Hearth & Home Larry's Blend

This is a fantastic Balkan. We're talking the equal of Abingdon as far as I'm concerned, and it is a testament that despite how prolific Russ is, he is capable of putting a timeless classic together.

I have a Charatan pot that has never seen anything but this blend, and it's a magic combination. This blend has the biggest sour note outside of Peretti's Cambridge Flake I've ever smoked. I say note, because unlike the original Balkan Sobranie which had a complexity of sour images, this one has one big, fantastic sour note. Like Cambridge Flake does. I don't think this is a function of the Orientals, I think it's the Latakia. I say this because SG Commonwealth is capable of conjuring sour notes, and there isn't a shred of Oriental in it. I think the big sour note some of us love is a Latakia deal, whereas Orientals are more likely to produce bitter, herbal notes.

Speaking of Latakia, this is quite full. Just on the edges of Lat bomb territory, but I've always been fuzzy on what constitutes a Lat bomb. Seems pretty subjective to me.

Those are my somewhat disjointed thoughts on this blend. Big, sour, packed with flavor, never scorching the palate. This is a really good Lat blend for a large pipe on a cold evening. One of my top five Lat blends and a winter favorite for me.

This is an outstanding blend. Well balanced and spicy. Full of wonderful flavors. The deeper into the bowl you get the more satisfying it becomes. If you like Balkans you must try this.

**I really wish Russ had access to a flake press. I added some Perique to Larry's and put the bag under the couch leg to press for a week. The added Perique and marrying of the leaves made this an absolutely stellar blend. Very Nightcap like but I enjoyed the improvised Larry much more as it was not as harsh and gave off a buttery creaminess that's lacking in Nightcap. If only I could give a pound of my concoction to C&D to press and slice, I'd be in heaven (and make a small fortune selling it). This is still a fantastic blend in its original form!!!!**

Larry's Blend is the fullest Latakia blend I have in my cellar, reserved for cold evenings. There is enough Latakia present to bring Larry's close to Latakia Bomb territory but having smoked Old Ironsides and Star of the East Flake I believe Larry's is a notch or two below those heavy blends. Really delicious and SOUR as some other reviewers have stated, briny and salty with a wonderful smokiness in both taste and aroma, really really nice! Larry's being a Balkan is very different from my English blends so I keep a pound in a large glass jar as the Balkan blend in my rotation. Recommended for very chilly nights with a glass of aged scotch - truly delightful pairing. My only negative is the large amount of dust that accumulates and is present in the 8oz tins that I have purchased, I have not found another Balkan with so much dust but regardless a must try Balkan at an extremely affordable price!!

At first glance, the appearence of Larry's blend looks like it's going to be really strong latakia bomb. However, I find it to be very smooth and cool burning. Currently it is one of my favorite Balkans. The flavor is full and somewhat smokey but not totally dominated by the latakia. The balance of the Orientals and the Latakia really make for wonderful dance partners. Add in the very fair price from Pipes and Cigars and Larry's should be part of every Balkan smoker's rotation. Highly recommended!

The smokey, woody, lightly musty sweet Cyprian latakia is the star component, and while this ventures toward lat-bomb territory, it falls a little short of that line. The Orientals offer some wood, a touch of sour and floral, and a light buttery sweetness along with a little spice. The Virginia is grass and citrus in a back up position though it’s not always very noticeable. It does lack a little body and depth. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite. Burns a little on the fast side, fairly cool, mostly clean, with a consistent flavor. Requires very few relights and easily burns to ash. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Two and a half stars. Not as full tasting as other blends in this genre.

-JimInks

This is my all time favorite! When I was in PAD phase, I tried anything I could get my hands on and this one was love in the first puff! I would say it is a full Balkan with good latakia amount and the taste is sweet, sour, spicy, savoy, woody and keeps change. Always in my rotation and one of the best in tobacco world.

