Tobaccos Borkum Riff - Original

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2014-01-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Dry as a bone in the pouch, it doesn't improve very much when moistened. Has a mild amount of tobacco flavor, though the grassy, light tart and tangy citrusy Virginia is slightly noticeable when moist. The nutty, toasty, earthy, woody burley is just a little more noticeable. The vanilla and whisper of chocolate are very light. There seems to be a fruity note from a topping as well. The strength and taste levels are mild. Has a very mild nic-hit. Burns hot even when sipped, and can cause tongue bite. Has a weak after taste and negligible room note. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Requires few relights. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ifarghaly (13)	2014-04-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I really like this blend. The smell of burly was evident when I opened the pouch. I didn't taste any vanilla but what I liked was the flavor of the burly which is well complemented by the sweetness of the Virginia. My only gripe with this blend is that it burns quite fast. I never had enough time to fully enjoy it. Smoke it slow and dry it a little before packing it and you will be surprised.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Contemplative (29)	2013-10-01		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Just tried this mixture for the first time. On opening the packet, you'll find that you can't disagree with the 'programme notes' - it is exactly as it says, namely 'chocolate, prune and fruity notes.' For me, the fruity notes include apricot.

The tobacco was not too dry and not too moist, in fact it was in the Goldilocks zone.

Lights well, smokes evenly, pleasant aroma. Doesn't need all that much re-lighting. However, you will probably be surprised to find that your bowlful lasts a little less long than you expected. Very fine ash residue.

I can recommend this as an excellent smoke, in fact one not to be missed, but I'll need to have smoked quite a few more packets to get a deeper and wider perspective on this one. First experience has been very pleasant, anyhow.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2014-04-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I tried this a few years ago in its old package and although i got along with it it was something i wouldnt miss if it dissapeared.

However i tried the BR bourbon and was impressed enough to give the original another try and it has come along leaps and bounds. Firstly the flavours are a lot more improved and much less in your face. The chemical taste has dissapeared and the moisture content is a lot more desirable. Burn has also improved dramatically and is a lot more uniform.

The only reason i am giving this 3 stars instead of four are the flavours could be a touch stronger as could strength. But the positivity on these two factors is it could be a great all day smoke without becoming sickening if you enjoy aromatics.

A word of advice from me slow gentle puffing is advised and it is not a baccy for a quick smoke as it can have the potential to nip. But slow puffs and a gentle pace and you will have a richly rewarding all day smoke with good flavours and pleasant aroma which should please even the most ardent none smokers.

Pipe Used: falcon bent with plymouth bowl

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: a small smoke shop in crete

Similar Blends: Borkum riff special mixture no.8.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2012-07-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well looking at the reviews of this its been pretty much panned, now im not going to do the same. It is a nice tobacco dont get me wrong the aromas and taste are nice, nice vannila slightly chocolatey tang to it, but do not try and rush this one if you do it wont take prisoners and it will knack your tongue, but smoke it slow and it will reward you. Not a bad tobacco but not amazing, would be happy to buy it again as a change of pace or if it was gifted to me but i wouldnt make it my exclusive smoke. Also towards the end of the bowl and i do mean the last 3-4 draws on my pipe it does get a bit tarry and chemically.

Update may 2014. Tried this mix again due to the new and different packaging. Opening up the cut is thinner and the tobacco holds its moisture better. The flavours are delicious nutty and a slight over tone of chocolate with a deliciously moreish sweetness. Burning is very much impoved with a more uniform burn rate and burns to fine grey ash. The chemical tasting towards the end of the bowl has vanished. The recipe to me has been tweak and for the better. The only niggle is it could be a touch stronger in flavour and strength but due to the mildness it makes a great all day smoke. I know this has been panned on here but to me it is an excellent flavourful tobacco which i do enjoy.

Update friday may 16th 2014. Hello guys been doing a little experiment with this one and ive found it pays dividends. Firstly out of the pack it is perfect moisture just to pack and light but its the packing of this one that makes all the difference. Treat it is you would if it was the last bowls worth of favourite tobacco, pack it right and with care. I have found packing this one that little bit tighter makes a very good difference the flavours seem more pronounced and the resulting smoke is very cool flavoursome and satisfying and it doesnt burn down as quick. All in once you have it packed right and with slow gentle sips it is a very good rewarding smoke that i would happily buy again.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rsvp2rip (27)	2014-04-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Just like Captain Black Royal but a little easier to smoke. Just another chocolate/vanilla/fruit blend. Drier than most and a little less expensive. Stays lit very well but will get the pipe hot if chugged on hard. I'll be buying it again, just to keep around for when I want something different. It's pretty ho-hum but not unpleasant.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-05-16		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I bought this one as a follow up to BR's fabulous Bourbon Whiskey. I tried not to get my hopes up in spite of how much I enjoyed my previous smoke. Turns out I needn't have worried.

The packet aroma is one of very mild vanilla, no surprise there. The packing is easy and I never had any problems with the light. The taste continues as the aroma, very mild vanilla, sometimes it can be hard to pick up, but not obnoxiously so, packing it tightly usually rectifies this. There are occasional hints of cigarettes and something slightly metallic, but it never really bothered me. It does smoke a bit quick but rarely bites.

On the whole, a nice if rather mild tobacco. It's not a patch on the bourbon whiskey or a lot of other tobaccos, but it doesn't pretend to be. The mild flavour and the quick smoke are the only real downsides but I think there is a place for it in my rotation. Often I have had a ten to fifteen minute slot where I want to fit in a smoke but most tobaccos I have take a lot longer. This fills that hole perfectly, pop it in a small bowled pipe, maybe pack a little less and it provides a nice mild quick smoke to keep me going.

Pipe Used: Finlay's Laureate Knobby

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: mysmokingshop.co.uk

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2014-01-24		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

You don't have to read too many of the reviews here to see this blend is somewhat vilified. Most reviewers were not fans at all. The truth is, the fact that this blend can be found in almost any gas station and grocery store in my area means it must have some redeeming factors and popularity.

I purchased this blend because I received a coupon from the manufacturer allowing me to purchase a pouch for only one dollar. Here in Vermont tobacco taxes are somewhere in the 90% area so a pouch of this blend was marked 13.99 in the store. Not going to pay that for a pouch, but who would turn down a pouch of pipe tobacco for only one dollar?

Overall this blend was not terrible by any means. It certainly was not great either. It was quite blase to me. Very subtle flavors, boring if you will.

On opening the pouch I first noticed the tobacco was very dry. There is no way to know how long this pouch was sitting on the shelves, but I do know that recently Borkum Riff redesigned their packaging (and they look great by the way) so I know this pouch was not too old.

