Tobaccos Hearth & Home - Frenchy's Sunza Bitches (Signature Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-05-08		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The earthy, woody perique is of decent measure, but outside of the raisin, fig and spice, I didn't find it dominated the flavor quite as much as advertised. The grassy, light tart and tangy citrusy Virginia does what it's supposed to, but I think the toasty, earthy, nutty, woody burley is more the star here. The bourbon is light, but discernible to one who knows that taste, and does not sublimate the tobaccos much at all. The strength is medium. The taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is a shade closer to medium than it is to mild. Won't bite, but has a lot of roughness. Slightly cigarettish if you puff quickly; burns clean and a little warm, and a little fast with a very consistent flavor. It has a sweet and sour taste reminiscent of H&H Sweet and Savory, as others have pointed out. This is less buttery, and has a harsher taste. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires few relights. The sour, bitter after taste lingers as does the room note. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2020-08-18		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hearth & Home - Frenchy's Sunza Bitches (Signature Series).

'Smokes cool with not a hint of bite'? Lie!

I have to say, the blend contains some of the longest ribbons I've encountered! Because of the array of sizes I'd, personally, quantify this as a mixture. There's a very slight hint of bourbon to the aroma but it doesn't have any potency to it. Moisture? Perfect; as the pouch was tightly rolled up it's held a little in which suits me!

The smoke? To be fair the flavour isn't bad, but the opprobrious mechanics wreck it. OK, the Perique is more than definite, pairing well with the lemon-sweet Virginias. Any Burley rides in the passenger seat, it's there but the nuttiness lacks enough vibrancy to make the flavour too steadfast. Then we have the bourbon: it lacks anything other than that caustic, astringent, alcoholic taste. There isn't any actual whiskey there, just vituperative alcohol. The lowest points, burn and bite: WAY too hot, bites HORRIBLY.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: unpleasant.

Frenchy's Sunza Bitches? The cool name won't save this. Absolutely, decidedly, terrible. Not recommended:

One star.

Pipe Used: Peterson #03

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	initials SG (29)	2016-03-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This should be renamed Frenchy's Sunza Bite-ches. It is a real flamethrower that no amount of slow sipping can tame.

Best when freshly opened, it's something like a bourbon and vanilla flavored OTC blended with a fair amount of spicy perique and some VA, giving it a sweet and sour vibe. Bourbon/vanilla/perique/burley, pretty interesting. Dry-ish from the start, but not completely dry. Very cool chop cut I must admit, packs well. Best part of the smoke is the last third, where the elements finally meld, the burley gets a little nutty tasting, and there is a hint of buttery-ness.

Went completely flat in under a week, even when I dug into the bottom of the tin where the tobacco was less dry. Also there are more than a tolerable amount of chopped-up stems hiding in there, including some real monsters.

I bought the 8 oz. tin of this sonofabitching stuff and really wish I hadn't. Can't recommend it. Will try re-hydrating it (with bourbon of course) but seeing as it bit like a beast from the get-go my expectations are low. If by some miracle it turns out better will update with the result.

--UPDATE--

Rehydration brought back the flavor, especially the perique spice, but did nothing to mitigate the bite, unfortunately.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2017-03-04		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A VaPer with a twist. This one has more than average strength and the Virginia is of the Bright, citrus/hay like presentation and the Perique, although not the lead singer, gets plenty of billing with each puff. The whiskey top coat is also noted frequently throughout the smoke and adds that "twist" to the blend that makes this one stand out. You'll certainly know you had a smoke after partaking.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-02-11		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I really enjoyed this one for the way it tastes and performs. The fact that is has a great name is just the cherry on the top. I bought 4 ounces of this one about 3 and a half years ago and have mainly used it as a change up smoke as I just don't see this as an all day every day type of smoke.

It has a nice flavor that seems to come from a great balancing act of all the ingredients. The bourbon is the game changer in this one. It takes it from tasting just like another va bur per and gives it an odd sweetness that is enjoyable to my palate. This is important for me as I really have not liked any blends with bourbon as an ingredient even though it is, by far, my favorite spirit to drink.

