John Middleton, Inc Carter Hall

This is what started it all for me. Carter Hall, in a plastic tub. A forever four-star blend in my mind.

My friends and I started smoking at an early age...maybe 12 or 13, and we’d steal cigarettes from our parents. When my friend’s dad quit cigarettes for a pipe, this is what he smoked and we would swipe it by the handful and smoke it in whatever cob or briar or cherrywood was laying about the house. We were bad kids. He knew, of course, but never really said much about it.

The aroma of this stuff is classic codger drug store Chevrolet fireworks cheeseburger flag waving America goodness. Timeless and authentic as it gets.

Carter Hall takes me back to my younger days, hearing old time fiddle tunes coming from the kitchen at 2am, claw hammer banjo, upright bass, a battle tested D-28 keeping rythym, and stomping and dancing so hard that the beer bottles are rattling off the kitchen table. Copping a swig of whiskey when the adults aren’t looking and squeezing out an upstairs window with a chewed up corncob pipe to smoke Carter Hall on the rooftop. Watching traffic slow down on the street below us, the drivers rolling down their windows in the night air to hear the music. Smelling that sweet, sugary and nutty smoke and knowing that there was something to this whole pipe thing. Hearing laughter downstairs as the tune ends and someone asks, “where are the boys, are they up on the damn roof again?” Someone shouts out a tune and the music fills the air. Everything is perfect.

I bought a pouch of Carter Hall not too long ago and smoked a bowl. I was transported to that time again, and the nostalgia brought a tear to my eye. Who am I kidding, I wept like a baby for those carefree times.

But like life, my tastes had become more complex, I found the smoke to be a one-note wonder, but not unpleasant in any conceivable way. Nutty and straightforward as a tobacco can be. The flood of memories made it one of the most memorable smokes I’ve ever had, though. Something I may only repeat a few more times in my life.

They say that olfactory memories are some of the strongest memories there are, and Carter Hall is the smell of my most formative years.

My grandfather began smoking a pipe in 1917 when he joined the navy during WWI. He smoked Carter Hall then and did so until his death in 1973. Carter Hall to me is like the feeling you get when you are six years old and it is December 23rd, you know the warm feeling you get in your stomach as you sit in front of the lit up Christmas tree with the room lights out. To me it brings back fond memories of my Grandfather. Just mentioning the name, Carter Hall or smelling a fresh open pack causes fond memories to rush into my head. It will always be my favorite, not only for the memories, but also for the comfort it gives me like "comfort food" does for most people. Sure there are many tobaccos with much more complex flavors and taste, but there are few like Carter Hall and the likes of such tabacos as Prince Albert that have that long embedded history with smokers of the past 100 years or more.

Opening a 15 month old pouch of Carter Hall I was greeted with light brown finely cut ribbons in various shades and lengths. It was a little dry, but not too dry, what I consider perfect. It smelled of a Hershey’s chocolate bar with a light nuttiness, maybe more like a candy bar wrapper. An unlit sip was oily and nutty, and the charring light brought a fragrant sweetness. Overall this is a very consistent blend. There are no frills, just nutty burley and sweet Virginia. This pouch had the burley front and center with the Virginia playing backup and pretty much tasted like a fresh pouch. The sweetness of the Virginia reminded me of cane sugar, sweet, natural, and clean. The finish was short and left an oily mouth feel. The room note is pleasant, it reminds me of my grandparent’s home, and it left the room smelling clean and fragrant. I use this blend to break in pipes all the time, it seems to build a nice cake and there is no noticeable ghosting. I’d recommend Carter Hall to anyone wanting a straightforward, no frills codger blend or looking for a good blend to break in pipes.

The first real burley blend I've had. Didn't like it at first, but it's really grown on me and I like it quite a bit now. A blend every pipe smoker should try. Also is very pleasant with some Latakia blended in.

As mentioned in Pipe Stud's review this is an excellent blend for breaking in a new pipe. This is a premium burly that is a perfect smoke anytime. CH burns bite free and somewhat fast as most burly's do and as previously mentioned in other reviews has a great no nonsense tobacco flavor. CH is cased with a small amount of vanilla and gives it a sweet nutty flavor. I Have been smoking CH for years I love the aroma too, takes me back to a simpler time.

This has been my go to blend since I have started pipe smoking. Carter Hall is one of those tobaccos the never disappoints. Very pleasant raisin like smell from the tub. Tons of cool creamy smoke. It is one of the few blends that has never bit me despite how I abuse it. It does burn a tad on the fast side but for the price and availability I'm ok with that. (Just load up another bowl if you feel the need, it's cheap enough). It is the ONLY tobacco I can smoke all day with no negative effects or it wearing on my taste buds. Carter Hall may lack the snob appeal but that's just another positive in my opinion.

UPDATED at BOTTOM with a smoke of 1970's vintage Carter Hall

Upon opening the humidor I smelled rich tobacco, a touch of bourbon and a light fragrance of cocoa. The tobacco was absolutely perfect in its dryness and I let it sit out for about a half hour on a paper towel.

Nice cut tobacco that seemed to burn at a moderate rate. It burned down to a good gray ash and while it did not bite it showed a tendency to burn a bit hot at times even as I sipped slowly. The smoke was billowy and thick and at times touched upon creamy. A nice smooth smoke overall that required the average amount of re-lights. No moisture.