The pouch aroma was very pleasant, and upon light the initial tastes were good. Very vanilla and fig like. This tobacco burned very well and although it was not exciting I did not have too much trouble with tongue bite.

Every once in a while a strange pine like flavor would pop up. It was not totally unenjoyable, in fact at times it was quite nice.

Certainly would not buy it at its normal price but glad I got to give this one a run.

Pipe Used: butz choquin cadre noir

Age When Smoked: Purchased in 2014

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2010-06-06		Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

The Borkum Riff people really could sell water to dolphins! They've done it again (on porpoise, no doubt): made a tobacco that is purely and simply rubbish, yet managed to create a market for it. How DO they do this???

"Strong but soft to smoke with a neutral light aroma"? Everything in this sentence is untrue. BR Original is awful: hot, tasteless, characterless and a waste of money. Smoking this worthless dreck is a complete non-experience.

I have yet to come across a BR tobacco that is worth a damn. This one is beyond terrible.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2019-06-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is another very well executed Borkum Riff recipe by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group. Beautifully pouched and airtight sealed, it will show off a fantastic tobacco bar / block when the seal is broken. Reveals a fantastic aroma of dried fruit, raisins, prunes and a tad of chocolate maybe? Block brakes down easily into ribbon pinches that will easily load into your pipe. Goldilocks moisture content, it will receive the charring light like a charm and will keep going til it hits the bottom of your cob, briar or meerschaum. Fine dry ashes with no goop is what you get after an enjoyable and relaxing session with this mixture. Get it to smoke as slowly as possible as it tends to go fast and may get a bit hotter than desired if you over puff. Enjoy the retrohaling and let some whafts to slowly penentrate your nostrils for a full flavour experience. Nicotine is on the mild side...easy smoke. Room note is terrific. It tastes sweet but not cloying, I get a true tobacco flavor enhanced by the fruity prune / raisins touch added to the recipe. A very enjoyable pipe experience for me!

Pipe Used: Vauen, Savinelli, Stanwell

Age When Smoked: 1 year or so

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: Borkum Riff - Mixture with Bourbon Whiskey.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2016-02-04		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Borkum Riff Original is a perfectly good tobacco so long as you smoke it expecting and ready for what it is--a verrrry light aromatic. If you light up wanting a full aromatic you will puff too hard trying to get more flavor, and with the somewhat dry ribbon cut which burns rather fast igniting even faster, you will wind up with a scorched tongue. Hold in mind that for most of the half century or so this blend has been on the market it was labelled Borkum Riff Ultra Light.

The head note as I write this review declares this blend is "strong but soft to smoke with neutral light aroma." It does possess the neutral light aroma, not particularly room filling, but pleasant enough for those around you. Strong it is not. The mixture is 40% Virginia and 60% cavendish treated burley. The taste does not provide a strong smoke. It is not unpleasant, although it borders on being insipid. The flavoring, vanilla with a tinge of chocolate, just barely comes across. There is nothing wrong with that so long as you do not light the pipe with a yen for a full aromatic.

As a contemplative tobacco, smoked with full attention upon the pipe, this offering is far too tame. As a utility tobacco, puffed while your full attention is upon something else, it can offer a quite satisfactory experience. In the morning I normally peruse several daily newspapers on the internet. Smoking Borkum Riff Original while thus engaged is a pleasant enough experience. The only real drawback to puffing this tobacco in this fashion is that several cheaper OTC mixtures do just as well if not better.

Borkum Riff Original will not ghost a pipe unless smoked repeatedly in the same bowl. If you rotate your pipes you should encounter no problem in this regard.

In sum, smoke this only if you are ready for a light smoke that is just barely aromatic.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2014-08-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Borkum Riff Original.

The unlit mixture, strangely for an aromatic, is a little one the dry side. The aroma from it is quite subtle, it doesn't imply a 'sticky' smoke's coming.

Like in the pouch-note the vanilla's quite a light flavour, however, the tobaccos are fairly equal, neither one steals the show, so both can be appreciated. It's alright but begins to bore about half way through. Half way? A point which arrives in short time: it burns fast. And can also issue a bite.

Nicotine: mild. Room-note: pleasant.

Two stars, it becomes mundane after half a bowl.

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruraldean (3)	2012-06-25		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

It's interesting to see just how subjective reviews may be, ranging from "fireproof" to "quick-burning", "tasteless and weak" to "too strong to smoke pure".

I haven't reviewed here before but felt moved to defend the blend on the basis that I'd avoided it for years, even joked about it, based purely on negative reviews here. In fact I recently braved the blend and find it to be a great all day smoke with a unique taste. It burns well, but not supernaturally fast, packs well and for me is a one-light smoke. it seems to be readily available and, as has been pointed out, is extremely popular, which crappy blends tend not to be. One friend smokes nothing else and I get that. My daughter remarked on the lovely chocolate smell although she said it started to smell ashy when nearing the end of the bowl - fairly astute for a 25 year old non-smoker. In all I'd recommend that anyone who's put of by negative reviews try it.

As an aside I paid 4 euros 70 cents for 50 grammes in Spain, so if you're on holiday or live there you have virtually nothing to lose. Recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bastridge (5)	2020-04-24		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I smoked BR original when I was in High School in the early 70s. It was a completely different tobacco then. It was moist, mild, aromatic and flavorful. I decided to start smoking a pipe again in my old age. I ordered BR as my 1st pipe tobacco thinking it would be as I had remembered it. It was horrible and unrecognizable from that which I smoked in my early days. Today’s BR smokes hot and tastes nasty. I then picked up a bag of Virginia Select Cavandish. Very nice, no complaints.

Pipe Used: Viking ceramicViking reverse calabash

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-06-19		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Strong

I tried this blend when i started pipe smoking and thanks god i didn't quit my hobby.when breaking the seal a chemical vanilla smell comes out escorted by some nuts.the blend moisture is absent.packs ok and lights ok with a few relights needed while smoking.while burning the flavours are unpleasant.tense vanilla wich disappears after a few puffs,nuts and very rare some grass notes.the tobacco flavours are really absent.the nicotine level is almost medium.some moisture is created in the bowl with perfect ash.tongue bite is very often and i felt my tongue numbed...the room note is very tense and feels chemical.burns fast and really hot.this is a blend that ruined my first smoking experiences..not recommended

Age When Smoked: When opened

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-08-06		Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I'm an OTC burley smoker. A friend gave me a sealed pouch of this stuff. On opening the aroma was OK. The moisture seemed a bit lacking but not to dry. I filled and lighted a medium size Stanwell that smokes most anything well. I have a pretty heavily seasoned mouth, 50+ years with the pipe, but this blend not only bit me,it made my lips numb. Guess there was some sort of flavor to it but nothing pleasant.There is a little nicotine present. Maybe when the last tub of Prince Albert is gone from the last shelf in the last drugstore I could manage to smoke this but it would be a dark day indeed. It's no good and glad I didn't pay for it.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KBeck001 (8)	2019-11-27		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am new to pipe smoking. It was with this tobacco that I made my breakthrough in pipe smoking. Perhaps you will remember your own breakthrough. Started puffing too hard and/ or too deeply. Tobacco ended up getting singed. I finally learned how to sip the smoke, how to coax the flavor out of the tobacco, and how not to get a burnt ash taste.

