John Middleton, Inc Walnut

This is the finest of John Middleton's pipe tobaccos and his very first!To be quite frank,I'm not a fan of english blends...except this one.All of the blends I've experienced in my life have never appealed to me,Walnut has a special character all on it's own.The tub smell seems dominant of turkish tobacco,don't let this fool you.Taste wise it's very bold and flavorful,no casing is present(sorry aromatic fans)which is a great thing because it would destroy this well-crafted blend.There's enough of the tobaccos present to give an equal level of attention to your tastebuds,except latakia which is speckled lightly throughout.The small amount of Latakia adds a nice touch compared to english blends that rely on Latakia as their savior for selling their blend.Overall I highly recommend Walnut for an all-day smoke or best enjoyed in the winter:)

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.

This stuff is about as English as apple pie and chevrolet; all I taste is mild burley and a fruity topping. I don't detect any of the condiment leaf listed in the description. The topping is not overly heavy. It's fairly smooth and pleasant for the first half of the bowl. After that the low-quality base tobaccos and excessive PG shine through and it gets a bit nasty. I think there are better drug-store tobaccos available than this and I wouldn't try it again.

This "drug store" blend has been around for decades and has evolved to become less interesting after Middelton took over the franchise. What exotic tobaccos are present are very minimal in amount. There may be Latakia or Perique or Turkish, but the overwhelming tobacco seems to be Burley (although I'm an English blend nut, I have no problem with that).

Whatever the casing is, I suppose if you think "Walnut" you might get that aroma. What I sense is more like a maple and cherry casing. The latter doesn't surprise me since that gawdawful cherry casing that Middleton uses seems to seep into everything they make. At least it doesn't have that "baked cookie/cake plus flavoring" aroma that seems to predominate in tobacconist mixtures these days.

The burn is not hot and is fairly clean, reducing to a white ash without too much glop. There is little bite. And there is little that is inspiring in a bowl of this stuff. You can smoke it all day and not remember much about it, 'cept it was sorta sweet 'n the wife didn't mind it.

The canister is great. Save it for other blends that aren't so nicely packaged.

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.

My opinion of this blend pretty much echoes Wolfpaw?s. Walnut was not an entirely bad smoke nor was it a completely satisfying smoke for me. It lacks in body and strength with a pleasing, mildly sweet, yet wanting, one-dimensional flavor. And for an Americanized English blend, the latakia, evidently in a minimal amount, is reluctant to make its presence known as are the other tobaccos in this blend except for the burley that clearly dominates. Because of this, I consider Walnut a mild, extremely light aromatic rather than a bona-fide Americanized English blend.

Walnut is loaded with PG but it does have superb burning qualities, doesn?t bite and it is inexpensive but I just prefer my tobaccos with a little more Oooommmmph than Walnut has to offer. Unfortunately, if you wish to try Walnut it is available only in a 12 oz. tub. But in my case this tub may come in handy. To wit, if I am lying penniless on my deathbed, at least I?ll have a ?pot? to pee in.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this blend 7.2 out of 10.

****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.