Peter Stokkebye Cube Cut (PS41)

A wonderful cube cut tobacco that I am always stocked up on. Over the years I haven't enjoyed very many cube cut blends because they are usually very strong burleys. This one is different. The burley is not too dark and nicotine laden as usually is the case. The addition of some red Virginia and a little cavendish is brilliant! Sometimes I even add a little extra red Va.(5100 that I thankfully stocked up on). This burns low and slow, keeping it cool and tasty. It has a sort of bready tin note to it that I really like which also comes out in the smoke. This blend stays very well within the Stokkebye tradition of reasonably priced tobacco that burns well and has a nice natural taste, great working in the garage/yard blend. Personally I never have any trouble with it popping out of the bowl...just don't overpack it.

Very pleasant, tasty and simple. While I wouldn’t call it strong by any means, the burley does add a bit of heft and throat tingle. I can’t decide if there is a flavored topping. If it’s there, it’s very lightly applied. I’m more inclined to think there is a sugar casing that caramelizes a little bit. The sweetness isn’t cloying, but always there and I think to good effect. It really brings out the nutty cocoa flavors of the burley. By last third of the bowl it’s almost chocolatety. The Virginias provide a malty tangy dark fruit taste in the background that keeps this from being monotone. Other than the two components complementing each other, it’s not really complex, but I don’t think it was meant to be. It’s not an aromatic, but just a bit too sweet to be a purely “natural” blend, though it is definitely tobacco-forward with the burley predominating. Nic level was medium.

While I always have a hard time judging the room note of something I’m smoking, I’m sure most people would find it very nice.

IMO it does need a bit of drying time, as otherwise it can be hard to light as others have noted. But dried a bit, I’ve never had an issue either getting it lit or keeping it lit. Just do a careful charring light/tamp/relight and you’ll be all set.

Like a lot Stokkebye blends, the quality far exceeds the price, and this blend is fantastic fresh (unlike LBF or LTF). That value and its consistent availability make it a great candidate for bulking up a cellar.

Now here's a tobacco that took my by surprise. I tried it on a whim not expecting much. I'm no fan of Burley (though I do enjoy a good one from time to time, and wouldn't stop smoking my pipe if Burley was all that was available). I just wanted to give the cube cut thing a shot. And wow. What a fantastic tobacco. The Burley was definitely in the drivers seat for the first few minutes, but then the blend settled down and the Virginia Cavendish really shined through. It has a lovely sweetness and good body. Burns well if you pack it properly (gravity feed then tamp down slightly). Very complex, with the different components making themselves known at different times throughout the bowl. This to me is just a plain old fashioned no-nonsense tobacco that is suitable for any occasion, all day long. Quite possibly one of the best bulk blends on the market, and better than many tinned offerings. Try it if you're a fan of pure natural tobacco taste. You won't be disappointed.

This blend was to me just as described. A full burley and virginia blend with a cavendish sweetness. I got a light bite but I took that as I smoke fast. I had no trouble with it burning but I also thaught ahead and smoked it in my savinelli which has the largest bowl of all my pipes. All and all a good blend with a nice flavor.

I have found Stokkebye’s Cube Cut Burley to be a very tasty blend of (mostly) burley and Virginia tobaccos which have been pressed together in layers for a time, then sliced, and then diced (cutting across the slices) to form nice little cubes. It’s basically minced tobacco, and it is an uncommon cut to find these days. As noted in other reviews, just gravity-feed the cubes into your bowl and very gently tamp. Leave some space at the top of the bowl as the cubes expand considerably upon lighting. This tobacco seemed at about the right moisture level and it was easy to light and to keep lit. It burned nicely to the bottom of the bowl. There was lots of nutty burley flavor with the Virginia providing a touch of sweetness. This blend is fairly similar to Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Chatham Manor and the like, except it seemed a bit more robust to me. Lots of burley flavor, not too much nicotine, and still mild enough to be an all day smoke for me. And all at a very good price. If you like burley-based blends, you’ll like this. I highly recommend it!