I enjoyed Borkum Riff Original. I'm too new at pipe smoking to make this my go-to blend, but it ranks high for me. I enjoyed it very much.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.SmokingPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CnS Pipes (40)	2018-06-02		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Borkum Riff OG what a interesting pipe tobacco indeed, I once smoked there bourbon whiskey blend and was turned off to this brand for years because of that stuff, my local tobacconist encouraged me to try OG and that I would like it because its nothing like the other stuff so I gave it a go and I'm glad I did, OG redeemed Borkim Riff in general and now I enjoy OG Riff with a cup of french roast because at least for me they go well together. I am a true tobacconist and worked for tobacco and with tobacco for quite a few years and just always passed this stuff up and being a big Mac Baren fan I am glad I tried this blend because it reminds me of Mac Baren's style of blending and surprised me alittle because I was missing out for so many years. The fact that this blend also uses so many types of tobaccos grown around the world is unique in its own because each leaf grown in a different region provides its special quality of taste it brings to the table, even though the best Virginia tobacco in the world grows right here in the United States, I've seen the different whole leaves of Virginia tobacco grown from Africa to Canada each one boasting its own color and smell and texture from the environment it is grown in, so many types of Virginia's in Borkum Riff is interesting to me as I love breaking down tobacco in general, I just love the concept is where I'm driving at and I know that many pipe tobaccos do this as well but at the most outsource about three kinds of Virginia's at the most. I am also not sure of the burley content of this blend but never the less plays a role in the production of there black cavendish as only a few pipe tobacco companies actually use Virginia based cavendish because burley is cheaper. Anyway I could go on and on about this subject and thanks for continuing to read on so lets review this fine pipe tobacco. When I open a pouch of Borkum Riff OG I am greeted by a sweet tobacco smell with hints of plums and raisins, I do not smell any vanilla or can even taste vanilla but instead a liquor topping of some sort its definitely there own thing. When I light up my bowl and begin to smoke this stuff I can taste chocolate along with raisins and in the background tones of plum bit does not over power the blend allowing for the tobaccos used to shine right through giving a nice aroma. The bowl stays consistent and smooth all the way through and does not bite and I know that's a huge plus for most of you, this blend also has a slight zing to it but not in a spicy way but more of a robust way with a nice body to it in the smoke itself. This stuff actually has some nicotine in it to, not a heavy hitter by far but has a touch more than most aromatics with black cavendish and from start to finish leaves a clean white ash and high quality smoke. I can see why this stuff is alittle pricey because the quality they put into this pipe tobacco for a pouch is pretty dang good amd not goopy or leaves a mess in your pipe. The texture and moisture of this blend is right on and really never gets hot unless you really puff your pipe hard and leaves a nice sweet after taste in your mouth but not in your pipe unless maybe you smoke bowl after bowl in one day. This stuff makes for a good treat and could be a all day smoke easily but again the price is just alittle to high for me and so I smoke it as a every so often kind of thing but its truly some good stuff. I highly recommend this for a novice pipe smoker because it taste good and is very forgiving and will keep you interested all the way through the bowl. I thought this pipe tobacco blend is very interesting and I already know I wrote a long @$$ review but hey!!! give me a break I love tobacco and everything about it and love smoking my pipe so much. Thanks for reading this if you made it all the way here, God bless you and God bless America, stand up for your smoking rights and support your tobacco farmers and business's.

Pipe Used: MM Corn Cob CnS Pipes

Age When Smoked: 39

Purchased From: Big Smoke CDA Idaho

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KAJ (9)	2015-01-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Very dry from the pouch, burns quickly & gives nasty tongue bite, a harsh smoke with not much flavour. I'm not a fan. Not sure what else to say. Very disappointing.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lord Guyrox (24)	2021-12-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

---Update 10/8/2022--- I am forced to downgrade my verdict. The subsequent pouches I smoked generated tongue irritation, doubtless provoked by whichever humectant is used by STG to keep the tobacco moist over a longer period. The taste is still really interesting and, so is the roomnote, but the irritation seriously impedes on the overall smoking experience. It was better in a Peterson System but then, my mouthroof became irritated. ---Original review 12/18/2021--- My impressions of this mixture are obviously completely different than the great majority of reviews. I seriously wonder: why this disparity? Why is it that I have really enjoyed this tobacco? That I did find it had tobacco taste? That the burn was ideal? The casing, extremely pleasant without being obtrusive? This is very curious. To the review. The tobacco in the pouch was just right in terms of moisture. The pouch aroma was slightly sweet with something akin to the Mixture with Bourbon Whisky. Black Cavendish takes about half of the composition with the rest being Virginias and Burleys. Very easy to fill and it does not require further rubbing out. The tobacco lights up easily over all the surface. The tobacco taste is true to the pouch aroma: vanilla, chocolate, yes, with Cavendish and Burleys in the background which provide a very subtle sour taste that is not unpleasant at all. There is nicotine here, ladies and gents, about mild to medium. Past the half way point, the casing becomes less appearent and the tobacco taste more present. It smokes wonderfully and has left no messy dottle. Having gone through almost all the pouch, I cannot say I have experienced tongue bite or that the tobacco was harsh nor burned hot. I also have some Univerity Flake, G & H Best Brown #2, and Mac Baren Modern Virginia open at the moment and have been reaching for the MO most of the time! In summary, I have been taken completely by surprise by this lovely mixture and have ordered many more pouches.

Pipe Used: Peterson POY 2021, various Dunhill

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2016-01-06		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I wish I had something positive to say about this blend other than the fact that it smells nice. The tobacco is devoid of moisture, the taste is almost flat, and the smoke bites in the worst kind of way. My mouth & gums felt itchy after smoking it, which is something I have never experienced in all my years of pipe smoking. There's a first time for everything and Borkum Riff Original provided me with two of them, itchy gums and a pouch of freshly opened tobacco pitched into the garbage bin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Todd H. (2)	2014-01-05		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a good pipe tobacco but it burns the tongue no matter how slow you smoke it. I enjoy the flavor, but the tongue burn is a big problem.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MaskedMerganser (1)	2011-06-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Well, well, well ...

