Carter Hall Pipe Tobacco in Review
CATEGORY: Burley Based
BLEND: Burley, Virginia
FLAVORING: Bourbon, Cocoa / Chocolate
BLENDER: John Middleton, Inc.
MANUFACTURER: John Middleton, Inc.
CUT: Ribbon
PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3 (black finish)
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-medium
NOTES:
See | FLAVORING | Section
Takes to burning as if it were meant for it--almost aggressively-so at the initial couple-draws. Settles nicely thereafter into a cool smoke with very easy mechanics. All this lays the foundation of a sweet-toasty room-note w/ something less pleasant underneath. Spraying Glade in the bathroom, say. Draw-wise, I'd say the blend well-avoids the cigarette tendencies of its Burley ingredients. Again, coolly-so, whilst so many Virginias burn hotly.
However, it seems to do so partly via a quite saccharin topping that lingers heavily on the palate. Evidence of this exists toward the heel of the bowl when the casing takes leave. Gives the feel more time was spent mastering topping than tobacco. Still nice. Still hard to see beyond Bourbon, Cocoa / Chocolate. (& when you do, it's cardboard). Pleasant. Therein, I believe, lies this blend's generational success; it offends no one. Do NOT, however, expect one iota of complexity, Mr. Fancypants.
All this may bore some, may excite some. Those it excites will be mainly CPAs who drive brown four-door sedans. A thing of note is its cloying long finish. When I say "long finish," read: "too long," in a simple cardboard-heavy extension of experience. An all-day smoker? Maybe right up till sunset. Famously a thing to break in a new pipe--w/ maybe as much use as a thing to break in a new smoker.
TASTE: B-
AROMA: B
BURN: B+
FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
TASTE: B-
AROMA: B
BURN: B+
FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
@kaplowitzmedia
::: very :::