Tobaccos House of Windsor - Union Leader

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2013-10-23		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A true working man's blend. A little maple topping with an apple note that isn't always noticeable. The burley is a little nutty, woody, and earthy, and is the star component with the citrus, honey, and grassy Virginia being in the background. Has a mild nic-hit. Burns well, but don't puff too hard or you'll risk a little bite and/or harshness. The flavor is mostly consistent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires few relights. Has a decent after taste. An all day smoke that is really a two and a half star blend when compared to other mixtures in this genre.

-JimInks

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2007-06-12		Strong	Strong	Full	Pleasant

Like forrest gump said.. " she tastes like cig-a-retts"! my dad smoked this in a corn cob once in a while and I loved the smell, years later I discovered why he liked it. He was really a cigarette smoker and it does taste like cigaretts!! sorry dad.. R.I.P. ( no thanks to the cigs)

6 people found this review helpful.

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	fr_tom (393)	2014-04-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am smoking up a pouch of the original US Tobacco Union Leader given to me by a friend. It came very dry and I got some moisture in it before smoking.

This is a basic burley blend with a mild honey topping. I can believe there is a little Virginia in there, but it does not contribute much to the taste as close as I can tell. Occasionally there is a little tart in the flavor profile.

This blend is slower burning than Carter Hall, and I never experienced any of the bitter at the end of the bowl that is often part of a burley blend. It is a pleasant smoke and I would pick up a pouch every now and then if it were available OTC.

Eventually I will get some of the "match" sold at pipesandcigars to compare. I'll update the review when I do.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-12-29		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Wosbald's review is excellent. I was searching for a descriptor of this blend's tin aroma and he nailed it with "mulled cider". Perfect! And yes, this has a slight taste of honey but is predominantly good old-fashioned codger burley.

Taste-wise, this is a four star blend and I wish it would come back (I smoked from a 2 oz tin). It really wanted to bite, though, and I had to be careful not to allow it. Smoked slowly, this is a wonderful old burley with a pinch of VA. I found this much preferable to PA or CH and even my modified Granger. I can't comment about the overall quality tin-to-tin since I only smoked one but based on it, this is a solid 3 star blend, missing 4 stars based only on that elusive quality called "depth". If this were readily available, it would be in my regular rotation.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	russ (27)	2017-07-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This blend is long gone. My Father smoked this stuff exclusively. It was some of the first tobacco I tried many years ago. For me it was the best OTC blend available in it's day. It's long gone, and any attempts at match blends left me disappointed. I was recently gifted a pouch of sealed old stock that I will keep for special days. I have been long out of it, but it brings back so many fond memories of days with my Father. The smell of it burning brings back memories.

Pipe Used: Cobs, and briar

Age When Smoked: Old stock gifted to me.

Purchased From: Gift of new old stock.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-06-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

For those of you who subscribe to Pipes & Tobaccos magazine, the Summer 2003 issue contained William Serad's visitation of many ancient blends being re-released by the House of Windsor. Being the tobacco freak that I am, I quickly spent $200 on all the available brands; Briggs, Barking Dog, Revelation, Bourbon Street, Field & Stream, Mapleton, Union Leader and Country Doctor. (I could not locate Model or Argosy).

I chose Union Leader to smoke first. A mostly Burley with a little Virginia combination which is lightly topped by what I believe to be honey. Upon opening the 12 oz can, I noticed a honey essence along with a lovely smell of pure unmolested tobacco. The leaf was very dry, packed very well, and burned cool and easily from top to bottom with just one or two relights. I smoked the stuff almost non-stop all day.

The room note is superb. The experience was "all tobacco" with just a hint of sweetness from the honey topping. While certainly not bland to begin with, the flavor and power increased the more I smoked, and by the time I hit rock bottom, the flavor and nicotine punch was delightful and dizzying.