First time on this board, and I have to say I'm gobsmacked at the negative comments of my favourite brand. Sad to say, there is probably not a stockist within 50 miles of my location, it's the ONLY brand I would smoke if it was readily available !!!

I like aromatic tobaccos, as I accept that secondhand smoke is not appreciated by everyone and one may as well be kind to one's audience!!! Borkum Riff Original, in my opinion, is the most favoured aroma in my 30 years of pipe smoking as long as you use a 'clean' pipe ...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

In the pouch, it smelled very fruity and rich. Smoking it almost made me throw up -- it tastes worse than can possibly be described. Repeating the experience ever again would be pure masochism.

If you want to know what it tastes like, but don't want to waste money on it, crush some cigarettes in an ashtray and mix with asphalt to make your own Borkum Riff Original.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-02-24		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I only did this to myself once, and it's not an experience I care to repeat.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Akos Fellner (1)	2022-12-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Smells good in package and in the room, but during smoking it's very poor. Burning fast, makes a lot of ash in the bowl and not tasting a good taste during smoking.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nick Prof. (28)	2022-07-08		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is an updated review, the tobacco has around 8-9 months aging in the jar. From the jar, mild vanilla, chocolaty and fruity aromas are detected which pretty much are consistent with the flavor when smoked. No drying time needed. I pack the tobacco relatively dense in a non-filter corn cob. It does need more than an average number of relights in the process. It’s mildly bitter, though you get the notes of the toppings - but these toppings are not overpowering the blend, you can also taste the tobacco. If smoked gently, there is no tongue bite, and the pipe does not get hot, it can give pretty much a pleasant smoke, which is very much opposite to the general impression you will get if read carefully many comments; it’s little underrated blend; I would give 2.5 stars out of 4, and would round it to 3 stars, given that the toppings do not -overpower the tobacco, you get a mild reasonably good smoke. It’s an honest blend, it delivers what you experience from opening the pouch/jar, it stands in a very hostile environment, in terms of comments, and once this 20 grams jar empties, I will not hesitate to take a new pouch and keep it for some occasional smokes. Take a well-worked corn cob of medium size, say a country gentleman; fill the tobacco and push each layer to make it dense. Smoke it gently, you may be rewarded as you go to the bottom of the bowl; it leaves finally little ash, it’s consistent. A mild aromatic which can be an all-day smoke for aromatic lovers, or a choice for occasional smokes for English/Va lovers.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 10 months

Purchased From: Local shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kage (7)	2022-06-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

As I stated in a previous review, Borkum is the stuff of legends within the pipe community. Not for being good, but rather how horrible the tounge bite is. I decided to try it, just for the sake of it, after about 16 years of working up the coruage. Boy was I disappointed in not trying this stuff sooner, because it is amazing. Much like Captain Black, it is sweet but not overly so. It also carries a rare distinction of acutall tasting like what it says it does. Chocolate, prune and fruity notes are all accounted for. It is really pleasent to smoke and I have gotten not a single bit of bite. I did experience a bit of the tounge coat people mention but it wasn't unpleasant enough to not rate this highly. Give it a go.

Pipe Used: MM Corncob

Age When Smoked: Brand New

Purchased From: Maine Tobacco

Similar Blends: Captain Black White..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Marco D. (17)	2020-09-10		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

The Borkum Riff Original is composed by 60% of Black Cavendish and 40% of Virginia as written in the pouch description. Once openend the aromas are dominated by the added flavour of cocoa and plums. The ribbon cut is easy to pack and to light. The smoke is imprinted by sweetness and raisins.if stressed it does not tend to overheat excessively. In conclusion is a tobacco for who like flavoured.

Pipe Used: Savinelli, Anatra dalle uova d'oro

Age When Smoked: Opened after the purchase

Purchased From: Tabacconist in Italia

Similar Blends: STG - Clan, Mac Baren - Golden Blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-11-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Acrid One-Star Material

The burley is the most evident tobacco and its nutty-earthiness is the only redeeming part of this blend. The brightness of the Virginia varietals turns into an acrid mess when merged with the plum/prune topping—even when using a long stem pipe.

So far, this is the only tobacco I cannot recommend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-06-18		Extremely Mild	Strong	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

just unsmokable junk. I guess there is a market for such stuff, but for the life of me I don't know why. A heavily cased aromatic at discount price.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JosephJames (12)	2016-08-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is actually a very good aromatic. At its price point, I expect it is a competitor to Captain Black. It stands well above the Captain in my opinion.

The package notes about chocolate and fruits is pretty accurate. The room note is pleasant for bystanders.

This is one mixture with which I can actually taste the Virginias. That makes this a great experience for me, being able to taste the Virginias in the mixture.

I have found this tobacco can be harsh and will bite if pushed too much. By sipping. I get the most out of this tobacco. It reminds me of MacBaren products in this regard.

So, if you like aromatic tobaccos, this is a great choice for a drugstore type tobacco. I was very pleased and it exceeded the low expectations I had set for it.

Pipe Used: Corn cob, Nording

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Discount tobacconist shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ShadowFox (8)	2015-11-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I tried this mixture a couple of times. When I open the packet, I first enjoy in the smell that comes out. It says that it has 'chocolate, prune and fruity notes.' And it really smells like there's chocolate and prunes in there. This tobacco has a good moisture and when I fill the pipe it lights well and it smokes nicely. I usually have to re-light it a couple of times, but it's more of my fault, because I tend to wander away with my thoughts. I would prefer it if it had a bit stronger taste, but it's also not to strong, so if you are just starting to smoke, or if you're looking for something light to smoke throughout the day, this is a good choice.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wintermute (90)	2014-09-26		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Although this is called a drug store tobacco, few drug stores actually sell pipe tobacco anymore. Thus, the price on this pouch is a bit high for what it is and one needs to have a healthy nostalgia fix in place to buy it. My pouch was pretty dry and I had to sprinkle some water on it and wait about an hour. When I opened the pouch, it smelled like chewing tobacco. The cut was nice and it packs and lights easily. The taste immediately reminds me of Sail Green, only with more flavor. It is primarily Virginia and a little Burley. The other flavors like vanilla are very light indeed and need to sought out. The first of the bowl is aromatic enough for the wife to tolerate, but it is not the smell of baking cookies by any means. It is simply the smell of gass and some vanilla which eventually turns more like natural tobacco further down the bowl. Lots of thick smoke and little tongue bite. Just go easy and all is good. It will start to gurgle and I use a pipe cleaner during the smoke with most aromatics anyway. When you are done there is a fine ash that practically falls out of the pipe when knocked. This is important to me in that I think it speaks to the purity of the product. And nothing is left in the bowl save only the ghost of the flavor. So, for those who smoke many kinds of tobaccos, I say dedicate a pipe to this for the duration or smoke other Virginia blends that can get along with their grassy brothers.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Purchased From: local cigar shop

Similar Blends: Sail Green.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokey Steve (2)	2014-03-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a sample pack of Borkum Riff as it seems to be one of the more readily availible tobaccos in the uk. The first thing I noticed was that it was very dry, meaning it was very easily lit. Infact one breif lick of a match was all that was needed for the whole bowl. I have to say there was no immediately noticable flavour, but as I sipped away very subtle notes of vanilla came through. I smoked the bowl very slowly and had next to no tongue bite but suspect if smoked any quicker it would have been very unforgiving. All in all it was not an unpleasant smoke, but is certainly not a game changer for me. There was a plesant aftertaste and the bowl was very dry at the end, no goop left at all - to be expected from such a dry mix.

