Tobaccos Mac Baren - St. Bruno Ready Rubbed

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2015-07-29		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The Virginias are slightly grassy, rather earthy and woody with some tart and tangy citrus, bread, light sugar and floralness, a pinch of spice, and some stewed tangy dark fruit, which indicates bright and dark Virginias were used. I notice the properties of the dark Va. more. The dark fired Kentucky has some wood, earth, floralness, herbs, dry sour and light spicy sweetness to go along with a little boldness as an important support player. The rich floral toppings are rose geranium and tonquin, but while the toppings do sublimate the tobaccos to some extent, you won’t miss out on what the varietals have to offer. There's a vinegar preservative, but it doesn't translate to the taste. The strength, taste and nic-hit are medium. Won’t bite even if you’re puffing like a steam engine. As with all ready rubbed cuts, it’s easy to deal with. It needs a light dry time, though I find it does well without much of it, and drying it too much would lessen the flavor a little. Burns cool and clean at a slow to moderate rate with a smooth, very consistent taste to the finish. Has no dull, weak, or harsh spots. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Requires some relights. Has a very pleasantly lingering after taste and room note. Easily repeatable during your smoking day.

The only differences I note in the ready rubbed version is that the tobacco flavor is a shade more obvious, which is often the case with this cut as more tobacco is exposed to air. It's also slightly mellower, which is also attributable to the cut.

-JimInks

44 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-01-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The original Ogden's St. Bruno Ready Rubbed that came in a 50g tin was one of the finest tobaccos ever produced (IMO, of course.) I hoarded a dozen tins a couple of years ago from a private seller and unfortunately, they have all been consumed.

I have purchased and smoked the pouch version that is readily obtainable in England, and while the taste is similar, the current version is not nearly as elegant as the old, tinned St. Bruno Ready Rubbed.

I found the current version to be tasty, yet lacking in refinement. It is in ribbon form and packs and lights easily. It is somewhat powerful in the nicotine department and the taste is of quality Virginia leaf that has been cased lightly.

The no longer produced tinned version was more of a shag cut with a deeper, darker Virginia flavor that was loaded with nicotine and the casing caused the blend to smell and taste of hints of fermented raisins.

If you want to sample a quality, cased Virginia that packs enough wallop to keep the kids away, I can easily recommend this blend. If you are fortunate enough to locate a sealed Ogden's 50g tin, please forward it on to your friendly neighborhood Pipestud.

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is based on one 50 gram packet which was gifted to me. I'm going to have to figure out a way to find more of this stuff!

St Bruno absolutely cracks me up! My pouch had more stems in it than I've ever seen in any tobacco blend. One stem was as long as the shank on one of my pipes! That concerns me with respect to quality control, but honestly, the real test of a tobacco is how it pleases the smoker. And St Bruno delivered time and time again. I finished the packet in record time (STUPID, since I don't know where the next one is coming from!) and enjoyed each puff. I would call this a medium bodied tobacco with a very robust but not overpowering flavor. I love full flavored tobaccos that burst on the tongue, yet do not bite. This tobacco reminds me of a porterhouse steak!

I used to smoke this in flake form back when it was available in the U.S and I probably would have preferred the flake, but this ready rubbed version smokes nothing short of wonderfully. I wouldn't call it overly complex as it doesn't seem to develop down the bowl. But if you're a fan of instant gratification and an entire bowlful of wonderful flavor that doesn't change, this is something to try. I found the flavor of this absolutely compelling and I am now conniving to figure out how to get more in this country. Great stuff!

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2015-09-21		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

It seems my original three-word, one-star review of this that boldly proclaimed "ready rubbed sandwich" has been deleted. It seems like someone out there in the haze of virtual pipe smoke that is the internet either doesn't have a sense of humour, hasn't watched This Is Spinal Tap or both. It's probably just as well as my opinion of this tobacco has changed, and I wonder somewhat if the recipe has too.

When I first bought this stuff, I found what seemed to be excruciatingly dry twiglets in the packet, it almost made me wonder if the blenders had been dragged through a hedge backwards on their way into work and shaken themselves off over that day's barrelful of leaf. It tastes like twigs too, damp ones at that. For dry tobacco it didn't half smoke wet. I think I ended up binning most of the packet I was that fed up of it. A second packet and a second chance for Bruno ended in similar fashion six months later. So Wibblefish, why on earth did you pick it up again? Well, having gone through a financially lean period recently and wanted an OTC tobacco that I could get from my local Tesco without it being too nice - I didn't want to buy a packet of Condor only to smoke it within a couple of days and not have anything left for the rest of the month. So I bought a 50g pouch of this with the intent of making my way through it come hell or high water. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. The tobacco, amazingly, looked like tobacco instead of those ghastly twigs. It packed well, lit well and tasted well. I did find the taste a little hard to pin down, I'm not sure about the whole fruity/citrus thing, but someone mentioned liquorice, I'd go with that. I will say it doesn't taste as good as Condor but there are moments in each smoke where I found a real sweet spot, where it tasted gorgeous. It would be nice to if that was more the norm with this stuff, but then I guess I would smoke it quicker, which was never the point of me buying it. Another plus point I found was that it put the cake on the pipe I smoked it in very quickly, more so than any other tobacco I have ever found. So those of you wanting to know how to cake up a new pipe, I'd suggest running a couple of pouches (go for the 50g ones, the 25g's are perhaps a little small) to get you going.

In summary, I'm glad to have a decent OTC for when times are lean. It's not as good as Condor, it's not as good as a lot of tobaccos out there, but it fits a very nice hole in my pipe smoking habits.

Pipe Used: MySmokingShop own brand briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Tesco

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fusty the pipe (33)	2020-12-18		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

To my industrial sized hooter, this smells more like the old Ogden’s version of St Bruno than the flake version. The flake has more of a vinegary note, that rides rough shod over the smell of plums, dates and figs.

It has come to my attention that the (what used to be OTC) popular UK blends are all heavily vinegared; most require a prolonged period, jarred up, to lose this smell, though, Walnut flake, after a year jarred up, still holds doggedly to the scent of Sarson’s.

Anyway, I digress.

It’s difficult to gauge Bruno’s popularity these days because there are so few of us chuffing on the pipe weed; we’re rarer than hens teeth. I do remember, back in the last century, that the village newsagent’s always had a good stock of pipe tobaccos but now you have to go to a big supermarket and choose from a stunning choice of three blends and there isn’t even a news agents anymore.

This used to be as popular as a bar maid on pay day; I remember old fellas with pouches of SBRR or Condor, surrounded by a blue haze of smoke, complaining about the cost of this or that and not being able to understand the new doctor, they seemed to be everywhere now, as far as I can see, there aren’t many of us left?

It does seem to be more of a ribbon cut these days, not that it was ever a shag cut but it does seem more chunky to me; I could be wrong.

As for a ‘floral ness’ I don’t get that at all. Comments of “typical Lakeland” confuse the boots off me as well - I don’t taste any ‘soapy ness’ either, it’s just a solidly good taste to me.

It must be increasingly difficult for the remaining tobacco makers to get hold of a continuity of tobacco supply - wars in Syria, the falling demand for tobacco leaf, more viable agricultural alternatives to tobacco etc - so MacBaren’s should be praised to the rafters for continuing to produce a product like St Bruno, that has only changed a little, over a 100 + years and over different manufacturers in different countries.

It is still a slow burning tobacco, perfect for an evening smoke as it can be sipped can be savoured. It isn’t harsh at all and if it is it is only when/if you come across a vein of peppery tobacco, that dances on your tongue; I presume this is the Burley? It can have a perique like quality to it when you hit one of these veins.

I’m not sure if we have the opportunity in this day and age, to have an ‘all day smoke’ - I for one only smoke in the evening because to smoke during the day is a massive pain in the...posterior - but, when I can sneak a lazy Sunday, this is what I would reach for in the morning whilst the first pot of tea brews.

I do find that I go all round the houses - 28 blends on the go as I type - searching for something as good as St Bruno; why I feel the need to do this is beyond me; my main pipe smoking idol was my old Grandad, who never had more than an ounce of SBRR, the flake, Condor or Erinmore on the go at once - he certainly never had 28 different blends going. I guess I have fallen for one of the pipe smokers traps - tobacco or pipe collecting.

In fairness, SBRR is possibly all I actually need on my shelf; it’s that much of an all rounder.

The room note is pleasant enough and doesn’t out stay it’s welcome and the residual taste in the mouth lasts long enough to remind you not to smoke too much.

All in all - give it a go.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Granny Smith (29)	2014-11-29		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

I'm unsure which I prefer out of this and St. Bruno - maybe Condor slightly beats this one because the nicotine hit is higher but nonetheless this is a mighty fine OTC blend. I've not tried the Flake but that is next on my list, though the ready rubbed is wonderful. I get an aniseed taste from this which is quite delightful. If there is one downside to this blend it is that I smoke it too quickly because as soon as I've finished a bowl I can't wait to start another. Like Condor it may be slightly too overwhelming for a newbie pipe puffer but come back to it when you've put some hairs on your chest and you'll be glad you did. This is a Lakeland tobacco to be savoured - a totally wonderful smoke.

Just bought a pouch today - august 2018 - and I think it's the same as every Still burns well, tastes lush and smells wonderful.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: ASDA

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clarkus (36)	2020-11-01		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Pouch note - vinegar a la McClelland

Cut - broken flake - dark Blend - appears to be about half and half VA and DFK. Whatever the mix, it is extremely well balanced. Lights easily right of the pouch and burns cool and well with minimal re-lights. Flavor - tobacco with light floral notes and adequate sweetness. Not really an aromatic except for definition. Nicotine - medium + Fullness - medium Taste/mouth feel - full roundness, mellow and pleasant aftertaste. Copious smoke. All day blend - without question. Tongue bite - If you can get it to bite, you need to attend to your body PH. Room note - not determined but expect just a pleasant inoffensive tobacco odor Ghosting - not likely. Codger blend? In my opinion, yes and a very good one. Would it meet “Desert Island” qualification? For me it would. Overall, this is not a blow your socks blend but it is a pleasant to the extreme blend for me. Strongly recommend. You may love it, you may not love it but I believe you will at least like it. There is simply nothing I can think of that wouldn’t be liked.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Billiard

Age When Smoked: 2018

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2014-09-28		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My fabourite of the easily available blends - I find this tobacco to always give a good full flavoured smoke. I like full bodied tobbacco and St Bruno is one such beast. The packet states that it is made up of Virginia and other fine leaf tobacco varities and I'm certain I detect some latakia in this. I've smoked both the ready rubbed and flaked variety and I slighly prefer the ready rubbed variety.

Pipe Used: Parker earl

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: ASDA (Walmasrt group)

Similar Blends: many English blends.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2010-03-10		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A top lakeland blend, very fruity and floral, a top quality pouch, nicer than Mellow Virginia and Condor which are along similar lines. Top, I can't wait to get my hands on the flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gaius Baltar (25)	2018-01-03		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This new version made by MacBaren is a pleasant surprise. IMHO is better than the previous Imperial Tobacco. The Va is sweeter and more pleasant, the Kentucky is spicing up and the Lakeland essence is still intense. The blow of Nicotine is appreciable. Advisable to crumble it very well and dry it a minimum of 30 minutes. Fill the bowl without tightening too much. This way, it burns well and does not go out. It does not bite. A renovated classic highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Patriot cob from Missouri Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New from the pouch

Purchased From: Taba-TK tobacco shop from Manresa (Catalunya)

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2005-11-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is perhaps one of the most popular tobaccos in Great Britain. It may be similar to the flake version, but I believe the ready rubbed edition is milder. You can get this tobacco almost at any newspaper agent and convenience shop.

Easy to pack and light, it does have a certain industrial flavour (unfortunately common to many Imperial Tobacco blends), but it burns pretty well. Essentially a Virginia & Burley (Kentucky) blend, it is easy to smoke, with a rather subdued and dull sweetness (nothing artificial, mind you). Not a bad nose, it doesn't really bother those around you. Mild to medium, it is a rather uneventful smoke, but other wise quite agreeable and reliable. Someone once told me "This is what grandfathers smoke by the chimney, in winter evenings".

Not a bad choice.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ford Prefect (9)	2020-12-25		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

It's pretty interesting, I detect contrasting flavours on the spectrum. In some way savory and sweet at the same time, heavy stewed plum-like and tobacco aromas combine very well to form rounded experience. Oh, it packs quite a nicotine punch too but not that much, depending on tolerance you may become very relaxed or very pale.

Pipe Used: Various with balsa and meerschaum filters

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the pouch

Purchased From: Supermarket

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SabertoothPiper (5)	2020-12-24		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Before the time of video reviews and marketing ads, word of mouth recommendations we’re all the rage. St. Bruno hailed from that distant past. It has withstood that test of time and that is why we can enjoy it still today.

My favorite bit of St. Bruno starts about mid-bowl when the interaction between the Dark Virginia and Kentucky sing. The tangy sour notes are tasty and will easily lull many a pipe smoker who enjoys tangy goodness to increase their smoking cadence. Pull back on the reins hard when you get there. If you do you’ll draw that taste out through what’s left of the bowl.

The after taste bears special recognition. It is simply delicious. It lingers in a satisfying way and a knowing “see you tomorrow” goodbye. I always plan to have St. Bruno on hand it’s that good and then some.

Pipe Used: Ashton

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pikey Mick (48)	2020-06-08		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bought this as a trip down memory lane. Pouch note smells like rope soaked in oil with a deep plummy note underscoring the whole thing. Reminds me of how shipyards used to smell back in the day. I don't get any floral notes at all. Had to rub out a few chunks here and there, gave it 15 minutes of drying time and lit it up no problem. First thing I notice is that this is a stout blend with a full, pleasing flavour. Deep, dark and very dank quite similar to a Barley Wine. And it stayed lit from the top to the bottom of the bowl for a full 40 minutes. I did notice that it made my mouth dry in the same way that a strong cup of tea does. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this one by the pouch note but by golly this is a fine smoke! I found the nicotine above medium. I'm glad I bought it because although I can't see me smoking it all day it should be a good morning smoke and also useful for beefing up any light aromatics that smelled better than they smoke. I don't think I would recommend to a novice as it could be a bit of a baptism by fire. The pipe I used has a long, narrow chamber and I wasn't sure it would stay lit but I had no problem there and found it a good, satisfying smoke overall. I've given it 4 stars because I would have preferred it to have a much, much heavier floral casing. Deep, rich and sweet. Edit: this makes an epic blend with a pinch of perique, some bright Virginia and a pinch of Izmir leaf!

Pipe Used: Balandis Tomahawk 9mm filter

Purchased From: Sainsbury

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2017-04-10		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I discovered Condor before St. Bruno even came to our side of the pond (U.S.) and I fell head over heals for the stuff, hard and fast! When I finally got around to trying St. Bruno Flake & Ready Rubbed I didn't think much of it, I thought it tasted like a light, weak version of the almighty Condor. Over a period of about a year I kept going back to St. Bruno to check up on it so to speak and I was always left feeling good knowing that Condor will always be my go to.... then something happened.... maybe I got a little softer in my older age but damnit if St. Bruno ain't just the perfect smoke. It's got dark Virginia's to add depth, a little Dark Fired for complexity and spice and the subtle top dressing is just enough to keep things interesting with it's complex fruity/floral components that work synergistically to weave a beautiful tapestry that I consider an absolute masterpiece. As with anything of course you'll hear about the glory days of yesteryear and how it's just a shell of it's former self but hell, it's one of the best tobacco blends I've ever gotten my hands (palate) on so Mac Baren is doing something right. I find that the top flavors come out a little better in a tall and narrow bowl and I actually prefer this one right out of the tin/pouch as it seems to smoke just fine with the moisture level it's packed with, which is odd for me cause I usually prefer to air out my tobacco until it's just short of crispy. This one has plenty of nicotine to satisfy the addict and enough to give the novice a nice warm buzz, it's not too over the top in any shape or form and I now consider this one my holy grail all day smoke. I'll always have a place in my heart for Condor but I prefer to use that more as a treat than an all day smoke. Yes there are a lot of similarities between this and Condor which one fits your fancy? Only you can decide but I would say they're both worth trying at least once and if you're anything like me you just might find a place for both in your rotation.

