Tobaccos Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco Shop - Blend for Cary Grant

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2015-03-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Virginias are the most obvious component and are grassy, tart and tangy citrus sweet with a touch of earth and wood. The gold cavendish adds a little honey as a background player. They form the base of the blend. The Cyprian Latakia is smoky, woody, earthy, leathery sweet, playing a middling role in the smoke. The Oriental/Turkish adds a little spice, floralness, herbs, wood, earth, and dry sourness in support. The Irish mist is very mild, and doesn’t compete that much with the tobaccos as it adds very complimentary flavor. The strength is a step past the center of mild to medium, The taste level is barely medium. The nic-hit is a slot behind the strength threshold. Won't bite or get harsh, and has a very minor rough edge. Burns slightly fast, rather clean and fairly cool, with a very consistent taste from top to bottom. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires few relights. Has a short lived, pleasant after taste and slightly stronger room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2014-11-03		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Back in late February of 2014, I visited LA and Kramer's Pipe shop. The shop was interesting, full of memorabilia of the days of yore. The lady behind the counter was very friendly and allowed me to test drive as many blends as I wished before making up my mind on which blend to take home. I ended up buying all three of the one's I test drove, which were Father Dempsey, Danny Kaye's mix and the Cary Grant blend.

All three blends tasted similar to me, the only main difference between them all, in my view, were the strengths of the blends. The Cary Grant blend was the milder of the three, and, my favorite. It's an English blend with some mild aromatic qualities to it. Really, Kramer blends remind me of something you'd buy at a tobacco shop decades ago, they're really Old School type tobacco's rich and full, something you don't run into very often these days. I liked the taste and the richness, but I found all the blends really high in nicotine (Father Dempsey has a nic-kick that would satisfy just about any sea-dog out there).

So, if you're looking for Old School, like taste and fullness in a blend, these three from Kramer's are right up your alley. I'll give a solid three stars to all three of the blends, Father Dempsey, Danny Kaye mix, and, my favorite Cary Grant Blend.

Pipe Used: Several different types

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Kramer's

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2017-05-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco - Blend for Cary Grant.

My first one from Kramer's.

The blend is mostly a mid-sized ribbon, but there's a few twiggy bits that need discarding. The nose from the pouch is quite nice, it has a slightly stronger aromatic character than the smoke. I've had this pouch for a few weeks but when I had my first pipe last night the moisture was good.

On to the flavour: it's a smoke that's mostly composed of Lat', Oriental, and Virginia. The Cavendish sits more than a few rows back. The topping fluctuates: at first it seems almost chocolaty, but then develops an alcoholic sharpness. Cary Grant burns very well, but it can bite.

I find the nicotine medium, and the room-note pleasant.

I think Kramer's Cary Grant deserves three stars.

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Few weeks

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-01-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Kramer’s in Beverly Hills sometimes names blends after Hollywood Stars or describes which stars smoked which blends. It’s a bit of a shame that there aren’t many pipe smokers among Hollywood celebs that there once were as the names are from a golden era gone by. After Fr. Dempsey, I think that Cary Grant blend is my second favorite offering from Kramer’s of Beverly Hills. I think it is a great and accurate observation by thedstnguishdgntlmn below that this rough cut tobacco looks very similar to some of the Peretti blends. CG blend is a light aromatic that could be enjoyed by both aromatic and non-aromatic smokers alike. It is lightly sweet, but leaves room for the tobacco flavor to come through. It some ways it reminds me of Steven Book’s light aromatics of old. The flavor and body move toward the medium side of the spectrum as each bowl progressed past the midway point. CG can burn hot if pushed, but I wouldn’t let that be a deterrent as long as it’s smoked slowly. My wife loves the room note of this blend. All in all, Cary Grant is not a bad smoke from a shop that has been in business for sixty five years.

Purchased From: Kramer's Pipe and Tobbaco Shop www.kramerstobaccoshop.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ashanddottle (1)	2017-02-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I ordered a couple of tins of Kramer’s Blend for Cary Grant from Smokingpipes.com after they announced it. I’d never heard of Kramer’s, and was pleasantly surprised to find such an iconic business alive and well, in California of all places. Allen Kramer personally blended his tobaccos to suit his clients, including the aforementioned Blend for Cary Grant. This appealed to me because it was a blend created for Grant personally, and not a large tobacco company blend that had slapped his name on the label.