The perique is pretty strong, but not overwhelming. I tend to favor this genre to be a little heavy in perique. If I had to make any compaints on this there would be two. One, this blend burns fast. If you want a nice long smoke, you better have a very large bowl. Two, The cut. This may have something to do with the speed at which it burns. The ribbon cut on this one is very broad making for a pack job, that appears as if it will not burn evenly.

I never had a problem with it burning unevenly, but I do think the cut made for bowls that lacked much tobacco, thus increasing the speed at which the bowl was spent. In any case, taste is the most important thing. I am giving this one four stars as I truly loved each bowl I had.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Backwoods Piper (70)	2014-07-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a fine burly based VaPer. In my opinion not for the novice smoker. Has a great jar note. Be patient in smoking this offering and it will reward you with a rich tobacco taste with a hint of pepper and spice. If you smoke Frenchy's too quickly it will reward you with tongue bite. I will reiterate NOT FOR THE NOVICE SMOKER!

Pipe Used: Briars dedicated to this tobacco style.

Purchased From: pipesandncigars.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Amsteracqua (24)	2014-06-05		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

For first time i'm evaluate a blend with one star... this blend unfortunately is only beautiful in your cut... ...the tin is made with paper, this is sucks all the humidity of the tobacco, and the tin was rusty... I dont like this tobacco and I will not buy again...

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CR (30)	2021-07-30		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

No doubt that this blend is the descendant of a bitch - it bites like it’s been kenneled for months, with an abusive master and little more than scraps to eat. No kidding here. I’ve been sitting on an ounce of this for over four months now, and can’t even get a whole bowl finished. I just dumped my last attempt right after the char light - it will be the very last. I tried.

The cut is nice, though. And if you have an iron tongue, you might be able to appreciate the sweet interplay between the Perique and Virginia after more than two puffs. The musky taste of the Perique is pretty good at first, but not worth it at last.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brashboy (84)	2015-01-23		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The chameleon blend... stayed with friends for several days and we tried this blend, bought in an 8-oz. tin and jarred for 2 years--and not brand new when jarred. Dry. Not crunchy but way too dry. It smoked too hot and my sole impression was of heat! Had to keep putting the hot pipe down, not something that happens to me much. Could smell the bourbon, but barely, and none of it in the smoke. Don't ask me about that first bowl's taste, because all I can remember is the f'n heat. Dry burley just slaughters me. Then we re-hydrated some of it overnight in a cereal bowl with wet muslin pulled tight over the bowl. We mixed the baccy a couple of times that evening and again, early.

Wow, the difference is incredible. I was in on the re-hydration impulse so couldn't avoid trying it on Saturday but I was dubious. Actually I was scared sh*tless. It was fabulous. The bourbon was there and very refined this time, in its Sunday best, not loutish or overpowering. Could have been a little stronger, for that matter. This time I got the Perique, which was very forward yet well-behaved. Instead of VaPer, this may should be called a PerVa when smoked at the proper humidity level, but I mean that in the nicest possible way. The Burley was a nice addition the second time around (a burning viper the first bowl). Those reviewers who didn't like this either smoked it too dry to get the real taste balance or just don't like that much Perique. I smoked 8 or 10 bowls SAT & SUN. And loved every one.

Speaking of moisture, a couple of points: many of the bad reviews of this blend obviously (to me) needed a Re-evaluation with Re-hydration (RWR, a new abbreviation). This FSB is some rough sh*t when too dry. I also agree with the reviewer who said that moisture makes a difference in the aging. 'Tis true, tobacco does not age properly when too dry. Some things like Semois are supposed to be bone dry, but not a Vaper and certainly not a Vaper with some potentially bitey Burley coiled up inside. I'm surprised that RWR (see how handy this is?) made this much difference on a 2-Jahre jar and can only surmise that it did a lot of aging anyway, even though so dry. But the inherent aging effect was dormant dry and awoke with a song once RWR'd. Hmmm. Re-juvenation with Re-hydration also works for RWR. Am I on to something here?

OK. So I've not tried this fresh, and may never. I ordered a couple of 8-oz. tins (if tin cardboard shall be called) at a really good price ($19/tin, did I pay too much?) from SP.com. I will hydrate it if necessary and jar it in 2-oz. jars for at least a year, then try. Some will go 18-mo. and some 2 years. Oh, WTH, I'll try a bowl straight out of the tin.

