Burley Tobacco » Prince Albert Tobacco Reviews

Everyday Blend

Prince Albert is one of the first blends I smoked and ever since then I have always had a pouch or two on hand. It has slowly become my everyday blend as well as the blend I use to break most pipes in. I really enjoy the nutty almost chocolate tin aroma and taste. I also love the fact that it never bites, which is useful on days I am feeling stressed. Overall, I would say that this is a great blend that everyone needs to try at least once in their life. I have tried many other drug store pipe tobaccos but this one by far takes the cake.

Prince Albert

This IS your grandfather's smoke...

According to The Tobacco Time Line, by Gene Borio, Prince Albert was introduced by RJ Reynolds in 1906. That a product should survive and remain popular for over 100 years makes a statement like no glowing review ever could. In brief, a lot of pipe smokers have found something special here, and I'm no exception.

P.A. has been in my regular rotation for many years as the first and last smoke of the day, and I've often wondered exactly what tobaccos were in the blend. It's a fairly uniform brown tone tobacco with a crimp cut, so its appearance doesn't offer much of a clue. Most folks call it just a Burley tobacco, but I have always found flavors that suggest more than that. The Tobacco Timeline referenced above offers a valuable clue. In a 1913 entry, the Camel brand was introduced and described as containing the same 3 ingredients as Prince Albert; namely, Piedmont Bright, a flavored and sweetened Burley from Kentucky, and 10% Turkish leaf. So there it is -- or as close to the recipe as I've found to date.

So what does the inveterate P.A. smoker find in it? In the tub (14oz.) it has a wonderful boozy tobacco aroma. On first light and with every puff thereafter you'll get a good, honest tobacco taste without bells and whistles. It has good smoke volume; good body, or depth of character; medium strength; good flavor; dry smoke and no bite. Taken together these characteristics, all in good balance, provide a smooth, mild, satisfying smoke. Does it have PG? Well, like G.L. Pease says, if you have to ask the question they must be doing it right.

I recommend this to any new pipe smoker seeking to discover tobacco's quintessential taste. It's a good place to start one's exploration of the pipe tobacco world. Its uncomplicated packing and forgiving burn will ease the new pipe smoker's transition into the hobby. And speaking of transitions, its mild, neutral tobacco flavor will help any cigarette smoker switch to a pipe with a minimum of difficulty. Amateur blenders will also find this neutral tasting tobacco an excellent base for experimenting with bulk blending leaf and condiments (try 5% Perique!). Veterans who haven't tasted it might like to give it a try too, just to get in touch with a simpler time -- like when grandpa smoked it.