Hearth & Home Virginia Spice

This blend is nothing short of outstanding! I have not smoked many of Russ Ouellette's blends but I've never had one that didn't float my boat. Virginia Spice has strength (yippee!) and a subtle sweetness that truly enhanced the natural Virginia flavor. The Perique was expertly added and did not intrude. And while not a condiment expert; I can safely say the spice in this blend was a joyful addition. Just an outstanding compilation!

Not only is this an excellent mixture, it's also an excellent value. The primary flavor is semi sweet and toasty and there's just enough perique to provide a nice spicy tingle with a perfectly balanced twang. When sipped I get quite a variety of delicate flavors as well as a few satisfying complexities amidst a wonderful interplay of sweet and sour.

The sweetness builds as the bowl progresses as does the strength and the spice of the perique. Nasal exhales give me that perfect tingle with absolutely zero irritation or throat harshness. Cigar leaf? I got just a hint of it as an aftertaste but overall its purpose seems to be purely synergistic.

Virginia Spice is proof that a superbly executed simplistic mixture can be affordable and provide hours of top notch smoking pleasure. It smokes awesome in a cob and stands up perfectly to briar.

The pleasure of smoking this reminded me of something that my Italian uncle once told me. He insisted that if you want to know if an Italian restaurant is any good, order the eggplant parmesan. And what a chef does with the simplest of ingredients is all you need to know about the rest of the menu. I suppose the same concept can be applied to tobacco blending. That said, in my books, Mr. Ouellette probably makes one hell of an eggplant parm. Now onto the rest of the menu.

Virginia Spice in my opinion is one of the best, but often overlooked blends from Russ Ouellette and Pipes and Cigars. I haven't tried many blends that I can compare this blend to in that it is a Vaper, but not really. Its a cigar blend, but again, not really. It does come across to me as somewhat similar, stripped down, less complex version of Stogie made by the same folks. The tobacco smells of very sweet and tangy Virginias and for the most part that's the flavor profile, but the cigar leaf adds a whole other dimension. It arrives a bit moist and after a few minutes of drying, one can expect large billows of smoke and a blast of intense flavor. I tend to like my Vapers on the sweet side but Virginia Spice would actullly be too sweet for me however there is enough cigar leaf to balance things out and add a richness to the blend. If tobacco could be described in terms of sounds, I would call this blend "loud." It may be too much of a good thing for some Vaper smokers that like a more nuanced blend that's not quite so "in your face." Highly Recommended.

I just reviewed this tobacco on pipesandcigars website. I've only had one pipefull, and so I feel foolish in raving about Virginia Spice. The new tin is too moist for me, but I packed up anyway. I like strong tobacco, and this is if you aren't careful with it. I like to inhale through my nose, and with this tobacco, that is a true pleasure. I immediately noticed the Perique; a nice peppery/spicy note. It is not dominant; mostly, I simply had the Perique sensation, more than actually tasting it. The Virginias keep this tobacco bright and clean and are always present. It wasn't until I was over half way through the smoke that the cigar leaf would flit in and out. It was delicious; as I told Bobby and Russ at the store, it was a lip-smacking sensation. I have been smoking for 50 years, and I truly cannot remember a better stand alone, all day, go to smoke. I love Nightcap and Frog Morton's cellar, but the former is a bit tough for all day, and the latter a bit cloying. Virginia Spice is my new go-to smoke. Russ didn't create a fine tobacco only; this is a masterpiece. UPDATE 2/3/2012: I love this tobacco, but it doesn't love me. For some reason, it makes me cough very badly when I inhale. It is probably just me, but I thought that I should mention it. If I just puff, everything is fine.

Im on a quest to try all the cigar blends that I can find, and was very happy to find this as it doesnt have any Latakia in it, which is rather unusual in cigar blends.

I actually cant detect the cigar leaf, but the taste is that of an excellent VaPer with a very unique extra "spice" to it. Its both full and bright, if you know what I mean. The Perique level is good, low enough not to make it taste like lingonberries (I hate that!) or even noticing it. Love the cut which makes filling easy and burning cool and even. Looks good too.

Great taste all the way down, never gets boring. Could wish for more fullness, but its silly of me really.

This is one of the best blends I have tried, looking forward to smoke this on a nice summers day by the lake. For me this is a an uncomplicated chill out blend, at the same time absolutely unique. Top notch!

I try to avoid "blend inflation" and rarely give four stars.

Russ makes great VAPer blends, and this one, with cigar leaf, is no exception. I think it's my favorite Hearth & Home VAPer, and that's saying a lot!

It has a lot of richness, while being smooth, spicy, and sweet, all at the same time.

Very well behaved in the pipe, too!

From the description of this blend on the Pipesandcigars website, I was expecting a hearty blend that would be in my face because of the added cigar leaf. Boy, was I wrong! This stuff is mild, smooth and creamy right out of the pouch! I did taste the cigar leaf wafting in and out but the main player here is the VaPer base. It does have a spicy flavor and is very Va sweet, but the perique really behaves itself, never burning the back of my throat or nose, but it does give it's wonderful flavor presence to the blend. I have smoked this several times in a tall Caminetti stack, and it never smoked too full or strong, nor lost it's taste. It never bit me one bit and simply tasted delicious.

It is a rough cut semi ribbon cut, is mostly a brown blend but with some darker leaf mixed in. It has a pouch aroma that is tangy and rich and just a little sour smelling. It came to me the perfect moisture content and loaded very easily into my pipe. It stays lit very well and burns down to a dark grey ash and no moisture at the bottom of the bowl. This is the perfect smoke to go with a cold ale or stout beer. The room note to me is dominated by the perique but I do pick up notes of maduro cigar in it but it smells wonderful to me. It does have a slightly stale cigar aroma about a half hour after finishing, so not a wife pleaser really. I only bought a sample of this but I will buy pounds of it to cellar, as I really like it and I highly recommend it.

Now this H&H blend hit a home run with me. It is like Redwood a little but with some cigar leaf added, yet better still. The VAs more complex and sweeter, the perique quieter but assertive and piquant, and a deft touch of cigar leaf. Not that much cigar leaf, so there's just enough to add body. Tastes like a rather sweet, light bodied type of cigar leaf, like a Dominican.

Anyway, this is really a unique VA/P at a very nice price. How good this blend really is will have to wait until some aging. I can't say it is any better or worse than Haddos, they're very different. And I don't smoke VA/Ps all that often, mostly Englishes and burley, but I think this is one I'll keep around. I do prefer American VA/P, they are usually more interesting than the European blended ones (Escudo, etc.).

To reiterate what another reviewer said, if there was ever an all day Va/Per, this is it! The addition of cigar leaf has a wonderful smoothing effect on the overall smoke; the sweetness of the Virginias is perfectly balanced with the spice and plum of the perique. A rich, delicious blend. No tongue bite, able to withstand some hearty puffing, yet shines best when sipped; yet another great mixture from one of the master blenders of our day. This is a full flavored, easy going blend that asks only to be enjoyed. Highly recommended .