Hearth & Home Rolando's Own

This, along with Dunbar, is becoming one of my favorites. Rolando's is sweet, but doesn't seem artificial. I especially like the smell of the tobacco from the pouch. It reminds me of when I was a boy going to the tobacco floor to sell our tobacco, and I always loved the smell of the tobacco, and although we were selling burley, Rolando's natural tobacco smell is refreshing. Rolando's smokes smooth and burns evenly. Sometimes it takes a few relights to get going, but then it's pure smoking pleasure. It doesn't bite. There's nothing bad to say about this blend. The price from pipesandcigars.com is very reasonable in bulk. Compared to Dunbar, I slightly favor Dunbar because it's a little sweeter leaves a little more flavorful room note, but Rolando's is almost as good. I usually rotate between the two, which is a good combination.

From initial light to final ash this is a pleasantly smooth, yet medium-full bodied smoke. I experienced no bite whatsoever, & it burnt very nicely straight out of the package it was shipped in. This was my first experience with perique, but I found its spicy pepperiness intriguing enough to order several of the other Hearth & Home VaPers.

Perfect all day smoke for me. Even more pleasant when paired with a piping hot cup of earl grey or a few fingers of single barrel scotch

The review before mine by MDP sums up this blend very well. I think this may be one of the best blends for anybody wanting to know what a Virginia/Perique blend is like, as well as what it SHOULD be like. Great cut for the tobacco, burns slowly and coolly, has that sweet, earthy, somewhat citrusy flavor from the Virginias, and the Perique gives it just a touch of spice, without overwhelming the blend and making it taste like you're smoking out of a salt shaker. It smokes great in a meerschaum, corn cob, or briar. I didn't experience any tongue bite, but I made a point of gently sipping at the pipe when it was full of this blend. You can get some thick, voluminous clouds of smoke out of this if you want; but you'll taste the subtle flavors a lot better if you go slowly. Another excellent job by Russ, who deserves to have his picture (and pipe) put in a place of honor in the American Pipe Tobacco Blenders Hall of Fame.

This blend has it all for the Virginia-Perique fan. Deep, earthy Virginia flavors enhanced by Perique's guilding at just the right moment as the bowl develops. There are pleasant moments of sweet flavors and also that red Virginia flavor that simply tastes like only red Virginias can. The Perique content is noticeable and potent without dominating or overwhelming. Rolando's Own is round, rich, and remarkably quenching.

What makes this a really magical blend are the cut and room note. Rolando's Own has among the best burning aromas to be found. The cut keeps the burn slow and steady, delivering copious clouds of swirling incense. It is most tongue-friendly for the experienced Virginia smoker. Another winning attribute is that it performs well in different pipe chamber configurations and sizes.

If there is any casing, it is strictly in the pouch aroma, extremely mild, neutral and does not survive the fire, so to speak. The pouch aroma also strongly suggests fermented leaf- mouthwatering. I would put this bulk blend against any tinned VAPER available at retail today, right along with Beacon, Escudo, Dorisco, St. James Woods or the many VAPER's tinned by C&D.

Among its kin of Anniversary Kake, AJ's VaPer, Marble Kake, Virginia Spice, RO is the most round and complex to me. I've yet to try Frenchy's Sunza Bitches nor LJ Heart Virginia, more VAPER's by the same blender, Russ Ouellette

This was the first coarse cut that I've packed and smoked. Everything else to date has been finely cut or ribbon. The smell in the pouch is amazing, almost a sugar/sweetness smell to it. Comes a little wet. Packs well in medium to large pipes, but you have to break in down some for a smaller pipe. I packed an Armellini churchwarden, let it sit for 10 mins before lighting to dry out. Lights up beautifully, with great taste and good amount of smoke. Didn't have to relight often, which is great on a larger pipe.

This has become my favorite tobacco under all circumstances. It is mild and flavorful and bite-free. Give it a try and I think you'll agree that Rolando's Own and Anniversary Kake are the best "bang for the buck" out there in the VaPer blends.

An interesting blend of Virginias and Perique. Nicely sweet and very, very nice room note, reminds one of a heavily cased and sweetened cavendish, but it never presents that way in taste.

I best compare this to the other VaPer from P&C, AJ's VaPer. This is sweeter and seems lighter though the perique is up front. It never overpowers and doesn't quite have the depth of its sibling. Also slightly less in overall richness, but still a great flavor bomb and heck of a deal.

This is a good VAPer, although not up to snuff compared to, say, Long Golden Flake. However, for the bulk price it can't be beat.

I find it a bit more citrus-harboring and also sweeter than its peers. A nice enjoyable smoke.

Images evoked include a zombie-wraith breakdancer on a slab of cardboard and the triumph he experiences after doing a headspin without his skull detaching from his spine.

Smooth, rich, tangy, sweet, and tart. This blend has a full, satisfying flavor from the stoved and reds, with brisk notes from what I consider a fairly generous amount of perique along with the lemon Virginias, but no rough edges. It is cut somewhat broad and course which makes the burn just right for the components.

There is just enough complexity to allow some observation of how the many different flavors relate - there is a lot going on, but you won't miss a thing by not devoting all your attention to it in a quiet room. In fact, the big flavors might pull your attention away from whatever you're doing, and back to this wonderful smoke.

All of the Hearth and Home Virginia Perique blends are very good in thier own way, and I've smoked them all, this recent addition is my favorite of the bunch. The masterful balance of a large range of bold flavors that each hold their own, superb burning characteristics, lack of bite, easy pack and smokeability, all contribute to my four star score and highest recomendation to fellow VA/Per lovers.