I started out with a bowl of the Larry's Blend, which I found pleasant, and which didn't burn my mouth or tongue in the least. I cleaned the pipe and loosely packed a bowl of Black House. For what its worth, packing the pipe was a piece of cake.

From the first puff, I knew that I was onto something special. The tobacco displayed a mild flavorful smoke, with all the different tobaccos blending perfectly on the palette. After two charring lights, it was off to the races. I smoked the bowl all the way to the bottom of the pipe, stirring the dregs to light the last vestiges of tobacco. I was truly disappointed when there was no more baccy left. This blend provides plentiful smoke, and it doesn't really matter whether it is sipped or puffed - it burns cool, and doesn't bite.

Black House caused me to do something which I haven't done previously, which was to clean the pipe yet again, and pack a third bowl. A fresh pot of coffee later, and I went online and ordered 8 oz. of bulk Black House. Yep, I liked it that much! I have never smoked two successive bowls of anything before, not even Esoterica Penzance.

Black House is a nuanced, flavorful blend, mild, with zero mouth irration. I find myself wanting to inhale this blend! I found no noticeable nicotene hit, no stomach gurgles, no nasal burn, and no need to run to the bathroom. LOL. I even found the aftertaste agreeable. There was a necessity for several relights, since I smoked this fresh right out of the tin, and the tobacco was slightly moist.

I think Larry's Blend will be a great all day smoke, as will Black House. This is one of the best blends that I have tried so far. I am very impressed with the flavor and friendliness of this blend. Russ Ouellette has blended a masterpiece - well done!

Negatives? After smoking several bowls now, the only negative that I can report is that this tobacco burns very quickly. In fact, it is the fast burning baccy that I have smoked to date. I have tried to counter this by packing my bowls tighter, but the enjoyment is over far too soon.

I purchased this tin as an also throw that in the cart along with a regular order. For some reason I did not immediately open it (unheard of for me with a new, to me, tobacco) instead I put it on the tin shelf in the closet and did not open it for about a year.

The tin aroma is full, dark and smokey, quite alluring. There's alot of tobaccos playing together here and while it is to the dark side appearing there is ample browns as well.

The moisture is perfect for me right out of the tin and it was easy to keep lit, for me. I find the balance here to be quite good with the latakia and orientals really setting the foundation of the smoke throughout the bowl with a certain floral creaminess that I've come to expect from those blends calling themselves Balkans. It burned cleanly to the bottom of the bowl leaving me with that feeling of I wish I could get at least one more puff.

I am not a fan of big nicotine bomb tobaccos and thankfully this seems no more than a medium on my scale, because I really enjoyed it and intend to buy more. I do recommend it as a try for all who enjoy this style of smoke.

No disrespect meant, but this strikes me as the balkan blend that GL Pease has been chasing for a long, long time. This blend is quite lat-heavy but has none of the occasional harshess and/or bitterness in other blends which often do not agree with my chemistry the way Black House does. Four stars. Stock up and don't look back. This is a great smoke now, is almost dry enough to smoke right out of the tin, and can only improve with age and proper cellaring. Several of these fantastic new balkan blends on the market are making me reorganize and rethink my cellaring activities.

Russ Ouellette has produced an outstanding Balkan. I have never tried the original 759, only the pouch version. As this is a bit different, it still has the rich deep earthy, spicy, leathery everlasting taste that I love so much.

As a lot of VA/OR/LA are simply bland to my tastebuds, BH is and will always be my favorite among English/Blakan blends.

I will stock all the way up to High Heavens this marvelous tobacco.

Having said this, it is a great joy to report that Russ Ouellette deserves a medal of honor for Black House. I must admit that I couldn't quite understand or appreciate the name, 'Black House' until I read Kylepoet's review in which he used the phrase "A ghost on the edge of a dream." This perfectly describes this blend. Black House is haunted. It is haunted by the spirit of "Balkan Past." I have not tasted anything until now that satisfies the tasty memory of these long lost tobacco blends. Indeed, the phrase "A ghost on the edge of a dream" should be the bi-line on the tin.

Black House is tasty in ever changing ways, and to me, taste trumps all other considerations. I appreciate the muted play of the Virginias while not losing their required sweetness. I also appreciate the baked "nuttiness" provided by the addition of the Kentucky (as opposed to Burley,) and thus keeping the nicotine affect at a moderate level. The 'smattering' of Black Cavendish is just that, and doesn't offend the true Balkan integrity like so many do with this addition. Above all, the Latakia is top-notch and in perfect proportion.

Black House is a sipping tobacco, which never bites, and is ideal for those who like to use the gifted olfactory senses as they sip their smoke through the nose. The aroma is awesome, and its lingering room note delightfully haunts the house as well!

And the smoke? Ah yes, the smoke is like nothing I've ever experienced. Really! It creates a foggy-blue cloud that hangs in the air like something oozing out of the regimental tents from Kipling's Gunga Din!

The one and only drawback is, that being a natural tobacco, it burns faster and hence, shortens the pleasure far, far too soon. Because of this, it should be packed tighter and in a pipe with long and narrow bowl.

