Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Greve Hamilton Blandning

This Swedish classic is nothing to write home about, but it's a decent smoke all the same. It has been the most popular pipe tobacco in Sweden for many decades, but I'd say that's mostly due to its availability (if the local kiosk or petrol station has any pipe tobacco at all, it's likely to be this) and the low price (though compared to most other nations any tobacco in Sweden will be expensive).

If you're in in the Swedish countryside/small town and can't get anything else except possibly Borkum Riff or Calmar Nyckel, this is your best shot. The taste is mild to medium, and the grassy, somewhat citrusy Virginias delivers most of it. It burns well, it won't give you tongue bite, but it can be a little on the cigarette side of things, especially if you puff too hard. But it's fairly forgiving and I think that's also a reason for its success.

The cut is very fine, the room note is pleasant. As it's a pouch tobacco, it will be a bit on the dry side. The nicotine level is medium.

This is an interesting blend, and not a bad one by OTC pipe tobacco standards. Beats Borkum Riff and Caravelle (other swedish OTCs) by a large margin. It's quite strong, but lacks body/feel and complexity in flavour. Packs a fair nicotine hit. Best description I can conjure up is like a cigarette with a little bit more pure citrusy virginia taste. Tin note is fantastic and natural, hay-like VA smell with no added sweetness. I sometimes let anti-tobacco fascists smell it telling them it's herbal tea, and the reaction is always "oh my god that smells fantastic". And then they get shocked when they find out it's tobacco. People who think that tobacco leaf smells like cigarette smoke should be brutally shot in the head as far as I'm concerned, that kind off stupidity should be banned from the earth. This tobacco makes it easy to determine who to execute.

I received this from a friend in Finland, he told me what others below have noted, that this blend is the OTC staple in Sweden and very popular in Finland as well. Now then, I found it to be rather sweet and citrusy. I got a taste that was similar to the taste left in your mouth after drinking a glass of Sunny Delight orange juice beverage. The Virginias are very dominant, with this sweet citrusy overtone, there is also a slight black pepper taste that comes and goes throughout the bowl. The addition of Dark Fired Burley gives it a little more heft than a straight Va.. I agree with Jiminks, that this is quite similar to Sail Yellow, but more tobacco forward and less topping.

Picked up a pouch on a whim, when I was in Sweden last time. I make a habit of buying a pouch of OTC non chased tobaccos where ever I get the chance, when I travel and have so forth not been disapointed. Not this time either, a good tasteful smoke with hints of some sweetness. Packs and lights easily, burns the same. My pouch was rather dry when bought, but that I am somewhat particular to anyway.

This is where it all started in 1964, I got my first pipe and a punch of Greve Gilbert Hamilton, a sun of a gun in its time.

Invented from the biginning by a Curnel in the cavalry, but made and sold by the Swedish Tobacco from 1924 and even today 2009 09.

It´s a fincut tobacco, almost cigaretcut. Burns to fast and becoms very hot and strong in a big bowl pipe and should only be smoked in a pipe with a wery small hole. It´s made by virginia, burley, lakartia and some seckret addings.

This is a tobacco I never will forget, and I use it as a reference for all other tobacco Excuse my bad English, I´m not born in England !! /ThomK in Sweden.

Won't stay lit, no flavor at all. Cheap tabacco that you'll find everywhere if you're out of tabacco and desperately need some. It's the blandest tabacco i ever tried.

My first proper blend, a rather hard blend, sweet chocolate pouch note, with a kind of orange tint to the tobacco, i always associate it with metal work, so i Always describe the taste as "birch wood, cutting compound and blacksmith's shop" To be respected as the blend can bite beginners

This blend is what people often associate with pipe smoking in Sweden. Most pipesters there have probably tried it or heard about it at some point. The availability probably contributes to that: any establishment which sells tobacco, will be 99% guaranteed to keep some pouches of Greve Hamilton. The contents of one pouch is akin to what I would call a shag cut, resembling the roll-your-own tobacco I once bought when I first started out. Not too sure about what it smells like, but it is not unpleasant at all.

As for smoking, it was less pleasant. Easy to light for me, mostly due to the fine cut. But the cut also seem to make this burn a bit too fast for my liking. The taste is fine; mostly grassy (virginias).

Puff too fast, however, and you might suspect someone snatched your pipe out of your mouth and swiftly replaced it with a cigarette without you seeing it happen. I found it slightly hard to moderate pace without either pretending I was actually a steamboat going at full speed, or letting the pipe pretty much go out.

To be fair, though: if you, at any point in your life, find yourself limited to smoking one of the common Swedish OTC's, this one is the best bet. At least the taste is palatable, especially in comparison to some of the other options in that category...

Basic tobacco whit no extra flavoring, easy for beginners. Bit boring but easy to smoke. Wont buy again. Got it from taxfree shop cheaply and wanted to try.