Tobaccos Hearth & Home - Black House (Marquee Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3048)	2012-09-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Despite similarity and intent, I can tell the difference between this and Balkan Sobranie 759. This has a little more sweetness than in the blend it tries to emulate, and lacks the "unflavored soda note" from the woody, earthy, floral, sour, dry yenidje, though that component is a condiment in this mix. The smokey, woody, earthy, musty sweet Cyprian Latakia (the original had Syrian) takes the lead without cutting down what the other tobaccos do. The light brown sugar sweetness comes from the black cavendish, which is a minor ingredient. The Virginia is lightly, tartly citrus sweet with some grass as a background player. The Orientals have some dryness, wood, herbalness, floralness, earth, vegetation, and mild spice, sweet and sourness, and those aspects are also a little evident in the dark fired Kentucky, which appears in a small amount. The spice, raisins, figs and plum from the perique is minimal. Won't bite or get harsh. Has few rough edges. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is just past the center of mild to medium. Well balanced with a little more complexity than BS 759, it burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet and savory, campfire, deep flavor that translates to the pleasantly, short lived after taste and room note. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves very little dampness in the bowl. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

70 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2013-08-28		Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Very Pleasant

Just for perspective, it might be good for the reader to go back to my review of Black House's competitor, Blue Mountain. There I voiced a couple of complaints about Blue Mountain. None will be voiced here about this blend.

I had a lot of trouble obtaining Black House: it was consistently sold out on pipesandcigars' web site, nonexsistent in local shops and never appeared on the after market on e-bay. Fortunately, Hearth and Home made a noticable appearance at the 2013 NASPC show handing out samples of their blends. There I had the pleasure of meeting Russ Oulette - or, should I say, the guy who claimed he might be Russ Oulette but wasn't sure he wanted to admit it. I told him of my difficulty finding this blend and he gave me a more than ample amount to sample.

Unlike Blue Mountain, Black House didn't initially hit me as a 759 replacement - mainly because it seemed to lack the fragrant aroma of both Blue Mountain and older 759. This is a complex blend, as can be seen from the ingredients description and the blend's physical appearance. It had a wonderful english aroma that made me want to dive in right away. And dive in I did. Smokey, english "nosey" and complexly rich; this blend went straight to my pipe smoker's G spot immediately. It is a little spicey initially, but this disappears at about the one quarter bowl mark and smoothes-out to a wonderful smoke.

Now comes the interesting part. Blue Mountain has the abundant old 759 fragrance but lacks the underlying english qualities that 759 is known for. On the other hand, Black House has the underlying english qualities in spades but comes up a little short on fragrance. Can you guess what comes next? That's right: I mixed them 50-50 and oui-la-la (or should I say oulette-la-la) - the magic combo of delight! Try this for youself; whether you have or have not smoked the older 759, this is what a 30 year old tin of Balkan Sobranie 759 smokes and tastes like. It is just like traveling back in time for the pipe enthusiast smoker. It is that real and that good!

Black House - thanks Russ - four stars.

55 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2011-07-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

Russ Ouellette has already proven himself to be one of the world's master blenders, so I was not surprised at the overall quality and perfect melding of the different tobaccos Black House presents. It is Rattray's Black Mallory with a little backbone according to my tastes.

BH is sweet rather than leathery, and the Kentucky raised the strength meter to a higher level. The cut was perfect for loading and the blend burned well without many re-lights. I allowed my first bowl's contents to dry for several hours before smoking. The second bowl was consumed straight from the tin while still moist and I didn't really detect any change in flavor presentation.

It has been so long since I've smoked a bowl of the original BS 759 that there is no way I can offer a comparison. Basing my review of BH for being what it is rather than what it is supposed to emulate, this is one very fine tobacco in its own right and I am glad I purchased multiple tins of the original release. It should age quite nicely.

Congratulations Russ. Job well done!

49 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-07-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this tobacco and find it stronger than some of the other reviewers are giving credit to it. I love tobacco's with a good kick of Lady N and Black House has it. Black House was created in the likeness of 759, but comparing it to a ghost is unreasonable. The reviews of this blend IMHO should be based on the quality of the blend rather than whether or not it stands up to 759. This is a smooth, full flavored English blend that is broader than many English blends as the flavor profile includes the addition of dark fired and Yenidje. I prefer Black House a bit drier than it arrives in the tin and while it is outstanding now, a few months in the tin will serve it well. This may be the best English blend to come out of Russ Ouelette's fine line up of tobacco's. Very Highly Recommended!

UPDATE: Having let the tins rest four months, the tobacco has really married and is even more outstanding than when I reviewed my first two tins. If you are a fan of English blends, this is a "must try."

33 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking Sam (20)	2013-05-09		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a 2 oz. tin for sampling, because that was all that was available at the time. It arrived today, along with 8 oz. of Larry's Blend. I loaded a newly purchased Jobey Dansk freestyle pipe, which I bought off eBay. The pipe took a ton of cleaning. After using a dozen pipe cleaners with little progress, I decided to bring out the big guns - a salt and alcohol cleaning, followed by three Everclear alcohol retort cleanings. Mission accomplished!

I started out with a bowl of the Larry's Blend, which I found pleasant, and which didn't burn my mouth or tongue in the least. I cleaned the pipe and loosely packed a bowl of Black House. For what its worth, packing the pipe was a piece of cake.

From the first puff, I knew that I was onto something special. The tobacco displayed a mild flavorful smoke, with all the different tobaccos blending perfectly on the palette. After two charring lights, it was off to the races. I smoked the bowl all the way to the bottom of the pipe, stirring the dregs to light the last vestiges of tobacco. I was truly disappointed when there was no more baccy left. This blend provides plentiful smoke, and it doesn't really matter whether it is sipped or puffed - it burns cool, and doesn't bite.

