John Middleton, Inc Carter Hall

I smoked this years ago whenever I started pipe smoking. I tried it because so many people recommended it. I liked it somewhat, but I have never quite understood what the hype was all about. The pouch note is of burleys with a slight grassy VA behind them. It packs well and burns evenly (albeit very quickly like most burley blends). The initial taste, to me, seemed very nutty...more than what I really enjoy. I could not really taste the sweetness that I smelled in the pouch, but I seem to always detect a slight maple aroma in the smoke. It is VERY slight, but to me, it's definitely present.

It isn't a bad smoke to have with morning coffee. Honestly though, I'd much rather have Prince Albert or Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic instead.

This is a special review for me , it's my 50th brand (208 reviews) and it gets me my " Scholar Badge" so I had to find a memorable entry !!! Why not from the brand I smoked my first pipe , John Middleton ( cherry blend ) some 50 years ago. Well I decided I don't remember "Cherry Blend ", but I do remember that I don't want to remember Cherry blend, so I picked up a pouch of Carter Hall !!!

Why do all the OTC blends use that same topping ??? What is it ??? Whiskey/Vanilla ??? Doesn't Prince Albert use that also ??? It's always slathered over a Burley. Now "Mixture #79" used a different topping, wow ( funniest review I've ever read is "zulujerk 2006-02-10, on Mixture 79, go read it), do you mean to tell me they tried 78 others that weren't as good !!!!

Anyway, can you tell that I'm really not into bashing this blend or writing this review , sorry to waste your time but it's been an enjoyable 50 year ride. You really want to know about this blend .....read the other 300 reviews, someone likes it ( 26 favorites).

I did not find the topping of Carter Hall to be particularly pleasant. This is a decent smoke; however, I prefer Granger or Prince Albert.

I have to say, im a little disappointed with this one. I love burley blends,and puff on them daily. I found the cut to be fairly inconsistant, as well as poor grade tobacco seemed to be used as filler(large chunks and sticks). Upon opening the pouch i found the smell pleasant, kinda nutty(pecans and cashews)and somewhat hoppy, almost malty.After doing the three finger pinch, i found this blend to be a little dry, but i understand some like it that way. It packed well, and stayed lit all the way through, it tasted of good stout or porter with mild accents of walnuts,but not too overpowering as to take away form the burley flavour(i dont think this blend is cased, the flavouring must just be the properties of this specific tobacco) Around mid-bowl i found it to get a little hot, although i tend to smoke a little fast.Towards the last half, the "burley bitters" showed their ugly head, and i opted to dump the bowl and re-pack.(typical of drugstore burleys)I did purchase several pouches, and my review may change after i finish them all. I also realize that buying the tub may offer a fresher, moister tabac, and more consistant baccy, as ive came to this conclusion with other blends as well. I prefer Half&Half and Prince albert, but i would buy this again as a change of pace. Its worth a try!

Carter Hall doesn't pretend to be something it's not: It's got nothing in it except burley, burley, and more burley (and a little, but not overloaded with, Propylene Glycol). There is no flavouring apparent. It naturally tastes a bit like walnuts, and has a dry, cool smoking quality, unlike most other drugstore tobaccos. It doesn't try too hard, its taste and strength are very mild. It leaves only a tiny bit of dottle and burns into a fine, grey ash. However, the taste can be rather boring and dry, and like other John Middleton tobaccos, they seem to taste like dry nuts, and nothing else. If you'd like to try a classic, try this or Prince Albert (preferrably Prince Albert, as it's half a star better), but it's not all that fantastic except for tradition.