I thought FSB less complex than others, like Haddo'sD, but I love the spice of FSB. I'm a Louisiana boy who's been smoking pipes and cigars a long time and actually used to smoke unfiltered Picayunes (there was no other kind) back in the 60's--but not every day, or even every month. I takes a lot of N-power to put me down and FSB did not do it, but it might be a little tough for new pipers without some real prior smoking experience.

Note to future reviewers: hope you read this review before writing yours. FSB, properly moist, is a marvelous blend for VAPER lovers. Please rehydrate if necessary before writing the review. Too dry, and this tobacco has no non-military uses.

Pipe Used: cob, leather wrapped & meer-lined billiard

Age When Smoked: 2 years+

Purchased From: Friend's weed

Similar Blends: Delightfully unique..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ethan (34)	2013-11-27		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

I am just now trying this for the first time, just got the tin the other day. I opened the tin and was surprised to find it stuffed to the top with a seemingly dry tobacco blend that smelled of whiskey and perique. I packed my bowl and fired it up and whoa! this stuff is strong and a little harsh from the dryness. Maybe re-hydrating it a little would calm it down some but it does have a pretty serious Nic hit to it, it also burns really fast. I may have to cellar this one for a while. As of right now it doesn't have much flavor other than lots of perique, maybe too much. It just doesn't do much for me personally.

Pipe Used: straight bulldog

Age When Smoked: new, just opened

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-09		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My tongue begs to differ, when it comes to the "not a hint of bite."

FSB is not as strong as rated. I hesitated between "mild to medium" and "medium" for a while before deciding on "medium."

When I opened the tin I was welcomed by a nice tin aroma of Bourbon which was very pleasant and not intrusive. When I saw the tobacco was very dry and it is mostly Golden VA with medium brown BU but not a lot of PER I knew this forecasted tongue bite.

Add that, the cut being very broad, I had to puff extra harder to get the tobacco going and keep it lit and that is definitively tongue bite.

The result? My tongue is currently destroyed. Raw and painful.

Might be a very good quality leaf but my God, it does not taste much and does my tongue ever hurt right now.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-04-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Based on a 1 oz sample. Golden brown in the bag, the unmistakeable aroma of perique with a dab of bourbon, and the familiar H&H cut of a cross between large fish flakes and mulch. The faintest taste of bourbon at lightup, this moves quickly to a rather perique-y taste, with the VA and burley in the background. It's a rich tasting blend but not overpowering on the perique. Burns rather quickly but never seems to get anywhere near too hot or bitey.

The flavor is briny with a touch of sweetness. What there was of the bourbon flavoring burns off quickly but it remains ever so slightly in the room bouquet. Some notes of cigarette but not to the point of being dull. I'm not sure if the mild sweetness is a result of the virginia or the topping but it doesn't taste of bourbon to me - more of a wisp of vanilla, but that's not quite right, either. It works, however, and keeps this blend from becoming all brine and pepper. Not as rich or flavorful as Haddo's Delight from GLP, my reference for booze-flavored VaPers. This would probably make a better early morning version but since I don't get to smoke much early in the day, I'll stick with Haddo's. Even so, this one is well worth a try and recommended for those who enjoy perique that is very noticeable but not too heavy on the palate.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2009-03-07		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Strong

I had hoped that some aging would lead me to increase this by a star, but I'm going the other way here. Just a few months in a mason jar has all but ruined this stuff! There's almost no flavor here, just loads of nicotine and hot air. VERY disappointing .... Definitely smoke this fresh.