Black House caused me to do something which I haven't done previously, which was to clean the pipe yet again, and pack a third bowl. A fresh pot of coffee later, and I went online and ordered 8 oz. of bulk Black House. Yep, I liked it that much! I have never smoked two successive bowls of anything before, not even Esoterica Penzance.

Black House is a nuanced, flavorful blend, mild, with zero mouth irration. I find myself wanting to inhale this blend! I found no noticeable nicotene hit, no stomach gurgles, no nasal burn, and no need to run to the bathroom. LOL. I even found the aftertaste agreeable. There was a necessity for several relights, since I smoked this fresh right out of the tin, and the tobacco was slightly moist.

I think Larry's Blend will be a great all day smoke, as will Black House. This is one of the best blends that I have tried so far. I am very impressed with the flavor and friendliness of this blend. Russ Ouellette has blended a masterpiece - well done!

Negatives? After smoking several bowls now, the only negative that I can report is that this tobacco burns very quickly. In fact, it is the fast burning baccy that I have smoked to date. I have tried to counter this by packing my bowls tighter, but the enjoyment is over far too soon.

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jeff C. (5)	2015-09-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I'll make this short as there are already many fine reviews here. This is a fine blend on its own, but there was something lacking in it. I couldn't pin it down, but there was just something a little too harsh towards mid point to end. The flavor was there but it was just a little too harsh and bitter. I also like McClelland's Blue Mountain but found it a little weak with a mottling of the flavors leaving me less than totally satisfied. I had an epiphany and decided to go out on a limb and play blender. Equal amounts of Blue Mountain and Black House and I came up with "Black and Blue". I lucked out. Absolutely sublime from first light to heel of the bowl. So good in fact that I simply felt compelled to pass my findings along. I've smoked for 30 years and mostly English and Balkan blends......... so this isn't simply some sophomoric phantasm. I also rarely review as usually there is enough apocryphal information (and to an ad naseum degree) that I don't feel my hyperbole will bring anything to the party. Just wanted to let anyone that's so inclined know.....you wont be sorry!!!

Update....apparently, there's nothing new under the sun. A friend of mine brought to my attention that user "kingweed" had the epiphany long before I had, to combine the two blends together. My apologies for taking credit here before reading all the review. On that note, I'll end with the sentiment that he is absolutely correct!

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theodore Moore (14)	2013-02-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a great lover of natural, English and balkan style tobaccos, having smoked most all of the late, legendary tobaccos of this genre including Balkan Sobranie 759 & White, the original Celebrated Bengal Slices and my personal favorite, Macedonian, put out by Neimeyer of Denmark back in the 70's & 80's, which for me will always be the lost, lamented Holy Grail of pipe tobaccos.

Having said this, it is a great joy to report that Russ Ouellette deserves a medal of honor for Black House. I must admit that I couldn't quite understand or appreciate the name, 'Black House' until I read Kylepoet's review in which he used the phrase "A ghost on the edge of a dream." This perfectly describes this blend. Black House is haunted. It is haunted by the spirit of "Balkan Past." I have not tasted anything until now that satisfies the tasty memory of these long lost tobacco blends. Indeed, the phrase "A ghost on the edge of a dream" should be the bi-line on the tin.

Black House is tasty in ever changing ways, and to me, taste trumps all other considerations. I appreciate the muted play of the Virginias while not losing their required sweetness. I also appreciate the baked "nuttiness" provided by the addition of the Kentucky (as opposed to Burley,) and thus keeping the nicotine affect at a moderate level. The 'smattering' of Black Cavendish is just that, and doesn't offend the true Balkan integrity like so many do with this addition. Above all, the Latakia is top-notch and in perfect proportion.

Black House is a sipping tobacco, which never bites, and is ideal for those who like to use the gifted olfactory senses as they sip their smoke through the nose. The aroma is awesome, and its lingering room note delightfully haunts the house as well!

And the smoke? Ah yes, the smoke is like nothing I've ever experienced. Really! It creates a foggy-blue cloud that hangs in the air like something oozing out of the regimental tents from Kipling's Gunga Din!

The one and only drawback is, that being a natural tobacco, it burns faster and hence, shortens the pleasure far, far too soon. Because of this, it should be packed tighter and in a pipe with long and narrow bowl.

In short, I never would have dreamed that anyone could have pulled off a Sobranie smackdown with these ingredients, but Russ proves again that being a Master Blender is an art form. With all due respect to Roland Mesnier, in BLACK HOUSE, Russ Ouellette has proven that he is the premiere WHITE HOUSE Pastry Chef of tantalizing tobaccos! BRAVO!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: At the risk of committing the unpardonable, allow me to make one suggestion. Most of us like to play at amateur blender and "tweak" some of our smokes. If you would like to slow down the fast burning rate of Black House and smooth out the slightly rough edges that Orientals inevitably bring, you can add about 30% of McClelland Bulk 5110 to produce a smoother smoke and slower burn rate w/o altering the beautiful room note. It also increases the sweetness and complexity in the taste department... a fifth dimension! This is my favorite go to blend which I've christened, "Mr. President." Sorry Russ!

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MrPiper (31)	2012-12-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Blackhouse was a nice surprise. The ribbon cut was soft and at a really nice moisture level upon opening the tin. Simple to pack, I filled a blast rhodesion group 4 and after a solid light, the volume of smoke was uncommonly rich, as was the flavor.

