Brown & Williamson - Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 100 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Nitesail	04/13/2013	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
This stuff is awesome!!! I've been smoking it for years. It's my go to tobacco and I always find myself frustrated when I run out! Great flavor, great smoking characteristics, and I'm always getting nice comments on the aroma. For those of you who may smoke a little wet I've had great results smoking this in a Brigham pipe which has the filter to prevent gurgling. Also, if you'd like to try something similar but want a little more spice I'd recommend Hearth & Home Louisiana Red. This tobacco is bound to become one of your favorites and I hope it stays around forever!!!
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CPWSolf	02/21/2013	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant
*Please note this is my first ever tobacco review* This is a fine cut tobacco by pipe tobacco standards. Reasonably moist with a sweet fruity smell emanating from the bag.The tobacco packs well, with a good spring to it allowing for a free draw on the pipe. This blend takes a light very well, with the initial taste being smooth and mellow. One has to be careful not to puff to hard or fast as I found it to bite quite easily. The room not on this is pleasant enough, more a case of being un- offensive: certainly smoke this among those less inclined to our ways. As the bowl progresses I find the flavour of the tobacco doesn't change, it has a generic pipe tobacco flavour though it is nicely mild, and keeps this the whole way through. The only risk of being smoking this too hard or fast. I don't smoke for Vitamin N so as a result I can't comment on the levels. Most certainly recommended.
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JimInks	09/14/2012	Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant
For several years, this was the only OTC I would smoke, and only then as a change of pace from heavier blends. I've always appreciated the ease with which it smokes and the fairly sweet, slightly nutty taste is always enjoyable. Women like the smell of it, too, and that never hurts! It might burn a little hot if you are a constant puffer. Go at a moderate pace and you'll enjoy the experience. It has an even burn, no dottle, and won't ghost your pipe. It's one of the most consistent pipe tobaccos out there. And, btw, when you open a tub of it for the first time, the smell is wonderful!
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Puffingthebriar	08/29/2012	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
Dont do aromatics, so was really not sure what to expect from this, i smoke SWR all day every day, & i love it so thought i would give this a chance, & i like it,its not like the aromatics that i remember and hated with a passion,this taste the same all the way down from start to finish,& its not a sticky sour tasting blend at all, i still like SWR better but i will keep a tin or 2 of this SWR Aromatic in stock for them times when i just fancy a little sweeter smoker, i would recommend this blend ***** from me
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chgo.piper	07/22/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant
Best OTC blend I've had to date... Don't let the aromatic lable fool you, this is a quality ribbon-cut burley. Easy to pack, light and enjoy. Taste and satisfaction is there. Like most burley blends I enjoy this in a cob. There can be a slight harshness to it, but, I think this is due to the use of some young virginia in the blend. I believe that if a can of this aged for a few years it would probably smooth out a bit. I give this three stars because of the quality and value for being a drug store blend. Happy Smoking...
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RTOdhner	06/29/2012	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant
This is a wonderful burley-based tobacco with a mild chocolate liquor flavor, and that flavor translates well into the room note. However, unlike other OTC aromatics, it is not all sticky and goopy. SWRA is not just a jazzed-up version or SWR, but something quite different even if it is a basic burley blend tobacco - but I swear I catch a hint of Virginia leaf in here. I'm not even sure why Brown & Williamson even released under the SWR banner since it is so dissimilar, but I guess their marketing honchos had their reasons. No matter, it's still a wonderful blend that manages to strike a good balance between the tobacco base and liquor flavoring. I'd recommend it to any new pipe smoker, or to any experienced pipe smoker looking for an occasional "heavy" aromatic. Some would call this a light aromatic, but as a fan of "light" aromatics like MacB Scottish Mixture I think this is "heavy" by comparison. As such, this (and Finck's Money Bags, which I think is very similar) is the only "heavy" aromatic that I like... and I like SWRA a lot. Nothing refined or nuanced here, just a very pleasant smoke.
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T. Ferguson	05/26/2012	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable
As a man on a mission to hit as many OTC blends as I can find, this was the next in my sights. I've recently gotten away from aromatics, and like to rub a good bit of Latakia in with EVERYTHING! I'm becoming something of a "Balkan Junkie" (actually, a wannabe snob!) The temp hit mid nineties today, and I wanted something to take my mind off the yard work I had to do. Saw this and said "what the heck". In the pouch you get a lot of sweetness like berries...likely the liqueurs added. This doesn't necessarily translate to the smoke. That first two or three puffs are mighty chocolaty, but that quickly gives way to some good ol' burley happiness! This is one you'll probably want to take slow...sip, sip, sip! I got a tad excited and burned myself. All my fault, but it'll take care of it with a bit of drying time. The wife? She doesn't care much for the aroma. I'll take being relegated to the back porch. Likely one of the better aromatics I've had. Get your $3.50 together and grab a pouch of this! Just enough sweetness to make you think, just enough "baccy" flavor to let you go on autopilot.