Pipe Used: falcon straight

Age When Smoked: day after delivered

Purchased From: www.smoke-king.co.uk

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ndfmcfc (5)	2013-05-25		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

So I got this blend in a starter pack, and due to bad ratings, I decided not to open it first. Instead, I went with some very tasty aromatics that were very pleasant. After a couple of months of trying some different tobaccos, I decided to open up my BR original. I went into this with an open mind even though I had read some poor reviews. Alas, my open mind was closed quickly. Opening aroma was not bad, but tobacco seemed very dry. Char light was easy, and it kept alight well. However, the bite hit pretty quickly, and I never really recovered. This was my first smoke that I had to keep short, and I only managed half a bowl until I gave up. At this very moment I have replaced it with a wonderfully smooth molte dulce from Suttcliff, and once again I am happy smoking my pipe. I don't even think I will keep my BR original for emergencies even. Sorry BR!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-01-27		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first began pipe smoking this was my first tobacco. Back then it seemed nice. But recently I went to buy another pouch of Borkum Riff because I was out of tobacco, didn't have much money on me and I was curious about it,to see if the pleasant memory I had was real. It wasn't. The tobacco seemed perfectly fine, for a low end one, but when I lighted it it was terrible. I recall there were tears coming to my eyes. The synthetic taste was so overpowering I did three or four puffs, took the tobacco of the bowl, cleaned it very well, and put the pouch of BR right in the first garbage can. Will never bought this tobacco again, unless I hear it have changed. If you're a new pipe smoker and don't want to spend much money on your first tobacco, and want a mild but pleasant smoking experience, buy Amphora Full Aroma instead, because this is a genocide for your taste buds.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philosopher (27)	2012-12-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a perfectly pleasant tobacco. Nice vanilla aroma and taste, no real tendency to bite. Maybe not up there with the greatest, but nothing much wrong with it in my opinion.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-12-19		Extremely Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

It's not often I write a review of a tobacco I doubt I'll purchase again, but it's not so much a review as a note to my future self should I be tempted again...

Based on a prior experience, years ago, with one of Borkum Riff's cherry blends (it's always a bad sign when the tobacco reeks through the sealed pouch, and a worse one when it's so moist it needs more to be wrung-out than dried-out) I haven't bothered with their offerings since. Oh, temptation! I added a pouch to an order. Upon lighting up, the first few puffs were a revelation! Tobacco! The taste was somehow reminiscent of cedar pencil shavings, in a good way. Then the additives kicked in, and took over the whole experience. I found little tobacco satisfaction, mediocre flavouring, and next to no nicotine kick. And as the reviewer Craig noted, the bottom of the bowl proffered a very unpleasant chemical experience.

If this is your thing, enjoy. I think that, for me, there are too many aromatics of much higher quality, in the same price range, to bother.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-06-11		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Hello folks! This particular Borkum Riff is probably of the most neutral tobaccos I have tried, with a slight vanilla flavoring, that, at least to me, is noticeable enough! It is better than SKANDINAVIK Vanilla, but slightly reminds me of it, and its strength is mostly Mild. The only reason why I put 'Mild to Medium' is because it somewhat affected my throat (more cough etc), and because it overheats easily! I mean, not only had I tried the first 3-4 draws, when my tongue was bit, and the pipe was almost heated(and although I lack pipe experience, this seldom happens to me at the very first draws of my pipe 'sessions')! It might be that my tobacconist hadn't preserved it appropriately, but I don't think that's the case, because he keeps all tobaccos in a humidor, and most of the pouches I have bought, are fine! I recommend it to beginners like myself, because it is highly aromatic, pleasant, and the others around you might as well love its odor and not complaint about your smoke!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	albfneto (184)	2012-05-31		Overwhelming	Medium to Strong	Overwhelming	Very Strong

As other Borkuns, this is from origin of Sweden, but now is made in Denmark. Is a mixture of Virginia-Burley. very dry,burns hot and much faster that desired. I dont detected aromatic flavour or taste. I tastes and smell as bad tobacco! for comparison,is related to "Half and Half" type but much less aromatic e and much stronger,much lower quality. If fact, a very low quality tobacco, terrible! Too strong fo regular smoking, So strong that is impossible to smoke it pure! may be good stuff for compose housewold mixtures. Reported here as Bite, yes, it is slighly Bite, but it is expected a caractheristic of the Burley.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steden (100)	2011-11-05		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I dislike rate a blend with just one star but in this case I can't do otherwise, I can overlook the boring lack of body and depth: this is not the worst blend I've smoked so I could give two stars except it is almost fireproof, that's too much!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-03		Very Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

A friend of mine smokes this one every day, so I get a pouch. Never ever again!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-07		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is how mold and sugar would taste when smoked. On top of the taste being disgusting it's very hard to keep it lit.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-08-26		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Considering I have to pay nearly twice what I normally pay for PA I really expected better. I tried BR many years ago and didn't like it. Tried it again recently and I still don't like it. Some things really don't change. With tobacco that can sometimes be a good thing. Not this time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Moçambicano (13)	2009-02-16		Very Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I usually avoid to make negative comments on anything. If it is good, I praise it; if it is bad, I ignore it. But since this attitude defeats the purpose of writing here in this appraisal forum, I will act differently.

Borkum Riff is one of the most omnipresent pipe tobaccos in European drugstores. In spite of showing off an old sail ship in its packages, and although it is named after an dutch island and lighthouse, it is neither an old concoction nor is it made in the Netherlands; it's rather a modern, swedish product.

I bought it thinking that being manufactured in Scandinavia would assure a high quality level ? at the very least because these nordic people have a huge percentage of pipe smokers in their populations, much more so than the british, for instance. I was wrong. Provenance of the product is not everything.

