Hearth & Home Frenchy's Sunza Bitches

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.