Hearth & Home Larry's Blend

This came as a small ribbon, mottled leaning toward dark in color with a bag aroma of latakia and sweet orientals. Quite enticing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to extract this buttery quality that the orientals are purported to provide. This blend smoked extremely bitter, far from creamy, and very murky. There was some nice flavor from the latakia, but it seemed to me that too much of that condiment was used... which is silly because that's sort of the point!

Any complexity was hard to follow because this dusty, dirty flavor was a bit overbearing. The room note is guaranteed to make all non-pipers flee. It smoked cool and with little nicotine, and I get the impression that there's a good blend hiding somewhere in there... hiding from ME, at any rate... because this one seems to score high marks. And I do seem to struggle with a lot of blenders "lat bomb" tobacco blends. Consequently, I recommend this to anyone seeking such a blend with the codicil that I don't review tobaccos per se, but how much or how little they mesh with my taste buds. A small distinction, perhaps, but critical. And I do believe I'll let Larry have my share of this one.

Larry’s Blend is exactly what it says it is. It’s a more full bodied version of Ten to Midnight... Red Virginia instead of yellow Virginia, a larger dose of Latakia, a heavy dose of buttery Smyrna added to the brighter Orientals, etc etc etc.

A visual inspection reveals mostly black and dark brown ribbon cut with some yellows. The moisture level is fluffy dry, not crispy, just right for smoking. The pouch note is predominantly smoky Latakia with rich buttery Smyrna.

Upon first light the flavor is very bold and very much like the pouch note, smoky Latakia and rich buttery Smyrna. The Virginia is over powered and pretty much in the background.

For me the Smyrna and Latakia, albeit very good quality and flavor, are too heavy handed in Larry’s Blend. The flavor is so bold and rich that by the time I finish a 45 minute bowl I become weary of it.

I know that there are a lot of pipe smokers who enjoy a bold and full flavored Balkan-style blend like Larry’s Blend. However, I would suggest purchasing just an ounce or ounce and a half at first. If you discover, as I did, that it’s just too much then give Ten to Midnight a try.

In conclusion, I feel that Larry's blend lacks balance. The tobaccos seem to compete rather than enhance each other. For the lack of balance, I can only give Larry’s Blend a two star rating.

I packed a pipe and set it aside for an hour to dry. I gravity packed the pipe loosely, using a large Nording freestyle briar, which has an exceptionally easy draw, but...

The good: Packs easily. Lights and stays lit well. Large volume of smoke. No noticeable nicotine sucker punch. Can be bought relatively cheaply in bulk. Burnt to a salt and pepper ash, which literally fell out of the bowl cleanly, leaving zero dottle.

The bad: Burnt my tongue. Smoked a little hot. Taste was an uninspiring monotone. Always on back-order.

This is not a bad tobacco blend, but there are just so many tobaccos on the market today, which are superior and easier to obtain. i.e., Black House, Mississippi River, Plum Pudding, Frog Morton, etc.

I bought eight ounces based on all the glowing reviews. I will load a bowl of this occasionally, but after the tobacco has been consumed, I don't see myself ordering more. Maybe aging will improve the situation - we'll see.

I love Latakia but this is a little much for me. I would call this one a Latakia bomb. I can taste a little oriental but it is not delicate enough to let much of any thing come through except Latakia. A heavy handed mixture to me but I am sure some will love it.

This was my first balkan, and all i can say is whew! It is smokey as holey hell. When i got the package in the mail i could smell this stuff through the box. It comes packaged real dry, packs decently yet burns really badly. The flavor is somewhat buttery and smooth, with some serious smokiness and earthy-ness. There are also some floral twinges here and there as well which provides some nice complexity.

The finish however is somewhat bitter. And the constant relites certainly dont help it at all. By halfway through a MM cob, there is just too many relites, that the flavor really goes south.

Hmmmmmm. Well, gosh darn I'm slightly disappointed. No, actually very disappointed. From all the glorious reviews; I was expecting some kind of Latakia / Oriental powerhouse. For me, the Latakia seemed very light for a blend of this genre. But the taste is indeed fantastic.

A reviewer below me stated that Larry's Blend was something along the line of My Mixture 965. I respectfully disagree. My goodness gracious not even close to a Dunhill blend.

The most annoying thing about it, is that the leaves are chopped up into tiny little pieces. I swear ( or duly affirm ) with seal affixed before a magistrate, that it looks just like the tobacco leftovers and dust swept up off the floor. Is this a joke? Ribbon cut? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

The tobacco pieces are so small that they get sucked through the stem, and you find yourself having to spit dottle out for several minutes. With so much praise you would think that someone would have taken the time to make a standard and industry acceptable cut in any form. Not the case here. I would have easily given this blend four stars based on taste, but the presentation and smoking qualities are subpar.

I sincerely do not mean to come off as snide. I'm honestly a really good natured guy. But really gentlemen and ladies - I think the MAIN reason why this gets so much attention is simply that it is not cost prohibitive. That is... cheap.

You know the old cliche.

I like the appearance. Packs well. Fires up nice. I wanted to like it, but don't feel it's full-bodied, as advertised. Was hoping too for more Oriental-dimension. And buttery -- hmmm -- I don't get that either. Nice for a medium Emglish blend, but not the Big Dog I had hoped.

When receiving the bulk order, I was excited due to the heavy latakia smell the bag emitted.

The tobacco was on the dry side and had some dark dust at the bottom of the bag, I presume from the Latakia.

Upon smoking this blend, I was disappointed to find almost no body to it, especially since the smell of the bag was so strong. There was very little taste to the blend, its behavior reminded me of some aromatics: little taste, little body, mostly room note.

After a few bowls, the rest of my initial buy was traded for some PS Proper English.

Nice tobacco enjoyed it, only problem was inconsistent bowl to bowl due to separation of the individual tobaccos in the mix it would be nicer if it stayed blended.