I am glad this old favorite is back. If you enjoy top-shelf Burley mixed with some fine Virginia and processed in a unique and satisfying way, grab a tin of Union Leader and go to work on it, pardner!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	paulw (76)	2018-11-22		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought 3 1 1/2 oz pouches on ebay. I had never tried this old blend before.On opening the pouch the tobacco smelled like Edgeworth ready rubbed.When I got to smoking these it reminded me of Sir walter Raleigh regular burley blend.It was a good burley blend to compare to the similar blends that I have listed below.Try them and you'll have a similar comparison to this no longer in production Union leader .Made by house of windsor and also by lorillard tobacco companies.Thank you.

Pipe Used: meerschaum

Age When Smoked: vintage from 2003

Purchased From: ebay

Similar Blends: PA,CARTER HALL, VELVET.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Connoisseur (47)	2012-02-15		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Union Leader - also in a red tin - has a similar consistency and flavour as Prince Albert and Carter Hall. All are fine or crimp cut white burley with a light sweet maple-line aroma. Strength is mild and one dimensional. I made the mistake of buying the large tin of this, which I never got around to finishing. Possibly a good all dayer for those old timers who were brought up on these blends, but it's efinitely not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-07-08		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

After my disappointment with C&D's Bayou Morning Flake I decided to try a couple of House of Windsor's resurrected old timers: Union Leader and Briggs. I had my first pipe with Union Leader after supper tonight in a Large Missouri Meershaum. The scent in the tin is pleasant, though I can't begin to describe it. Moisture level was perfect. The cut makes packing, lighting and smoking a breeze: one match for the whole bowl. The scent of the smoke in the air was rather sharp, but not unpleasant. The nicotine level was satisfying. I had no problem with tongue bite. I enjoyed the flavor of a good, not great tobacco. For what it is, it is a good smoke, at about 1/3 the cost of my C&D Bayou Morning Flake. I'm pleased.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-05-06		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I'm smoking "Union Leader" even as I'm writing this review. I've been smoking HOW blends steadily since Wm. Serad reviewed them in Spring of 2003. "Union Leader" is predominently burley with some nice Virginia, lightly cased with some type of honey-like flavor and thus I would characterize this as a lightly aromatic, mostly natural tobacco blend. It smells good in the pouch, lights easily and stays lit because, as with the other HOW blends, is fairly dry. The aroma is wonderful and has that old-fashioned pipe smell that induced me to try a pipe in the first place. I give this a grade of "B".

1 person found this review helpful.

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	Eulenburg (193)	2004-03-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I own an ancient [empty] tin of this, and was quite happy to taste this supposed revival of an old American standard, a pleasant, uneventful, typical non-Cavendish burley/Virginia blend.

It is too bland for me, but it is not bad.

1 person found this review helpful.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-17		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I got a large tin of this at a discount because a shop was discontinuing it and found it to be pleasant but not distinguished. A fine, bland smoke, but not worth the asking price.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-07-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I grew up listening to my Dad tell me how he smoked Union Leader and Flying Dutchman mixed. He quit smoking pipes back in the late 70's. In 2000, when I got serious into pipes, he told me that the Union Leader I was smoking was the same as it was back in the 60's-70's, but the Flying Dutchman was horribly different. I sure do wish he was still alive to share a few bowls with.

Anywho, this is a great Burley blend. For reference, a bit stronger than Carter Hall.

Pairs well with just about any uncarbonated beverage.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-04-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've been collecting UL tins for nearly 20 years now but I had never had the chance to try it until recently as a local tobacconist had a close out of some older stock.

Upon opening the container I got the odor of burley with a slight sweetness, not honey but "honey like". Out of a sense of tradition I tried it in a corncob and it light well and I had no trouble keeping it going. It has a higher nicotine kick to it (rather like Half@Half) and a light "honey like" flavour.

