Details
| Brand | John Middleton, Inc |
| Blended By | John Middleton, Inc |
| Manufactured By | John Middleton, Inc. |
| Blend Type | Burley Based |
| Contents | Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Sweet / Sugar |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 1.5 ounce pouch, 14 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.87 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 22 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 04, 2013 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
After reading all the reviews of this one in my search for OTC burleys that I would find most satisfying, I ordered a tub. I guess I just trust you people and your opinions of fine smoking material. It turns out my trust was well founded. This is a really good smoke.
I've been a pipe smoker since the late 60's and have just now begun turning my attention seriously to OTC'S (Drug Store Tobaccos, American Classics or American Legacy Tobaccos whatever you choose to call them) because after all these years I was unable to find a tobacco store bulk blend that I felt like sticking with. Well, those old codgers (I'm an old codger now I suppose) had something going for them after all. There are some damn fine smokes hidden among these OTC blends after all and Sugar Barrel is right there with the best of them, at least the ones I've tried.
Someone close behind this review mentioned "mouth feel". I consider mouth feel a very important characteristic of tobacco. I hate thin feeling tobacco. Same thing in beer. I think of it as being "round" - just feeling like you've got a mouth full of something that tastes good and I agree - Sugar Barrel is a mouth full of goodness.
A lot of other reviewers have said good things about this tobacco and I agree with all the good things mentioned. There are some, of course, that had more negative impressions and I didn't agree so much with those. I do appreciate that people have vastly varying tastes, likes and dislikes and I also suspect there is a good deal of tobacco bigotry too. I don't like to give bad reviews though because a bad review might just keep someone from trying something that they would have really enjoyed. That's just me though - mileage may vary.
The tub aroma is pretty good but I believe that goes more to room note than flavor. The flavor has a touch of sweetness to it and as far as the room note goes, you can't smoke around anybody any more so who gives crap about room note any longer anyway?
I perceive it a mostly a burley blend and a simple blend and I look for simplicity in a blend above all. Life is complex enough without adding to it on purpose don't you think? Another word for simple is "elegant", for complex, the alternate word is "sophisticated". So if you want to sound sophisticated, say "elegant" when describing something simple. People will think you are really cool even though they have no idea what you just meant when you said it.
There is little, if any, bite. Burley generally bites but some blends get the Ph balanced where the bite is negligible which I think is the case here.
It doesn't burn too hot or too fast. I hate getting into a smoke where I'm really relaxed and mellowed out on the smoking event and all of a sudden, it is over and I'm no where near ready for it to be over. Sugar Barrel gives you the time you need for a decent smoke. Granger does too, by the way. I'm not picking up on these plastic or chemical tastes people are mentioning either. Where are they getting this - overactive imaginations or can't think of anything else to say to show off their sophisticated taste buds?
Now, there just aren't enough reviews on this tobacco - Half & Half has three times as many. People must not be aware of this tobacco; I wasn't until I ran across these reviews so if you haven't tried it, try it and then write a review (unless you are one of those tobacco snobs we don't need to hear from) and if you have tried it and haven't written a review, write a damn review (unless you are one of those tobacco snobs we don't need to hear from anyway).
Seriously though, this really is a good smoke and if you haven't tried it, do so.
Since I'm not far enough into the tub to give four stars yet, I'll give it a provisional three when I suspect it may rate four. I'll come back later to state my final opinion.
I've been a pipe smoker since the late 60's and have just now begun turning my attention seriously to OTC'S (Drug Store Tobaccos, American Classics or American Legacy Tobaccos whatever you choose to call them) because after all these years I was unable to find a tobacco store bulk blend that I felt like sticking with. Well, those old codgers (I'm an old codger now I suppose) had something going for them after all. There are some damn fine smokes hidden among these OTC blends after all and Sugar Barrel is right there with the best of them, at least the ones I've tried.
Someone close behind this review mentioned "mouth feel". I consider mouth feel a very important characteristic of tobacco. I hate thin feeling tobacco. Same thing in beer. I think of it as being "round" - just feeling like you've got a mouth full of something that tastes good and I agree - Sugar Barrel is a mouth full of goodness.
A lot of other reviewers have said good things about this tobacco and I agree with all the good things mentioned. There are some, of course, that had more negative impressions and I didn't agree so much with those. I do appreciate that people have vastly varying tastes, likes and dislikes and I also suspect there is a good deal of tobacco bigotry too. I don't like to give bad reviews though because a bad review might just keep someone from trying something that they would have really enjoyed. That's just me though - mileage may vary.
The tub aroma is pretty good but I believe that goes more to room note than flavor. The flavor has a touch of sweetness to it and as far as the room note goes, you can't smoke around anybody any more so who gives crap about room note any longer anyway?
I perceive it a mostly a burley blend and a simple blend and I look for simplicity in a blend above all. Life is complex enough without adding to it on purpose don't you think? Another word for simple is "elegant", for complex, the alternate word is "sophisticated". So if you want to sound sophisticated, say "elegant" when describing something simple. People will think you are really cool even though they have no idea what you just meant when you said it.