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL (both RR and Flake cuts)

Edit* 10-15-20 - Just wanted to add that the more I smoke St. Bruno the more I prefer the RR. This is unusual for me as I usually always prefer a flake or a plug over a mixture or ready rub but I get more flavor from the sauce out of this cut, it’s as if the sauce is a bit more heavily applied to this than it is to the Flake. That being said both cuts are absolutely top notch but I give the nod to this one.

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Neerup, Gamboni

Age When Smoked: 1yr, 5yr

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Gallaher Limited - Condor Ready Rubbed (Green).

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2015-02-23		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

Out of all the tobacco's I have yearned to have imported to the US none have captivated me like St. Bruno. The strength, the slightly floral aroma and the depth of flavor all add up to a most delightful slow burning leisure smoke. Why Smokingpipes and PipesandCigars have not made a deal with Orlik to have this imported is mindboggling but I digress and am happy to pay the exorbitant price of having it shipped to me. I love watching the YouTube videos of a Saint Bernard bringing some St. Bruno to a stranded piper. Great commercials!! Great tobacco as well!!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2013-10-11		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was impressed. It was sweet, heavy and tart. The strength grew as the bowl progressed. I wanted another bowl when the first one was done. This is one of those "not readily available" tobaccos in the US, since you have to order it from Ireland I think. I enjoyed it a lot, and if you can get it locally, I recommend it.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mesh (51)	2012-09-05		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

St Bruno can still be found sold in local shops in the UK, although not as widely these days as before, at least in London. I've noticed that my local Tesco (which used to sell both the ready rubbed and flake versions until around 2010) no longer stocks any pipe tobacco at all, and nor does the Sainsbury's nearby. My local newsagent stocked St Bruno and Condor for years, but no more. As recently as a couple of years ago, it was common to see three or four pipe tobacco brands sitting behind a supermarket tobbacco counter. Things have changed, and rather suddenly.

But yes, as others have mentioned, this is a superb tobacco. Less perfumey and nicotine-rich than Condor, it nonetheless provides an extremely satisfying smoke and never fails to interest with its rich and dark qualities, which are balanced nicely with an array of lighter fruity notes.

It's unfortunate that a pouch of this old favourite is no longer only a short walk away.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-11-28		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I am in my 80's and have enjoyed St. Bruno for many years. Of late I have become more and more perplexed by the apparant speed that I get through my usual 25g packet, even though I light up less and less. One packet used to last me 10-14 days and is now used up in less than a week even though the bowl's interior is getting smaller all the time. Generally, I have 2 pipe half-fills per evening only. Before I change brands ( or give up smoking !)I should like to hear what the possible cause(s)of this rapid burn-up are, as I'm sure it cannot be anything to do with the weight of the tobacco. With the costs rising regularly and the tobacco dissapearing within a few minutes of lighting up, this situation cannot last !

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-09-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Here I go acting brave again, reviewing a blend that has been reviewed over and over again, probably by consecrated reviewers with far more credibility than I. The nose out of the packaging is welcoming, with a medium dark hint of dried fruit, and a slight vinegar smell - not the McCleland type of vinegar (which for me has become a benchmark and which personally I dislike), but just a tad astringent. JimInks mentioned this as well, as a possible preservative, but to no effect on the actual smoke experience. Once I light I don't get a full blown aromatic going on, quite the opposite, it seems more of a Va/Bur, earthy and dark with some hints of "I can't put my finger on" which I guess resembles some nameless dried fruit (sweet and raisiny). The first puffs are smooth, with the virginia - kentucky combo being quite balanced. I am happy with this, since this is labeled as an aromatic, and I am not getting a soapy/candy like aromatic. So I puff gently, then I tamp for my first time to settle the baccy after the light. Right out of the briar the stinging sensation I had from clay is completely gone, but unlike the clay I can hardly feel any citrus - even with that experience I wouldn't be able to tell you which citrus it was, be that lemon, orange or anything else. I guess it was rather more of an acidic sensation that one would associate with drinking a no sugar added citrus squeezed juice. Getting back to the briar experience, after the tamp I have my bowl going and I am stepping away from fruity to flower. Judging by my taste, this flowery aroma stays with you all the way to the end of the bowl, with a slight variation after its first half. Once my bowl is somewhat past its middle point, I get a very faint tonka seed/anise flavor, a quite welcoming change, sufficiently mute as I cannot stand the two spices, nor do I think I would like such a strong presence in a tobacco. Mind you that all these flavors I am describing do not in any way take over the respective tobacco tastes, which all the way remain the main violin.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Zebrano

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Some tobacco shop in Barcelona

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FiremanMick (12)	2016-09-22		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable

Smoking my way through the Macbaren Denmark produced incarnation of St Bruno.Excellent pouch packaging.For what was a very good over the counterish blend Macbaren have excelled themselves into making it into a top shelf blend.Cut is a bit finer with no twigs rangy bits.Moisture just right.Very easy to light and keeps lit.There was always a harshness to the flavour when coming back to a half smoked bowl.This has now gone.More subtle richness all through the bowl.Always noted by me was wastage towards end of bowl with wet gloop.This reincarnation truly smoke all the way through leaving a ' a fine white ash'Absolutely top smoke.

Pipe Used: Peterson 307

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Sainsburys

Similar Blends: Some stronger G and H offerings.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-04-04		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I recently received my one and only 50g of St. Bruno Ready Rubbed. My review of St. Bruno Ready Rubbed is nearly identical to my comments regarding the flake. The only real difference that I found was regarding the ease of use. This, as with my comments on the flake is from the Ogden era, as I have NOT smoked the Mac Baren version, so this should only be considered for purchasing it already well-aged. There is an underlying sweetness that I found very similar to Dunhill's MM34596, but where that tobacco fails to deliver, St Bruno brings along some great tobacco flavor to boot! It packs well and burns to a white ash. There is plenty of Lady Nicotine in St Bruno as well. I truly enjoyed this historic blend. My only reason for 3 stars instead of four is simply because I found the flavor to be one dimensional. However, I would strongly suggest trying this grand blend.(if Ogdens can be found)!

Age When Smoked: Well aged

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteveH (37)	2012-04-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried this 14 months ago, when I came back to pipe-smoking after a long break, and wasn't very impressed then. I'm now trying it again, and find it very good. It's dry and smoky, with a hint of liquorice - which usually comes from Latakia, though this doesn't contain any. It seems to get stronger as the bowl progresses, though that may be because I'm smoking it as I type in a freestyle Dublin, and some people claim that Dublins, with their conical bowls, concentrate the flavour more and more as the smoke progresses. Some people have compared it to Condor Long Cut, and there is a similarity, though this is decidedly drier in taste. Very good - will become a regular OTC for me, along with Condor, though I'll stick with my online-bought favourites most of the time. Henwrench's review sums up my thoughts exactly - it's one to buy if I run out of online stuff.

[Edit] This stuff gets better with every smoke - I'm smoking it as I type in a meer, and I'd swear, if I didn't know, that it was a Latakia blend, and a pretty strong one at that. I'm a big Lat fan, so that's fine with me. It has definitely replaced Condor as my favourite OTC.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-09-28		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

having now smoked st. bruno flake as well as ready rubbed back to back, i must say that though the difference is not huge, it's enough to make them two rather different tobaccos.

pouch aroma: "soap", and some smokyness from the fire cured. not much raisin or other typical fermented virginia smell. perhaps a hint of vanilla.

it packs and lights easily, as is to be expected from a rr tobacco. the taste is rather flat compared to the flake version. i really miss the berry-like sweetness of aged/stoved virginias which is quite evident in the flake version, and all i seem to be left with is the kentucky - plus, it seems, vanilla and some burley harshness. i cannot for the life of me find much trace of the red virginia reported by others, though i guess it must be there, somehow. this one actually comes a lot closer to an old sweedish classic, "greve hamiltons blandning".

not a bad tobacco, but nowhere near the complex beauty of the flake, really

can the two versions really be made from the same raw tobaccos? is the difference simply a result of the different cuts? personally, i'd doubt it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmileyOrb17 (6)	2022-08-29		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is widely available over the counter tobacco at most supermarkets across the UK. Ready rubbed and Flake can be purchased (although Flake is not available everywhere). Whilst writing this I am smoking the ready rubbed. St. BRUNO is a cool to smoke and slow burning. It has a deep raisen woody taste. I would describe this as an all day tobacco (although I smoke in the late afternoon and evenings). Perhaps it's me (?) but the taste of this tobacco has changed slightly. It is not as flagrant or floral tasting, more deeper in taste but still wholesome and tasty. It is still a comfortable smoke. The ready rubbed needs to be rubbed a bit more, as I have noticed the shreds are somewhat thicker in cut lately. Being a tea drinking Londoner, this goes very well with a nice mug a builder's tea. Or "English Breakfast" as fellow Americans like to name our tea. Yorkshire tea is my favoured tea btw. Anyway I digress! This does have virginian but it is not a sweet tobacco. Some folk like the room note. I am not sure if you would strictly class this as an aromatic tobacco though, but it does have a distinctive taste and aroma. Most Brits who smoke a pipe know this well, as it has been selling for donkeys years! It is often sold next to its more stronger cousin Condor. Both I think were rivals back in the 70s. I recall though it was a popular smoke back then amongst teachers and older generations. Towards the end of the smoke, like most tobacco, the taste gets deeper and the nicotine becomes noticeable. I frequently love this smoke. I change up to Dunhill's Royal Yacht in my rotation, which to me is like a more a stronger and more refined St. B. I would recommend many to try this. It seems quite popular amongst the reviews here and I'm not surprised. St. B., here is a bit of an institution, like watching football on a Sunday, or the cricket! :0) Lots of memories are conjured up with this brand. Enjoy.

Pipe Used: Peterson's Rathbone

Age When Smoked: Out of the pouch

Purchased From: Morrisons

Similar Blends: You can't compare this with Condor, but many do as it is a somewhat tribal: "You're either or Bruno or a Condor person". Smoked by famous too. The late Tony Benn MP, for example..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-02		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’ve been wanting to get hold of a sturdy Kentucky blend for some time now and was angling towards MacBarens H&H Bold Kentucky when I happened upon this one. MacBaren usually puts out 3.5 oz tins in my area so I was surprised to see a pouch……I really like this stuff. It’s balanced well between the big Kentucky flavor and fruit sweetness with a slight bitterness on the sides of the tongue which neither lingers long so ya wanna keep puffing and that’s ok because it doesn’t get hot and doesn’t bite. The drawback is it’s a bit pricey. Here in Connecticut we pay huge consumption taxes for enjoying ourselves and that fact has caught up with pipe smokers……This may not be the best Kentucky out there, but MacBaren has done it again with a fine addition to their already diverse line of flake tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Cobb

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Smokers Discount World in N. Windham Ct.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobblestreetpiper (5)	2021-09-05		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Smells of ketchup from vinegar preserve. Tastes of Stewed plums and has sweetness with at times a hint of liquorice. Not harsh in the slightest and a slow burner and perfect with a coffee. Easily one of my favorite on the start of my pipe smoking journey.

Pipe Used: MM Huck Finn

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: OTC

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2021-05-03		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

St Bruno was originally made by Ogdens of Liverpool and was available in two-ounce tins, also one could always buy this loose in rather long ribbon of slices, all the latter is now just a distant memory.

St Bruno conjures up memories of old men smoking this in Falcon Pipes and playing Crown Green bowls at the rear of many a pub, their pipes smoked and eagerly refilled in a continual kind of eternal flame. The distinctive, delightful room note was the backdrop smell of many a taproom and snap cabins in the steel mills of Sheffield and beyond. I hadn't smoked this blend for over twenty years but returned to it by sheer chance in that it was the only tobacco that I could source whilst out and about. Anyway such is the moreish delight of this very delightful blend, I soon smoked up the packet. I was delighted to find that St Bruno had not changed much and it was a very much savoured in my new pipe, a Sir Douglas pipe from Mike at Blakemar Briars. The smoke was sweet, cool and slow-burning, the room note was exactly as I remembered it. I devoured this iconic blend with a kind of relish and it delivered a long-lasting smoke, that burnt down to the last shred of tobacco. The nicotine hit is moderate, but the tasting is full and satisfying. I can see now why the old boys of my youth greedily consumed bowl after bowlful, such is the sheer smoking pleasure of even this latest variant of St Bruno. On opening the pouch one is overcome by the floral tobacco nose, that you cannot load your pipe quick enough, to sample its mythical casings. This an aromatic tobacco that is worth smoking slowly, but even when puffed at the rate of the express train the Mallard, no tongue bite do you get. All that said, it's worth running the odd pipe cleaner through whilst smoking as it tends to be overly moist, leaving the dreaded gurgle. When I smoke this I always pre-pack the pipe an hour before as when bought fresh it always seems overly damp, but the tobacco reward is worth the hassle. All things considered, St Bruno is still the legendary smoke of yesteryear and a must-try for any one seeking the contemplative pleasures of pipe smoking. I highly recommend this tobacco to other pipe smoking aficionados and I do not think you will be disappointed, you may even become addicted to this traditional English blend, such is St Brunos hypnotic lure.

Pipe Used: Blakemar Sir Douglas

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: UK newsagents

Similar Blends: Ennerdale Flake, but St Bruno is more moreish..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyTrees (70)	2021-01-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

With the recently upcoming hype and a special issue of the Ready Rubbed for the German market (only the flake to purchase regularly) I got two pouches from my local tobacconist. Knowing St. Bruno Flake very well as it is permanent part of my rotation I really didn’t expect much difference - as you may guess ..I was wrong!

The look in the pouch is very wild, with all kinds of dark fermented leave, bigger and smaller flake parts and loose ribbons. Smell is the same as the flake - sour dough with citric notes almost like a smooth vinegar with floral nuances just slightly detectable when searching for it.

It contains much more moisture than the flake so I had to dry a long time but then it packs just wonderful. I always decide for a wider bowl with flakes and RR and pack a bit more loose than with other cuts to provide enough space for the leaf to unfold. Took some relighting and slightly tamping back the tobacco at the start to get an even burning bowl but when it’s lit properly it burns very slow and steady.

The taste really surprised me at first, however, it’s the typical Bruno but stronger in taste. Smooth and sweet Virginia is building the base with a bit of spice supported by the Kentucky (I can taste it in every puff) on top of this comes a most beautiful arranged floral and lime like saucing that never overpowers the true natural tobacco but gives an ornate spectrum of sweet to sour notes. It also leaves a nice aftertaste of cola nut in my mouth.

Well selected tobaccos and their natural tastes are supported by a great topping that doesn’t bore me and isn’t too artificial also. For me this is quite the right change of pace for a day full of Latakia and the RR provides an even wider range of flavors imo.

Pipe Used: Wider bowls

Age When Smoked: From pouch but dried

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: Mac Baren - St. Bruno Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thejefu (4)	2021-01-19		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had a unique experience with St Bruno, chiefly that it was my first purchase of pipe tobacco 6 months ago and I almost quit there and then. It smelt of my worst memories of cheap rolling tobacco. It was full of stems. It didn’t taste of anything but peaty earth and it had no nicotine to mention. I couldn’t even give it away due to it being OTC here in the U.K.

