Drugstore Tobacco

[COHunter]

I actually just picked up a pouch of Carter Hall for the first time and am enjoying it quite alot. Good tobacco flavor, no bite to speak of. Really just a good any time of day solid smoke. I just finished a pouch of CBW and frankly I think that's the last pouch. Great room note, but frankly bites too easily and the depth of flavor isn't much for my palate. I like Prince Albert too, good straightforward tobacco flavor. There are really great finds in the codger/drugstore blends.

From an economic standpoint though, I'm finding some of the fancy "boutique" "snobby" blends are actually cheaper or very similar per oz than the OTC's...

[Blackbeard's Delight]

Half & Half and Carter Hall are probably the best "OTC" brands. Very mild and flavorful, and the price is cheap here in America. Captain Black Royal (blue) is probably my favorite of theirs. Of course, YMMV

+1 on all counts, agree completely.

You may want to check the grocery store chains for these brands too... they usually have a glass case with tobacco products, and they tend to be cheaper than the pharmacy prices. The Captain Black is $2 cheaper a pouch at the Hannaford grocery store vs CVS Pharmacy. I pick up Carter Hall and Half & Half when I get groceries, they have it for $3.99 a pouch each. It's too convenient not to pick it up.

[Blackbeard's Delight]

Oh I started a similar thread about grocery store tobaccos back in May. You may find some additional info there:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ood?highlight=

[delamain]

Yeah the "artisanal" blends are a very affordable luxury and worth the trade up in most cases.

Still, though, I have a little soft spot for some of these old-time blends that I've tried. They have a pleasant simplicity at times, I think. Plus, they are probably what we remember smelling as kids so there's always the nostalgia that goes along with it.

Lane RLP-6 is supposed to be the best substitute for Captain Black; less humectant, less casing, better cut.

Thanks for the link, I think I saw it before but I'll give it another look.

I'm still waiting for my Prince Albert and Half & Half to arrive in the mail - I'm looking forward to lighting up a few cobs with them...

[nortac]

As I resurrected my dad's old pipes to begin pipe smoking, I'll have try try the old favorites!

[nortac]

Tried Prince Albert today, its what my late father smoked decades ago. As a new pipe smoker , I have little to compare it to. I found it mild, not unpleasant, but not to impressive either. I did find it a bit better than Captain Black (white), but I'm still making all of the noob mistakes of a beginning pipe smoker. Take it for what its worth. Smoked in an old Kaywoodie of my dad's that had only a cursory cleaning by myself, so the pipe may have had an adverse effect as well. The only other blends I have smoked are
Peterson Gold Blend and Ashton Gold Rush, which I liked somewhat better.

[Deltaboy]

Growing up all the men in my family used Prince Albert or Sir Walter.