John Middleton, Inc Prince Albert
(2.94)
Crimp-cut, mild smoking mixture. Made in the USA.
Notes: Tobacco Hall of Fame Inductee. Prince Albert was introduced by R.J Reynolds in 1907. R.J. Reynolds sold the brand to the John Middleton Tobacco Company, Limerick, PA, in 1987. As of 2021, the production moved from the USA to Dominican Republic.
Details
| Brand | John Middleton, Inc |
| Blended By | John Middleton, Inc |
| Manufactured By | John Middleton, Inc. |
| Blend Type | Burley Based |
| Contents | Burley, Cavendish |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 1.5 oz pouch; 14 oz plastic tub |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.94 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 194 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 05, 2013 | Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I'll admit, for many years I was too much of a tobacco snob to try PA. I mean, come on, my grandpa smoked this stuff. But wait! I always loved going to visit Grandpa; I loved the scent of his pipe. So, I checked out the reviews here on this page, and they encouraged me to give PA a try. I had to wait till I was back in the States, though, since I cannot buy it here in Germany. Finally, in 2011, I had a chance. Well, I was pleasantly surprised...
Packaging: old-fashioned, but nostalgic, although I wish that the description on the pouch were better. Whether you buy the cellophane wrapped box with "luxury" pouch or the tub, both will have kept your PA from drying out. The "luxury" pouch is somewhat awkward and doesn't close well, making it difficult to keep the tobacco moist. The tub does a fantastic job of keeping the tobacco just right, even over a long period of time (right now, I am finishing a tub I opened 14 months ago, and the moisture content is just fine. Contrary to several other reviewers, I do not detect any traces of propylene glycol.
Pouch/tub note: typical nutty Burley aroma; I detect no additional flavoring.
Room note: pleasant, sweet, crowd pleasing, commonly draws remarks like: "Mmm! My grandpa used to smoke something that smelled like that!"
Smoke: PA has a fine cut, which allows for an initial gravity filling of the bowl. It packs well and lights up easily. The burn is cool and even. It is possible to rush this and get "tobacco juice" and tongue bite, but you really have to try hard. The taste is pleasant, ranging from coffee and chocolate to nuts and licorice.
As many have remarked, this is not a gourmet meal, but rather meat-n-potatoes. I would recommend this to any pipe smoker, expert or novice, fan of English or aromatic. It is a good smoke any time of day.
Packaging: old-fashioned, but nostalgic, although I wish that the description on the pouch were better. Whether you buy the cellophane wrapped box with "luxury" pouch or the tub, both will have kept your PA from drying out. The "luxury" pouch is somewhat awkward and doesn't close well, making it difficult to keep the tobacco moist. The tub does a fantastic job of keeping the tobacco just right, even over a long period of time (right now, I am finishing a tub I opened 14 months ago, and the moisture content is just fine. Contrary to several other reviewers, I do not detect any traces of propylene glycol.
Pouch/tub note: typical nutty Burley aroma; I detect no additional flavoring.
Room note: pleasant, sweet, crowd pleasing, commonly draws remarks like: "Mmm! My grandpa used to smoke something that smelled like that!"
Smoke: PA has a fine cut, which allows for an initial gravity filling of the bowl. It packs well and lights up easily. The burn is cool and even. It is possible to rush this and get "tobacco juice" and tongue bite, but you really have to try hard. The taste is pleasant, ranging from coffee and chocolate to nuts and licorice.
As many have remarked, this is not a gourmet meal, but rather meat-n-potatoes. I would recommend this to any pipe smoker, expert or novice, fan of English or aromatic. It is a good smoke any time of day.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2008 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Oh yeah baby! I have purchased pouches of the Prince many times over the years and smoke the stuff up just for the fun and nostalgia. Pure burley, cool and pleasant. The room note sends the ladies running--in your direction!
If cheap and tasty rings your bell, then ding-a-ling, grab a pouch of the Prince!
If cheap and tasty rings your bell, then ding-a-ling, grab a pouch of the Prince!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 05, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The Prince Albert in the can joke is older than I am. OTC blends are held in such distain that I avoided them, until now. Curiosity finally got the better of me.
