throughout, the burley really began to shine through, with all its nutty glory. I began to smack my lips, the relatively solid dose of nicotine carrying me on the generous clouds this blend provides to the heavens. This was MY tobacco.

Since then, I enjoy at least one bowl of this tobacco almost every single day. It is my daily go to, and I’m never without at least a tin of it. I couldn’t guess how much I’ve smoked, but it’s plenty.

I highly recommend this to everyone but the most picky sweet toothed smokers, and especially for current or former cigarette smokers who miss the flavour of a premium cigarette (though this is better than those).

I would only caution those who are not fans of burley. You will know you dislike burley if the taste and smell of cigarettes is displeasing or upsetting to you, if this be the case it would be unreasonable for you to expect to enjoy a tobacco blend predominated by the tobacco that is found in cigarettes.

A note of warning: if you find yourself intrigued to roll this blend as a cigarette, ensure you use a filter. I have found it rather difficult on the throat without one.

Pipe Used: All my pipes not dedicated to aros.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin-a week or two out.

Purchased From: Local tobacconist.

Similar Blends: OJK, apparently..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Honest&Simple (25)	2021-10-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

New to burley blends. But I was told this is a good honest place to start.

The bowl started off nondescript....and ultimately led to an earthy slightly peppery smoke.

It really didnt evolve much beyond mid bowl. It is a good honest one and a half note blend.

Where this stacks up against other burleys im not sure but I will smoke it again.

Pipe Used: Cob, various briars

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-10-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Great blend. Love the name. Its like an amped up Prince Albert. Very strong. Great to smoke when you don’t want something to think about, or fuss with. Bring something to drink.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Pride

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcicars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JKOD (30)	2021-04-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

In the tins I’ve opened you have ready to smoke tobacco. It burns well, but don’t work it too hard or you’ll get more than bargained for on the palate. This is a good one to enjoy slowly.

I’m not a big Virginia smoker, but I can tell it’s in there. The perique definitely speaks louder than I thought it might. But in the end, this one’s more about the burley. It is somewhat of a boring smoke, although I do enjoy it. I think you have to understand straight tobacco to enjoy this blend because it’s not going to be enjoyable to anyone who desires an aromatic. In the same breath, this has a sweet note in it, perhaps the “plum” from the perique. Masked by the fuller burley and tingle from the perique. On the light and relights is when I get a mouthful of burley flavor. Once it settles down is when you get a more balanced flavor.

This is going to be a sometimes smoke for me as I enjoy a few other burley blends more. I prefer to have this blend later in the afternoon/evening. I am a little disappointed with the nic though. For as strong as the blend can taste, it’s not quite where You’d expect this type of blend to be.

Overall, it’s a good smoke for the tobacco tested. Not a beginners blend and might even turn off a seasoned pipe smoker.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BCarter (6)	2021-03-04		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was the blend that got me smoking pipe tobacco. I knew this old man who frequently sat on a park bench in the town famous for the Mothman. I spent that summer and Autumn at a relatives and remember the bold burley and almost woody aroma coming from that old man’s pipe as I would talk to him for hours. I eventually asked him what he was smoking and he pulled a can from his pouch that had the all too familiar label of Haunted bookshop. A piece of artwork I was already fond of from reading the book and it being one of my go-to reads. I immediately started researching pipes and blends. I finally got my hands on a can of this not long after and fell in love with the simple but bold flavors burley delivers. This classic is dry when opened and burns like an absolute champ! The boldness to this flavor is derived from generous burley tobacco with excellent woodsy and a scent that reminds you of an old library with books that have set inside for ages. Some nice sweet fruity or maybe even plum notes creep in on the retro. Virginia’s are present, but faint compared to the burley. Perique is a presence to this blend and it’s a lovely addition to balance the burley. I never do not have Haunted Bookshop in my stock. It’s a blend I can smoke any time of year, any time of morning, day or night. I would recommend this to any burley lover or any pipe lover for that matter. Haunted Bookshop will have you experiencing flavors you just don’t get from styles like aromatic and others. Cornell & Diehl make quality blends using the finest tobacco and Haunted Bookshop is one for the ages! It’s a living legend and I continue to enjoy it on a weekly, sometimes daily occurrence. I know some folks think burley blends have a cigarette room note, but I don’t get that with any burley including this. The aroma this leaves behind is quite nice for me actually. Nothing stale at all. Oh and it has a nicotine kick as well! Better eat something before this. However, this is a blend I can smoke all day if I wanted to. I know some people can’t, but I have many a day.. all day. Perfection for me

