Hearth & Home Distinguished Penguin

I am reviewing this based on a bulk sample tightly packed in a canning jar 5 1/2 years ago. I remembered it tasting "green", i.e., harsh and ammoniacal (as many Pease and C&D blends can initially possess). Age has resolved that issue, as it always does.

Two things surprised me about this blend: for all its references in the description and reviews about minor amounts of latakia (confirmed by appearance), I could smell it through the lid seal and could taste it immediately upon lighting. It is present in "condiment levels" and is well balanced (I like latakia and I like mustard, but not so much when either approaches 30%.)

The second is the presence of the discount drugstore standby "cavendish". The mere word has a lisp to it and I irrationally avoid blends that proclaim its presence on the label, fearing tastelessness and bite and cheapness. Well, it may have a diluent function, but there is still an adequate amount of flavor here for my unleathered tongue. Rather nice, and yes, a touch of sweetness. Whether is is natural in the leaf or added doesn't matter to me. There is a slight burley-like taste and smell to it if I seek it- that must be the cavendish.

There is nothing to dislike about this blend unless you seek strong nicotine or profoundly robust mouth-filling taste. I don't smoke every day and it provides what I often seek: a tasty light smoke. It delivers what is advertised: "A mild and slightly sweet smoke with character." I like it.

It seems appropriate that I am writing this review on my Linux machine, running Ubuntu 10.04.....

Yeah, funny looking stuff. Flaky, dry, I would agree with the hamster bedding remark. And not much here to whiff, overall appears fairly inert. Putting it in the pipe the first time is an experience. Reminds me of the stuff left at the bottom of my old elementary school desks, bits of paper and pencils shavings. BUT....once in the pipe and lit, this stuff is interesting! For once the description is, IMHO, dead on. "A mild and slightly sweet smoke with character". Latakia is left in the backround but nonetheless present, the virginias seem to pick up the load here and I suspect the slight (key word) sweetness is probably the unflavored Black Cav. Together this is a very nice flavor, very pleasant and a bit subtle. I find I do have to go easy on my pace, a littler quicker and it does tend to heat up but sipped slowly this blend is very rewarding.

As a side note: I've had this bag for over 6 months. When first purchased I thought it was a little bland and the flavors didn't meld. I just reopened the bag, left it dry and it smokes like a dream.

This started out with bad tongue bite, and over whelming Perique heat. The dry flakes expand as you light and become moist, expanding in the bowl and making tamping easier. First third of bowl tongue bite and after that none. Second third of bowl sweet and good, Last third of bowl spicy perique. This tasted quite green so I stoved in glove compartment of car for about a week. This seemed to help with the tongue bite and mellowed it out. After this smoked one bowl daily and it was better. Last couple of bowls the sweetness blossomed and that part of the smoke was exquisite.

I found this to be interesting and although I would probably let it age for at least a year it could become a great smoke. 2 stars for now with a lot of hope.

Distinguished Penguin?what a name! Maestro Ouellette has created a real winner here in this one.

I will admit that when I opened my 4 oz. purchase of this tobacco I too was rather shocked. Having read earlier postings on this site regarding this distinguished blend I knew that it was rather dry and flaky I was still not prepared for what I saw in the pouch. Yes, it looked like flaked fish food. Yes, it looked like cedar chips for hamster bedding. It also seemed WAY too dry. So, I transferred it into a jar and added a pouch humidifier for a few days before smoking it. BIG MISTAKE! Even though it still seemed dry when I put it into my pipe, I soon realized that I was giving my mouth a steam bath. Decided to dry the bird out some and he was much more settled, calm, and indeed distinguished.

The smoking was pleasant, mild, slightly sweetish, slightly smoky-ish from the Latakia. I wouldn?t exactly call it bland, but it wasn?t terribly exciting either. If a smoke can be likened to a conversation, this was a conversation with a person of note who is pleasant, fairly interesting, never boring, and neither talks over your head nor down to you.

Being someone whose humor has been called dry and who has been known to be flaky on occasion, I felt a certain kinship with this fine bird. I may get the occasional ounce or two to keep in touch but I don?t see this as something for my regular smoking.

Having said that, however, I believe that the quality of this blend is quite high and it will appeal to some who like something fairly light, which is neither too bland nor too outrageous, and has just a little bit of our smoky friend Mr. Latakia. It would be a nice bridge for someone making the switch from aromatic Cavendish blends to more unflavored blends.

Just remember, this stuff is supposed to be dry. Don?t humidify it until it gets to the point that it crumbles into dust when you touch it.

***

Not an aromatic and nothing like any known Capt. Black, unless their new version has Virginia tang and Latakia's smokiness. A very different blend, and I mean different in a good way.

Bone dry when received. flaky as described, larger than fish food more like a cereal flake. As a matter of fact the blend looked like some granola, oat flake with bits of dark dried fruit and kind of smelled the same!

First time I was to ty it I made a mistake and hydrated it with towel over bowel method. Bad idea; leave it as it comes. Packing was like packing springs. Tamp down and it springs back. Tamp again, boing!

When lit it thrashes around, swells and seems to come alive. Tamp then relight then tamp again. Then you get the flavors that lie within. Smokey background hints at the Latakia, but never does it bull through and come to the front of this stage. I sip, I pull hard and each changes the flavors presented. A tingle or spice, sweetness but not a lot of nicotine or tongue bite here.

I like it! I could smoke it all day! It burns almost to nothing and begs for a refill ....

Beware, for this Penguin threatens to addict and bind you! 😉

Wow has a great taste, for me lacking in the nicotine punch.

After trying a plethora of Scottish Blends/Mixtures/Flakes on the market, I found Nirvana in this Hearth & Home offering by Russ Ouellette. This mixture of Carolina and Virginia flake-cut, stoved Virginia, a light amount of Latakia, and a bit of unflavored toasted Black Cavendish, has a unique cut that looks and feels more like fish food than tobacco. However, it has a wonderful in bag aroma. It comes dry and packing is easy, pretty much a gravity feed into the bowl. Lights easy, burns cool, clean and dry into the fluffiest white ash I've ever seen. The flavor is silky smooth and creamy, smoky and sweet. This is one very fine smoke that is well behaved with lots of character.

When I use adjectives to describe this blend, it doesn't sound quite as good as it actually is. The flakes are large and brittle, light lemon mixed with that sprinkling of darker components. It packs well enough and lights easily. But the first scent I get from it is, (wait for it)...burning leaves. I know it is burning leaves, but I mean the kind you kick through in the Autumn. Now, that being said, it is not acrid, tinny or astringent, and smokes more like a mild English. I think it'll grow on me, but I wasn't expecting that reminiscent Fall scent coming out of my pipe. Unique?

I'm becoming more surprised each time by the quality of Russ Ouelette's craft. At first I misread the label and called it 'Disgruntled Penguin'. I must've been feeling a bit disgruntled myself that night. After lighting this, though I didn't exactly feel penguinlike or distinguished in any way, but I felt a whole lot better. A fine blend, even if the virginias tend to sting the sides of the tongue a bit. Very much in the style of Cornell and Diehl bulks.

Three of five stars