John Middleton, Inc Walnut

Ahhh...Walnut.

Takes one back to Philly waiting rooms when doctors and lawyers would still affect a pipe...and were expected to.

An American English? I suppose so. A nice comfortable anytime smoke that burns well if packed well. I don't detect Columbian figs, 3.6% Syrian latakia or anything beyond value for dollars spent.

Sometimes the day and experience are simply about firing up a pipe and there is where Walnut shines.

I have smoked Walnut off and on for 50 years and still do at least twice a month. I always have a can around for my monthly Walnut fix. I'm originally from Phila. and can remember the amount of wealthy pipe smoking businessmen who were totally loyal to this blend. Without question this is the finest product Middleton makes and distributes.

A predominately burley crimp cut blend with a seasoning of latakia and other condiment tobaccos, many have described this as an ?americanized english?. I am not a big fan of english style blends, but when I do get that ?itch? for a dose of english flavor Walnut scratches it admirably. Always cool smoking without bite.

Walnut is without a doubt, the best blend Middleton produces. It has a nice, rich, slightly smokey, slightly spicey, flavor. It isn't too wet. It packs well. It may have been available in drug stores at one time, but those days are long gone. An incredibly good tobacco for the price.

A good old timey American burley blend, with a hint of latakia. This was my introduction to Latakia, and as such will have a warm place in my heart.

I don't smoke this too much these days. I have other blends I prefer, but for a mild, inexpensive, American-English, you could do far worse. The only real down side to this blend, is that it can have an ashy finish. Worth a try. If you like it, you will save a bunch of money...

My first "English" blend. I tried it because everyone said it smelled like s**t, but didn't bite. The taste was a revelation, i actually tasted like tobacco, not perfumes. It's a nice variegated, mostly medium color short cut that packs easily. The aroma is that of a mild English/American blend wih Burley and Virginia noticeable first. The Orienal and Laakia are lighter, but wimpy. There is some PG present, which makes it a bit sticky to pack, and doesn't let the blend dry out at all. It doesn't come through in he taste however, which is a very pleasant melange of all the ingedients. An excellent intro to English style tobaccos, and a very good all day smoke. Also an extremely good value.

Mixed colors. Mixed cut, mostly small broken ribbon. Moisture level is absolutely perfect for smoking. Burns extremely well, minimal relights. Nicotine level is mild. No surprises at all so far - pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Middletons OTC burley.

I've heard Walnut referred to as an "Amercianized English blend." I don't like that label; for one, I don't really like the "English" label at all, as its meaning has become mangled and clouded over the years to make it practically meaningless; and for another, because it's inaccurate. Walnut, to me, is an American drug store burley style first and foremost. Mild burley with a tiny hint of sweet-ish topping is its base. There's enough latakia there that it's easy to pick up, and you know it's there....but this is definitely not a lat bomb. It's the perfect amount, IMO, to add a hint of smokey earthiness. The label claims that Walnut is a blend of the "world's seven finest tobaccos"....and I guess I believe it, but it is kinda hard for me to pick them out. Virginia? Yeah, there's a hint. Orientals? Maybe....I'm not versed enough in orientals to say with certainty what's there and what's not. What else? I don't know. And I don't care! All I know is it's damned fine tobacco. And it's quite a shame that it is no longer available.

originally reviewed 11/28/2012

I'm reviewing this tobacco "for old times sake," as it's been quite a while since I smoked it and I doubt I will ever see the real thing again.

From my tasting notes: "A mild English blend with a hint of vanilla Cavendish. Quite good. Cheap."

What I liked most about this tobacco, and wish more tobaccos had, was it's "value." It was cheap but tasted good. It wasn't the best light English nor the least expensive but, taken together, it was the best value. On top of that, it was a satisfying smoke that required no effort and never offended.

How many pipe tobaccos can one say all of that about?

This is probably the mildest English I have encountered. There was a humectant applied, but it does not seem to affect the taste overtly. There is a slight aftertaste though which is not pleasing , but its slight. This is a "fill the tin with it all" blend and it works pretty well for what it is. The price is good for the amount of baccy purchased. The smoke volume is moderate with few relights and I thought the tub and art work was pretty cool. This is too mild of a blend for me, but I'm glad I tried it, definitely better than I expected. TLIG

I am returning to update a review posted in 2014. The tub now has about 8-9 years of age on it and I have more experience with tobaccos as well. Walnut is the mildest American English blend I have smoked and it has become a rounder and purer smoke with age. Though of as a soup, very mild white burley (comparable to that in PS 306) and Maryland is the stock, Virginia is a bit of added sugar, and the rest are very very mildly applied spices. Dating from a time when men could smoke throughout the day at work and at home, and burley was the tobacco taste most Americans sought, this mixture met those requirements brilliantly. One can hardly fatigue the tongue or senses smoking this. Compared to the codger burleys, this blend must have been the college man’s upscale choice. Or so I’ve heard that was once the case in Philadelphia. Middleton once sourced some quality leaf and some was in this mixture. Not a great tobacco but a solid choice for those few who smoke a pipe through much of the day. Much to be regretted that Middleton has pulled back to little besides flavored cigarillos. Of course others have taken up the fallen flag.