I enjoyed it as I like burley's and the casing is not overwhelming, my second bowl I smoked in a clay and the third in a briar. The only hint of bite was in the clay, and I was pleased with it overall. It's in the "Old Codger" category which I think is unjust, I prefer to call it a simple reliable blend myself.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I saw this blend in a local cigarette outlet along with several other HOW re-vamps. Seeing it there in a big 10oz tin reminded me of when I was a kid going into a store with Dad when he picked up some tobacco and cigars. Just the site of it said "Codger Blend". So I picked up a 10oz tin a few weeks ago and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Not an everyday all day thing for me but it's a no nonsense smoke that I don't have to 'pay attention' to in order to get what I'm looking for. It has a nice Nicotine level anda basic burley taste with a tad of honey. Bold basic no frills stuff here worth of a THREE STAR basic rating. Yes it will bite but as my tobacconist once told me,"sometimes ya just gotta take it easy". Isn't that waht pipe smoking is all about?

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-12-29		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I usually like the burley blends from House of Windsor... but to me this stuff was more like crushing up Pall Mall in your pipe and smoking it. It started off OK & Yes, mulled cider is a wonderful description. But then after I got the pipe up to my usual temperature (on the hot side!) it went downhill for me. An OK experience for a can, but not a repeat purchase for me.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

The tin aroma of this mixture of crimp-cut burley and small flake virginia is of earthily sweet tobacco with a honey topping giving an impression of mulled cider.

The depth of the burley and the spicy, honey-sweetened red VA play nicely together and create a richly spicy smoke. As is usual for House of Windsor, this is made of good-quality leaf which is admirably presented.

Those who seek an ingratiating, easy-smoking blend that is sweet and flavorsome without becoming dull or tiring will find Union Leader to be a definite winner. This seemed to go best in a narrow gauge chamber.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2009-06-03		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

This is one of those 'who cares?' reviews. Union Leader is part of a group of old time blends that House of Windsor revived, kept on life support for a few years, and then snuffed out. I just happened upon a can a few weeks back in a local shop and thought I might as well revisit the blend.

Union Leader is a mildly topped Burley-dominated blend that should recall various other American classics. I find in vaguely apple-ish, but the top note is subtle. I actually preferred that recent tin to either Carter Hall or Prince Albert. Then again, I suspect that the rarity factor made it taste better.

Even if it were widely available again, I can't imagine that I'd be investing in much Union Leader. But it was a nice little diversion when it was around.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Backwoods Piper (70)	2008-06-18		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I have had this tin in my cellar since July of 05. I just now got around to smoking it. I think all of the other reviewer who gave Union Leader favor and recommendations have summed it up nicely. This is just a plain lightly topped predominantly burly blend with a slight hint of honey. The room note brings back memories of times hanging around the old fogies while they puffed away. I now understand why this was such a popular smoke. I am sorry to hear this blend is no longer in production. Hopefully I can find another burly blend that compares.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	BigSwede (93)	2006-11-25		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update. I've revisited this tobacco recently. It's still a great, mildly flavored and simple burley blend. Still a lot of fun to smoke when I need something basic and undemanding. I think, however, I will rate it at three stars. Original review follows:

Oh yeah! For the burley smoker, this is a must do.

When I first cracked the seal on the can the honey like topping wafted out. I normally would prefer a cube cut, but this packs and lights easily. Once underway, the honey slips back into the backround but is present in just the right amount. I recently order a large cob (direct from the Missouri Meershaum outfit; they have web site on line) and to smoke this in a good cob is to turn back the clock about 50 years. This is my go to smoke when I don't want anything complex. It's a mild, very tasty smoke and at a reasonable price. For something a little more complex I go to Revelation or Country Doctor, for simplicity this is it. (2-10-05)

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-09-05		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A good burley/honey style mix. I like the topping. If you just want burley it would resemble 'model' HoW. If you like Burleys, want a mild aromatic-like honey, the price is right you cant go wrong!

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	SopwithCamel (255)	2006-07-16		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I used to like this, but I have ruined myself by smoking Burley blends from Wilke and Peretti. This stuff is just too harsh for me these days.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-07-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

I sooo wanted to like this...Not because I dropped $16.00 on the 12oz tin, but because I loved Revelation, was in the historical, OTC, Gimme the piping heritage zone. So when this burned me the first time- I thought "Ya know- I thought it felt dry, I packed loose...What happened?" So I healed....Tried it again- new pipe, 24hr dry out, gravity pack- Burned again... I tried it moist, dry- Tight pack, loose pack, 3 different pipes- different shapes- sizes- you name it. Acidic, nasty biting, crapola. Gave 10 oz away. Try at your own risk- But remember life is too short.