Borkum Riff original smells flowery in the pouch, but has an intense mould-like aroma when smoked ? even if there is no sign of mould itself in the tobacco. The casing simply tastes so. I puffed some twenty bowls of it, just to make a fair assessment ? untill I gave up. Not only the taste was bad: the aftertaste was even worse, as if I had paved my tongue with tar. Truly unpleasant. I won't buy it or try it again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-10		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

I like many other reviewers on the forum tried this at the beginning of my pipe endeavors. that was well over 5 years ago and recently tried a bit from a friend. Still ghastly, tongue bite, bitter bottom half... I wont go on. If drug store brand is all you have the choosing of go Captain or Edward.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2021-12-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Very bland and very hot. No matter how gently I puffed this, it was hot. Fruity tasting, think Juicy Fruit Gum. Would not buy this one again...

Pipe Used: Tom Howard, Rhodesian.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local B&M store.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2021-09-22		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

The "Riff" is one of the earliest pipe tobacco blends I ever tried. It goes way back, and used to be a mainstay for several years. When I saw this at a local gas station I had to purchase a pouch (it's the first time I noticed this on a store shelf in many, many, years).

The tobacco itself is unusual—it's a ribbon cut, but the tobacco is so infused with stuff, many of the ribbons appear rolled. The blend smoked hot, and it nearly nipped me several times, but I warded off the dogs with a slower cadence. The taste was instantly familiar, and, believe it or not, I rather enjoyed it (when it wasn't attempting to put the chomp on me). The room note was pleasant. If you don't prefer tobaccos with a lot of chemicals in it (like me), you should skip this blend.

But...

Nostalgia is what made smoking this blend interesting. Memories of my early days at my local pipe shop came flooding back—pleasant memories. So, I guess, if a tobacco can do this for you, it can't be all bad!

Keep on pipin'

Pipe Used: Corncob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cigarcohiba (36)	2021-01-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Very similar to captain black original. The difference i found is tha borkum riff white is more on the virginia side making it a bit more pleasant and smooth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2020-10-25		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Honestly, if you want a description of the flavors in this mix, skip to the next review, as this writer does it solely to "turn the page." It was one of the first pipe tobaccos I tried, but I didn't go beyond smoking 3 or 4 pipes of this tobacco, before changing league.

It is not pleasant in taste and it is not kind to the tongue. However, it has a great advantage over other tobaccos: you won't have any difficulty finding it in your usual tobacconist. And it seems that the tobacco pipe industry is maintained largely by the sales of these brands. So, for this reason and selfishly, I should recommend it to you. But do not be in a hurry, as I said, you are not in danger of ending up in your usual tobacconist ...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BROBS (67)	2018-11-02		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Upon opening the pouch I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth prune or raisin-like sweet quality to the tobacco. The moisture level seemed absolutely perfect from the pouch... dry enough to smoke and enough moisture to feel with your fingertips. Could be a nice change from most pipe tobaccos today that come sopping wet. The tobacco seems a nice mixture of black and brown leaf. Loads and lights easily with good flavor and room note. Does burn down a little faster than most tobaccos, however it burns clean to the bottom with a fine ash. Overall I'm satisfied with this tobacco for a drug store blend.

Edit: I think the main “beef” with it is that it is very light in nicotine and dry from the pouch. This dryness along with a thin, almost shag-like, ribbon cut causes the tobacco to ignite like forest floor tinder. After that bowl is gone you may load up another since this one was so light...

Pipe Used: GBD London Made, MM Cob

Purchased From: Tobacco Outlet

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingHawk (54)	2017-12-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Aah... Borkum Riff original mixture all day every day any day easy to smoke and easy to get available most places. I 4ozs jar for it and I try to get it fill up whenever it gets half way empty. I can smell deep dark chocolate and some vanilla hint at background smokes well if you just sip it whenever you smoke fast it bit bite. A good deep dark smoke.

Age When Smoked: New from the pouch

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nwpipesmker (27)	2017-03-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

From past experience with Brorkum Riff in the past was very reluctant to buy this, but this was the only blend left at local tobacco store going out of business. After opening this vacuum packed pouch the note was of prune and almost a rum note? It was like a crumble cake. Packed well and it stayed lit was a great smoke cool. Zero bite i am now a fan of this blend.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Local store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-08-15		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I picked this up in a liquor store after leaving my pipe bag at home by accident (I hate it when that happens). I needed some tobacco, and this was - sadly - my only choice. I smoked a lot of Borkum Riff blends several years ago and liked them, so I figured it would be good to reminisce. I was terribly wrong.

So it smells decent in the tin, but a little bit on the light side, even for a OTC aromatic. It really wasn't at all what I remembered, but I went with it and packed a bowl. It packed fine, and I actually had to add a little moisture to it before lighting it, as it was a bit too dry for my tastes (and I like my tobacco a bit on the drier side of the spectrum). I lit it, puffed lightly, and waited for the taste. And I waited some more. I checked the pipe to make sure I had actually put tobacco in there. I puffed some more, and still nothing but hot, stingy, acrid air. Now, I must admit that I like to give credit where credit is due and I hate giving one star to ANY tobacco because I try to judge it based on what it is or what purpose it serves. This serves no other purpose than to become fire kindling. It burns fast, bites like hell, and has no flavor with the exception of an acrid aftertaste. I like some of the Borkum Riff line, but not this one. I can't recommend this to anyone.

Pipe Used: Red Dog commissioned brandy

Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch

Purchased From: CJ's Tobacco and Liquor, Beckley, WV

Similar Blends: Pencil shavings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	samanfromiran (22)	2014-12-06		Mild	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

the only thing i can say about this tobacco is "the worst tobacco iv tried so far" very bad smell-very bad taste.very very bad tobacoo.terrible.dont buy this

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MiddleEarth Piper (5)	2014-10-31		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Very mild tobacco, nice room note and no tongue bite. It's good all day smoke, but if you want something special look elsewhere because this is simple smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dimi7ris (3)	2014-01-24		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

i dont know what to write about this tobacco... it has nice flavor, but it dont stop biting in tonge ... it is nothing special

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-10-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I bought the blend on the advise of my father-in-law who seemed to enjoy Borkum Riff very much. It was a dry tobacco with a very nice aroma, So I was pleased at the beginning of my smoke unfortunately, I seemed to have my issues from there. The taste was a hit and miss with flavoring and the aroma faded once I lite my pipe but once the flavoring and aroma was present it was pleasent. I would not say I disliked this blend but it's not at the top of my list but I am willing to try it again in the future.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-08-07		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Given the number of bad reviews this tobacco has received I was keen to try it for myself and I have to admit it is not as bad as I thought it would be. It did not bite like a rabid ferret. It is not a vile demon weed, but it's not exciting either. There are no highs or lows, no hidden highlights or subtle surprises awaiting midway through the bowl, no symphony of complex flavours dancing around each other.