The Latakia was mellow and the orientals were available from the time the match touched the bowl. The flavor density was consistent throughout the entire bowl and the smoothness of this blend was unlike any other I have ever tried. Blackhouse truly tasted like a blend that had been aging for years.

While smoking, I varied the pace significantly from very slow and deliberate to rapid and intense. Sincerely, I couldn't convince this tobacco to bite at any pace of smoking. As with most rich tobaccos, the flavors are most pronounced at a snails pace, but even smoked intensely, Blackhouse is pleasant.

I hope this will be a mainstay available for many years and not just a novelty that comes and goes. It is a rich, flavorful smoke for any time of day or all day. Never overpowering while robust in taste. Blackhouse could be the "go to" Balkan blend for just about anyone.

Very Very Highly Recommended.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-05-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Wow. A tasty Balken-English style blend, reminds me a lot like Becks Ole Limey Bastard. I like the color variation of the Bright yellow VA next to the black cavendish. First I thing I noticed you could puff on it all you want to like that girl in high school that didn't know what she was doing… and you won't get any bite from it. Second thing I quickly noticed it was very light yet favorable and had that great English aroma. It didn't leave a film or taste in my mouth what-so-ever… thats a first and rather great surprise. Burns great, packs great. A triumph in blending.

Pipe Used: Old Basket Pipe from Greece.

Purchased From: PipesandCIgars.com

Similar Blends: Becks Ol Limey Bastard. B&B tobacconist..

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lit a Kia (69)	2014-02-15		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Nice English smell in the pouch; burnt cedar of the latakia is up front, but the sunny Virginias and earthy Kentuckys are right there shoulder to shoulder. Comparing the nose to McClelland Blue Mountain, this one smells more like an aged blend to me, which may be part of why it won the legendary 759 contest.

Packed and lit easily, burnt smoothly and cleanly, no relights needed. Quality weed.

Started out with plenty of leather and chocolate, then opened up into chocolate and allspice/clove and a rich, velvety blue smoke. Last third of the bowl was burnt cedar, pine and (not in a bad way) an interesting soapiness (for lack of a better term) and a couple of fleeting notes of creosote (again, not unpleasant).

The nicotine kick surprised me, as most of the English blends I enjoy are pretty mellow. I'm assuming Russ' inclusion of Kentucky is the culprit. If you like English blends but want more Lady N than is typical, this (and/or HH Vintage Syrian, although I like this one better) could be your blend.

King Weed's suggestion below to blend this with Blue Mountain definitely sounds worth a try.

2015.12.27 Would recommend Russ' Magnum Opus over this and most other English blends, but this one certainly won't steer you wrong. As for King Weed's suggestion, I've found a 1:1 blend with Blue Mountain (renamed Balkan Blue) allowed to sit for some time is a real treat. Adds some interesting dimensions to two really good tobaccos. A friend of a friend says he's never smoked anything like it.

Pipe Used: Boswell freehand

Age When Smoked: < 6 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2013-12-05		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

Back in the old days, the late 80's, early 90's, Balkan Sobranie was a "go to" for me. Now, I admittedly preferred the white label to 759, but when the white label was sold out (as it frequently was) 759 was then the choice. Black House really does taste like 759, perhaps a wee bit fuller and slightly sharper in taste as I remember it, but very close. Would I prefer the original to BH? Yes, but, hey, they stopped making the original, so why not make a clone? I'm all for this. I think Black House is a great blend on its own merit, and I will be purchasing more in the future.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Canadian

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peppino (74)	2013-05-31		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

I ordered this based on reviews I've read, and I like it. Being lucky enough to smoke 759 in in the 70's and the 80's. Now the 80's had a change of blenders as the family sold the rights and Balkan Sasieni (Gallaher)made the blend that was a shadow of 759. Now Arango with J.F. Germain make the new Balkan Sobranie (White Label) which in it's own right is very good. They have workers from the original House of Sobranie, and maybe they will bring back the Holy Grail 759. In 759 it had Mountain Blue Latakia, Turkish, Virginia's, Macedonian's, Black Cavendish and Yenidje which has become very difficult to obtain. So that brings me to Black House, I've smoked 6 straight bowls today. From Castello's to Caminetto's to Savinelli's and all different shapes.. Each time it got more familiar to me, visually in the tin and the huff test it was spot on. When I lit up the bowl the initial smoke had that flavor I remember and it produced a nice bellow of smoke that was a gray blue just like 759 the re-lights after sitting for a 1/2 hr or so were excellent. However as I continued it was missing something, now don't get me wrong it's a very fine tobacco. I think it's missing the Yenidje as well as more Macedonian, and a touch more Latakia of course this is just my opinion. It did smoke very well and easily smoked to the heel with no problem. It was dry with no moisture at all in the pipe, I have to say this is the closest tobacco I've smoked since 759. I would say that Black House stands well on it's own merits is a fantastic blend that you shouldn't hesitate to pick up.....Now I'm going to go for a seventh bowl :)

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puro66 (73)	2013-04-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I have a positive attitude toward blenders creating new blends inspired by old blends, the important word being inspired. Whether or not this is like that "old" tobacco doesn't really matter for it stands on it's own merit and should be approached accordingly.

I purchased this tin as an also throw that in the cart along with a regular order. For some reason I did not immediately open it (unheard of for me with a new, to me, tobacco) instead I put it on the tin shelf in the closet and did not open it for about a year.

The tin aroma is full, dark and smokey, quite alluring. There's alot of tobaccos playing together here and while it is to the dark side appearing there is ample browns as well.