6 months later I’ve smoked upwards of 20 tobaccos and consider myself relatively experienced. I’m a huge fan of G&H Lakeland blends and I could never understand St Bruno’s reputation as a classic Lakeland. I couldn’t take it any longer so I threw out the old pouch and ordered a 25g pouch to see if I was mistaken.

Boy was I mistaken.

The only explanation I can offer is that my first batch must have been on that supermarket shelf for 100 years. This new pouch smelt divine. Sweet virginias and the heavenly mix of rose geranium and tonquin. Reminded me greatly of my Bosun Cut Plug with the casing turned down and the tobacco amplified. Vague vinegary essence from a possible preservative and a little sinister Condor essence too, both delivering a satisfying tingle on the sinuses. No abundance of stem and very visible broken flake. Interesting.

The taste was exceptional. I frequently mix Condor and Bosun to reach this flavour profile, but the blend gets busy. This is it - minus the busy. It’s the perfect balance of Kentucky, bright Virginia sweetness and complimented by that winey mix of Lakeland and tonquin essences.

It smokes a little damp and a little hot, providing a sort of aggressive smoke which threatens to bite yet never will - reminds you you’re smoking. The nicotine hit is present and a tad over medium.

Unlike a artisan flake, this leaves little to no dottle despite its dampness. Like Condor you can tell this has been perfected for centuries and will burn to a fine ash.

In conclusion it is every bit the smoke it is claimed to be and immediately crowned itself my desert island tobacco. It may be a little too aromatic for those who like clean smokes, but for everyone else it truly is a hall of famer.

God forbid you get the same batch I got first time around, but persist!

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: 10 minutes

Purchased From: OTC

Similar Blends: Gallaher Limited - Condor Ready Rubbed (Green), Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Bosun Cut Plug.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2020-11-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

St Bruno’s is all about the sweet bright Virginia leaf and its combination with a mild topping of rose geranium. The addition of a tad bit of dark fired adds a pleasant dimension to the smoke without overpowering the Virginia leaf. Overall, it is a nice diversion from the straight Virginia flakes in my normal rotation.

*This review is based on a small sample and limited life experience.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2020-11-11		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is one of the better supermarket tobacco. It does have a definite vinegar smell this is quite unpleasant. The smoke is nice and heavy with a good fruity flavour and nice amount of vitamin N. Love the smashed up flakes. At around £16.50 there seems to be no real saving to smoking a pipe nowadays as there once was. They whittle down the otc's..then bump the prices up . Be nice to get a tin instead of a pouch too. But hey ho

Pipe Used: Gasparini billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Sainsbury's

Similar Blends: Flake version no longer in the supermarket.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2020-11-09		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

This is a review of the pouch version of St. Bruno. Opening the pouch... I smelled the unmistakable smell of... A1 steak sauce. Yep. It smells exactly like it. Really odd. I've never smelled a tobacco quite like it in my life. I heard it's supposed to be a floral/citrus aromatic, not a "steak dinner" aromatic.

First few puffs... flavors are meaty, tart, heavy, smokey, vinegar-like. All of this, plus the steak sauce scent, are coming from the Kentucky tobacco, of course. Kentucky is usually a bit vinegary and smokey, but this has the most curious flavor profile. I'm really not tasting any floral or citrus at all... just a strong umami, meaty flavor. It doesn't actually seem like an aromatic at all. And there is a pretty hefty nic-hit.

Halfway through, and it's mellowed and evened out some. The steak sauce flavor is mostly gone, but it's still tart and smokey with the taste of the powerful Kentucky. Some Virginia is coming through now with a bits of sweet citrus tang and some grassy/floral notes.

Bottom line: Strangely interesting blend. First half is a strong, tart, smokey and vinegar-y steak sauce flavor; Second half grows sweeter and lighter. Nicotine is strong in this one. Two stars... but I could see myself growing to appreciate this more.

==UPDATE== I was confused that no one really had the same experience I did with this blend, so I decided to give it another chance. This tobacco is pretty roughly cut and moist, and the last few times, I put it into my pipe and smoked it without really breaking it up much or drying it. This time, I broke up and rubbed the tobacco into much finer bits and let it dry for a while. There was a definite difference. There was less of the A1 sauce taste and it was mellower and sweeter. The nic-hit, however, was nearly immediate. This stuff is strong no matter how you prepare it. Halfway through... it's smoking like a more normal blend now. The Kentucky still makes for a heavy, smokey flavor, but the sweeter grassy Virginia's shine through easily now. The tartness isn't gone completely, but it's definitely a more enjoyable smoke when it's broken up more and allowed to dry. I've upgraded it to 3 stars.

Pipe Used: 1. Unnamed Freehand; 2. MM Cob

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDave (12)	2020-07-08		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Have a look on YouTube at TV adverts of pipe tobacco from the 1970s and 80s. Gold Block, Condor, St Bruno... They had big advertising budgets, all at a time when there was no internet, no freeview, no sky, not YouTube. Back then most people only had access to 3 tv channels to watch, only one of which was commercial and had TV adverts.... Limited watching so these big tobacco brand had the attention of every pipe smoker. Which brands do the supermarkets sell? They still only sell these few brands which had big advertising budgets to tempt the masses into smoking rubbish blends.

But now it’s 2020 and you are reading this, which means you have the internet. That means - you don’t need to buy any of the supermarket tobaccos! You can buy the best pipe tobaccos in the world from the internet.

I know it’s tempting to buy a packet of St Bruno next time you’re in Tescos, but don’t fool for it.

Soapy flavours are for washing hands and dishes. Why would you smoke something that has a vinegary, soapy flavour? Also this will steam burn you mouth like mad. It’s better if you seriously dry it. But then any tobacco flavour and the sweet edge is lost and only the soap remains.

There are so many premium tobaccos available online - please don’t be tempted with St Bruno. I know the TV adverts were good. I know it’s easy to buy a pouch in Tescos.

But you can do so much better, and for no more money.

Pipe Used: Pipes abused - billiard briar

Similar Blends: Washing up liquid with a splash of vinegar.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (128)	2015-11-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not as strong or tasty as the flake, but when the flake is not available, as it often is not unless you go to a real tobacconist, this will do the trick

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tesco

Similar Blends: The Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alfonso (3)	2015-05-01		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Very good Virginia tobaccos, with floral aromas. The Virginias, however, are the dominant flavours, with the Kentucky asserting its character. It is strong, smokes real well and tastes just great. A must-try classic. Recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Harry (13)	2014-07-03		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

As a young man, just leaving his teens, St. Bruno was the apex and quintessence of my first pipe smoking experiences. Together with Condor, Erinmore and Mellow Virginia, it was a staple of thousands across the land. And the TV adverts (yes, you could watch youthful men puffing away on their pipes accompanied by myriads of young ladies all admiring the unique aroma) only helped to reinforce the notion that a pipe was the way to go. Dutifully, I followed in its wake and S.B. was the first pipe tobacco I ever tried. 41 years later, it remains a joy to smoke, though latterly in flake form. Its unique taste, flavour and aroma still captivate me. The smell of unlit tobacco straight from the pouch, the feel of the shreds in the fingers and that heavy, sweet, fruity smell in my hands, still entice me on every occasion and I always get that wonderful anticipation that, each morning after waking up, I'm going to have a cracking first smoke of the day no matter what that day is going to bring. This might be described as a love affair with St. Bruno, and I think that you would probably be right. I smoke other tobaccos and there are some that I love mightily. I've had a tobacco renaissance of my own in the last twelve months and have bought and stored more blends than I ever did in the previous forty years of pipe smoking. But St. Bruno is the one I adore the most. Perhaps it is the memory of those youthful days as I remember fellow students or my tutors lighting up in college, the heavy, rich fug that descended in our seminar room when the tutor would fire up, great clouds of creamy smoke billowing like a volcano and as he deeply inhaled the stuff and with a flourish exhaled enthusiastically into the room. Nostalgia plays its part. For me, St. Bruno is comforting, dependable, engaging and utterly engrossing. Not until the cut shreds were increased in width in recent months did I contemplate giving up my beloved ready rubbed in favour of the flake. The smoke wasn't quite the same, the rubbing out (yes, I rubbed out the ready rubbed) proved to be hard work at keeping the tobacco in the bowl, lit and burning brightly and the taste just wasn't the same feel either. So, my years of plentiful delight have been tragically cut down and allegiances have been switched to the flake, an even better taste and enjoyment as I head for the fifth decade of my own particular pipe mania. There are many wonderful, encapsulating and quite enthralling tobaccos out there and I cannot wait to try some of them, but my simple, straightforward, adorable and faithful St. Bruno will be my daily companion throughout.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Falcon, Northern Briars, Neerup,

Age When Smoked: Fresh from a new pouch

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: St. Bruno Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-09-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoke both this and the flake St Bruno, i will always ask for the flake 1st, but i dont mind if this is the one i end up with, of all the OTC blends in the Uk St Bruno tops it for me

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-12-10		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased a pouch of this out of pure interest after my father who has been a pipe smoker for many years told me it was one of his favourite tipples. It's a pleasant smoke: not too cool not too hot with a rather nice room note.

It comes in rather attractive curly strands and fills a bowl nicely, lighting took a while to really get going but after that it requires very few relights (if any)

I find this tobacco a nice alternative to some of my usual blends and it's very convenient due to the fact many places stock it. While not being something I'd go out of my way to buy and keep a reserve of, more something I'd buy when the mood takes me or I want something that smokes slow, coolish and convenient.

Overall: not too shabby.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Valentino (8)	2022-11-03		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

St.Bruno Ready Rubbed is at the moment the strangest pipe tobacco I ever smoked. I purchased it whrn I finished my ParkLane7, and I was very curious due to its unnumbered good reviews along the years. It's a pop classic like the green Condor and Clan Aromatic.

Well, it's cheap and quite easy to find, so let's go with it.

It's extremely easy to burn, and very very regular. It looks made to give you the Master pipe smoker satisfaction of not following up your chamber, it goes by itself until the end. No moisture.

It's strange because apart from the fact it's a "soapy", which is vinegar in this case, and clearly present in the taste as well (I don't know how others can say you are not going to feel it in your mouth...), it's super balanced through its base of Kentucky and Virginia. So, I don't know how, it's a soft-hyper balanced rollercoaster of smells and tastes: for 2 puffs I say "mh... that's good but I am not going to purchase it again", but then for 2 other puffs (more flavoured and parfumed) I say "I will defintely buy it again somehwere/sometimes".

It's base is the usual MAcBaren benchmark across Virginia and Burley, in my opinion, even if the Burley is not mentioned as ingredient. and over the top there's this strange benchmark of vinegar and some kind of citric fruit aroma to balance the vinegar itching.

The room note is sober and not intrusive, does not skid your pipe.

The cut is a generous ribbon with pieces of broken flake as well. Really nice to load your pipe chamber.

So I would give it 2 stars for the puffs I don't understand, and 3 for the ones I love. Outcome=3 stars.

enjoy!

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: 1

Purchased From: Spain

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Old Man (19)	2022-07-11		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Well, what took me so long?! I think I was afraid that this blend was super heavy on nicotine (so I was a little intimidated by it) but it ain't really so.

My pouch revealed mostly dark, sticky, thickly-shredded flake strips with a wonderful smokey BBQ pouch note and small sugar crystals scattered about the blended Virginias.

I take a clump, further rub it out and let it dry for about 4 hours.

In the smoke, there's great dark Virginia notes with a lightly sweet casing. The aroma is classic pipe smoking 101 with burnt wood notes from the DFK mingling with the sweet topping. Very nice.

This is definitely not a sugary, cloying American or Danish aromatic but it is an aromatic. Some reviewers report tonquin and rose toppings but I don't detect either of those. To my tastes it just has a nice, non-descript sweet topping that compliments the Virginias and tames the DFK a bit.

Interestingly, in the tin and room notes, there's some genuine similarity to MacBaren Scottish Mixture, one of my favorite aromatics. That said, both blends are decidedly unique and St. Bruno is a much bolder blend.

At the end of the day, this is a great blend and an excellent choice for the warmer Summer months when the Latakia urges wane.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Exiled Michigander (26)	2021-12-18		Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Note: This was my first "Lakeland-style" blend.

I'm not sure what aroma the tin note is, but I love it. So much so that after I put the tobacco in the jar, I kept the pouch in my kitchen and would just pick it up and sniff it at various times throughout the next few weeks. If a woman wore this scent as a perfume, I would follow her around like a lost puppy.

The flavor when smoked matches the tin note. Again, my dull palate and nose can't recognize exactly what it is (reviews of St. Bruno say things like rose, geranium, and tonquin--I have no idea what tonquin is, but I don't really get either rose or geranium). However, I love the flavor too. The solid Virginia is just under the "Lakeland." It smokes dry and clean. Has a pleasant room note and aftertaste. I love how the aroma lingers on my mustache for a couple of hours after smoking.

This is such a unique and distinctive smoke compared to what I'm used to that I find myself reaching for it again and again. This is a blend I am definitely going to keep on hand for when I need "something different."

I am giving this 3 1/2 rather than 4 stars for one pecadillo: towards the bottom of a bowl I get an ever-so-slight irritation in the back of my throat that I don't get from straight Virginias or the English blends I usually smoke, but often will get from aromatics. Although the amount of irritation is considerably less than I get from most aromatics, and only appears once I am nearly at the bottom of the bowl, it still warrants a half-star penalty.

I wish I had a richer vocabulary to describe the aroma and flavor of St. Bruno. "Floral/citrus" is probably the best I can do. For me it will probably just remain "St. Bruno" flavor.

Edit (January 11, 2023): After smoking through a second pouch of this, I'm dropping it down to 2 1/2 stars mainly because the floral essence I enjoy seems to dissipate very quickly even if jarred, leaving almost no "Lakeland" effect. This is replaced by a predominantly vinegar flavor which, while not altogether unpleasant, isn't the taste I initially enjoyed with this tobacco. This happened with both pouches I smoked.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2021-12-01		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

I have smoked through more than a few flakes of St. Bruno over the years, but this was my first go with the Ready Rubbed version. I must say I greatly preferred this to the flake. I find it more palatable from a strength perspective and just much easier to smoke form the get-go.

St. Bruno is strong, there is no doubt about that. In flake form the compression of the leaf multiplies that strength and I find, more times than not, that I am steamrolled by the strength of the flake; whereas, the ready rubbed version never really did that to me. It also allowed me to appreciate the topping more. I find the topping to be perfectly applied to my tastes as it is there adding floral touches and sugary sweetness, yet it never overpowers the underlying leaf. Both the Virginia and Burley are always there asserting themselves.

Performance wise it also outperforms the flake. At least if you use flakes as I do, that is. I tend to fold and stuff. If one diligently rubbed out the flake and allowed it to dry some, then that person would end up with the ready rubbed St. Bruno. I really don't have that kind of patience or time, particularly when I can just buy it that way.

Four stars and I wish I bought more of this when I was building the cellar. I might look to do some future trading to get more.

Age When Smoked: 5 1/2 years

Purchased From: Mr. Snuff

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gamzultovah (10)	2021-10-13		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

St. Bruno RR was a pleasant surprise for me. I am not normally drawn to blends that have dark fired Kentucky as a component or that are considered an OTC, but St. Bruno has changed this. The flavor profile is deep and rich with earthy, leathery tones and a slight incense tone on the snork. The side stream adds to the incense sensation. The strength, flavor and nicotine are medium, but the mouth-feel is full; and St. Bruno will not bite no matter your cadence.

St. Bruno RR has easily made it into my rotation and I can’t wait to try the flake version when my pouch is depleted. Highly recommended.

