steverino
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Edward G. Robinson tobaccoI just tried my first bowl of this tobacco that I received from gilly (Thanks!). This tobacco has its challenges but overall, I like it. The "tin" aroma is interesting - it smells just like the tobacco my dad used to chew - Beechnut. I remember I never liked that smell when I was younger but now it doesn't seem unpleasant. The tobacco packed and lit fine in my Hillcrest bent dublin. Upon combustion, I get the same general flavor as Mac Baren Virginia No. 1 and I get the bite that comes with it. Virginia No. 1 is well known as a biter and some attribute this to the ubiquitous Mac Baren honey casing (typcial Danish tobacco). VA No. 1 gets much milder when jarred and put on the shelf for a year or so and I'm wondering if EGR might be the same way. The primary flavor I get from EGR is Virginia, so I'm thinking it might age well and be real nice later on.
I have discovered a method of smoking Mac Blowtorch tobaccos which works fairly well for me. I've found that if I pack the bowl very loosely, it doesn't bite as much. When I say loosely, I mean virtually not at all. Just drizzle the tobacco into the bowl and fill it as best as possible. Believe it or not, this seems to subdue the Mac Baren bite somewhat. I'll try this on the next bowl of EGR and see what happens. I enjoy the taste enough that I'm willing to work with it to get it to smoke right. The aftertaste ain't bad, either.
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LokoMac8
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Re: Edward G. Robinson tobacco | steverino wrote: | | The primary flavor I get from EGR is Virginia, so I'm thinking it might age well and be real nice later on. |
I like Virginias, but somehow I never picked up on that at all! Now I know why I don't write reviews on tobacco! I either like it or I don't, and as to anything else , well I am just unable to describe it.
I DID smoke several more bowls and DID get a bite from it, although the sensation is a bit different than I was accustomed to in a bite.
| steverino wrote: | | When I say loosely, I mean virtually not at all. Just drizzle the tobacco into the bowl and fill it as best as possible. |
This is interesting since I JUST happened upon this same discovery myself! I have to watch myself in both loading the bowl (I can't be emotionally worked up in any way, good or bad, or I tend to pack it down too much -- don't realize my own strength, you might say!) and in smoking a tobacco that is prone to bite. In one word, SLOW, and in another couple of words, VERY GENTLE puffs!!! If I don't watch it, I'll get to puffing like a steam locomotive running a hundred miles an hour! Some tobaccos it doesn't matter too much, but if one has a tendency to bite, then you definitely don't want to be puffing deep and fast!
| steverino wrote: | | I enjoy the taste enough that I'm willing to work with it to get it to smoke right. The aftertaste ain't bad, either. |
Same here. There is SOMETHING about it that I like -- that is different enough to set it apart from other tobaccos, so I am willing to work at it a bit to give it a chance.
Thanks for your review on this, Steve! I especially found your comments about loosely packing the bowl to be of interest. I sort of stumbled upon this when I got to thinking how the Sparta Pre-Smoking machine just had tobacco dribbled into the bowls by gravity and then levelled off with sponge rubber. With no effective tamping, the tobacco apparently lit and stayed burning well enough, so I thought I would start trying that with tobaccos when I had a "problem". So far, as you noted, it does seem to help. --RJ--
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drbridges
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Same here. I've ruined more than a few bowls by over packing, but I've never had a problem packing too loose. I can always tamp it a bit tighter.
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steverino
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RJ, glad you found that helpful. I was rather amazed that it worked so well - I thought the tobacco would just go up in a flash (well, not really that quick), but it really does seem to work.
Have you ever smoked the one I mentioned, Mac Baren Virginia No. 1? If you smoke some of that, then have a bowl of EGR, I'll bet you'll be suprised how similar they are. Just don't get bit too hard!
That Virginia No. 1 really is great after aging in a jar for a year, literally. The bite is virtually gone and it has a nice sweet taste - worth the wait.
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LokoMac8
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| steverino wrote: | Have you ever smoked the one I mentioned, Mac Baren Virginia No. 1? If you smoke some of that, then have a bowl of EGR, I'll bet you'll be suprised how similar they are. Just don't get bit too hard!
That Virginia No. 1 really is great after aging in a jar for a year, literally. The bite is virtually gone and it has a nice sweet taste - worth the wait. |
I have not tried it, but you have gotten my interest up! I have found that I like the natural sweetness of Virginias very much and have strated trying several different offerings. --RJ--
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LokoMac8
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Re: Edward G. Robinson tobacco | steverino wrote: | | I just tried my first bowl of this tobacco that I received from gilly (Thanks!). This tobacco has its challenges but overall, I like it. The "tin" aroma is interesting - it smells just like the tobacco my dad used to chew - Beechnut. |
I wonder if this stuff is the same as written up here:
I don't think of it as MILD nor aromatic from my experience with what Gilly sent me! --RJ--
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