A Good Codger Burley

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I picked up a tub of PA today at JR's, the first one in a long time. I had been purchasing the occaional small pouch from time to time at the grocery store. The PA in the 12 oz. tub is really much better than the 2 oz. pouches.
 
In what sense are these burley blends "codger" blends? Blends our fathers or grandfathers smoked? If so, how can we younger sorts smoke a codger blend without being codgers, which we are not?
 
A case could be made that if it doesn't come in a tub, it's not a codger burley. Of the tubs, I think Walnut is the best blend, followed by Prince Albert and Carter Hall. Prince Albert may be the quintessential codger burley. Half and Half is up there, too, along with Sir Walter Raleigh (which is too mild for my taste) and Edgeworth Ready Rubbed (excellent but no longer available). I've tried a few of the venerable OTCs like Granger, Velvet, Sugar Barrel, Rum & Maple, but certainly not all. My ranking is purely a matter of opinion, as is my suspicion that a true codger wouldn't dream of paying nearly $3 an ounce to mail order tobacco from Boston. He might not mail order from West Virginia, either, but www.wvsmokeshop.com is an excellent source for tubs.
 
howellhandmade":p6s2w6om said:
My ranking is purely a matter of opinion, as is my suspicion that a true codger wouldn't dream of paying nearly $3 an ounce to mail order tobacco from Boston. He might not mail order from West Virginia, either, but www.wvsmokeshop.com is an excellent source for tubs.
Yep, 'tis true! Oh yes, I buy all my tobacco and pipe needs at www.wvsmokeshop.com
too!! :mrgreen:

:pipe:
 
howellhandmade":5gqonx4n said:
A case could be made that if it doesn't come in a tub, it's not a codger burley. Of the tubs, I think Walnut is the best blend, followed by Prince Albert and Carter Hall. Prince Albert may be the quintessential codger burley. Half and Half is up there, too, along with Sir Walter Raleigh (which is too mild for my taste) and Edgeworth Ready Rubbed (excellent but no longer available). I've tried a few of the venerable OTCs like Granger, Velvet, Sugar Barrel, Rum & Maple, but certainly not all. My ranking is purely a matter of opinion, as is my suspicion that a true codger wouldn't dream of paying nearly $3 an ounce to mail order tobacco from Boston. He might not mail order from West Virginia, either, but www.wvsmokeshop.com is an excellent source for tubs.
Agree whole heartedly!!! :D
 
There was an old seabee that I worked with years ago,smoked a cob all day
long with Union Leader.Never saw him smoke anything else,never saw him use a cleaner.....he used to blow out the pipe with compressed air,made the whole shop stink.Always wore the same clothes,some Salvation Army outfit he picked up cheap.
This man was a codger! :x

Winslow :sunny:
 
I have seen the one smoke/one pipe guys, the quintessential 'codger'. Union Leader despite HoW's attempt at ruining the blend, was a fine crimp cut. Certainly, worthy of codger inclusion. However, the ultimate codger blend extant has to be 5Bros, unchanged for almost a century. Different manufacturers, as it went from Finzer to American Tobacco to Pinkerton, but a divinely-inspired legacy of the halcyon days of pipe-smoking.
 
Buck":mc2bfylw said:
Kapnismologist":mc2bfylw said:
I would also prefer to stay away from anything which comes in a plastic tub.

Basically, I am looking a good burley blend which is very straightforward, a bit grumpy, grizzled, 'pipey', etc., ... but of some quality in terms of leaf, preparation, and presentation.

Any suggestions?
Discounting the slight bit of tobacco snobbery the king of 'codger' burly has got to be
Prince Albert tobacco. This tobacco comes in a pouch or a tub holding it's market since
1907 which to me can't be matched by no other burley on the market today.

To the newbie or the working man/woman ignore the advice to avoid all the fine decades
old 'tub' drug store tobacco's for there is a very valid reason they have been on the market
so very long. They're damn good tobacco's! :sunny:
I agree with Buck 100%. Prince Albert is still the King of Old Time Codger Burley tobaccos.
 
