Hearth & Home Louisiana Red

(3.32)
A great sweet and spicy blend containing two different red Virginias and a good amount of outstanding St. James perique. The rich, round sweetness of the Virginias are complimented by the plum and pepper hints of the cool burning perique. An overwhelming favorite of our local pipe club members.

Details

Brand Hearth & Home
Series Signature Series
Blended By Russ Ouellette
Manufactured By Sutliff Tobacco Company
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.32 / 4
28

23

9

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 60 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 27, 2012 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
The red Virginias have a deep dark, mildly tangy fruitiness with a little earth, some wood, and a touch of tart citrus, spice and grass as the star component. The perique adds some plum and a little pepper in a support role. The description says a good amount of the perique is here, but I think it more as a moderate addition. The strength is in the center of mild to medium, while the taste is a shade less than medium. The nicotine hit is a step past the mild level. No chance of bite or harshness even when pushed. It's often a little moist in a freshly opened tin, though the one I just opened is moderately dry. It burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent flavor as it easily burns to ash. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, and needs a few relights. It's not a complex blend and doesn't claim to be, but has enough going on to hold your interest as an all day smoke. Has a pleasant after taste and room note.

-JimInks
49 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 13, 2013 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a blend which is not a flavor bomb. It does not have the citrus of Orlick Golden Sliced, and it is not as sweet or have as much perique as Luxury Bullseye Flake. It is a soft and subtle combination of flavors and is slightly sweet and slightly spicy to my palate. It is well balanced and an easy smoke. It smokes very cool in my pipes.

I will admit I wanted more when I first tried it, and it has grown on me. It has worked well and consistently in more than one pipe, and I could see a steady diet of this with some Bullseye Flake or Orlick GS (or Escudo, etc.) every now and then to kick things up a notch. There are plenty of tobaccos in this niche, and most of them are good.

If you would like to try a mild and well-balanced VaPer, I would recommend this. It is one of those solid blends that does not knock your socks off, but it delivers. I could smoke this all day.

Edit 9/16/13 I have revised my rating on this to four stars from three. It has continued to grow on me. My last order was 1.5 lbs, and this needs to be reflected in the rating. To me anyway, it is "that" good.
27 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 30, 2009 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
Another very nice Vaper from Russ Ouellette. Hopefully my analogy of 3 of Russ' vapers to 3 different types of women won't offend anyone, but here goes.

Anniversary Kake is the vaper that you take out on the town to show off, is very elegant and refined and that you enjoy very much. AJ's Vaper is the one that doesn't dress up so well but that you prefer because she is so exciting and fun to be around. She takes chances that Anni Kake doesn't. Louisiana Red is the one that is dependable and would make the best wife. She's there when you need her, always looking out for you, but she's neither as exciting as AJ's nor as stunning as Anni Kake.

This is a tasty but subtle take on the old Vaper recipe. I really like the cut of this. I had no trouble keeping it lit nor smoking it to the bottom of the bowl. As I said, it's dependable.

Me? At least with pipe tobacco, I'm a playboy. I prefer the AJ's Vaper. It takes me places I just can't get to with the other two and leaves me always wanting more. I may fantasize over the Anni Kake and be contented with the LA Red, but my heart is always with AJ. Your mileage may vary.
24 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 03, 2017 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Louisiana Red is a straight forward rich and sweet Red Virginia mixed with a good amount of Perique. The presentation is a little sweeter than most VaPer's. It is somewhat unusual to find no Bright in VaPer but Leave it to Mr. O. to find a way to make this combination work. If you like sweetness and spice in a natural, no sweeteners smoke, this would be a good choice.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 20, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Louisiana Red is AJ's VaPer's brasher brother. While AJ's black cavendish mellows out the virginias and the perique, LR comes out full-force from the touch of the first match. Spicy with the sweetness of the virginia in the background, LR is a great VaPer but not as great as AJ's VaPer. I could not smoke Louisiana Red all day. AJ's is a different matter. LR gets sweeter with age as do many virginia compounds.

