Lane Limited VIP

The birch taste was the main flavor, and while it did remind me of birch beer, it had no depth. I got a light vanilla hit from the black cavendish, and nearly nothing from the burley outside of slight nuts and earth. Had almost no nicotine. Burned a little fast, and I had to sip slowly because it was close to being bitey otherwise. The flavor was consistent. Left a little moisture in the bowl, and needed few relights. Could be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

I thought this blend was pretty good. The room note reminds me of fresh cut orchard grass, and the taste was somewhat sweet with undertones of.........well birch! I wish this blend was still around. Now off to review the "Match" version, which is no "Match" at all IMO!

I actually discovered VIP a long time ago and had an interest in it's flavor characteristics.The approach to the birch flavoring struck me as very natural.When smoking this mixture I would picture an old mountaineer creating this blend.The result is of natural mellow birch with a hint of spiceyness,and does not taste like root beer.The tobaccos have a masculine taste which make a nice smoking mixture.I can't recommend VIP as an all-day smoke,but it's the blend you want to smoke on your porch while enjoying a view of the mountains.

I must confess that I'm not sure what birch beer tastes like. If it's anything like VIP, I'll pass. Frankly, it tasted remarkably similar to the current production Half & Half with the added birch beer(?) flavoring. Unlike the current production Half & Half, it burned pretty cool without much bite. But mercy, that flavoring is too much.

Excellent for a camping trip under a campfire and birch tree in the Adirondacks. Suggest cutting it with peach flavored tobacco for a real treat. Would smoke great in a cob.

I'd been wanting to try this unusual blend for a long time. The birch flavoring is very unusual but I love it! Don't detect root beer but a mild sweetness that I find very pleasant. Sorry that it's not around anymore but I have a large tin so it will last me a while. Try it if you can find it!

I got this through Thompson cigar renamed Paul Bunyan by lane. After much research found it Lanes VIP renamed by Thompson. A good Burley Cavendish with a Brich vanilla flavor which is very mild. Still almost a very natural tobacco. A good summer smoke. A nice simple Pack and burns well. A nice simple cahnge of pace try it.

Ok, I admit to smoking lots of this in my younger daze(sic).

Call me crazy but I actually liked the birch beer taste and aroma at the time. Unfortunately, the underlying tobaccos are not of very good quality.

A newer pipe smoker might like this but my supplier now lists VIP as "Currently Discontinued".

Oh well, it's not like losing Balkan Sobranie ;^)

Tasty burley blend, and as the others have said, it smelled heavily of birch 'root' beer in the pouch. I have never had birch beer but this smelled like root beer to me, only less sweet. I enjoyed it for what it was, I will come back to this in the summertime. They used a decent quality burley with no medicinal taste as I have found some burleys to have. Very much like drinking a glass of root beer while smoking Prince Albert. I will not smoke this very often, but it could be an occasional change of pace.

I didn't think they made this stuff anymore. I appreciate the occasional mug of birch beer, but I sure don't want to smoke it. The tobacco used is quite marginal. . Try this only if you can get a small sample, and are feeling wildly adventurous. (For heaven's sake use a cob!)