(Original review: 6-15-08): This is an in-your-face blend that reaches to the back of your throat and kicks hard. This is perhaps the loudest mixture I've ever tried, a riot of sweet-and-sour flavors that can overwhelm your tastebuds if not careful. This blend is all about the perique, with just enough sweet Virginia to make it palatable. The topping is definitely noticeable throughout the bowl but serves to enhance the natural tobacco flavors rather than obscure them. It reminds me somewhat of Redwood and has a comparable nicotine hit. I'm a perique junkie, but this stuff makes even Old Joe Krantz seem like a model of subtlety and complexity. This isn't a bad thing, mind you -- I've greatly enjoyed my sample and have laid down a half-pound or so to see how it ages. But not everyone will be able to appreciate or even tolerate this, I think. I'm rating this on a split scale: If you don't like perique, this is a 1. If (like me) you enjoy heavy amounts of perique, it's a 3. If it ages well, it may become a 4.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-05		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My wife came in the room and asked me what I was smoking and I foolishly replied "Sunza Bitches"...I ended up ordering two more pounds anyway.

Meer lined cob, 2oz. sample

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tllwebb4 (1)	2019-06-20		Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

Burley and disappointment. This is the first perique blend I've ever tried, and for all the amazing flavors I've read about that you should get out of perique, it tastes about like my homegrown burley. Every now and then a subtle hint of lemony Virginia but I mean so subtle it's hardly worth mentioning. Yes I had to relight several times, to be expected from a big chunky cut like this and not a big deal. And yes, it bites a fair bit, but guess what: BURNING PLANT MATTER BITES. Not a big deal. Nicotine is medium level. My big disappointment was the lack of interesting flavors, especially when it smells so good in the jar. I will try humidifying, as another reviewer suggested.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	clanobucklin (105)	2018-05-07		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Despite sounding like a skit from SNL from the 1990's "Did I offend you? ... But I am Frenchy!!!" Name aside I really like this blend. There is enough Perique and Bourbon flavor to make this blend an interesting change up. The Virginia's offer a supporting back bone to the blend. Not overly sweet and my order came perfectly hydrated. I do not not get the "cigaretteish" note some reviewers claim. For me this is a very pleasant Warm Weather smoke. Will leave your bowl pretty dry and is not goopy at all. I think Russ and ahem... "Frenchy" could up with a better name. This "Frenchy" won't offend... Except in the name department!

Pipe Used: Prince of Wales

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.om

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wildrage (6)	2018-03-13		Overwhelming	Very Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Overwhelming

Not good. I get a really odd, flat taste out of this. The cut is also odd and it doesn't burn very well. The topping is very light, and I wish it was stronger, because the leaf just isn't that good. I enjoy many of the H&H blends, but definitely not this one.

Pipe Used: Hackert briar

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Cigars International B&M

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lasttango (6)	2017-11-15		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It performed beautifully in my cobs. No bite, unobtrusive flavor and fairly easy on the gums and tongue. Nothing really stood out to me in terms of the tobacco. I wasn't overwhelmed by the perique. I may buy it again because I think it could be an all day smoke and it is at a very good price, It's considerably less strong that the two tobaccos I smoke most which are Royal Yacht and Condor RR.

Pipe Used: MM Cobs.Filtered.

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2017-10-11		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So now i know where Frenchy got his ornery-ness from! Frenchy was quite the character and a very nice guy that was super friendly. I had talked to him several times on forums oh 15 years ago up until about 2010? when he retired. Where the heck has he been all this time? Sold me many fantastic estate pipes through his website. Anyhoo, his tobacco bit me.... I could not smoke slow enough to not have Sunza rear up and hit me like a Mantis Prawn. Sometimes this happens to me when a certain Burley strain and alcohol type topping come together under flame (think Borkum Riff Bourbon) and i at that point wish i had an asbestos tongue mitten. I go to Germany on business several times a year and i am 100% certain Macbaren, Borkum, Flying Dutchman, anything European or Danish is made to be smoked with a 9mm filter. That's all the Europeans smoke out of, if you need to get flavor through a 9mm filter you need to douse it with toppings which absolutely fries my American tongue (kinda like my waltz with Montezuma's Revenge every-time i visit Mexico City and foolishly try some street vendors food). Next i will try Sunza Bitches in a Grabow or Cob with a filter, perhaps that's the trick...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2016-12-11		Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This has a nice flavor, nice tin aroma, decent smoking aroma, and a good nic hit. But boy does it bite. It bites enough that I cannot recommend it. In addition, I don't like the way H&H cuts some of there tobacco. It doesn't pack right.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2016-01-11		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

As usual from Russ, low maintenance, low bite, no drama, easy to manage and packed with delicious flavours.

