Hearth & Home Old Tartan

(3.14)
A new interpretation of a blend that was a mainstay in the Albany NY area for more than a half-century. This smooth-smoking mixture uses a variety of cube and rough cut Burleys and a splash of natural Cavendish with just enough Latakia to add a slight smoky spice. Enjoy this taste of the past.
Notes: According to Pipes & Cigars Deer Tongue is no longer used.

Details

Brand Hearth & Home
Series Signature Series
Blended By Russ Ouellette
Manufactured By Pipes & Cigars
Blend Type American
Contents Burley, Cavendish, Latakia
Flavoring Alcohol / Liquor
Cut Mixture
Packaging 1.5oz Tin, 8oz Tin, Bulk
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.14 / 4
15

13

8

1

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 37 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 15, 2014 Mild Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
Being a Deer Tongue fan I gave this one a go. Its a nice mild blend. The deer tongue takes a background roll in this blend. Mainly it is a nutty burley blend with a nice smokey latakia note. The deer tongue adds a nice background sweetness that compliments the background spice of the perique. Overall a very nice blend. The liquor casing seems a little unnecessary and unfortunately lent the blend to a bit of tongue bite. When smoked slow and relaxed this blend is a nutty, spicy and sweet blend with a slight touch of deer tongue.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 18, 2013 Mild Strong Mild to Medium Pleasant
Old Tartan is a fairly solid rendition of an old-timey American-style blend. There’s quite a few variations of this kind of “American English” blend on the market—a Burley base with a smidge of Latakia and other condimental leaf finished with some sort of aromatic agent—so Old Tartan has some competition as it tries to stand out in the crowd.

Old Tartan is much more American than it is English. The Latakia hides in the background—as it should—for most of the bowl. The Burley, with its toasted bread and hazelnut quality, tends to dominate for part of the smoke, but there are times when it plays a losing game of tug-o’-war with the deer tongue. Several reviewers here have complained about how forward the deer tongue is in this blend and I find myself agreeing with them. I like deer tongue but not if it’s used in a proportion that overwhelms the tobacco.

This tobacco does have one virtue: it lasts a long time. I tossed 2 ounces of Old Tartan into a Mason jar in February 2009 and I’m only now—almost 5 years later—approaching the bottom of that jar. Truth is, I find myself eyeing the tobacco cabinet when I’m about halfway through each bowl of this stuff because I’m neither satisfied nor am I ever inclined to smoke two bowls of Old Tartan in a row. It smells pretty good, I guess, but I really don’t care about the room note.

It’s worth mentioning, I suppose, that someone who better appreciates a generous helping of the herbal, vanilla-like deer tongue will probably have a completely different opinion of Old Tartan than I do. So be it. From my perspective, however, there are several more enjoyable tobaccos in this style and I’ll probably stick with them in the future.
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: fresh, aged, really aged (1-5 years)
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 11, 2011 Mild Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Old Tartan is Rush Ouellette's tribute to an old blend called Black Watch. Having never smoked Black Watch I cannot compare the two, nor would I anyway. What does come through is the successful creation of an old style aromatic from days gone by. I don't find the deer tongue overpowering and unlike some aromatics, the tobacco flavor comes through nicely. Mr. Ouellette's wide range of great blends only serves as more proof the he has earned a seat at the table with America's top blenders. Recommend.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 29, 2015 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Based on about an ounce. Mottled rough cut with the deer tongue coming thru loud and clear in the bag aroma with an undercurrent of toasty burley. Barest whiff of latakia, in the truest tradition of American English blends.

I made a nice discovery with this one. I smoked a bowl of it fresh and found in uninspiring. By accident, I failed to seal the baggie and when I returned to it a few days later, it was bone dry. Undaunted, I fired up a bowl and found it much improved. It burned faster, of course, and I had to be careful with my puffing cadence but the flavor really came forward. The burley was not only nuttier and tastier, but cleaner tasting as well. The deer tongue was still in evidence but subdued. Natural flavorings tend to stay when a tobacco is dried, where the artificial ones used in most goopy aromatics tend to dissipate. The latakia remained in evidence, with just enough of a presence to spice up the proceedings. Good bit of nic here, and even a bit of complexity. Crispy dry, this is an excellent 3.5 star blend. Having not really dried out my burleys (although most VA's get the heavy drying treatment), this blend reminded me to not only play with puffing cadences on new blends, but also varying levels of moisture. These kinds of discoveries are what pipesmoking is all about to me. I'll buy more of this and get it nice and crispy before I smoke it! YMMV of course, and drying out may not work with all blends but it's always worth a shot, especially if you find a blend ho-hum at normal moisture.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 29, 2006 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant
This is a fine, old fashioned blend.

