John Middleton, Inc Walnut

My tub of Walnut actually smelled of something like walnuts, but it does not taste of walnuts. This may be on account of the pipe, but I find that most tobaccos do not taste as they smell.

As an English blend, Walnut is like Erinmore Balkan's quiet, rather uninspiring younger brother -- the one that nobody noticed until he ended up owning a huge software company in the 90s. I would call it an English for people who do not smoke English blends because it is very shy as far as the orientals and latakia are concerned.

Smoked in a cob, orientals come to the fore, and smoked slowly it has a flavour of its own -- English, yes, but different. As I said, it is the shy, retiring relative of the bolder English/Balkan blends, but should not be judged as of inferior quality on that score.

Smoke this if you want a little English flavour or an interesting mix of flavours without going to aromatics. More than a burley, less than a Balkan, Walnut fills an important space in the tobacco pantheon.

Judging from the number of years it has been around, an awful lot of people have enjoyed it, and I am pleased to join their number.

Searched high and low amongst my few fellow pipe smokers around here to try and get a sample of this venerable oldie...to no avail, only the "tub" listed online. Several times almost ordered, then backed out at the last minute.

Then there it was a few days ago, sitting on the shelf at my local tobacconist next to a tub of (ugh, Mixture #79 CHERRY--can you imagine...).

$18, but its here...in my hands...a nice hefty block of tobacco...no shipping and no wait...no time to back out. I purchased...

Suprising look in the tub, more of a "normal" looking tobacco than the industrial american burlys I usually smoke. Wow, I can smell the latakia in this, also a nice stewed fruit sort of casing. Perfect moisture level to the touch.

Initially packed a smallish filter dublin and smoked a bowl on the ride home, windcap in place. Somewhat of a bite, but nice flavor and great "car note". No gurgle. I was suprised that it went out once or twice as I have been smoking mostly Kentucky Club, Cherry Blend and PA and I tend to chuff pretty heavily at times. Dumped it at about the 1/4 bowl when it got a little ashy.

I accidently left the tub in the car and smoked a couple of more bowls while driving and then brought it inside and loaded up a bigger apple/brandy half bent and concentrated on having a nice slow savoring type of smoke.

Very nice. Quality lightly cased burley with just enough Oriental to give that slightly "chalky" mouthfeel of an english and a hint of Latakia (just enough of a hint, in my opinion). When smoked slow I experienced no bite at all.

Delightful "nose aroma" out of a bent as someone had mentioned earlier. The casing burns off at about half bowl and you are left with a nice, though somewhat bland, burley/virginia kind of smoke that occasionally gives up the spirit of a touch of oriental and latakia to balance out the sweetness of the burley component.

Believe it or not, this sort of reminds me of MacBarens Solent Mixture but easier to smoke and a hell of a lot cheaper.

I think this is good stuff to keep around for a change of pace while still keeping with my recent "american burley" summer obsession. Blows the doors off of Revelation (similar "drugstore eschelon competitor) because of it's higher quality leaf, better cut and more subtle casing. I can imagine myself smoking more of this stuff as the summer gives way to fall...

If you're a snob about "english tobaccos", forget about it. If you like the simple pleasures of PA, Carter Hall and Half and half, give Walnut a try for a nice change of pace.

Finally got a sample of this, as it is hard to find here in Texas as well. I've been getting more and more into Prince Albert as the only tolerable tobacco I could get locally at first, now blossomed into something I like and crave... This being a Middleton blend, too, though I can't really stand Carter Hall or the Apple or especially the Cherry... (something's seriously topsy-turvy about my writing here)...

I got Haunted Bookshop, Stonehaven, and this in the mail... Maybe it's simply because it's the least challenging blend, I've liked this the best so far. Sure to change, right? I mean, I don't even like latakia, and I'm one of those that always say I don't like toppings. I'm sure to be tired of it in a week, but right now, it's a great change of pace, it's mostly burley, and it's nice...

Granted anyone reviewing this tobacco as an English, comparing it to the likes of Nightcap, London Mixture, and Squadron Leader will be fairly disappointed. This is in fact a codger burley. That said, I must confess that it is the most English-like of the breed. PA, Edgeworth, Half and Half, none of them have the taste and complexity of Walnut. Granted, the up front taste of Walnut is burley but there is a very faint, something unusual and oriental tasting in the background. It is a very unique and tasty tobacco. Probably one I may not smoke all the time but I certainly can see myself reaching for it often. If you're a burleyphile you'll probably love this. If you are an English blend smoker looking for something a little different to lighten it up and don't mind the occassional burley Walnut is also the ticket as long as you understand it is a burley, an American/English on its best day with liberal interpretations of the term. Expecting otherwise will certainly disappoint.

I always wanted to try this but couldn't find it until recently. I have found this a great alternative when I want a little more from a smoke than burley provides. A decent smoke at a decent price.

****Walnut****

Thanks to Albatross I got a generous sample of 3 year old Walnut. Someone said It was one of John Middeltons first blends and helped get him off the ground...I can see that....

The sample was made up of several cuts of tobacco. 1/4- 1/2 ribbon, chopped brown flake- in fact you can see almost all 7 of the alleged ingredients....Visually- there's no latakia......I couldn't find any....But I thought I could taste it.....

Packed in a Pete 305....Taste is a full, rich burley....My guess is its the predominant ingrediant....Which is fine with me. The Kentucky, Burley and Brown virginias seem to run the show....Turkish adds some spice- Especially when blown through the nose....But there is a sweet taste..For me I can see where people get the "Walnut taste" from. I got it in my head and the taste buds are convinced now....So I could be TOTALLY wrong....But I get a mild maple flavor. Mix that with the natural nuttiness of burlies....It reminds me of Vermont maple sugar candy- Which as I recall is garnished with Walnuts..... But nowhere near that sweet. Its mild....But there it is.

Burn is very clean...Nothing nippy. Room note is acceptable. (At least to my outspoken wife....)I could see me going for this on a semi regular occasion....Its good.

A nice introductory tobacco for those wanting to move towards more full-bodied English blends. This is a really unique blend that all should try. Those that call it a "cheap-drug store blend" are not giving it a fair shot, particulary since this blend has survived since 1856!. Sweet, nutty, but does not taste like Walnuts. I first started smoking this at SUNY Albany in 1974.

They should put Walnut in the dictionary under "all day smoke."

Burley is indeed the star of the show here, with a mild undertone of Turkish and Latakia sometimes popping up, especially when exhaled through the nose.

Recommended for the Burley lover, and a nice change of pace for the English lover.

This is one of those blends that I first tried when I began to smoke a pipe back in the mid-seventies. This was one of my Dad's regular blends that he kept around his rack. I recently picked-up up a tub and had a pleasant return to those early days. This is a quality, finely constructed blend. As several others have stated, you might have been able to buy it in a drugstore, but the craftsmanship said otherwise. A consistent taste the run of the bowl, with very little dottle at the end. I did not need a false light and it burned to a predominantly white ash. Just a nice, finely constructed blend that is as appropriate now as it was in yesteryear.