The moisture is perfect for me right out of the tin and it was easy to keep lit, for me. I find the balance here to be quite good with the latakia and orientals really setting the foundation of the smoke throughout the bowl with a certain floral creaminess that I've come to expect from those blends calling themselves Balkans. It burned cleanly to the bottom of the bowl leaving me with that feeling of I wish I could get at least one more puff.

I am not a fan of big nicotine bomb tobaccos and thankfully this seems no more than a medium on my scale, because I really enjoyed it and intend to buy more. I do recommend it as a try for all who enjoy this style of smoke.

12-8-13: I am giving this blend another star. It keeps getting better with each bowl.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2012-10-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the best tobacco I have ever smoked....

I have waited a long time to review this blend, I wanted to acquire a large enough stash to be safe in case the supply temporarily dried up. When I open the tin I am immediately transported to the streets of Baghdad 1000 years ago, the smells of exotic incense and musky animals, the thick leathery smell of a well worn saddle and the aroma of cooked meat on an open fire. Black House is everything I ever wanted in a tobacco, it gives you a wonderful smoke every bowlful, top to bottom, with subtle flavors coming in and out as the bowl progresses. It also provides enough nicotine to be interesting without being overwhelming. I cannot thank Russ O. enough for this masterpiece.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-07-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me, there's little in this pipesmoking world less compelling than a brand new tobacco that is hyped as an emulation of some long forgotten classic. I realize there was a contest and all that, but I just usually shy away from these kinds of blends. However, since I was lucky enough to recently acquire a small amount of 759 and this was voted to be the closest to that classic, I thought I may as well see if I agreed. Such hype begs... no, demands... that it be directly compared to the blend it's trying to match, if such a comparison is possible.

First of all, the contents of my tin did not much resemble 759. It came fairly dry, but was also evenly matched between dark and brown tobaccos. The cut was a bit wider as well. In the pipe, this tobacco was indeed very similar to 759. How that is so, when this blend contains Kentucky and Black cavendish which was not in 759, is beyond me and very likely a testament to the blender. But the flavor was remarkably similar - same sweetness barely up front with the smooth and spicy latakia close behind. The orientals tasted like the ones in 759. This one as well refused to be DBT'd.

It was only when I pushed it a bit that this blend showed its ornery and decidedly non-759 side. It became cloudy and a bit dirty tasting, which I could never get 759 to do. Whether this is due to the inclusion of those two condiment/base tobaccos, I do not know. And it's a non-issue anyway, if one smokes suitably slowly and in a relaxed fashion. To my tastebuds, Russ matched 759 most admirably, based on my limited tasting. I'd go so far as to suggest that 759 addicts should look no further. It was so close that it exhibited the same shortcoming I found in 759, in that it was just a bit smoother than i normally prefer. But this one should be tried by every latakia lover, without question. It's a very fine blend.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2016-07-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I believe all tobaccos should be taken in their own terms. Whether Black House is similar, better or not as good as the goneby Sobranie 759 classic (which I did try many moons ago) seems to me a mute point.

This is a great English/Balkan mixture: rich, hearty, complex, full in flavour, diverse in taste and complex in its components. The use of unsweetened black Cavendish (something the old Sobranie did not have), adds depth and smoothness without resting strength from the mixture as a whole.

Unlike other Balkans, I find Black House not so mineral in taste; rather it is richer and more savoury. Latakia and Virginias take centre stage, but the added orientals and the Cavendish make for a far more complex flavour. It burns slowly and easily, and it never bored or overwhelmed me.

A great tobacco in the most classic tradition of the English/Balkan blends.

Pipe Used: Dunhill straight Billiard ODA, Parker

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Joshua Ward.

Similar Blends: Dunhill My Mixture 965, Balkan Sasieni.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2015-01-11		Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A short ribbon mixture ranging from light brown to almost black. There is also some pale green tinged leaf in the mix. The tin note is slightly sweet, with some terpene Latakia notes.

Notionally a Balkan, this tobacco is something of a Frankenstein blend, and I am sorry to say, given there is clearly a lot of love for it, that it behaves that way too.

I found the burn quite irregular. Sometimes smouldering, at other times taking off like a house on fire, at which times it was hot, harsh and wet. I also felt the ammonia levels were unacceptable. The Oriental and Latakia aromas soon burn off and the middle of the bowl is very mid range Va. I honestly thought these Virginias were coarse and without nuance or colour.

The end of the bowl is DFK territory; ashy, sometimes bitter, and very high in residual nicotine.

Not my cup of tea at all.

Pipe Used: Lepeltier

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Oldguy (9)	2013-10-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Took a while to get my hands on this stuff, but it was worth the wait. I met Russ at the Richmond, VA pipe show two days after I had received my first order, so I was able to congratulate him on a job well done. Upon opening the tin the aroma seemed almost disappointing; pleasant though quite mild, giving no hint as to what was in store once the pipe was lit. The orientals are right out front most of the way through, sometimes almost a bit too sharp, but invigorating. It has a very springy, loose cut. Normal packing gave almost no resistance to the draw, so the temptation is to pack it a bit tighter than you normally might. Moisture seemed about right straight from the tin, but that was deceptive. The first 3 bowls I smoked (in 3 different pipes of different sizes) all got a bit wet near the bottom of the bowl so I tried two things. First, I dried it out for a couple of hours before smoking it. Second, I packed it more loosely. Bingo. It burns fast, as others have noted, but when dried out it burned right to the bottom clean and dry on one light. So don't succumb to the temptation to overpack it. just enjoy a bowl at its own pace, then have another. Although I was smoking pipes back when BS759 was available, I missed out on trying it. In the past 15 years or so I have come to love Balkan-style blends and have tried many over the years. This is a very tasty tobacco. I normally prefer a tad more latakia than this, but variety is the spice of life. Different blends for different moods, and this one definitely fills a niche. I'll always try to have some on hand from now on.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2020-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Having enjoyed White Knight a lot, and finding it a decent "clone" of Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture, I expected to enjoy Black Horse just as much. It didn't happen.