Cubes and rough burley, a little cavenish and latakia, and the star but a small one is the herb Deer Tongue (DT), as the description says.

In days past there were many DT blends -- Edwards Arabian and Jaimaca, Draper's Commander (I think), Country Doctor (don't know if its comeback version has it), and of course, Harkness F and G, to name some. Even cigars had something similar but not herbal, green wrapper claro leaf in days past but few do today --Optimo Admiral is maybe one accessible left). I heard it is too difficult to harvest and cut the herb or no one wants to do it any more but C&D.

The DT adds a slight herbal (not vanilla but more vegetal) quality to the taste and that's the only aromatic leaf, if you call it that, in here. But its all natural!

This blend is a cross between Harkness F and G by San Antonio's Humidor, in my opinion. (One had a lighter base and showcased the DT, the other was made more heavy with Latakia.)

The closest comparison today is C&D's Crooner -- which is all cubed burleys and some DT. A fine example but milder. Not all like the DT thoughis

The blend starts cool and light and showcases the DT. By mid-bowl the little Latakia shows itself more but the DT still shines some. A delightful return to the past.

Recommended for us old timers but it is something truely different nowadays. I smoked my two ounces in an older Dunhill and "new" Huybrecht from pipes2smoke.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 22, 2006 Mild None Detected Mild to Medium Tolerable
I am somewhat confused (a natural state of mind for me,) because the pouch of Old Tartan I received came from Altadas, not pipesandcigars.com. The components described above and what I smoked were the same... maybe?!?

All I know is that Old Tartan from Altadis is a cube Burley and Latakia combination that was okay, but not impressive. The blend burned well and produced tons of smoke. I can usually detect deertongue, even when lightly applied, but I tasted none of it in my Old Tartan.

The Altadis version is not remarkable in any way, and packed little punch in nicotine or flavor.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 15, 2005 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
If there was ever a "sleeper" of a tobacco, this is it. Listen up, folks, TRY THIS BLEND!

Old Tartan is the most unique smoke I have ever had. The deertongue really sets this apart, making it like nothing you have ever put into a pipe. Nothing artificial, and burns very dry with nary a bit of bite.

It's an aromatic, but it's not.

It's an english, but it's not.

A true crossover blend.

I liked the sample that Russ sent me so much, I ordered a half a pound. I have a nice Nording Freehand that never has or will burn anything else. It's that good.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 29, 2017 Mild to Medium Medium Full Pleasant
Not much to add here except to offer a high recommendation; "Old Tartan" certainly holds a permanent place in my top 5 blends. A very tasty smoke that offers an exceptionally unique and refreshing smoke. Modeled after the old Pat Vottis blend "Black Watch". The burleys play the main role in the mixture with the cavendish and Latakia complimenting them perfectly. This blend does leave some moisture, and I've found that a Kirsten pipe lends itself wonderfully to Old Tartan. A great blend.
Pipe Used: Kirsten Mariner
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 04, 2015 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
Just got a sample of this and it will go into the rotation for sure. Smooth blend, good tobacco flavor and then there is that Deer tongue. Great herbal flavor, didn't know what to expect-I had no knowledge of this blend prior to smoking it and when I tasted the Herb I immediately kept looking for it in every draw. Not overpowering, but it has some potency. I recommend this, but only if you like the incense type additives.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 18, 2014 Mild Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant
Sigh...

I ordered a tin of this on special and from the description was eager to try it, as I like 'anglo-matics'. I like the tin note, and it's really an attractive tobacco.

Loaded up a bowl and lit up, and about a third of the way through the bowl, I began to sense the all-too-familiar feeling of a tobacco that's been sprayed with chemicals. The coating on the roof of my mouth and down the sides of my tongue was very noticeable. I can't recommend a tobacco that has this characteristic, when there are so many excellent others out there.

Darn...
1 person found this review helpful.
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