Gallaher Limited Condor Long Cut (Brown)

After coming back into pipe smoking after a break of about fifteen years or so i thought i would start with one of my old favourites,'THE ONE AND ONLY' Condor Long Cut. I know all of us have our own particular tastes and for me when it comes to tobacco nothing else hits those heights of relaxation and enjoyment in quite the same way as this lovely dark brown flake.As soon as i put the first match to the bowl for the charring light i was taken back years as the taste and aroma have not changed a bit and in my estimation that is a good thing because this tobacco is unique.Other reviews i have read describe it's flavour as 'soapy' and i can see what they mean but it's 'soapyness' only adds to it's allurement.In a way this tobacco is hard to pin down but if you want a good relaxing smoke for a peaceful half hour or so a good thing is to mix:Three quarters Condor Long Cut with One quarter Gold Block and enjoy!To sum up this tobacco is dark,mysterious,flavoursome and peace friendly!

I'd never tried this before, despite its being a readily available OTC in the UK (or maybe because - tobacco snobbery on my part), and have been very pleasantly surprised. It's dry- tasting (which for me is good), full-bodied, and with a hint of dried fruit. The soapy taste, mentioned by others, is detectable, and i could happily do without it, but it's within reasonable limits. It seems to be less noticeable in a meer or clay than in a briar, so I may smoke it only in them from now on. I think it will become a regular smoke for me.

[Edit] I don't think this baccy is very good for briars: it seems to have done for my Invicta Rhodesian. When I smoked 'Squadron Leader' in it recently, after two smokes of Condor, it tasted nothing like it should. Therefore, I'll reserve it for my meers and clays, and give the Rho a longish rest to recover.

Having smoked it a few more times since, I've re vised my initial enthusiasm: it's not bad for an OTC, but that's not saying much. It can be good, but sometimes is too soapy. I've down-graded my recommendation to 'somewhat recommended'.

So, the birds fall stricken from the trees and dogs run howling from their masters' feet. It says much about the natural reserve of British reviewers that this towering Irish classic, and last word in the British "floral" style, fails to achieve an overall four-star rating. Still made in its home town in Northern Ireland where it has been for - I'm not sure how long - certainly decades. (And something you can't say about its great rival, St Bruno, which departed Liverpool in the mid-noughties.) If you can obtain some of this, even in ready-rubbed, which doesn't differ too much from the flake, you cannot let the opportunity pass and call yourself a pipe smoker.

I just don't understand all this talk of soap and flowers! To me Condor just tastes like strong, natural Virginia, maybe a slight hint of something leathery in there. One thing is certain Condor is strong, I like strong tobacco so to me this is a good thing, but I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. It smokes cool and doesn't bite unless really provoked. I would probably say it should be dried out awhile before smoking although I smoke it straight from the packet in a Falcon. I will happily smoke this regularly, for a readily available OTC (Here in the UK anyway) I feel it knocks several so called ‘Premium' tobaccos down a peg or two.

Condor Original Long Cut Flake is in an incomparable class of its own. Highly flavoured this will ghost your pipe. I won't have to tell you that again. Best set aside a pipe just for this strong tobacco that has stood the test of time. Solid, seductive nicotine delivery. Don't use a large bowl. Highly recommended.

25 gram packet. Not sure I smoked enough to get to know this one really well. I did not find the heaviness in strength and nicotine that other reviewers found, but it did ghost a pipe pretty thoroughly with its heavy flavoring.

I love the idea of an "OTC" flake. This flake came cut thin and loading was a breeze using the fold and stuff method. It burned quite nicely if I dried it properly. The flavor was of typical Brit florals and "soap".

A lot of virtual ink has been spilled comparing this to St Bruno. The only comparison I can make is that they both come in pouches and both originated in the UK. This is no St Bruno. Where that blend produces a flavor burst of natural tobacco with a floral topping, this one goes overboard with the flavoring... WAY overboard. The taste was medicinal throughout most of the bowl, and this flavor did not change much until it turned ashen towards the bottom. There were times when it settled into a groove that was quite enjoyable but eventually the thin, artificial taste returned. Whereas most Lakeland blends use flavorings sympathetically, this one seemed more discordant.

I probably will not try this one again anytime soon. However, I think everyone should. It has history, it has a following and it has the "Condor Moment". Unfortunately, I found that moment too momentary. As always, your mileage may vary.

Sorry.

This has the strength of Gawith & Hoggarths Dark Flake. However that is where all comparisons end.

This stuff smokes as hot as hell, and is akin to smoking a bowl full of highly scented soapy 'Cilit Bang' flakes.

Horrible 'ghosting' mess of a tobacco, that thoroughly deserves it's title as an over the counter drug store blend.

All in all this is absolute bollocks in a plastic pouch.

