1913 advertisement for Prince Albert tobacco.

Prince Albert is an American brand of hand-rolled-cigarette and pipe tobacco, introduced by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1907.[1] It has been owned since 1987 by John Middleton Inc.[2]

History

Prince Albert is one of the more popular independent brands of pipe tobacco in the United States; in the 1930s, it was the "second largest money-maker" for Reynolds.[3] More recently, it has also become available in the form of pipe-tobacco cigars. (A 1960s experiment with filtered cigarettes was deemed a failure.[4]) The blend is burley-based and remains one of America's top-selling pipe tobaccos.

The tobacco was named by R. J. Reynolds after Edward VII, who was known as Prince Albert before being crowned as the King of England.[5] The portrait of Prince Albert was based on one acquired by Reynolds at a tea party with Mark Twain.[5]

Prince Albert's cigars are available in packs of 5. Prince Albert's pipe tobacco is available in 1+1⁄2-ounce (43 g) pouches and 14-ounce (400 g) tins.

Varieties

Classic Prince Albert Crimp Cut Tobacco

Cigars

  • Prince Albert's Soft Cherry Vanilla
  • Prince Albert's Soft & Sweet Vanilla

Pipe tobacco

  • Prince Albert
  • Prince Albert Crimp Cut
  • Prince Albert Cherry Vanilla
  • Prince Albert Soft Vanilla Cavendish
  • Prince Albert Mellow

"Prince Albert in a can"

The brand is the basis of a practical joke, usually made in the form of a prank call. The prankster typically calls a store and asks if they have "Prince Albert in a can". When the unsuspecting clerk responds, "yes", (because the tobacco is typically packaged in a can, though other forms of packaging also existed), the caller follows up with, "Well, you'd better let him out!" or something similar.[6][7] The joke was most famously referenced in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King's book, It.

References

  1. ↑ "International Directory of Company Histories". Thomson Gale. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  2. ↑ "R.J. Reynolds Sells 2 Tobacco Brands". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 7, 1987. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  3. ↑ "Pipe Dream Girl". TIME magazine. November 23, 1931. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  4. ↑ "Where There's Smoke There's a Filter". TIME magazine. November 18, 1966. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  5. 1 2 Bryan Burrough. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco. HarperCollins. p. 44.
  6. ↑ "Transcript of Interview with Prince Albert of Monaco". Larry King Weekend. CNN. September 15, 2002.
  7. ↑ Stein, Tony (October 23, 1994). "Penny Candy and Radio in the Good Old Days". The Virginian-Pilot.
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