St. Bruno

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KevinM

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Curiosity got the better of me after reading reviews of St. Bruno. Many reviews reported a bracing, robust, tasty, satisfying smoke and compared it favorably to the now unavailable Condor. St. B is expensive, but in the great scheme of things, I decided to give it a try. Well, I’ve been disappointed.  I find St. Bruno a mild, inoffensive smoke that doesn’t hold a candle to Condor or, for that matter, isn’t even remotely reminiscent of it. It’s not a bad smoke, just not nearly as robust as expected. Maybe I’m missing something. The TR reviews vary between raves and occasional references to “mildness.” Could there be some fluke in the production such that occasional batches are just a lot less stout than others. Anyone else?

***Added Nov 5: I’ve found St. Bruno likes a briar with a deep skinny bowl and likes to be rubbed into a “tube” (not a ball) that is slightly thinner and slightly taller than the pipe bowl. Deftly slipped into the bowl and tamped so that the top is firm while what is below is on the loose side, SB will expand to fill the bowl. Sb can deliver a nice one match smoke on an autumn evening.
 
Your impression is the same as mine. I think of it as the British Prince Albert. Decent enough tobacco, but not an example of nicotinic ecstasy. It is, or was, the best selling pipe tobacco in Britain, I believe. I can see how it might become a favorite of all-day smokers--bland but good, right?--but not this boy.
 
Interestingly enough, I'm smoking it right now aamof. It's my go-to on a dark and stormy night such I have right now. I find it deep and contemplative. WTH does that mean???  :?:

Hell if if know, only that it explores the dark and full bodied side of the VA idiom. Perfect for an after supper smoke.

Robust , tangy, moderately strong, ticks all the boxes. What's not to like?


:rabbit:



Cheers,

RR
 
Brewdude":24g7ks5a said:
Interestingly enough, I'm smoking it right now aamof. It's my go-to on a dark and stormy night such I have right now. I find it deep and contemplative. WTH does that mean???  :?:

Hell if if know, only that it explores the dark and full bodied side of the VA idiom. Perfect for an after supper smoke.

Robust , tangy, moderately strong, ticks all the boxes. What's not to like?


:rabbit:
Click to expand...
I totally agree with you. As for Condor, there might be a bit of similarity in the underlying tobaccos (I don't much of one myself, but I supposed one could) but Condor is topped (or cased, as the case may be) with a much stronger flavor, so I don't see how they could be really compared
 
That’s just what I was getting at.

Some (not all) positive TR reviews make the Condor comparison, which is what got me interested in SB, but other reviews are more restrained. My own tastebuds would describe it as a dependable everyday smoke. I will say SB has a very nice pouch aroma which further raised my own expectations. Oh, boy, I thought. But that’s as far as the enjoyment went, for me, anyway.

My Va standard for a dark and stormy night is my DIY blend of McC 5100, 5105 plus a dash of Perique in a 4:4:1 mix. Plenty of taste, few relights, enough Vitamin N for relaxation, and it doesn’t cost $12 per 1.75 oz.

At this point I should not be surprised that Piper A and Piper B do not share the same nerve endings.
 
I just added two pouches of St Bruno Ready Rubbed to my last order - it's been on my wish list for ages, and it's currently on sale at SP.com, so I had to go for it. I'll post my thoughts on it after I get a few bowls in. :D
 
KevinM":5bwsitf3 said:
Curiosity got the better of me after reading reviews of St. Bruno.
Click to expand...

TR has no reviews of St. Bruno !! Where did you read them? :twisted:
 
Sorry, I was looking for St. Bruno not MacBarren's - st. Bruno. :twisted:
 
monbla256":nmr04nny said:
Sorry, I was looking for St. Bruno not MacBarren's - st. Bruno.  :twisted:
Click to expand...
Looks like they moved the pre-MacBarren reviews into the MacBarren's
 
You beat me, Ontario. I notice another theme in the TR SB Reviews is the presence of sticks and twigs in the ready rub pouch. I had one big enough to repurpose as a bookmark. Several TR reviewers comment on the blend’s floral note. I’m afraid it was lost on me. It seems that Mac B has been blending SB for a while but became owner of the brand in 2015.

I had a friend who went into the artisan potato chip business. He reported his biggest headache was getting each batch to taste the same. Given the different responses, I’m wondering if that’s my problem here. It could be just individual differences. It could be I was looking for something that just isn’t there.

I used Condor briquettes to chip off a few small crumbs and add it to other blends for something a bit different on occasion. Unfortunately, I didn’t stock up when I had the chance. Alas! Maybe I can establish an Irish or English connection.
 
I must admit that my track record with these older, oft-lauded blends has been hit and miss. The nostalgia value is high but the taste doesn't always measure up to the hype. For example, I quite enjoy a bowl of Carter Hall when the mood strikes but have found no joy in any of the Edgeworth match blends.

There are lots of old codger blends on both sides of the Atlantic though, and I'll probably try them all before I'm done with the pipe. ?
 
KevinM":u9re5gtz said:
I used Condor briquettes to chip off a few small crumbs and add it to other blends for something a bit different on occasion. Unfortunately, I didn’t stock up when I had the chance. Alas! Maybe I can establish an Irish or English connection.
Click to expand...
Peterson's has the Condor Plug
http://www.peterson.ie/p/6372/condor-plug-25g

Mr Snuff has Condor Blended and Ready-Rubbed, although they seem to be out of the Long-cut
https://mrsnuff.com/pipe-tobacco-c-168.html
 
ontariopiper":v9qjfv5l said:
There are lots of old codger blends on both sides of the Atlantic though, and I'll probably try them all before I'm done with the pipe. ?
Click to expand...
I especially enjoy The Prince — satisfying, easy maintenance, inexpensive. Does well in cobs and briars. But I also keep tubs of CH and Granger on hand. One reason I stumbled into my little trick with a few Condor cubes is that the match blends sometimes needed a little help. Straight Condor is a little much for me, but used as a perker upper it’s right nice, and it’s ghosting nature is reduced. (Thought it doesn’t vanish completely.)
 
DrT999":fmw65g7z said:
monbla256":fmw65g7z said:
Sorry, I was looking for St. Bruno not MacBarren's - st. Bruno.  :twisted:
Click to expand...
Looks like they moved the pre-MacBarren reviews into the MacBarren's
Click to expand...
I didn't realize it was now made  by MacBarrens. Last time I had the Flake it came in a 50g tin and was made by Ogden. I liked it but it was hard to get over here. Was around '69 or so !! Oh well, things change  :twisted: :twisted:
 
Now smoking the RR version.

While it's still satisfying, it seems to be somewhat a bit less robust than the flake version. As others have pointed out.

:?:

Must be down to the interaction of the solid flakes and their ageing as opposed to the RR version!



Cheers,

RR
 
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