The bourbon was subtle but it was definitely there when this warmed up. The concoction is off with VaPerBur all out in force, and this is the 3rd blend in a row I've reviewed that was way stronger than I was expecting and had to fix myself a strong sugar-laden coffee to counter the effects. Its rich a true, the Burley sings loudest in my take, with sweet and peppery notes coming through from the others.

It does burn a bit hotter than I was expecting, and when its hot is when you get a searing sting here and there from the bourbon, the rest of the time it just hints here and there.

I like it enough to get an 8oz and store some of it. Good hot day smoke even though its baltic here as I'm writing this. Heartily recommend.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: A little similar to Peterson Irish Whiskey, but not quite as strong or deep..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gothicmace (16)	2014-10-27		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

First off.. the name says a lot...so be ready for a good ole fashioned S.O.B. blend. As the description says.. this is VA with your Perique... so instead of a Va/Per.. its more of a Per/Va ... hmmm maybe a new blend description. The bourbon is a light addition to a very strong and straight forward blend.. but it rounds out the experience quite well. I would like to give this four stars.. it really is a great blend.. but it was just a bit harsh for me..... but as a morning pipe with a strong cup of coffee.. you will not be lacking for any flavor from this blend.

Pipe Used: MM Legend

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: I have not really found anything close to this blend..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmOtten (1)	2014-10-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I'm a non-aromatic smoker. I like VaPers, English blends, stuff with Latakia, perique. I like the sweet grassiness of VA blends. I thought I'd tried FSB some few years ago, but hadn't any on hand. A friend who didn't like the spiciness of the peri que in this gave me his freshly opened tin. My surprise when I opened the tin was the rather large golden and brown and black 'leaves', no small flakes at all. What the heck, I didn't try to mulch them up, I began to pack a Ropp Cherrywood Churchwarden with it. Several attempts at relighting didn't help so I gave the bowl a bit of a stir, some prodding and relit? Success! There was the grassy tasting Virginia out front, and followed by a pretty good bit of perique upon the tongue. Then the burley nuttiness came in as a nice balance to the VA. A good bit of creamy white smoke, the bowl settled in to an even seesaw of VA and burley with enough tasty perique for character. To me, the green tea VA tastes slightly dominated. This would be a good morning pipe with a strong coffee. It won't make my my Must Have All the Time list, I'll enjoy the tin and move on to the better VaPer blends to be found.

Pipe Used: Ropp Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: Freshly opened tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-01-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A lot of Hearth & Homes blends seem to disappoint me. This is one of the few I find myself reaching for now and then.

It has good strength and a very full taste I enjoyed. It bit, like every other blend they do.

The room note was nice and the cut was very easy to light, and flavorful.

I don't think I would buy it again, but its cool for a starter smoker trying out different casings.

Pipe Used: Peterson System (Bent)

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-01-18		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have a lot of respect for Russ Ouellette as a person and as I fine blender, but Frenchy’s simply misses the mark for me. Like many of Russ’ blends, FSB arrives quite dry. Normally this is a good thing as I prefer my tobaccos on the dry side. But with that said, in this case, it added a bit of harshness to the smoke. FSB isn’t limp wristed, but won’t knock out most pipe smokers. I like the bourbon flavor and it isn’t overdone, but it isn’t enough to save this blend. To steal a comment from another reviewer, I too found this to be a bit “cigaretteish” for my taste. I jarred about an ounce of this two years ago and opened it for the first time this past month. While not a long time in the jar, it didn’t improve things for me at all. There still wasn’t much sweetness from the Virginias. FSB and other blends that arrive so dry have begun to make me wonder about the possible important role some moisture may play in aging a blend. In the end, I don’t hate it and it isn’t terrible. It just isn’t for me.

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-30		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Although not very strong the bourbon topping kind of ruined this blend for me. I think I would have liked it without it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brogreggblues (45)	2012-09-06		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Mostly burley at the match. Very dry. Don't notice perique in tin or first light. Midbowl, a bit of sweetness. By end of bowl, perique still well in the background. Burley dominates throughout, with fairly high Nick level. No bite. My impression is of an OTC burley with a little black pepper sprinkled in. I'd rather smoke Classic Burley Kake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zwolanek (21)	2012-02-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I smoked a bowl, then let this sit for nearly a year, then smoked about half of my two once plus sample. I'm going to leave the balance another year, maybe more, as the Virginias continue to mature.

