saw this victorian era cigarette card (the brand was based in rochester) which got me thinking about tins of loose tobacco i/we got when living in blue hill maine 30 years ago this summer. remembered the green tins but didnt have anything else to go on name-wise. even after seeing the tin it took a while for the name to click into place, three castles. was good stuff though almost too moist.

- dave 2-22-2023 12:49 pm [add a comment]

one enthusiastic review for it. apparently it is out of production.

Three Castles may have been the best handrolling tobacco ever produced. Incredibly subtle, it wasn't for every taste. Its exceptional mildness was the result of some kind of esoteric method of water treatment borrowed from the ancient Chinese; I cannot recollect the specifics, but I believe the leaves were soaked before being cured, removing a fair amount of nicotine.

I do still remember the scent of the tobacco, though: hay and brown sugar, a vague whisper of lemon. Room aroma was kith and kin to a classic straight Virginia: something like baking bread, and very acceptable to most non-smokers if rolled in a good quality hemp or rice paper. It was a fairly damp tobacco; Imperial cased it with humectant before tinning.

A knockout smoke, all told. When I started smoking it I'd tried nearly every handrolling tobacco I could find. Three Castles was entirely unique; it burned cool, was easy on the lungs, and had a marvelous flavor. If I ever smell it burning again, I'm going to have one whopper of a Proustian moment.

Nothing like it, before or since. A few come close, though, most notably Auld Kendal Gold, if you can find it in the original fine shag cut. Stokkebye Danish is a solid choice, too, although it's a little more citrus forward. McConnell Special London is the wild card: sometimes it overwhelms with citrus, sometimes it's more even-tempered, like Three Castles.

A brand revival was attempted a few years back. Disaster. If some enterprising person could bribe the original formula out of an old Imperial employee and resume production in the U.S., they'd have a hit on their hands.

Similar Blends: Stokkebye Danish; McConnell Special London Fine Cut..

Bugle was the cheep go to. 

• only had it a few times but was garbage to the best of my recollection which is honestly not great. drum was the go to for roll your own. this was a lighter-colored tobacco and cheaper than pre-rolls i think but still kind of mess to deal with.

  
  - dave 2-22-2023 3:02 pm [add a comment]




• My dad tried the Laredo machine and tobacco, but didn't stick with it.

  
  - alex 2-22-2023 4:15 pm [add a comment]




• My dad also tried the Laredo machine with limited success

  
  - steve 2-22-2023 9:04 pm [add a comment]




• I remember many attempts to use it with marijuana shake which was too dry wouldn't compact like the moister tobacco so it would split the paper. Using l weed produced loose cigarettes and the pot would just fall out of the paper tube.

  
  - steve 2-22-2023 9:10 pm [add a comment]




• Oh yeah. When getting papers was difficult or even illegal, bugler came through. You’re right, drum was go to self roller smoke.

  
  - bill 2-22-2023 4:17 pm [add a comment]




• Laredo allowed side stepping a bunch of tax too.
  - bill 2-22-2023 4:18 pm [add a comment]