Kramer’s Blend for Cary Grant is a blend of black Cavendish, Latakia, Orientals, and Virginia with, as Kramer’s says, a bit of Irish aromatic layered in.

Upon open a fresh tin I immediately smell hints of both sweetness and Latakia, as well as the Orientals. The tobacco is ready to smoke right out of the tin and requires no further drying time. It’s neither too moist nor too dry and takes to the match easily.

I enjoy English and Latakia blends immensely, but the added touch of sweetness was something I found to be intriguing. This turns out to be a lighter English aromatic blend, but it’s nothing like the aromatics I’ve experienced. There’s no over-sweetness and the smoke is cool and dry on the palate. I found there to be no tongue bite and the tobacco did well at a fast pace as well as a slow puff. However, puffing slowly and coolly will bring out more of the flavors and nuances found in this blend.

I would say the blend is a bit more Oriental forward, but with a full roundness that is pleasing to my entire palate. The sweetness is there just on the tip of the tongue and the Latakia plays the bass note, creating a nice, round fullness to the blend. There is enjoyment in every puff, with different flavors popping up and surprising you here and there in a delightful way. As I smoked this fresh from the tin, some time may lead to flavors melding more together, although Kramer’s claims to use tobaccos that are already aged. It does, indeed, seem that some healthy aging has already taken place.

The tin note tended to be one that reminded me somewhat of C&D’s Golden Days of Yore, although the two taste nothing alike, and perhaps that of GL Pease Ashbury. The flavors tend to lean somewhat toward a tin of Ashbury that has been aged in a jar for a good six months or so, but with a roundness of a bit more Latakia and the sweeter notes added. As an English aromatic, this could be seen as a crossover blend much like Frog Morton Across the Pond. ATP was my first English blend and brings back a lot of fond memories for me. Kramer’s has Cyprian Latakia, however, whereas the Frog has Syrian, so there is a noticeable difference there.

I have read that the room note on this blend is quite appreciable, and found that to be true as I smoked my first bowl outside of the local music store in our downtown one evening. A patron exited the building stopping to say my pipe smelled great and reminded her of her late father. She thanked me for the memories.

As stated, I enjoy heavier Latakia blends immensely. I will be trying Kramer’s Father Dempsey when I can get my hands on some. I also enjoy VaPers to a great degree, especially nearer to springtime. But I find Kramer’s Blend for Cary Grant to be a lovely blend that I would like to keep in my permanent rotation. It’s great for anytime of the day, or as an all day smoke if one prefers. I especially see this as great blend to put in my cob and sip on as I go fishing this season.

Pipe Used: Peterson St Pat Day Pipe 2016, Bjarne Freehand

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: GL Pease Ashbury and Frog Morton Across the Pond.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2020-11-23		Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

3rdguy

Purchased this tin 2 years ago and just finishing the jar. I can say the name itself did not lend me to try it although I love Grant’s movies. This is Virginia with the topping all the way. I really did not notice the cavendish, latakia or orientals in great detail. No relights once it is dried out decently. Burns fairly clean, some gurgle every other bowl. I would smoke it fairly slow or it will quickly show some rough spots. No nic hit whatsoever. No tongue bite.

As a slow smoke it is very enjoyable...maybe a few times a year type venture. A solid C+ if you will.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meers.

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 years in age.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2020-04-14		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I love the toasty pouch aroma of this blend!. A bit of sweetness from the Virginias come through, and just a touch of botanical sourness from the Turkish if you inhale hard enough. The Latakia is done with a very light hand here. Comprised of ribbons of various widths and lengths, not very uniform. But doesn't hinder its packing ability. Moisture content gets two thumbs up.

No problems with initial lighting. Light, tamp light and settle in. This blend does have a bit of spring to it, so watch the top of your bowl.

First half of the bowl is a wonderful toasty, sweet flavor that's perfectly kissed with a touch of Latakia smoke. The Turkish add what the pouch note hinted at, a slight flowery sourness.

2nd half of the bowl the situation changes. Still a toast and sweet notes, but the Turkish comes forward a bit more, and the Latakia is noted more. Not only on the palate, but in the room note. Burns well down to a fine, powdery light gray ash, minimal relights needed. I would give this blend 4 stars had it not burned a bit hot on the 2nd half and caused some tongue bite.

