Mac Baren St. Bruno Ready Rubbed

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.