First of all: this has no resemblance whatsoever with Balkan Sobranie 759, to which it is supposed to be a homage. I have smoked every version of BS 759, from the rich and spellbinding '70s version, to the less complex but still very rich version from the '80s, to the weaker, softer but still fascinating pouch incarnation of the late '90s. This doesn't taste like ANY of them. A much better reminiscence of 759 can be found IMHO in GL Pease Blackpoint.

That said... what about judging this blend according to its own merits? It burns great, but the thing that puzzles me is how it changes from pipe to pipe. Sometimes it can be described as an all day Latakia mixture, medium in body and taste, and perfectly satisfying although not stellar. Much more often, it tastes on the flat side, a bit cardboardy and empty. And say what you wish, but to me the addition of Kentucky does NOT belong in a "Balkan" blend, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I can't say this is a bad blend: quite simply, half of the time I find it flat and predictable, while the other times I find it enjoyable. The complexity is there, but the "meat" often is not.

Personal rating would be around 2.5 stars. Since this is not possible, and since there are similar blends that I very much prefer and which provide more consistent flavour, I will be "strict" this time with a 2 star rating.

Pipe Used: Le Nuvole, James Upshall, Viprati, Dunhill

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-09-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Magical, mysterious, glowing............utterly spectacular.

I have never tried 759, so I cannot compare. I have been pipped at the post in the dying seconds of a bid on eBay more than once for a sealed and obscenely overpriced tin, and each time I tell my old pipe mentor he scolds me for even bothering while Black House is available which he says is every bit as good a smoke.

So many superlatives you can talk about with this, but for the positives, I lit this up the first time and knew that this was the one I had been searching for. Warm incense with strong tobaccos throughout, the woody aroma of the KY playing off the smoky lat and the orientals just add a magical spice to it that bring it into a place I have never experienced. The Black Cav just tinges it with a subtle sweetness.

With so much going on, you'd swear it would be confusing, but it works like a Mozart Symphony, everything has its place, and everything contributes just the right amount.

The only downside, it can lose some of that magic near the end of the bowl, and get a bit dirty tasting. The aftertaste was a bit of a letdown for had what had been almost a religious experience to that point, it gets a bit out of sorts right down at the end, somewhat bitter and ash laden, and its just very lat heavy down there. To combat, I halt proceedings right before the final 6th now.

Epic.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wellpipe (66)	2013-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have never smoked the target blend and have not brought myself to pay the insane premium on eBay to try Balkan Sobranie 759 (maybe someday). I did get a tin of Black House and a tin of Blue Mountain to compare. I have since bought a couple more tins of Blue Mountain.

Black House is a quality tobacco and Russ knows his craft for sure. Smokey, broad flavor profile, balanced but definitely on the spicy end of the spectrum for my taste. Even when smoked carefully the spice level sometimes 'plasters the heck out of my palate', not an endearing quality - hence the 3 stars.

Burns down to a dry, gray mottled ash. I prefer Blue Mountain to this because of the slightly lower 'spice' level. Both are great blends and worth getting your hands on.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2020-12-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

When I first tried Latakia mixtures I had Old Dublin, MM 965, and Stokkebye's Luxury English. I liked these enough to try a tin each of White Knight, and Black House. To say that I like them is an understatement. Since trying these I have come to find out that the world of Balkan blends is vast. There is enough choice out there to make any latakiaphile giddy. So without further ado, here is Black House. The tin seems pretty unassuming. As some of the best things are in life, the less adornment you find on the outside the better you'll find the product. As an aside I used to go to a Lebanese restaurant like this when I was in college. It looked like a run down building outside, but when you came inside it was like walking into a welcoming home.

As you open your tin, you get a full-bodied aroma. When I first opened it it smelled like ketchup to my untrained nose. Now I smell wood, earth, and smoke from the Latakia, a barbecue spice, and nuttiness from the Dark Fired. There is a tang and slight sourness from the Orientals, coupled with the hay-like sweetness from the Virginias. The cut is more of a coarse ribbon and to be perfectly honest it was smokable out of the tin. It loads well and lights well. Keeps a flame with only minor relights.

The first taste I notice is the Cyprian Latakia, smokey, woody and earthy it carries all the other ingredients along. Next up for me is the Orientals they give the smoke a typical Balkan vibe. Incense like, sour, herbal and floral, the Orientals especially the Yenidje marry perfectly with the Latakia. The Dark Fired helps with body giving nuttiness and spice. I can feel the perique in my nose, and it gives a dark fruit note every now and again. I can taste the Virginias in the background and they are citrusy and hay-like.

This is a very well balanced, complex blend. There is always a new taste to find as you puff. As complex as it is I could easily sit back with this and puff away my worries. The taste in this one is a medium-full the smoke coats my mouth with flavor. Lady N is here to take you on the average date, nothing special. I'd say the strength is a solid medium. Even as a VaPer fan this blend is an all-day smoke for me. Complex, Creamy, Spicy, Smokey: this has everything I want

Pipe Used: Peterson Standard System XL315

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2020-05-21		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blends competition, Blue Mountain, is one of my favorite Balkans of all time. I'm glad I had the foresight to stock up.

I was utterly shocked when I opened this tin and inhaled the aroma...….. All I could smell was an amazing sour fermented note from the Virginia. Not dissimilar to a fresh tin of Escudo. It literally overrode any latakia that may be present in here! I thought this was a Balkan!!!!