Similar Blends: Doblone d’ Oro, Stockton & G&H Kendal Dark (for the incense note).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DavyCrockettwashere (33)	2021-08-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My favorite tobacco of all time. I could write a novel. This is my favorite in the states and when I go to Antarctica. I’ll smoke this and that and a lot of Peretti Burley, but it’s like coming back home when I smoke St.Bruno. I’m quite pleased that the broken flake has come along years aback. The broken flake is the very same as the flake, just saves me time. This is the mellow of mellow of dark fired and virginy. Slowly sipped it just hits the right spots.

Pipe Used: Most of my pipes.

Age When Smoked: New, old, all

Purchased From: Anywhere I can get it

Similar Blends: Similar to nothing. It’s just that good..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Baboon Island (5)	2021-08-15		Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Fantastic blend - I've just bought a pouch for the first time in months and it was like being reunited with an old friend. This is a noticeably old tasting blend, and in a very good way. Dried fruits, toasted sourdough bread, old books and even a pinch of butter on the aforementioned sourdough toast. Especially as one goes further down the bowl, the dark, toasty flavour of the kentucky pops through.

In fact, that the sense of development within this blend is the main selling-point of this blend. The first quarter is arguably uninspiring, where the light floral toppings and bright, musty virginias seem to dominate. However, as soon as that dark fired kentucky starts to materialize... wow. It just gets better and better until the last 10% of the bowl, the best part I'd argue.

Would recommend to any UK (or elsewhere) smoker who is looking to taste the 'good old days'. I am 23, and yet every time I have smoked this (and Condor) I am taken back to a time I never lived in... unless of course I smoked this in a past life, but we won't talk about that as who the heck knows. The first time I smoked this was in an old English village graveyard, behind a medieval church, in the bleak midwinter. It worked perfectly, this blend is timeless, and can cause one to ponder time.

I prefer condor as that is stronger in nicotine and flavour, but this blend is perfect for warm summer evenings. Also, watch the old adverts on youtube, they're some of the best.

Pipe Used: GQ Tobaccos Truffle Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: A local cornershop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2021-06-15		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Much of what I said in my review of St Bruno Flake applies also to the ready rubbed version. It's a dark, predominantly Virginia, tobacco with a full-bodied, fruity fragrance in the pouch and a strong, pleasant and instantly recognisable room note. It packs, lights and burns well. After a bland start, the flavour fills out and remains uniform all the way down the bowl. Sip it, or it'll bite your tongue and you'll miss the depth of flavour; it's also fairly strong in terms of nicotine content. There is a distinctive fruity/nutty/woody taste that defies description; there's a casing of some sort, but I don't know what it is. I can't detect any appreciable difference between the flake and ready-rubbed versions; though the ready- rubbed burns more quickly and hence is inclined to be hotter. Perhaps the flake is also a wee bit tastier or more full-bodied; but there's not much in it.

St Bruno in either of its forms is a worthwhile and satisfying smoke, though perhaps not one for the beginner. I find, incidentally, that DGT is very rewarding with St Bruno. If you come back to a partially smoked bowl, you find that the casing has gone and you're getting a very full and rich pure Virginia flavour.

St Bruno (perhaps jointly with Three Nuns) is in my view the best of the everyday 'supermarket' tobaccos. If you don't have a specialist tobacconist nearby or just want to walk to the corner shop for some baccy, St Bruno (either flake or ready rubbed) is about as good as you can do. Because it is packaged in a plastic pouch that might have sat on a supermarket shelf for weeks, it can be pretty dry when you buy it; but this is a common problem: a nuisance, but easy enough to remedy, when all's said and done. Good value for money; recommended.

St Bruno Ready Rubbed is now the only tobacco available in my local B & M. Even Condor and Gold Block have gone the journey; there is, I'm told, no demand for them, though cigarettes are as popular as ever. That St B should be the sole survivor in a market the bottom of which seems to have fallen out says a lot for its quality/popularity, I guess. In the years since I wrote the first version of this review, St Bruno has become a favourite of mine, if only because so many other favourites have ceased to be available. As (in the UK) we move slowly but inexorably towards prohibition, you have to learn to be content with what you can get.

Pipe Used: Various billiards and bulldogs

Age When Smoked: Usually straight from the shop

Purchased From: Local corner shop; St Bruno is readily available everywhere in the UK

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2021-06-15		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Before it came in a silicone plastic envelope that better kept the tobacco seal. Now it comes in the typical plastic wrapped paper pouch. Go ahead, I am surprised by its “aromatic” rating, but since I take it for granted that experts know what they do, I have to say that it is one of the aromatic tobaccos that I have liked the most of all I have tried.

When you open the pouch, the typical Kentucky aroma and also vinegar arises, which is quite penetrating, but as has already been said in other reviews, the vinegar aroma does not translate to the flavor at the time of smoking. After lighting, with the first puffs, the well-known smoky flavor of Mac Baren's Kentucky appears, similar to that of Old Dark Fire from the same house, Three Nuns, Savinelli's Doblone d'Oro (made by Mac Baren), or also that of Lakeland Dark, in this case by Samuel Gawith. But unlike those other blends, in St. Bruno the Kentucky is pleasantly softened and complemented by those lakeland or soapy notes some reviewers mention and also by other subtly floral notes of something akin to tea. And those notes not only don't hurt you, they make you very pleasant.

I would love to smoke the flake version.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	widepluto (5)	2021-06-11		Very Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

As everyone seems to like this tobacco, and given it has quite a name to it, I picked it up when I saw a pouch at a tobacco shop. When opening the pouch you get a vinegary smell, but I'm told this is because it is used as a natural preservative. When lighting the taste I get is like barbecue sauce (which isn't a bad thing at all). It smokes nice and cool, burns well, doesn't really require relights. The reason it's not a regular for me and why I won't buy it again is the Nicotine hit. I smoke various tobaccos, some are arguably quite strong, but for some reason St.Bruno really hits me hard. So hard, that it kind of ruins the experience for me. From smoking one bowl I feel very whoozy, but not in a good way. If I smoke it on an empty stomach I might even get some cold sweat. However, this may just be me. I've heard that some have the same experience with it, while others don't get that effect. So if the N-hit isn't that strong for you, definitely a nice smoke.

Pipe Used: Vauen and Passatore

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O. D. Jones (25)	2021-06-03		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Absolute classic. One of the handful of old school OTC tobaccos that are probably better now than it had been for a while. I stopped smoking it a few years back, because every time you got a pouch you never knew what you were getting, would it be dried out, raggedy fibers? or poorly cut chunks? maybe it had some of the Lakeland essence or maybe you got some recycled cigarette butts... this was obviously after the Ogden's period but before whoever is making it now. This is a nice change of pace from the inevitable "it's not as good as it used to be" we pipe smokers seem to be prone to (and as a side note, I do think the newer Peterson's Royal Yacht is better than it had been for a while, a lighter hand on the plum sauce, and a better quality of tobaccos...)

St Bruno smells exactly like A1 steak sauce in the pouch, which on reflection might actually make a tasty tobacco.... however, the A1 aroma does not translate to the smoke. A perfect balance between that clean soapy Lakeland flavor and the decent quality Virginia and Kentucky tobaccos. I don't understand how more companies can't get that balance of flavors together; so many overwhelm the tobacco flavor, or have the top note fade out before the bottom of the bowl. Best if rubbed out a little further, and spread out to dry for a couple of minutes. Requires a little attention to the packing, and may need a few relights. St Bruno can gurgle a bit, and leave a little dampness in the bottom of the bowl... I reserve a Savinelli (sans balsa filter) for Saint Bruno's and other aromatics. This is an ideal smoke for those that may be allowed to smoke a pipe in decent company, as it has an pleasant room note, and by God, there's actually some nicotine in it!

Recently had a Skype call with a old friend who lives in Manchester, and we shared a smoke separated by an ocean, him with a Peterson full of Condor, and me with a Pete full of St Bruno. We determined there are two kinds of people in the world: those that like Condor and those that like St Bruno... like those that prefer bourbon and those that prefer single malt scotch... never the twain shall meet! Can't really get Condor over here in the US, and personally, I've always found Condor to be just a little too strong for my tastes. St Bruno is not an everyday smoke for me, but like Laphroaig Scotch, I always keep some on hand, for when the inevitable craving for that exact flavor comes up. Plus the old commercials on YouTube for Saint Bruno are pretty priceless.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma Lucite 315

Age When Smoked: usually fairly fresh

Similar Blends: Condor..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Waldorf Salad (10)	2021-03-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Wasn't expecting a lot from an over the counter brand but the reviews were good. I must admit a factor was the ease with which this can be found at any UK grocer, coupled with its popularity. I got nothing but cigarette taste from this - couldn't even tell I was smoking an aromatic. Granted it seemed moist but I'm not confident drying would have helped. Back to English's for me.

Pipe Used: Charatan

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2021-03-07		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Mac Baren- St. Bruno Ready Rubbed

This OTC has been around for a long time for a good reason, it’s delicious and something I have been surprised and happy to find. This is one of my morning on the drive to work smokes.

Floral essence with some citrus Virginia’s, the Kentucky is woodsy, deep rich nutty and just enough spice.

This is a chunky ready rubbed, the vinegar note is actually well done I must admit compared to the sutliff red Virginia crumbe cake which smells like someone soaked the tobacco in it for days.

Smokes cool, 1-2 relights, dry bowl.

My only complaint for this blend is the price, if only it was cheaper this would likely be a daily smoke for me. I really do enjoy the citrus and rose flavor of this mixed with the wonderful kentucky smokiness with a bit of char.

Pipe Used: rossi 320, chacom billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 yr

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (76)	2020-03-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The legendary St bruno!

I don't know what it is but I now absolutely love this stuff!

Every pipe smoker in Britain will of probably had an experience with this at some point, I myself tried it when imperial still. Made it and didn't care for it at all.

Now mac baren have took the reins it is much improved, granted the topping is dialled back but it is a much nicer smoke.

Just look the advert used to say.... Cool, slow burning and satisfying. It's distinct aroma reminds you of home, it has a vinegar like sharpness which doesn't go over to the smoke but there is a lovely dried fruit taste to it. The kentucky adds the body and the virginia balances it nicely.

Room note I find pleasant enough, the wife finds it a bit on the stinky side but bearable.

An honest to goodness old fashioned yet timeless smoke.

Given the current climate I just ordered a ten pack..... That should keep me going nicely.

4 stars and highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Hardcastle Jack o London bent billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My smoking shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (69)	2019-11-07		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

St. Bruno is a perfect all day blend. The smoke gives notes of wood and earth, slightly smoky, nutty, and sweet hay. The floral note is very light and unobtrusive. The ready rubbed cut makes it easy to pack and light, and no relighting is necessary. I’ve smoked this blend in briars, but it really shines in a cob. Pleasant sweetness, medium nic, medium flavor, yet mild enough to smoke all day. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Cobs and briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2018-06-02		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Here was a surprise. What I thought I had bought was St, Bruno's flake, but on closer inspection and (obviously) on pouch opening I discovered this was ready rubbed.

I wasn't disappointed, either. It's a great blend, and only a tobacco strand away from the mighty flake. Indeed, I found bits of what looked like flake in here. I also found some bits of what looked like a thin strip of wood (yes, really). It happens sometimes even in the best and most expensive blends (Davidoff's you dogs take note) you can get a lump or a stick in with the mixture.

In ye olde days, of course, you'd have sent this back to the manufacturer and received a chest of tobacco and a grovelling letter of apology. Alas, not any more.

There are only subtle differences between this and it's flake brother (sister?). One is that the flavour, that deep malty taste and aroma isn't quite as profound here as the flake and the taste tends to tail off towards the end of the bowl. Apart from that this is, as I said, a great blend, a little more convenient than the flake (especially if you are banished outside). A consistent and satisfying smoke for a Saturday night when there's only crap on the TV.

St. Bruno remains the best OTC blend that you can still get from UK shops (in my area anyway) and even those are disappearing like a extinct animal from those nasty little metal-doored cabinets they hide their tobacco away in these days. Even good ol' Morrisons big supermarket doesn't sell ANY pipe tobacco at all now.

So, if you see this or the flake just grab it and cellar it if you must. I have a nasty feeling the death bell is being rung on OTC's UK.

Pipe Used: All of them briars and meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Spar shop, Upton, Worcestershire

Similar Blends: The flake. Condor green..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2017-12-16		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I might be out to lunch; but St Bruno RR seems to have a different casing than the Flake does. It's more floral and comes as being less generously applied as where the Flake is more citrus/sweet and more discernable to the nose and taste. Also, it seems like the RR version packs more nicotine than the Flake does. Not that much but enough to make it clearly noticeable. In any case I confess I have a preference for the Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2017-06-09		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love the ready rubbed and tin both. The RR is more convenient though and not that different from the tinned version. I like to take St. Bruno with me when I travel because it's dependable, I get a good smoke every time. It is slightly floral, but not in the same way that most Lakeland type blends are. One of the things I love about this tobacco, is how well balanced it is. There is no flavor that overpowers another and I pretty much taste them all equally. It is nutty, earthy, creamy, slightly floral and a little sweet. British tobacco's all tend to be more hearty, meaty and earthy, this is no exception. The RR is ready to smoke right out of the pouch and I find the moisture content to be about right. This is a go-to smoke for me.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Recently purchased

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2016-09-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Mac Baren - St. Bruno Ready Rubbed.

When I first started piping, around twenty years ago, this was the blend I started with; it's pretty ubiquitous here in the U.K. And it's fair to say it's remained one of my favourites ever since. I had previously posted a review on here for it, but at the time had not long been discharged from hospital because of a head injury, ergo, it wasn't too articulate a review! So I decided to delete, and re-write my thoughts on this wonderful blend.

The ready rubbed mixture doesn't contain any pieces that still qualify as being 'broken flakes', there's a few coarse ribbons, but nothing in need of further rubbing. There are one or two twigs though, they need throwing out! The colour's prominently dark brown, with just a few lighter/very dark specks. The aroma's slightly floral, and it's perfectly moist.

It lights up easily, and gives (in my opinion) a brilliant smoke. There is an easily detectable added flavour, but it doesn't smother the tobaccos'. With the topping, I get mainly a floral/citrus taste; the citrus takes some time to appear, at first it's only the flowery side. I'm nonplussed as to exactly what fruits have been used, because I can only pick out citrus from the fruit selection. There's not much to be said about how the tobacco tastes; it seems fairly basic, so doesn't warrant many words. I find the nicotine medium, and the room-note's pleasant.

This is a blend that never fails to satisfy me!

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Calabash Super Junior

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Co-op

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	amlu (1)	2016-02-13		Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

2 months pipe smoker here. Tried various "nice" brands before. Mostly GH and SG flakes. Found pipe smoking very nice. Got to order my tobacco online as there is no decent shops around. Recently found myself unable to order online in time, so went to local asda shop and picked up a packet of St Bruno. After reading previous reviews I was expecting something quite reasonable. People been comparing it to Ennerdale and thats one of my favorities. Got a packet and it smells same as blue drum rolling tobacco. (remember that from my rollie days) Smoking - just a big nicotine hit and a foul smell in the mouth. Plus some sore spots in my mouth too. Not nice at all. Picked up my jacket next day after a evening with a pipe (i smoke on a patio outside) and it stank of old ashtray full of cigarette butts. With everything I tried before its never been like that. Maybe i haven’t tried a truly horrible stuff before.

I like to have a bit of nicotine hit with my morning coffee and pipe, but come on, it supposed to be a pleasure, not a disgusting time.

I thought may be something wrong with my falcon pipe, my smell sense or something, went to the big city today and purchased a tin of MacBaren vanilla flake, loaded up the pipe, fired up, very nice as expected.

remaining St bruno will stay in an emergency jar to be touched only when nothing else is available....

