Lane Limited Holiday Excursion

This old OTC blend pleasantly surprised me, especially given the poor reviews. Holiday is an aromatic that still held some decent tobacco flavor and an aromatic component that is sweet but not cloying. I found Holiday to be one of the better OTC aro's for my taste. BUT, then after taking a closer look at the generous size sample I was gifted I realized that I was in fact smoking the original version of this blend prior to its current manufacture by Lane Limited. I decided to write a review anyway only because if you happen to enjoy OTC's and come upon an older tin of Holiday, it's worth a try.

UPDATE: 08/19/2011 - If tobaccoreviews.com had half-star ratings I would adjust my 3 star rating UP to 3 1/2 stars! This blend is perfect for we sweet aromatic tobacco lovers who find it hard to get into the English blends, many spiked with Latakia and other exotic spicey leaf. I'd call this an English Blend Lite and an excellent "bridge" or "crossover" mixture.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Just delighted to see some version of the iconic Holiday pipe tobacco of yore still afloat. Holiday, before the "Excursion" qualifier was added, was a supermarket and drug store staple. In the 50s and 60s it was right up there with the likes of Kentucky Club, Mixture 79, Revelation, Union Leader et. al.

My 8 oz. tin says it is manufactured by Sutliff, Richmond, VA. But at the moment I'm a little confused as to who is really on "first," i.e. the blender, manufacturer, marketer, etc. as I've seen the names of several tobac houses tossed around in various capacities in the reviews. My Holiday Excursion version is a tad less sweet than how I remember it to be, and I detect a slight trace of Latakia, both in the aroma at opening and while smoking.

The leaf appears to be a broken flake and cube cut combo, with a healthy, brown hue appearance throughout. It smokes cool, stays lit in the pipe, a sort of subdued, restrained sweetness with no after taste. As I get into this tin I will probably grow to like it more and more... For the memories and present company I give it three *** stars. Recommended. Keep the classy old Holiday cruise liner sailing!

This was the first tobacco I smelled and was exposed to as my grandfather smoked it. When I was 14 and we visited my grandparents, I would sneak one of his pipes and smoked some Hoilday. I became addicted to the aroma and to this day enjoy a pipeful every month or so as it brings back pleasant memories.

This was the first tobacco I ever experienced as my grandfather smoked it and as a little boy I became addicted to the aroma. At 14 years old I would take one of his pipes and sneak a smoke when no one was looking every time we visited my grandparents. Although I am now exclusively an English smoker, I keep a can of Holiday around for the rare times that I have the urge to flash back and remember good ole grandpop! Of all the old time aromatic drug store blends, this is the best in my opinion.

I doubt seriously this tobacco will be anyone's "ne plus ultra." It is simply an emasculated relic of better days gone by. I don't even know if it is still produced by Lane, Ltd.

In olden days, Holiday was essentially Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed with other tobacos (yes, even Latakia!) added. In certain respects, it is like Middleton's Walnut...though much better. There is simply nothing quite like it. I can't say I have a regular craving for this concoction (just as I have only intermident cravings for Chinese food) but when I do..."'tis very heaven!"

If one is after the unique Burley in Edgeworth, but wants a few riffs on the melody line, then GO FOR IT!! If you are looking for a classic American English...this blend is not for you. In fact, treasures of that genre are no-longer to be had in tin or foil-pack. Brush Creek will forever stay in my mind as the best in show for that category. Someone told me it is still produced in Mexico.

But if one is looking for an all-day smoke, this well-worth a try. It is a bit bitter; but, as Hart Crane wrote: "I like it because it is bitter, and because it is my heart."

Poetry aside, Holiday IS bitter. But if you like German food and Salt N' Vinegar chips...plus the sweetness of a Black Forest torte...there is NOTHING that can match this blend.

Treat it right, it won't bite; treat it wrong...and may the gods help you!

I like it...What else can I say?

A well-known "drug store" blend, but at the high end of that range -- a mixture of five tobaccos. This, along with Field & Stream, is one of my regular smokes. There's no explaining how a pipe tobacco will please one smoker and try the patience of another. I have long enjoyed what strikes me as a spicy sweetness of this blend, both in the tin and in the bowl. Give it a try.