Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake

Since McClellands is no longer, I’ve been seeking a replacement for 2015. This satisfies my want. The sweet Virginia marries nicely with the fig, peppery perique to give a taste similar to 2015 + a kiss of cinnamon. I don,t think it’s topped with it, but has the same affect on my palet. The nic level is a solid medium and satisfies. AK has a refreshing effect like that of big red chewing gum, but with depth & a solid tobacco taste. What I find interesting, it smokes well in a number of my pipes, and has not failed to taste delicious. Blend is consistent, yet enticing.

Still on my search for a McClellands Virginia and Dunhill Flake replacement.

I purchased a 2 oz sample. It came pretty moist but I left it as is. The bag aroma smells just like Levi Garrett or Red Man Golden. I also get a deep dark sweetness and chocolate like scent.

First light was a bear due to the moisture, but stayed going after the first 5 minutes of fighting it. Flavor is very consistent from first puff until last. A deep, dark sweetness, with some earthiness, figs, spice and light chocolate.

The flavors even hold after letting it rest for a couple of hours. The room note is amazing. Will bite some if you hot box it.

This is a great blend. Very well crafted and quite affordable. I am becoming very keen with Hearth and Home's Virginias. Obviously not exact with McClellands but very unique. This is my second offering from H and H. They have a few more Virginias that I can't wait to try. But so far between Anniversary Kake and Marble Kake, I believe it's safe to say I found my go to Virginias.

Update 5-28-19 as I've gone through 2 more oz of this blend, I find this is better suited if you're looking for more of a diabetic coma desert smoke. It does have a tendency to bite if you're not careful as with most Virginia. Definitely have to have a sweet tooth to smoke this blend frequently.

Gifted by a friend from my birthday in October, tin note is very good. This blend has nice sweetness, virginias are complex and I get everything from lemony citrus, to breads, wine, and vanilla from this blend which could be from the Rum. I don't get much chocolate however- more pastry. Perique is more on the peripheral and adds some fruit/plum notes and some earthiness, virginias are the star of the show. Kind of roundness that makes you think there could be burley but it's just well balanced. Needs some drying time and some further breaking up of the broken Kake pieces.. smokes easy with no bite, some moisture- can be an all day blend and have smoked back to back bowls with ease.

I assume, as the name implies, that this stuff was an intact cake at some point in its life, but what I got was soft fluffy ready rubbed. There were a few larger chunks in my sample, but they crumble and fall apart with the slightest touch. It feels very soft between my fingers...sensual, almost! I thought at first that it was overmoist, but it retains that silky soft feel even after drying. The small and irregular cut means it's easy to over load your pipe...but as long as you keep that in mind and use a gentle hand, it's very easy prep and load.

It takes a couple of matches to get started, but is relatively fuss free once it's going. I mainly get typical VaPer flavors. There's a little taste of some sort of fruit that I can't identify...kiwi comes to mind, but that's not quite right. Nice subtle sweetness from the Virginias. I find Anni Kake to be very well balanced...that said, I do like perique, and Anni Kake has quite a healthy dose, IMO - peppery in the mouth, and a nice ZING! in the nose on retrohale; thus, I wouldn't recommend it to the perique-averse. As is typical for me for quality virginias to do, the flavor really ramps up and develops more complexity near the bottom of the bowl. I've smoked Anni Kake in cob and briar...as is also typical for me with Virginias, I much prefer it in a large bowled briar.

Objectively, this is fantastic stuff. As good as this young sample is, I'd be willing to gamble that it is phenomenal with some age on it. I'm tempted to pick up a couple of tins and hide them for a year or two.

Subjectively.....yeah, I like it for what it is. But it's just not the type of thing I reach for very often. While I certainly wouldn't turn it down, I don't anticipate Anni Kake making its way into my regular rotation.

originally reviewed 12/19/2012

Upon opening the tin I was stunned by the wet, liqueur-sweetened sight and smell. I was used to VaPers that were dry flakes. In fact, my first reaction was, "how could the tobacco reviews have been so good for this obviously aromatic VaPer?"

And, to be clear, my first three bowls of this were hard to understand. The unnatural wet feel and smell of this blend made itself known.

