Borkum Rif

BlueCollarBastard · December 2017

Any suggestions? Thinking about trying this

Charles · December 2017

@BlueCollarBastard - I use to smoke this in the 1970s and loved it. Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey blend tobacco was originally a rough cut blend of Virginia and Burley tobaccos. The tobacco blend was developed and intended for the US pipe tobacco market.

Borkum Riff, was manufactured in Denmark for Swedish Match, but in 2011 , ownership changed to Scandinavian Tobacco Group. I recently acquired a couple of sealed tins of the 1970s blend and noticed a difference compared to today's blended version.

www.tobaccoreviews.com lists the description as: Selected quality, bright aromatic Virginia and rich, cool-smoking burley tobaccos are blended to give an exquisite taste and aroma, enhanced by the finest Kentucky bourbon whiskey traditionally matured for over eight years to develop its full complex flavour. Serious yet dynamic.

The blend to day is similar but to anyone who has smoked this blend in the 1970s and 80s, they may agree that today's blend seems to be different and lacking something but not quite sure what. Overall, not a bad smoke.

Hope this helps.

KA9FFJ · December 2017

@Charles @BlueCollarBastard I also remember smoking BR in the 70s along with Flying Dutchman. BR gave me a full-bodied smoke that was most enjoyable. I don't know anyone that smoked the new BR...

Charles · December 2017

@KA9FFJ - Believe it or not, I purchased a brand new Wenhall bent pipe in 1978 from a local pipe shop (which is long gone now) and not only broke it in with Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey blend, but somehow managed dedicate that pipe to that tobacco. I never smoked anything other then Borkum Riff Bourbon in that pipe. Even when I tried the newer version this past summer, I used a different briar pipe. When I opened one of the 1970s tins I acquired, I smoked some in that old Wenhall. It was like a flash back in time. The old pipe still smokes great and my vintage Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey blendstill tastes as great as I remembered.

KA9FFJ · December 2017

@Charles That was a great story! I think that is why I am so stuck on black Cavendish as my "base" tobacco. Brings back a lot of memories... Thanks for sharing...

ghostsofpompeii · December 2017

Borkum Riff was one of my go to blends back in the day till I discovered Captain Black. Besides the Whiskey blend Borkum Riff also had blends like Champagne, Rum, Cognac, Golden Cavendish, and Ultralight. The also had a limited edition called 360 Degrees North which is wine flavored, and that one I like quite a bit. The blend seems to have changes quite a bit. I still have two pouches from before the blend and label changed and think the flavor is a lot different.

KA9FFJ · December 2017

@ghostsofpompeii Well you learn something every day. I know about and smoked just about every blend you just mentioned, but I must say I was not aware of 360 Degrees North. I never knew that existed. Wine flavored you say... very interesting...

BlueCollarBastard · December 2017

Thanks

judandhispipe · December 2017

Smoked it long ago -then I discovered real pipe shops and good tobacco, and never went back.

Topaz75 · December 2017

I’m clearly in the minority here, as Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey has been my go to blend for the last 40 years or so. In fact, I smoked it exclusively until just a couple of years ago when my stepson bought me something different for Father’s Day and gave me a P&C catalog.

Joining this forum has definitely broadened my horizons. I’ve enjoyed a number of new blends, most notably Frog Morton’s Cellar, Barbados Plantation, and MM American Patriot. However, my baseline continues to be BR and I always include it in substantial quantities whenever I order tobacco. I’ve also found that I really like the BR Cherry Cavendish.

Borkum Rif

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