The good: It's cheap, I mean - really cheap. It is readily available at almost any drug or grocery store. It comes in either a handy size 1.5 oz. pouch or the large jar. Perfect moisture right out of the pouch. To say that this blend lights easily would be an understatement. One simply has to touch the flame to the tobacco, and it lights instantly and fully. Burns superbly, almost no relights are necessary. Lots of smoke. Pleasant aroma. Burns COOL. Delicate taste. No bite. Zero dottle.
The bad: Very mild monochromatic taste. Must be sipped for maximum enjoyment. Puffing can and will cause the burley to become harsh, and the taste can erode quickly mid-bowl if this happens. Burns so easily that the bowl doesn't last all that long.
Recommendations: Gravity pack VERY loosely. Light touch with the tamper. Gentle light. Always sip.
I can see now why this blend has been around for decades, and why it was a staple of our grandfathers. For the money, it isn't half bad - a pleasant surprise. A nice change of pace from smoking Latakia bombs, Balkan's, aromatics, straight Virginia's, flakes, and the dreaded tongue burners.
The good: It's cheap, I mean - really cheap. It is readily available at almost any drug or grocery store. It comes in either a handy size 1.5 oz. pouch or the large jar. Perfect moisture right out of the pouch. To say that this blend lights easily would be an understatement. One simply has to touch the flame to the tobacco, and it lights instantly and fully. Burns superbly, almost no relights are necessary. Lots of smoke. Pleasant aroma. Burns COOL. Delicate taste. No bite. Zero dottle.
The bad: Very mild monochromatic taste. Must be sipped for maximum enjoyment. Puffing can and will cause the burley to become harsh, and the taste can erode quickly mid-bowl if this happens. Burns so easily that the bowl doesn't last all that long.
Recommendations: Gravity pack VERY loosely. Light touch with the tamper. Gentle light. Always sip.
I can see now why this blend has been around for decades, and why it was a staple of our grandfathers. For the money, it isn't half bad - a pleasant surprise. A nice change of pace from smoking Latakia bombs, Balkan's, aromatics, straight Virginia's, flakes, and the dreaded tongue burners.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 15, 2015 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Yes, this is an absurdly cheap tobacco. I bought the pouch at my local grocer for $3.
The pouch note reminds me of chewing tobacco.
I don't find this as good as SWR, but it is a very good burley based tobacco. Plenty of flavor and not likely to offend many bystanders as the odor is fairly pleasant. I did find this to be better than Carter Hall or Half and Half.
The old tins of this state "pipe and cigarette" tobacco; however, the cut of this is not what I would call a ribbon and must have changed over the years. Very easy to pack and light. No extra lighting needed. I didn't find this to burn fast or hot, but I got more flavor from it by sipping versus going steam train with it. No issues with it making my pipe wet. No real negatives, no super positives. This is about as plain Jane as it gets with tobacco.
If you do not have a huge budget for tobacco and lack a cellar stockpile, this is an inexpensive and decent tobacco that I would recommend as an all day smoke.
Edit: I like it so much I keep a can in the floorboard of my car now. It has become my most frequent smoke of late.
The pouch note reminds me of chewing tobacco.
I don't find this as good as SWR, but it is a very good burley based tobacco. Plenty of flavor and not likely to offend many bystanders as the odor is fairly pleasant. I did find this to be better than Carter Hall or Half and Half.
The old tins of this state "pipe and cigarette" tobacco; however, the cut of this is not what I would call a ribbon and must have changed over the years. Very easy to pack and light. No extra lighting needed. I didn't find this to burn fast or hot, but I got more flavor from it by sipping versus going steam train with it. No issues with it making my pipe wet. No real negatives, no super positives. This is about as plain Jane as it gets with tobacco.
If you do not have a huge budget for tobacco and lack a cellar stockpile, this is an inexpensive and decent tobacco that I would recommend as an all day smoke.
Edit: I like it so much I keep a can in the floorboard of my car now. It has become my most frequent smoke of late.
Pipe Used:
MM cob
PurchasedFrom:
Ingles supermarket
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 05, 2012 | Extremely Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
I just let Prince Albert out of the can today! Actually, this is nothing new to me...
I'd mostly recommend this to those new to the pipe, as it is a nice cool mellow nutty sweetish smoke. It needs no drying time out of the can. Even if you're learning to pack a pipe, you'd have little trouble with PA, and it would still burn well; stay lite, and burn cool for you, even if your pack were a bit uneven.
