Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco Shop Father Dempsey

Gotta go against the grain here. I don't like this. The Lat dominates and I find it's flavor a bit offensive. Mildly smoky and woody. The main note I get from it is dusty/dirty and very bland. The Orientals add just a very mild woody note. The Virginias add a hint of hay and sweetness. Overall...bland.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in blandness. No added flavoring. Burns well.

I never had the chance to smoke this blend as mixed at Kramer’s brick-and-mortar store; however, smokingpipes.com was given the opportunity to save this storied blend from extinction—they say they are sourcing the same tobacco—so I decided to order a few tins for the pleasure of saying I smoked it.

I began by picking through the tin to see what was going on. It is a relatively coarse cut ribbon that packs easily in medium to large bowls. There are essentially three different colored tobaccos: almost black Latakia, a reddish-brown Virginia, and some lemony specks that I assume are orientals. I did find a piece of chewed up plastic, which in my experience is not totally uncommon. Over the years, I’ve found feathers, pieces of rubber bands, and other remnants in some expensive cigars.

The blend lights and burns easily. The moisture out of the tin is to my liking. If you prefer your tobacco dryer, 10 minutes out of the tin is perfect. There is a little bite. No one component outshines the other, just a well-rounded English. To my palate, this blend is solidly middle-of-the-road and could easily be smoked all day. I’ll cellar a few tins, but I doubt age will add anything of note other than what time normally adds to tobacco.

The are many more interesting blends out there, but for the price and storied past, it’s worth having around. I intend on smoking this when I’m working and don’t have time to ponder nuance.

Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco - Father Dempsey.

Note: supplied in bulk.

I can't fault the moisture, but as this was loosely pouched that opinion's superfluous should you buy a tin. The blend's quite coarse, and a mixture of black, brown, and yellow. It sadly contains a fair amount of twigs.

The Latakia dominates the smoke, but I wouldn't call it a bomb. The Orientals sit just behind, with a fragrant, slightly floral, character, and prevent the Lat' monopolizing the smoke. I get very little alacrity from the Virginia, it isn't anywhere near as flavoursome as the other two. The burn from F.D. could be cooler, and it bites me a touch.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Father Dempsey isn't the worst, but I don't enjoy it enough for anymore than two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

So let's get the myth and the reality set apart.

The myth: "This blend is superior to Dunhill Aperitif / My Mixture 965."

The reality: This blend is as good as Dunhill Aperitif / My Mixture 965.

A blend that is squarely in the Scottish tradition, combining those incense-like, slightly sour notes along with the smoky notes of the latakia. Father Dempsey -may- have a touch more latakia than the two Dunhill Blends, though hard to tell without a side by side comparison. From the first puff my impression is that they are all very similar, and that impression was confirmed down to the last puff.

When those two Dunhill blends finally go the way of the dodo, or if you're trying to stretch out your cellar from using up those blends, Father Dempsey would be a perfect substitute.

Tin note is typical latakia, campfire smoky goodness.

Father Dempsey Blend hearkens back to the Dunhill mixtures of old--or at least to the early 1980s (the earliest vintage with which I am familiar) and the exclusive blends produced at Dunhill's London store before 1999.

I suspect the blend Allen Kramer was initially trying to duplicate for Father Dempsey was My Mixture 965. The blend's components are in perfect balance, with the tanginess and sweetness of the Cavendished Virginias, the smoky spice of the Latakia, and the dry, slightly sour and floral Turkish, all contributing to a unified whole, while each continues to retain its distinct identity. Father Dempsey Blend has a full mouth-feel and really leaves the air redolent with "the aroma of a campfire burning."

Finally, since Kramer's is located in Beverly Hills, a number of people associated with the movies were regular customers--check out their website for some entertaining anecdotes. As an old-movie buff, and being susceptible to the influence of nostalgia (as no doubt many pipe smokers are), I think this added historical dimension is pretty cool.

Note: This review is for the Marsha Kramer blended version. I haven't tried the new, mass-produced tin or bulk versions.