I'm just getting started in the burley blends, but would have to suggest 4noggins 'Bald Headed Teacher', outstanding smoke!

And thanks for posting the question, gives me lots of new TAD targets...
 
morleysson":afw87j1s said:
. . . However, the ultimate codger blend extant has to be 5Bros, unchanged for almost a century. Different manufacturers, as it went from Finzer to American Tobacco to Pinkerton, but a divinely-inspired legacy of the halcyon days of pipe-smoking.
Da, nitko bolje! :cheers:
 
I like many codger reincarnations, ie, the ones without all the PG. From C&D, Haunted Bookshop, Morley's Best, Crowley's Best, Easy Times. From GLP Cumberland. Five Brothers, as mentioned above, is also good, but tend to smoke more GH Kendal Kentucky which is much fuller bodied and stronger than 5 Bros.
 
Edwards"s Vintage Cube and Bishop Burley are a old codger as they get, they been around for almost 50 years.
 
Justpipes":bim4oka8 said:
Natch":bim4oka8 said:
"An outstanding smoke that comes as close to Walnut as anything else that I have smoked."

"Outstanding smoke" & "Walnut", isn't that an oxymoron? :mrgreen:

Natch
puros_bran":bim4oka8 said:
JP,

I'd imagine you will be hearing from the Tarlers Lawyers...... Statements like that make a rock solid case for a Defamation Of Character lawsuit.
I believe Barrister was conceived and produced as an alternative to Middleton's Walnut about the time that Altria was negotiating to purchase the John Middleton company, just in case Walnut was dropped from their line. Fortunately they have realized the revenue value of Walnut being their best seller in the etail business and one of their most popular blends overall.

:lol!:
The WALNUT GURU has spoken.......... don't argue with the Man!!!!!!!!!!!

As PB said, OJK is hard to beat!!!!!
GLP Cumberland is up there with the best of them for me!
 
Piet Binsbergen said:
Justpipes said:
Natch":qgzt4dnl said:
"An outstanding smoke that comes as close to Walnut as anything else that I have smoked."

I believe Barrister was conceived and produced as an alternative to Middleton's Walnut about the time that Altria was negotiating to purchase the John Middleton company, just in case Walnut was dropped from their line. Fortunately they have realized the revenue value of Walnut being their best seller in the etail business and one of their most popular blends overall.

:lol!:
Au contraire, mon ami. Walnut (circa 1850 in conception) was Middleton's signature. Walnut begat as many American english-style blends as Abraham's children. Now, it may be true that Barrister is one of the progeny, but it came to C&D from the formulae of the now-defunct Atlas blending efforts. Spillman which many believe to be the ne plus ultra of codgerdom is a late-comer as well. Like it or not, Walnut may be the last of the codger blends, of greater omplexity than many would attribute to it. Walnut is iconic in tobacco history, and worthy of respect.
 
Thank you Bob! I hope you are doing well and it is nice to have you share your wisdom!

The true Guru has spoken! Bob, I always thought you sent me that generous sample of Barrister because to me it is very similar in flavor to Walnut. I really enjoy Barrister and have a pound of it put back.
 
morleysson":9gdtpomw said:
Walnut is iconic in tobacco history, and worthy of respect.
As a gift to JP we may just have to frame this quote and paste it on the front page :lol:
 
Puff Daddy":85b84wci said:
morleysson":85b84wci said:
Walnut is iconic in tobacco history, and worthy of respect.
As a gift to JP we may just have to frame this quote and paste it on the front page :lol:
Just knowing that one of the most respected tobacco men in our midst said it is enough. Thank Morleysson! :D
 
Got some 5 Brothers and Uhle's Crushed White Burley mixed up. Hell, I like it.........
 
DoverPipes":q0bcn9la said:
Got some 5 Brothers and Uhle's Crushed White Burley mixed up. Hell, I like it.........
Great idea! Uhle's markets some of the best burleys available today. I like their Perfection Plug and 5Bros mixed 1:1 by weight. The 5Bros always provides a base for a better burn. I smoked ERRd and 5Bros 1:1 by weight when ERRd was readily accessible but those days are gone, sadly.
 
Top