There is little, if any, bite. Burley generally bites but some blends get the Ph balanced where the bite is negligible which I think is the case here.
It doesn't burn too hot or too fast. I hate getting into a smoke where I'm really relaxed and mellowed out on the smoking event and all of a sudden, it is over and I'm no where near ready for it to be over. Sugar Barrel gives you the time you need for a decent smoke. Granger does too, by the way. I'm not picking up on these plastic or chemical tastes people are mentioning either. Where are they getting this - overactive imaginations or can't think of anything else to say to show off their sophisticated taste buds?
Now, there just aren't enough reviews on this tobacco - Half & Half has three times as many. People must not be aware of this tobacco; I wasn't until I ran across these reviews so if you haven't tried it, try it and then write a review (unless you are one of those tobacco snobs we don't need to hear from) and if you have tried it and haven't written a review, write a damn review (unless you are one of those tobacco snobs we don't need to hear from anyway).
Seriously though, this really is a good smoke and if you haven't tried it, do so.
Since I'm not far enough into the tub to give four stars yet, I'll give it a provisional three when I suspect it may rate four. I'll come back later to state my final opinion.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 07, 2014 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
This was my second or 3rd tobacco. I loved this 25 year's ago, Brown sugar and molasses was the flavor. It smoked cool and thorough. It bit a little if smoked too quick but many sweet tobacco do. Another nice burley and Virginia blend. It was better 25 years before. The best blend Middleton had was Middleton No 5. It smelled and tasted like sweet baked beans and smoked so nice. I miss these blends, Sugar bbl, no 5, Saga, hickory.....the old days are gone !
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2015 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant |
I love OTCs or Codger Burley or whatever you want to call them. They’re my thing and I make no apologies. It’s odd that it took me this long to try Sugar Barrel. I saw it all of the time over the years, Usually, though, I just wanted some PA or some Holliday and I didn’t want to take a chance on something new. What, perhaps, served as a deterrent was the fact that I never saw it marketed in anything less than a big, plastic tub. Risky if you don’t end up liking whatever’s in the tub.
Anyway, right out of the tub Sugar Barrel is classic grandpa tobacco. Small cut. Yellow, brown, and black. Nice smell. Sweet, but you can still smell the tobacco under there. The aromatic component coiuldn’t be more simple and honest. It smells sweet. It doesn’t smell like vanilla or apples or maple syrup. It smells like, dare I say it, sugar. Simple sweetness.
There are some synthetic additives. You can’t avoid that with OTCs. Sugar Barrel isn’t made anymore but, if you do find it, it’ll likely still be plenty moist. It has that classic American crimp cut that makes packing a pipe utter ease.
Light up and take a few puffs. Get used to it, because that’s all you’re going to get. It’ll be like that for the entire bowl. It’s simple burley with a little Virginia. They’ve made it taste sweeter than such a blend normally would, but not too much. Mild smoke with a little bit of sweet. It can get just a little hot on the tongue if you’re not careful, but it’s really nothing to worry about. That’s all you’re going to get. There’s nothing wrong with that. Would that more aromatics were like this.
Anyway, right out of the tub Sugar Barrel is classic grandpa tobacco. Small cut. Yellow, brown, and black. Nice smell. Sweet, but you can still smell the tobacco under there. The aromatic component coiuldn’t be more simple and honest. It smells sweet. It doesn’t smell like vanilla or apples or maple syrup. It smells like, dare I say it, sugar. Simple sweetness.
There are some synthetic additives. You can’t avoid that with OTCs. Sugar Barrel isn’t made anymore but, if you do find it, it’ll likely still be plenty moist. It has that classic American crimp cut that makes packing a pipe utter ease.
Light up and take a few puffs. Get used to it, because that’s all you’re going to get. It’ll be like that for the entire bowl. It’s simple burley with a little Virginia. They’ve made it taste sweeter than such a blend normally would, but not too much. Mild smoke with a little bit of sweet. It can get just a little hot on the tongue if you’re not careful, but it’s really nothing to worry about. That’s all you’re going to get. There’s nothing wrong with that. Would that more aromatics were like this.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2014 | Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
A friend sent me a generous sample of this, and I have enjoyed it. It is in the same class as Carter Hall for me. The name suggests it might be heavily topped or unusually sweet. I am finding it to be a good, slightly sweet, basic burley blend. It has been an easy smoke, and there is a good earthy nuttiness to it (and not much more). I am not getting much Virginia in the flavor profile, but I can believe there is some there.
Smoking this on the way home from work today, it struck me that this reminds me of an OTC version of Classic Burley Kake. I'll have to smoke them both the same day to see if this is true or my imagination...
Smoking this on the way home from work today, it struck me that this reminds me of an OTC version of Classic Burley Kake. I'll have to smoke them both the same day to see if this is true or my imagination...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 15, 2019 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Picked up another blast from the past from Steve Fallon here. I used to smoke a lot of Sugar Barrel and Half and Half as a teenager starting out with the pipe, so I was looking forward to this one.