Upon lighting I experienced a rich tobacco with light nuttiness, a earthiness, lightly grassy with a pleasant light tang and a slight citrus background. A very pleasant and very light cocoa appeared and about a quarter of the way into the bowl a light molasses appeared. There was a wonderful sweet aftertaste and I had to look again as the label for the aftertaste reminded me very much of Field & Stream match. I enjoyed immensely the sweet slightly chocolate aftertaste. At about a third of the way down the bowl the cocoa switched into a light chocolate which lasted until just past halfway down the bowl. At that point the various light flavors began to slowly fade until only a tobacco flavor remained the last few sips.

This was a very pleasant smoke and I absolutely enjoyed my time touring Carter Hall in this smoke. The pleasant aftertaste lasted around a half hour after finishing the bowl. The only downside I could find with Carter Hall is that during the relights in the last half of the bowl I did find a slight cigarette taste during the re-lights. All in all a wonderful experience and this tobacco is definitely in my rotation of favorites. Again, the aftertaste and sweetness reminded me of F&S match but in a lighter and very pleasant way. A favorite blend for sure that is presently #2 on my rotation. Bought in a pouch

****UPDATED**** CARTER HALL from the 1970's-A Blast from the Past!

Today I received a wonderful package in the mail from a friend and it is Carter Hall from the 1970's. Now I went to high school in the 1970's so this is a blast from the past for me.

Upon opening the bag I smelled the flavors of a mild chocolate, rich tobacco and a light touch of bourbon. This was perfect in moisture content and the cut seemed to be more coarse than the present ribbon. This burned at a consistent moderate rate. Upon lighting a profusion of smoke came forth and the smoke was mild to thick and creamy. Once lit there were no re-lights. There was no moisture in the bowl. This burned to a dark gray ash. There was no bite and no rough edges for this was rich and mellow.

Upon lighting I taste a mild chocolate, a very smooth nutty flavor, a mild earthiness and a very, very mild grassy flavor and as the smoke progressed to ab out half way down the bowl this became a wonderful rich mild chocolate that had a bit of light raisin pop in and out occasionally. This left a nice chocolate aftertaste both during and after the smoke. Not as sweet as the new blend,, but in a deeper richer mellower flavor than the newer version of the blend. The aftertaste after the smoke lasted about 20 minutes.

I really enjoyed this vintage Carter Hall. Thank you Mike! The aging made this more mild, mellow and deeper in flavor. I enjoyed this very, very much. I give it a 5 our of 4 stars!!!

Pipe used; Wally Frank Pipe of the Month Rhodesian

Age When Smoked; 40 plus years

Gift from friend

Strength Mild

Flavoring-mild

Taste-Mild

Room Note-very pleasant

I can't add anything to all these conscientious reviews of Carter Hall that hasn't already been said- so this review recounts my experiences with CH matches, and where I think Carter Hall stands with regard to them.

Hearth & Home Chatham Manor: A very good tobacco, but I experience a little mid-palette tingle that I don't get with Carter Hall. The flavoring seems less chocolate-ty than Carter Hall. Where I get a wonderful nuttiness and cocoa on the tin note of Carter Hall, the Chatham Manor seems to have a more minerally tin note, like you get on the aroma of a flinty Chablis, or the hard-water edge of an English Bitter ale. There also is a hint of acetic/sherry vinegar in the pouch.

pipesandcigars Match Carter Hall: Again, I get just a touch of mid-palette tingle with this match that doesn't show up in Carter Hall. It is also a very good, high-quality tobacco, but the tin note is slightly more carmelly than Carter Hall.

I find Carter Hall to be smooth, and soothing. I smoke it as a "palette cleanser" after a bold tobacco, and it often cools any tongue bite I may have experienced from a previous bowl of some other tobacco. As others have said- I don't have to think too much about it. I get a wonderful, smooth, mellow chocolate flavor until about halfway through the bowl, followed by a gradual transition to a perfectly pH-balanced creamy smoke.

Carter Hall goes with medium roast Dominican coffee, as well as dark roasted Sulawesi, or even some wild Yemens. It goes with English beers nicely, like Bitters, Milds, and Porters, but also Cream Ales and Wheats. I love it with an Old Fashioned made with Rye. There is a place in the world for simple things- they add-to and enhance an experience, rather than demand center stage.

You absolutely can't go wrong with H&H Chatham Manor, or the P&C Match- they are both excellent, and you won't regret buying them, but I find Carter Hall to be the nicest of the three, and will always have some in the house.

When I know it's a "pipe zone" moment...when the nose and tongue are at optimum...and the day/evening has presented an opportunity to load a pipe, I invariably reach for Carter Hall. It's true that CH is in prime form in the morning paired with coffee. It's true that CH is a low maintenance, straight forward smoke. It's true that, for many, it is "comfort" tobacco. Dependable, consistent, and satisfying. It ebbs and flows with nutty, buttery, cocoa, molasses, and pepper peeking in now n then. CH will set about a familiar and agreeable room note too. All that, and more, from a "budget" OTC "codger". I have a respectable assortment of many popular and obscure premium blends, as well as a couple in the CH category. They all have their place and I am blessed to enjoy them. Carter Hall, however, is my "stranded on an island with a lifetime supply of just one blend" tobacco.