Hearth & Home Steamroller

Blind test blend #1. Recently participated in a blind test of 5 blends, one of which I've already commented on here. Thankfully, I guessed it correctly so I didn't embarrass myself! Based on 5 bowls of each blend. This one was interesting. Mostly dirty brown with hints of black. Bag aroma was musty with an "old book" scent - sort of old school OTC. Reminded me of C&D Haunted Bookshelf. Loaded and lit easily. Cut was sort of a quasi-ribbon with a chop cut that seemed much less haphazard than what I'm used to from C&D.

Flavor was of several different tobaccos in a mostly harmonious exchange. The black was clearly latakia but I found out here that there is also black cavendish to "take the edge off". It may have done its job, as I didn't find any edge to this one. It was fairly potent, but not rough. The predominant flavor came from the burley with some added sweetness and tang from the red virginia. I thought I may have noticed perique, but couldn't be sure, as I'm not as sensitive to it as I am to the presence of latakia. The latakia was subtle and took a clear backseat to the burley and VA. Basically this one tasted like a Bob Runowski invention to me, as it smacks of those things that Bob seemed to enjoy... strength, nicotine, OTC-like flavor and depth of flavor. It was rich tasting but controlled rather than over the top - strong but not obscenely so. It would definitely satisfy all but the most nicotine tolerant among us and did so without using a club to drive the nic in. Complexity was definitely there but it too was a bit subdued. Overall a nice tasting smoke that does everything right but doesn't ring my personal chime enough to stock it. I encourage all burley/va lovers to try it, however. It's a winner, and I'm sure this will have a nice share of the market for strong tobaccos that are also smooth.

As a former cigar smoker, I have smoked my pipes more for flavor than aroma, not that I don't appreciate and sometimes desire the compliments that I've received when the blend which I'm smoking happens to please somebody's nose as much as it does my palate. Therefore, when I smoked this blend for the first time (fresh out of the bag one month ago) all I could think was "Where the fuck is the Latakia?" However, I didn't really buy my sample for that alone, I also have found that unflavored and ungooped Burley is fine stuff which smokes very clean and lights easy, despite having little more flavor than the blandest of stogies. The Virginia and Peique don't fail to come through either. Overall, I find the flavor more comparable to H&H Stogie than anything English or Balkan. Also, the flavor came through a lot better when I smoked this blend in a cob pipe, which now has me second-guessing so many recent briar purchases, despite the visual briar aesthetics which I was unwilling to live without as a relatively new pipe smoker - DAMN!!!

On to the nicotine strength...wOooOOOwwOWWWWW!!!! I was missing the great feeling that I got when smoking good cigars, and because I never smoked cigarettes, and there isn't much comparision for nicotine strength with cigars, I honestly thought the rush from cigars was in my head. I had wondered why I never got such a kick when smoking my pipes, but I sure got a good one with Steamroller! This stuff will put a big, goofy smile on your face quick, so be prepared not to do anything too demanding for awhile, and be careful when you stand up.

I definitely will recommend this blend. While it contains a wide assortment of tobaccos, I personally think of it as first and foremost a burley blend. Of course it does not taste like straight burley, but that is the main flavor and driving force behind this tobacco.

There is enough latakia to spice things up and give a deeper flavor. A pinch of perique adds further intrigue and depth without stealing the show.

All in all it is a deep, rich, easy smoking tobacco with enough flavor and strength to really satisfy in most circumstances. Like most of the blends I've tried from Russ, it arrives a touch on the dry side and burns very easily, almost quickly. It also takes very well to rehydration if your tastes lean towards a moister tobacco, but it seems to be completely devoid of PG so expect it to dry out again quickly if you do not keep it in a jar appropriately sized for the amount you have on hand. While it is a blend complex in it's ingredients, I wouldn't suggest expecting a symphony of flavor. Like I said, its flavors are predominantly burley with a small helping of latakia and only a moderately noticeable amount of perique. The other tobaccos present are, of course, necessary to produce the blend as it is, but their individual flavors seem lost in the mix.

Overall this is a great go-to blend. Deep, earthy, and rich, with an agreeable level of nicotine that won't overwhelm this smoker. It's reasonably priced and brings to mind what I can only assume would pass at the top of the line for American smokers in the old days, replete with exotic tobaccos to round out and enhance their beloved burley.

This would likely be a bit strong for those whose tastes tend to gravitate towards very mild smokes, but I don't really think twice about loading a pipe with it. Then again, I'm not averse to smoking Irish Flake, Old Joe Krantz, or Kendal Dark for my first smoke of the day, so take that for what it's worth.

I ought to mention that this is one of the blends I smoke whose flavor is most dependent on the pipe chosen. In a cob, which I normally choose for this blend, it tastes most burley-forward, but in my sole meerschaum pipe the latakia becomes more notable. A briar renders a little more latakia flavor than a cob, but not nearly as much as the meer.