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ewlship	03/04/2012	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I found this tobacco to be very "middle of the road". Nothing really jumped out at me, but bowl after bowl I detected some chocolate to the aroma and taste, which I didn't really expect. I didn't find the tobacco to bite or burn my tongue, and was a smooth enough smoke. It wasn't overwhelmingly aromatic or tasting of liquor, and has a nice tobacconess to it. Burned well, didn't need to be re-lit, and was worth the $5 I spent on the pouch. I would consider buying it again, but if I am in the mood for a pouch tobacco I would probably buy PA or borkum riff whiskey. Sir Walter Aromatic is worth trying though.
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tabaco	03/01/2012	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Interesting stuff this. It's barely aromatic, akin to a Scandinavian in some ways. The pouch aroma is pronounced; however, in the pipe this behaves very well, not too wet, never a soggy heel, and nary a pipe cleaner needed. In the air it does not smell like Rum cake, nor those heavily scented candle things that some of the women-folk tend to enjoy. I prefer this one to the non-aromatic. The liqueurs add a few nice touches and make it a bit brighter, but not too much. It doesn't need drying time, packs and burns great right to the bottom. And does not change all that much in the bowl as you combust your way down, which is good in my books. Far too often the aromatics start off great and deliver for the first third with the remaining thirds being a chore and one perseveres; virtually a Cardinal Sin to waste tobacco like food. There is a slight freshly rolled cigar flavour to this, in a good way. And a hint of a Lakeland as well, without the soap. I have a strong aversion to soap harkening back to when I was a foul-mouthed youngling. None of this Kumbayah overindulged parenting BS. Proper form and manners were liberally dished-out by aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbours, et caetera. Certainly not a tobacco epiphany, but a decent stalwart blend. Well suited for the morning paper and a strong black coffee. Perhaps gardening, fly fishing or duck hunting, hiking or camping. A competent tobacco for the outdoorsy types and seemingly tastes better in that setting, at least to me. Since this burns very clean and cool one can pack a number of bowls in the same pipe. It's not overbearing and can be enjoyed consecutively. Of course if you put your best effort forward it'll burn hot and bite. Mind you any tobacco will if pushed too hard or numerous lights. One zealous chap I knew even got asbestos to bite. Many will accuse me of being a mutineer on The Good Ship Pease; however, this stuff delivers bowl after bowl with the overall smoking experience superior in my view and more memorable than many Pease blends; regardless of being aromatic or not and excellent value to boot . . . enjoy. UPDATE 2013, from *** stars to * I prefer not to update; however, the last two tins of this stuff are not smoking well at all. The acidity is far too much; bites a lot. And the aromatic component is way down, not for the better I might add. I fully realise batches and harvests change, a shame really quite enjoyed it. I might buy more in a year or two just to see.
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whippersnapper	02/15/2012	Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
A pretty good blend all in sll. Decent tobacco taste. Just a bit too perfumy in my opinion.
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OldComoyYoungGuy	09/24/2011	Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
SWRA is a good simple blend that burns clean and for some reason leaves much less of a ghost than most aromatics I have tried. I still keep a cheapo basket pipe just to smoke this blend in when I get the urge throughout the year and I always have a big tin of this open somewhere for dipping. It is a "good mowing the grass" / working in the yard type blend. I find in a large diameter bowl the smoke can really taste bitter so I have kept it in a normal diameter bowled pipe (3/4").
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Thbg	09/08/2011	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant
UPDATE 10/11: I have found this to be the perfect "walking the dog" or "on the go" tobacco. It packs and lights so easily and you can puff it pretty good and it keeps burning cool and mellow. I have really gotten used to the aroma and flavor of this mild blend and come to really crave it. I have found I have gotten many compliments on the smell from strangers and I got the "ok" to smoke this in the house by the wife which is saying alot. Plus it burns dry which means my pipes don't get gooped up. Up-ing my review to 3 stars. I had low expectations for this blend and was pleasantly surprised. There is more bright VA in here than most folks realize (not just SWR regular with a topping on it) and the shag cut is super for packing, lighting and puffing. The tobacco is fairly dry, not goopy like a cavendish blend. I find the topping to be familiar to orange liquor and it lasts the duration of the smoke. The taste and smell of this stuff is very similar which I have not experienced too often. This feature does become kind of annoying as you smoke more and more of it. It does ghost up a pipe so be aware if that is going to be an issue. It is a crowd pleaser, or, maybe better stated, not a crowd offender. It is very mild and could be an all day smoke if you are really into aros. I am not, but will keep some on hand for when the mood strikes.