Pipe Used: Falcon

Purchased From: over the counter ASDA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2014-04-20		Medium to Strong	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

When i think of the characteristics of an English tobacco i think of St.Bruno, that's really all i can say on the subject. Like Captain Black is to America, St.Bruno is to the English in my mind. An English institution.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	henwrench (16)	2012-01-11		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Bought some on the line of thinking 'if all else fails, at least I can grab some of this stuff from practically any newsagents'. Was a bit scared, worried that it would taste and smell like dung. Or roadkill. Packed a bowl of my wee Dr Plumb Lightweight. Got her fired up easily enough. Sat and chugged away for 15 minutes. While I wouldn't smoke this all the time however it certainly gets a 'Somewhat Recommended' because 'if all else fails....'.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-02-13		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Have to be honest, I didn't really care for this one. It reminded me of a mild version of condor, but with a bit more bite. Even sipping this guy gave me troubles with tongue bite, it smoked terribly hot. I'd like to try the flake, I tend to like flakes better than these sort of ready rubbed blends. If you like Condor, give it a shot. Not really for me. I only smoked a few bowls before passing this one along.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PSLion (2)	2010-11-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was the second OTC tobacco I tried. My house mate was the first person I'd seen smoke St. Bruno while I was playing around with various Kendal blends. His pouch was old, dry, and stank. This put me off trying it for a good many years. Sundays, however, have a trend of being the day I try new OTC tobaccos due to my local tobacconist being closed that day. My normal at the time OTC, Condor Original, was out of stock and only 50g pouches of St. Bruno remained on the shelf. I decided it was better to have something than walk away empty handed, so I took a chance and tried it.

I'm glad I did. I remember waiting for the punch in the face I'd come to expect from a new pouch of Condor Ready Rubbed, but it never came. Instead, I was led by the hand to a calm river in a small forest whereupon I was invited to relax for a while. This, of course, being a metaphor. There was no harshness, no bite, no rancid flavour, the tobacco wasn't too moist or too dry, and it certainly didn't try to attack me. Instead, it just filled my face with a polite, yet exceedingly pleasant, flavour that almost felt like it didn't want to be overbearing but at the same time it wanted me to experience -something-. I wasn't entirely sure what the something was, though. It certainly wasn't soap, and I was grateful for that. It's the only new tobacco I have enjoyed so much that I had a second bowl only a few minutes after finishing the first (with a different pipe, of course). St. Bruno is certainly a multi-pipe tobacco and unlike Condor Original Ready Rubbed, there should be no ghost of St. Bruno left in the pipe afterwards.

I still don't know what that special something is. I doubt I ever will. The journey to discover it is an enjoyable one, though, as St. Bruno has now become my any-time-every-day tobacco. There's enough strength to keep me satisfied, and pleasing enough to allow me to smoke it around half-a-dozen times a day at least, often more. Even my non-smoking house mates aren't offended by it, although the one who smoked it originally now rather smugly claims me got me in to it in the first place. I would recommend St. Bruno to others. Maybe not as a first tobacco, but certainly as an enjoyable regular smoke once you've found your feet or a fall-back if a favoured tobacco is not available.

Edit: Jan 2016: Something has changed and utterly made me rethink the previous score and review. I don't know if my tastes have changed, or if there was a change in how St. Bruno has been produced but recently it has become a very bitter, hot, and unpleasant smoke. The rub has been hardly rubbed at all, with some pouches almost being flake-like. This mostly affected the 25g pouch, but the 50g pouches weren't spared the same fate in terms of taste. It has gone from my main tobacco I smoked daily to me actively avoiding it. It still has a nice room note, however. So, sadly, I have had to reduce the review to a single star of non-recommendation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-08-24		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Note my cuppa tea as I am still on aromatics. Smell was odd for me, not a lot of taste. First OTC tobacco. Wasn't for me, prefer ones bought from specialist tobacconists.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2010-06-05		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

It is what it is...

A long standing British supermarket blend. If sipped, it's a steady smoke that edges towards a full flavour.

Not much more to say, other than the old TV ads with the St Bruno dog were entertaining.

I guess there's a reason it's been around for so long. Be careful though, a lot of the time if you are going to buy it OTC, ask the person how long it's been there, as often it's been there a while and can be dry..

Readily available in almost every newsagents up and down Britain. I guess this is the UK's 'Prince Albert'

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Full English (31)	2009-11-15		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'm broken boned and spewing blood, marooned on an arctic ice shelf in my turtleneck sweater after tumbling from the precipice of a glacier. With an icicle stuck up my arse, and my right arm idly swinging from an ice-pick, some 150 metres above me, I'm buggered. I'd also die for one last smoke to ease the pain, but my left hand is severely frostbitten. Cue the music - and a dopey, great St. Bernard Dog upon the horizon, lolloping to my aid and wheezing under the sheer weight of the biggest slab of St. Bruno RR you've never commercially seen. Evidently, it's been via the airport and had the sense to afford me some timely duty-free.

"Cancel the chopper. Paws or no paws, get that pipe filled and spark up!"

At least that's how the UK St. Bruno ads of the 80s would have us believe it, when I was a youngster... More or less. Nowadays, you have to walk to the newsagents and pay for the privilege. Meh.

Those were my overriding memories of St. Bruno, until the day I mistakenly bought flake to make rolling ciggies as a student. Now, as a pipe smoker, I procured a small pouch of RR to readdress the balance. Evidently, I wanted to hate it, not simply because of the my aforementioned naivety, but rather more because it's a commercial smoke in the UK, available in any two-bit local shop (sadly, we don't do drugstore blends in drugstores in England). And commercialized things, as I have attested to in the past (see my 'Clan' review), are objects of derision; to be avoided, in my experience.

However, unlike 'Clan', it's commercial shelf neighbour, aside of Condor, this is actually a rather pleasant smoke, if not the most exciting. It's pouch note seems to be a lot stronger than the smoke, with a 'meaty' (almost seasoned steak), robust body, moderate sourness, and the faintest hint of dried fruit sweetness. I certainly don't sense any of the soapiness that some have mentioned. It's thinly rubbed, compared to many, yet yields a decent moisture content. I didn't get the large helping of tobacco stem that some did in my 25g pouch.

First impressions are indicative of a strong tobacco, but St. Bruno is far from it; smooth and bite-less, with a mere hint of added flavouring, that I can't quite place. In smoking quality and coolness, it's akin to McQuaid Plug, albeit without the generous depth of flavour.

For me, it went some way to prove that I can walk down the road and buy generally good tobacco, without having to mail order from the internet, or travel to a bigger city. It's a middle-of-the-road, inoffensive smoke, with reasonable characteristics. It tastes ok, burns well after the first charring, and will see you through the whole day.

The "Patron Saint of Pipe Smokers" slogan from the 80s, seems to have been replaced with "A Pipe's Best Friend". I can't help wondering if that's largely to do with the evident inoffensiveness of this blend. Would I smoke it again? As a back- up option, when I'm clean out of everything better, yes. Would I recommend it to you? Yes. Is it the best commercially available pipe tobacco? I would think so.

For the record, the St. Bernard on the pack still looks under the weather. Perhaps that's due to the death of the high street tobacconist that we should all lament.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SoundsOminous (11)	2022-09-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Tangy fruit in the pouch. Needs some drying time. Slow burning. Pleasant Lakeland aroma. Lacks heft in the Nic dept. Won't be a regular for me

Pipe Used: Vauen Melvin MV 134

Age When Smoked: Fresh pouch

Purchased From: Spain

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sangagor (78)	2022-05-23		Mild	Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

Fresh tobacco smells freshy, springy after grass and plain with sweetnes . There was certainly floral toping in it. My package needed a hour to be dried, but even without preparation burns well. (of course with proper moisture in bowl) Taste was sweet, grassy gentle citrusy. Nic hit is accurate, rather mild than medium. Sntenced to aromatic with floral essence, I would rather describe it as pure VA. Kentucky was not tasted at all. Light all day smoke. Something was missing to four stars.

Pipe Used: BPK Stanislaw, MM

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Tesco in London

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fat Geralt (1)	2021-10-14		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have not smoked this tobacco for over 10 years, recently I bought a few bags. When opened, the aroma seems less intense than it was years ago, but memory may fail. I have a dedicated pipe for each tobacco, and here I dug up an old one, not smoked since then. I rubbed the tobacco a little and without drying it to the pipe. It burns very well, the taste is as before, the sweetness stays on the teeth for a long time. If you smoke in peace and keep an eye on the heat, it does not require to relight. The taste does not change when smoked. It is not too strong, not for 6, 4-5 rather, it will scratch your throat if you pull it harder. Generally, as a Va, VaPer lover, I smoke slowly and carefully and have no problem with it, but I checked it out. I am happy that he did not disappoint me, as sometimes happens with tobaccos after years.

Pipe Used: Welbor

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Spain

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ANDERSEN (4)	2021-09-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Este es un tabaco que me da un cambio de ritmo, como un descanso a mi rutina de tabacos mas profundos, de mas fuerza, o con mas caracter. Es un compañero para una fumada relajante. No es un mal tabaco, es un tabaco agradecido, decente. Nada mas abrir el paquete, me llega un aroma agrio, levemente achocolatado, afrutado, citrico. Estaba en un punto de humedad muy correcto. La fumada es placentera, relajante, un regusto agrio pero no molesto El aroma que desprende al fumar es un leve aroma floral, dulce, afrutado, algo citrico, higos, amaderado. Un humo en boca dulce, espeso. La nota de habitacion es agradable, lo suficiente para que las personas que esten cerca, no rechacen la presencia de este dulce humo. Quema muy bien, pocos encendidos, una ceniza fina. Deja algo de humedad. Facil de adquirir en el estanco de barrio y a un precio que invita a comprar grandes cantidades. Un fiel amigo para mi rutina diaria. El nivel de nicotina es muy bajo para mi gusto, pero no me molesta en absoluto. Otro tabaco que dormira en mi bodega.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: un mes

Purchased From: estanco de barrio

Similar Blends: Otros virginias maduros.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-03-09		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Strong

I don't know if there was something wrong with the pouch I received, but it was very dry and harsh.

Preparation & Burn: 3/10 Ugly chunks of flakes. How can anyone pack this garbage? Harsh and hard to keep lit.

Taste: 5/20 This managed to taste strong while simultaneously taste like nothing at all.

Mildness: 3/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Too much nicotine for me.

Total: 11/40

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lingo (39)	2019-03-18		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

I met St. Bruno in Madrid, where an Italian (or any European except Swiss) can find the piper’s heaven, meaning a bunch of excellent tobaccos for a much lower price. Seldom I go there for a weekend and buy 1kg of best brands and.. ok I bring my wife which is 1kg more ;)

So that particular time I went to Spain to test the mythical Saint. I’ll spoil the end of the story: all my personal kilo at the border was 2x500g packs of it :)

Tin (bag) is something unique: so grassy, soft, super aromatic (soapy, may I say as an hater of flavours and toppings), leathery... an old fashioned and elegant man, smelling like too much of his morning toilette.. but still eager, victorian..

Packing is very easy but watch out for too much density in the bowl, which is easy to err: the baccy is super-wet and still is in my cellar after 3 years! Thus it’s easy to press a bit too much.

First lighting delivers all the perfumes you expected from the bag, and the first puffs declare them very straightly.

As soon as you sip it —SLOWLY— the leather and the nutty come out, the strength increases and you get all the dark leaf: treat it badly and it will bite.

I love the burley base of it, it’s that hint of oily leather which sometimes is lost in the fired kentucky’s.

Always nice to smoke, not excellent on the room side.

Always in rotation, it is the easiest tobacco to hand for when you’re rushing out because it will never dry out!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (150)	2018-10-21		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I love St Bruno Flake, it's something I come back to every autumn. Rich, earthy, woody tobaccos with a leathery scent applied, it burns cool and smooth and really is hard to beat.

The ready rubbed is OK, but not as good. It's sweeter, and comes very moist indeed. The tobacco is not stoved for as long, and is rubbed by machines. The result is an uneven mix with big chunks and lots of small stuff, and the last few bowls from the pouch will be all crumbs. Still, it's decent stuff and will do in a pinch.

Pipe Used: Falcons, Hardcastle billiard.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Sainsburys

Similar Blends: St Bruno Flake, Condor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2018-08-11		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I sampled both versions, one from Imperial Tobacco and the other one from Mac Baren. The IT one is mustier and more vinegary and the topping is better applied in the sense that it interferes less with the tobacco flavors. The Mac Baren version has a sweeter and more pronounced topping.

The Virginias are grassy, citrusy and lightly figgy. The Kentucky is woody and earthy and carries the blend in the strength department.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gordon Tavistock (23)	2017-12-04		Medium	Strong	Full	Strong

The underlying tobaccos in this blend are of good quality and have a very pleasant taste. The Virginia's are sweet and with a comforting bready note. The Kentucky – I assume it is the Kentucky in the blend that does this – provides a toasty body with notes of burnt wood (if you think campfire then that's not what I mean; think rather in the direction of roasted coffee beans or burnt toast). Nice creamy smoke that is thick enough to provide a complete visual disguise.

However, I can't get around to the particular flavour added to this blend, and that's why I halfway through my second bowl officially gave up St. Bruno and chucked the contents of my pipe into the cup of cold cappuccino in front of me. The flavour is soapy, like a Lakeland. For the record, I do like several Lakelands and Ennerdale Flake is one that I like a lot. Ironically, St.B reminds me a lot of EF, only that I instantly enjoyed the topping of EF, while can't get around to the topping of St.B. To me, the topping of St.B reminds me of chemical cleaning detergents, while the EF topping... somehow does the trick for me!

Due to the pleasantness of the leaf itself, I can't really blame my dislike of this blend on anything else than lack of personal preference for the topping. That's why I allow it two stars, although my personal smoking experience hardly deserves half a star. The fact that I can appreciate the different dimensions of the tobacco flavours despite the (to my palate) nasty topping, really means that this is quality tobacco. By all means, give it a go – some people love the stuff – and especially if you enjoy EF.

Pipe Used: Cob (the St. Bruno ghost is not a friendly one)

Age When Smoked: Fresh pouch

Purchased From: Some off licence news agent in East London.

Similar Blends: Ennerdale Flake (in principal at least, but oh so different to my palate) and Vanish Oxi Action..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2017-04-26		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

For a pouch "over the counter" type tobacco ( more European style than American) ,this has got to be one of the best. It's got a slight "Winey" flavor that works very well as it doesn't overpower. The tobacco itself is a Virginia/ Kentucky combo ( and maybe some Mac Baren's Cavendish ?), that packs a punch, and is well done. Now, will I reorder this , well probably not , just doesn't have the complexity. But I will throw this in the cars glove box with the old pouch of Carter hall and Sir Walter for emergencies .

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: new

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2015-08-01		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant

It is not very often that you compel yourself to put everything into brackets and suspend judgement so that you can concentrate in one single blend. Yes, this tobacco is all that good: it really rocks. I have the habit to choose and pick this or that tobacco depending on how I feel, what time of the day, etc., but after coming across St Bruno, I am only interested in one thing. I have been exploring this tobacco for a week now and I still feel like I haven't had enough. The virginia content is quite nice and has a grassy sweetness to it, but the burley tobacco is simply gorgeous. Words that come to mind are earthy, nutty or cured. It has a very pleasant full-bodied floral dimension to it that wants to be smoked up close. I don't see much of a difference here with its flake form, but its broken flake appearance makes it easier to pack up your bowl on the go. Also, despite the fact St. Bruno has been labelled as an "aromatic tobacco," I don't quite see it that way. For one thing, the Lakeland casing is not very pronounced and its flavour is quite consistent (does not wane) throughout the entire bowl. That is to say I like this tobacco for what it is (a nice VaBur), and not so more for its casing or added flavour, which is minimal. This tobacco will definitely be my go-to option when all I want is to enjoy an everyday's blend.