Appearance light and brown leaf, speckled with dark Latakia and cavendish. Very unevenly cut, some long strings, and some large chunks. Found more than enough veins in the first tin.

Moisture level seems right, as this is a fresh tin. Loads and packs well, let's get it lit!

Ahhh, there's the Latakia! Still, not as forward as I would've imagined. Initial flavors of sweet dark fruit, spicy Perique, and the Dark Fired are the most prominent. Thick, rich, chunky clouds of smoke envelope me while I relax in my chair. This is one of the strongest Balkans I've smoked nicotine wise.

The further down the bowl, the more Latakia and Turkish come forward, as the Virginias step aside. This blend is fairly complex, and I wouldn't expect it not to be with the myriad of tobaccos. I'll be curious what some age and airing out of an opened tin does to this blend. I still can't wrap my head around this being a traditional Balkan...….

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Hearth & Home - Black House (Marquee Series).

The ribbons are medium in size, the blend appears to contain an equal amount of each colour, on the low side it's a bit dry, and includes a few twigs.

The Latakia takes the lead, but doesn't render the other ingredients redundant. The smoke's given a soft touch by the black Cavendish which reduces some of the sharpness from the Lat'. The fire-cured Kentucky gives a flavour which is easily notable, but if I'm honest it lessens the enjoyment by providing a caustic character which isn't placated too well by the black Cav'. The Turkish adds a woody-fragrant note, which is subservient to the Lat'. The Virginia's the lighter of the ingredients, the tame Va flavour struggles to compete with the bold flavours of the Lat', Kentucky, and Turkish. It burns reliably but a bit quick due to the dryness. Overall I'd describe the flavour as rich.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: quite pleasant.

I won't highly recommend this mainly because of the hydration. I won't recommend it because of the Kentucky. So that said I can only somewhat recommend it:

Two stars.

Pipe Used: Atinok Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 9 months

Purchased From: 4noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2016-05-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Big surprise on opening the tin: The first deep breath instantly beamed me back into my smoking memories of the good old “Sobranie 759”. Oh boy, I was not prepared for this. I never had this sensation with any other mixture. Now, this raises my expectations. In fact I was just looking for a full and heavy, Latakia forward English Blend, not specifically for a copy of Sobranie’s. Although the “Balkan Sobranie” and its sibling “Sobranie 759” were my top favourites at the time, I never lost my time searching for copies. I am very happy with the vast choice of excellent mixtures on the market.

Moisture in tin is perfect. Mixed, mainly medium-broad Ribbon Cut. Pleasant colour variety of tobaccos. Excellent stuffing, lighting and smoking conditions. Burns fast. I do call BLACK HOUSE an English Mixture, although I now, in a strict interpretation this is wrong. A traditional English Blend does not comprise Burley (here Kentucky), nor Black Cavendish.

First observation: BLACK HOUSE is milder than the tin note suggests. It is not an overwhelming, deep, heavy, killing mixture, nor a Lat-bomb at all. But, no doubt, it is a very tasty, delicious blend with ample Latakia and Kentucky that are more smoky and far less leather and “horse-stable” like, as I normally prefer. A pleasant, subtle touch of sweetness from Black Cavendish accompanies the smoke. Although it’s Latakia/Kentucky forward, it does not suffocate the robust Virginias. The spicy Orientals (here Turkish) work and support more from the back seat. BLACK HOUSE is a spectacular blend and a “must try” for all English/Latakia aficionados.

As I read in descriptions of BLACK HOUSE, the goal was, to produce an imitation of the good old Sobranie’s. The Chicago Pipe Show in 2011 judged BLACK HOUSE to be the closest overall. Well, in my opinion and my memories of the Original, it does not get that close to it – and I don’t mind. I take BLACK HOUSE for an independent blend and don’t take it for a copy of Sobranie’s (as the tin nose-note may have suggested). I am now adding this mixture to my favourites.

Age When Smoked: New, out of the tin.

Purchased From: Internet, www.smokingpipes.com, USA.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2016-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is as good as it gets folks! I've tried countless of English blends and this is everything I have ever wanted in a smoke all wrapped up in a nice little tin. It's sweet (naturally), smooth, spicy and masterfully blended. The tobacco is ready to smoke right out of the tin, not too dry not too moist and burns down to a dry, white ash. Perfect blend to warm you up in the winter time. Essential purchase!

Edit* (7-16-16) I was left with no choice but to take away a star. In the above review I said, this was as good as it gets, well, I was wrong! I have since discovered Smokers Haven Exotique and in my honest opinion, that is as good as it gets. Don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoy Black House but it's just not as good as Exotique (in my book).

Pipe Used: Nording Signature, Savenilli bent, Black Dog Briar

Age When Smoked: Right out of the tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Pick and English blend..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2015-12-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

For transparency I'll state that I've never experienced 759, and I did like this blends Showdown competitor Blue Mountain -yet neither holds a candle to Legends in my mind - as well as palate. At least as it pertains to a true 'Balkan' blend.

My tin was the old school large H&H type that could I expect hold twice the amount; some sizable stems and twigs, good moisture and light figgy note, subtle. I smoked this in recently cleaned Balkan pipes -sea salt & Everclear, so I didn't have any ghost flavors to detract or mask this blend.

It behaves well in the pipe, does emit copous creamy smoke, and gravitate toward a peppery finish at bowls - end. Burns cool, tolerated excessive sipping well, tolerant of Thomas the Train's types like myself.

The only negative for me, though minor, is that I consistently find Turkish components in blends to be like celery is to good gumbos, they both can be flavor killers to their recipes. Too heavy a hand while blending and -for me- the entire blend becomes lessened...muted.

