The Discontinued Middleton Blends

[Tobias Lutz]

V. Kentucky Club Mild

This is a burley blend that is cut into small cubes, making it easy to pack in the smallest MM cob or Dr. Grabow. There is both a mild cocoa note and, at the same time, a touch of “zing” like the sour flavor you can get from a bright Virginia leaf. It is too moist, in my opinion, to smoke without sitting it out for a little while and a faint nuttiness emerges in the scent when the excess moisture is gone. My first impression is something similar to chocolate pound cake…not overly sweet, but definite cocoa notes. It has a good burn and a fine ash without any relights. While it can get a touch hot, it doesn’t bite. As it progresses in the bowl there is a faintly floral not that is not at all unpleasant, and what sweetness was there fades some as you approach the bottom of the tobacco chamber. This is probably my second favorite, after Sugar Barrel, for the discontinued lines. I would say it is similar to mixing Granger with Velvet (both at least are still available).

[Tobias Lutz]

VI. Walnut

This is one of the few OTC's I have smoked that took advantage of Latakia in the blend. It is sweet smelling, reminding me of a very mild English blend like Dunhill London Mixture. There is a whiskey barrel note that is equally prevalent to the mild smokiness of the Latakia. It is a moderately fine cut blend that is reasonably dry in the container and ready to smoke when you pop the top. Once lit it tastes almost exactly like it smells. It isn’t overly sweet and is somewhat monotonous from start to finish. The Latakia is more present in scent than flavor, and I had a little trouble keeping it lit. It did burn coolly and was bite free. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by my Dunhill trinity (EMP, Nightcap, & 965), but I found this pretty lacking. I imagine if someone smoked drugstore blends exclusively, this would be a nice change of pace, but even when it was on the market for cheap- I wouldn’t have been compelled to add it to my rotation.

[Desertlifter]

Nice review! Exactly my thoughts on this one. The problem is that there are so many REALLY good blends with Latakia that this just doesn't stand out. Pretty much the same thing as with Sugar Barrel.

Still really wish that Granger wasn't so awful - really want to like that blend, but if I want a codger blend, I reach for SWR. Like that stuff.