As soon as I lifted the lever on the 7-ounce tin, that old familiar scent of rich burley, sugar, and molasses prominently greeted me. It smelled good enough to eat. I selected an aro-dedicated Barling Cherrywood for the first smoke. Packing was a breeze with the old “codger scoop” method employed.
Two lights with a long match and I was off to the candy store! SB is sweet, rich, and very satisfying in the morning with coffee. The burley has held up very well, and I didn’t notice any appreciable loss of flavor despite its decades of rest in the can.
As soon as I lifted the lever on the 7-ounce tin, that old familiar scent of rich burley, sugar, and molasses prominently greeted me. It smelled good enough to eat. I selected an aro-dedicated Barling Cherrywood for the first smoke. Packing was a breeze with the old “codger scoop” method employed.
Two lights with a long match and I was off to the candy store! SB is sweet, rich, and very satisfying in the morning with coffee. The burley has held up very well, and I didn’t notice any appreciable loss of flavor despite its decades of rest in the can.
PurchasedFrom:
Pipestud
Age When Smoked:
30 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 24, 2018 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
You will need to pack this one using the gravity fill. When overpacked it starts to take on an ashy flavor. With a light pack, the sweetness is subtle and takes a backseat to a more dominant buttery note. There is also consistent nutty flavor from beginning to end and at times you get a minor spice hit on the retro-hale.
For me, this blend was able to satisfy in a way that other OTC's do not. Sugar Barrel is no longer made and this is cause for lament.
For me, this blend was able to satisfy in a way that other OTC's do not. Sugar Barrel is no longer made and this is cause for lament.
Pipe Used:
Missouri Meerschaum's, meers and various briars
Age When Smoked:
4-5 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 28, 2013 | Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Although I have never met a Burley I didnt like, the fact is that most OTC's lack in a key aspect. It is mouth feel, whereby the smoke lacks a fullness or density found in more complex smokes. Sometimes this lightness is refreshing, other times it becomes boring.
I find Sugar Barrel to be more than the sum of its parts. The flavoring is lightly added but adds a wholeness to this blend not found in other OTC's. It is hard to put a finger on. For me it is like cinnamon and brown sugar. Not overly sweet. Like an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. This sounds odd but this cookie like essence just jives perfectly with Burley. While smoking, it tastes as if this subtle flavoring props up and enhances the tobacco, rather than overtaking it. Overall, this is a mild experience and perfect for warmer weather, the car, and outdoors. It's not an everyday for me, but have been enjoying a few bowls a week.
Moisture content is perfect. There is no stickiness one would associate with an aromatic. Burns without fuss. No bite unless pushed and it gets bitter. Serviceable in a briar, but heaven in a cob. If your tastes lean to stuff like PipesandCigars Burley Cake, Boswell Premium Burley, etc. - you may like this.
I find Sugar Barrel to be more than the sum of its parts. The flavoring is lightly added but adds a wholeness to this blend not found in other OTC's. It is hard to put a finger on. For me it is like cinnamon and brown sugar. Not overly sweet. Like an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. This sounds odd but this cookie like essence just jives perfectly with Burley. While smoking, it tastes as if this subtle flavoring props up and enhances the tobacco, rather than overtaking it. Overall, this is a mild experience and perfect for warmer weather, the car, and outdoors. It's not an everyday for me, but have been enjoying a few bowls a week.
Moisture content is perfect. There is no stickiness one would associate with an aromatic. Burns without fuss. No bite unless pushed and it gets bitter. Serviceable in a briar, but heaven in a cob. If your tastes lean to stuff like PipesandCigars Burley Cake, Boswell Premium Burley, etc. - you may like this.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2011 | Medium | Medium | Full | Very Pleasant |
Ah Sugar Barrel. This blend is so simple and yet so enjoyable when the summer temps keep me from smoking heavier blends. I am not sure who to believe regarding the ingredients as a 1949 advertisement states: "Bourbon Burley was accidentally stored in sugar barrels which had damp sugar in them." So has the blend changed to a mostly virginia blend as one reviewer states? Well whatever the ingredients are, Sugar Barrel creates lots of Brown Sugar aromatic smoke without being overbearing or too heavy. Think Carter Hall with a Brown Sugar/Maple-ish dressing. Burns clean with no goop. Fine ash and no dottle in my cobs. Inexpensive and delightful room note which everyone will love.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 07, 2012 | Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Sweet, but still letting the mainly burley tobacco come through. Not a stellar blend by any means, but still better than so many others out there.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 20, 2010 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Received my canister today and am enjoying this tobacco. Mine was a bit on the dry side and the odor in the tin was very very mild. Smells very much like "Half & Half" for obvious reasons. This smokes better than "Half & Half" though, I suppose the "sugar" makes the difference. The casing is slight, you can really enjoy the tobacco taste so I agree, aromatic smokers will be a tad disappointed. I look forward to using this as a blender with some of the stronger aromatics though but on its own, it smokes very nicely. Definitely recommend this for novice smokers for sure. A bit of a tongue bite if quickly smoked though.
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