There is some sort of a taste in this blend that is separate from the tobacco. Some people refer to it as a chemical taste. I can see where they get that, but for me it is not at all unpleasant. In fact it is my favorite part of the smoke. If you are looking for a smoke to mow the lawn or do other chores with this is your ticket. Smoke it in a cob with some good coffee and live the american dream one bowl at a time. Highly recommended.

It's perfect for these approaches, because it burns well and relatively quickly, and I've yet to be able to make it bite- even when I'm smoking hastily.

It's very mild and inhale-able, and smells like a less "dirty" cigarette in the room. The flavor is mildly sweet and nutty upon the first part of the bowl, then just moves on to nutty. Very benign and mouth-friendly throughout. Very one-dimensional. For me, it's a more pleasant and smooth smoke than Prince Albert, which I've also smoked a considerable amount of.

I saw one previous reviewer really hating on this tobacco as the equivalent of American chocolate, and that those who are into this blend might be naive to the world of real quality out there- maybe suggesting that people smoke it because they don't realize how much better it can get. Well, I have had a variety of blends that I adore from GL Pease, C&D, MacB, Dunhill, McClelland, Gawith, Rattray's, etc. I've also had four star meals at restaurants owned by Iron Chefs. But sometimes I just want to grab a sandwich from the drive-thru. If I'm looking for a deep, rich, profound, or complex smoking experience, I certainly look elsewhere.

Sometimes I just want "tobacco fast-food" when I'm too busy to be the seated, contemplative, bearded, reading, cardigan-equipped, insightful, "consumer and critic of fine things" pipe smoker that we all deep down would like to consider ourselves. Sometimes the dog needs walking, the trash needs taking out, the taxes need doing, the cigarette smoking guys need my company, the hiring band needs to sound-check NOW, and I need my pipe to accompany. And this is just the perfect ticket for mindless puffage and pipe break-in.

That said, I found this to be not bad, but less than I'd hoped. First, the right things. The pouch aroma is inviting with its smell of figs. It's ready to smoke straight from the pouch, packs easily and is free of stems. It lights easily and stays lit to the bottom, leaving a fine white ash. It doesn't bite, and the room note isn't bad. And, hey, it's cheap.

The problem is the flavor. At its best, it's adequate, but I continue to get a chemical aftertaste after each puff, particularly if the bowl is getting hot. And, maybe its me (and this isn't necessarily bad), but I get more than a "sprinkle" of Virginia from this.

In short, if I were in a situation where I didn't have any tobacco and the drug store was the only place to get some, I'd probably get this. But, short of that, there are better blends out there for when I want some burley (see McCranies Old Master).

I tend to describe these low end tobaccos by explaining chocolate. Very good Belgian, French, Swiss or German chocolates are a revelation to many Americans when they are tasted the first time. There is so much depth of flavor and the texture is different. All around much better than your average Hershey bar that contains very little real chocolate (cocoa).

Well friends, that is what these American drug store blends are like. American chocolate. Yes, it tastes somewhat of tobacco, but not ANYTHING like real tobacco. Not surprisingly, Carter Hall failed in every way for this smoker. I prefer to have the best that my resources will buy, and this ain't it by a long shot.

I'm sure that this is heresay to many fellow pipers. I'm sorry for that, but after nearly 30 years as a food and wine professional at a high level I trust my tastes more than most. Cheers!

As far as the strength, there must be some body chemistry thing between CH and me. I ALWAYS feel the nic when I smoke this. Did I get a tub that was off? I'm not talking about Lakeland levels of nicotine, but I normally don't ever detect nic, being a lifelong cigarette smoker and snuff user. I reach for CH when I need some nic.

It's a great morning smoke, it's great when you need a little nic kick, it's kind of a window to the past. Carter Hall won't ring every pipe smoker's bell, but for the right ones it's an indispensable tobacco. I'm not cellaring CH or anything, but something would feel amiss if there wasn't a pouch sitting next to my pipe rack. A classic Burley-Va mixture that has the ability to turn back the clock, and all of a sudden it's 1974 and I'm 8 again, watching Star Trek TOS on my grandmother's console television and the house is full of the smells of her cooking and I can hear coffee percolating in the kitchen.

I expected the topping to come on strong during the smoke but it never happened. It is there and it adds a subtle sweetness that is pleasing to me, but it remains in its place. Good tobacco flavor with a nutty sweetness. No bite for me and easy to clean your pipe when finished. All pouches I have purchased have been consistent from top to bottom. Room note is not fantastic but is not offensive in any way.

This is a good all around inexpensive smoke. Burley FTW!

Not being able to find any of my old pipes, I had to purchase new, and go through the break-in process. After a few bowls of the blend recommended by the Brick 'n Mortar (unsatisfactory), I recalled how much I used to enjoy Carter Hall.

Off to the local cigarette retailer, and they had Carter Hall in stock. After smoking it, I have to say that it packs easy, lights easy, and burns well. The nutty flavor of burley is pleasant.

Carter Hall is not a complex tobacco, but is a good tobacco. An excellent all-day smoke if you smoke more than one or two bowls a day.

Builds cake quickly when you are trying to break in a new pipe, and is a good and flavorful smoke during the break in period. It's qualities improve as the pipe breaks in.

A tobacco to always keep around.

Your Brother in Smoke

3/4 Stars

After disliking Prince Albert and Walter Raleigh, I held very little hope for Carter Hall. After reading so many reviews about CH being inexpensive yet acceptable to good if not great, I had to give it a go. Carter Hall is not awful, certainly. In fact, it is a better buy than many blends at thrice the price. One could say it is an effective palate cleanser. Burley is my least favourite tobacco, but here it is not nastiness at first light. I am not likely to buy again, but I do see why so many have reviewed it favourably.

I spent thousand of hard earned dollars on top rated tobaccos, lost countless days of sleep trying to locate very hard to find tobaccos, and then waited weeks for stuff to arrive from around the world... but low and behold the tobacco that would win me over was a mere 658 feet away (yes I measured) sitting on a shelf at Rite Aid for $5 a pouch.

Carter Hall has been around since the 18-freaking hundreds for a reason. I have smoked over 40 bowls of this stuff. It is very good! It is not an aromatic, but has a pleasantly semi sweet room note. It tastes like burley, with an ever so slight hint of figs. Mid bowl it smells like toasted bread, with a woodsy aroma and a distant hint of marshmallows. And it finished off with a nice smell of freshly roasted coffee beans. The warm empty bowl right after smoking smells like burnet Turkish coffee beans, very pleasant. And NO disgusting aftertaste.

Perfect moisture, and honestly it is the only tobacco I have tried that did not need a relight, and smoked all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

It is my daily smoker. I have six 14 oz. cans of this stuff on standby.

I can shamelessly say that smoking Carter Hall was the best experience I have had with pipe tobacco in the past year. Give it it a shot, its only $5.

P.S. Top rated, expensive tobaccos for sale... ; )

The burley does the driving but VA can be detected and adds to the overall composition. Exhale through your nose and you will notice that VA zest.

Smells great while burning and has attracted more positive comments from bystandards than other burley blends, but will leave a cigarette-ish smell lurking if smoked inside that my wife hates. So watch out for that.

At just over $20 for 14OZ this is a steal and I find this blend to be very underated due to its drug store status.

I have found that a bowlful of CH in a Dr. Grabow Grand Duke is one of life's simple pleasures. Old Pop-Pop had it right.

I know there are many reviewers here that do not like "Drugstore Tobaccos". That is fine, you do not have to bye them. I do like SOME of them, and most of the time can not afford anything else. I am just happy there is several decent more affordable tobaccos still around!