Hearth & Home Daybreak

I have smoked many Dunhill blends over the years and EMP was always one of my favorites. I have found that most copies of older blends to be lacking and short of duplication of once favorites. However Daybreak is truly a superb blend and is another fantastic blend from Russ at Pipes and Cigars! I have quite a bit cellering and have been smoking this since it's inception. It's mild and delightful,no bite and all the components are well balanced. What I really like about Daybreak is that not one of the tobaccos attempts to overrule the others. It is well balanced and smokes well in any size bowl. I think some age would do it justice but it smokes fine the way it is. Russ was asked repeatedly by a Pipe Club to "Get it Right"! He continued to work this blend until they said-You got it!

Hey Russ-Great Job! You got it!! Thanks!

This attempt to replicate Dunhill's E.M.P. utterly fails, in my opinion, to achieve it's objective. Preferable are McConnel's #925--not a 965 replica as advertised; also Rattray's mixture #7, Red Raparee, and Professional mixture; McConnel's mixture #1. King Charles is also very good and in the taste neighborhood.Daybreak was so un-assuming, so muted, so mild, that I felt there was no point in smoking it and I chucked it without regret.

This is a very nicely done English blend. It's not too heavy on the Latakia and has an excellent balance. The blend brings about various flavors during the smoke that make this very interesting. I like complexity and the nuances to a tobacco and for me, I found it in this one. This isn't an overpowering in your face English and that's what makes it so good -it's not trying too hard, it brings you more of an orchestra of flavors. A well balanced blend indeed. Smells complex in the tin with a nice non overpowering aroma that gives you hints of variety. It burns nice the entire way through and the flavor consistency is there from beginning to end. Nicely done.

Daybreak is a match blend to Dunhill's EMP. The basics are similar-oriental forward English type blends with smoky, woodsy flavor. EMP seems sharper and spicier and Daybreak is smoother and deeper strength. A very affable day breaker it is.

I remember sending Russ at H&H an email over a year ago asking WHAT could I try from his vast cellars that would introduce me into the field of English type blends. Needless to say on my next order I added a tin of H&H Daybreak and have never looked back. Until this arrived I was a happy OTC smoke of various popular brands, but wanted to take it to the next level One year later I am still enjoying this fabulous blend that Russ created. While the name Daybreak may lead you to believe this is a morning start your day type of smoke, I find that there are times that I long for that nice campfire smokey goodness to eminate from my pipe and curl around my nose, so I have easily used this blend as an all day smoke. If you are curious about English blends and the fabled combinations of Virginias, Orientals and Latakia , or if you are a seasoned smoker who had the pleasure of smoking those original Balkans that the rest of us can only dream about... then I encourage you to give H&H Daybreak a try. Good natural flavor... a nice light campfire room note that is not offending and just a real relaxing smoke that will carry your thoughts back to days spent on a deck chair of a steam powered ocean liner as it crosses the Atlantic. Happy Smoking Cheers Mike

While I've been a pipe smoker for over fifteen years, I've only been branching out from my familiars just recently.

I was looking for a lighter Latakia blend, and I found one here. Lots of very light colored flake- often of the shakier variety, which has me thinking that the Turkish is the predominant thing going.

I say this as my impressions of the blend vacillated often as I tried it. Initially, my pipe choices were bigger bowled ones I often use for Latakias, but these didn't put the smoke in a good light. I'm a bit of a puffer, and this blend smokes very quick for me; I'd call it downright fluffy. I recommend the kind of bowl one would use on a Virginia- something narrower, if not smaller, even if it doesn't smoke like Virginias as you know them.

This might make "Daybreak" a good name for the blend- if you suffer from insomnia as I often do and are up til the wee hours, you are probably not looking for a long smoke. Likewise if you are planning on awakening at dawn and getting your day off to a quick start. It's got some vitamin N, but nothing to hit you over the head with. For me that's a good thing, and I could see a frequent smoker wanting to hit this all day long.

This blend was dry enough to be ready to smoke as soon as I opened the can. I don't mind crumbling, but I do mind drying time, so good-to-go is good for me. This is the first pipe tobacco I've ever had where I was able to smoke the dottle down to absolutely nothing. Maybe it's too dry, but it's nice to be able to smoke something all the way down for once and not feel like I'm wasting anything. another plus is that it finishes very well- better than any other blend I'm aware of.

The flavor I get is a delicate piney-ness, for the lack of a better word. The Latakia takes a back seat to the Virginia, but where is that pine coming from? I know I've detected a distinct camphor note in a Balkan before, so there's likely some connection. And no I'm not talking menthol here- not even remotely. Just an aroma you might get in a high desert or the side of a green mountain. It's wispy and not overpowering.

The downside however is a lack of complexity. You won't go wrong with this smoke though, if you accept it on its own terms. Latakia freaks should stay away, while the rest of us get our simpler kicks and move on down the line. Three Stars.

Edit: As of 3/30/14 I'm amping this up to four stars, due to the fact that this tobacco delivers consistently. That's more than I can say for other tobaccos I like more.

Very , very close to Dunhill's EMP, good flavor and that same "Lemon sour pucker".HOWEVER, the cut is not the same and it doesn't take the match as easy as EMP. It also doesn't burn as easy and requires slightly more attention. To me this resulted in a slight bite. As for flavor,this has some similarities to Larry's Blend, but not as smooth. I can buy this for $10 for 2 ozs. or EMP for 1.76 ozs at $9. I'd rather the EMP and or Larry's Blend.

This is a very nice and enjoyable English/Oriental blend. The latakia is of medium strength/flavor and is nicely balanced with the other tobaccos, but not overwhelming. I really do like to smoke this in the morning. Strong enough in flavor and nicotine to get me going, I enjoy it with a nice cup of black coffee. A first class smnoke and good for all day too.

This is my second time smoking this blend and I am still impressed. I will be sure to get more in the futre. Recommended.

I tasted Daybreak along side a freshly opened tin of Orlik made EMP. Daybreak hinted at the dry, dense yet lean flavors of EMP. It however came up quite short, lacking EMP's spiciness whilst being a tad sweeter and smokier all the while remaining unimpressively bland. It just plainly lacked much flavor impact on the palate. A ho hum blend in my book. Better approximations found during my comparison tasting were McConnell's Oriental and McClellands's AM Pipe.