The pouch aroma is lovely - it could make a wonderful pot pourri - and the wife tells me the room note is pleasant. In Falcon pipes and corn cobs it smoked reasonably dry and I didn't encounter any bite. So, to my tastes, it's okay. But there's a whole world of wonderful tobaccos out there that are far more than just okay.

If it was the only tobacco I had left, it might tide me over for a day or so until I could get something better. But it does not soothe the soul. It may suit others, but it's a bit too dull and boring for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-07-30		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend was sold to me at a tobacco shop as something that everyone loves. What a bunch of bull. I was looking for an aromatic that still had a solid tobacco flavor and this is what they came up with?? This stuff is terrible. There is no flavor, no good tobacco taste, in fact, there is no taste at all. I do not recommend this tobacco to anyone. It basically is like smoking air; hot air that bites.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-24		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I tried this mix because it is easy to find, it will never be in my pipe again. For one is overpriced for what I find at the grocery store at 7.99$ a 1.5oz pouch. I rather by Carter Hall or Velvet at 4.49$ a 1.5oz pouch.

I had to power puff just to feel like I was smoking something, which in turn burnt the heck out of my mouth. Give me sawdust it would taste more like tobacco then this. I seldom dislike a tobacco so much to say things negative about but yuck, I rather smoke a weasel for my health. My Personal notes give this a .01 my lowest rating of any tobacco I have ever tried.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-07		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Upon revieving this tobacco and my first ever pipe from a friend for christmas i was eager to try this out. Smelt good out of the pouch, but thats where the good news stops.

First bowl was ok, but every other bowl and i mean EVERY other bowl has been of foul taste. Far too 'flowery' for my liking and bites hard. This was with both pouches i had obtained (6 months apart from each other). The tobacco quality was ok in the first puch, but six months on and I found stems and other parts of the tobacco plant in the pouch.

Not worth the time or money and almost made me give up. Definitely better (and easier) tobaccos to start off with and smoke.

UPDATE: Now that my skills have developed, I have revisited this one and found to be ok. Doesn't burn as I remembered and stays lit ok now. Still will never buy it again though.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-09-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Hay~Rookie, you need to try it. Cool Smoke! Easy light.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Django (4)	2008-05-27		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

For my first review, I would say that this tobacco is very sweet but very pleasant for a danish tobacco smoker. I feel a little taste of hazelnut and vanilla. It is a very soft and mild smoking. I recommend it as a good danish tobacco !

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Johnyspicks (11)	2023-04-09		Strong	Very Strong	Very Full	Very Strong

This is like captain black only stronger when I was younger I liked this better cause it was cheaper but as time grew on it got stronger and I would not recommend this blend to anyone unless they liked captain black which is now about cheaper then this so but other then that nothing else to say

Pipe Used: Several

Similar Blends: Captain black white.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aduana Taylor (30)	2022-12-26		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Una mezcla danesa natural, lograda a base de black cavendish y virginias, con un muy leve topic de vainilla y un aún menos perceptible chocolate. La humedad estaba perfecta. El corte es en cinta más bien gruesa. La intensidad es suave pero es.un tabaco ligero pero sabroso, ideal para fumar todo el día. No requiere reencendidos y es aconsejable la fumada lenta.

Pipe Used: Brebbia

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (562)	2022-12-08		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Pouch notes of strong vanilla and mild chocolate liquor. Tobacco cut is mostly shag with a little fatter ribbons mixed in. Further it looks like 3 different leaves of mostly medium brown and a smaller amount of black and tan. Tobacco is soft, no prep needed. Burns is moderate with few relights. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is mild, with notes of vanilla that continues to wane as I smoke it. Taste is mild and consistent, with notes of spicy, very woody, mild sweet grass, dry earth, toasted slightly bitter nut, a mild lemony background note, and a very peppery retro. Burley is leading with Virginia and Cavendish supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author

Age When Smoked: 3 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimPM (155)	2021-09-05		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Tolerable

COMMENTARY BORKUM RIFF ORIGINAL: Sometimes Okay Makes For A Passing Grade

Ironically here I sit once again penning yet another write-up on a Borkum Riff OTC pouched mixture. Having sampled their flagship Bourbon Whiskey mix which turned out to be a disappointing exercise, I’m not sure why I decided to pick this one up to be honest, but I did. My official review of the former was rather unfavorable but candidly honest. Subsequent, the image I formed on the brand was, let’s simply say, not impressed. Admittingly my leading expectation of this Original mixture was, therefore, somewhat tainted by that cheapening experience.

Initially when I glanced at the packaging, I mistook Original for my old chum Mixture 79, ah no. Perhaps there was some subliminal force associated with the mis queue that compelled me to fork over six-plus dollars for this probable dud. Such were my thoughts as I exited with the dubious specimen in hand. Having now smoked most of the pouch, I am in a more informed position to assess my perceptions, or rather prejudices, on this Scandinavian Tobacco Group offering. After more thoughtful retrospection, this trial exercise reminds me of the need to maintain a fair objective mindset when donning the coat of an impartial reviewer.

In reference to the base statistics, Original is a simple, but arguably global, recipe. Officially the mix is said to be constituted by a lightly vanilla topped mesh of two-thirds Filipino African Black Cavendish with the balance being a three-strand Virginia assortment originating from strangely enough South America, India, and Africa. Hailed as a strong but gentle fair, Original’s touted renown is made distinctive by the deployment of diligent and unique craftmanship.

The flashy marketing description holds that the mixture separates itself from other OTCs by using highly selective leaf varietals. Yeah, time for a reality check. Not that they are awful, but they are not stellar by any means, largely ordinary by the results of my sampling assessment. Perhaps the definition of selective in this case is the tobacco suppliers market their leaves dirt cheap giving the blender a lower direct cost to manufacture, (i.e., higher margins) as the price per pouch is relatively elevated compared to participating OTC brands. This statement may seem a little harsh, but I do question the righteousness of the product positioning and the cost posed to the customer given the market sector in which Borkum Riff mixes compete. Yet there is clearly a market for the brand, so kudos to STG on that accomplishment.

Within the classic Borkum Riff seascape pouch, one will find a dark matrix of extremely dry tobacco. Scant morsels of what appears to be Yellow, Bright, and stoved Red Virginia are engulfed in a flood of blackish Cavendish. Formally ribbon-cut, Original is rather a rough and coarsely textured sack of jagged shadowy granola. Given the presentation, I would be remiss not to state that the blend does project an intriguing preview.