Well, I read all the good reviews and hype and was really hoping I'd like Carter Hall. I do not. I agree with a previous reviewers recomendation to just take it for what it is. It is a simple, old fashioned, inexpensive tobacco, and it tastes just like what it is. From the moment I opened the pouch, the aroma was not to my liking. There was an odd smell that didn't set well with my palate or stomach. This mystery element also came through in the smoke. It's kind of a chemical odor. The leaf is obviously of a lesser grade than that found in the pricier brands, although it seems decent enough. It smokes cool and stays lit with little effort, but unfortunately it is completely one dimensional. If I hadn't been fortunate enough to smoke all the "designer" blends I have, then maybe I might like this more, but it just doesn't do anything for me. In its day it was the norm, but now it has to be compared to some really intricate and complex blends. It's like one man humming compared to a full symphony orchestra. Not that I want to compare it to anything else, but I can't help but notice how it just pales in comparison to the designer blends. So it is what it is. I'd give it one star, but I'll give it two because it's so inexpensive.

This old-time drug store blend has its positive features: simple, uncomplicated, readily available, and burns well. But the fruit top-note just doesn't appeal to me that much. I really enjoy burleys, and there are better ones out there that are still straightforward and old-fashioned.

you know, I don't know what I was thinking. I was trying to convince myself this was a super light aromatic, which it may be, but it doesn't matter to me, because I just can't deal with noticeable flavorings. Okay, I'm sure someone will say there's often some sugar or mollases in some blends I like (perhaps McClelland's?), but I can deal with that I guess as long as it mostly tastes like tobacco. My favorite tobaccos right now are the Cornell and Diehl varieties like Old Joe Krantz, Night Train and Three Friars. They claim they use only distilled water in their processing, so I guess it must be true I don't like additional flavorings. Anyway, it's amazing the flavors that are already in those types of blends, so I just honestly don't understand aromatics. I hate to be so confrontational here at the review site of America's most popular aromatic, if you don't count Lane 1-Q I suppose.

I will say this tobacco is made with some good burley, of a lighter color than I normally see, and there are probably some Virginia brights in there also. It's a shame as every once in a while very late in the bowl (well, starting around mid-bowl really) I get some great tobacco flavors. But all the time, and especially during the awful first half of the bowl, all I can taste is that terrible apple or orange liqueur flavor. Yuck. I just wanted to taste some tobacco. What can I say to stop whining about it? I like Prince Albert much better, maybe the flavoring there is a little more subtle I guess, and the tobacco probably undergoes a different process. All I can say is that I wish they made a "natural" version of Carter Hall, without the flavorings.

I've been smoking this stuff off and on in cobs, and managed to overlook reviewing it. I remember this being around even when I was a kid, and have tried it off and on over the years when ever I have tried to pick up pipe smoking, and make it stick.

Carter Hall is just what everyone else here says; inexpensive, readily available, fairly tasty, and very mild. That being said, is this enough reason to go out and buy it given the availability of many fine burley blends today? Let's see.

A tin of MacBaren's Burley London runs about $12 for 3.5 oz. That same amount of money will buy about 12 oz. of Carter Hall. And I found the MacB's to be only slightly more full flavored, but with a hell of a lot more bite than CH. Though CH is dericively referred to as a "drugstore blend", that doesn't mean you shouldn't smoke it. Remember, years ago drugstores were like the wal-marts of rural America; they carried everything, and were the only places to get any kind of pipe tobacco. And, Carter Hall has been around a long, long time.

I find that I do like this blend; it's cool to the palate, only slightly sweet, and doesn't bite. However, I do not smoke it in briars because it does have a tendency to burn a little fast if you're not careful, and can get hot in the pipe (but still with no tongue bite). I also would relegate this to an outdoors smoke; not because the aroma is offensive, but because it just smells like something you know is going to leave a stale room aroma over time. But hell, for puttering in the yard, or taking a walk, it's just fine.

Carter Hall is not a fine tobacco blend. It is an unassuming, unpretentious blend for those who aren't necessarily looking for a lot of distractions with their smoke. There is absolutely nothing to not like about it, but not a lot you can say stands out about it either. As long as you're not worried about your local pipe circle labelling you as "common" for smoking so pedestrian a blend, it's worth a try. I love GL Pease blends, Petersons, and Orlik Dark Kentucky Flake (a much stronger version of what CH aspires to be). But, I don't mind being seen with a "drugstore" tobacco, and I am okay with saying that I like Carter Hall plenty enough to buy a pouch every few months or so.