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	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-03-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Straight burley leaf, that is all. I tasted an earthy almost soil like flavor. Not bad, but not for me. This is what I would assume tobacco tasted like in the early years of the american colonies.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-02-08		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

If I recall correctly, I think Vice President Al Gore's mother smoked this in a cob while holding Al as a baby and singing, "Look for the union label..."

No reason to like or trounce this, but I am sure it has its deserved place with some liking this genre.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-08-09		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a nice, lightly flavored, ribbon-cut Burley mixture. It will probably not set your world on fire, but it's a comfortable, honest smoke, good for summers, and probably just fine for an all-day smoker. The price is very good, and this blend smokes as well as many tobaccos costing much more. I find this blend a bit boring if I smoke it in a large bowl, or more than once a day. It excels as a "working smoke," though--something to puff on where you're otherwise occupied and not looking for a demanding or complex blend.

Sampling notes: I smoked a two ounce tin of this blend in a variety of meerschaums, cobs, and briars. It smokes about the same, and that's pretty well, in just about any pipe. To my taste, it does best with some drying and airing. Union Leader can be smoked, apparently, at just about any humidity level--I've smoked some that was cinder-dry and it smoked just fine.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-07-11		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very good, quality, reasonably-priced, "workhorse" tobacco. I thoroughly enjoy every bowl of this tobacco, but wish it had no topping.

This is not to say that the topping is over-powering: it is very subtle. However, I do believe that its absence would improve this blend.

In any case, this is very nearly "Highly recommended". Any fan of blends with little or no casing/topping should find UL to be a great all-day smoke.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-05-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For burley smokers, this is a real treat. This has a very subtle honey casing and packs and lights easily. The honey remains in the backround while the natural burley flavor comes to the fore. It sings wonderfully in a cob. A tasty smoke at a reasonable price for burley lovers.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a tough tobacco to review, in a number of different ways. Union Leader was a burley-based, crimp cut. It was a favorite of the 1930s through the early 1970s, pretty much without any alteration to its basic character. Dark redfoil pack, golden eagle logo; pride of the United States Tobacco Company. It was sold in a pocket tin but I never did see that version. The package said it all: For cigarettes and pipe. It was a uniformly mixture of browns: light to golden brown, some darker chocolate brown cuts, very much like Prince Albert in color and texture. While PA had, and continues to have, a slightly sweet aftertaste, UL was a true burley base w/o casing or adornment. It had a warm coffee and bread taste when fresh. Easy to fill your pipe, just cup your hand around a pipebowl, leaving enough space to pour out the crimp cut into the bowl, then jam the tobacco w/ your thumb. Draw once,use wooden kitchen matches which last longer, and blue/gray clouds of smoke are emitted from nose and mouth. A medium sized bowl always worked best for me, for a shorter smoke. The room presence was striking, like burning autumn leaves. In a closed automobile, the aroma could be lethal after a while. But, there was a sense that you were smoking a "classic" blend. No bite, no moisture, but no real flavor either. This blend was as complex as a brick, and slightly more flavorful; small bowl or large, the flavor was consistent through the smoke.

It was a unique time for these crimp cut blends. Many companies had a crimp cut (so-called because the leaves were 'crimped' or pressed together and chopped, but not confused with granulated like Bull Durham or Plowboy), but they also offered a fuller cut tobacco. There was PA with George Washington Rough Cut, and Velvet with Granger Rough Cut, but UL never had a fuller cut. Sad, really, because UL was not a bad tobacco, just unexciting and serviceable.

You will note that I used the past tense. I have not had much recent success in finding any foil packets of this blend, and I'm not adventuresome enough to but a large can.