Russ Ouellette does a wonderful job with his VaPer blends. Most of these blends have a clean, tasty character, especially when compared to those from Cornell & Diehl (which tend to be somewhat harsh and a bit overbearing, imho).

Recommended.
Pipe Used: various briars, cobs
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars
Age When Smoked: fresh from bulk, some aged 3 years
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 05, 2014 Mild None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
(I am a newer and irregular pipe smoker. My reviews are subject to my preferences and tastes and pipe smoking habits) This was the first VaPer I have ever smoked and I was sold right away. There will be some bias in this. I liked my aromatics and had trouble with most English or Virginia based blends, but this was the first one I smoked that introduced to the flavours of natural tobacco leaf. The tin was a mix of orange and rusty brown/red tobacco ribbons with little strips of jet black throughout. The tin note was dark fruit and some how familiar, then it struck me... this smelled (fresh) almost exactly like Fig Newtons! From first charring light to the bottom of the bowl, it was sweet and sour and tangy. Very smooth flavours. Occasionally the flavour of something in the 'dark fruit' range would pop up. And the smoke just feels... juicy?... on your palate, which was a nice surprise for me. Nice mild to medium amount of black pepper tingle during the smoke and I think the room note is great. Also, as I am not a big fan of Vitamin N, the mild dose of nicotine was just right. This is the blend I find myself usually reaching for when I decide to pick up the pipe. If you are looking for a trusty introduction to VaPer, Give It A Try!
Pipe Used: Cesare Imperiale B Large Straight Billiard
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: new/Fresh
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 18, 2019 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Hearth & Home - Louisiana Red (Signature Series).

Having finished my final tin of Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture I needed another VaPer on the go. Although I have many of my usual's in my stash I was drawn to this.

The ribbons are a little above medium in build, brown and light brown in colour, they have a fruity yet musty aroma, and as mine was from bulk the hydration's good.

The smoke's good. The fruity, but slightly sharp, Virginias take up a touch more room than the Perique. I get more spice/muskiness from the Perique than I do plum. The Perique has a lot of asperity to it! The smoke feels cool, and I haven't been bitten once. Because of the moisture it burns evenly, and because of the slightly coarse build it goes quite slow.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: quite potent!

Louisiana red? A good smoke. Highly recommended:

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef; my Friday pipe.
PurchasedFrom: Tobaccopipes.com
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 05, 2015 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Reviewing a sample sent by a fellow Swiss pipe smoker. Unfortunately, I did not have the tin in front of me to smell it, but from what I could make some sweetness. Unfortunately That's pretty much.

In the bowl, the smoke is spicy, peppery, extremely pleasant and non like any other VA/Per I've tried before. The only hint of sweetness I detect is when I exhale the smoke out of the nose. Maybe it has more perique? Maybe it's the red virginias? I just know it's a lovely blend and is highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Straight Billiard J. Nicolas
PurchasedFrom: Sample from Friend
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 26, 2018 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Really nice Red Virginia blend. Can't complain about this one. Starts off a little blandish, but really picks up flavor as it progresses. Not a lot of perique to my taste, but probably enough to tame the Virginia so as not to burn to hot or bite. It seems a simple blend, but rather joyous in the vein of a straight Red Virginia dominant taste. I hope they stay stocked on this one, but I've got close to a pound in the cellar. Easily scratches the 5100 itch I was afraid of having with that one gone.
Pipe Used: Meer lined briar
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: new
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 21, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
To me the tin note smells like raisins. At first you get the pepper taste of the perique then the coying sweetness of the Virginias. If you puff too hard for too long you get the taste of ash so. Be careful. However, I really enjoyed this blend and will include it in my rotation.
Pipe Used: Various French pipes
PurchasedFrom: P&C
Age When Smoked: New
4 people found this review helpful.
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