BUT... a couple of weeks later I tried again. I left the tin open here and there to see if it might dry some (it didn't). I loaded up and surprisingly enjoyed it.

Since my change of heart on AK, I have continued to enjoy it almost against my will. The flavor really is something. And the topping is a joy and (almost inconceivably) not that abundant during the smoke.

I still don't understand how this can be considered an all natural VaPer, like Solani or others, but it's good, really good, in its own right. I would probably buy this occasionally Simply because I can't say I've tasted anything else like it.

To many flavors for my taste, also slight tongue bight. I would recommend this tobacco to aromatic smokers.

You must dry for quite a while to be smokable

I see a few reviews stating the lack of a topping, but I have to disagree. Leaving it to air dry for a couple hours will show this...moisture seems to drop only minutely. There is a humectant/topping, but so what? It doesn't detract from the overall fine smoking characteristics. It has not ghosted my pipes, and the pure tobacco flavors are there. This a great variation on a Vaper, and a mainstay in my rotation.

Nice aroma of chocolate, figs and hay in the tin. If I have any complaint at all, it's that the Virginias are comparatively mild and mellow. Like McClelland No. 27 when you want Blackwoods. I like mine rich, red and robust as a general rule. But where the VAs lack, the perique makes up. And there's a healthy quantity of it too, though never overwhelming. It lends just the perfect amount of plum sweetness and nasal spice to keep the blend from falling flat. Also, it smokes nicely with no bite.

This is a very good blend, expertly blended as always, and I recommend all Vaper fans try at least once. I liken it to Viprati's less mature brother. It may be worthy of 4 stars, but for me it sits very well at 3 to 3.5, if only because I so enjoy the extra richness of AJs Vaper and Viprati from the same blender.

There isn’t much more that I can say about Anniversary Kake that hasn’t already been said, and I must say that this blend is deserving of every star that it has earned, however, the blend is so good that I felt compelled to write a review and share my experiences with this wonderful tobacco from Hearth & Home. The 8oz tin that I am reviewing just arrived from PipesandCigars.com fresh, and to my knowledge has no age on it. Upon popping the lid on the tin I am greeted with a wonderful mixture of deep rich brown tobaccos in the form of a crumble, being mostly medium chunks, with some smaller loose bits mixed in. The tobacco is of excellent quality and I have never found any twiggy or woody bits mixed in with the tobacco in any tin that I have purchased. The tin note is absolutely amazing with aromas of sweet fresh baked bread that come from the Virginias, and a smoky coco powder or bakers chocolate that I get from the Perique. The moisture content of the crumble cake was a little on the damp side, and in order to achieve a bit dryer smoke, I rubbed out a portion of the tobacco fully and set it aside for thirty to forty minutes to dry. After the tobacco had set out for a bit, I chose a small Group 2 Dunhill Chestnut, with a rather shallow and narrow bowl to enjoy my evening smoke. Upon lighting the pipe, the first flavors that I am confronted with, are the wonderfully sweet and bready flavors of the Virginias. The Perique quickly joins the show and presents itself with a slightly smoky and yet slightly sweet flavor as well. The Perique is also noticed in mouth feel, as there is a slightly spicy tinge that is noticed on the tongue, however it is not overbearing and never goes so far as to make me uncomfortable. The tobacco is incredibly smooth and balanced and remains so, down to the last draw on the pipe. As for the burn characteristics of the tobacco, I never once had to tend to the pipe, even when sipping slowly, and even setting the pipe down for a while to carry on a conversation. The tobacco burned down to a fine white and gray powdery ash that made cleaning the pipe a simple procedure, only requiring that I run a pipe cleaner through the stem to collect any moisture. As for the room note of the tobacco, those around me never seemed to be put off by the smell of the smoke, and one individual even made mention that the tobacco smelled sweet, so I take this to mean that the room note is pleasant to tolerable. I would say that the nicotine level of the tobacco was a medium, and I was left feeling satisfied after the smoke, and did not feel the need to immediately smoke another bowl. Overall, I am very satisfied with Anniversary Kake, and it has quickly become one of the top VaPer blends in my rotation. I would recommend this tobacco to anyone who loves a good VaPer blend, but also to those that enjoy a tobacco that has a natural sweetness to it.

