Hearth & Home Derby Club Aromatic
(3.25)
Derby Club Aromatic is one of H&H's Mid-Town Series. Smooth and pleasant, it is a blend of burley, Virginia, Turkish and a bit of perique. Derby Club Aromatic is, like all the Mid-Town series, rather reasonably-priced. You can enjoy DCA anytime: morning, noon and night.
Notes: Derby Club Aromatic is a match for Kentucky Club Mixture Aromatic.
Details
| Brand | Hearth & Home |
| Series | Mid-Town Series |
| Blended By | Russ Ouellette |
| Manufactured By | Sutliff Tobacco Company |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Burley, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Other / Misc |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 14 oz. tub |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.25 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2015 | Mild | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
What a fine surprise. It’s an aromatic, they say. It’s unlike any aromatic that I’ve ever encountered. Would that there were more like it.
Just think, it has burley and Virginia and that’s well enough, but there’s Turkish in there, too and, what’s more, Perique. Perique. Who would have thought? In an aromatic, and an aromatic directly based on an old drugstore tobacco, no less.
The burley is dominate. It is in all of the Hearth & Home Midtown Series. It’s good burley. Well cut. Well blended. Not overly treated. It’s soft and round and direct. Cool smoking and consistent. It’s probably like the burley of yore that the entire series of blends is inspired by. I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t around to smoke those, but it’s nice to think about.
With that very nice burley base in Derby Club, there is a fair amount of yellowish, bright Virginia. It’s sharp and sweet and grassy. It’s nicely balanced with the burley and never dominates or overheats. It makes the otherwise straightforward, woodsy burley just a little bit more interesting. But wait. There’s more.
That Turkish tobacco is bitter and herb like. There’s not very much of it, but it’s enough to kick things up a notch. And then there’s the Perique. It’s the Perique that really makes Derby Club my favorite of the Hearth & Home Series. The Perique deepens and darkens this blend. It makes it like a good dark chocolate or a very ripe, dusky stone fruit. It makes the blend soft and velvety, but rich and bodied.
There is a top dressing, an uncomplicated, unobtrusive one; slightly fruity, which complements the Perique and makes the rest of the blend sing just a bit more. It smokes cool throughout and doesn’t fatigue the palate. If I were to have any complaint, it would be that I always wanted another pipe immediately after finishing the first.
Just think, it has burley and Virginia and that’s well enough, but there’s Turkish in there, too and, what’s more, Perique. Perique. Who would have thought? In an aromatic, and an aromatic directly based on an old drugstore tobacco, no less.
The burley is dominate. It is in all of the Hearth & Home Midtown Series. It’s good burley. Well cut. Well blended. Not overly treated. It’s soft and round and direct. Cool smoking and consistent. It’s probably like the burley of yore that the entire series of blends is inspired by. I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t around to smoke those, but it’s nice to think about.
With that very nice burley base in Derby Club, there is a fair amount of yellowish, bright Virginia. It’s sharp and sweet and grassy. It’s nicely balanced with the burley and never dominates or overheats. It makes the otherwise straightforward, woodsy burley just a little bit more interesting. But wait. There’s more.
That Turkish tobacco is bitter and herb like. There’s not very much of it, but it’s enough to kick things up a notch. And then there’s the Perique. It’s the Perique that really makes Derby Club my favorite of the Hearth & Home Series. The Perique deepens and darkens this blend. It makes it like a good dark chocolate or a very ripe, dusky stone fruit. It makes the blend soft and velvety, but rich and bodied.
There is a top dressing, an uncomplicated, unobtrusive one; slightly fruity, which complements the Perique and makes the rest of the blend sing just a bit more. It smokes cool throughout and doesn’t fatigue the palate. If I were to have any complaint, it would be that I always wanted another pipe immediately after finishing the first.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 09, 2016 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I never tried the original Middleton Kentucky Club Aromatic, but after reading so many great reviews for Derby Club Aromatic, I had to try it. And I am so glad I did. This isn't a typical aromatic. I found the flavoring to be a subtle enhancer to all of the great tobacco flavor in this blend. I would say it's a bit more Burley forward, but all the tobacco flavors are there. It's balanced perfectly IMHO. The Virginia and Turkish are evident and come and go throughout the bowl, but it's the Perique that really drives this one home for me. I knew from part way into the first bowl of Derby Club Aromatic that I was hooked. This is now in my daily rotation. I even stocked up on this one. If you like the old school burleys, but with way more flavor and complexity, I would give this one a shot. Perfect moisture level, one relight and burns to a fine white ash. No tongue bite at all. Like I said, I never tried the original, but H&H made a fantastic blend with this one.
Pipe Used:
Missouri Meerschaum, Falcon
PurchasedFrom:
pipeandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh out of tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 11, 2015 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
I really enjoy this blend. If I'm looking for something to smoke which I know is going to treat me right every time, I reach for the Derby Club. For me, it checks all the boxes as an every day tobacco: It has a great burly base which burns nice and cool, enough virginia for that sweet tang in the back of the mouth, and just a bit of perique and turkish to amp it up when puffed a little hotter for a change of pace as desired throughout the bowl. The retrohale is pleasantly spicy.
