Hearth & Home Obsidian

Foreboding tobacco out of the bag - deep, black, pre-charred. The tobacco is stoved which really marries the flavors into one. I experienced a singular, but exceedingly pleasant and rich flavor. Everything comes through just enough to make an almost teriyaki taste - a bit of spice, a bit of sweetness, a bit of smokiness.

It's very rare that I find a blend by Russ Ouellette to be less than three stars, but this one misses the mark a little bit for me. The pouch scent is really nice and the moisture is just right. It reminds me a little bit of Midnight by Peretti, but less sweet. Obsidian burns cleanly and pack well. I find myself seaching for more complex flavor given the number of tobaccos. It's just a little too monotone for my taste. I think a lot of folks will like this tobacco, but I'll stick to the other fine blends from Mr. Ouellette.

Not your usual Latakia blend. The black cavendish and the Perique give it enough of a tang to make it a nice change of pace for those of us who love English/Latakia forward blends.

I like strong English blends, and upon opening my tin I was met with that distinct smoky smell associated with Latakia with some Perique savory, and just hints of the other tobacco types in this bend. What also struck me was how dry the tobacco seemed. It clicked when it hit the wood surface of the table and was very light in my hand. But as it turns out that has little to do with how good the smoke was! The flavors were excellent and the smoke smelled "foody" according to those around me. It did have some trouble staying lit which could be due to the fact that the tobacco was not very flexible and didn't pack easy. But a little bit of rehydration later and it smokes fine!

In my quest to challenge any preconceived notions and prejudices concerning the various styles of pipe tobacco I've next taken on this intriguing mixture. I like Black Cavendish and Latakia (when not in overdose proportions). Perique is not something I'm enamored with, however as a condiment it has it's place and I'm ambivalent about Virginia tobaccos which can at times have a thin, sweetish,tongue stinging quality about them. The name Obsidian conjured up images of a powerhouse and combined with my awareness of the Perique prepared me for an aggressive assault on my tongue and taste buds. The stuff is black in a variety of degrees and shades of blackness. The tin aroma is surprisingly quite mild surprisingly, a nice sweet and slightly smokey scent is all that greets the olfactory investigation. Obsidian is a bit dry, another surprise, but also a bit sticky, indicative of the Black Cavendish content. The taste is the best and most precious surprise as it is far from the suspected powerhouse. Instead it is nicely mild but full flavored, sweet but not at all cloying, has a bit of delightful spiciness and no bite but only the mildest tongue tingle from the balanced Virginias. The Latakia is very restrained adding a perfect degree of smokiness to the pleasant sweetness. As for the nicotine content it is certainly there, but not overwhelming, which for me is a big plus. If you are searching for a head swooning affair with the Lady N, look elsewhere. The only drawback is the very poor burning characteristics. Obsidian goes out quite often and needs additional sparking up to continue the enjoyable smoking. I've tried this in a number of pipes, from an old Israeli made Tinder Box "Exotica" to a new Stanwell "X-Mas" pipe and the smoking experience is very consistent. This is a new favorite and even with the burn issues it still very much warrants four stars.

I find this blend enjoyable sometimes. I think it has a distinctive flavor. I notice the latakia immediatley and everything else seems to blend in as you go.

I get a really sweet almost floral like taste out of this smoke. I like larry's blend much more and it is no mclelland 5110 but next to those two it is nice for a change once here and there. I like my smoke a little more on the natural side.

I wish the cut was a little finer and it packed and burned a little better. But compared to what else is available this is pretty good.

Update: 3/15/08 This smoke has found a way into my routine. If they would cut this a little finer I would be happier and we would have a solid four star blend here. I have a sweet tooth and at the same time like bold flavors. Somehow strangely this stuff satisfies my urge for sweet and spicy at the same time.

You can really puff on it too. It is so smooth, but smokes cool and dry. A rare treat. I might just even order some more. Nothing else tastes like this to me. Could stay lit a little better but back to what I said about the cut needing to be a little finer. A tighter than average packing helps it out, and a good repack or two helps it smoke really good.

A fine job by Russ yet again. Bought a tin at the 'brick & mortar' show two months ago, and will undoubtedly get more (along with Mt Marcy). This all "black blend" is just that,and the smoke is just as smooth as the color. Reminiscent of no other English I know, it tastes at first light pretty strongly of perique, but smells like latakia! The virginias chime right in, and the taste becomes fairly consistent & balanced. To my taste, the cavendish smooths the whole bowl all the way but never is monotonous. Three stars.

A great tobacco if you are an aromatic lover and want something a little bit meatier in your rotation. Leather, spice and mild sweetness at the start, pleasantly dry and still spicy at the end of the bowl.

I don't want.to give this one star but I have to. Biggest problem is moisture while smoking and it not staying lit. I even resorted to grinding it up in a coffee grinder. I tranfered a few ounces to an old tin for drying. Which seemed odd that I would need to dry it as it came nearly crunchy. This is too mild of some smoke and it burns too hot just to keep it lit even after leaving a small tin of it out for nearly a week.

Disappointed that I bought a pound of this. Will definitely be more careful in the future.

They couldn't have chosen a better name for this blend. Black as volcanic glass is the color you're greeted with out of the tin. Smells like latakia with a subtle sweetness I'm assuming comes from the stoved VAs and Cavendish. Slight traces of perique as well.

The tobacco is pretty dry and can be packed right away. Most of the pieces are rather small but there are some chunks in the mix. I essentially load this likea cube cut and give a slight tamp when the bowl is full. Have heard some say this is difficult to keep lit but I have not shared that experience. Burns to a nice ash with rarely any dottle ever.

I will say that this blend is a little too mild on all fronts for me. Could it be too balanced? I found the Stoved VAs and the Cavendish to be the mainstays in this blend with a slight smokiness and bit of spice from the perique. None of the components really stand out but seem too timid (can tobacco have a personality?). I like a little bit more punch with my blends and this just seems to be too tame for my liking.

Not bad, just not for me.