Nosing the fragrance being released, a sprightly dance of the flavor additives spirals up with significant magnitude. Rich notes of vanilla-fruitiness with traces of chocolaty anise overshadow the forefront aroma. A very low bottom resonance of the Virginias’ bready grass and dark wood circulate from the Burley-based Cavendish, registering only with concerted sniffing effort. The overall nose of the blend is very pleasant, however, as it unquestionably promises a sugary Aromatic smoking encounter.

As expected from the noted pouch airs, the toppings materially dominant the base flavor as the native tobaccos are extremely restrained elements in the background. The blender’s claim of lightness in the application is not necessarily spot on. There is more happening here than just one sweetener as well. In specific, the heavy top note is personified as a smack of vanilla intermixed with an indistinct fruity berry-like flavoring, (i.e., blueberry/blackberry?). Intermittently, the taste accents impart a vague tinge of licorice as a soft spicy adder. Although this confluence of toppings/casings presents an agreeably sweet departure, it tends to be a bit uninspiring given the one-dimensional feature.

About halfway through the bowl, some of the natural tobacco registration does finally come through as tart-woody Virginia and the processed Burley brings light chocolatey roasted nuttiness as both are kept in check for most of the smoking session. The tone seems to be a tangy cedar-oak quality in the feel of native taste. On a positive note, this quality is pleasantly amusing but does materialize very subtly overall.

Furthermore, Original is very much a light bodied-mild strength affair not even being remotely stout in lieu of the manufacturer’s proclamation. Even so, I did experience some roughness in the blending quality and a bit of harshness in the texture but nothing too overt or hateful. The effects of nicotine are minimal if nothing to speak of at all. On the manufacturer’s suggestion of softness in character, yeah, I tend to agree with that statement based upon the complete trial exercise.

Original does produce a fairly hearty plume of smoky vapor. Given the level of top dressings and the inherent trait of Virginia, the mix does burn considerably hot and rather quickly. Consequently, there is ample room for tongue discomfort and stress if the drawling of the pipe is too earnest. From my experience a cob tends to get super warm roaring with profuse heat in short time. As such the more likely venue is a thicker walled briar for optimum smoking comfort.

Coming to the room note, I would dare say that its presence is pointedly light and airy. One does experience a warm softly sweet nutty-wood essence. The sweetness seems to be a creamy berry perfume with a dash of suppressed citrus. The permanency of the fragrance is rather short lived as the evidence of Original’s company peters off in quick-step. Nonetheless, the general strength of the smoke would be tolerable to most, of that, I am sure.

My final thoughts on the trial lead me to conclude that unlike Borkum Riff’s champion Bourbon Whiskey, Original surprisingly proved to be a reasonable diversion, being much more enjoyable than the supposed market leader. I would not rate this as a must have varietal but in all honesty being somewhat boorish, its generally “okay” by my standards. Once again, I did not find the quality of tobaccos, nor the processing used to be singular by any means.

As an even tempered casual all-day blend, I suspect that the Aromatic enthusiasts would rather appreciate the experience that it has to offer. Relative to other OTCs as it relates to quality and price, Original does have a few drawbacks in my opinion. Will I purchase it again? Maybe under the right circumstances. As always give it a try to see if Original is a welcome addition to your own smoking preferences.

Pipe Used: Cob & Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh from pouch

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (233)	2017-11-02		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

THE POUCH DESCRIPTION YOU CAN FIND ABOVE IS UNFINISHED: AT THE END THERE IS ALSO WRITTEN - FLAVOUR: CHOCOLATE, PRUNE AND FRUITY NOTES.

Really a good scent, taste so and so. Not wonderful not bad. Of course this is a flavored blend, but you can taste the tobacco too. Mixture Original is the new version of Borkum Riff Ultra Light, but it is not exactly the same blend. First of all it is stronger than Ultra Light and second in Original Mixture the main ingredient is Black Cavendish (not so in Ultra Light). Also the flavoring is different. In the pouch is written flavour: chocolate, prune and fruity notes. I believe there is also some rum in this blend. Chocolate is evident, prune and fruity notes less. In my opinion Original is better than Ultra Light, more tasty, more rich, with a middle perfect strength. Finally, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 7 and two stars.

Similar Blends: Borkum Riff Ultra Light.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Robin Top (1)	2017-08-14		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a tobacco to smoke very gently. It has a subtile taste, it can become sharp easily. Not my favorite but ok. The smell directly above the bowl is delight.

Pipe Used: Hilson Buckingham

Purchased From: local tobacconist

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	elino27 (7)	2016-09-07		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

burns good, taste could be a bit more intense though. could bite as well, better stay on the slow side. malt or even orange from that brand are better.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2016-07-08		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Drug store level blend. Easy to pack, lit, almost dry smoke, one relight, but nothing special at all. if you don't have other choice, just drug store blends buy it, its not a worst choice.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Gift from friend

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brunogayger (4)	2016-07-07		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable to Strong

When in the pouch the aroma is really pleasant, very natural and not chemical, is it possible to feel the virginia's smell. The thing is when smoked all the aromas felt before disappear remaining just a small tobacco taste and a lot of tongue bites.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wandyhee (16)	2015-10-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

As per my review about BR Vanilla Chavendish, I would say this is good blend for beginner, won't hurt my wallet at all. But after a while when someone introduced me to Latakia blend tobacco, my interest to smoke this tobacco started to fade away. Somehow I still keep it 1-2 pack in stock just for refreshing my memory of why I started to smoke pipe tobacco..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2015-04-17		Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

This blend has taken a lot of bad reviews, but I decided to give it a try anyway. It is by far not the best OTC out there. I would buy again if there were only OTCs to choose from and there weren't any others in stock. It burns way too quickly and the flavoring just doesn't transfer to the taste buds outside of a cigarette-ish taste towards the bottom of the bowl. It lights easily enough and stays lit if tended to properly. Hardly any nicotine to it at all. It does burn to a nice ash at the bottom of the bowl. Moisture level for an OTC is quite low surprisingly. Just enough to put it to 2 stars. Recommended, barely.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kribbage (32)	2014-04-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was one of the first tobaccos I used in a pipe when in college, and I liked it very much. Since I have moved on in my preferences in pipe tobaccos, I had not tried it for quite awhile, so I purchased a pouch recently at the local drugstore, and came home with anticipation of reconnecting with an old friend. Well, the tobacco was drugstore stale, and was a great disappointment. It did not seem to be the old quality I had enjoyed so much....burnt hot, and not much taste. Maybe I had moved on!

Pipe Used: Corncob, Peterson

Age When Smoked: 64

Purchased From: Local drugstore

Similar Blends: Sail aromatic, but Sail is much better, Stokkebye's Highland Whiskey, but Highland is MUCH better!.

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