I think the 1.5 oz pouches of PA have been discontinued.
I'd been thinking about trying it again after 15 years or so, but I'm not keen on buying a whole tub.
I neglected to mention that both blends have changed since production was changed to the Dominican Republic. I updated my reviews to reflect he differences.
Carter Hall:
In 1976, I tried this blend and hated it. I wasn't ready for burley blends. Except for my occasional SWRA forays, my reluctance for smoking OTCs since then was hard to break. In 2012, I decided to try it again. The burleys are nutty, woody, earthy, and bready with a touch of cocoa. They are the lead components. The grassy, tart and tangy citrusy Virginia is in the background. The toppings are mild chocolate, a little molasses, and light bourbon, and mildly tone down the tobaccos. The toppings do weaken a tad around the last quarter of the experience, and the natural tobacco flavors become more obvious. The one drawback is that with the lessening of the topping, you can experience a cigarette note or two if you puff fast. The strength, taste and nic-hit levels are mild. Won't bite or get harsh, though it does sport a few small rough edges. It burns at a moderate pace, cool and evenly. Packs very easily, with a short lived, pleasant after taste and room note. Leaves just a little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. It's easily an all day smoke. It goes well with any drink you choose. Three stars.
UPDATE 6-2022: This blend is currently made in the Dominican Republic and there are some differences between it and the old Carter Hall. The chocolate and bourbon are a little stronger now, so you won’t notice the expected nutty quality of the burleys quite as much. The effect of the molasses is lighter as a result even though the chocolate isn’t as rich in flavor as the earlier production. However, the toppings do lightly weaken after the half way point, and the familiar, though mildly rougher and savory nutty, earthy, woody burley notes light rise to your taste buds. So does a slight sourness. The Virginia is reduced in status a mite. The toppings have a very small chemical note as they help create a smoother, mildly less tobacco forward version of the old CH. There’s still a chance of a cigarette note due to fast puffing after the half way mark. The strength and taste are a couple steps past the mild mark. The nic-hit is a notch behind them. All of the other aspects of the original that I noted in the first paragraph still apply. This manufacture is a two star blend, and my Tobacco Review site rating reflects Carter Hall’s latest version.
Prince Albert:
The lead components are the very nutty, earthy, woody, lightly sugary burleys. The Virginia cavendish chips in with a little grass, tart citrus, light sugar and a few drops of honey in the background. The bourbon and cocoa toppings mildly tone down the tobaccos, and have a lightly distracting chemical note. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are mild. There is an inconsistency in the flavor because the topping will flash off a bit by the last quarter of the experience, and you may get a mild harshness and a few cigarette notes if you are a fast puffer. Won’t bite, and has a few small rough edges. Doesn't need to be relit much, packs very easily, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Easily an all day smoke. One of the few tobaccos I have smoked that m'lady commented favorably on when she smelled it. I give it two and half stars because of aforementioned drawbacks.
UPDATE 6-28-2022. There are some changes in the new Dominican Republic production. The mildly applied bourbon is more dominant now, and the now weaker chocolate less so. Both are less sweet, and sport a very slight sourness not present in the American version. The toppings tone down the tobaccos approximately twenty percent more than before at first, but moderately flash off after the half way point. They don’t last as long as before, but you’ll still taste the toppings. The distracting chemical note in the older manufacture is barely obvious. The nuttiness from the burleys is three slots lower than before even when the toppings weaken. The burleys have a little more roughness, and I detect a hint of smoke from them as well. The latter characteristic was not there in the past. The Virginia cavendish mostly has the same effect as always with a touch less sugar and honey, and a lightly deeper citrus. Both varietals are just a little darker in color. The strength and nic-hit are a step and a half past the mild mark. The taste is a half notch more potent due to the smoke note. Won’t bite, and the chances of experiencing light harshness or cigarette notes for a fast puffer are much slimmer. Burns cool, slightly warm, and a tad fast. Overall, it’s not as sweet, less nutty, and even with the rougher burleys, is mildly smoother with a weaker flavor. Has a lightly lingering weaker after taste. The room note is a touch stronger now. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl, and doesn’t require many relights. An all day smoke. My rating at TR is still two stars though I deduct the extra half star that I gave the original due to the lack of flavor depth.
