Hearth & Home Armada

Armada is a creation of Russ Ouellette, a concocter of weed brews for a quarter century. He reached into many jars for this one. Having struggled with blending and balancing mixtures on my own, a balanced mix of (at least) five components seems improbably difficult, yet here is such a blend. I?m not sure what how a learned tobacconist would categorize this, but I?d call it a cajun english blend.

Appearances: the many ingredients are reflected in the flakes: long very light strands of orientals, short milk chocolate brown virginias(?), and about 25% of latakia. Many small particles settle to the bottom of the container; I?d recommend giving it a good shake prior to loading up. Drying is unnecessary, though I struggle more than average to keep it lit and I?m not sure why.

Taste comparisons: Dunhill London Mixture with perique, GLP?s Cairo with latakia. Although the choir sings together well, I?d say the virginia component is the least noticeable major ingredient, based on the dryness in the mouth. Very little sweetness here, to my taste. The perique in this blend is its signature tweak and is light enough for even a fussbudget mouth like mine. There is enough latakia for all but the hardcore, though it doesn?t seem dominant.

Pipe recommendation: go big. I originally smoked this in small bowls so as to make my sample last for several smokes for a fair review. Bad strategy. A big pipe will last an hour and a half and will reveal many nuances not otherwise noticed in a small one. It likes my full bent Peterson and especially my big meer.

Recommendations: if you like to tweak your blends with additional perique, this is definitely your cup of meat. If you are a purist of english blends, this might upset you. The perique, though expertly sneaked in, tends to distract me personally, yet without it, Armada would get lost in the crowd. I like a bit more sweetness in my latakia blends, so I doubt I would restock this. Yet I have to admire this blend for its variety and balance. Your call.