I consider 4 star blends to require my full attention, and I burn through the best of the best at breakneck speed upon introduction to such gems... that didn't occur hear. So far in my trip through the Marquee Series I'm 1 for 2, as El Nino was a 4 star experience.

I wish all could compare their Balkan favs to Legends and taste what I'm trying to sell :)

Pipe Used: Recently cleaned briars

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

Similar Blends: To me it screams Standard Mixture...albeit with flare..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2015-07-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was very happy to have tried this blend. I'm a big fan in general of the work that Russ does, and this is no exception.

For me the blend starts out with a big blast of Latakia. That quickly gives way to the Virginias and a little Cavendish, the tail end being brought up by the Orientals. After the initial few puff the flavors all start melding into one cohesive flavor. I can still pick out the individual flavors, but they're so well blended that I find myself just enjoying the overall effect more.

It finishes out for me on a sweet note. No gross dottle taste, and it did surprise me by burning to the heel with no hesitation.

A fantastic medium strength, medium to full flavor smoke.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320

Age When Smoked: fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MJG (17)	2015-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Leaf: A nice soft ribbon cut, Medium-dark brown, with golden flecks throughout and good touches of dark and black leaf all over. Medium length and thickness to the ribbons. The moisture from the tin was spot on.

Tin aroma: Smokey Latakia deliciousness, lovely woody campfire smell, sweet and sour with tangy orientals. The smokeyness abates slightly and lets the freshness and sweetness shine through, with the earthy, leathery kentucky popping it's head in to check the score. Is this what heaven smells like?

Taste: Is this what heaven TASTES like too?! I hope so, unless I don't go, then I hope it sucks. Right off the light it is very oriental forward, slightly spicy, tangy, very rich but super smooth. It quickly sweetens up, just right where it needs to be, the Cavendish is perfect. The Latakia shines through and takes centre stage along side the Orientals, with the Cavendish and Virginia now in support. The Kentucky turns up shortly afterwards and helps keep the flavor full and earthy. The dense flavor continues throughout the entire bowl, there is not a dull moment, the taste dance constantly between sweet and spicy, and smokey and earthy. The smoke is thick, velvet smooth and rich, and it never bites. This is the result that I always imagine when I first go to try a new Balkan. Massive flavour that touches all the bases, but still remains very approachable, no mental strain necessary attempting to analyse the nuances, just light it and puff and it does the work for you, you won't miss a thing.

Smokeability: Packs, lights and stays lit like a dream. Never needed drying, always burnt down to a barely existent white ash, probably because I enjoyed it so much I never stopped puffing.

Summary: This is a next level Balkan. There is a tonne of flavor here, and it is perfectly balanced, sufficiently complex, never falters, and really scratches every itch a Balkan Fiend could have. One of the best blends I have smoked so far. I recently reviewed McClelland Blue Mountain, and it felt slightly lacking, if you felt the same way, this is your saviour, I think this is what I expected, and I am glad I found it here. This could easily be my new all day smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	twaksak (54)	2015-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've received another parcel at last with a second sample of one of Hearth Home's tobaccos. So this is my tobacco review of Black House; also on my YouTube channel.

The description on the tin sates that this was a winning blend fromtobacco review of black house the a pipe show in 2011 and is a tribute to a highly rated tobacco of the past - Balkan Sobraine 759. It was judged to be the closest overall to the dark balkan-type mixture it was to emulate. Its a complex blend of Kentucky, Balkans, Turkish, Virginia and Black Cavendish.

I haven't had the chance to smoke the original Balkan Sobraine or any of its successors, but enjoyed this blend a lot.

Tin: A complex smell of oriental, incense-like with notes of earthiness, smokiness, woody and a hint of cocoa beans. Just a touch of sweet flavours too.

Aroma: On first lit, it was just a wonderful balanced taste of Oriental/English. Mellow Latakia but surely English/Oriental. Sounds like a contradiction but its not; just shows how well balanced all the different components are.

Overall a very enjoyable tobacco which I will give 4 Stars.

Pipe Used: Savinelli & Stanwell

Age When Smoked: 6 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-11-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very good Balkan. Not my favorite, but I could live with this one if my favorite disappeared.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2021-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a very good blend. It checks all the boxes for me. It is definitely a balkan blend as the orientals are out front. I don't know how many varieties are used in the blend, but it seems to offer all the unique flavors that come from these strains of tobacco. There is some sour, some spice and of course, those campfire notes you get from latakia.

What really makes this one chime for is how smooth it is and I believe credit for that lies in the other elements, the Kentucky in particular. The cavendish helps smooth this one out, the virginia adds the sweetness, but the Kentucky gives it that earthy feel and adds a good amount of nicotine. This is something I appreciate in a Balkan blend as Oriental and turkish strains offer little nicotine. Without the cavendish and Kentucky, I think this would be a little too edgy for me.

As to what this is meant to emulate, I have no clue. I have had the pleasure of trying some House of Sobranie BS blends, but I can't remember which of those blends I tried; however, in each of those occasions, it was clear I was not experiencing those blends at their peak. The lat was flat. And that is pretty much what it all tastes like at this time. It is irrelevant how this compares as this is a great blend on its own merits. I highly recommend it.

