Hearth & Home Fusilier's Ration

Another recreated winner from Russ. The long lamented Bengal Slices had a few blends that were rumored to be replacements, but I never found either Penzance or Krumble Kake to be close. FR is much closer, not the same house but a few doors down.

The tin note is heavy with latakia and topping, which seems to me plummy with something else. At first light, the latakia comes through warm, buttery and earthy, with a light hint of the topping. As the smoke progresses, the latakia smoky gains a sweet edge, and the Orientals come through a little more, not very spicy but aromatic. I never rub the slices out so this is a long, slow burning tobacco and stayed very cool for me.

Fusilier's Ration is an ambitious new blend from Russ Ouellette and Pipes and Cigars that pays homage to the original English version of Bengal Slices. My tin arrived with a mixture of cakes (bars actually) and shake. The tin aroma lends itself to the natural toppings and a very deep, rich tobacco flavor. As one other reviewer pointed out, I too find it difficult to compare to Bengal Slices as my remaining two tins didn't age well either. It does make me wonder how well FR will age?

The tobacco itself requires a fair amount of attention in the preparation phase. The cakes break apart with ease, but I find it really needs to be well dried prior to smoking, and it is important to not pack it as tightly as you may do with your other blends. Even when prepared as described, I cannot remember smoking a blend that burns as slowly as Fusilier's. Even though FR falls into the English realm (aromatic English for some), I find that in addition to careful preparation, a slow cadence is key in the same way one would smoke a straight Virginia. If not careful the blend will burn hot. I did rub out every bowl so the experience could be different with leaving the cakes intact. In keeping with English tobacco laws, the toppings are natural but I cannot place my finger on what they are, but I would guess it to be more than one. There is a nice, but not overpowering, sweetness to Fusiliers. If patient, FR delivers a rich, complex flavor profile. I did decide to knock it down a star due to the amount of care needed to get the most out of the blend and FR's ability to burn a little hot. I think that Fusilier's Ration is really well done and will likely have a dedicated following of which I will be a member. Russ Ouellette is really doing some exciting things at P&C!

I'm a little surprised by how few reviews have been done when considering the enthusiasm which accompanied the release of this tobacco and the fact that it sure seems to be sold out alot. I believe I bought mine in early to mid 2012 and did something I rarely do which is to buy three tins with no idea if I would like it. My tins were 2oz. and now I see it noted here on TR and pipesandcigars,com as being a 1 1/2oz. tin, so has it's manufacturer been switched to Sutliff?

Anyway I did like it. A couple of chunky cake bars with a wonderful latakia and oriental aroma merged with a sweet scent wafted from the can and begged to be smoked. Once broken up the pipe was filled and the journey began. It would be a good latakia smoke even without the oldworld flavoring. As it stands it is a fine smoke with a twist that some may say is like the old Bengal and some say not, I shall stay out of that skirmish because I smoked only a couple of tins of the 1980's version and well...I don't care. If you want an occassional diversion from your usual latakias you might give it a try. Russ has certainly proved his desire to create a wide variety of tobaccos to suit just about everyone's needs. Keep it up!

I began my experiences with this blend by witnessing a picture on a forum of the prototype. It looked to be a lightly pressed, oily beast, and it made my mouth water just looking at it.

But Fusilier's ration has a soft side, and that is certainly the topping, which to me, is Vanilla. I don't smoke many cased blends, but became enamored with the idea of a cased English having had a few too many failures with the likes of Sam Gawith's Perfection.

It is a little light on the nicotine, but the balance is maintained without making the blend overly harsh with the inclusion of Kentucky. I love the leaf myself, but this is a soft smoke, and I appreciate the thought that went into it.

Pease and Russ definitely have different blending styles, and I thank them dearly for the time and effort they put into their craft. How would a Pease offering along the same lines compare? I think he ought to try this out!

I just finished up a huge sample of this given me by Russ at the last Chicago show. I liked it. I know that this is a blend inspired by Bengal slices. As to the recent (and apparently short lived) incarnation of Bengal Slices, I enjoyed this blend a little more.

As to the old Bengal slices, I have only tried it once, ironically enough, at the same show where I got this sample. The latakia in that tin had definitely lost some of its spunk over the years and, while I can say that I enjoyed FR more than that, I don't feel it is comparing apples to apples.

regardless, this blend does stand out on its own. It is heavy in latakia and offers a contemplative smoke with shifting flavors as you work your way through the bowl. It is a little edgier than the typical creamy lat smoke, which makes it nice on occasion. I smoked this at a golf outing last Friday and actually got compliments on its aroma.

I don't think this could be an all day blend, at least not to me, and it certainly would not be one I would recommend to a beginner. But to the seasoned lat smoker it could be a real treat. This one just misses four stars to me as there are too many other full latakia blends that I would reach for before this one.

I have reviewed two lat blends today giving both three stars seems to be unfair as the first one I would put at 2.5 and this at 3.5. In any case, give it a try. If you like latakia, I am sure you will not feel as though you have wasted any money.

I gave these "Rations" a whirl as it had been advertised as an alternative to my beloved and often out-of-stock Bengal Slices. So how do they stack up against one of the best smokes on the market?

Upon opening the tin, the similarities were obvious. A nice smelling granola bar was staring back at me with a familiar nose tingling Oriental spice and deep English musk (though both were less intense the ol' Bengal). Breaking apart the cake was like playing Asteroids with your fingers, grinding big chunks into multiple smaller pieces.