Pipe Used: Peterson church warden

Age When Smoked: 10 months old on this review

Purchased From: Fat Ash Cigar lounge

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Tom (20)	2020-10-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

This tobacco smells musty and strong in the container. It reminds me a bit of cigars. It's kind of funky, in a good way. I am a long time cigar smoker so it appeals to me on many levels. This is spicy. A bit harsher on the retro compared to the average pipe tobacco, but nowhere near as harsh as, say, a strong Nicaraguan Oscuro cigar. I see people talking about the nicotine hit, but I never felt it, even on an empty stomach and smoking several bowls. (if you want a nic hit, go try War Horse Bar!) I guess that most exclusive pipe smokers are lightweights in that area. Go smoke an AJ Fernandez New World Gobernador cigar on an empty stomach and then come talk to me... I like Haunted Bookshop. It's smokey, strong tasting, a bit spicy too. I get leather and... like an old haunted bookshop. Rightly named! It seems that this blend has its share of haters. Hate away. Maybe it's an acquired taste or for those who appreciate strong tasting and smelling stuff, on occasion. If I want a sweet aromatic I smoke that, but for when I'm feeling in a certain mood, Haunted Bookshop delivers.

Pipe Used: Briars, cobs, ash wood churchwarden wizard

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tpatriarche (43)	2020-09-15		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First impressions—aroma in pouch very subtle, burley (of course), a touch of sweetgrass, fruity–figgy overtone. Seems very dry almost stale. Burns hot & quick but no tongue bite. Quite strong. I don't detect the Périique.

Burley to me is THE pipe tobacco (I suspect my father smoked it). Interesting dichotomy: many reviews here liken it to cigarette tobacco, I presume US. Here in Canada cigarettes are almost exclusively Virginia Bright, which is also the only commercially grown tobacco in Canada.

I expected something a little more exotic or perhaps whisky-cased from the name, but what the heck? Burley is a burley is a burley, as Gertrude Stein might have said. I can see this being an all-day smoke for those like me who like strong. I expect it will be a good blender, too, as burley generally is; I will experiment with black stoved Virginia & more Périque.

Pipe Used: Carey Magic Inch, briar churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk but dry-->stale

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaHale43 (47)	2020-07-07		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin notes of earth and citrus. Easy to light and burns evenly. Burns really hot if you puff too fast. Pretty strong nic hit but pretty good overall.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	medwin (1)	2020-06-08		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

Regardless of my cadence, I am simply unable to coax much worthwhile flavor from this tobacco. It's bland and tends toward ashiness once you've reached the midway point of the bowl.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320, Morgan Billiard, various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2020-02-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was expecting something a little like Old Joe Krantz when I bought this, and I was wrong. It reminded me of an amped-up version of Prince Albert, and just before I typed this I saw another reviewer more or less said the same thing. It's a little sweet, smooth, and nutty, very easy to smoke. Not as strong as I expected and almost an all-day smoke.

Edit: Not long ago, I was contradicted on a forum post when I mentioned that someone who likes Prince Albert should try Haunted Bookshop. The other forum member disagreed, opining that the two were nothing alike. The obvious similarity, of course, is that the two are burley dominant. PA's light sprinkling of Swiss Miss...er, mocha flavoring is replaced by a bit of Perique in HB, which, in my opinion, makes HB a more satisfying and more complex blend. HB is a fuller-bodied blend, yet accessible enough to be an all-day smoke. Well-known reviewer Jiminks summed my opinion up in one of his reviews. I don't remember what the blend was. I'll paraphrase, as memory serves, in order to apply it to this review: PA and HB don't taste exactly alike, but I think there's a good chance that someone who enjoys PA will like HB.

Age When Smoked: Unknown bulk

Purchased From: Don Juan Cigar Co., Baton Rouge LA

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-01-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable to Strong

3rdGuy

I would call this the Frog Morton of vaburper or even vabur's in general. It is a great starting point in this category for those new to the components but you will eventually advance on to better blends. A solid C to C- and there is nothing wrong in that.

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, meers.