To round it out, I've never yet been bitten by this blend. I smoked a pouch of Kentucky Club Mixture before buying Derby Club as its replacement in my rotation. KCM could leave the roof of my mouth a bit beat up if I pushed it. This stuff doesn't. As a replacement for KCM it works great. The only noticeable difference I can detect is more cocoa in the pouch aroma. Flavor, to me, is equivalent.
Nicely done with this one, Russ. First old school blend I've felt was worth the tub.
To round it out, I've never yet been bitten by this blend. I smoked a pouch of Kentucky Club Mixture before buying Derby Club as its replacement in my rotation. KCM could leave the roof of my mouth a bit beat up if I pushed it. This stuff doesn't. As a replacement for KCM it works great. The only noticeable difference I can detect is more cocoa in the pouch aroma. Flavor, to me, is equivalent.
Nicely done with this one, Russ. First old school blend I've felt was worth the tub.
Pipe Used:
Cutty, Anse, Squat Bulldog
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
So far, I have sampled three Hearth and Home Mid-town Series tobaccos: “Chatham Manor”, “Chestnut”, and now “Derby Club Aromatic”. I think all these blends are really very good, but “Derby Club Aromatic” is the best of these with “Chatham Manor” a close second. “Derby Club” is a very smooth and mellow blend which still manages to have quite a bit of complexity and character. I smoked a lot of “Kentucky Club Aromatic” early in my piping history (early 1980s), but it has been a long time since I last smoked it and so trying to compare these two blends might not be very fair. Yet, it seems to me that Kentucky Club was NEVER this good! In any case, “Derby Club” is a rich, flavorful tobacco which manages to remain reasonably mild. It is definitely burley-forward, but the Virginia and Turkish make their presence known. The Perique is not strong, but it peeks in now and then, if you pay attention. The topping is there, but is subtle and works very well with the tobaccos. I would classify this blend as a light aromatic, at most. It isn’t too moist, it isn’t goopy, it lights and burns well and leaves little dottle. I would think this would easily be an all-day smoke for most (it is for me). “Derby Club” is a fine blend in my opinion, and it is definitely one of the 5 blends I’m looking for to always have on hand. For the price, it is hard to beat. Highly recommended!
Pipe Used:
Variety of briars, corn cobs and meerschaums
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2020 | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
I have never smoked the original Middleton version, however my father used to smoke it a lot and the aroma/room note is very much like I remember. I definitely get the soft, nuttiness of the burley, the slightly spicy orientals is very light, but it's there. The perique is a pleasant, but light fruitiness in the background. It's sweet, but not too sweet. I was worried that this would have that Chemical aftertaste that I usually get from a lot of aromatics, but I taste nothing but quality tobaccos. The mouth feel is soft and smooth, with no harshness, but with plenty of body, with no bite, very nice. This is easily an all day smoke, I enjoy it with morning coffee. I only ordered a 2 oz. pouch, but I'm definitely going to order a tub. Bravo H&H, nice job on this blend!
Pipe Used:
1/2 Bent Thomson Apple
PurchasedFrom:
Pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 26, 2019 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
I normally do not review tobacco blends as I feel reviews are really very subjective to the reviewer. That being said, I offer this. Most of the reviews here have hit on the quality of this blend so I will avoid repetition. I have been on a 3 year search for a go-to blend that I can sit back and enjoy anytime regardless of weather or location without offending anyone nearby and the bus stops here. I have tried tubs of H&H Midtown CM, Chestnut and PA and now DCA. The DCA is in MHO the best of the H&H Midtown series, and it now my go-to smoke. I cannot offer a comparison review because I never sampled the original Kentucky Club Mixture Aromatic, but Derby Club Aromatic stands alone on its own as the best of the Midtown series. If you like a milder VaBur, you owe it to yourself to try DCA. Thank you Russ.
Pipe Used:
A variety of briars
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
Age When Smoked:
fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 30, 2022 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
One of the more interesting and complex in the Midtown line from P and C. A semi aromatic. Tastes like a mélange of walnut, plums, fig, and a touch of cocoa - in that order. The taste is mostly natural tobacco, medium and complex.
I taste something that make me think there may be some condimental amount of cigar leaf. I have to say my impression is that there is a Perique like quality that may also be unflavored Cavemdish.
Full taste, evolving though out the smoke, and eminently satisfying.
This will be added to my cellar permanently.
I taste something that make me think there may be some condimental amount of cigar leaf. I have to say my impression is that there is a Perique like quality that may also be unflavored Cavemdish.
Full taste, evolving though out the smoke, and eminently satisfying.
This will be added to my cellar permanently.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell bent brandy 9mm
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
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