Purchased From: Tesco

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SamH (31)	2015-03-13		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My default 'out shopping and feel like buying tobacco' purchase. Whilst occasionally I buy Condor for a change and prefer the flake version (no longer around in British supermarkets), this is a very good standby. Not everyone likes St Bruno, but I do. Essentially this is (to me) like a milder, slightly dryer version of the flake. A good thing to know is waiting for you. Update October 2015: I hae been flirting again with Condor and I have to say that after my initial pleasure in the change being a treat, and yes it burns and smokes nicely, I am definately, decidedly and completely keeping St Bruno as my staple tobacco. I admit that the ready rubbed (can get easily in Tesco etc) is not quite the same as the flake (Condor is pretty much equal RR & Long Cut really) but it is an old friend and I can't forget it. Go to staple when Flake is hard to come by.

Pipe Used: Mixture of straight billiards

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Sainsburys

Similar Blends: St Bruno Flake! (albeit different as well)..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cigarcohiba (36)	2015-02-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I read very "interesting" reviews for this particular blend. Unfortunately, I was expecting a "traditional" English blend tobacco. The taste reminded me of some sort of old style cologne.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Christrom (34)	2014-07-31		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Funny thing - when I got into pipe smoking I bought a packet of this, had a quick smoke of it and then thought, well there is a wasted tenner. I threw it into the bottom of the drawer and forgot about it.

6 months later I find it and out of curiosity opened the packet to find that it was still in very good nick, not dried out at all. I loaded my pipe and smoked it and since then I've had bowl after bowl of the stuff.

I don't know why I initially didn't like it - perhaps because I wasn't any good at smoking a pipe, but this stuff is as close to perfect as you could get. Plenty of flavour, but not too much, making this a very dependable everyday smoke. Very earthy taste, another reviewer likened it to malt loaf which I agree with. A little flowery without taking away from the tobacco, burns cool and slow.

This is perfection. Sheer perfection. The only downside for me is that it doesn't have that unique aura to it: it is well known, not esoteric. But so what? It deserves its popularity! WOW!

Pipe Used: estate billiard pipe

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Some godforsaken supermarket

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-04-26		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opening the pouch gives a very tangy smell of molasses and vinegar. Strong Kentucky presence. Heavily sauced.

The cut is actually coarse cut and not RR as it is mentionned. The stuff comes wet, and could benefit from a good drying session.

Upon charring, I am overwhelmed with a perfect combination (seriously) of Va/Ken, with exquisite floral overtones and smoky velvety undertones.

3 stars for me, as I really enjoy Lakeland tobaccos but on an irregular basis.

Pipe Used: Johs Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Casa Havaneza, Lisbon

Similar Blends: Lakeland Floral Tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScannerDarkly7 (10)	2014-03-10		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

As I write this, I am smoking a bowl of the Ready Rubbed version in a MM 'Legend' corn cob. It comes quite wet, but is smokable [keep in mind I've had a wet smoke and a dry one from this], but I've dried this out quite a bit, which makes little difference in taste, just easier to keep lit. Like many who live in the UK, I did not pick this up out of necessity, but out of sheer curiosity, and since I had already tried Condor [which one can only compare, as per OTC blends], I felt I've need to give the other OTC tobacco a shot. St Bruno is to old leather as Condor is to soap; unfortunately, both of those remain dominantly potent in either tobacco, respectively.

This tobacco, I find very strong, and I have a lot of Dunhill and Samuel Gawith English blends, but this is stronger than either. I don't know if it's a good thing, but it's pouch note is certainly akin to its smoke more so than any other tobacco I've tried. Whilst the old leather taste/aroma is present, it becomes rather mellow and allows for a spicy smokey oak to come through [but far too rarely], once you get over the strength. Even after drying out, I did have a little trouble keeping it lit.

There were moments in my bowl, where I did come close to enjoying a nice mellow, oaky smoke, but the overwhelming peppery spice came through far too much. That pepperyness is too harsh. Half way through the bowl, I actually thought it was finished and I was smoking ash! Recommended you scrape off layers of ash just to get back to tolerable smoke so you can finish a bowl. Any bowlful of tobacco that makes me think it's far too uncomfortable to smoke without a filter does not get a thumbsup from me -- especially when it's always been advertised as mellow -- for those younger like me, check out the old St Bruno adverts on YouTube!

Like Condor [sorry to keep mentioning it so much], I can see _why_ people enjoy this, and I think it's certainly worth trying, as it's very distinctive [not necessarily a positive]. I think the blend is quite simple, no complexity at all.

I would not recommend this tobacco, as I personally did not enjoy it. However, I would recommend at least trying to due to its availability if you are curious. Perhaps you're able to find the better of the flavours I mentioned I rarely experienced. Talking of experience, this is a blend I'd say is more likely to be enjoyed by the experienced pipe smokers... such as ex-MP Tony Benn, who probably smoke nothing else.

It claims to be a virginia-based tobacco. I'd like to know more, but I don't think its contents really account for anything over experience/taste.

It's interesting how I see a lot of people using St Bruno as a blending tobacco e.g. "Ogden's Blend": 50/50 St Bruno/Gold Block. Perhaps there is a foundation of something to build on here. Perhaps there's flavours you could build upon, or try and simmer the potency. Or perhaps people are trying to put to use 50g of something they'd rather not put in the bin!

I'd suggest using it to blend yourself some Kinnikinnick -- a Native American smoking product, typically made of mixture of various leaves or barks with other plant materials.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Sainsbury's OTC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2013-12-01		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

I recently picked up a sealed pouch of this blend while on vacation in Spain. I was really excited to see it. I used to smoke the tinned flake version of this back in the early 90's. Remarkably, the taste is exactly as I remembered, it was like being thrown back in time. I can't believe this is no longer available in the USA, it should be, it's the single best OTC tobacco out there right now. Honestly, I'd wish they'd sell this in a tin like they used to, maybe the blend would get more respect. The taste is very unique—flowery is how I'd put it. It borders on being too strong for me, the nicotine content is on the high end, and I usually shy away from strong blends, but, this is one I'd like to keep around, if I could. It's a great smoke if you're looking for a change of pace. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Jeantet Fantasy

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: A Tobak in Barcelona, Spain

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-03-16		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

St Bruno.....my second over the counter blend.

I bought a 25g pouch from tesco supermarket as it was one of the first pipe baccys I had seen over the counter. On opening, you are greeted with a flowery scent and a good batch of I would say medium broken flakes. Moisture was just right and it packs well.

The taste is very nice if a little strong for my likening. There is a hint of floral and a buttery taste as well as the sweetness of the VA but not that sweet. It was soapy as well but not too much (Condor was soapier!) It lights well and rarely needed to be relit but it is a wet smoke as other have said. I also found that it was a fast smoke too.

Not one I will go to first but I will always keep a pouch handy. It does give a Vitamin N kick though and I recommend a full belly for this one. It also burned the bejeezus out of my nose when I exhaled, regardless of technique.

a 2 star tobacco for me with an added star for availability

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-03-02		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

As where I absolutely loved Condor RR and LG, I was terribly disappointed by St - Bruno RR.

A very pleasant taste at first, it was soon replaced by such a level of Vitamine N that it excluded anything else to emerge.

When the nicotine started settling down in my stomach, I put the pipeful away. I was able to finish it much later on.

I attempted a second try. 30 min after, that was it. Never again.

i won't even try the flake, which I heard is even stronger.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2012-09-06		Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Unsurprisingly similar to the Flake, although the topping flavor is a bit more pronounced for me in this version. For further details, see my previous review for the Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2012-08-14		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

St Bruno ready-rubbed's been around for a very long time. It's a classic example of an English pipe tobacco from before "English" meant "Latakia/Balkan". It's main competitor used to be (green pouched) Condor, and it seemed a general rule that if you liked one you really didn't like the other.

Now blended/produced by Orlik (I think) for Imperial Tobacco it seems to have survived the move to Scandanavia pretty well, with the basic blend, flavour and quality of the leaf used left alone.

It's clearly a Virginia/Kentucky blend, but the tobaccos are well cured and almost black. It's cut thicker than it used to be thanks to EU regulations, and as presented may need a bit of rubbing out (the old thinner cut rarely did). The burn rate may be a bit slower as a result, but it's still very forgiving about moisture level and doesn't seem loaded with humectants.

"Forgiving" might be the best overall description of St Bruno. There's hardly any bite, though it can burn a bit wet. It's not harsh and requires few relights. Perhaps worth mentioning that it's meant to be smoked old-fashioned British style without much if any drying out. Dried out too much it has less flavour, burns hotter and starts to bite.

In the pipe,as far as I can tell it tastes pretty much as it always did - medium in flavour, but with a quite sweet initially meaty fullness to it and a hint of spiciness. There's a hint of plummy fruitiness on first light, that disipates fairly quickly. Further down the bowl the Kentucky begins to make itself felt with a finish that's quite dry in tase and a little nutty.

There is a bit of flavouring, but it's a gentle, natural British style one intended to compliment the tobacco, rather than overwhelm the tobacco with something quite different like US or Danish-style aromatics. The topping/casing is nothing like the perfumey Lakeland "soap" floral one either, it's more a gentle deep fruity plum/raisin kind of thing. Doesn't ghost pipes either, at least as far as I can tell. It's the classic smell of British pipe smoking.

Overall, it's still a good tobacco and recommended, especially as it's often available at supermarkets in the UK. A classic of it's kind. Oh, and it's Tony Benn's regular tobacco and has been for many years which must say something.

By the way, the flake is very similar, but perhaps a bit stronger and with a bit more depth to it, but that might just be down to the different preparation. Certainly they were supposed to be the same tobacco, with the ready rubbed simply being pre-rubbed out for convenience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-06-12		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Some people say you either like St. Bruno or Condor as a strong and robust Over The Counter blend, I personally like both of them, the smell of the opened pouch is similar to that of Condor but less perfumy and floral, instead it had a hint of citrusy and fruity scents but it is still soapy, it seems to feel as if it has been cut finer as well, when I packed my pipe to the brim, I lit and then tamped and lit again, at first tasting, it had a lovely aroma and taste, sandalwood, hints of blueberry and lavender.

When I was done, I was left wanting more, kind of like the Condor, I'm not by any means a long time pipe smoker, but starting out with these two strong and heavy hitting tobaccos remind me of when I was 4 years old, sat at my Great Uncle's house, he used to love both St. Bruno and Condor and the smell of the tobaccos being smoked reminds me of that, he did used to smoke Dunhill's Nightcap and that is one I must soon try!

Overall, I like St. Bruno for that typical meaty English tobacco flavour, maybe St. Bruno is the patron saint of Pipe smokers haha!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2012-05-21		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

One of the first over the counter baccies i tried when i first bought my Peterson rustic bent apple 303 system pipe with the moisture trap resevoir in the stem.

Basically St Bruno is a very peaty full bodied do it all smoke. I really like St Bruno because its a brand thats been around for as long as i can remember and i rememeber all the adverts in the cinema and tv as a kid,and its a brand you can guarantee to almost find anywhere.

Initially i had some difficulty getting to grips with this smoke because it is quite a wet smoke strait out of the pouch . Over using my only pipe at the time without any rotation tarred my initial judgement. But experience has changed my tastes and techniques and i have revisited these OTCs again of which some of them are as good as anything that is harder to find.

50g Pouch bought at sainsbury's supermarket and guaranteed to be available at any tobacco counter that actually sells any pipe tobacco at all.

Appearance in the pouch:Rubbed flake but distinctly different from the "St Bruno flake" version.

Buttery, slight sour fruit plum or apricot/dried fruit pouch note.

A slow and cool smoke,long lasting actually and no bite. Quite a buttery thick mouth feel with a slight "wrights" brand "coal tar soap" leathery taste factor which is pleasant.Soapy but not a kendal style lakeland essence as much,this tastes like its the tobacco rather than fortified.

Smokes well strait out of the pouch. Quite a moist tobacco and leaves a lot of tarry condensation in the moisture trap of my falcon pipe, and due to the large size hyperbowl i use to smoke this in the trap has to be wiped out a few times during the smoking session or drown. But:for its prone wetness in the heel during a smoke ,it takes light like a cooperative champ anyway and it burns fine all the way down no problem. Its a cooperative smoke although a wettish one for a conventional briar maybe, but in a falcon system the moisture trap takes care of wet heel syndrome and prevents bogged briar or bad odour ever occuring due to lack of pipe resting time. I actually like it more without drying because it produces a thicker smoother smoke.

More on taste:a buttery virginia brown/golden sugar taste,malt loaf earthyness-more of an earthy smoke than a smokey smoke. On top of the virginia is perhaps a mellow brown cavendish/sweet heavy kentucky here. Some sweet raw carrot-wet acrylic paint(in a nice way like when opening a fesh tin of wall emulsion that smells almost eddible). Very natural full tobacco's and not airy at all;here is a full dense delivery,very round and heavy creamy,slight treacle molasis factor,,faint nutmeg-ish spice of the kentucky.

Easily an alldayer of the stronger type-would go well with a cream tea chaser or coffee and bailey's irish cream liqueur. Room note is pleasant enough for me but revisiting the room later it can smell a bit leather shoeish and ammoniac. Gets stronger down the bowl and the kentucky kicks in more-The dried fruit factor is felt more than it is directly tasted and is more like eating dates than figs actually-yes;definately dried dates and rich also.The mouth feel at the bottom also tastes quite reminicent of cake mixture for rock cakes or cookie dough prior to baking like when liking the mixing spoon.Imagine date and walnut cake minus the actual walnuts for a date cake and you will get my drift.

According to that ogdens sales rep which everybody seems to know like the story of the never killing the albatros;i will try mixing this with 50/50 with "Gold Block" by the same brand.

Years ago @7-8 i thought this was a fairly mediocre smoke,but having tried it again in system pipes i can totally give it a 4 star,so easy to smoke i look forward to coming home from work and loading a fatty bowl of this.The fact that its easy available and a good as anything which is harder to aquire is worth an extra star itself. I am on my second recently purchased pouch and intend to keep some handy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grandad (8)	2012-04-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I would not recommend this at all. The taste is not pleasant and the smoke leaves a very stale smell in the air. For the Price of this over-the-counter tobacco, you can easily find better quality tobaccos elsewhere and maybe even a little cheaper... I would pass what I have left on to someone else but none of my enemies smoke a pipe!

With this tobacco, I also found that it's tar content is very high! I've never had such a collection of gunk in my pipe when cleaning the stem as I have with other tobacco's. You may as well shred your tyres and smoke that instead.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-04		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A good solid no-nonsense smoke. Nothing fancy (or particularly interesting), but that's not the point of this tobacco. I think it's even better since they changed the cut.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (241)	2012-01-31		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I was curious to try this and compare it to the St Bruno Flake which I happen to enjoy. While this is said to be the same tobacco as the flake, only rubbed out, there are noticeable differences to me. First, the pouch note isn't as strong as the tin note of the flake and is harder for me to keep lit. The flake is sweeter to my palate with a fuller taste and a more noticeable side stream. It also has the tendency for more tongue bite for me as compared to the flake smoked fresh from the tin. The main similarity to the flake is that it does smoke down to fine gray ash. The price point is better than the flake for the same 50gm at $4 less (although still pricey at $11/50gm pouch. A good smoke, but I think I'll pay the higher price and stick with the flake as I enjoy it over the Ready Rubbed.