Age When Smoked: July/2019 tin date

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2020-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I like the coarse cut of this blend with the broken flake mixed in.it. It makes every bowl Slightly different. The bag aroma is honestly the worst smell of any blend I've smelled. I dont want this to sound gross but honestly it smells like feet and throw up. Its sounds terrible but the flavors really make up for the bag aroma though.

First light I get a big pop of a brown sugar sweetness with a cocoa like flavor. It carried all the way down but lightens the further it goes down. The cocoa became less sweet and more nutty. I can pick up on the perique here and there with a slight spiciness. The dark burleys start coming out more with its earthy, spicy, cigar like character. Burns cool and clean with no bite.

This is a great example of burleys at their best. I purchased 7 different blends this past week and Haunted Bookshop has taken the lead of all of them. I like it enough that I've ordered a half pound. C&D does burleys very well and I will be getting into more of them as I go on.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RedGopnik (16)	2019-12-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Let's start with aesthetics. Bright red and gold, fat chunks mixed in with the ribbon. It looks good enough to eat. Break it up or pack as-is, you will not have problems with either.

Taste- as 90% of the reviewers say, its burley, burley, burley. The virginia makes a lot of appearances, the perique is light but you get that citrus every once in a while which is nice. Now this is just an opinion, but this should be the number one choice for pipe smokers that miss the taste of a cigarette. This stuff reminds me of American Spirit tobacco. It is quality cigarette flavor and some. If you rolled cigarettes with this stuff, they would probably be $20 a pack.

Now I know it's not cigarette tobacco, but I mean it in a good way. It screams red, white and blue burley/virginia to me. I feel that this is what tobacco was like for our american founding fathers. Its quality stuff but it is TOBACCO in big, bold letters.

I know I must sound crazy but this is what I get. Going to stock this by the pound in my cellar

Pipe Used: Cobs only for this one

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 weeks

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Seanv (35)	2019-12-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Very Strong

Bulk purchase. Bag arrives ready to smoke. Fine ribbon cut with some chunks of flake sprinkled in. Aromas are musty, earthy, tobacco and figgy. No problems lighting, minimal relights required throughout. First taste is very musty / earthy. The initial light can be a bit rough bit it does smooth out fairly quickly. The burley is woody, earthy and musty throughout. The perique adds a nice spiciness especially on the retrohale. The strength is medium plus and does carry some powerful vitamin N at times. Overall this is a fantastic blend but I would not recommend to new smokers. It could be an all day blend for some

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peterson314 (43)	2019-10-15		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend was my return to pipe tobacco after years and years of cigars, and this reminded me of the Avo Domaine Avo 50. It's earthy, nutty, enjoyable. Being the first time back to my pipe, I had a lot of issues with this blend due to my technique. I didn't pack it tight enough and I had to re-light it a dozen times. Newbie issues. I will try this one again though.

2022-07-30 Update: I smoked some 30-month-old Haunted Bookshop in my Peterson Mycroft. I think this is the most cigarlike smoke in my cellar. It's funny that I came up with an Avo Domaine Avo 50, and that's the same cigar I referenced in my review from 3 years ago. I am much better with my technique now, so I didn't have any problem with re-lights until I got down to the bottom of the bowl. I thought it was very hard to describe the details of this smoke besides nutty and toast. Maybe some red peppercorn. This is an enjoyable smoke, and it's perfect for when I'm in a cigar mood. I tend to enjoy more complex blends though. I felt the nicotine on this immediately, I was done with the nicotine before I was done with the bowl, but I am a featherweight.

Pipe Used: Peterson 314

Age When Smoked: 2 hours after the mailman came

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-09-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Haunted Bookshop: A burly Va/Bur/Per

The burley is at the heart of this blend adding a pleasant nuttiness and a slight sharpness—but no harshness—to the smoke. The perique is quite spicy but does not overwhelm the blend. I find that the richness of the perique plays well with the burley. The Virginia varietals are sweet and a little grassy. It smokes fine and keeps my interest throughout a bowl.

I picked up a couple bulk pouches of C&D Va/Bur/Pers while on a business trip. I had wanted to try these blends for a while now. Haunted Bookshop is similar to Three Friars in the components and flavor profile, but HB has more burley and perique, and the Virginia’s are more dominant in TF. Three Friars also has less sharpness from the burley and smokes a tad bit smoother. Both blends are enjoyable but I prefer Three Friars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Zippo2000 (12)	2019-08-26		Strong	Very Strong	Full	Strong

This give a punch on the throat, I just smoke this after big lunch still got the buzz . Cant imagine smoke this in empty stomach. I really like the taste of this blend but cant smoke this all day.

