Mac Baren St. Bruno Ready Rubbed

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?

This tobacco burns with hints of smoke and tobacco. Some of the more notable tones are woody smoke and grassy smoke and tobacco. This may be linked to the fact that it is tobacco. There are no "tangy fruits" and "citrus" or "geranium" like some of these poncy reviews. This is bog standard convenience store tobacco that smokes like a bog standard convenience store tobacco.

First off the bat, a couple of things to note. This is not, no matter how many people tell you, a Lakeland. Lakeland’s are a very specific group made in the Lake District, even if st Bruno was made in its home city (Liverpool), it’s not a Lakeland.

Secondly anyone who thinks this and condor are similar, are quite frankly, talking utter rubbish. Saying condor is similar to st Bruno is like saying spam is similar to filet mignon.

That said, let’s get into it.

st Bruno is the ubiquitous British over the counter blend, its availability has spanned many decades and is available from your humble corner shop to your specialist tobacconist, home and abroad.

This is a sharp scented mixture of coarse cut Virginia and Kentucky. There is a sweetness and a sharpness that you only find with this blend. Packing is easy although lighting takes a bit extra effort due to its chunky cut and moisture content but it’s not impossible.

It’s quite a mellow smoke flavour wise, the flavours from the pouch do translate to the smoke but it is mellow and a decent whack of strength.

Room note is pleasant enough and won’t make you the enemy.

Now Mac baren has took over production the end product is much more acceptable. The last time I tried this when imperial made it, it was a bag of twigs doused in the flavouring.

Now Mac baren has it, it is decent quality tobacco that can speak for itself without having to be doused in flavour.

One of the better British over the counter blends and one I am happy to smoke now and then when I fancy a little different.

3 stars.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.