Suitable for both indoor and outdoor smoking, but this blend really shined outdoors.

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wulfheard (7)	2019-04-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

First off, I'm an aromatic guy but I do like a good crossover blend as a change of pace. Kramer's Blend for Cary Grant fits that bill nicely. In fact it's almost a dead ringer for my usual crossover, "Lane's HGL". That being said all the components in this blend work well together. The latakia is not over powering, the Virginia is mild, sweet and cool. The topping is almost inperceptable but it is there if you look for it. The tin note is pleasing and it leaves a pleasant and inoffensive room note. The only criticism I can give is that it is cut a bit coarser than HGL and can be a bit troublesome keeping it lit in a smaller chamber. But if you are looking for a good English/American old school crossover, this blend might just be the ticket.

Pipe Used: Sasieni 4 dot 3, Peterson XL90

Age When Smoked: Under 1 year

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Lane LTD. HGL.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rufus T. Firefly (24)	2018-05-04		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was looking for a cross over blend and gave this a try. I partial to heavy Latakia blends like Balkans and strong English blends. I've been trying to find a blend that's appealing to my wife's nose and my tastes. This is a difficult task. This tobacco comes close to fitting the bill. It's a little mild for my tastes but it has a good flavor. I really can't taste the topping but I can smell it. I hate aromatic tobacco because it tastes like chemicals and burns hot. This does neither.

Pipe Used: GBD prehistoric, Tim Thorpe stack

Age When Smoked: Right after receiving and the next day

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Legionnaire (26)	2018-01-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So, now I know what Mr. Blandings was smoking. This is an interesting blend as it is what would be considered a crossover blend without the in-your-face sweetness of something such as “Shortcut to Mushrooms”. No, this blend maintains it’s tobacco flavor while having only the slightest aromatic touch by the layered in Irish aromatic. The Latakia isn’t as pronounced as what I’m used to while the predominant flavors are Virginia and Cavendish. Overall, this is a well blended tobacco mixture that is slow burning and enjoyable. While not anywhere near as appealing to me as Captain Earle’s Ten Russians, I would definitely buy this again. However, I should mention that it does carry a bit of a bite.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AnthonyRosenthal74 (2)	2017-03-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I just finished my first bowl in a Savinelli 320. At first light, my first thought was quite simply..."Yum!" I was able to detect the smokiness of the latakia, right along with the sweetness of the virginias and the cavendish. Now, I'm saying I could detect the latakia, but it wasn't latakia heavy. I'm not sure if I could get a good handle on the orientals or not... perhaps adding a tangy spiciness... they did seem to play in the background a bit. The smoke off the bowl found it's way to my nose, adding to my enjoyment what seems to be quite a pleasing room note, adding to the sweetness I could detect on my tongue. I believe the Irish aromatic added to the blend does more for the room note than taste. It did get a bit bitey for me, but not terribly so. I had been drinking some juice with pineapple in it, which may have contributed to that. I didn't detect much of a nicotine presence. If anything, there was enough there to help me feel relaxed. Which is fine. Sometimes I want a greater nicotine hit, sometimes I don't.

All in all, it was an enjoyable smoke, with enough going on between the separate components to keep it interesting with flavor I could detect from each (I will try to get a better handle on the orientals next smoke). The room note seemed pleasant... to me anyway. I would easily consider this an all day blend, and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to take their first steps into blends containing latakia, as the latakia wasn't overwhelming the other components. It's a great blend, and I'm looking forward to my next bowl.

Edit: After smoking through this tin exclusively in the Sav 320, I tried it in a William Anderson pipe that I had commissioned some time ago. A blend like this, I would normally think would be best in the 320 with its wide chamber. The William Anderson has a smaller chamber at about 2 centimeters wide. The blend actually seems to deliver more flavor in the narrower chamber, especially the sweetness of it. While the other flavors continued to sing, the sweetness really came alive, more pronounced. I did have to relight a couple more times, but that's not a problem. A wonderful smoke!

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320 Marte, William Anderson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-05-18		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I loved Father Dempsey and Danny Kaye Blend. This is somewhat different.It is a light/medium English with some type of old fashioned non-aromatic AROMATIC! VERY PERETTI like in all its qualities. A little heavy on the Virginias and light on the Latkia for me. Room note is tolerable. A bit of a nicotine wallop too. Good for the Virginia crowd branching out into English mixtures. A Good smoke for when you need a little flavor and do not want to devote too much attention to your pipe.!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2022-08-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Well aint life funny sometimes!

