Codger Blends (American Classics)

Codger blends is the collective name for the classic pipe tobaccos mass-produced in large factories and sold on American drugstore, supermarket, and gas-station shelves throughout the 20th century. "Codger" is a wry term for a good-natured but somewhat cranky old man, often used of a certain kind of old-timer; since these tobaccos are associated across generations with the everyday smoking of the grandfather generation, they are known by this name.

The same family is also referred to as "over the counter" (OTC) blends, and, historically referring to where they were sold, "drugstore blends."

The Burley Tradition

The backbone of codger blends is Burley tobacco. The nutty, earthy character of this air-cured variety is softened in most examples with a touch of cocoa, molasses, or vanilla; the details of this process are described in the entry on casing and flavoring. Some blends add a small amount of Virginia for sweetness and an even burn. The cuts are of the easy-to-pack, easy-to-burn kind; Prince Albert's "crimp cut" is the best-known example of this. The tin and the pouch packaging that fits in a shirt pocket are also part of these tobaccos' everyday identity.