Brigadier Black Bull Run

Great, Subtle Pouch note. Smooth and tasty smoke, best "sipped" like an aro should be. Got a little hot and harsh when pushed, but once it cooled back down it was great. I should have let it dry a little more, but it wasn't too syrupy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to you.

Very pleasant tin note upon opening. It has a light vanilla taste, not overwhelming, but the room note is distinctly vanilla. No bite, suitable for all day. Good cheap smoke - But there are better Vanilla's.

I tried this in an Altinok meerschaum to ensure a clean test. BR has a pleasant smell in the package and had a good moisture level - neither too wet nor too dry. It packed well. The charring light was easy and the first taste was pleasant and mild with no particular flavour noted. There's lots of white smoke! As I get into the bowl I note that it's very cool burning with no bite even when pushed. This is a light aromatic with a hint of vanilla, but very subtle. It's an excellent tobacco, if a bit one-dimensional. That's not a problem for me, particularly if I'm busy and don't want to focus on just the pipe. Snorking brings out the vanilla a bit more but it's still very subtle, at least to me. The room note is reported as very pleasant. All-in-all a first rate smoke able to hold its own with the finest aromatics I've tried, and it's excellent value for the money!

A fairly mild aromatic with an awesome scent! While it's not the most powerful vanilla blend I've ever had, it releases a pleasant aroma all throughout the smoke, making this a great tobacco to smoke around people who are not into piping. The flavor is still good and for the price, it's pretty hard to beat. No tongue bite whatsoever and only minimal fuss required during the smoke.

Straightforward vanilla aro, not at all subtle and unfortunately has some harsh chemical overtones. I tried it a few times but ultimately threw it out. For me, wasn't smokable.

This is my second review of a Brigadier Black blend. After the real disappointment of Waterloo, I was very surprised about how much better Bull Run was.

The first aroma that jumps out is the vanilla. There are many different vanilla flavorings out there, but this one immediately reminded me of Sutliff's popular Vanilla Custard. For me, Vanilla Custard wasn't a favorite, but unlike the way it smoked, Bull Run tastes a lot more balanced where the vanilla is more tamed.

What's left is a beautiful mild all-day smoke. Vanilla is still the main note, but it feels a bit less sweet and more fruity. Less of a heavy dessert and more of a casual snack. It is a cavendish blend, so the tobacco doesn't hold a whole lot of its own flavor and that's ok by me.

Mechanically, it's easy to pack and smoke. The moisture level is good out of the pouch or can, it holds the flavor throughout the bowl, smoking pace is moderate, needs minimal relighting, and there is absolutely no tongue bite, especially if you give it a bit more of drying time. Only slightly goopy, but nothing to complain about.

Mild in strength and body, mild-medium in flavoring. Overall very balanced.

To summarize, this is a great all-day smoke and you will get my full understanding if this is all you smoke. I was battling myself about how to rate it. On the one hand, it is still a cavendish blend with vanilla topping, nothing special or outstanding. On the other hand, however, it provides everything that is needed for a cool easy-going smoke at a great price. Considering that, I'm going to go with 3.5 stars, rounding it up to 4.