The bourbon adds a super pouch aroma, but upon lighting, the perique fig smell dominates. As for taste, the Virginias dominate the light, but the perique flavor and aroma dominate after the first third of the bowl. It burns extremely well with little or no dottle.

Burley bites me big time, but I got no bite from this. Fair warning, though - it can get hot.

I am a big fan of Russ' Sweet and Savory, and although it looks similar, I don't taste the comparison. I prefer Sweet and Savory. For VA/PER lovers, I think this ranks right up there with Greg Pease's Haddo's Delight, but Haddo's is richer and heavier.

One thing to add - those in the know can immediately spot a Russ Ouellette blend. For the uninitiated, Frenchy's Sunza Bitches is the best example I've seen. No other blender uses this cut or delivers tobacco with this immediately-smokable humidity. Too bad we can't add photos. Tons of Russ' blends are cellaring worldwide because this guy is a master.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-20		Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Son of a...Oops! SUNZA BITCHES! Yessir that's what I feel about this blend. Them Sunza Bitches are right on with this one. Perique is up there nice and spicy without being hot. I think the litle bit of burley may cut it back just a little. Actually just enough to smoke it hard if ya want to and if ya smoke 'er very slowly she's sweet as a spicy nut. The Virginia in the blend makes it smooth and slightly sweet in my opinion. A rather pleasant room note too. Let me tell ya if it wasn't I'd have heard about it buy now.

There's nothing overpowering here but a great smoke in a large bowl, two in a row if you have time. I'm rating it at FOUR stars but you have to like perique to appreciate it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2010-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of the samples from pipesandcigars.com this one is, so far, the only one that I can say was pretty decent. And when I say pretty decent, I mean that it's worth finishing the two ounce sample. I'm not so sure I would order more, however.

The cut is very coarse, looking almost like the broken up flakes in the bottom of a box of Wheaties. I wasn't sure how this would pack and light,, but it really didn't give me any trouble. It lit quickly, and stayed lit with no problem. The initial burn did bite my nostrils pretty good, but once it got going it settled down. It burned clean down to the bottom of the bowl. The flavor was nowhere near as "in your face" as I've seen others describe. It was far less spicy than I had expected, and the fruitiness of the perique was pretty subdued.

This is a tobacco that may appeal to those wanting something with more flavor than the standard OTC burley blends, but don't want to have too much of an adventure. The nicotine level was pretty good, but nothing to ring my bell. And the flavor, while nowhere near blowing my socks off, was good; nothing off about it. However, I'm just not sure I would buy it again given the price. Yes, I understand that this is hand blended. But, I can easily name four or five va/per blends that would blow my socks off that cost less.

** Threw the rest out in the garbage today. Whatever small enjoyment there might have been in this, it has gone. My initial impression was that the flavor was decent, but the more I smoked this, it just got bland and boring.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-10-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Just by the name I knew I was in for an experience with this one, and I did. Wow! Spicy Perique out the wazoo! But it works, it really works and I liked it a lot. Not for the faint of heart though, when you smoke this blend, you have taste bud OD but what a way for your tongue to go!

