pipesandcigars.com Angler's Dream

This is an excellent tobacco. Consider what the blender has done here: he has created a 'real' tobacco blend to compete head-to-head with today's chemical laden OTC brands. Consider those harking for the nostalgia of their grandfathers blends, purchasing their pouch of PA or whatever, only to find it a PG soaked chemical mess. Or worse, a new smoker experimenting and quickly giving up after tongue bite, nasty aftertaste, and chemical residue. For the genre, and for the price, this is a masterpiece: a highly underrated and under- appreciated blend.

The tin note is sweet, with a light peaches and cream / sweet cocoa aroma. The cinnamon casing is very mild and not what I expected. It's more like cinnamon sugar, with none of the sharpness of pure cinnamon. The blend is extremely smooth, but not 'mild' - there is excellent burley flavor here. Absolutely no tongue bite. I intentionally puffed away at this tobacco to find the 'bite point' and it simply wasnt there. The tobacco is on the dry side for an aromatic, but then this isn't really an aro, per se. The moisture level was just right for a burley OTC alternative and should be a welcome change of pace for OTC smokers.

The charring light is very sweet, in the pure brown sugar (or cinnamon sugar) rather than goopy sense. This burns off quickly and mellows as it blends into the natural nuttiness of the burley to create a wonderful balance. Towards the end of the bowl, most of the cinnamon sugar is gone and the flavor is nearly pure burley with a hint of (naturally) sweeter cavendish. And unlike the OTC's, no chemical taste at the end of the bowl!

The nicotine is here- again, not too much and not too little. Like the flavoring, just enough to satisfy. There are not layers of complexity here, but then that's not what one comes looking for in tub of Angler's Dream. Straightforward burley with light casing, done just right.

This is a perfect blend for the heavy smoker, an excellent all-day smoke. A nice change of pace for burley fans. A better tobacco experience for aromatic smokers. And a far superior option for modern day OTC smokers. Add in the value, and you've got a truly extraordinary blend.

Edit 2017: Why do so many of my favorite tobaccos get discontinued?

Edit 2020: Glad to see this was brought back!

I received a good size sample of this at the West Coast Pipe Show in November and it is a pleasing, lightly aromatic smoke. It is now sold in a "tub" and I am guessing that the intent is to offer a simple, all day smoke similar to OTC blends, but of course better. AD does exactly what it claims to do. It isn't complex, nor do I think that was intended. I don't get a lot of the cinnamon coming through. It's a very fairly priced all day smoke, that isn't bitter. For those reasons, I would highly recommend it.

I am honored to be the first to review this new blend from Russ Ouelette of Pipes and Cigars. I received a free sample from Russ and I want to thank him very much for that. My sample was a beautiful mix of small to medium flat flakes (resembling fish food flakes but smaller). The colors ranged from medium brown to very light tan with some black thrown in. Very appropriate for this time of year! The bag aroma was pretty mild but sweet, yielding whiffs of chocolate, cinnamon, and honey with deep inhalation. Moisture content was just right for me and my first smoke of this blend packed with ease in a bent sandblast Chacom. Lighting was a breeze and the smoking experience was joyful. Throughout the smoke there was the ever present taste of good, high-quality, nutty Burley. It had just the right amount of sweetness and was in no way cloying. I attribute this to the unflavored black cavendish. Every now and then I would get the taste of some cinnamon which was like getting to eat the cherry off of a very good tasting cake! It smoked dry to the heel and I mean dry. It may have a tendency to smoke hot if pushed, but it was never a problem for me and I enjoyed smoking it at a moderate pace. My tongue never even let me know that smoke was passing over its surface. Very well done! There was never any bitterness at all.