After hearing wonderful things about Kramers Father Dempsey, I just had to give it a try. While I tend to believe (nothing scientific here, and probably all in my head) tinned versions of blends tend to be slightly better than bulk versions, I rarely pass up the opportunity to grab a trial run of an ounce to decipher the need to stock up or not.

While I was buying Father Dempsey.......ach, why not? What is a few bucks for a few more blends to try? So Carey Grant and Danny Kaye also paid my pipes a visit.

Much to my surprise, I believe this Carey Grant is my favorite of the bunch, and the strangest thing is....I am not sure why I like it so much.

A ribbon cut tobacco of mostly medium to light colors. The moisture when I got the sample was just right. The bulk bag note is led by the orientals and latakia. I am not sure I really pick up the aromatic type topping in there, in fact I am pretty sure if I did not know they were there I would not notice them at all.

This is a great smoke because of its subtlety. It is a super non obtrusive smoke, and that is a compliment. It burns so well, is very easy going, and based on my personal preferences, I should not like this. I am mostly a VA/VAPER/VABUR smoker, and don't spend a lot of time with english blends. That said, when I do smoke english blends, I like latakia to be very up front and in your face. Often times, the middle of the road blends that people rave about I find a little....plain. The truth is, I really really like this blend. There is something about it. I feel the aromatic topping does add to the smoking experience, but not in an overt way. Oh and, what even is the taste of irish mist? Whiskey? Blended shamrocks?

I also found in my exploration of this lovely little blend, that it really shines in smaller deep bowls, in fact, I have a smaller Dr. Grabow Omega that I almost never smoke, but for some reason, this blend just sings in it.

Give this one a shot.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2021-05-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

All real life fans, please direct you ire elsewhere, other than recognizing the name, I have no clue what movies Cary Grant did. I'm just here to smoke his namesake.

This was the first time getting a Kramer tin and not just buying it bulk - I was quite happy they now offer a tin option at a very reasonable cost for long term storage. The tin opening revealed the same inviting 'sweet' English Aromatic infusion I've found in their other "Irish Mist" blends. The spongy ribbons were bouncy and made for a soft pillow (at the time of the review I was half asleep, but in truth it would've been a sweet spot to nap). Fired up like a champ, releasing a mild/medium, slightly sweet and spicy, approachable English, without a Latakia punch.

It was easy to smoke (though the tin aroma was much nicer than the smoke taste), and won't scare off any English virgins that haven't cut their teeth on a traditional Latakia charcoal stove. IT was fine, but for my money, just get some Danny Kane.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SierraMike (1)	2021-05-16		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Kramer’s Pipe & Tobacco: Blend for Cary Grant, 2 oz. tin Temperature/conditions on opening: 65 degrees F. (indoors) Packing method: Frank Pipe: Peterson Kildare (Billiard, ¾” chamber) Light: Peterson soft flame Smoking style: The breathe (or breathing) method Hair: Parted right-to-left, and with just enough Vitalis to appear English and well-groomed… j.k.

Speaking of which, this tobacco; a well-groomed and tasteful take on a traditional, American old-school tobacconist version of an English blend. Entertaining, refined, and with a few surprises for smokers disciplined enough to sip.

I am impressed (and feel somewhat fortunate) to be able to enjoy a blend that in some sense “belonged” to someone whom I am aware of, more so than, for example, smoking a blender’s take on what he or she thinks a fictitious ship's captain might have smoked, “…during his fateful voyage to blah-blah-blah...”. The fact that this blend is documented and preserved, rounds out the tasting, adding historical context to the experience.

In any case, no “blahs” here. It's a ribbon cut, some stems, not many. Moisture content was a little on the damp side right out of the tin. The top of the pull-tab note is HONEY. The tobacco in the tin, again honey, smoky-sweet, with the Latakia. Once lit, it compliments the Virginias providing the citrus and wood fire flavors. This Cavendish with its molasses/honey note, makes itself known occasionally throughout the bowl (more so during the second half). The Latakia is certainly present and earthy, but not the “Star”. The Irish Aromatic (Secret Sauce of the blend?) was not coming through much as a separate flavoring; and did not overstep the sweeter flavors of the cavendish. The Oriental and Turkish leaf adds herbal notes and some spiciness. Its strength was medium, and it burned very well to the heel without heat blasting the bowl, or my tongue; there was no charge of unwelcome goopy sweetness during the smoke, just that occasional callback of honey flavor, imparted by the cavendish.

