Maybe so. But except for a ridiculous little toy-size tankard I got for my then-wife, I've never had a less than solidly good-smoking/tasting* Peterson billiard or bulldog. And that's going by maybe 20 of them over the years.

*One dip-stained exception (before that got taken care of).

"Aroma when being drilled" sounds funny, but briar does give off an aroma while it is being bored that is quite different from the aroma that the wood exudes when the pipe is smoked.

An experienced pipe maker can make a fairly accurate judgement of how well the briar was boiled, dried and cured, if he pays attention during the boring process.

Smell, feel and sound while boring are all useful indicators as to the overall quality and eventual smoking attributes of the finished pipe.

Mike B.