This is truly a remarkable aromatic, and I base my observations after several bowls of smoking pleasure. The Burley dominance is to my liking as I am a big fan of Burley. The additions of chocolate, honey, and cinnamon were well added by a sure hand in expert proportions and in no way detracted from true tobacco flavor as neither of the flavorings dominated. This is how all aromatics should behave. I mentioned to Russ that I was a fan of Half & Half and I think he nailed it right on in perhaps modeling Angler's Dream on what made that classic blend so appealing in its hey-day. Lesser quality Burley simply would not do this blend justice and it seems that Russ is using hi-quality leaf. An "aromatic lover's aromatic" for sure. Those enjoying a good Burley smoke will not be disappointed. Good job Russ!

P.S. Gets even better by the bowl's end - a delightful, subtle sweetness.

OTC looking but not OTC smelling in the tub (and those who have smoked a fair bit of older OTC's know what I'm talking about with regards to the aroma), this is an extremely user friendly tobacco that loads easily, stays lit, comes at almost perfect moisture levels and promises a no-frills smoke, which it delivers.

This one has a charm that won me over. A slight nutty chocolate flavor with a very mild hit of cinnamon that I only really noticed when snorking but seemed at other times to provide a very subtle spice that without knowing it was cinnamon, I would have guessed it to be. But I suspect it's this flavor that elevates it above today's OTC blends. Low in complexity (and who cares!) and not even overly flavorful, this strikes me as a blend that has been purposefully un-fritzed with. No overthinking or overproduction here, just a no-nonsense grass roots blend for guys who just love to smoke and taste tobacco. This is a blend that I intend to smoke while doing other things, like gardening and working around the house. It will provide a tasty smoke that won't take my attention away from the task at hand. This isn't a 4 star blend to my personal tastes but I love the idea and execution of it so much that I can't rate it any other way. I could see this putting PA, CH, SWR, etc out of business once the word gets out. And it's cheap! You simply can't afford to dismiss this one if you're an OTC fan. Well done, Russ!

This is a fantastic basic smoke. It does have a very nice natural tobacco flavor to it. I compare this tobacco taste to MacBaren's Burley London Blend. If you like a basic, flavorful, tobacco smoke, buy this. I rate it a 4 star for what it is. Good job, Russ. I must say that I opened it a year ago and it was so-so. But now it is fantastic. The tobacco has matured, but so has my taste.

I was surprised as how much i find i like this blend. It is an all day smoker for sure. Repeatedly i find myself saying... "this is satisfying". I usually go for the strongest English or heaviest Flake i can find. I smoke all day long, too. So, this has become a secret smoke for me that always is relaxing. There is a slight mouth feel to it as well, it seems to me. I like that. Maybe this fools my internal system into thinking i have chewed something thus producing a secession of appetite. Either way, the blender has done a good job. I can see why this would hit the mark for someone wanting to wile away hours with a pipe while pretending to be do something, like fishing, or anything else you can think of.

I was dubious about the “cinnamon” flavoring, but when I saw that JimInks had give n this blend a four (4) star rating, I had to check it out for myself. Thank you, JimInks! Angler’s Dream is an excellent smok. The cinnamon is not overpowering in the least and adds a nice glow of sweetness. Burns at a moderate rate and will not bite not matter how eagerly you draw for another taste. You could easily smoke this blend all day while you sit for that trophy fish to hit your line.

Angler's Dream... Subtly sweet, nutty burleys, delicate notes of honey and oats, and the slightest bit of sweet hay and earth from the virginia. The cavendish lends a little brown sugar sweetness and smooths out the blend. Throughout the smoke you'll notice a very light cinnamon tingle, but it in no way distracts from, or obfuscates the other flavors. This is a smooth smoke. Reminds me of Mac Baren Golden Extra sans cocoa, plus cinnamon. The rough cut of the this tobacco is as ugly as any I've ever seen, and I had my doubts, but pack as is and you'll have a delightful and pleasant experience. I'm on my second consecutive bowl as I type this. Very tasty. 3.8 stars

Pretty much everything it claims to be. Most importantly, it isn't the slightest bit chemically or artificial tasting. It's the ideal "drug store"-inspired blend. The more I smoke it, the more I like it.