Michael Gouge

Pipe Tobacco Review: Five Brothers Is a Terrific Smoke With a Deep History

With a pedigree lasting 155 years, Five Brothers Pipe Tobacco is a living classic. It is a shag cut pure burley blend with a legendary strength. This high nicotine sets it quite apart from some of the more well known pouch tobaccos. With its unassuming label, pure tobacco flavor, and strength, Five Brothers is primarily…

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These Bulk Pipe Tobaccos Are Great for Aging in the Cellar

Introduction For the committed pipe smoker, one of the goals is a well-stocked tobacco cellar. Depending on the smoker’s means and rate of smoking this can be a handful of blends — or hundreds of jars, tins, and mylar bags reaching into the hundreds of pounds. No matter where along this spectrum you might fall,…

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Peter Stokkebye PS 41 Cube Cut

Peter Stokkebye PS 41 Cube Cut is an old fashioned burley forward bulk offering. Cube cut is made by heating then pressing Virginia and Burley in the Cavendish process. This yields a hard plug that is then chopped into hard, dense little nuggets. Michael gives a brief overview of PS 41, its production, and components….

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Pipe Tobacco Review: Sutliff Cringle Flake 2019 Has Great Flavor But Doesn’t Stay Lit

Cringle Flake is a small production Virginia Flake, limited holiday release started by Sutliff in 2019. It appears to be an annual tradition as this was followed up with Sutliff Cringle Flake 2020, a Virginia-Perique Flake. This is fantastic news for Virginia fans who had looked forward each year to McClelland’s Christmas Cheer. Christmas Cheer…

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5 Rare Pipe Tobaccos Worth Smoking

Introduction In every hobby, once one gets past the basics and decides it’s worth pursuing, you look beyond the everyday and towards the upper echelon, where the promise of quality and a unique experience creates a demand that far outstrips supply. Those even passingly familiar with bourbon have heard of Pappy Van Winkle. In the…

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Pipe Tobacco Review: ‘Corn Cob Pipe and a Button Nose’ Has Terrific Packaging But Awful Flavor

For his sixth review at simplystogies.com Michael goes over a holiday themed blend, C&D’s Corncob Pipe and Button Nose. Originally released just for the 2016 season, it found such a good reception that it has now become a perennial blend. Michael gives an overview of the tobacco, describes the leaf quality and moisture, waxes lyrical…

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Pipe Tobacco Review: Lane HGL Is an Aromatic Blend With a Small Sweet Spot

For his fifth review at simplystogies.com Michael goes over a classic crossover blend, also known as Aromatic-English, Lane HGL. A crossover blend is part aromatic, part English mixture, perfect for someone who loves the smoky-leather notes but wants to keep their friends around while they enjoy their pipe. These can be an easy introduction into…

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Pipe Tobacco Review: McClelland Frog Morton Is a Rich, Flavorful Smoke

In his fourth review for Simply Stogies, Michael reviews McClelland’s Frog Morton. Sadly, like all of McClelland’s blends, this has been discontinued. However, the original Frog Morton, also known as ‘Frog on a log’ due to the tin art is among the most accessible of the McClelland tins in the pipe tobacco consignment market, likely…

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Everything You Need to Know to About Smoking Pipe Tobacco

Introduction From the outside, pipe smoking can be daunting. How do you choose a pipe? What tobaccos do you start with? How do you pack a bowl? How do you light it? Tamping, what does that even mean? This is a quick guide to help those intrigued by the hobby of pipe smoking by providing…

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Pipe Tobacco Review: Wessex Gold Slice

Wessex Gold Slice is the subject of Michael’s third pipe tobacco review on simplystogies.com. Gold Slice is a straight Virginia flake with no discernable or advertised added flavoring. Like most straight Virginias, this Flake is designed for the experienced pipe smoker, requiring a mature palate to fully appreciate the nuances, and the mechanical expertise to…

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