If your gal is one that doesn't cotton to the smell of smoke, she'd more likely tolerate PA because it's pretty darn pleasant, providing you don't pull on the pipe like a freight-train.
PA is not a gooey blend that will gum-up your pipe like some of the heavily cased cavs, and the scent that's left in the pipe is not too bad either, IF you stay on top of maintenance as anyone should if they want a good clean smoke each time.
I used to keep in on hand years ago, but lost interest as I progressed to higher end blends. But, today while shopping, I thought to give it another shot...it had been quite a while, and I'm glad I did. It's cheap, convenient, and I seem to like it more now than I did years ago. So there `ya go.
I'd mostly recommend this to those new to the pipe, as it is a nice cool mellow nutty sweetish smoke. It needs no drying time out of the can. Even if you're learning to pack a pipe, you'd have little trouble with PA, and it would still burn well; stay lite, and burn cool for you, even if your pack were a bit uneven.
If your gal is one that doesn't cotton to the smell of smoke, she'd more likely tolerate PA because it's pretty darn pleasant, providing you don't pull on the pipe like a freight-train.
PA is not a gooey blend that will gum-up your pipe like some of the heavily cased cavs, and the scent that's left in the pipe is not too bad either, IF you stay on top of maintenance as anyone should if they want a good clean smoke each time.
I used to keep in on hand years ago, but lost interest as I progressed to higher end blends. But, today while shopping, I thought to give it another shot...it had been quite a while, and I'm glad I did. It's cheap, convenient, and I seem to like it more now than I did years ago. So there `ya go.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 05, 2007 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Let me start by saying that I'm not the worlds biggest Burley fan. I very much prefer either pure Virginia's or English Mixtures. That being said, Prince Albert is decent.
Prince Albert provides an affordable, palatable and easy way for someone to learn pipesmoking. It lights and burns well, provides little tongue bite and doesn't leave the pipe smelling like a perfume factory. For regular pipe smokers, it is also consistent, available and smokes great either outdoors or inside with a cup of coffee and newspaper. Nicotine is noticeable, but certainly not overwhelming.
For Americans, who are accustomed to Burley in their cigarettes, Prince Albert may also be a great transition for those who wish to become 'pipe only' smokers. The old ads did say that it was great for pipes or cigarettes!
I enjoy a pipeful of Prince Albert while camping, or in the great outdoors. It is a great way to enjoy the simple things in life. Also great for blending.
Prince Albert provides an affordable, palatable and easy way for someone to learn pipesmoking. It lights and burns well, provides little tongue bite and doesn't leave the pipe smelling like a perfume factory. For regular pipe smokers, it is also consistent, available and smokes great either outdoors or inside with a cup of coffee and newspaper. Nicotine is noticeable, but certainly not overwhelming.
For Americans, who are accustomed to Burley in their cigarettes, Prince Albert may also be a great transition for those who wish to become 'pipe only' smokers. The old ads did say that it was great for pipes or cigarettes!
I enjoy a pipeful of Prince Albert while camping, or in the great outdoors. It is a great way to enjoy the simple things in life. Also great for blending.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2015 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I've heard so much about this blend and I'm glad I've finally had the opportunity to try it. Right out of the pouch the scent is quite enjoyable; I picked up a lot of the cocoa smell. Once lit, the smell is much more faint. PA has a great burley flavor and I can see now why it's so highly regarded, especially for an OTC blend. Tobacco burns nice and needs minimal tamping and relighting. I think that everyone should try this blend at least once; I'll certainly be smoking more of it myself!
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 22, 2008 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
10/22/2008 Can't complain a lot about this baccy but can't get excited either. It is near the top of the heap for a drug store blend but I have to say that I think Carter Hall has it beat hands down.
PA comes in about as perfect a form as possible. Just the right amount of moisture and a perfect cut with no chunks or sticks. The pouch aroma is very pleasant. It packs easily, lights easily, stays lit well, puts out clouds of smoke without having to suck up and has an acceptable room aroma. One problem I experienced was that from a full bowl, at about 2/3 down in the bowl, it started to get stronger and stronger until I had to dump it because of the foul taste it was putting out. Cutting the bowl pack to about 2/3 or smoking it in a wide bowl alleviates this. The only other problem, which I consider the worst, is that it leaves a really bad after odor in the pipe that lingers a long, long time.
