Borkum Riff Mixture with Bourbon Whiskey (Bronze)

I will bore you all with a quick story on this one. We take our summer holidays on the Costa Brava at a town called Estertit in the Catalonian area of Spain.

There is a lovely litle cigar shop there that sells Pipe Tobacco but not pipes. They obviously do not stock Gawiths Best Brown or Ennerdale Flake, I would not expect them to. But they allways have the good old European favourite St Bruno and at about four euros a go I buy a few packs and bring some back with me.However this time same shop, same girl serving, no St Bruno. I was right out at this point so I scanned the shelves.There were a lot of European blends that I know off but do not trust and a few of the Borkum Riff range.

When I first took up the art I used to have Riff Cherry Cavandish but quickly moved onto other things and have never looked back. I am also aware that Borkum Riff gets a right hammering on this site. I went for the Bourbon Whiskey thinking that this could be a bad holiday. I was pleasantly suprised, I was waiting for tounge bit that never came, I am not sure what Bourbon Whiskey tastes like but I could not taste whiskey of any kind in it. It is very heavily cased but smooth aromatic and has a very sweet chocolate taste. After a couple of bowels I was smokeing it without a second thought. I am actually smoking it now and I have got two packs in stock as it was so cheap.I proboly wouldnt buy it out of choice, I am virginia man myself but I would not dismiss it out of hand if you fancy an aromatic. If there are aromatic smokers who have not tried it yet, get you some at once!

I'm beginning in this "science". So, I don't have patterns to compare w different tobaccos. But I can talk about the experience of smoking this one. It burns your tongue! The guy in the shop said that was a good tobacco to start. LIAR! Easy to pack, easy to light. Just it. I know how bourbon should taste, I didn't find this on BR Bourbon Whiskey. It doesn't let a good smell in the air too. So, I say: you may try it, but...

UPDATE: After trying better tobaccos, unfortunately I have to downgrade this one. I discovered that the tongue bite of this blend is way stronger than others (some just don't have it!). so, now I give it just one star.

This is a different product from a year ago, drier and less aromatic, pouch aroma is alluring but faint. More of a light Danish topping rather than a heavy casing. Can't say it smells like Bourbon, a bit like Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic, but much less pronounced and enjoyable. Somewhat dry in the pouch.



I tried it in different pipes including a cob, with the same result - heavy tongue bite.



Difficult to light, the smoke is dry and mild bodied. The pouch smell does not translate into the taste of the smoke, which is pleasant - more mild virginia and less sweet burly with a hint of chocolate. Actually quite nice. The side stream is mild and smells of tobacco, not any flavoring or casing. This could be a very enjoyable smoke if it did not bite.



Aftertaste is similar to smoking a mid grade cigar, the taste of tobacco and a tingling sensation in your mouth. But after the tobacco taste fads the tongue bite remains.



Another reviewer mentioned the Borkum Riff products are now make by McBaron (in the review for the BR "Natural"). Since I enjoy the Danish presentation (a light flavoring that burns off quickly leaving a clean tobacco taste in a dry smoke), I decided to try it.



For me, McBaron and Borkum Riff products bite while Peter Stokkebye is just fine. since I only smoke 1 or 2 pipes a day, this weed is not worth it, there are to many exemplary smokes on the market at the same price point. Pass on this one.

Call me a purest, but this is NOT the whiskey version I puffed on from days gone buy. An attorney pal o mine drags on this fodder without exception. Recently the blenders of this trash went retro with packaging. Back to the old black classic package. My ambulance chasing buddie insisted it try it. So I did. My God. Tongue bite, mold, no flavor what so ever. Refused to stay lit. And honestly smelled like burning sweaty socks. The only thing Im my mind that would be that foul. Home I went and dug through my stock. A while back I purchased a new pipe and was gifted with several pouches of tobacco. I found Dutch Masters whiskey that I hadent tryed yet. WOW.Upon opening the pouch I was hit in the scences with the aroma of the old Borkum Riff Whisky!!!!! The look, feel, aroma was as i remembered. Very wet in the poly pouch, I jarred this for a month. Im a cob I proceeded to fire up this weed. DAMN!!! This was exactly the BR of old. Strong, smokey, heavily scented. Another card game with my shyster cronie. He took a wiff of my exhaust fumes and immediatly begged for a sample. His reaction upon lighting up was almost orgasmic. He insisted I tell him what B and M shop i aquired the weed. I just chuckled and imformed him that this is a Dutch Masters whiskey blend, and that in fact this is what the old BR was like. Its a true shame thata so many good OTC bakkys had to change. To the younger pipers reading here,, give the Dutch Masters whiskey a shot. You will find a pleasent aromatic for those that like alcohol fueled blends. I am in hopes that the blenders or alchemists that blend the current BR read and take heed. Like so many reviews here state, to bad old classics have been ruined or no longer available. Happy puffing to all the fine ladies and gents here!!!!!

Red Eye Whiskey, certainly not Jamesons 18! Young smokers beware, the bite you'll get from this may ruin your pipe smoking experience forever, it burns the tongue, gum's, palate, lips, need I say more? How can this abomination stay on the market? One word sums this up, GARBAGE!

This stuff bit me so hard I thought I would have to get rabies shots. Different people have different tastes and you may love this stuff.

I won't throw this stuff away but I don't ever see myself smoking the rest of the pouch. Maybe if I was stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean and couldn't even find any sea weed to dry out and smoke I'd try it again. Until that happens it's going in a jar to be sealed away in the closet.

I recently picked up a pouch of this stuff from the local smoke shop. The owner himself said it was one of their best sellers. I have no idea why..The minute I opened the pouch, it reaked, somewhat like that of cigarettes (no offense intended, I jut absolutely hate cigarettes). I packed the bowl full using the Three- layer method. I just couldn't keep the stuff lit. After every couple draws, it would to out (I used 2 charring lights, an initial light and 2 tampings). It tasted very strong. The only thing that comes to mind would be cigarettes..again. Unless you're looking for a cigarette-like smoke in your pipe, stay away. I couldn't even taste or smell the "Bourbon Whiskey" supposedly infused within the tobacco. This deserves probably 1/2 a star, rather than a full star.

I know BR products usually get ripped on reviews, even though most pipers enjoy some drugstore brands whether they admit it or not. My tobacconist carries a few blends and I picked one of the Bourbon Whiskey just on a whim. I was pleasantly surprised. I packed it tightly and it was low maintenance from there. Stayed lit for the whole bowl. I enjoyed the cool, easy smoke, no bite. The Bourbon flavor is evident, perhaps just north of a suggestion of flavor. For $4 or so, grab some. Wife liked the Room Note. My pouch was right on with moisture and did not leave my briar goopy at all.

BR Bourbon with coffee in the morning is a great day starter.It does not bite, it is not goopy and it does have great Bourbon flavor if you just slow down. I will be happy with a tin of BRB and one of CBW to cover my daily "drugstore" blends.