I had never heard of this tobacco and tried on the recommendation from my uncle. My first bowl left me wondering why this is not discussed more often. Father Dempsy is a fantastic well balanced english blend with virginias, latakia, and orientals. The smoker is rewarded by hints of spice and cedar from the orientals if smoked deliberately. It can be smoked all day and won't get hot or cause tongue bite.

It's delivered in a ribbon cut with the perfect moisture content. The tobacco provides lots of smoke and burns to a fine ash.

I recommend it to anyone who enjoys english blends and compare it to Presbyterian and Squadron Leader.

Kramer's Father Dempsey is sweet, smokey, and fragrant medium bodied English blend. The Appearance of the tobacco is a mix of black, dark brown, and light brown and is coarse ribbon cut. The tin note is sweet, savory, smokey, and musty.

Upon first light the Latakia jumps ahead of the other components but only for a few puffs, then it is barely ahead of the Oriental and Virginias. For an English, this is a sweet tasting blend. It has an aromatic quality to it, but not in sense of an topping. The tobaccos are naturally aromatic, sweet, and fragrant. The Latakia is up front but it does not over power the other components. It is smokey and woody, and combined with the lightly floral orientals creates a very nice musty note. The Virginias, which I believe include Red Virginias, works well with the Oriental to calm the Latakia and to add sweetness, tanginess, and a hint of fruit that is not always apparent. Overall this tobacco is naturally sweet, but not too sweet, naturally aromatic, but not topped, as well musty, smokey, and savory.

The blends is consistent from start to finish after the the first few puffs, burns cool, and stays lit for the duration of the smoke. It has enough going for it to keep you interested and to smoke throughout the day. Medium in flavor and in Nicotine.

Initial First Smoke impressions:

Popped the tin...smokey, woody, earthy scents like a freshly lit campfire. Smells amazing! I love the course cut. The jet black Latakia leaf contrasted by the lighter leather colored strands are absolutely beautiful. It's a little bit moist for my preference but it seems smokable out of the tin. I'm giving it about 15 minutes.

Lighting it up… not too tough to get going. Burns nicely. I'm getting a pretty big hit of sweet. It's a kettle corn sweet; the kind that lingers a little on the back of my tongue. I get the faintest sour flavor on the middle of the draw. Not much typical Latakia flavor initially. It's pretty balanced and well blended.

It is smoking medium to medium-full for me. It really sits in the same category as Peterson/Dunhill MM965 and Esoterica English like Margate or maybe more so Pembroke though there isn't an apparent topping on it.

Mid bowl the sweetness is making way for more smokiness and tangy pungency. I'm tasting some woodiness. As I finish the bowl it's still sweet and flavorful.

What I'm particularly loving about this is the consistency throughout the bowl. It's really staying true draw after draw. Many blends take you on a journey; there is an arc and a storyline to follow. Flavors mix and meld; there are transitions as the tobacco develops. Sometimes they start out really well but end up losing momentum mid smoke. Sometimes it's the other way around and there is a deepening of all the components which evolve into more than the sum. This blend doesn't do that for me nor does it seem to try to. Its a solid and dependable smoke. Its not complicated but it's very interesting. It's simple without being boring. I really enjoy this about it.

This is a comforting and comfortable smoke. It's a great chill out and relax smoke. I like this blend because it is straightforward and honest. I don't have to think too much about it but it still offers enough to contemplate.

Since the demise of McClelland's tobacco I have been looking for new tobaccos to replace the five blends of theirs that I smoked. Not replace in the sense of flavor (let's face it; there will never be another "Frog Morton), but just to keep my choices still varied. I started reading reviews and came upon "Father Dempsey." So many smokers, so many great reviews. Needless to say, I was intrigued. Let's just say I wasn't disappointed. I could smoke this all day. I note spices, nuts, and a bit of saltiness. These are in the tobacco, not added artificially. Just a fantastic tobacco that will be in my rotation as long as I can get it.