War Horse War Horse Ready Cut

A really fine smoking experience. I've been a fan of Irish Flake since its release and enjoy a robust smoke, and what little I've been able to find referencing Irish tobacco blending practices, I find this topic very old-world. Upon opening the tin and taking a deep whiff, I get the smell of a freshly opened box of Del Monte's Dried Apricots. I don't get any anise as some have found. The cut was dry to the touch, but just right for packing and smoking. It took to the light very readily and smoked clean and dry to the heel. It reminded me very much of Erinmore Flake, but way better than Erinmore. I read an interview a while back where a long time Murray blender said the flavoring for Erinmore Flake was that of prune and apricot. I don't get the prune here, but I do get the apricot. I found the Erinmore to be a bit cloying, and although once a favorite, no longer is so. I smoke EF on rare occasion these days since I grew tired of the taste and found it nipped at my tongue a bit too much. War Horse is a different breed entirely. It has the strength of IrF and a very nice earhy, but sweet, fullness while smoking. I've never been a big fan of Perique, but I do detect its presence here and find it a very agreeable addition to the mix while adding a touch of spice to the tongue. Sweet all the way to the end, but not in a confectioner's way. The sweetness coupled with the earthiness is a combination I've not experienced before and find that I like it very much. An all around solid smoking experience with a pleasant room note to boot.

I can't say I share the enthusiasm for this blend that many of the reviewers here have. It's good quality, and I feel as if I should like it more than i do...but thats the subjective part of this. Its a bit like C&D's Old Joe Krantz, but less interesting. To me anyway. Its a burley blend with a medium nic hit. The Kentucky is present throughout and is really the best part ...providing a nice tangy and smokey almost taste. But there seem better versions of this out there.

Too busy enjoying this to review it. Rather puff than type it. Well into my second tin in a row. Broke in three pipes with dozens of smokes. Best in Charatan Supreme of old. Very good in Wilke natural (by Nachwalter). Also excellent in Ferndown root (25 year old briar) but required 7+ bowls to get going as good as others. Great now. But this is not a pipe review; just showing slightly different tobacco behavior in different quality pipes.

My quality pipes are picky and I dare not break one in without confidence they are experiencing the best of the best. They will not forgive a rotten smoke.

Back to the baccy. This is an old time, burley blend. Not as strong now, per Russ, as the original years ago (plug may be, and it's coming). Good, as it is just north of medium IMO. Burley is nutty. The KFC kicks it up a notch and offers a little spice. Don't detect much Perique. Virginia restrains it some. Top note (coumarin?) is not real sweet but softens it out some more. No bite, but does burn quickly. Best not smoked in breeze I think.

The flavor is succulent and sort of chocolatey, with some spice in and out. Not mild; plenty rich to me. Not as strong as Bold Kentucky.

Recommended for burley puffers who want something past medium.

To me, this is basically a burley blend, with the Kentucky, Perique, and even the Red Virginias lightly added condiments. The dark fruit topping is very lightly applied, and although it's a fairly standard ribbon cut, it burns very fast. A serviceable rather than interesting or special blend.

Surprisingly good and smooth for a blend with some heftier tobacco varieties. This is not a nicotine bomb but has good body and is bite free. I think the secret here is the burley tobacco. Being made by Lane, I think they used either the same or similar treated burely one can find in their plastic bagged straight burley. It is very mild, dry chocolate and malt character that lightly comes through in the smoke and is complimentary to the whole flavor. It has a tiny amount of a Lakelandish-flowery casing that is refreshing which I think could have been increased a notch or two upwards. The casing of coarse melds wonderfully with the dark-fired kentucky. The perique is there in a lesser extent adding more of a musty and peppery spice note, more natural like and not ridiculously fruity from added casing which is so common these days. I applaud STCP in conjunction with Lane for the way they recreated this blend not knowing what the original was like. They could have gone the route by using some hefty, natural burley that would have put it over the top; Irish blends have the reputation of being very strong. Maybe there was an intentional compromise with regards to the modern smoker. Anyways, the outcome is a rather pleasant blend, bolder than average but refined with a subtle sweet floral character.

Got three tins early in my pipe smoking adventures when Pipes and Cigars had a special going on. Started out with one then ordered more after trying it. I feel it necessary to say I smoked cigarettes for a couple decades and cigars for the same period of time as well. Still smoking cigars and stopped the cigarettes almost a year ago now. Having said that, War horse ready cut seemed to give me enough nicotine and flavor to make that transition much easier. I like the flavor of this pipe tobacco so much that I smoke at least a bowl of it daily. Doesn't bite, room note isn't anything to write home about, the flavor keeps me intrigued even though it burns quickly. Not an experienced pipe smoker by any means, I do a lot of reading and research and learning about pipe tobaccos now because of this blend. The mixture of tobaccos here to my palate reveal a little Va tobacco with the other two players taking the lead and the spice I do quite like. It can become boring in large bowls like a General corn cob pipe but in a small to medium sized bowl makes for a good smoke. Found out that I like Dark fired Kentucky thanks to this blend as well so its helping to refine my search for a good blend with it as a lead player. Cheers!

I ordered this after reading the reviews on it, thinking it was right up my alley. Boy was I right, Warhorse is medium in the vitamin N dept. and oh so smooth. The leaf seems to be of good quality, as with all of the other blends from SToP tobacco. It seems to have just the right amount of perique in it and the perique is a perfect balance between spicy and sweet. The burley gives a nutty and sometimes sweet flavor that melds perfectly with the musky smokiness of the DFK. This may have some type of sweet topping in it and it seems familiar to me, but it is so weak that I cannot discern exactly what it is. It burns without effort and requires few relights. The moisture content is perfect for packing and smoking right out of the tin. It is a flawless smoke for me and I always keep a tin in my rotation, in fact this is one that I'm cellaring.

the burley is ashy, and a little stale nutty with a strong, bold muddiness. The burley has no sweetness, though I noticed it get somehow more bitter after a few puffs. the rest of the time, you'll discern the other aspects of the ashiness that I mentioned. The ash tray flavor of the dark-fired Kentucky is a major component although sweet virginia must be in there yet never seems to play a part in the proceedings. Perique provides plum and fig in what might be the only pleasurable flavor in this mixture. There is no added flavoring or topping which I can discern. I would recommend no bowl at all to enjoy this tobacco. This can only be enjoyed by looking at the can. Perhaps the Dark Fired Kentucky just isn't my thing. I'm not going to comment on the quality of the tobacco because taste is the the quality I value highest. While this tobacco is loaded in flavor, it's just not pleasurable flavor. I quit cigarettes long ago and this tobacco reminded me of some real bad cigarettes I smoked when traveling through south east asia 25 years ago. Perhaps you'll like it. People like different things. I enjoy tobacco with sweetness. I found none in this. This tobacco is dry and no moisture is left in the bowl. It burns to a nice dry white ash and makes plenty of smoke. This would not be an all day smoke for me. I have tried it in 4 different pipes on 4 different days. The result was always the same.

Well, I just found it to be not smooth at all and a bit brash. I was prepared to be tickled and then there's that. Well, I put all tobaccos through a 3 time test. I used it in a Charatan Skater, a meerschaum billiard and a Everyman billiard. It did not make my re-purchase list. I have shared it with my brothers at GKCPC and will wait to hear what they say.