Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53

Subject: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:55 pm

This is a review of this fine leaf that I posted on another forum a while back. I have been smoking this blend for the last few days and have come to really appreciate it. I am posting the review here first for the benefit of CP Smile

and secondly because I believe this blend would be a great diversion for all of you straight VA lovers. To me it smokes like and closely resembles a straight VA In that it is one dimensional with a good clean VA flavor throughout the bowl.

Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53

The original manufacturer was Larus and Brother Company in Richmond, VA. The current manufacturer is Lane Limited in Tucker, GA. Before Lane Limited it was manufactured by Pinkerton as far back as the 70’s.

The description on the current tin is: MANY MEN BLEND RUM AND MAPLE WITH OTHER TOBACCOS
Original RUM and MAPLE PIPE MIXTURE
Blend No. 53
Good by itself Good as a mixer

Contents:In my research I was not able to find an official listing of the tobacco content. Some unofficial listings say that it is Bright Virginias and Burley with rum and maple flavoring.

Upon opening the 14 oz. tin the aroma is very pleasing to me with nothing over powering. To me it smells much like a good VA blend in that it is sweet smelling but not too sweet along with a nice natural tobacco aroma. The tin aroma does not remind me of rum or maple at all. The appearance is that of a considerable amount of Bright Virginia Ribbon, possibly a white burley and medium colored Kentucky leaf in a rough cut with the Bright VA Ribbon being the most prominent. Upon closer study there may even be some red VA's.
This particular tin has a nearly perfect moisture content with little evidence of PG. I really like the consistency of the cut and low moisture content.

The tobacco packs very nicely with the pinch method. Lighting was a breeze with the initial charring light followed by a tamp and relight. I did not need to relight this tobacco again until the very bottom of the bowl and really that was so I could get every last bit of it.

What can I say about the taste?.........I like it. Being the simple minded person that I am this one dimensional tobacco is very appealing to me. The flavor is the same from top to bottom. In my opinion the rum and maple if any is not detectable. It is just a nice natural, slightly grassy, subtly sweet and creamy VA/Burley blend with absolutely no bite. Original Rum and Maple is a very cool and pleasant smoke that burns to a fine gray ash.

Lane Limited has done it again with another Larus and Brother Company American blend. This would make a good all day smoke for someone that smokes a lot all day long, day in and day out. For me I find it to be a fabulous early morning smoke! I will be smoking a lot more of this blend and who knows………it just might turn me into a two blend smoker after all.

History note: Lane Ltd. and Larus and Brother Company had a relationship as far back as at least the early 50’s though at times it was bitter sweet. Lane Ltd. filed a lawsuit against Larus and Brother Company in 1957 over some licensing concerns and rights to Lords Smoking Tobacco and Lords Cigarettes that Larus was manufacturing for Lane Ltd. Lane was suing Larus for damages of $300,000. I find it very interesting that now in 2007 Lane is manufacturing the old Larus and Brother Company blends.

Mark Hale
12/31/07
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Guest

This might make Walnut more acceptable, but then, so would coffee grinds, used tea, and incense.

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:07 pm

Mark, is Rum and Maple another one of those blends like Walnut that you must buy in the tub or can you buy it in smaller quantaties?
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Arizona, where the temperature is always warm but the pipe smoking is always cool. Mikem

I highly recommend Scott Bundy at www.piperestore.com for all of your pipe cleaning and restoration work.

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:50 pm

Age : 88 Joined : 22 Dec 2007 Posts : 120

I regret that I had never purchased it before. I really like it a lot. To me it really is a lot like a straight VA. even though it has Burley in it.

Funny thing, another one of my favorites, too. Almost anything that the old Larus Bros manufactured was on my shelves, including the long gone Union JAck (glowing spoken of by Gospelman) and the late victim 4Seasons. Very much an understated aromatic which has the burn qualities of a better burley and no VA bite. I have only found it these days in the tub, although in better times there was the foil pack in shades of brown. Great room note, too.

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:23 am

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:05 pm

I like Rum & Maple. It was one of the first blends I smoked. I bought it in a small pouch. I have purchased the pouch several times and differant stores around west KY. Funny though I have never found it around west Tenn either in tub or pouch.
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Eggman

BRILLANT

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:59 pm

Even' all, I smoked this for 40 odd years! Ken.
Pacem en New Year! king

Joined : 01 Jan 2008 Posts : 103 Location : North Carolina

I'm going to JR's today. I'll be looking for R&M and 4 Seasons. Thanks for the review!

Joined : 06 Jan 2008 Posts : 5

Ah, this was the second blend I ever tried. I used to be able to buy it at a local drugstore in pouch or tub. It was a bit sharp at the match, but smoothed out nicely. My now deceased KW bulldog loved that blend, and seemed to sweeten it a bit.

I can't find it anywhere except online these days...

Jeff T.

Joined : 22 Dec 2007 Posts : 192 Location : Missouri

I've tried this blend. Not only was it too sweet, it bit like a rabid dog. Never again!

Italian Stallion Joined : 09 Dec 2007 Posts : 1672

Grampa,

I distinctly remember almost all of the d'store tobaccos bit like hell. This was in the late 60's through early 70's. That's when I stopped smoking pipes. I picked it back up about five years ago and can smoke any of the current tinned tobaccos bowl after bowl with no bite whatsover. Have not tried any of the d'stores during the last five years. Very curious. Maybe it's the "pg." I really don't know. Not a va thing either, smok em all.

Many have stated that the price is right. I have seen bulks from different blenders actually sell for less and that's for a pound vs 14 oz.

I could never seem to get tin aroma to translate to taste with the d'stores. Gonna catch hell for that. Especially from Don Amigo de la Vito.

Maybe several decades of profanity have calloused my tongue.

I'm ready for my thrashin now.

Joined : 22 Dec 2007 Posts : 192 Location : Missouri

Subject: Re: Original Rum and Maple Blend No. 53 Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:49 pm

Joined : 18 Dec 2007 Posts : 116 Location : West Allis, WI

Mark,

I tried several bowls from the sample you sent me, and I found that unless I'm careful, this stuff will bite.... maybe not as bad as a rabid dog, but at least as much as a mad dog. Mad

I am starting to think that tongue bite has a lot more to do with a persons chemistry than I suspected.

I'm going to try to stove it for a while and see if I can sweat this tobacco into submission. Very Happy

Mike