Mac Baren St. Bruno Ready Rubbed Pipe Tobacco

Yes, sweet and spicy. Woodsy as well, though I could detect a hint of cedar. Drying it out for half an hour made it more enjoyable. Despite the mild casing it tastes and smells of all natural tobacco.

St. Bruno has been around for a while and had several variations. I'm reviewing the most recent version on its own merits. Let me start by saying this is probably not what most people call an aromatic. This has none of the overly chemical top casings added that cover the natural flavors of the tobaccos. What we have here is a very nice VA/Dark Fired Kentucky broken flake where the rich Virginias seem aged to perfection. This is not a light VA of grassy notes, but rather a spicy, rich, peppery flavor some would compare to ketchup or BBQ sauce. That's not to say St. Bruno tastes like either, but it has that same sweet and spiciness with an obvious vinegar aroma. But, the vinegar does nothing to harm this great tobacco. In fact, it's all the richer for it. It's part of what sets St. Bruno apart in taste. St. Bruno ready rubbed comes on the moist side but is smoke-able fresh from the pouch, and after a couple of days of drying it's perfect. Even fresh it loads easily and smokes consistently throughout the bowl with little variation to the taste and flavor. If you haven't tried St. Bruno and are a fan of sweet & spicy tobaccos, this could be just what you're looking for? This ages superbly. The sugars in the Virginias combine with the vinegar to easily make this sweet enough to smoke any time of the day. As it aged I felt less nicotine and overall it smokes much sweeter. Also, I've had the flake version and cannot tell any difference if you're going to rub out your flakes anyway. Enjoy.