Russ Ouellette is definitely the king of Balkan blenders in my book. All three I'd tried:this, black house and ambassador, are outstanding and impeccable. They're way better than some of GL Pease's blends IMHO. Maybe after proper aging time things will change and do Mr. Pease real justice. Until then, Russ rules.

I can't help nose inhaling the wonderful smoke and the fullness may keep you from trying others in the rest of the day. I therefore would smoke Larry's blend as the last puff before bed or use morta to reduce the strength and edginess. That works to me.

Okay, there IS some kind of flavoring in this tobacco. The predominant taste was sweetened Latakia with the Virginia leaf giving the blend some strength (although not a lot), and the orientals giving balance to the Latakia and Virginia.

It smokes slow and provides gobs of smoke. I think the rich presentation of all the condiments came together perfectly and that is probably why this blend is so flavorful and well thought of. I can see where it would quickly become a favorite.

This is what PS Balkan Supreme aspires to be when it grows up ...

I've generally been disappointed with Hearth and Home blends, especially in comparison with similar offerings from other blenders. It not that these are bad mixtures, by any means -- they just don't agree with me. In any case, Larry's Blend is the big exception.

This is a very nice Balkan, one that manages to capture what is best about both Odyssey and Abingdon yet costs far less. It's sweet, powerful, and keeps the latakia at the forefront (where it should be). It burns well, cool, and has little or no bite. It does lack complexity, and instead of the shifting high notes and spices that grace similar mixtures by GL Pease this blend has a sustained "buttery" flavor. This is far better than most blends that are labeled "balkans," and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who appreciates -- or wants to appreciate -- this kind of mixture. One caveat: Larry's Blend seems very young when shipped, and I aged this batch for a year before smoking.

Larry's Blend is a creamy buttery smoke. Slightly sour from the orientals. It coats the mouth, Bringing flavors of a mild savory inscent to the nose. Wisps of smoked leather and a melange' of orange spice.

Larry's Blend creates plumes of smoke, never bitey. It's a consistent smoke from top to bottom of the bowl. A great blend for the fall, winter and early brisk spring. Goes great with an English Breakfast Tea during or after a pipe. I would say a day of Squadron Leader, Wilderness and a finish with Larry's Blend would be a day well spent In the Balkans.

Larry’s blend is a mellow and smooth smoke that should be enjoyed by any fan of Latakia and Orientals. When I first pop the lid off of a fresh tin of Larry’s Blend, I am greeted by the smoky Latakia, and crisp floral like Oriental tobaccos, although the aroma is much lighter than a lot of Latakia blends which is rather surprising. The tobacco is of high quality although I did find a few twiggy or woody bits in the tin. The cut is for the most part a uniform medium width ribbon which I suspect to be the lighter Orientals, mixed with a shorter cut of dark Latakia. Moisture level of the tobacco was spot on perfect, although a few friends complained that it was too dry for their liking. I had to disagree with them as the slow burning Latakia needs to be more on the dry side in order to get a better burn characteristic from the tobacco. Due to the cut and moisture level, the tobacco was easy to load into the bowl, and took a light with minimal effort. At first light, the taste is creamy and smoky like that of a campfire, yet surprisingly crisp, with none of the flavors seeming to be muddied or lost. The Orientals provide a soapy, floral, clean taste to the blend that remains through to the end of the smoke. The Latakia is never overpowering and never steals the show so to speak which is often the case with Balkan blends. The tobaccos just seem to balance each other out perfectly here. I find that the blend is slightly reminiscent of WhiteKnight, although it is a bit milder, a bit creamier. Burn characteristics were perfect, and there were no relights needed to get from the top of the bowl down to the bottom. The tobacco burned down to a fine white ash that made for easy cleaning of the pipe once the bowl had been emptied. As for the room note, those around me made mention that the room smelled like there had been a nice hardwood fire going in the fireplace, so I take that to mean that it was pleasant to tolerable. Overall, I was very satisfied with Larry’s Blend and will purchase more in the future. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys mild to medium English blends and those that enjoy mild Balkan blends.