Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Half & Half

Tried the blend below and it's honestly not bad. Maybe this is how I can finally get rid of my CBW. Might reverse the proportions, however. Half & Half by itself is my favorite codger burley. This seems to be what my grandfather smoked (according to my mother's description of the can). I'm sure this blend has changed over the years. I like the pouch aroma; kind of reminds me slightly of coconuts! This tobacco, along with the Prince, is best in a cob. This seems to be a good way to deal with the fast burning qualities. Half & Half is honest, simple tobacco, and I always keep some around.

Half & Half is not a bad blend - if you can tolerate the peculiar, hard to describe flavoring. Even though Pinkerton Tobacco Co is the producer listed, it is interesting that the Orlik Tobacco Co in Denmark has this listed on their website as one of the blends they manufacture. When I have frequented Half & Half, I can't say that I noticed any chemical smell or taste that others have described, but the overall taste was spicy in a way that is not typical of any Perique, Orientals, or Latakia. Someone has mentioned cloves and perhaps that is what it was. It was very reminiscent of my first pipe tobacco - London Dock. What I also found Half & Half useful for was in combination with Captain Black White. One part H&H to two parts CBW. I was at a Civil War re-enactment years ago and I smelled what I knew to be CBW coming from someone's pipe, but with a difference. The old gentleman who was smoking this mix told me of this combo. I have since coined it "Civil War Blend." For those of you that are interested, it's 2 parts CBW to 1 part H & H.

Not a bad blend by any means. Very "old school" and charming. Many have described this as a "scented" tobacco rather than an aromatic. I can agree with that and would go further by stating that it is very "Lakeland-like" in that regard. You can actually smell what you are smoking with this one and the taste is very agreeable. 3 stars easily.

UPDATE 6-29-11: I just won a 7oz sealed can from the 1950's (all metal with a key for lid opening) from ebay. The can was moderately swollen and upon opening the content was very sweet smelling and a medium-dark brown riff cut. It was springy to the touch without any evidence of a chemical smell. It smoked like a charm. The manufacturer was The American Tobacco Co. This old sample is definitely a 4 star smoke and I'll be sorry when it's gone. My daughter said that the room note was very comforting. I will now have to try a pouch of the Orlik version for comparison.

Half tasteless, half aroma-less.. But 100% crappy stuff. Burley based tobacco with no taste. I cannot understand how something terrible as this can survive for so long. It seems like horrid cigarette smoke to me. Needless to say I hate cigarettes.

My father used to smoke this in his RYO cigarettes, I tried it in my pipe, it wasn't bad, so then I tried mixing it 1 pouch of Half & Half and 1 pouch of Sir Walter Raleih and it was pretty good. I don 't smoke it anymore but I could in a pinch.

This is a very satisfying blend in terms of strength (nicotine) and burley flavor. I particularly like the uniform cut that burns so consistently. I have smoked a lot of this tobacco over the years and still respect the flavor and body of this tobacco. It never fails to satisfy although it can get cloying if it is all that you smoke.

Edit (11/2/2017): This is not a cube cut; I had it confused with another blend.

In my experience this blend has been very reliable. "You can't go much wrong with H&H in a cob." I've only smoked pouches of it, the quality has been consistent. It burns relatively cool with very little bite. A dry smoke too. I had steered clear of it as "old man's weed" for many years, and when I started my migration back to the pipe from cigarettes, a tobacconist recommended it and several burleys for my consideration. I have to say I agree with it. It's fairly forgiving of mis-smoking, and cool enough if you draw too much/fast. I have also found it useful in some of my "low end blending experiments". That black cavendish that smells wonderful and smokes terrible, is much improved when left to dry a day and cut with Half and Half. (No, this is not a recommendation for those with more refined palates.) It is no longer my regular smoke, but if you're starting out, or curious to maybe migrate from cigarettes to pipe, do yourself a favor and get a pouch, a cheap cob, and ask someone to show you how to pack a bowl. Revision: I recently bought a can and the product is rather different. Straight from the can it is gloppy wet and burns hot no matter what I did. I put a few handfuls out to air for two days and it was almost back to the stuff I'd come to like.

This tobacco has been around forever and for a good reason. It's inexpensive, consistant and provides a decent and enjoyable smoke. Although I smoke primarily english blends, I occasionally smoke a few bowls of this for a change of pace and I really love the room note that can only be observed by the smoker after he is finished.

I smoked H&H for many years and still do once in a while. I now prefer Riverboat Gambler by C&D. In my opinion, similar, but pleasingly stronger than H&H and contains no preservative.

H&H must be sipped, not gulped. It has one of the finest aroma's to ever be sniffed. Taste is excellent, as well.

I would never hesitate to recommend it to any pipe smoker. After all, it has stood the test of time and deserves respect for its enduring success. In my opinion, one of the finest tobacco's ever produced among others such as Prince Albert and Sir Walter Raleigh.

Smoke it slowly and savor the experience or it will get hot and goopy because it contains a preservative. Best enjoyed in bulk (tin) rather than the pouch.

Everyone should try Half and Half. It's a classic.

UPDATE: 08/01/2009

I must say I have reduced the recommendation to "Somewhat Recommended". I recently sampled some after a very long time. Simply put, it is not what it used to be. In my opinion the change is they have removed the herb deer-tongue from this blend. The herb is increasingly difficult to come by these days. It adds what I call a rich-vanilla or cinnamon-apple flavor depending on how much is used in a blend. If you are looking for a replacement, try a new blend by C&D called "Gentleman Callers". It picks up where H&H has left off!

Half and Half is actually a very nice blend in the realm of American Burleys but it would be fair to say this is a medium bodied smoke not designed for someone new to burley by any means.Half and Half has a rum raisin topping which goes nicely with the burley and adds a touch of flavor to the blend.It is slightly moist in the pouch so airing out the tobacco would be necessary.Beyond that it's a tastey smoke and i would recommend this blend as a progression once you've progressed from a plain burley.