Pipe Used: Stanwell featherweight Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-01-26		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am new to pipe smoking, being a cigar smoker. I bought a Peterson churchwarden smooth Dublin pipe. I read some reviews and decided to start my pipe smoking with St Bruno ready rubbed, which cost just over ten pounds for 50g. I opended the plastic pouch and the smell was slighlty "chemical". The volume of smoke produced was not as much as expected - each puff produced a low quantity of smoke, but nothig like a cuban cigar. For me the taste was almost non existent; it could be that my pipe is new and not yet broken in (and I am new to this). No mouth burn / tongue burn, and not much of a "nicotine hit" or anything. I read reviews about condor being strong - too strong for a new pipe somker, but after St Bruno, I think I will give it a try. The main advantage / reason for trying a pipe was cost - with a good cuban about £15. I'm not giving up, and will try other (much stronger) tobaccos. (keep in mind that I am new to this, and that I am not a seasoned pipe smoker).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-12-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been a ST.Bruno tobacco smoker for over 50 years,choosing "Ready rubbed" as my particular favourite.Over the past ten years, I have noticed a distinct change in both the burning and the taste,which is inferior to what it used to be. Three weeks ago, I paid for 5x 50 gramme pouches at Manchester airport in the Duty free sales, and upon my return to the U.K. I was able to collect. However on opening, it states quite clearly on the packaging that this ST.Bruno was in fact made in Scandinavia, (Denmark) by the "Scandinavian Tobacco Group ( Orlik ). Despite the supposed new E.U. regulations that the strands were to be a minimum of 1.5 mm thickness, this seems slightly finer, ( as once was the case for ready rubbed), but upon lighting up, the smell, taste and burning rate are quite different. The taste has a saltpetre flavour and all in all is a most disgusting tobacco. I shall transfer my loyalties to some other blend , possibly one made by McCahey's. What has Imperial Tobacco done to our tobacco industry.It is an appalling state of affairs when even our smoking tobaccos are dictated by some unelected quango of Commissars in Europe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2011-11-28		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

St. Bruno Flake in ready rubbed version.

Just as fantastic - no really: OUTSTANDING!!!!!!

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-25		Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

To paraphrase an earlier reviewer, In Britain the the smell of pipe smoke was synonymous with St. Bruno. Unfortunately, whatever essences that used to be added to it are no longer present. It still tastes pretty damn good though, and has a good helping of vitamin N. I prefer Condor however.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Withnail (16)	2011-10-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, even smokers who are not lucky enough to live near a good high street tobacconist, can choose from a huge range of tobacco.

This is available from most cigarette retailers in supermarkets etc and is actually a lot nicer than I was expecting. I'd class this as a "no frills everyday smoke" with a nice solid flavour and pleasing smoke.

My one complaint. As pipe tobacco is not as widely smoked as it once was, I have no idea how long this pouch had been sitting on the shop shelf before I came alone and bought it. It was absolutely bone dry when I opened the packet. It wasn't too difficult to re-hydrate over a couple of days and I was able to smoke it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-20		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice OTC tobacco I bought from Tesco in a 25g pouch. Wasn't expecting much but it has a pleasant, mild taste and makes for quite a relaxing smoke.

I'll be keeping a pouch of this handy for when I can't decide what type of tobacco I'm in the mood for.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Alim (3)	2011-06-06		Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

UPDATE (15/06/2011): St Bruno Flake has been changed so it's no longer super-fine but very much thicker (1.5mm). The new batches all come in this thickness. There is no marking on the packet to indicate the change or the reason for it. It's a different product now, and the flavour is a bit unevenly distributed throughout the tobacco. It rubs out to a substance just like the Ready Rubbed.

I usually smoke St Bruno Flake but this is being phased out in the UK because of new EU laws (pipe tobacco now has to have a minimum 1.5mm width), so I was forced to buy the Ready Rubbed as that's all the (supermarket) tobacconist had. The flavour of this one is not up to the St Bruno Flake, and it burns cooler and tastes milder. Having said that, it's perfectly acceptable and does have taste somewhat characteristic of St Bruno, and a reasonable amount of nicotine. However it's not worth really seeking out this ready-rubbed version as you won't get the famed St Bruno experience from it. The room note is fine but it has less subtleties in it that the Flake.

Interestingly, I didn't find it too moist to smoke right out of the packet. The Flake does benefit from being left out to dry a little, and improves a bit after a few months of being kept in a jar. This one probably is as good as it's going to get, straight out of the packet. I thought this one had a very slight vanilla note too (at first it did, then it vanished), so perhaps the mixture/formula has been changed slightly. Overall it's enjoyable and worth smoking, but I would prefer the flake again.

Even though it's ready-rubbed, it's somewhat gummed together sometimes and benefits from a little further rubbing. However the convenience of this is offset by the loss of the experience of rubbing the Flake, which becomes springy and fluffy due to its extremely thin cut. Although unlike the Flake, there will not be a dearth of crumbs near the bottom of the supply when it's running out.

Quite good, not at all bad and you could get a lot worse tobaccos than this. But the Flake has the edge over this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Billy777 (18)	2011-04-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A good everyday tobacco. The last time I was home in the UK I bought a 25g pouch - yes it's sold in that size of pouch too - and thoroughly enjoyed every bowlful. The fact that you can get it in almost any newsagent (drugstore) is a bonus too.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-02-18		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

st bruno is the closest ive found since moving to the UK to my US fav of esoterica stonehaven... it does have enough nicotine to satisfy, but wish the room note was nicer, even when i've smoked up my bedroom and been down a while i'm kinda disappointed in room note

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-23		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Think truffles, coffee grounds, moist long-cut snuff, peaty loam -- I half-expected to find a tangle of earthworms at the bottom of the pouch... St. Bruno Ready-Rubbed is singular in appearance and taste, unlike any other pipe tobacco I've tried (the number is legion). Previous reviewers have accurately stated that St. Bruno contains Virginias and Burley--but I don't know what the hell else is in this stuff, which is positively greasy with either LA perique or a delicious sauce of 30-weight motor oil. Acrid, salty, and highly flammable, my first bowl, which I hadn't sufficiently compacted, burned like a cordite fuse. There is no identifiable aromatic (much obliged to Ogdens of Liverpool). Intoxicating, alternately malevolent and soft-hearted. Dark winter fruit character of prunes, dried persimmons, et al, reminiscent of McLelland's DARK STAR, Rattray's MARLIN FLAKE, and C & D's KAJUN KAKE, though lacking the sweetness of these three mixtures. Intensively stoved Virginias predominate the high and middle ranges, underscored by some fairly raunchy KY burleys. Not much depth here but a lotta flavor with a short, pleasing finish...Altogether Spek-Tackler. No longer imported from the UK into the states, I bought six 50 gram pouches duty-free in St. Maarten for $3 each. Wished I'd bought all they had on the island. This is not for every one, but the next time you go abroad I suggest you give St. Bruno a trial. If you don't like it, give it to the worms.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-30		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I went to Vitoria elias_62 asked me to bring in - if you find – a pouch Why don't I get one for my shelf I thought. I had heard very good things from several people who have had the chance to smoke this blend of Kentucky and Virginia, from the time it was made by Ogden's of Liverpool, because now it is made in Madrid. Has excellent moisture even though it is in a pouch, easily fills the bowl, easily lit and kept alight easily without much effort. Maintains the characteristic flavor to the end, leaving a clean white ash. Strong nicotine. Unfortunately no longer placed in tin. Too bad cause I would easily buy 4-5 tins to store.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've not been smoking a pipe for very long so not a connosieur, but here goes.

Pack smell: a smokey, peaty smell. Reminds me of a peaty malt like Isle of Islay. Lacks the rich plum/fruit pudding fragrance of flake.

Flavour & Taste: Pleasant when smoked by sipping, and can taste the malty peatiness - very enjoyable, especially compared to Mellow Virginia. Not as rich as flake though - no fruitiness.Great with a glass of whisky to chill out with.

Room smell: Quite pleasant. I often smoke in the entry/utility room. So I return to the entry after smoking and check the after smell.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the best red Vas I had, along with Four Square medium Navy Cut.

Flavourful and sweet. A lot smoother than the flakes...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2010-06-24		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

EDIT JUL09/2018

I've been able to get a couple of pouches of StBRR from Spain.

Now they actually show that Mac Baren is the producer. Nice work, but I would say something is actually changed, and not necessarily to the better.

Nothing is necessarily wrong with this baccy, but now it's more citrusy than flowery. The smoke remains solid, but flavours are some way muddier and go easily to the bitter side. Of course it's this smoker failing to smoke it the way it wants to be... maybe it is not for my smoking style. Fact is that I'm concluding the second pouch with some strain, and this is not making me any happy...

*

Compared to the flake version, St. Bruno RR seems to me just a bit milder in the flavour dept.; I also find RR a tad "juicier".

A cool, "meaty" and satiating smoke: I'm just satisfied with it. For sure, it would be in my steady rotation if just were available in Italy... nevertheless, the flake wins the match!

Now: the so-called Ogden Mixture of old (Gold Block/St. Bruno 50/50). Very nice combination, indeed ! Gold Block properties smooth down the hints of soapiness of its big-brother and adds some sweetness/grassiness. Burns easy and cool, but needs a slow smoking pace to avoid tongue bite. The strength is toned down the right measure to make Ogden Mix perfect as all-day blend for whose liking a medium blend in the English Tradition.

Sorry for my off-topic, but I could not resist to tell just a word after Big-Chris-UK's interesting story (see Gold Block) and Dr. Dyson's

Age When Smoked: one year

Purchased From: received as a gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-29		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been avoiding buying St Bruno ready rubbed but the other day I got a 25g pack, assuming that I was getting flake. I am very much with The Full English and Dr Dyson in the assessment of British cornershop/supermarket tobaccos, in that most of them I wouldn't go near with a bargepole, though I did like the flake of St Bruno, which brought a bit of a sigh of relief that there was something readily available should I find myself in some tricky spot short of something to smoke.

The ready rubbed seems to be just that - St Bruno flake rubbed out. It's not a ribbon cut or anything - it really looks and feels like flake that's been rubbed out, which counts for something. My pack didn't have any stems, was suitably moist and had the St Bruno smell, which I like. And I've found it to be a very accommodating smoke; easy to light, easy to pack, nice moisture content, nice taste and stays lit easily. So, these are the reasons why it's so popular and has maintained all these years. I'm grateful.

I don't find it anywhere near as strong as the flake though and that's a bit of a mystery but also quite a good thing as I found the flake to be overwhelming.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-27		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of the most common supermarket brands available in the UK. It is a reasonable strength tobacco which is easy and pleasant to smoke

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerkat (64)	2010-02-12		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is (to my tastebuds, at least) a (slightly) poor relation to the flake variety. It is ostensibly the same as the flake but lacks a bit of the strength and (a tiny, tiny bit of the) taste.

It is still a very good tobacco and anyone who really hates rubbing out flakes will do well with this one. I smoke it when the flake is unavailable and I don't feel cheated but in a back to back comparison the flake just has the edge.

I don't know if it's because the tobacco stays fresher in a flake or if (Heaven forefend) the blenders take the opportunity to sneak something else into the ready rubbed or maybe it's psychosomatic.

Anyroad, this is a great tobacco which doesn't earn my top rating purely so that I can draw a distinction between it and my preferred version. Unfair? Possibly.

It's still a British institution.

You should still buy it, smoke it and love it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A great over the counter blend that is an easy smoke. The finer cut of this makes it a slightly fast smoke but with gentler puffing will be a solid everyday tobacco.

Highly recommend as its a tasty blend that is cheap enough and easily accessible.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DEN-C1956 (35)	2009-12-29		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

mmmmmmm,ST BRUNO...yes....the second best pipe tobacco you can buy at the newsagent,i must say that i do like this pipe tobacco a great deal...burns well..and tastes very nice..a little to finely cut if you ask me,but having said that its easy to pack the pipe,never had any stalks in the tins/pouches that i bought..so maybe im lucky..i remember the tv ads...the young chap walking down the road with lots of young woman trailing behind him,it always made me laugh,but its an honest pipe tobacco and easy to get on with,if 'condor'was not on the shelve at the newsagent i would always buy a tin/pouch of ST BRUNO.yes..a good pipe tobacco.one to enjoy anytime...ok time for a review i think, after buying other brands of tobacco i came back to ST bruno wow..was i dissapointed the cut of the tobacco is now more like branch twigs and putting the tobacco in the pipe is not so easy now,its far to thickly cut (EU regs again) still smoked ok..but due to the thicker cut..its hard going..so i will not be buying this so much.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2009-08-22		Medium	Very Strong	Medium	Tolerable

It is a flowery soap flavored aromatic . It is less soap flavored than Condor , which isn't saying much if you don't like this type Aromatic

Age When Smoked: Fresh and then aged a few years to try it again

Purchased From: OTC in newark England

Similar Blends: All the rest of the flower/soap flavored aromatic blend out there.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-04-04		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I remember the first time I smoked this stuff, I bought a pouch of the ready rubbed from my local Tesco, I opened the pouch and instantly thought "This is going to be good." I actually said to my girlfriend "I'm gonna love this, just you wait and see."

I tried it first in an broken old corncob (I foiled the base and lit up) it lights well in any pipe, regardless of shape, size or style.

It is of medium to high strength nicotine wise, best after dinner or lunch, or a even a biggish breakfast, you could smoke this anytime of the day (I often do) a regular in my tobacco drawers.

It's mild, deep and vaguely enchanting, I often throw a pinch of Gold Block onto the top or bottom of the pipe. Why you ask? The transition from one to the other is incredible, simply divine. I found this out by accident, I wanted a full bowl, but hadn't enough GB or St. Bruno. So I shoved them both in there, layer after layer, rather than a straight mix.

If you have GB on top you will taste the (very) mild flavours before your tongue is used to the overall more powerful St. Bruno.

Highly recommended, available almost everywhere -- as is the flake which I haven't tried.. yet.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-03-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A good all day tobacco, unfortunately not available anywhere. I am really fond of it. As of June 2011, apparently, it's getting difficult to obtain even in Spain, where I used to find it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Get the flake if you can, otherwise this will usually be the best tobacco you can buy in your local newsagents or supermarket.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-11		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I find this brand very confusing. Why is a pouch of St. Bruno adorned with a picture of a St Bernard? Why isn't this called St. Bernard? Maybe it was named in honour of the actual St. Bruno, but I am not sure if this tobacco has anything to do with refusing bishoprics, founding the Carthusian order or advising Pope Urban II. Such thoughts overly occupy me during the unslept wee hours.

Religious and dog breed issues aside, this is a seriously good all day smoke and definately the best supermarket brand. It tastes all natural, good nicotine level with absolutely no bite. It may sit next to the Gold Block in the rack in my local Tesco's and cannot match it's gold, Elvis style jump suit but the St Bruno wins hands down.

In an age where it would professional suicide for any company executive to commit the dual crime of firstly naming one of mankind's biggest causes of cancer after an eleventh century Catholic saint while also getting a photo of the wrong dog is refreshing and satisfying, just like the tobacco.

Cool smoke, burns slowly, well recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-11-29		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This was one of the first blends I ever smoked and it was love at first sight. I always have a pouch near, even if I only smoke it once or twice a week... (and I usually smoke 2-3 bowls a day.)That means it takes me about 4 months to finish a 50g. pouch... in a ziplock bag this tobacco holds on pretty well.

If you intend to smoke it often I recommend you dedicate a briar to it, as it may leave some ghost in your VA pipes. St. Bruno is not as neutral in taste as most virginias are. However, it is very hard to describe the taste... you must try it and acknowledge it by yourself. It looks a bit strange in the pouch, cutted almost like bird seed, easy to fill and light. Burns cool and to the bottom. The first puffs taste zesty and lemonesh, then it developes to an easy on the palate smoke, medium/strong in nic. Flavour is quite unique when comparing it to other virginias... Kentucky gives it a perfect round body.