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Dr. G	08/23/2011	Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
I crossed paths with this old-school blend during my ongoing tour of the much-maligned "drug store" tobaccos. This is an excellent aromatic and maybe the overall best first tobacco for a neophyte piper. At around five dollars for an ounce-and-a-half pouch, it is a steal. It provides an easily-packed, one-light bowl that you can puff on like a steam engine climbing a five percent grade with no detectible tongue bite whatsoever. The room note garners the frequent complements usually reserved for more exotic boutique aromatics. I have it in a dead heat with Carter Hall as the most forgiving of all the "drug store" (read: venerable) blends for smokeability and overall enjoyment. I ran it past my most experienced brother of the briar in the form of a blind tasting telling him that it was a "drug store" blend. He nailed it soon after the charring light, thanked me for the bowl, allowed as how he used to smoke it by the pound, and still keeps a can on hand for times when a good, sturdy, straight-forward burley with a premium room note is the call. Recommended.
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Puffingstuff	07/19/2011	Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant
This tobacco is like an old friend. From the first time I smoked it over 30 years ago I always keep it on hand in the tin. Someone said that it reminds him of Christmas and I have to agree with that. If you think this is just a sweeter version of Original Sir Walter Raleigh you are mistaken. This blend and the original are two different animals. Nice tasting nuty Burleys and mild sweet Virginias laced with a wonderful aromatic liquor. Not sure what liquor it is but it's delicious in the blend. The aroma is like fresh baked cookies and old fashioned boiled plum pudding. You'll be sure to get compliments. This blend is really a nice smoke that tastes like it should cost a lot more than it does.
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Sean	06/08/2011	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
For some reason I have wanted to try this tobacco for years. But have had a hard time locating it in my area. Well, I got lucky a couple of weeks ago while visiting a tobacco shop which sells cigs & other tobacco items. They had a couple pouches of this blend on their shelf. So, I bought & gave it a try. Not bad for the price. Not sure what I expected it to be. But guess it just didn't live up to exactly what I thought it'd be. Worst I've ever had? Not by far. My all day smoke? By no means. Will I keep it around as a fallback for every now & again? Surely will.
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chetking	05/27/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
If there is a tinned or elitist type mixture among the old line OTC, supermarket or so-called drug store blends then Sir Walter Aromatic comes the closest to that standard. I returned to SWR after trying the original orange packaged blend many decades ago as a teenager. At the time Brown & Williamson was offering a free booklet on how to use a pipe and particularly how to make a pipe packed with SWR taste better. The booklet was sent to me with a kindly note from a company staffer who recognized my youthful scribble and wrote "throw away that pipe my Lad - you're much too young to smoke!" I never forgot that advice but a few years ago, willy nilly, returned to the pipe smoker's life. For my money Sir Walter Aromatic is a solid, substantial and consistent smoke: cool, rarely bites, pleasing mouth feel with taste and aromas from the special liqueur casing that make it sweetly memorable. Such a feature is rare among plebian or commoner genre blends - and its considered to have enough quality to be found often at many tobacconist dens. If I had to choose 3 reliable mixtures to take with me knowing I'd be isolated for a year or more from a good tobac source this would probably be one of them. Happy Hunting!
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JoeWNC	05/22/2011	Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant
I probably can't write a review on par with many of those I read here on the site. I will give my opinion as best I can. This is a drugstore aromatic. It works. It smokes well, doesn't goop up the pipe and is positive to bystanders. I use this as a daily smoke in the aromatic category. I would also recommend it to someone just starting with pipe smoking. It's also inexpensive which helps if you smoke throughout the day like I do.
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roscoe	05/22/2011	Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
A fairly pleasant and tasty drugstore blend, especially economical by the can, with a mapley liquor flavor, good for frequent pipers. Makes smoke very nicely, but a bit too sour for my taste.
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apipeareyouserious?	03/16/2011	Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
I bought a couple of pouches of this, just thinking I needed to try all the drugstore blends. Tobacco in the pouch smells awesome, sweet & fruity. Easily loads into a pipe (I've smoked one pouch exclusively in an Ozark Mountain Hardwood pipe) and burns beautifully. Smells great, and I really like the flavor quite a lot...very simple, sweet-ish tobacco flavor with a little kick of something slightly peppery. I'll order a tub of it and try to keep it on-hand. I cannot imagine smoking this exclusively, the flavor really is really just too much for an all-day smoke for me, but every week or so I find myself craving a care-free aromatic and SWR Aromatic is the only thing that will do!
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Capt	02/28/2011	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Looks more like a shag cut than a coarse cut as described. This is a good all-day tobacco for cutting grass, and doing yard chores. Never hints at biting, and can relit several times without any negative consequences. I really like this stuff. Topping is very faint, but it is there. Loads easy, lights easy, and it's easy to maintain. Burns clean and cool. #2 choice for drug store tobacco, next to Carter Hall. If you can find this, buy it! 3.5 of 5 stars
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 100 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >