Carter Hall
pwkarch
Master
in Tobacco Talk
With all of the wonderful tobaccos we have available to us these days, I STILL smoke my Carter Hall with the same enthusiasm as I have had for this blend for all these years now.
What is not to like, a great recipe of Burley and Virginia with a very distinct Cocoa and Nutty notes (if you just look for them). Just an unassuming inexpensive joy to smoke. There is no pretenses while filling your pipe. I have always smoked this as a change of pace, for a reminisent experience, and for the last year or so have had some wonderful results of mixing varying amounts with some of my favorite more "modern" aromatics.
So I took out my Kaywoodie Billiard pipe and packed a bowl just to reconnect with the past, look at it critically, and as it turns out to thoroughly enjoy three quarters of an hour.
The tobacco has been in a quart Mason Jar for awhile. The aroma from the jar is pure tobacco with only a hint of any other flavor. The loading of the pipe is simple and not involved due to the cut of the tobacco. The tobacco was in my opinion perfect in terms of moisture with just a minor spring to it after the fill. I fired up the tobacco and immediately had a wreath of smoke that promised full flavor. Initially there is only a suggestion of cocoa or nuttiness as the bowl develops.
The first half is very good and begins to develop a nice mellow taste and aroma. I started to taste the advertised (and remembered) cocoa and nutty notes. The smoke had a heaviness to it that felt as if you could actually chew it. This is one tobacco with which the taste and smoke aroma are damn near identical. There is no doubt that if this tobacco was pushed, there would be bite issues. I am and have always been a slow smoker, and sipping this tobacco will provide a complaint free exercise.
The second half was identical to the first with perhaps an increase in the mellowness and flavor.(I can't really define that term, except to say the flavors seemed to came together as one as opposed to having individual tastes)
Likewise the second half of the bowl had absolutely no bite whatsoever. Upon completion, and after the pipe cooled down there was only pure whitish gray ash left to dump. There was no doddle or moisture with which to clean.
This tobacco could be one of the best to recommend to a newbie because it in my opinion has very base flavors, and can teach from the "get go" the need and the method of careful and the slow cadence of pipe smoking.
It was fun smoking one of my "old time" favorites to do a real analysis as opposed to just burning a bowl, one with no real "whistles and horns" that took me back. And with all of the aromatics that I have, I also have several pounds of Carter Hall. And quite honestly, if EVERY aromatic was taken off the market (PLEASE do not call or send nasty messages, I am just kidding) I would be perfectly happy to smoke just Carter Hall.
What is not to like, a great recipe of Burley and Virginia with a very distinct Cocoa and Nutty notes (if you just look for them). Just an unassuming inexpensive joy to smoke. There is no pretenses while filling your pipe. I have always smoked this as a change of pace, for a reminisent experience, and for the last year or so have had some wonderful results of mixing varying amounts with some of my favorite more "modern" aromatics.
So I took out my Kaywoodie Billiard pipe and packed a bowl just to reconnect with the past, look at it critically, and as it turns out to thoroughly enjoy three quarters of an hour.
The tobacco has been in a quart Mason Jar for awhile. The aroma from the jar is pure tobacco with only a hint of any other flavor. The loading of the pipe is simple and not involved due to the cut of the tobacco. The tobacco was in my opinion perfect in terms of moisture with just a minor spring to it after the fill. I fired up the tobacco and immediately had a wreath of smoke that promised full flavor. Initially there is only a suggestion of cocoa or nuttiness as the bowl develops.
The first half is very good and begins to develop a nice mellow taste and aroma. I started to taste the advertised (and remembered) cocoa and nutty notes. The smoke had a heaviness to it that felt as if you could actually chew it. This is one tobacco with which the taste and smoke aroma are damn near identical. There is no doubt that if this tobacco was pushed, there would be bite issues. I am and have always been a slow smoker, and sipping this tobacco will provide a complaint free exercise.
The second half was identical to the first with perhaps an increase in the mellowness and flavor.(I can't really define that term, except to say the flavors seemed to came together as one as opposed to having individual tastes)
Likewise the second half of the bowl had absolutely no bite whatsoever. Upon completion, and after the pipe cooled down there was only pure whitish gray ash left to dump. There was no doddle or moisture with which to clean.
This tobacco could be one of the best to recommend to a newbie because it in my opinion has very base flavors, and can teach from the "get go" the need and the method of careful and the slow cadence of pipe smoking.
It was fun smoking one of my "old time" favorites to do a real analysis as opposed to just burning a bowl, one with no real "whistles and horns" that took me back. And with all of the aromatics that I have, I also have several pounds of Carter Hall. And quite honestly, if EVERY aromatic was taken off the market (PLEASE do not call or send nasty messages, I am just kidding) I would be perfectly happy to smoke just Carter Hall.
Comments
I started out using it as a "break in" blend for the few New pipes I've acquired, being as most of my briars are self restored, I wanted to start my new briars off on the right foot.
Much to my surprise, I absolutely love this stuff.
This evening I've already smoked a bowl and find myself smoking at least one or two bowls per week.
I just wish George Washington was still made. I'm down to about 10 ounces from the 14 oz. can I bought in August.
Come on Pappy, you have a great site there...get the word out...........
@PappyJpe What a great blog. Just read it and thought it was amazing. I found an empty tin of George Washington Pipe Tobacco but it was in bad shape. Too bad to add to my collection. I can't imagine how cool it would be to find an unopened tin of the stuff.
All this talk about Carter Hall has prompted me to try my first smoke in my recent resale shop pipe the Tanganyika Meerschaum that I just sanitized and refurbished. The size of the bowl scares me. Looks like an hour and a half smoke.
Ghost.......It will be a wonderful hour and a half, I promise
That was easy........mission accomplished
On the site, toward the top left hand corner is a little box name "follow"
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Uh oh......tha'ts not the page I saw.....the one I saw was apparently older?????
NO ONE should criticize anyone else when it comes to tobacco selections, or how they smoke them. Opinions are like "human posterior orifices",everybody has one. Go for it and enjoy. I might have to try that "parfait" method one day.
@pwkarch - I updated my blog site a couple of months ago. The current address is: http://pappyjoesblog.com
Thanks Chief.......
Thank you.
OTC Pipe Tobacco Review: "Carter Hall"
<<"Carter Hall" by John Middleton Inc, an old school OTC (over the counter) Burley/Virginia tobacco touted by many to be amongst the best of the "drug store blends," but how does it compare to more premium pipe tobaccos?>>
Remember: It's just one man's opinion.