Edit 23/10/2019

Just wake up and want to go quick puff before go to work and grab this tobbaco because craving for perique. Man this give me a great bowl that i never had in the past 2 month.

Pipe Used: Unknown Briar, Peterson.

Age When Smoked: date 4 month on the tins

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shaun_Pearson (21)	2019-07-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is certainly a good all-day smoke. The burleys aren't overbearing in any sense. A well-balanced proportion indeed. The aroma isn't strong or contain any burley cigarette-like smell. Overall I enjoy this quite a bit.

Pipe Used: Peterson Army Bulldog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Twins smoke shop (Londonderry, NH)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PiedPiper1010 (16)	2019-06-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

My sister picked this blend up for me last summer (2018) primarily because I enjoy all things paranormal, and therefore anything haunted. It just so happens that I enjoyed Haunted Bookshop very much as well. I remember going through a tin of this stuff in no time at all and kept saying I was going to order some more, but that never happened until now; a year later. =REVIEW= Haunted Bookshop is a VaBur blend. More burley than Virginia, and a splash of Perique. This is a slightly sweet, nutty, spicy, mellow blend that is perfect for those looking for something not too complex, but not too simple on the same token either. The burley is plentiful and the Vas work well together with it to add just the right amount of sweetness. The Perique is added in just the right amount to add spiciness nuanced with notes of fig and raisin. This is a cool, mellow smoke, that comes fairly dry. Drier in the tin for sure. I ordered a 3oz bag and it had more moisture content to it and the cut was a bit longer than what I received in the 2oz tin. Nevertheless, it burns cool and clean without needing too many relights and leaves little moisture in the bowl depending on what you smoke the blend in and how you smoke it as well. This is certainly an all-day smoke and a blend I knew I was fond of the first time I smoked it. If you enjoy Burley blends than by all means do not hesitate to wait any longer as Haunted Bookshop may quickly earn a permanent spot in your tobacco rotation.

Pipe Used: Petersons

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sherm Natman (5)	2019-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I really liked this one. Excellent nicotine hit. Taste was wonderfully mossy and dry; yet smooth, which made me think of Prince Albert's musty cousin who just came in from the woods and slammed the door to announce his presence. No drying required, as this is a very dry tabak, which burns steady off one light. I will definitely be buying more of this wonderful mixture.

Pipe Used: Brigham: Algonquin (223) Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	anglocatholicpiper (34)	2018-08-07		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have tried and tried to enjoy this but it never ceases to be simply too harsh for me. I’m certainly going to keep it and try again in a few years.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2018-06-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Having been an avid fan of English/Balkan and VaPer blends I have to admit it took me a little while to warm up to the predominantly Burley-based blends ... but it’s finally happened. This blend purports the nutty & earthy taste of old codger blends like Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Carter Hall ... yet this one is on STEROIDS! There’s a peppery kick from the Perique and just enough Virginia to keep that Burley-base tamed & lightly sweetened. As with many natural tobacco blends, aging it for a year or so seems to meld & mellow the flavors out quite nicely. Although I enjoy PA, SWR, and CH in cobs ... I prefer HBS primarily from a good narrow chamber briar with a mid-to-deep bowl. Just my 2 cents worth on this manly American blend. I recommend it to seasoned pipesters or a recent convert from tobacco sticks.

Pipe Used: Briars, meerschaum, cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh and aged 1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tin Man Jay (7)	2018-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The burley burns quite well, and I was able to smoke the entire bowl without any re-lights. It burned evenly and cool throughout.

The flavor in my mouth was earthy, woody, and bread dough, but when I exhaled the smoke from my nose, I could pick up both the Virgina and the Perique much better adding a touch of sweetness and a peppery finish. I will be buying more of this.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney 03

Age When Smoked: 1 year

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Randy Tuggle (46)	2018-05-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

One of the most revered blends in my rotation! This is great for those who need a nicotine fix (cigarette smokers) as it delivers a rich Burley with a dash of spicy Perique. You can burn this at any rate of smoking speed as it holds flavor well in any pipe. It can burn hot though! Not for newbies to the briar in most cases but as for me (constant smoker), I love Haunted Bookshop as it really breaks up the boredom that can come with smoking many aromatics. Sometimes, you just need a real smoke. This is one of 'em! Great for cellaring in jars, too, as it holds up well long term. Think Carter Hall - but with a kick!

