Brigham Enterprises Inc. Hudson's Bay

This is supposedly R.L. Will's take on Royal Yacht. I find Royal Yacht to be too full for my taste, with more nicotine than I can tolerate. This is a much milder version, with moderate nicotine. The casing is of various fruity flavors, which I find to be very tasty. The Virginias are of the highest quality. To me, this is a Virginia aromatic of the highest order. Very smooth and delicious from start to finish. Burns to a fine grey ash. For maximum enjoyment, airing and drying is recommended. Rubbing it out fully is my preference for releasing all the flavor and improving the burning qualities. I think this is pretty special, but would like to read what other pipesters have to say.

Some very nice flavors in this broken flake. Modest sweetness and a mild tang. Darker fruit flavors, some of which is a light topping, and a touch of earth that shows as the bowl progresses. A quicker pace gets you more tang, but can get too sharp if too quick. A moderate pace keeps it smooth and pleasant. Overall, a very satisfying smoke.

Mild to medium in body and taste. Flavoring is very mild. Burns very well.

My first experience wit Brigham tobacco, and from what I have discovered it won't be my last. Brindle flakes of Virginia with maybe some fruit casing meets you upon opening the tin. A deep whiff gives you the bready raisin aroma of the fermented leaf. Excellent tin note. After a bit of a stir up in the tin I pack it into a cob and go for a ride. Packs well and takes to fire like a champ! Excellent mouth feel and taste of fresh clover hay and sweet fruit. The fruit essence is more sublime in the middle and last parts of the bowl but the quality of the leaf last. No bite here but I did pull back and sip this one, burned clean to the bottom and left a medium and pale grey ash. As it stands I will give this a solid 3 with the hope of a 4 with a couple of months of dark jar time, that is if I can resist burning the whole to over the next 2 days. Started out with this at 5 this morning and have put a big hurt on the contents of that pretty round tin!

Well this Royal Yacht remake is pretty bang on! The tobacco composition and cut is much closer to the Murray's version than the current Orlik version. The topping is also closer, more of the fruity note that was typical of it. Orlik's version is very good taken as it is, without no comparison or reference to the previous version. There is also less nicotine in Hudson's Bay but there's enough to keep me happy. Burns well and dry to the bottom without any bite. Taste is awesome and not intruding on the tobacco taste. R. L. Will did a great job on Hudson's Bay. 3 stars and I will stash some up.

The medium, dark brown and stoved Virginias provide a fair amount of tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, vegetation, some sugary stewed fruit, tart and tangy citrus, floralness, mild grass/hay, a few sour lemon notes, and a couple pinches of spice. The plum topping mildly sublimates the tobaccos, and moderately reduces the rough edges, though some sharpness remains. No chance of bite or harshness. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a slot past that, though it falls short of the medium mark. Burns cool, clean and tad fast with a very consistent flavor that extends to the short lived, pleasant after taste and room note. Barely leaves any moisture in the bowl, and requires few relights. An all day smoke that falls a bit short as a Royal Yacht clone.

-JimInks