This blend is a rough cut of light, medium and dark brown flakes, and has a fig sweet aroma that is mouth watering. It is somewhat dry but perfect for my tastes and it packed easily into my pipe bowl and lit up quite easily. But look out, a burst of flavor! Spicy, somewhat sweet, and oh so good. I smoked it hard as I really enjoyed it and could not get enough of it, yet no bite, yes the tongue numbing taste and strength of the Cajun tobacco but no bite at all. It smoked smoked clean and dry all the way down to the bottom of my bowl with no moisture or dottle at all. It kept it's flavor to the last puff and remained creamy and smooth to the end. I have never had a blend like this before, so in your face good to smoke. I will be ordering this one in bulk and large quantities. Can you tell I highly recommend it?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2006-10-28		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is a Perique lovers blend, and if you like Haddos, Bayou Night, etc. , you'll like this. It is somewhat simpler than the above mentioned blends, lacking the deep notes of BN or the high notes of Haddos, yet this is a very good smoke. It is somewhat lighter in body too, yet the strength is nearly there. My sample was at the right moisture level and needed no aging to smoke. The Bourbon topping is very discreet, to the point where I could barely make it out (a little more Bourbon please) and the cut ( a kind of wild cut) encourages slow burning. Absolutely without bite, and a bit of a bargain, this is one of my favorites in the H&H line.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-02		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Whoooo! Perique to the max in this blend. This tobacco is peppery for sure. If you like perique in large doses, which I don't, this stuff is for you! I love perique in a blend, but on a much smaller scale such as with Solani 633 or something of that sort. This is a pleasant smoking tobacco but I couldn't really detect the presence of the Wild Turkey used in it's topping. If it was there, the perique covered it up entirely.

Not my cup of tea.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-12-17		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have had some of this in storage for 5+ years now and just found it again. It is freakin fantastic! This is an awesome blend. I wish Frenchy was still around, I miss him. He ran a straight up business and he was a hell of a guy! Hope ya are enjoyin retirement my friend!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-04-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a good VaPerBur, Burley is not out front like OJK, I don't get any strong Bourbon topping but it does add some hint of McClelland Vinigar. Not cheap if you only buy a few ozs. but you do get a nice Bulk price break after ordering about 8 ozs.. Plenty of N here and the Perique is out front with a nice sweet Virgina background, not a first smoke of the day.

Update 1/24/12 - This has been cellared for almost a year and it reminds me very much of P&C's Marguee Series Sweet & Savory. SB is stronger and not as smooth, has a ton of spice. Neither of those blends have the Burley or Kentucky out front. A touch too spicey for me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-26		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was like sex with an ex for me.

I had a brief but heated fling with this stuff awhile back. At one point I was convinced this was "the one" for me.

But then I started hanging out with the Latakia crowd and trying out some other VaPers and we just sorta drifted apart. Eventually I quit calling altogether.

But today I happened on a a half a jar of it and broke it out on a whim.

Damn.

I remember now why I was so In love at one time.

Really a very nice VaBurPer

I believe this incorporates mostly C&D blending components and will not be anything ground breaking for those familiar with the likes of OJK, Haunted Bookshop, Night Train et al.

But it is very nicely done. Tastes like a sweet bright VaPer but the burley rounds it out with substance. Sort of like if you rubbed out some Escudo and threw in some Prince Albert.

Anyway, a very nicely done blend I would recommend to anyone who is at all a fan of the genre.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tobold (7)	2009-01-06		Strong	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Strong

01/06/09 - This is a "blue-collar" review from a long-time pipe smoker who is neither a connoisseur nor a gourmet. I like subtleties up to a point, beyond which I cannot detect them. There are very few aromatics that I like anymore. I love orientals, latakias, and Virginias, but burley gives me some trouble. Most of the time, I like stronger blends over weaker ones and in larger pipes than smaller ones. I have exceptions to all of the above. With that said . . .

This review is based on untinned bulk, although it is also available in tins if desired.

The tobacco is entirely brown & tan with a very faint perique aroma in the pouch. But at the match, it shouts, "Perique Is Here!" By mid-bowl, I'm having trouble tasting anything other than peppery Perique. I had a pepper stake like this once where I couldn't taste the meat! Finishes in the same manner.

VaPer lovers take note: This may be nirvana for you, but it's way too spicy for me. Believe the description!

Compares to: What?? This is the strongest perique blend I've ever tried. I prefer Renier's Long Golden Flake.

I will not be keeping this on hand, but I'm glad I tried it.

For me it rates only 3 out of 9 leaves.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2008-12-29		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Let me start by saying "Sunza Bitches". Why do I like saying that, Sunza Bitches, ya Sunza Bitches. OK I'm done, LOL Sunza Bitches. Tastey stuff, strong yet smooth. Did'nt detect the Bourbon but there is a mild vanilla type sweetness, but not much. The Perique I did detect, in fact I think it slapped me around a little, don't tell anyone, but I liked it ! As advertised it did smoke clean and cool to the bottom of the bowl with no bite. Did I mention tastey stuff, oh ya I did. That leaves only one more thing to say.... Sunza Bitches !!!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2008-11-26		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

Uodate Russ what happened to this blend it became some flat and light I think you better just change the name to Bitches. I actually should have called you to return it but it was over the holidays.