Nicotine is mild, and the flavor is medium. Room note is nostalgic, warming; very pleasant.

This is my first review here as a new pipe smoker (less than a year). As of now, I have been smoking Peterson 965, Nat Sherman 536, MacBaren’s Solent Mixture, Newminster English Luxus, and good old HGL. I would put this in my regular rotation. It is not a busy or complex tobacco, but there is enough going on to hold the interest of a smoker, its history aside. Three and a half stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kildare Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (182)	2017-10-20		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Smooth blend named for one smooth actor. Mostly Hay like citrus Virginia with some attributes of the Cavendish(semi-sweet), the Latakia is mild and a bit woody, the oriental/Turkish adds a wee bit of sour to round out the tobaccos. Says it has a light topping of Irish Mist, and it is light, most noticeable in the pouch nose and on the initial first third of the bowl. Well done indeed! I feel that this is what an aromatic should really be, not to overbearing, just a taste. A solid Americanized English that is suitable any time of the day.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	buroak (16)	2017-03-01		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are put off trying this blend by the presence of an Irish Aromatic, don't be. The Irish Aromatic component nearly kept me from trying this tobacco, but I had to know what Cary Grant smoked. I am glad curiosity got the better of me.

This is a light English in which the grassy Virginia plays nicely with the fresh, spicy, and mildly tart Orientals. The Latakia lends its expected smokiness. The Cavendish adds some body and smoothness to the smoke. The Irish Aromatic is always noticeable, but its flavor rides alongside the flavors of the tobaccos rather than running roughshod over them.

The strength of the blend in terms of taste is mild to medium. The nicotine level is just barely above mild. This leaf nipped at my tongue when I sipped too quickly, so a slow cadence is recommended. A slow cadence is facilitated by the easy-burning nature of the tobacco.

All in all I would say Mr. Grant had good taste. This will not be a regular smoke for me, but I intend to buy some in bulk to keep around for the occasional change of pace. Blend for Cary Grant is a solidly three-star smoke.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2022-04-23		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Preparation & Burn: 9/10 Burns pretty well!

Taste: 10/20 Too sweet for me.

Mildness: 10/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. I barely detect any nicotine here. Perfect!

Total: 29/40

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (192)	2021-12-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Smoking now.

An ounce bulk sample I bought in bulk a year ago and placed in a jar. The jar aroma smells faintly of Latakia and fruity Virginia and some earthy wood. I did not detect a noticeable top aroma.

Packed and lights just fine, moisture is perfect. Grassy Virginias is the base of the blend. The orientals are not far behind. The Latakia is the next thing I taste but it’s mild and not very strong in flavor. There’s an earthy woody spice quality to the blend more so than a musty leathery herbal one. The retrohale is more of that with some spices. I get some grassy Virginias in it as well. The cavendish I suspect tones the whole thing down. It’s mildly sweet and I can’t detect a noticeable top flavor although this is sweetened and flavored with Irish Mist which is a whiskey based liqueur. Would not recommend pushing this especially if you retrohale as it’ll make you sneeze and may get harsh. At a moderate pace it is enjoyable for its mild musty herbal Latakia and earthy woody notes, grassy Virginia, with some slight sweetness. Smoked and behaved just fine.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arcusMae (5)	2020-07-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I recently purchased this since it was on sale and I don't have a lot of experience with English blends. I tend to gravitate towards aromatic blends and this is listed by many as an "aromatic English" so I figured it was worth a shot.

The tin notes a topping of "Irish Aromatic" but I don't pick any of that up (I'm not sure what it even is supposed to smell like); instead I get the familiar smell of English blends: wood, smoke and leather.

The blend packs very well and is of the perfect consistency out of the tin. Easy to light and no bite whatsoever. The flavor is a mild sweetness from the Virginia with spots of woodsy smokiness from the Latakia. There are moments of enhanced sweetness, especially through the nose, presumably from the topping.

