Hearth & Home Larry's Blend

(3.51)
Larry Loerzel, one of our regular store customers, and connoisseur of English/Balkan blends had tried Ten to Midnight, and although he liked it, he was looking for something a little fuller and different. Based on his preference, we blended a full, traditional Balkan using Orientals that were more buttery and amped up the latakia. This blend is now a big hit among our full bodied English fans; a cool-smoking, very rich mixture.

Details

Brand Hearth & Home
Series Signature Series
Blended By Russ Ouellette
Manufactured By Pipes & Cigars
Blend Type English
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 1.5 ounce tin, bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.51 / 4
75

30

11

2

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 11 - 20 of 75 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 01, 2022 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
First smoked this sometime back in February or March 2014. Here I am still smoking it in 2022 (it's Jan 1st 3:12am as I'm writing this). Not sure what to say about it other than that it checks all the right boxes for me. Smoky, earthy, sour, tangy. Not too strong, not too light. Pretty much a perfect smoke when I'm in the mood for a Latakia blend. Shout out to Dagner for recommending this blend years ago in his pipe smoking tutorial.
Pipe Used: Cobs, Briars
PurchasedFrom: P&C
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 11, 2014 Strong None Detected Full Very Pleasant
From the description offered by H&H I was concerned about just how dark and heavy this blend was going to be. The reviews were quite positive, though some reviewers labeled it as a "lat bomb". Now that I have smoked this wonderful blend, I must disagree with that epithet - I have smoked some lat bomb blends in my day and this isn't one of them.

On opening the tin you are greeted not only with a wonderful english blend aroma, but the sight of a well-blended mixture of various browns, blacks and some lighter leaves. I knew from long experience with english blend smoking that this was not the aroma nor the appearance of a "lat bomb".

When I was just starting to discover english blends (in the early sixties) every smoke shop (and there were many of them in those days) had a blend like this in their line up of bulks. It usually could be found down toward the stronger end of their englishes; but not all the way down to the end - that was reserved for blends that were much darker in color with lots of black leaf and with mind-blowing heavy latakia aromas.

So, when I opened my first tin of Larry's blend it was like finding a long lost friend - familiar and missed but now close and warm. I thoroughly enjoyed smoking this tobacco and knew that I would be ordering more for smoking and aging in my stash. It smokes round and soft with a warm toastyness that comes from skillful blending with a range of brown middle tobaccos that give it depth. How anybody could label this blend as a latakia bomb is beyond me. Larry's Blend is the epitomy of a medium/heavy english blend - one of the best I have ever smoked. I love it - four enthusiastic stars.
Pipe Used: Ashton and Parks
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: 1 year old
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 19, 2012 Mild None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is an outstanding Balkan blend. To me, this is a mild tobacco. But the taste is absolutely phenomenal, and slow sipping is highly rewarded; Im surprised every time of how unique a taste it has. I wonder if its the Orientals used in this that makes Larry´s Blend so special to me, it makes my pipe sing everytime.

The rough cut is perfect for me, it smokes very cool and without even the slightest bite. Good progression in the bowl, never boring and never harsh. My favorite Balkan by far!
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 06, 2011 Very Strong None Detected Very Full Tolerable to Strong
Larry's Blend is an awesome Balkan blend. It smokes extremely well - is complex and has a wonderful buttery, full bodied, smokey taste.

There is a merde de cheval (aka horse manure) kind of aroma and taste - which is definitely gamey. So - I would recommend this to all lovers of fine European wines or smelly cheeses. Personally, I like gamey or funky flavors - so this one is an absolute winner for me.
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 25, 2009 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
I smoke English/Balkan blends exclusively. I don't like straight Virginia's and or Cavendish very much, I much prefer Latakia and Oriental and therefore; I enjoy this blend immensely.

The pouch smell is absolutely awesome, I can't get enough of it. I find that Larry's blend packs easily, but takes a few matches to get going. I don't dry it out, I just stick my pipe in my pouch and scoop away and pack, scoop away and pack. I find that once I get it burning good, I don't have to relight.