UPDATED

Don't let the perique scare you away THis is really a rich good broad leaf Virginia blend. This blend is already pretty dry when you get it. But let it sit open for a few days. Then you can definelty taste the Burbon or Jack Daniels. This blend will not gunk up your pipe at all. Leaves a neat dry ash that taps out. The Jack & the Perique mix well and would be good with a tall glass of Jack. Like Jack Daniels not for the faint at heart a real mans blend. Once Again Good Stuff will add this to my rotation of blends. But probally more regularly. Russ maybe renaming this to Biker Delight, Open Road OR Harley's Smoke. Definetly a tough guys smoke. In the words of Sonny Corleone "Son of a Bitch!" What a smoke!!!! This is for a Virgina lover as well as the Perique Lover. Both leaves marry well in this mixture. The full ribbon cut sweet Virgina is at the top of this blend the Perique is there right behind it. The burley helps them both Virgina & Perique get along well in this marriage. There is a slight fig and black pepper flavor from the perique which comes through now and then. Keeping it interesting. The flavor dose not go flat throughout the bowl.As far a as the Jack Daniels it is there but if you take a clump and let it sit a day the Jack flavor will be more apparent but not over powering. The blend is on the dry side and a little hard to keep lit as mentoined let it dry a bit. Best to really pack the bowl tight. Nicotine level high but very very good. The JACK DANIELS helps keeps the room note less offenssive. This is the first blend that I have tried from Pipes and cigar. Very impressed with the service A++++++. I like this blend if for anything a change a pace from my everyday smoke. Tip Puff slow very slow to get the full flavor. This could be my everyday smoke but that would ruin the special treat of this blend being so unique. A must try my hat's off to Russ "Good old American ingenuity" This is a true American New classic. Only made in America.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Sunza Bitches! Hell it's just fun to say if nothin else! This is a great tobacco. I didn't feel like the perique was overpowering at all. It is most definately there but it mixes well with the Virginia and the Burley. I didn't pick up much of the burbon but it does have a very slight sweet note to it. I didn't get any bite from this one, just a little peppery on the tongue from the perique. Salute Frenchy!!

Update 04-27-08 Went ahead and bought a pound of this. Good stuff, it will be a regular part of my rotation.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-01-03		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Tried this at Frenchy's recomendation, and boy was I glad..... The smell is of a wonderful Vanilla, bourbon topping- Mixed with the figgy spiceness of perique. And there is perique..... this kinda reminded me of a topped Haddo's Delight...Strong enough to use caution. yet flavorfull enough to throw caution to the wind and keep puffin..... Cool smoke, no bite,- Great flavor.....there are no down sides.... Try it and enjoy the view..... **Update- This lost a star as it doesn't seem to age well....Better fresh.....Still love ya Frenchy...:)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-09-27		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

With so many VAPers being replicas of each other this is a nice twist.

Images evoked include a plate from a Chinese buffet overcoated with sweet and sour sauce and a dash of tobasco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-07-17		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I received a sample of this blend along with a pipe purchase. I found it to be a very enjoyable tobacco. The very light burbon topping and the burley really smooth out the taste.

I did not find the perique to be overpowering just a good counterpoint to the virginia. Nicotine is moderate; I found it very tolerable I immediately ordered more of this tobacco and plan to keep it on hand

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-08		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This blend took me by surprise. Despite the marketing suggesting massive amounts of Perique, I found SB to be a very well balanced VaPer with virtually no bite. The burley adds just the right counterpoint to what is obviously first-rate Virginia leaf. The bourbon isn't over-the-top either and mellows the whole concoction a bit. It does pack a not insignificant amount of nicotine for those accustomed to stronger blends. However, it doesn't produce any adverse reactions that typically accompany such fare.

Russ' blends are sort of hit-or-miss with me but this one is most certainly out of the park. Well done indeed.

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