John Middleton, Inc Kentucky Club

This was the hero blend of a family friend, whom I observed in my younger years as one to emulate. Actually, he would switch to Prince Albert during the summer. For burley fans this would be a good start due to its availability and inexpensiveness. Out of the pouch it has, as a previous reviewer noted, an apple-ish aroma. It burns decently. The aroma was decent to almost non-descript. It certainy was anything but one of those blends that made you want to run for the hills as soon as it hit your nose. This blend deserves two stars.

OK, I'll admit it. I've been on a real nostalgic Americana OTC Burley blend kick this summer.

KC (Mild - in the Blue tin/pouch) is my latest um, "subject" and frankly, it reminds me of Carter Hall Light. To me, both Carter Hall and Kentucky Club share a similar sweet "apple-ish" aroma and to some extent, taste.

It's a very light and mild blend with a touch of artificial sweetness that finishes in the mouth. The cube cut also has some Prince Albert-ish "crimp cut" mixed in so it's easier to light and keep lit than say, Edgeworth. However, Edgeworth is a much classier blend all the way around.

Right now, Edgeworth is clearly top dog in my book followed by Prince Albert, while Carter Hall and Kentucky Club are tied in third place. But wait....Velvet and Granger are in the queue, so it ain't over quite yet.

I've come to really appreciate (if not love) these old American Burley blends but since I've almost forgotten what Latakia tastes like, Autumn needs to hurry up and get here.

In the meantime, you can catch me on the porch with Kentucky Club which, by the way, earns (and deserves) three solid stars.

I've been smoking this as a change of pace for the last 35+ years. I remember buying many pipes from a catalog that Kentucky Club used to publish and provide points coupons for discounts. I remember pipes selling for as little as $ 1.25 then.

Objectively, a mild, burley tobacco, with very little character. Not harsh, tongue bite is not a problem. A good smoke when golfing and doing household chores. I think it smokes best in a cob.

Recommended.

First off I should say I am a fan of burley blends and blends that have existed forever. Kentucky Club sadly has been overlooked by me for it is so cheap ($1.79 per pouch). I am not a pipe tobacco snob but I was wary that it was so cheap for negative reasons. I was wrong. The pouch aroma is nice but seems to have no continuing scent upon putting it under the flame. Once lit you get mild tasting burley that stays lit and stays smooth on the palate. I like Prince Albert for to me PA is nuttier and Kentucky Club to be fair seems more mellow in taste. I have been smoking bowl after bowl of this since the first and find it to be a good all day smoke when you don't want to think about what your smoking. Possibly the best intro to burley due to the mildness.

I have to admit that I only revisited this blend after reading the reviews on it here. For years I tried picking up pipe smoking, only ever having it last for a few months to a year. This was due to two factors; cheap tobacco and cheap pipes. But truthfully, many of the drugstore tobaccos are just as expensive as the bulk blends at any tobacconist. I never really enjoyed it the way I do now that I buy good pipes and really good tobacco.

That being said, I got to say that Kentucky Club was one of those blends I remembered having a fairly positive experience with. Along with Sail, it was really the only decent pipe mixture to be had where I lived. I enjoyed it then because it had a good tobacco taste rather than the heavy aroma of vanilla or cherries like many of the cheaper aromatics.

I picked up a pouch today, and it instantly brought back memories of my first pipe smoking days over 20 years ago. The aroma in the pouch was like trail mix (nutty and fruity), but pleasant. Upon lighting, the flavor (more like the taste of the aroma) was reminiscent of sweetgrass. But, it almost immediately burned off. It didn't bite like a virginia, but didn't assault my nostrils like a cavendish. The rest of the bowl was just nice and slightly sweet, but not sickenly so.

It was actually very pleasant to revisit this after so many years, and with a really good pipe. I think many of us will secretly admit to not being real conessieurs (heck, I can't even spell it) of tobacco; we either know what we like or we don't. But, if you don't mind owning up to the admission, and being seen with a pouch of $1.79 Kentucky Club in your smoking kit, life just got better for you.