Pipe Used: briars, cobs, everything in my rotation

Age When Smoked: fresh - and aged as well

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: John Middleton, Inc - Carter Hall.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adam Z (18)	2018-04-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

EDIT 2/6/2019: I must amend my original review, dated 4/10/18. When I wrote that, I'd been smoking a pipe for 2 weeks, and had a very underdeveloped palate. I recently bought 2oz of this in bulk, and I'm really enjoying it. It isn't the most flavorful stuff, but it packs easy, lights easy, and stays lit quite well. IDK what my problem was with tongue-bite & keeping it lit last April - probably just inexperience. When I want a no-nonsense smoke that I'm not going to have to fuss over, and a stout kick of vitamin N, Haunted Bookshop does the trick. This isn't something I want to smoke every day, and I don't think I'm going to be buying by the pound, but I do plan to keep it around in smaller quantities as I enjoy smoking it once or twice a week in my rotation.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I really wanted to like this. It has a cool name, and I've seen many reviews here and on YouTube, and in a Facebook group about how great this is. I was fortunate enough to receive a sample to load my pipe with from a Facebook friend who absolutely LOVES this blend. I made this the first smoke in my brand new Savinelli 601 churchwarden. This is my FIRST burley-based blend, and unfortunately I'm just not that into it. It isn't that bad, but I can't say I truly enjoyed the smoke either. The taste did indeed seem reminiscent of cigarettes (albiet, high quality cigarettes), and it was a little harsh at times. I've heard folks say that this blend burns real nice with minimal relights (LOL), and has low tongue bite - not my experience at all. Despite the tobacco being fairly dry, I was constantly relighting. Because of all the relighting, I may have started puffing a bit more, which (of course) resulted in a bit of tongue bite.

I would try it again if the opportunity presented itself down the road, or I might buy an ounce just to give it another spin in the future, but Haunted Bookshop isn't something I'm going to be stocking up on. Unto each his own, I guess.

At this point I'd ONLY recommend this to someone who REALLY loves their burley.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 601, Bones lovat, Peterson 01 & 68

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: The Cigar Grotto (Oceanside, CA)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-10-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Holy mother of Burley... this is some Burley blend that knocks me off my feet - in a positive way!

From the wonderful tin design, up to the tin note and the taste...best Burley blend I've had so far! It's even a tad better than Burley´s Crumble and Burley´s Best by Motzek, which I love too! But Haunted Bookshop is very special to me.

The unburnt aroma is nutty, slightly fruity, stout and spicy. Comes crispy dry, just as I like my tobaccos.

Haunted Bookshops tastte is heavenly..wow! It starts out quite stout, tart and spicy, full-bodied Burley goodness with decent nuttiness and hints of stoved, sweet fruits. But mainly spiccy and tart. After halfway point the nuttiness takes the lead, to give nutty-sweet, yet spicy and tangy aroma. I just love it...from the first puff to the last..very exciting, even tho not too complex. But the flavors that are there are simply tasty to my palate.

Very satisfying and the aftertaste leaves me wanting for more! Sadly this is unavailable in Germany and I only have 2oz of it right now...I NEED(!!) more of this... ASAP!!! ;-) 4/4 stars and a instant favorite, furthermore a Top-5 list tobacco of mine.

Pipe Used: Corn Cobs / Briar Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2017-06-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This is a good, but not a great blend. I know it's very popular and it has a nice nic hit to it, but it's a little to bland for my tastes and it seemed to get a little bitter towards the last 3rd of the bowl. It also started tasting a little bit like a cigarette. It could use a little more perique in my opinion. I have some blending perique on hand, so I added about 22% to it and I put it away to age a bit. I will dig it back out here in about a year or so, to see how much it has improved, if any.

Pipe Used: Jobey Shellmoor 1/2 bent

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pastor Puff (15)	2017-04-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Tasting Notes: Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop

Component Tobaccos: Burley, Virginia and Perique

Cut: Coarse Ribbon

Tin Note: Very Sweet, Raisins

Body: 8/10

Strength: 6/10

Nic: 6/10

Moisture From Tin: Perfect. Need to jar up immediately.