This blend is very smooth, cool and easy to smoke, but it isn't bland. I enjoy reading and or writing while I'm smoking and this blend is very suitable for that purpose. With the pipe in my mouth, I can puff away without worry of the smoke being too overbearing or irritating. It has a wonderful aroma and in my opinion a really good after taste. The Virgina note is far in the background on both during smoking and on the finish and aftertaste, which is what I like. The tobacco's used seem to me to be of a very good quality. So far I've been very satisfied with Hearth and Home Tobacco's.

My regular rotation, along with Larry's Blend, includes; Penzance, Abingdon, Odyseey and Westminster.
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 20, 2009 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Tolerable
I purchased a sampler from pipesandcigar dot com along with a pipe a few weeks back, including ten to midnight and Larry?s blend. I bought these two specifically because of the rave reviews on this site. I tried ten to midnight first because the description of Larry?s blend was that Larry wanted something a bit stronger. Ten to midnight impressed the hell out of me. Larry?s blend is bit stronger; a bit more bottom heavy with the Latakia, an incredible smoke. Comparisons to Dunhill?s 965 as Murrays made it are an unfair comparison, Larry?s blend is superior, richer, more interesting, better leaf and better blend IMHO. I continue to be impressed with Russ O?s skill as a blender of tobacco.
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 19, 2007 Strong None Detected Full Strong
This is my first review here at tobaccoreviews.com. I'd like to thank everyone involved here for a great site that has been of enormous help in my tobacco buying decisions.

I've selected Larry's Blend as my first attempt at reviewing because with scarcely more than 20 reviews archived, this seems to a blend that more smokers need to try.

Larry's Blend is a rich, smokey, buttery, smooth, complex blend with great flavor. This is one world class Balkan. Russ Ouellette has created a real monster here.

At less than $30 U.S. per pound, this is also a great value, considering the quality of the blend.

Larry's Blend rivals Penzance as my favorite late night smoke.

5 Stars out of 4.
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 29, 2016 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Tolerable to Strong
I could never be accused of being a hardcore English/Balkan lover, but like a good cigar, I enjoy keeping a few tasty blends around for when the mood and weather is right. Even when I do reach for one, I typically go for one with plenty of sweet perique, maybe a good amount of burley, and just a smattering of latakia for spice. Larry's Blend is the one exception to that rule of personal preference. When I want full-bodied, full on Balkan without dilution, it's Larry's blend every time.

This stuff is a powerhouse...if it's not a so-called Lat-bomb, it's close enough for government work. This you can tell immediately upon opening, seeing all that beautiful black tobacco while you struggle to regain your breath and sense of smell. If I had one complaint it would be the high amount of shake/dust present, but I found that more of a problem in bulk rather than tinned. And it hasn't created smokability issues, so no big deal, really. Full woodsy latakia flavor, with phenomenal sweet high notes from the Orientals woven throughout. Due to the high quantities of the above, I don't so much get the Virginia, but when you want Balkan you want oriental and latakia. So there you go.

I don't have much to add on taste descriptors that wouldn't be self-implied from the nature of this blend. But it's of excellent quality and masterfully done. Highly recommended. My go-to Balkan and permanent member of my shelf and cellar.
PurchasedFrom: Pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: 1 year 4 months
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 18, 2015 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
I like a good English. In this case Larry knows what he's doing. This is a good strong English or Balkan or whatever. In any case the Latakia shines. Larry loves Latakia. And so do I. It's a real man's smoke. For English lovers. I give it a 4.
Pipe Used: Dunhill Billiard
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: 6 months
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 19, 2014 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Magnificent.

I like English/latakia-based blends, and this is really good. The latakia is there and a beautiful base, but this is not a one-note blend. It has a good body, yet is not overwhelming, and I love the spice. So far, this is my favorite Russ blend. (Black House and Magnum O tried and a tin of White Knight awaiting its turn.)

I call this an all-day long blend. Your mileage may vary. I don't have an official favorite blend, but this is a staple of my tobacco collection.
Pipe Used: Various briars
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: New and 1 year
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"