Gatlin-Burlier Black Jack Bourbon

I bought 2 oz. of this last summer while visiting Gatlinburg. I smoked about half of it, jarred the rest and just forgot about it until I decided to reduce the number of jars I have in my desk drawer.

As others have noted, this is not an exceptional pipe tobacco but it's not a bad blend either. There is some nuttiness and a hint of molasses but the bourbon is barely noticeable. Basically reminds me of the old joke about the guy ordering a martini and telling the bartender to just whisper the world vermouth over the glass. In other words, I think the bourbon is there because it's in the name and not in the tobacco. It was stronger when I first bought it.

As I smoked it today, I kept thinking it reminded me of something else. As I got to the bottom of the bowl, I reached the conclusion that it reminded my of the George Washington I have in my cellar.

The Gatlinburlier Smoke Shop in Tennessee got a lot of play in the 90s in the old Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris as a go to shop for terrific tobacco. I remember calling in and placing an order for a half dozen of their house blends after reading about some of them. Black Jack Bourbon was indeed one of those nondescript whiskey flavored tobaccos that burned a little on the warm side. I was impressed by the way the compilation was put together and the smoke was uniform and the tobacco easy to keep lit. I just personally did not gravitate toward the flavoring.

Pipestud

I had been looking for a good bourbon flavored smoke when I wondered across the Gatlin Burlier while on vacation. The guys in the shop pointed my in this direction. The tobacco smokes great and is really smooth in the flavoring, the bourbon is fairly weak. There is some bite in there if you smoke fast. While I wont smoke it everyday, it will do for an occasional smoke.