Mechanics: This smokes really well. Cool, dry smoke. No bite at all but it does dry my mouth out. Keep water on hand.

Taste: The Virginias are mid way between bright grass and moldering hay, sort of like three day old cut grass. They are delightful, giving a subtle sweetness playing second fiddle to the burley. Now, burley has this flavor that I love; I am unsure how to describe it but it is delicious. It just tastes like burley and that flavor is at the front of this blend. It is wonderful. Lastly is the perique. In this blend you get a spicy mouth-feel and a bit of fig from the perique. It comes out through the retrohale and I love this.

Thoughts: I love this blend. The burley is perfectly tasty, the Virginias are sweet and grassy, the perique is spicy and figgy. It all comes together to produce one of the best smokes I have ever had. This blend has fast earned a place in my daily rotation and will likely stay there for a long time.

Overall: 10/10

Age When Smoked: New Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Peterson - Irish Oak.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LSUTigersFan (5)	2017-04-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

First, the name is very appealing, and the name may be appropriate. Rather than "haunted" bookshop, it should be called old, dusty, used bookshop. But, that really does not roll off the tongue. It has a very earthy and woody taste from the burley with a hint of perique for a little spice. I had it stashed in an airtight jar for a while, so it was dry. It may have been too dry. Bookshop smoked well with only a few relights. I was able to smoke down to the bottom of the bowl with no tongue bite.

It smoked well with a decent amount of smoke. The lady said that the smoke did not appeal to her, so this may be a back porch smoke for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Florence (602)

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bud_Harold (24)	2017-01-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Well constructed...Perfectly blended. Ready to smoke right out of the bag/tin. A very tasty VA/Per that brings yummy flavor in spades..Fruity and a lil peppery with some sweetness from the VA.. Tobacco is of decent quality. May bite if you push too hard.

Well worth the coin. Stock up!

Pipe Used: Wally Frank Algerian Briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2016-11-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend's name was one I had heard bantered about for some time and it's outwash made me curious as to what it really was. So, I bought a tin of Haunted Bookshop and, at the same time, a tin of its stablemate Old Joe Krantz from C&D at our 2014 NASPC show. I'm just now getting around to cracking these tins and I started with HB. Here we have a relatively light colored blend - lighter than I expected from listening to other smokers talk about it and not quite as medium brown as I have come to expect from C&D Burley blends. Yes, there was some level of Perique in there but that's okay with me. There was a varigation in the cut from longer strands to smallish irregular pellets and I am okay with that also. My problems lie with the actual smoking properties of this blend: thin and monochromatic. The top third of the bowl was pleasant enough and uneventful and rather a nebbish smoke. Just when I thought I'd had enough, we hit a much more tasty and enjoyable spot at the top of the middle third that was much more of a "now, that's it" type of experience. So, I smoked on with a good feeling - for about three or four minutes. And then - it was gone and we were back to the top third again. I puffed on through the middle third of the bowl but it didn't return; so, I stopped. Later I relit the pipe to smoke the bottom third and discovered that in that third you don't even get the taste and aroma of the top third. Thin, tasteless and somewhat ashy, I let the bowl go out. Every bowl I have smoked since performs in the same manner as the first, more or less. If I was rating this blend as smoked right out of the tin, it would be a two star affair. However, I have discovered that it works better as a blending ingredient than as a bowl full of tobacco and have been utilizing it as such with success. Now I can rate it as three stars.

Pipe Used: half bent kaywoodie and larry roush billiards

Age When Smoked: 2 yrs old

Purchased From: C&D @the 2014 naspc show

Similar Blends: Taste wise, a slightly more interesting version of Davidoff Royalty; which is odd, since they don't have exactly the same formula.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2016-10-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

A great blend that lives up to an equally great reputation, it creates a sensation that is both full and light, perfect for an all day smoke if one can take the nicotine.

Taste: A nutty hay starts it off, sweeter in the nose than in the mouth. Some underlying hints of grass soon adds to the mix. This being a Cornell & Diehl blend, of course there is a dash of spice in this burley! It reminds me slightly of tabasco in how it mixes the heat of the burley with the sweetness of the virginia.

Mechanics: Ribbon/coarse cut, easy to pack with little to no need of relights and no bite. Medium to strong in nicotine.

Similar Blends: Old joe Krantz.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipesmoker33 (18)	2016-09-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

I think someone went to there hayloft, ground up a bunch of hay, and maybe a little cow shit, put it in a bag and called it haunted bookshop. This stuff is god awful.