Been enjoying this blend for a while now. Scoop it up, don't need to pack. Light it and you're good to go. Sweet Burley that is cool smoking no bite. Good to smoke any time.

This is what pipe smoking is all about. The only other Stokkebye I know is Balkan Supreme, a singularly fantastic blend. Cube Cut is equally fantastic, in its own way.

Small cubes, somewhat logically, that pile up in the pipe and can't be tamped down easily. It tends to go out until enough cubes have ignited, but the patience is well rewarded.

What a flavour -- burley and virginia, as stated -- and I did not detect any real casing taste. Just pure tobacco, burning very slowly. This is similar to the classic burley blends. I have not tried Half-and-Half, but consider this a half-and-half blend. I would not regard Cube Cut as better than the classics, but an addition to the line-up, and I could adopt this as my ERR replacement. I sense some similarities, and would recommend this to anyone looking for a replacement to ERR or an alternative to CH, Sir Walter and the others.

Maybe after some aging Cube Cut will change a little. Some say burleys don't store well, but others don't seem to agree. I plan to sock away quite a lot for the inevitable tobacco drought within the next couple of decades, but will keep some on hand to smoke regularly. At the price, this stuff is almost a gift.

Interesting thing is -- no bite. No little ferrets nibbling the mouth or big dogs snapping their jaws. Not a lot of N punch in this, so I will probably make it my morning smoke.

Blends like this have reduced my intake of blends like Granger and their ilk to zero. As the companies which own the venerable trademarks count on the name to make up for gradually declining quality, here is a humble, very reasonably priced alternative.

My tastebuds don't pick up any topping, but I won't argue if yours do; I just get fine quality burley with just enough virginia to stave off monotony.

I had to adjust my smoking technique to deal with what is a new cut for me: just a light fill, about three-quarters of a bowl, and a gentle tamp, and away I go.

I'm quite happy to have taken everyone's advice on this one. Should I mention that this is bliss in a cob?

Just a brief addition. I have been working my way through a pound of this and the room note has recieved nothing but praise from those around me. So, it's dirt cheap, tastes like real tobacco, and generates praise from those near and far. Maybe the next order should be for two pounds?

Strength: Mild to medium. It's there, but it's light. Nicotine is light as well, easily a morning or all day smoke.

Flavoring: None detected. I've gone back and forth trying to decide if this has a topping, there is something in the jar note that could be a topping, but I believe this is the Cavendish process coming though and melding with the Burley and the Virginia,

Taste: Mild to medium. I mostly get a friendly, mellow, sweet nuttiness throughout the bowl. Overall, it's a little sweeter toward the beginning and a little more earthy toward the end, but I've been able to coax out some fruity notes early on and some chocolatey, almost caramel or molasses notes toward the end, although, not in every bowl.

Beard note: Pleasant to Tolerable. Smells just like the blend tastes, sweet, earthy nuts. Once the nuttiness subsides, the distinct smell of tobacco smoke takes over. SO doesn't mind smelling it on me.

Notes: In my experience, this blend ships very wet, so the cubes have needed 2-3 days of drying before they're what I consider dry enough to smoke without issue ("dry enough" being near crispy, it needs to be very dry to stay lit) I prefer to "codger scoop" this blend with my pipe, give the bowl a few firm taps to settle the cubes and then give it a light pack with your finger to get it down below the rim, the draw will be looser than expected, but this is fine as the cubes will expand quite a bit once you light it. Be prepared to give it multiple charring lights before it gets going and watch out for cubes that want to roll out of the pipe. You'll likely need a few relights throughout, also tamping may require a firm hand, but don't overdo it or you'll pack it too tightly. Most importantly, this blend will get hot if you're not careful, so take it slow.

Rating: 4/4, highly recommended. Peter Stokkebye 41 Cube Cut is a really good codger style burley, it's simple, inexpensive and just plain pleasant. For the record, this is my all time favorite tobacco.