In all honesty Fusilier's Rations tasted much the same. It takes you deep into its tangy flavor and really ignites your buds, numbing your mouth a bit once finished (It had a weird gasoline-y aftertaste).

Tip: Make sure to pack the bowl loosely, or you will have a dense wad that won't pull air through, also be very gentle if you knock-out any ash during the smoke as the lit contents will also spill out.

I would consider Fusilier's Rations a great 5 year aged sharp cheddar, with a taste far superior to the run-of-the-mill sharp cheddar, but I gotta say Bengal Slices are still a hint better at 10 years!

I will say that I love the cake, plug and Krumble Kake presentation it adds something to the experience...they can be a pain to load and smoke but I love the way the look in the jar. Fusilier's ration is no exception: beautiful dark crumble cake with streaks of Virginia's and orientals among the jet black Latakia and Cavendish. The tin note is a light vanilla/licorice and Latakia. A real strong pleasant smell. Russ did an amazing job with this considering he did it from taste and olfactory memory (he did up his game when handed better blending notes with STC's Bengal Slices). This tobacco is definitely for Latakia lovers.

Packing this is considerably easier than the Bengal Slices version, the cake crumbles nicely and loads with a light tamp and burns pretty consistently with few re-lights. The 2 tins I had were on the wet side, which I expected with a cake but didn't need more than 10 minutes drying once broken up.

The flavor of this tobacco is addictive. I had saved my review until I tried the Bengal Slices which are terribly hard to come by. I am not sure that was a good move as now I feel the need to compare these to each other. In general I do not like to read the reviews that seem hell bent on proving the "good old days" were better than today and all of the tributes and revivals pale in comparison to the golden age of piping. I personally think that is BS. It seems that we have some real nice options these days and blenders have brought us new blends of super high quality and provide variety and availability like no other time in history. The only loss is Syrian Latakia for the new age blenders and that is the folly of war, not some lost trade craft. Tangent aside, This is a solid smoke, Lot's of Latakia, mild/med nicotine. The Orientals are supporting players but memorable ones. I love the interplay of the Latakia and the orientals in this blend the sweet Latakia, Virginia's, Cavendish and the topping provide a fantastic sweet intermezzo like quality to the experienc. The smoky nature of the Latakia takes center stage and is the centerpiece of the flavor. The Cavendish provides a round sweet mouth feel and a brown sugar like flavor that supports the Latakia and Virginia's beautifully. The topping in this one is much lighter/weaker than in Bengal Slices (there I go) which I would normally think was a good thing but I really like the flavoring in the Bengal Slices, is just boosts everything a bit more...at least I think that is what it is. The Orientals in FR support the sweet flavors with a woody, vegetal flavor. I think it is the Orientals but maybe the Virginia's that add a creamy quality to the smoke as well. All around great. Very nice blend...my only complaint is that you can fit more in the tin and momma hates a half full tin.

This is an incredibly interesting English blend! The latakia is there in spades... from start to finish, there is no doubt that you're smoking a full-on English mixture. In terms of blending, this is a well-done, lat-forward mix with excellent contributions from the Orientals and the Virginia leaf. The aromatic element is what sets this blend apart. As someone who doesn't smoke aromatics (although I found Haddo's Delight to be, well, delightful), I have to say that the topping is so deftly applied that it is completely harmonious with the natural qualities of the tobacco. Chemically speaking, I'm not sure how the flavoring is added (what kind of solution/essence it is compositionally)... but there's nothing chemical, "fake" or otherwise displeasing about the slightly floral, perfumey and altogether refreshing aroma. I can't pick out the exact recipe of traditional components, but I do know that it provides a stunning and welcome counterpoint to the rich, dark and pungent flavors of what would be an extremely well-done, but altogether familiar, blend.

Logistically, I'll agree that it burns very slowly and doesn't seem to like to be pushed too hard... but then again, I generally like to relax when I light up and don't ever smoke in a hurry. My tin was made up of several large, irregular chunks of cake as well as a couple of pinches of looser bits. It rubbed out very easily and packed well... It took to the match very well too.

I always smoke outside, so guaging the room note is difficult. I will say that it smells very pleasing to me in the fresh air weather hanging around on a still evening, or drifting of with the breeze.

Most pleasing is the fact that there is no gumming-up of the pipe or ghosting by the aromatic topping. I've smoked it in several of my lat-dedicated briars and not had any adverse carry-over of dressing. The latakia hangs around, for sure, but not the aromatic element.

So... all in all, a great departure for me without leaving my smokey realm of English blends. Also, I should add that this is my first tobacco blended by Mr. Ouellette... I also got a tin of Ambassador when I got FR. Given the first impression, I'm looking forward to trying more of his handy-work!

If you like English blends and want something just a little different, give this a try! Solid 3 stars!

A very nice Krumble Kake, heavy in the Turkish/Oriental flavour, but with enough Latakia and Virginia to balance things out. As in Black House some unsweetened Black Cavendish is used, but mainly to smooth things out. It has quite a pungent smell in the tin that translates into a very intriguing flavour when smoked.

Esasy to break apart and to fill in the pipe, it has just the right moisture level to make it fragrant and easy to smoke. It burns beautifully but at times in tends to be a bit sour and abrassive, yet woodsy and tangy.

In my view a very nice outdoor smoke.