Hearth & Home Berry Nice

Lovely berry, mushroom and port wine flavor, but gooped up every pipe I tried it in. A friend familiar with the blend also had the same problem with this tin and said it wasn't typical of the blend. The blender responded to my inquiry about the quality by politely suggesting I didn't know the chararistics of an aromatic.

Potentially a very nice blend but I question the quality control and consistancy.

Let me arrive by mentioning that I'm taking pleasure in a bowl of this blend as I type. Perhaps THE most sumptuous blend I've ever indulged in; it won me over as soon as I busted the seal on the tin. I picked up a sample of this at a recent pipe show; delivered to me by the noble folks at pipesandcigars.com. The blend is perfect for anyone with a head full of sweet teeth; like myself; a SUPER aromatic, if you will. The aroma from the opened tin will perfume your living space almost instantly; BEFORE you set it on fire in a pipe. The taste that comes along with each draw... is like having a glass of tropical fruit juice; one has to try and remember that he/she is smoking. This blend is a cinch to pack for it trickles down into the pipe... like it's anxious to be cremated almost.

It's been granted my passage and... it has made it to the foremost of my personal favorites list; first class.

This is the first "hearth and home" blend from pipesandcigars.com that I have tried. When I first opened the tin I was overwhelmed by the fruity smell. The first few bowls didn't have much of a berry flavor to them, but sure did have a nice aroma. Earlier on in the tin I found the tobacco to be woody and even mushroom tasting, however after letting it sit for two weeks the mushroom flavor disappeared. At that point the berry flavor really began to come through. The tobacco itself is nice, dark, and chunky. The 1.5 oz tin is lasting me longer than expected. The tobacco stays lit nicely and doesn't leave any dottle or goo. It is a nice clean smoke that doesn't get too hot or bite the tongue. I am going to be sure to try more of this brand, but doubt I will rush out to buy this particular blend again.

The only reason I braved this blend was that it's made by Russ Oulette, a man who has earned my faith time and again. Jet black cavendish cut into big chunks of leaf. Was pleasantly surprised to find that the tobacco was not sticky to the touch, as is so often the case with aromatics. On lighting, the berry flavor starts out clear, then settles into a general sweet flavor. The berry room note is clear and pleasant, to the point that my fiancee has insisted that I maintain a stock of this blend on hand at all times. There is a floral or soapy aftertaste, but its a very mild aftertaste as opposed to being front and center in Mixture 79. Happily, this blend burns clean, generating white ash and little/no dottle. As an aromatic it does tend towards hot, so slow and steady is the name of the game. I also noticed that the slower I smoked it, the more berry flavor I got.

Looking at previous reviews comparing it to Mixture 79, let me say that I am one of the Mixture 79 haters, and I liked this blend.

Any blend that the iconic Russ Ouellette concocts in his mixing parlors at the Habana tobac emporium in Albany, New York has to be taken seriously - this one further enhances his reputation. This is a sweet, almost sugary aro that captivates pipeful after pipeful. I am so tired of fellow scribes who try a bowl or maybe two of a sweet aromatic and their first reaction is: let's trash it! Berry Nice has a delightfully soapy but fragrant topping taste that resembles the much maligned standard (among my fellow reviewers) Mixture 79 - hope this blend like 79 is as resilient. Fact is this is unusually "good stuff" as the advertisement for Snapple says. Smoke it in a hand carved Rhamnus wood pipe you can still buy for cheap from the People's Republic of China on E-Bay. This rough hewn Rhamnus is dedicated strictly to Berry Nice and the flavour continues to flourish. The pipe and leaf combination are complimentary. A heavenly choice especially during summer heat wave weather or for that warm vacation spot. Happy hunting!