Edit: I just compared this blend to what is considered a "really good" burley at my local tobacconist (blend called Sailor's Burley). The aroma of Kentucky Club (mild) was stronger than the Sailor's, possibly due to some kind of mild topping, or maybe the humectorant. The flavor of the Sailor's was a little milder, but a little cooler. The main difference is that I really got that burley "mentholatum burn" at the bottom of the bowl with the Sailor's Burley (got to be careful not to get mixed up and tell people I enjoyed the burley sailor). This comparison having been done, I will say that the Kentucky Club strikes me as a better tasting, fuller flavored smoke. But it was also more tarry, requiring twice the work to clean out the pipe.

This smells wonderful in the pouch, similar to fresh clover. I really like this tobacco, it has become my work smoke, for when I want a solid blend that keeps me happy, but doesn't require much attention. It has a nutty 'fresh' flavor, hard to describe. Better than Carter Hall which is the only other drugstore burley I have enjoyed. No tongue bite and it only got sour at the bottom of the bowl. Overall a very good tobacco, when you need a simple easy smoke.

My wife and I were returning from Wisconsin, driving east on Highway 2 along the north shore of Lake Michigan. We were running low on gas, so we stopped in a very small town at a Marathon gas station about 50 miles west of "the bridge" which connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan.

There, by the counter, was a display of Kentucky Club tobacco in pouches. This was the first time I had seen it anywhere. And having read the positive reviews, I had been looking. Seek and ye shall find.

In the pouch it has a scent that I have detected in several other "drug store" burley blends: familiar, pleasant, yet difficult to describe.

This is a very nice smoke. The short crimp cut makes it easy to fill the bowl. I smoke it in a large cob that has become my favorite pipe. Given the cut, it does burn rather quickly. And, hence, it can get a little hot on the tongue if one smokes vigorously. It is now half an hour since my last bowl and I am feeling no tongue burn, however.

It smokes, smells and tastes like a nice, unadorned, burley. It is much better than the Hickory blend (also a burley) which I have smoked in the past. If you like burley and enjoy the taste of good, simple, unpretentious tobacco, you will be well pleased with Kentucky Club.

A pleasant, low key burley blend that doesn't try to be anything it isn't. I recently spotted a pouch of this in my local grocery store for $1.65 and couldn't resist the tempation. Of all of the so called "drug store" tobaccos, this has become one of my favorites. Not much aroma in the pouch, it packs easily even using the old time dip- it-into-the-pouch-and-pack-with-one-finger method. Lights easily and stays lit. It's not elegant, except perhaps in it's simplicity. This is my no brainer smoke, and I usually smoke it in a large cob driving home from a night shift. It burns cool and dry. A great basic burley smoke, nothing fancy but reliable and reasonably tasty. (2 -2-05)

This is a classic, old timey, cube cut, burley. The pouch aroma is cool and sweet, very reminiscent of Granger. The small cubes load beautifully, and when lit give that mild, nutty taste any burley lover will appreciate. The nicotine content is much milder than Granger, although they are similar in many ways. The aroma while smoking is mild and pleasant. This could be nice (and very inexpensive) all day smoke. Cool and dry. Best in a cob. Milan tobacco and Mars Cigar carry it in the pouch for a very reasonable price.

BONUS: As I can't seem to get Kentucky Club Mixture added to the database, I'll give you my impressions here!

This is an everything but the kitchen sink kind of blend. It has perique, white burley, Carolina, and Virginia bright, tossed together in a wild array of cubes, ribbons and flakes, it has an aromatic topping that I can't identify. The "perique" is pretty harsh, and my experience with it kept me away from the real thing for a while. I love the way this stuff is packaged, very retro in its plaid pouch. I did not love the taste or aroma too much, as it was harsh and hot. I might give it a whirl on down the road, but this blend just was too chaotic flavor wise.

Two stars.