Just about every major blender in the U.S. (with the exception,I think, of GL Pease) offers at least one variation on this theme. Cornell & Diehl, in fact, has an entire stable of them! Beverwyck is Russ Oullette's unique and outstanding contribution to the field, only he adds a twist to the standard formula by upping the amount of latakia and including both Virginia and perique. These components lend Beverwyck an intensity of flavor that makes it stand out from the crowd in a pretty dramatic way. In fact, they play much the same role in Beverwyck that orientals often play in English blends, a unique twist that other blenders might do well to take heed of.

When it comes to burning characteristics like packing and ease of burn, Beverwyck also excels. It burns slowly and develops quite well in a large bowl, and the chunky cut ensures that it remains cool as long as you mind your technique. It also has very little bite, thanks in part to the perique. I detect no topping here, which means it could appeal to those smokers who turn up their noses at artificial flavorings (I'm not one of those smokers, by the way -- I'm simply making an observation).

This stuff really raises the bar for what I expect from American English mixtures. I wouldn't say it's necessarily the best of its type, but it is certainly in the top tier(along with Old Hollywood, Epiphany, Bald Headed Teacher and Gatlin-Burley). The nicotine level is on the weak side of medium, which means it could easily work as an all-day smoke if you are so inclined.

Update September 2011 Even after drying it well, it tends to smoke wet. I also get an unpleasant "roof of mouth bite" from it.

My day to day smoke is some variation of the cowboy burleys, Granger, SWR, PA and the like. But regularly now I have wanted to reach for something with a little more flavor and oomph. This fills the bill. I ordered this with several other smaller samples. I think this does resemble Country Doctor. Fills and lights easily and tends to stay lit reasonably well. I detect much less casing than, say, Country Doctor or Revelation. This is a very nice, smooth and cool smoke with a great natural flavor. The latakia and perique are there but in small doses and spice up the burley/Va base. Almost sweet, nicely smokey, slow burning, this is hard to beat. I would think a burleyphile or an aromatic smoker would find this interesting as a change of pace. I've found mine consistant and plan to have some on hand. Thanks Russ!

Beverwyck is a step along my search for the perfect all-day, everyday tobacco. This is part of an order of 4 Hearth and Home blends from Pipesandcigars.com. I have smoked this in a number of pipes.

The cut of the tobacco was kind of strange to me at first. This is a cube cut tobacco, or as other reviewers have noted, granular. The cubes are about 1/8? on a side. It took a while to get the hang of packing it into a pipe but I have learned to just pour/sprinkle, or scoop tobacco into the pipe until the bowl is full, tap the side a few times to settle it, perhaps top it off some, and tamp it down ever so slightly. If done properly, it doesn?t need much tamping during the smoke except to settle the ash as it burns.

The burn is clean, no goop or gunk is left in the bottom of the pipe, just ash and a tiny bit of charcoal-like tobacco bits (a dry dottle). This stuff produces copious amounts of creamy smoke. There is an alternation between the creamy Burley and a slightly sweet poking through of the Virginia and Perique. At the same time there is the steady but not overpowering Latakia. (Think of Pachelbel?s canon.) The Burley and Latakia provide the bass line, the Virginia and hybrid cubes provide the melody. Others have commented on a tea taste. Well, I haven?t exactly tasted that but I have tasted something else. At this point I cannot quite put my finger on what it is.

As other esteemed reviewers have noted, there does seem to be some variability from pipe to pipe and from bowl to bowl. I believe that this is a result of the cube cut of this blend. The flavor which one gets is dependant on the proportional mix of cubes you get in that particular pipe. To be honest, I think that this is what keeps the blend from becoming boring. Not only does this affect the change of tastes within a particular bowl but also provides a nice variation as the day goes along?if you are smoking multiple bowls of this very nice stuff.

My personal qualm is that there is, to me, a certain peppery quality to this blend which I am not particularly fond of. I believe that this is caused by the Perique contained therein as I notice it in other blends containing that choice tobacco from Louisiana. I wonder what this would taste like with Turkish instead of Perique?

All in all this is a wonderful blend which burns slowly, coolly and has a good supply of vitamin N. If you like the combination of sweet-ish and Latakia, like I do, you owe it to yourself to give this stuff a whirl.

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Herein is the interest: perique is taking the flavor-space of turkish tobaccos usually found in English blends.

Try it! It's good. It's cheap.

Images evoked include a bandanna-headed old woman scrubbing the shine onto a toddler in the midst of a murky bayou.

Five of five stars.

Perhaps I am just amazed at the unique flavor, but I really get a mild to sweet flavor more than a regular English flavor regardless of what is in there. The Latakia seems to just gives it some body, which it does very well with the Perique in the nose and adding some lovely fruit to the body as well.

Beverwyck lights and burns like a dream, requiring only light tamping. The smoke flows from the first puffs to the dry smooth completely tobaccoless ending all in one great smoke.... so I shall not be giving a middle and ending. That is not to say it is a one-note smoke, that is to say it takes you on a journey and you go with it. The flavors evolve, they do not transition, so it would be impossible to say, "here is the middle of the bowl".

Beverwyck is one great smoke for a meer or cob, but I can tell you that my briar loved it. Complex, medium, flavorful, & unique but easy on the palate all at the same time? a real masterpiece.

This will become a regular smoke for me. 9 out-of 10. Namaste?

At first match, the creamy sweet nuttiness of the Va and Burley wafts upwards. After just a few more sips, the latakia and perique comes through adding a thick smooth smokiness and soft spicey flavor that quickly developes into a well balanced combination of flavors and unique body.

By middle bowl the flavors deepen, none of the varitiels dominating, instead, the complexity tantilizes the pallate with thick smokey sweet creamy nuttiness rounded off with a soft spicey edge.

The final third deepens in body, smoothness and flavors with smoke so thick you can cut it with a knife. When the last sip is consumed, the aftertaste lingers in a most pleasent way and your already thinking about smoking another bowl...maybe two, or three...