D & R Tobacco Penhooker

The flue-cured style gold leaf Virginias are half Canadian. They offer some grass, a touch of tangy darker fruit, earth and wood, and a lot of tart and tangy citrus. I’m not sure what the casing is, but it’s sweet and seems to have a small amount of sugar and perhaps fruit. It's very mildly applied. The strength, nic-hit, and taste just passes the center of mild to medium. Pack it tight if dry for best effect. Not a complex blend by any means, but it’s a ribbon cut that burns a tad fast, cool and clean with a very consistent, gentle flavor to the finish. Virtually leaves no moisture in the bowl, won’t bite, and has no dull or harsh spots. Barely requires any relights even when you puff at a normal pace, which I recommend. Has a very pleasant semi-sweet, very light woody after taste. The room note isn’t pungent. Makes lots of smoke. Would make a good mixer, too.

-JimInks

This comes bone dry and as a result burns quickly with some heat. The flavor is sweet and only very mildly citrusy, tasting somewhat orange-like. If you push this one you will create a flame-thrower. Smoked moderately a small amount of pleasure can be derived from it.

Mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor. If you need more than one match per bowl you're doing something wrong.

D & R Tobacco - Penhooker.

Thank goodness it isn't a super-fine shag, as is often the case with this blender; subjectively speaking that cut does nothing for me. Penhooker presents itself as a ribbon cut blend inclusive of a few coarser pieces. Being from bulk the moisture's decreased in the pouch, too dry for me but not terrible.

A bowl ignites with great ease and the inaugurate part of the smoke isn't that bad. The taste is bright, fairly sharp Va's with a delicate touch of sweetness; almost caramel-esc. Sadly 'party time' doesn't last for long. After a short time the temperature increases and is followed in quick succession by tongue bite. Also it burns quickly, even considering the 'coarser' cut than usual! Such a shame as the flavour's rather nice, the pragmatics just ruin it; they cause it to be quite vitriolic!

Nicotine: below medium. Room-note: quite nice.

Penhooker? Not a bad flavour albeit terribly behaved! So, two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

I have to agree with Gent Zombie on this one. This baby was really, really dry. I can't remember ever having a bowl of baccy that lasted so, well, short (less than ten minutes in a medium bowl!). I liked the taste, but just when you think you might be getting used to it, the experience comes to an abrupt and unsatisfactory end (up in smoke, as it were).

I complain frequently about heavy, nicotine rich blends, Penhooker is not that, which is more than fine with me. I think there's room in the pipe smoking world for light baccy's like Penhooker, really, there should be many, many more of them, but honestly, if you want baccy's like this to fly, make it so the experience lasts a bit longer.

I'll give this one a strong 2 stars (2.75). I'd have given a solid 3 stars if it hadn't of been so fleeting.

Keep on Pipin'

This was my favourite D&R Virginia until they made the cut a little thicker. It used to have just a little more flavour and creaminess when it was a slightly finer cut. I distinctly remember it having a really subtle hint of fresh toasted waffle-esque flavour to it which I don't get anymore. Still very similar now though and still an excellent Virginia tobacco. I rather hope they might get this blend back to what it used to be though.

This used to be a very good Canadian, but these days the effects of the D&R reframing as a "value" company is showing. Nothing like the Penhooker of old, this has vague prune notes that seem to permeate every cheap tobacco. Very disappointing to see the excellent reputation of Mark Ryan being sullied by the new ownership.

Reviewed as a cigarette tobacco: The sweetest and lightest of D&R's Va offerings. This one by far is the best cigarette of the group, and I'd wager it would be ok in a pipe as well. Lacks the harshness Va can give in a cigarette. A solid B+