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	Pkloop (53)	2004-11-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Heres a great burley blend for you to try. I found Union Leader not to have that usual burley bitter taste at the bottom. A definate step up from the other "drug store" blends. As others have stated its hard to see why this blend was discontinued while others have lasted. This tobacco is a great "working" tobacco. I work outside for a living and this one fits the bill during those hot S. Florida days, as it doesn't require alot of relights or attention. Seems to smoke best in a cob as well. Be warned however: While reading another review of a HoW product the reviewer had mentioned differing quality from pouch to pouch. I too have had this happen with Union Leader. My first can was excellent. Prompting me to buy another. It was not so good. It was bitey and bitter. Wishing to get another can like the first, I purchased again. This 3rd 2oz can was good again. So I promptly returned to the store and bought the large can which now resides unopened in my "cellar". I do hope they are from the same batch. 11/10/04

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	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2004-11-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Ooomph! I like this one. Since all of you American people have had access to the Danish blends for decades, I figured I had to try some US-weed for a change. Here in Denmark - and the rest of Europe for that matter, US tobaccos are not available. Well ok Edgeworth and Half & Half is, but that is about it.

I'm normally not very much into Burley blends, but this one is damn good! Dark cross-cut Burleys of high quality with a touch of VA. A very delicate and natural honey flavor is added for the sweetnes. The true tobacco taste though, is very much in the foreground.

It burns a little hot on the palate but nothing worth talking about. A very rustic blend which I smoke on daily basis. I will definitely stash some more of this stuff, explore some more from Winsor and soon try some of the McClellands.

Way to go USA and way to go Internet for globalizing the tobacco market!

Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark

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	Spike (296)	2004-09-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

As close to a very good "all day smoke" as you will find. Not complicated but tasty and satisfying. Smells pretty good for a mostly real tobacco blend. I have to agree that this blend would be most at home in my long since gone '55 Ford Pickup glove box.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-09-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I recently went up to Springfield IL to take care of some personal business and stopped into the tobacco store located downtown. I used to go in there to buy cigars before the prices went nuts years ago. Anyway I was pleasently surprise that they had several tobacco blends Rattrays, Galwaith, and upon walking out the door spied a House of Windsor display. I grabbed one of Barking Dog, Mapleton, and lastly Union Leader tins and only mention the shop for those stuck in Springfield and or central Illinois who need a tobacco fix this was a nice shop.

I lit up Union Leader first being rather wary after smoking Briggs which was just super bland to me. This tobacco was much better. Little sweet and lil nutty from the burley. I found myself smoking this in these last few hot days of summer and finding it went well with the conditions. It has a nice room note, though not too strong, and seemed to leave fairly soon. The tobacco seemed like a good place to start for those interested in burley blends for it seemed a step up from others of this ilk that one would find in a drug store.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-07-29		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As Pop-Pop put it, this is one great no bull$%#@ tobacco! I would not have normally gone for something so "straight up" from a blender I had never tried, but was graced with a sample recently. Very mellow, easy to burn, sweet but not cloying smoke. Americana tobacco at it's best, rivaling C+D's mastery of this genre. I probably won't smoke it all the time, just due to personal taste, but if you want a straight forward quality smoke, try this!

