John Middleton, Inc Kentucky Club Continental Blend

This is an oddly overlooked tobacco, at least based on the number of reviews devoted to it. And most of them seem unfavorable. Frankly, I've never understood the reactions against Kentucky Club Continental Blend, especially given the (almost) complete rehabilitation of simple, inexpensive OTCs like Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh and Carter Hall. I smoke all four of these on occasion and have come to think of them as more or less interchangeable blends. They're all made from cheap Burley, they all pack and burn easily, they're all uncomplicated at the top of the bowl and a little bitter at the bottom. The only difference is in the topnotes. To my mind, the Prince is a little chocolaty, the Carter a touch fruity, the Walter is mocha-ish, and the Continental is lightly choco-coconutty.

In the tin, KCCB appears to be primarily dark Burleys with a little bright and a very little black leaf leaf thrown in. The tin note is mild and a little chameleon-like. Sometimes I smell the advertised coconut, but on other occasions the coconut seems dominated by baked apple or milk chocolate aromas. Many years ago, I had an instructor in hotel school—an old Frenchman. We would taste wine together and when something appeared before our noses that seemed to lack the easily identifiable edges of classic red Bordeaux or white Burgundy, he would shrug his shoulders and say something like, “Eh? It tastes like wine.”

KCCB tastes like Burley. Lightly adorned Burley.

The only problem with this tobacco is that it can be a bit difficult to find, especially in a tobacco shop. A couple risk-taking online dealers stock it. I like it a lot and I think it's well worth investigating.

I really dont understand why these blends disappear and production ceases? Perhaps i just assume other pipers are as nostalgic as i am and blends like these will collect dust on store shelves indefinitley. I was really surprised by this one, i didnt think it would be any good whatsoever as ive never seen or heard of anyone around here smoke it. Mostly a ribbon cut burley base, with bright virginia ribbons scattered throughout the tub, the coconut casing is hardly detectable either in the tub or in the pipe. Its similar in flavor to Sugar Barrel, not overly sweet or aromatic. For the price you really cant beat it,

A delightful colorful smoke of fine Burley and Virginia tobacco with a soft and very nice aroma. This is quite good!

I've been trying several OTC blends lately. Just received a tub of this today, packed a bowl and was immediately impressed. A very smooth, mild smoke with a nice room note. It smoked to the bottom of the bowl with no relights. Burned to a fine gray ash. Was dry all the way through. I didn't really notice any change through the bowl. Just a pleasant, relaxing, break with plumes of blue smoke. I certainly recommend this to anyone for a try, and am sure it will be in my rotation from now on.

I received a 10-year old tub of Kentucky Club Continental Blend at a recent local pipe club meeting. I popped the seal and it sure smelled like Carter Hall to me. It also had a refined, somewhat chocolate taste over the first quarter of the bowl, which I also find to be similar to Carter Hall. The smoke itself was much milder though. Additionally, CH never turns bitter near the end of the smoke but this one did at the halfway point.

I will finish the tub as it is easy to smoke and doesn't require much concentration. I don't know wether the aged leaf is why this tobacco did not bite as others here indicate it will. I did not detect any sort of coconut taste, but after returning to my smoking room following a 5-minute or so timeout, I sure smelled coconut in the lingering room note. If this were a little stronger, I might enjoy it more. For those of you who like a light, pleasant Burley, I think you'll find each first half bowl to be what you were looking for.