In short, I never would have dreamed that anyone could have pulled off a Sobranie smackdown with these ingredients, but Russ proves again that being a Master Blender is an art form. With all due respect to Roland Mesnier, in BLACK HOUSE, Russ Ouellette has proven that he is the premiere WHITE HOUSE Pastry Chef of tantalizing tobaccos! BRAVO!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: At the risk of committing the unpardonable, allow me to make one suggestion. Most of us like to play at amateur blender and "tweak" some of our smokes. If you would like to slow down the fast burning rate of Black House and smooth out the slightly rough edges that Orientals inevitably bring, you can add about 30% of McClelland Bulk 5110 to produce a smoother smoke and slower burn rate w/o altering the beautiful room note. It also increases the sweetness and complexity in the taste department... a fifth dimension! This is my favorite go to blend which I've christened, "Mr. President." Sorry Russ!

In my admittedly limited sampling of tobaccos, I find Black House to be the best tobacco I have smoked. I won't try to describe the nuances of flavor and aroma, not having the expertise to do so in a valuable manner, but I will say that this is the blend I would choose if I could smoke only one blend from now on. I can find no fault in Black House; no bite, great flavor and aroma, adequate strength, and it leaves me fully satisfied at the end of the bowl.

My wife did not mind the room aroma, either, although to be fair I should say that she lets me smoke other Latakia blends in the house. Burn rate and lighting were good, too, with minimal relights.

Scores for Black House: Taste- 20 of 20; lighting and burn- 8 of 10; value- 9 of 10. That gives Black House a score of 37 points, the highest I've ever given and a HUGE **** rating. If you love Balkans, you must try this tobacco!

I have waited a long time to review this blend, I wanted to acquire a large enough stash to be safe in case the supply temporarily dried up. When I open the tin I am immediately transported to the streets of Baghdad 1000 years ago, the smells of exotic incense and musky animals, the thick leathery smell of a well worn saddle and the aroma of cooked meat on an open fire. Black House is everything I ever wanted in a tobacco, it gives you a wonderful smoke every bowlful, top to bottom, with subtle flavors coming in and out as the bowl progresses. It also provides enough nicotine to be interesting without being overwhelming. I cannot thank Russ O. enough for this masterpiece.

One caveat: if you smoke strong blends in your pipe, clean the bowl well first. Otherwise, you won't get the entire range of taste of this blend.

I still remember my first contact with the original Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture while preparing a college exam a cool and rainy afternoon in 1967. The tin was a gift from a dear auntie who had just returned from London and had asked for "the best English tobacco for a pipe smoking nephew". God bless her soul. The leather and figs upon opening the tin! The perfect humidity, the easy to pack wide ribbon, the whirldwind of smells and flavor on the char... Oh Lord!

I kept at it, adapting to its subtle changes until 1999 when I quit tobacco altogether blaming the pipe over a brief relapse into cigarrettes. Then I cleaned, sanitized and packed my collection and gave away my supplies, among them five unopened tins of the then current BSSM, plus one more than half-full. I still want to hit my head on the wall when I remember; but enough! This is about Black House.

I got this after reading it was the winner of the ChPS last year and the complimentary reviews; all true, IMHO.

On opening the tin, the scene of the first paragraph returned to my memory with a vividness that was almost painful. It's said that the olfative memory is the most prominent of all and this must be true.

I don't intend comparing it to the lamented Balkan Sobranie, any of them —too many years have passed for that. Suffice to say that this is by far the best Balkan blend I've smoked since I relapsed into pipe smoking with a vengeance several years ago, and I've tried quite a few, looking for the lost Grial.

No description can make it justice, I suppose most of the educated ones here are correct and you will pick them out easily, but this is one you have to try and decide for yourself.

For me, it has completely filled the void. I have begun stocking on it and this time around I won't be commiting my previous sin. I frequently give away tobacco tins to friends but this one I'll scrooge away. I only expect it to age like a great Bordeaux.

Accolades to Russ Ouelette for this superb blend!

First of all, the contents of my tin did not much resemble 759. It came fairly dry, but was also evenly matched between dark and brown tobaccos. The cut was a bit wider as well. In the pipe, this tobacco was indeed very similar to 759. How that is so, when this blend contains Kentucky and Black cavendish which was not in 759, is beyond me and very likely a testament to the blender. But the flavor was remarkably similar - same sweetness barely up front with the smooth and spicy latakia close behind. The orientals tasted like the ones in 759. This one as well refused to be DBT'd.

It was only when I pushed it a bit that this blend showed its ornery and decidedly non-759 side. It became cloudy and a bit dirty tasting, which I could never get 759 to do. Whether this is due to the inclusion of those two condiment/base tobaccos, I do not know. And it's a non-issue anyway, if one smokes suitably slowly and in a relaxed fashion. To my tastebuds, Russ matched 759 most admirably, based on my limited tasting. I'd go so far as to suggest that 759 addicts should look no further. It was so close that it exhibited the same shortcoming I found in 759, in that it was just a bit smoother than i normally prefer. But this one should be tried by every latakia lover, without question. It's a very fine blend.

original review:I'm sorry, but this tobacco doesn't impress me. I find the taste mottled between the Orientals and latakia, neither one shines. The overall blend is hot and spicy from the Kentucky and without any sweetness from the Virginia. Too many better blends out there to buy again. Very surprised at all the 4 star reviews and from reviewers who I usually agree with. It must just be my chemistry, I find Kentucky(bites)& Cavendish(blah) both a problem.

I was not disappointed. Not in the least. Too long for a direct comparison, of course, but the pure, strong flavor hit, the bright, clear tastes definitely remind me of the earlier experience. Unlike any Latakia blend I have tried since the original Balkan Sobranie.

More detail: lovely ribbons, easy to pack and smoke to the bottom of the bowl, great, sharp tin note, ecstasy in a bowl. I wish there were more than 4 stars to award.

This too shall pass.