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-04-20		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was my introduction into the HOW line of blends. I realy wanted to like this but was somewhat disappointed. The tin aroma was wonderful, the cut was realy good and in my opinion the moisture was just right (a little on the dry side) straight out of the tin. The flavor was pretty good as well. My biggest and only complaint about this tobacco is that it burns on the hot side for me. If it burned cooler I would enjoy this much more. I tried this in several differant pipes with very slow puffing rate and had the same effect. There could be a possibility that there is something in this blend that just disagrees with my tongue. It almost gives me the impression that this tin is young and raw and needs more age. Most virginia/burley blends do not give me this problem. I will probably age this one for a while and see if my opinion on this blend changes.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-03-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I've smoked just about all the House of Winsdor blends since they became available at my local tobbaconist. I can't add much about the smoking qualities of this blend since it has pretty much been covered by the other reviewers. However, I smoke a meershaum pretty much on a daily basis and the taste with this blend is unsurpassed by similar blends from other brands. For an inexpensive tobacco blend, this blend I think will probably become a regular for me and I will probably choose this as an all day blend along with another one of House of Winsdor blends, which is Country Doctor. I'm absoloutley amazed at how mild and pleasant this tobacco smokes, and it is not a goopy blend which leaves a residue. For a burley based blend, it is full of surprises. My meershaum, seems to be coloring a lot faster since I picked up Uinion Leader. My only dissapointment is that Union Leader is not available in most of the shops where I live which is something to say for all the other House of Winsdor blends. Hopefully this will change as more and more pipe smokers in my area discover or rediscover these long lost American tradiion blends.

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	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-03-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a simple, plain, good old-fashioned, all-American smoke. Nothing fancy in this blend and it does make one wax nostalgic. I found it smoked best for me in bent, stubby, thick-shank pipes. I would not smoke it on a daily basis but I will certainly return to it from time-to-time.

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	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-02-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

My kind of smoke! I can do this all day. A straight up american burley and virginia blend of excellent quality with a sweet old fashioned pipe room note. Reminds me of my great-grandfathers pipe aroma. An excellent old time no bulls##t blend. Five stars in my book.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-01-27		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This and Model both really stand out in the Burley crowd. I don't understand why they were discontinued, while dreck such as half-n-half, and other assorted burley nightmares continue to sell like hot cakes. It has a light honey taste that really accentuates the burley nuttiness. This will be a perfect summertime, corn cob smoke. Don't let the cigarette reference scare you. You might detect a small amount of it in the room note, but other than that it doesn't make its presence known.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-12-04		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The tin says "pipe or cigarette"......and I was a bit nervous in opening the lid. I half expected to see a mess of diced cigarette tobacco but instead found a nice medium brown crimp cut tobacco blend. It is lightly cased......and I agree with previous speculations that it's honey. The light casing adds a nice aroma to the tin but really doesn't come through in flavor or aroma from the smoke. I did pick up a definite acrid taste that began to come through about halfway through the bowl which really ruined what I thought was a pretty nice, middle of the road natural tobacco blend. I'll probably give this one a whirl a time or two more, but if the acrid flavor wasn't a coincidence, this one will be banished from the cabinet forever.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-11-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Generally, I'm neither a fan of burley blends, nor am I a big fan of light aromatics. For all the excitement over the re-released blends of years past by House of Windsor, I hadn't really anticipated finding one I would like. That's not to say that I don't think these are great blends. I'm primarily a straight virginias smoker and I find that I'm often dissappointed when I sojourn outside of that realm.

Given that, I started my journey through these blends with Union Leader, it being among the least cased/topped of the batch. And I'm glad I did! The topping is mild and pleasant-- just slightly sweet. It ties the virginias and burleys together nicely. The nuttiness of the burleys is certainly present and in good measure. It doesn't have that flat flavorlessness that I often associate with burley blends.

Without question, this is burley put to good use-- and the virginias seem to enliven the significant burley component. All in all, it's a very well balanced, pleasant blend. It won't become an all day smoke for me, but would serve as a nice change of pace.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-11-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Like others have noted here, I picked this up because of the P&T article and the description being a Burley and Virginia without casings. This has to be one of the best new (to me) blends I've tried in a long time. I've been smoking this in a bunch of corncobs and it works well in every size, from the cheap drugstore ones to the Mac Arthur big ones. My bucket seems to have quite a bit of Virginia leaf mixed in and sometimes during the smoke it actually steps up over the Burleys. It's a crimp cut, very dry and without much of a tin aroma. The burn is excellent, there's no bite and the pipe doesn't get hot even though it's so dry. This one is definately a keeper and might turn into my new everyday smoke since it has almost everything I'm looking for and is reasonably priced too. If it was a cube cut Burley, it would be my Holy Grail...Wonderful stuff.

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