If this were just a so,so blend, I would give it three stars but because it has some shortcomings that I cannot live with for continued use, I give it 2 stars.
Update 1/26/2010 Have learned by experience that this baccy has to be dried a bit to keep it from becoming overpowering in smoking it and from leaving bad after taste and odors in the pipe while smoking a full bowl. Upgrading to 3 stars and will continue to work with it.
PA comes in about as perfect a form as possible. Just the right amount of moisture and a perfect cut with no chunks or sticks. The pouch aroma is very pleasant. It packs easily, lights easily, stays lit well, puts out clouds of smoke without having to suck up and has an acceptable room aroma. One problem I experienced was that from a full bowl, at about 2/3 down in the bowl, it started to get stronger and stronger until I had to dump it because of the foul taste it was putting out. Cutting the bowl pack to about 2/3 or smoking it in a wide bowl alleviates this. The only other problem, which I consider the worst, is that it leaves a really bad after odor in the pipe that lingers a long, long time.
If this were just a so,so blend, I would give it three stars but because it has some shortcomings that I cannot live with for continued use, I give it 2 stars.
Update 1/26/2010 Have learned by experience that this baccy has to be dried a bit to keep it from becoming overpowering in smoking it and from leaving bad after taste and odors in the pipe while smoking a full bowl. Upgrading to 3 stars and will continue to work with it.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 06, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
John Middleton - Prince Albert.
A simple, high quality, blend. Basic, but good.
The appearance isn't anything spectacular, mostly a medium size, brown, ribbon. There's a few leafier pieces, but not enough to warrant the term 'coarse'. This was supplied bulk, so I'm unaware of the dampness/dryness of a sealed pouch. This looked good though.
If you want a rich Burley blend try this! It seems a fairly basic taste whilst lighting and steadying a burn. But in short time a rich chocolate flavour appears, with a slight sweetness. It doesn't taste as rustic, or rugged, as a lot of Burley blends can, the addition of Cavendish abates this side. The temperature from P.A. is amenable, and it gives a splendid burn. The only fluctuation in flavour is depth: as the bowl burns it seems to develop a little more weight.
The nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.
Not my usual type of thing, but worth three stars:
Recommended.
A simple, high quality, blend. Basic, but good.
The appearance isn't anything spectacular, mostly a medium size, brown, ribbon. There's a few leafier pieces, but not enough to warrant the term 'coarse'. This was supplied bulk, so I'm unaware of the dampness/dryness of a sealed pouch. This looked good though.
If you want a rich Burley blend try this! It seems a fairly basic taste whilst lighting and steadying a burn. But in short time a rich chocolate flavour appears, with a slight sweetness. It doesn't taste as rustic, or rugged, as a lot of Burley blends can, the addition of Cavendish abates this side. The temperature from P.A. is amenable, and it gives a splendid burn. The only fluctuation in flavour is depth: as the bowl burns it seems to develop a little more weight.
The nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.
Not my usual type of thing, but worth three stars:
Recommended.
Pipe Used:
Dagner Poker
PurchasedFrom:
Cup O' Joes
Age When Smoked:
Three weeks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2015 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I first smoked this in an MM Patriot, narrow bowl with medium depth, and noticed that although it began too mild in flavor for me to enjoy it increased in flavor the further down I smoked. About the half bowl mark it had reached mild to medium status and I found myself really liking it. Then it ended too soon. Nutty with a little cocoa-like flavor riding on top. Simple, uncomplicated, but pleasant and satisfying. Next bowl I used an MM General which has a narrow bowl and is much deeper than the Patriot. Got much more time in the sweet spot with that bowl. I like this blend. It's not a blend that knocks my socks off, but it is a blend that I can get a lot of enjoyment from.
Mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor with the right pipe. Burns well. Moisture is perfect for immediate smoking.
Mild in body. Mild to medium in flavor with the right pipe. Burns well. Moisture is perfect for immediate smoking.
Pipe Used:
MM Patriot, MM General
PurchasedFrom:
http://wvsmokeshop.com/
Age When Smoked:
fresh
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