Hearth & Home Black House

UPDATE 11/2020: I purchased a lot tobacco on an online group and in that lot I got an tin of Black House from its release year. I have been smoking from a 2017 tin and was down to my last bowl when I remembered I had this older tin in my cellar and wanted to do a side by side comparison. With natural products you would expect variations in the tobaccos from year to year and from farmer to farmer, add to that the aging process, of both tins, and I would have expected both to have over time. I was a bit surprised at how different they were. I will say up front that the character of the tobacco was maintained across time, tins and jarring but I noticed one major difference, the sweetness. The 2017 tin was much sweeter, almost to the point that I think the sugar content of the casing/processing may have changed over time (maybe not, maybe age neutralizes the sugar additives while enhancing the natural sweetness of the VA's). Two other more minor observations is that the older tin seemed to have more light brown tobacco's, the tin note was more Oriental forward and the quality of the Oriental's seemed superior in the older tin, this latter point may be from aging. Oriental's age at least as well as VA's in my opinion, at least in shorter term aging, 5-10 years. BH is a great smoke from any vintage, but I am now a little PO'd that I don't have more of the older stuff.

ORIGINAL: This one I have waited on to review. As a pipe smoker that never experienced the original Balkan Sobranie I cannot compare it to the original, however I can say that I like all of the tribute blends and I can only imagine that I would have liked the original. It will always be a venerated example of what was and an aspiration of perfection. That said, striving for "perfection" while never attaining it, is a noble quest. This was the last blend, and the one claimed to be the closest to the original. To my palate I enjoyed it very much, but not my personal favorite. This blend is bold, flavorful and complex. The nose is latakia and sweetness. I know that isn't particularly descriptive but it is what I get. The Latakia is strong and sweet, smoky and edgy. The cavendish acts as a booster to the other flavors and softens some rough edges. Woody, dry orientals are strong supporting players and add that spicy note on the retrohale. The virginias are sweet and to me, seem stoved and bready. There is a hint of sourness on occasion that I attribute to the orientals. What I miss in this blend is the maltiness that I attribute to "Balkan" blends. I am not sure why it isn't there as the component tobacco's would suggest it should be there but I do not get it in this blend. This blend smokes extremely well straight out of the tin and burns to a gray ash. This is a very nuanced complex smoke and a great treat to enjoy when contemplating the events of the day. Another great blend from Russ O. I prefer the White Knight to this as the malt flavor I love is there in spades. I recommend to anyone who likes Balkan blends and enjoy's the journey and quest for the perfect smoke.

This is a Latakia forward blend, reminding me a bit of C&D De Vinci (another heavy Latakia. Black House is full body, but I would not suggest it to be strong, perhaps more a medium robust smoke. The smoky flavor is found from the top to the bottom of the bowl. No Tongue bite, easy to pack, light, and kept lit with minimal effort.

I enjoyed this blend, I wouldn't say it's anything to write home about, but I did enjoy it. The craft in the blending is there, it's actually a nice balkan, but my tastes these days are leaning towards more Va influenced english blends such as Chelsea Morning. This blend actually does remind me of the Balkan Sobrani that I tried or rather what I'd imagine it would have tasted like in it's younger state. There is something to it, I think the orientals maybe, that pops at times, but it has failed to capture me the way I like my english blends to. I'd say it was worth smoking a tin, and I enjoyed it, but I won't be stocking up.

This is one of my favorite blends. Very sweet, with a little bit of peppery spiciness to it. Goes great in a cob with a bottle of coke with it. Required some relights though.

Hearth and Home Blackhouse

Wow, this blend is amazing, I received a tin at the pipe club from HabaneroHardy, as I mentioned to him I’d been interested in trying it, the tin he gifted me was from December of 2018 and opened in January of 19. It’s dried perfectly over that time and smoke incredibly.

I have to say this blend encompasses what I believe a good English/Balkan blend should be, every component feeding into each other with no power, since this tin has some age on it I have to state this may be the reason.

I love the general but subdued smokiness, the Latakia while always presents mingles well with the sweetness of the Virginia and the cavendish adds a mice depth to the smoke, as I progress through the bowl I get hints of the sour oriental which are slightly tart and not mouth puckering sour. The dark fired while there shows up on occasion as if passing by on a street and only stopping to say hello. The Perique gives a slight nose tickle but never causes a sneeze.

Overall this blend reminds me of SPC plum pudding special reserve, but for the price is much better and overall a must have if you want a sweeter English /Balkan blend, I do at times get a soapy/floral flavor which I’m not a fan of, but smoke,through.

Thanks again Habanerohardy this blend is treating me well.

3/4

Picked this tin up as part of a combo deal, with zero expectations going in. I do enjoy a good English or Balkan (which I never understood the difference) from time to time. The tin aroma was par for the course, with some yummy rich Latakia wafting over a more timid Cavendish/Virginia sweet mix. This was a good start and I wanted to see if the smoked product was also on the lighter side of English charcoal.

Packing the stuff was peculiar, there was a "dusty" coating all over that left my fingers a bit grimey, which was odd as there didn't appear to be added flavor topping, so I'm not too really sure what is going on in the Black House. Aside from the dirt issue, the cut and moisture was very workable. The smoke itself is quite deep and leathery without any harsh fumes to knock you out.

This is a subtle English/Balkan, and likely good product to try dipping your toes in for the first time, but your hands are gonna need a bath afterwards.

Black House is another great Balkan blend from Hearth and Home’s Marqee Series. The tobacco is a coarse ribbon cut and needed a little drying time before being ready to smoke.

Despite being a Balkan blend, the Latakia smokiness is not the dominant flavor. Most noticeable is an earthy pepper, with the smokey and briney flavors a bit more in the background. The blend is balanced out nicely with a touch of sweetness and a slight effervescence.

Knowing that this is meant to emulate an earlier version of the Balkan Sobranie makes me a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to try the original. All in all, Black House is an excellent afternoon smoke that burnt quite well. I have yet to be let down by the Marquee Series.

...Nice and well balanced, smoky, spicy, smooth, touch of sweetness nice aroma,....nothing over the top....(don't get me wrong I don't mean bland).beautifull harmony of flavours that all come together perfectly, consistent smoke........great blend well orchestrated....for me the sophistication is in the balance...very well done

Tobacco came a little dry in the tin, but not too much so. Tin note belies the actual strength and flavor of this blend. Rich, vibrant Orientals team up with smooth leathery Latakia with just enough support from the choice Virginias. Medium strength with creamy, volumonous smoke and a very satisfying taste of a true Balkan. My only gripe is that this tobacco is difficult to keep lit and tends to clump - despite being relatively dry.