This will be my first review here. I created this account because I had to give my opinion of this blend. I stayed away from AK as I had tried other VaPer blends and they just didn't jive with my palette. I finally broke down as a last minute add to my order as it was on sale. I figured I would buy 1 oz. and likely wouldn't finish it but I had to say I tried. Boy was I impressed with this blend! I burned through that 1st oz. quickly and ordered more ASAP. This blend was good to go right out of the pouch. It came slightly crumbled with some large blocky portions as well. I broke off a piece and stuffed it in my pipe and lit it up. There is a sweetness with just the right amount of spice. I almost get a caramel flavor with a little pepper zing which doesn't sound good but they marry together well when smoking. This is now in my rotation of three at this time and I really don't think ill get tired of smoking this anytime soon. Another note to add is that it seems to have a slightly different profile if I fully rub it out as opposed to just breaking off a piece of the kake and stuffing it. Either way I really enjoy this blend and recommend it to the newer pipe smoker that is looking to venture outside of aromatics.

The tin note is kind of like dried cranberries or figs mixed with a slight banana nut bread essence. The taste is grassy, sweet, citrusy, raisiny, figgy and tart. There is an occasional floral aroma in the nose. Also present are notes of paprika and ginger. So far I haven't really gotten much rum or cocoa from it. I really love this blend but it was my first Va/Per and it really does make me realize how much I love blends like Plum Pudding which have Virginia and Perique AND Latakia. It is a blend which isn't incredible complex, but did have those more floral moments It was nice to experience just the Virginias and Perique without the latakia but I do like Latakia. You really have to like the taste of Virginia tobacco because it's very prevalent in this. It was moist out of the bag but it still smoked really nice and consistently. I enjoyed it, but the first time I felt the sweet and sour Virginia grassiness was kind of jarring. Since then I have begun to like it more. It's not as overwhelming like it was the first time. I have noticed that this particular blend will definitely ghost your pipe, so keep that in mind. It had a moment at the end of the last bowl where I got a note of something I would almost describe as cologne-like. Sometimes a smell at the end creeps in that is very similar to taking a tuft of fresh pine needles, twisting apart and inhaling deeply. Piney and with a bit of orange. It also has something else towards the end in the nose that you can experience occasionally. It's similar to a brand of incense made in an ashram in India called "Triloka Ayurvedic Meditation (Air)" incense, which is made from sandalwood, and various exotic gums, herbs, woods and resins. It's by far the most exotic incense I've come across in my life and I've explored a lot of different ones. There is a note that you sometimes get which is something like that. I don't know what else to compare it to really. It's very subtle but ethereal and exotic. Something like the elemental essence of air and water. It's hard to explain. It doesn't happen through the entire bowl and you really have to pay attention closely. This blend is good practice for honing the palette to perceive subtle variations that occur over the course of the smoke.

Received a sample of this, a little aged and drier than from the tin I assume. It was a good long smoke, Had great flavor and a hint of spice. I am new, and for a VaPer I have Comoy's Cask 7 to compare it to. I do enjoy the Comoy's a bit more right now-but time will tell. Overall a great smoke, and it seems to have a good following. Probably not in my regular rotation, but I would not turn it down either.

Wow is this good! Sweet and creamy, with a citrus tang from the Virginia's and a great tingle on the tongue from the Perique. My tin arrived ready to smoke but some have said it may need some drying time. Russ knows his tobaccos! Gonna have to give more of his blends a try.

Hearth & Home - Anniversary Kake (Signature Series)

After seeing so many positive reviews, I bought a small evaluation sample from PipesandCigars, which came ready rubbed rather than in the cake form I was expecting. The tobacco did not disappoint.

First, the visual and tactile: I found the color and feel of the ready rubbed version to be reminiscent of a freshly crumbled bran muffin ... essentially a pile of soft, mildly sweet smelling semi-moist short broken ribbons of a nearly uniform med-dark brown color (with a few darker flecks present). As someone else mentioned, there seems to be a small amount of humecant present, giving the tobacco a soft and slightly spongy feel.