Overall a pleasant and mild smoke. Uncomplicated and highly enjoyable. Perfect to watch the sun rise with a cup of coffee on the porch, but also works as an all day smoke.

Highly recommended, especially to those looking to try an English blend but isn't quite familiar with the genre.

Pipe Used: Corncob, Peterson 304 System

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rayzor (16)	2020-03-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

If you're a new pipe smoker trying to decide which tobacco to start with, this is an excellent choice. It has a light aroma. The blend contains an excellent mixture of Turkish, Latakia, Virginias all in a perfect balance. The Latakia gives it some body, the Turkish Orientals offer a nice tart compliment. It's a perfect cross-over blend between an aromatic and an English. It's one of my favorite blends and has replaced my "aromatics" as my favorite non-aromatic aromatic.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Nonpareil 9111

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thefoolish (10)	2019-06-11		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

6/11/19

I will come back for a more detailed review, as I'm only making my way through my second bowl, but this is delicious. Scratches the Frog Morton's Cellar itch (though not as sweet). Tastes and smells delightful, burns easily with no bite.

Pipe Used: C&D / MM Corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh out of the bag

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: McClelland - Frog Morton's Cellar (Craftsbury Series).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2019-05-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Kramer's Blend for Cary Grant was nice mild with just a hint of sweetness. Very easily a daily smoke. This is were you take an already made English blend and add to it to get something new.

Pipe Used: Aran Pot

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (106)	2022-10-09		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is worth a try for the historical value alone. The blend is made up predominantly of red and blonde ribbon. There is a sprinkling of Latakia that albeit conservative in quantity, is detectable in both the pouch aroma and the smoke. The pouch aroma is sweet and smoky, I cannot smell any of the aromatic.

When smoked this behaves as a mild American English. This one comes wet by c&d standards but dried easily. I could not pick up on the Irish mist aromatic topping in the pouch. I did perceive some clover honey and a pleasant herbal/floral tone when smoked. This blend is light in nicotine and body. There were quite a few stems, and I found a marble sized chunk of Latakia that probably represented 20% of the weight of all the Latakia in the bag. I found this one to be nice as a historic exercise in pipe history. Unfortunately this one is as a little rough on my tongue and did bite with little provocation.

Pipe Used: Numerous briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk

Purchased From: SP

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bowler Hat Piper (24)	2017-07-25		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I must admit, I was expecting more from this blend. From the start, I was surprised by the tin note. The Latakia was very faint and the predominant scent I got was a subtle chocolate and raisin. Smoking mechanics were great; perfect moisture, stayed lit easily and smoked down to a fine ash. However, I was disappointed overall. Having said that, I am a lover of Father Dempsey and GL Pease's Gaslight and Quiet Nights, so maybe I expected too much. However, in my opinion, if you want an interesting English/Aromatic, you'd be better off trying Frog Morton On The Town.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Mark Twain Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2017-05-08		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Light Virginia/Cavendish ,maple sweetness, no bitterness, no bite ,no complexity , burns slightly hot. Couldn't find the Latakia or Irish Mist topping ? 2 star, won't buy again

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: new Bulk

Similar Blends: American Drug store blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoffeeCan (3)	2021-06-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I've enjoyed Kramer's "Father Dempsey" tobacco for about a year now, and thought to try another of the Kramer blends. I was pleasantly surprised by this Cary Grant mixture.

This is a very pleasant smoke. As others have noted, its primary character is Virginia tobaccos, but there is enough Latakia and Cavendish in here to take it well out of the one-dimensional category I put a lot of VA blends into. The topping is light, but clearly present. As I enjoy a good aro, this is very much to my liking.

The mixture was a bit too wet in the tin, but over the month or so I worked on it the moisture level came down to the point of being smokable without drying on a piece of paper. It stays lit well, develops in complexity and flavor as I work down the bowl without becoming harsh.

Cary Grant mixture has a decent nic hit, does not bite the tongue, and provides enough complexity to keep me interested for more than an occasional bowl. It benefits from a larger bowl, I think. It certainly qualifies as an all-day smoke, in fact, which is a rarity in my smoking room. I've found this blend supplanting several other tobaccos in my usual rotation over the month, and have been forced thereby to order another 8 ounces of it. Luckily, it's available in bulk. Three and a half stars.

Pipe Used: Large Meer, Peterson Aran

Age When Smoked: New to 1 month

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

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