St. Bruno is consistent, satisfaying, and widely available in Europe. In fact, it is (IMO) the best available blend in european common drugstores, competing with MacBaren's Scottish Mixture and Virginia nº1.

The oldest in my rotation and, even if others are smoked more often, a keeper. A serious smoker will find it honest and satisfying, no doubt. It is also great as a tasty palate cleaner, if smoked between english blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-07-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

When I first got this as a gift from Pipestud, my first, unkind, thought was "He sent me poop in a pouch! And Saint Bernard poop, at that!"....followed by a litany of expletives in four languages and a few I made up as I went along.

That's what I get for thinking. This is some good weed. I don't normally care for flavored/cased tobaccos. They usually strike me as a feeble attempt to disguise inferior tobacco. Not so with St. Bruno RR. Top shelf ingredients perfectly enhanced with a nuanced flavoring, probably of extraterrestrial origin...but of the organic, free-range variety, of course. What ever it is, it is damn tasty! Great nicotine delivery, no bite, no (expletive deleted).

Only reason I gave three stars instead of four is that I can't readily replace this without updating my passport.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-04-11		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

An Excellent all around tobacco. Something like the consistency of Gold Block but with a strong and fruity flavour. A great nicotine kick makes this one a hit. Very easy to smoke without the artificial taste of similar types like condor.

A**

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2008-03-25		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

This is my fave of the easily available brands. It's a very dark tobacco and seems to keep moist and pliable far longer than most of the other common makes. I find it smokes well and the taste is delicious.

NOTE: I have now been smoking a pipe for some six months and have tried numerous brands by mail order and from the supermarket. I must say from the easily available brands this is always my first choice. A brilliant tasty tobacco.

I am now in my second year of pipe smoking and I still enjoy this tobacco - it's rich taste certainly pleases me and I find its aroma delicious. Highly thought of by me.

And a year later this is still a fave for me. Though I must be honest and say that these days the tobacco seems a little moist and is best dried in the pipe for an hour before smoking. When you get it going the flavours and truly inspiring and long lasting.

Pipe Used: Big Ben

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: ASDA (Walmasrt gr

Similar Blends: ENGLISH BLEND.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-01-04		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco has been around for decades in the UK. Kind of thing you find an empty rusty tin of in your grandad's garage - full of nails or something. As such I was wary of giving it a try, thinking it would be far too strong for me and would be far more suitable for an old guy who used to smoke Senior Service cigarettes.

I was pleasantly surprised. This tobacco packs easily and well and gives a nice satisfying smoke. Quite smooth unless you puff really hard. Room note is nothing to write home about being a plain Virginia. This is a good choice for an ex-cigarette smoker as it has a familiar British tobacco taste and has a good nicotine kick to boot.

Recommended.

UPDATE (Jan 08)- I recently ran out of tobacco one weekend and needed to buy something readily available. I decided on this one and was glad I did as it rekindled my interest in straight virginias. A good smoke with plenty of flavour and no bite. Some reviews comment on the nicotine strength. I find it OK even as an all day smoke - whereas I found Old Gowrie to be a fair bit stronger.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Contemplative (29)	2007-10-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This had been my staple for the last couple of years, before I bestirred myself to make the effort and look round the net for a greater variety than the very few proprietary brands on offer at most street outlets in the UK.

As I wait for a tin of J.J. Fox's Dorisco mixture to arrive (hopefully tomorrow), I am smoking St Bruno. The old rich, mellow, distinct flavour of this mix, perhaps the most up-front and distinctive flavour of any tobacco, is very evident, and very pleasing. If there is just one tobacco to be labelled 'pipe tobacco', then surely this is it, for the aroma is so strong, so pleasant, so deep, so well-known. Yet the note 'sounded', so to speak, becomes monotonous after a while, like that of any proprietary brand, though this to my mind is undoubtedly the best of that breed.

St Bruno lights extremely easily, burns evenly and slowly. I have never found any harshness taint the deep flavour which I experience. The tobacco mixes well with some others, and somewhere on this forum (maybe this thread), someone noted that, many years ago, a travelling tobacco salesman said that a 50/50 mix of St Bruno and Golden Virginia produced, in his opinion, just about the best pipe-smoking experience. I've tried that mix, and it ain't half bad (note to U.S. readers: that means it is very good). However, I still prefer St Bruno on its own.

It's nice to be smoking a pipeful of my old staple. It's always very satisfying. However, I have moved on, and other smoking experiences are the ones that now rock my boat. However, as top dog in the proprietaries, old faithful St Bruno deserves 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	neuron_md (34)	2007-09-14		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A strong, rich- flavored tobacco. The room note is assertive and bold, yet pleasant. It smells like "real" tobacco (no artificial scents). The tobacco flavor "bursts in our mouth".

It has a strong nicotine content, and smoking a bowl in a small (Group 3) pipe made me feel woozy.

But it leaves you with a pleasant feeling and you're looking forward to the next bowl.

I can't smoke more than a bowl of this a day, though, because of its strength.

An end-of-the-day, after dinner smoke for me.

Totally satisfying!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-30		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I got me hands on a five pack of this (pouches) at Gatwick airport in England. When I got home, I sent one pouch off to a friend who I knew enjoyed it, and rather quickly smoked the rest with my Dad. Now, my father doesn't normally like really strong smokes (and for him this was Really strong) but he liked the taste so much he couldn't help himself...

It's similar in flavor to Royal Yacht, but much better. I also think it's stronger in the nicotine dept. Burns cool, loads and smokes great....guess I'm off to England to get some more!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-07-01		Medium to Strong	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Honest tobacco taste from a pouch. Yep. I enjoyed St. Bruno RR. Packs a moderate nicotine punch. The casing flavor wasn't what I expected, based on the other reviews. It wasn't noticeable IME. Packs and lights fine, even when a little moist. Two full cheers.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-06-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Now, this bakkie has nothing in common with his evil brother, the sadly renowned vilain Flake!

I got this tobacco available in a pouch, very conservative looking, cream coloured with some red and black writing, if I recall.

This is a Red VA based ready-rubbed mixture, so it comes in the form of a broken flake. The aroma is typical of the red VA, slightly grassy, almost a bit sour, but doesn't taste sour at all. The leaf was a very predominantly red shaded leaf.

This baby smokes well, rather slowly, and its strength increases as you go; the taste was that of a straightforward, good red VA, so more powerful than a regular VA. I've enjoyed it, but not to the point of smoking it on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I've heard it is no longer available in America, now. I guess those who tried the Flake first got scared!

Next time I go to Europe, I'll see if they still have it; I'd buy a tin or a pouch for old times' sake...

A good bakkie; recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-06-16		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A simple relaxing smoke and one of the most reliable 'supermarket' blends.

This is much milder than the flake version, though it packs much more easily than its chunky sister. Thus making it better suited to an elevenses smoke: Being rather light but with a strong enough nicotine hit to keep you going until lunch. The maple and sugar casing does dull it a little, though removes any possibility of being bitten.

In the pouch it has a clear fruity scent with lemon curd notes, though this is not transferred to your mouth when smoked (unlike St. Bruno Flake). But then, this deceptive nature runs through most of the pressed Virginians.

This is not a blend that you can get lost in but that's not something that you really want in the middle of the day.

A pleasant step up from EMP at breakfast.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-01-26		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I remember my grandfather smoking this in the 1940's, and the aroma still remains. I have tried different tobaccos in a pipe since then, but always come back to St.Bruno. A good nicotine hit, but a mild tasting and pleasant smoke with no tongue burn and various aromas which seem to be appreciated by non-smokers in a room. Similar, but less heavy than Condor Original which can be too much for smoker and non-smoker alike. This must be a four star rating, from so many tobaccos, and easily obtainable in the U.K.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2006-02-16		Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable

St Bruno Flake was a staple smoke for me until export to Canada was halted a few years ago. Since then I have smoked the pouches of RR I stockpiled regularly but conservatively. It is remarkably similar to the Flake offering, albeit slightly less strong. Nothing satisfies like St Bruno and it is a pity it can now only be purchased in Europe. I will continue to keep it on hand until the law dictates other wise. When that happens, I shall purchase the recipe from Imperial, move to China and smoke in peace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	poupehan (23)	2006-02-01		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It has been stated that the ready rubbed and the flake version would be similar. I'm not sure about that. 50g pouches mention odgen's of liverpool and a local adress near Antwerp, so maybe I could be smoking an export product and not the real (UK) thing (?).

St Bruno RR is a rather finely rubbed dark brown tobacco. I believe it is essentialy matured VA and I detect no casing. No citrussy bergamot, no soapyness, none of that stuff, just straight tobacco. In my experience it comes a bit too moist for ideal results. It is better when dried out a little. The moistness may result in a steamy smoke and a tendency for the tobacco to become compact and clog. In ideal (moisture) conditions, this is a nice cool smoking, non-gurgling, non-biting smoke. I don't remember to ever have been bitten, even when smoking steamier pipes. The taste is very mild and sublte, and it is best to allocate a pipe only to st Bruno because the mild taste can quickly be overpowered by ghoshts of previous smokes. The taste stays in the natural tobacco woody/nutty register and has a bitter quality. Not the obnoxious bitternes that makes for the bad name of burley - more the "good bitterness" sought after in beer- the association with guinnes comes spontaneously to mind. The sidestream smoke is agreable and the room note is sweeter than the smoke and not too offensive. St Bruno is strong in the nicotine dept. but remains civilized.

I realy like this tobacco and it is in my regular rotation; I hope that the flake will available (again) in the near future. Highly Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-01-14		Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I have smoked the flake version of St Bruno out of the tin off and on with enjoyment. The ready rubbed version seems to have a different character. It makes me queasy. Is some of the taste sprayed on?

The noble hound on the tin and the pouch - isn't he supposed to be carrying a much needed life-saving dram of something potable?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (213)	11 hours ago		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

St Bruno Ready Rubbed - This is one of the smoothest blends I can think of . Ideal proportions of Virginia and Kentucky. Sweet and savory . Virginia, Kentucky, Tonquin and Rose Geranium is what I hear is in this so yes it is floral . Plum and raison fruit , yes . A little smokey , earthy and bready . Lovely aroma . Ordering a couple more pouches right now . 4

Similar Blends: Lakeland blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2022-09-04		Mild	Extra Strong	Full	Tolerable

Probably the most scented tobacco I have smoked , I think it's va , difficult to tell with all that casing , no strength to it or in other words not much nicotine , why do people keep comparing it with condor which I quite like , vinegar and soap , not quite bad enough to bin , will smoke occasionally in a dedicated cob , just about gets 2 stars , disappointing . More like a sweet desert , not much actual tobacco taste.

Pipe Used: Cob , briar.

Age When Smoked: Fresh , but dried a bit

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bowler Hat Piper (24)	2021-04-27		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A real nostalgia smoke for me. When as a foolish teenager I nicked my dad's pipe and loaded it up with what I found in the drawer, this was the tobacco I got (Although an earlier (Ogden's?) version). Throughout my pipe smoking time, regardless of what other smart blends I have had in my rotation, this one has always been there. It's all been said by other reviewers about the flavour profile of this blend. For me it's a decent tobacco that comes with happy memories of a time long gone and of people no longer with us.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Any supermarket/tobacconist you care to mention

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2017-10-13		Strong	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was a brand that seemed to pop up a lot whenever I shop online for tobacco. I was kind of curious, what made this pouch blend more pricey (as I often relate a pouch to the cheaper cuts). Well, this was the first time I've opened a pouch blend that didn't seem cheap on quality. You get a nice meaty ribbon cut that is moist and will burn for days. The nicotine packs a wallop and has plenty of Virginia grass taste.

It has a very mild sweetness when smoked and hint of citrus before being lit. To be honest though, I felt a bit mislead thinking of this as an aromatic, as there was not much added flavor I could detect once the lighter got it burning.

This is not something in my wheelhouse, so for me it is a pass, but I would suggest all you Virginia smokers give it a light... I think you will be pleased.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2017-03-23		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Went to town and forgot my tobacco at home.Shame. Drug store had only this blend for sale. Happy that forgot my tobacco at home. Sweet and smooth taste of Virginia. No tongue bite. Lits easy,burns easy pleasant smoke and after taste. Recommended.

Pipe Used: Stanwell private collection

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Drug store

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2017-02-24		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

The rubbed out flakes need some drying time or you'll spend more time relighting than smoking. I found it helps to rub out the bits to aid in packing. Has a slight floral taste. At $10 a pouch not worth the cost.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HastingsPiper (9)	2016-05-19		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Strong

This was the first OTC tobacco I bought as a new pipe smoker. Since then I have waded through quite a few, so I thought I would revisit St Bruno for a fairer judgement. The pouch note is very pleasant, and slightly overpowering, and consists of a dried fruit/fig aroma and quite sweet. Nice though.The few pouches I have purchased have been way too moist and will steam and burn your tongue like a branding iron, so beware, and dry this a little first. I packed my trusty Falcon international with some dried out Bruno and sat down for a smoke. I really don't know what to make of this blend, or what it is trying to be. I found the taste very strong, floral, with nutty undertones, and a reserved sweetness, but mixed with a bitterness about half way through the bowl. The room note is pungent, lingers forever and smells like sour milk the next morning. Not nice. I did experience a small amount of bite, even dried, which began to irritate me too. The general appearance of the blend is rough cut and, as another reviewer pointed out, is littered with twigs!. I found this stuff hard to keep alight too, maybe it needed further drying. The taste is very similar in parts to Condor, but without that luxury feel and creaminess that makes Condor so nice to smoke. I would guess this a very inexpensive tobacco disguised as something else. It just doesn't seem to hang together in a way that a quality blend should. It's not terrible though, and is very popular. If I hadn't smoked Condor I would say it's a fairly good smoke overall, but it needs a little work to get the best from it, so maybe not for beginners . Condor sees it off in every way in my opinion.

Pipe Used: Falcon International.With and without filter.

Age When Smoked: New, dried each fill for an hour before lighting.

Purchased From: Asda

Similar Blends: Condor ready rubbed..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lord Clam (5)	2013-04-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

This is a classic English pipe tobacco, favourite of old men in Britain and Tony Benn. In the pouch it smells woody and spicy, with an overpowering smell of shoe leather.

I have had trouble keeping it alight and packing it,possibly due to the new width of the flake. Initially, you get a massive hit of nicotine, however once you are used to the strength and the vitamin - N kick, some wonderful spicey notes came through.

As I am used to smoking aromatics and light tobaccos, I found this was appreciated best, for me, in a corncob with a filter. This allowed me to not get too overwhelmed by the strength, and allowed the definite positives of the blend to come through.

Another point of interest is that it creates a wonderful thick cake on your pipe!

This is a good all round English tobacco, consistent and easily smokeable, if not for the faint - hearted.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2012-09-24		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Strong

st.bruno has been on the market for a long time and i can see why! its a ready rubbed flake of virginia and burly with a mild lakeland flavor, the broken flake texture makes up for easy to fill, long, clean smoke with virginia lakeland flavor dominating (milder than condor however). it can be a relaxing smooth smoke with not much expectations to put on the table. i would recommend it to non aromatics and english tobacco smokers. the room note is not friendly and this blend like many lakelands can ghost your pipe and mouth!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-25		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I went to Vitoria elias_62 asked me to bring in - if you find – a pouch Why don't I get one for my shelf I thought. I had heard very good things from several people who have had the chance to smoke this blend of Kentucky and Virginia, from the time it was made by Ogden's of Liverpool. Has excellent moisture even though it is in a pouch, easily fills the bowl, easily lit and kept alight easily without much effort. Maintains the characteristic flavor to the end, leaving a clean white ash. Strong nicotine. Unfortunately no longer placed in tin. Too bad cause I would easily buy 4-5 tins to store

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