John Middleton, Inc Sugar Barrel

Cut - All over the place. I don't even know how to describe it. There's some chunks similar to SWR, a few short ribbon pieces, and some flat round pieces that look like Fruity Pebbles cereal. Mixed colors. It has a very nice appearance, but this strange cut gives me a little pause in packing the pipe. Mind you, I'm not saying it's difficult to pack per se, just not quite as mindlessly easy as a ribbon. Packing a little looser than usual is working out better for me. Moisture is fine, maybe a hair on the dry side. Nicotine is mild.

The underlying tobacco flavor is very mild. Burley, of course...but maybe a hint of Virginia as well? Maybe? The topping is sweet...and....well, it's sweet. Sweeter than PA for sure, but well balanced and not at all cloying. There isn't a whole lot going on flavorwise, it's rather one dimensional, but that one dimension is quite pleasant. I expected something tasting like granulated sugar, but it's not quite that bright...a little darker than that....maybe brown sugar, or maybe honey.

Overall, mild to the point of blandness. No longer available, and I didn't shed any tears.

originally reviewed 12/13/2012

This stuff tastes like Granger with an extra dose of propylene glycol. The only leaf I can detect is burley, which is ok, but it has a monochromatic taste from first light to the last dregs. The taste is a weird mix of sour from the burley and slightly sweet from the topping & PG. It isn't bad tasting but definitely not good enough to become part of my regular rotation.

What anyone sees in this beats me. It's poor-quality stuff and smells like a nasty cigarette if you happen to get close. In this class Prince Albert and Carter Hall are streets ahead.

I see a few people boistering this is a burley when in fact it just aint so. Its a burely virginia blend and it tastes nothing like a burely. It doesn't even come close.

Sir walter Raleigh and Prince Albert come alot closer to the flavor of a burley. Prince Albert being the more accurate representation.

Not even Carter Hall is a burely. Its a Virginia Burely blend with dominance of virginia in flavor. Its quite good too.

This resembles C&D Crooner (w/deer tongue) very dry and stale flavor not at all pleasing. SB is quite stale indeed. Sugar barrel is by far the worst of the more popular OTC blends.

Yes there is a mild sweetness to it but the poor quality of the tobacco simply ruins any chance of enjoyment. Especially when you're able to buy other OTC's and compare all of them. You will most certainly note that Sugar barrel is a royal let down.

If this were the last tobacco on the the planet I would throw away my pipes and simply quit.

I cannot recommend SB at this time when there are much better tobaccos on the shelf right next to it.

I smoked 1/2 bowl and dumped the entire tub into the trash. It's that bad.