The flake variety is not so far removed from the ready-rubbed, so I'll echo my sentiments regarding the latter, from a prior review:

This review completes my experiment with the three major commercially available tobacco brands in rubbed form here in the UK - those being Clan, St. Bruno, and Condor. The latter is, without a doubt, the best, and proves that there is some credence in entrusting your choices locally, as opposed to the specialist. Without a doubt, this is a classic Lakeland style tobacco, but although the usual floral scent and soapy taste that usually fires a warning shot is present, I find the casing to be much more acceptable and palatable than that found in many other brands - notably the Gawiths. Indeed, it's a good deal more nectarous, slightly spicy, and a damn sight more unusual, without impinging on what seems to be a naturally sweet Virginia base.

I don't find this to be particularly overly cased, nor that potent, if truth be told. The flavours seem well-balanced and seemed a far cry from the "Condor Moment" which smacked of the sourness you'd expect from some of the more pungent Burleys in the Peterson line. It does contain a good dose of the old Vitamin N, but it's well managed.

The only downsides are really the ghosting and the need for several re-lights; though it's a moist tobacco that burns surprisingly well, it becomes a bit top- heavy with ash. Furthermore, the room note is a tad monotonous and a touch off- putting for some, but everything is there in the smoke itself, which really sings. I can't dedicate a pipe to this, so I'm anticipating some aftercare with my Peterson System, but it's a small price to pay for a quality smoke that I can purchase where I want, when I want - and in smaller pouch sizes that neither break the bank, nor become boring.

Addendum:

The flake variant tastes slightly fuller, with a more pronounced sour note. It's moderately moist, easy to rub out and light, and it's particularly noteworthy as a consistent smoke, with a full body of flavour being generated in the second half of the bowl. Again, a great smoke that burns to a voluminous plume, and a fluffy ash of less quantity than it's rubbed version.

Overall, I think I prefer the balance of the ready-rubbed over the long cut, but the two are so very similar that you could probably juggle them in the same pipe. It's a testament to the blender that they've made a rub that can still hold it's own against the flake. Two ace cuts - and the champion of commercial smokes.

I reviewed this blend several years ago, somehow it ended up in the Condor Ready Rubbed section, a mystery as I've never liked the RR version much and never reviewed it...

This blend was a long time favorite of mine, that is now sadly no longer exported to the USA. I first tried this blend at a Yorkshire tobacconist's recommendation while purchasing a new pipe. I had never encountered a flake tobacco before, so I had to ask him how to use it. I have a good friend in the UK who can keep me supplied with Condor, and there are several tobacconists who will ship to the USA.

Fortunately, I've found that SG Bracken Flake is quite similar to Condor at least as far as a substitute goes when I can't reliably get my hands on it.

Appearance: A mostly black with some brown and tan mottling leathery flake of varying thickness.

Aroma: The first thing that is apparent when opening a pouch of Condor is that it is fairly heavily scented. What kind of defies me is to decide what that scent is. I pick up tones of black cherry, something sweet and vaguely like molasses and hints of rose. Rose you say? Yes rose, as in Greek Rose Petal preserves (not a regular on many an American table). I can also detect deep air cured Virginias and an underlying nuttiness, and musty quality. Put side by side with SG Bracken Flake they smell very similar. This tobacco seems perfect for smoking as soon as the seal on the pouch is broken. As with most flake tobaccos I simply take several flakes together, fold them in half and insert them length-wise into the bowl trimming off the excess. I find it has a much better burn this way and makes for a long enjoyable smoke.

For this review, I've chosen an Edward's Husky Canadian which is dedicated to scented flakes.

A first light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper and then a tamping light. The topping or casing is immediately there and while a bit odd at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. Flavors of cherry, rose and a deep nuttiness are exhaled with increasing pleasure. This is a delightful flake, which rather rapidly dispels myths of 'English Soap'. The flavors are intense and build rapidly while the topping or casing gradually fade into the background. Many Americans will not likely enjoy this flavor, but I do.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while I wouldn't call this mixture particularly complex, the topping or casing gradually fade completely into the background but never leave the scene. The Virginias build in depth and character while the topping/casing gently fade. This blend can get away from you if you are not careful with technique. That is not to say that it will bite, I've never experienced tongue-bite with this blend. Rather, the tobacco is a bit temperamental and can be over-puffed to the point of extreme bitterness. If one takes the time to smoke this slowly and methodically a sweet, rich and flavorful voyage is there for the taking.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. The tobacco eventually becomes the most dominant component with the topping/casing fading in intensity. Deep and resonant forest, leather and cigar tones emerge from the heart of this blend. The sweetness and topping/casing never fully leave, yet their initial flavors have matured and ripened into a fascinating mixture of stewed fruits and rich adult pleasures.

Supplemental Notes:

I must add that now being in possession of both SG Bracken Flake and Condor Long Cut at the same time, my observation remains, they are very similar and for me at least BF is a good substitute though not a direct 1:1 'copy' of each other. BF will defiantly scratch the itch for me.