Pipe Used: old cob

Age When Smoked: 1-3 months

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-07-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Dark Burley and lots of it! Its nutty, bitter, and bready. It smokes like a high-quality OTC blend. The Perique offers more plum/fig than spice for me which adds to the fruity red Virginia. I can see people complaining that it tastes cigarettey because it does. I personally love the taste. Like a Camel Filter which is also predominantly Burley leaf. Old Joe Krantz is a favorite of mine but too strong to smoke all day. This is the answer to that problem. It is medium strength and just comfortable enough to smoke morning, afternoon, and night. A tasty blend that may take some getting used to. It should age fantastically.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaums

Similar Blends: Old Joe Krantz, Prince Albert.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2016-03-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Great name but doesnt really live up to it. What i got was a fairly rough and ready strong burly mix that you would more likely expect to get from from a home grower or straight from the farm. Not terrible but pretty crude. Plenty of strength and nicotine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2016-03-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This burley based blend is named after a rather bland book from 1919. I guess that's why this blend is pretty ok. Nothing special here folks. Burns well and easy to light, but no complexity.

Pipe Used: A cob of course

Age When Smoked: Bulk purchase maybe a month old

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: OJK but less nicotine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2015-06-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

If I can't get my hands on a Latakia blend (or looking for a different full-flavor blend) I know Burley can deliver! This is a flavorful blend that smokes very well. I love how Burleys deliver a full flavor, but in a entirely different way than Latakia. No tongue bite, smokes straight through with no relighting needed. Unlike others, I found this got better toward the end. Wife did not like the room note, and I reserve that vote to her since she's the one that has to tolerate it. One of the few she voted not tolerable.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jonathon Davis (1)	2015-02-14		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are reading these reviews than you, like I am a seeker. We are excited that we will find the the tobacco of our dreams. One that will light easily and stay lit, no bite, chemically matched to out palate. Well this one is it for me, finally. Perfect.

Pipe Used: Viprati

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Autumn joy (47)	2015-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

I decided to try this based solely on the name. I'm usually an aromatic person but gave this a try. The product was easy to light and mostly a burley feel to it as well as virgin more burley I felt. The smoke was fairly nice no bite at all with this product so great if you smoke daily... Overall not too bad but not my cup of tea. Also will add a great tobacco to keep for the nicotine I smoked this a second time and wow got a hit of nic! Good transition for cigarette smokers. Well revisited this blend today and needless to say major change. The jar note was of a fruit and nuts. Meaning the red Virginias matured a bit. This blend was very enjoyable the second time around. Gave myself a nice nutty fruit taste which I love most about burleys. Really made my day to revisit this one because it has such a cool name.

Pipe Used: Merschaum, corn cob, Peterson Dracula fishtail

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 1 year aged

Purchased From: Tobacco pipes brookville fl USA

Similar Blends: Peretti - Thanksgiving Day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2014-05-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an ok mixture -- somewhat bland burleys, and I really don't get the VA or Perique, although without them in deep background this would probably be a ** blend. If I smoked even more than I do and was looking for a mild change of pace, this would be a slightly more interesting alternative to PA or Kentucky Club

Pipe Used: briars

Age When Smoked: 3 years, 11 months

Purchased From: gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StimeyStrongwater (10)	2014-04-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE 12/6/20 I wanted to update my review because I feel like I am able to give a much better assessment on this blend now. My tastes have changed over my smoking career to favor burley tobacco and my impressions of this blend have changed dramatically. I find this blend to be a beautiful representation of a burley based blend. The burley provides a lovely earthy, nutty base. And to my tastes the red Virginia and perique work in tandem to create a very nice, dark, semi sweetness and a gentle spice to the mix. I would gladly recommend this blend to any burley fan or anyone looking for a solid representation of a classic burley blend. Enjoy!

I loved Old Joe Krantz and was very anxious to try this blend because of the similarity between these two blends that I was told about. I was upset when I discovered that I could never get into the groove with Haunted Bookshop. I am a big fan of C&D Burleys. This blend is made with the same high quality tobaccos that you have come to expect from this great company, but regretfully Haunted Bookshop could not strike a chord with me. I still would recommend the blend because I think that I am likely the outlier here, unfortunately.

1 person found this review helpful.