The tobacco packed and lit easily, and midway though the first third of the pipe, the flavors slowly began to steady and come into focus as the remainder kilned off its moisture. Given my experience with VaPrs to date, and the hefty dose of perique mentioned in the description, I was expecting a somewhat austere and mildly sweet smoke with a long peppery finish, and I was surprised instead by a mellow, buttery, and semi-sweet flavor that (for me) prominently evoked *Scottish Shortbread*, accompanied by subtle hints of bran muffin and fig. I’ve never experienced a butter-cookie note in a non-aromatic VaPr before, and yet there it was, and it carried all the way though the middle third as well. As I reached the bottom third, the smooth gentle salty/pepperiness of the perique finally emerged from behind the short bread, and lingered pleasantly long after the pipe was done.

This is a very pleasing smoke, and an entertaining left-of-center choice for VaPr fans looking for something a little different. Recommended. I give it a solid three stars (of 4). I'd like to give it 3 1/2, but the rating system here doesn't allow halfsies.

Not being completely new to Va/Per's I found A/K to be somewhat of a disappointment. The tin note is extremely sweet and has a strong nose resemblence to Prince Albert in my opinion. The brown and tan pieces of crumble cake are very light and airy and one would need to use a magnifying glass to see any of the black perique within the mix. It's claimed to contain 15% Perique like Escudo but when smoking one would be hard pressed to sense any Perique at all. I suspect that the extreme sweetness of the virginias somewhat mask the perique. This loads and lights nicely with the tin moisture level being just right. There are many Va/Per's that are far better than A/K IMO and comes no where near the level of Escudo and others. The smoking experience is somewhat like smoking warm air. This is so light in strength and taste that I found it to be quite boring. This is just my opnion though. I tend to lean toward blends with a little more kick. Since this is all subjective, you may find it to be quite good.

I'm humbly revising my earlier review of this blend after revisiting Annie Kake for another try. I don't know what to attribute my change of heart to, but I decided to give Annie Kake another opportunity to impress me and for some reason it did just that. I found the experience to be much different than my first encounter with this blend. It just goes to show that one should never judge a blend without giving it an honest attempt. The lack of a presence of Perique was still the case but somehow it was not missed. I did notice a nice sweet taste on the back of my toungue and the snork aroma was heavenly.

Best to smoke this tobacco in a small cob to get the flavor, body and improve burning characteristics. Virginias blend well, and together with the somewhat sweetish-mellow perique and chocolate undertones (and sweet, tinny highlights), finds the introductory pulls on this VAPER scoring high for this smoker. Really a fantastic first impression. After the first 2/3 of your bowl, things go a bit downhill. Last 1/3 of bowl can be bitter and just really full of wet unburned tobacco. Not sure why this blend of Russ’s stays so wet. Anyway, give it some time to dry, smoke it slow, take in the thick smoke and mild nicotine, and keep it in a small cob for best results. Small cob does not require much drying time at all, but if you plan on smoking in a medium to large briar, plan on lengthy drying sessions before you put it to the flame. Rating is as smoked in small cob.

Anniversary Kake. A very nice toasted sweetness leads into a plummy, spicy, perique. The Virginia is dark, hay, toasted and wonderful. Virginias aren't the lead though and leave lots of room for the Perique. It's a load of good luck this is available as a bulk blend. Very well balanced. Great morning smoke with that toasted dark fruity note. A real Joy to smoke.

Tin aroma is rich with fruit/fig notes, upon the first few openings it almost has a liquor casing scent, but after several weeks, that has cleared up. The taste carries on as the aroma, rich, with the fig taste persent. This is a different kind of vaper, one i've never experienced before. The burn is good, it's tangy which can lead to a little bite if smoked too fast.

I have added it to my rotation, it is not an all day blend for me, but I usually find myself smoking a bowl in the evenings when I have time to take it slow. When you factor in the price, it's a great deal, and well worth keeping a tin of around.

Hard to beat! I have been cellaring this for two years, after a small taste when I received it of course. It was great then and now it is awesome. Nice hint of chocolate and nice aftertaste. Room note is not offensive at all I've been told. Recommend with a heavy red or port/muscat. cheers

This is my favorite VA/PER blend. Russ really did an excellent job with this one. The best part about this blend is how well it ages. If you add a couple years of age the smoke just really sings. I can't give this one high enough praise. It's naturally sweet and a little tiny bit spicy from the perique. The longer this one ages, the better it gets. Smoother, more refined and more amazing every year. Thanks Russ!