Hearth & Home Ten to Midnight

Krumble Kake my butt!! lol This kake is pressed harder than my luck in high school.

Extremely dense, evenly cut kake, that smells of glorious smoky Latakia. The exterior of this kake is glossy and smooth, showing this had been pressed heavily. It does require a bit of exertion to rub this out completely, and it leaves a wonderful black smoky powder on your fingers.

Packs very well due to the uniform cut and perfect moisture. Initial lighting takes no time at all. The flavor of the woody and smoky Latakia are married to the Virginia and Turkish very well. The Turkish stands behind the Latakia floral and bright. Very well balanced! I smoked through this 2oz fairly quickly this winter. I see this being another fall favorite!

A dark, rich, smokey, and spicy Balkan

This is a Balkan blend through and through. The cedar-like smokiness of the Latakia melds perfectly with the spicy and slightly sour oriental leaf. There seems to be a couple varietals here, which add a complexity to the smoke. The Carolina leaf, which I assume to be Red Virginia tobacco, is on the earthy sweet side of the spectrum. It adds a richness to the smoke in a similar manner to Plum Pudding. Overall, Ten to Midnight is a perfect blend in regards to flavor profile, but it does not quite agree with the chemistry of my tongue.

*This is the last review made while pilfering my brother-in-law’s cellar while on vacation.

I picked this one up, in hopes it would be similar to other English kakes I've tried; Bengal's Slices and it's second cousin Fusiler's Rations. Well, the aroma was similar, peppery, and quite deep, leaning more on the Oriental than the Latakia. I did smell a small amount of Virginia sweetness, but it was overpowered by the other two stars of the show. Classic English goodness in my book.

I was less impressed with the feel of this kake however. It was brittle and crumbled apart, as would a dried clump of grass under a lawnmower (layered organic material pressed together). Previous kakes I preferred, tended to crumble into sticky crumbs that just smoked better and longer. The smoke itself was good, though became a little samey throughout, and tended to bite a tad if rushed.

I prefer the other two I already mentioned, but since one can buy this in bulk for less money, it gets an equal rating based on value.

Most of the tin was smoked in the evening well before ten o' clock, but maybe next time I'll wait until two hours before the Doomsday clock gongs to ring in the apocalypse.

Jar note of pungent smoky sour. Tobacco is mostly a black and dark brown Krumble Kake with a few highlighted tans. Moisture content is ok. Drying may be preferred by some. Breaks apart and rubs out easily. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes of smoky, charred wood, floral, rich earth, dry, mildly spicy, moderately sweet, tangy citrus, herbal spices, bitter orange peel, mild bread, peaty vegetation, musty incense, a mildly sour lemony background note, and a mildly peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginia supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

This is a good blend, but it’s missing something. It’s like a quartet but missing the cello. It show the hallmarks of a good Balkan/English but the balance is off. The Latakia and orientals are good and fairly balanced, but the background notes are lacking. Overall, not bad at all and recommended.