Age When Smoked: 5 years 10 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2020-11-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Simply marvelous ... it's one of those English blends that stands out, meeting all the expectation one has from a classic English with some added complexity. The general note is the smokiness that the latakia gives (which in my opinion is top quality), alongside a very pleasant sweetness which I would guess is due to the cavendish more than the virgina. While you progress through the bowl the note turns a bit spicy, an oriental spicy that I suspect is being a bit amplified by the perique in the mixture. I am not sure what role the Kentucky plays in this whole deal, but over all I consider this to be a state of the art blend - I only wish I could get more.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 3208, Peterson Kapet

Age When Smoked: 2 years in my cellar

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sentientchimp (5)	2019-08-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

I'd like to think there's a perfect blend out there for everyone. Something that represents the ideal tobacco that a smoker dreams about at night. Most blends fall short in one way or another, leaving us slightly disappointing. It's that feeling that drives us, however, onward to the next tin and so on, in search of that perfect smoke.

Well, you can probably see where I'm going with this. Black House is, for me, that perfect blend. It is nothing short of the ideal English is my eyes. Solid Latakia base and just enough of this and that added extra for the perfect compliment. The flavor gets leather and wonderful at the end of the bowl, while it starts with a very herbal, grassy, elusively wonderful flavor.

I have tried a lot of English blend- all the Dunhill stuff, various Samuel Gawith, Frog Morton, and many more. Black House just does things with flavor the rest can't. Please, go try a tin if you love English blends. You'll be satisfied and resting on your tobacco quest...at least for a little while.

Pipe Used: Peterson Darwin Deluxe, Baki Calabash

Age When Smoked: 1 week drying

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2016-12-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

This is a fine Balkan blend of the highest order, the smokiness of the blend interplay ed well with the orientals, which were blended about right. I thought my tin was a bit dry, but nothing that took away my pleasure in smoking it .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ELROD (6)	2014-10-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Disclosure: I only smoke bent pipes outdoors (yes, the wife objects to indoor smoking) and cannot speak to "room note" as such but the aroma from the burning tobacco hitting my nostrils is what I enjoy the most about pipe smoking.

I have found this blend to be slightly sweet, smooth, subtle, sophisticated, and satisfying without smashing you with latakia or nicotine. It does not have sensational aroma but enough to please me. I think it is a splendid blend and I give it an S+.

Pipe Used: Various bent with 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: Not cellared

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2014-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

I bought this tinned and bulk, both exactly the same. Although the bulk smoked a bit better out of the gate which is usually the case.

Somewhat vaguely similar to 759 it's been a quite a long time, and superior to Blue Mountain in my view. I'm puzzled by the Virginia heads reference I get very little of that, moderate nicotine as well, unless the comment refers to natural flavours which Black House has in spades.

In a blind tasting I feel one could easily indicate a Sam Gawith or a JF Germain concoction. Russ has a done an excellent job and his offerings are better suited to my palate. I wish I could say the same about Greg Pease; sobeit one of the reasons for so much variety in the pipe tobacco world.

For me this blend likes to sipped like a single malt although at a steady pace to keep it smouldering, too quick or too large a draw and it'll go off-kilter.

Black House is not one of the tobaccos you 'must try' before you drop off the twig; however, it's worth a punt and a nice one to have in the rotation for a change-up even for those on a prescribed regimen of Latakia and Orientals.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mudguts (14)	2013-12-28		Mild	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Latakia and oriental are in the forefront of this blend. It is topped with a sweetish liqueur-like flavor to have it apparently resemble an older bygone blend. Judged on its own merits, it is very well balanced and smooth as silk, lacking any sharpness or edge. It burns and smokes effortlessly to ash with few relights. The flavoring is sublime, and intriguing with the first pipeful, but the bold flavor statement can get somewhat tiresome with a second bowl.

Pipe Used: medium bulldog

Age When Smoked: 7 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-03-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Wow. I last smoked the "real thing" in the late 1970's and I still have a distinct memory of the spicy, strong, almost perfume like hit I got in lighting up. I was extremely interested to try this new interpretation.

I was not disappointed. Not in the least. Too long for a direct comparison, of course, but the pure, strong flavor hit, the bright, clear tastes definitely remind me of the earlier experience. Unlike any Latakia blend I have tried since the original Balkan Sobranie.

More detail: lovely ribbons, easy to pack and smoke to the bottom of the bowl, great, sharp tin note, ecstasy in a bowl. I wish there were more than 4 stars to award.

This too shall pass.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kylepoet (18)	2011-06-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Drawing rooms and old leather, single malt, neat, maybe a brandy, deep and portentous discussions concerning the state of the Raj and what to do about the "sick man of Europe"... how else can I describe Black House? It is elegant, refined, and so very, very rich that lighting a bowl almost requires setting fire to a $100 bill.

My experience with Sobranie goes back to my college days in the late '70's. My uncle worked a B&M back then. Being from Scotland, he steered me hard away from anything that wasn't a "real tobacco." That meant a heavy dose of English, Balkan and Virginia mixtures. I wish i had appreciated my "tobacco upbringing' more at the time. i drifted from pipes to cigarettes (although, in my defense, they were Camels, Sobranies, and the occasional pack of Players or straight Virginia's). I do remember that late 1970's incarnation of 759, though. Like a ghost on the edge of a dream, it has toyed with my memory for 30 years, and I've never found any blender who managed to capture that ghost.

Until Russ Ouelette, that is. Black House isn't the 759, but it is darned close. Greg Pease wrote an outstanding article describing that perfect smoke. Mr. Ouelette delivers that with this blend. I sat through an enchanted hour with this paragon of a Balkan blend.

On opening, the tobacco weaves it way through your senses. It is ready to smoke right out of the tin, no drying need. Its aroma is a fine incense, a tribute to the blender's art. It is black, and brown, and golden. It feels like it wants to be smoked "right now." really, it smells so good, the temptation is there to snack on it.

I chose an egg meerschaum for this, but I'm thinking of dedicating and expensive briar (donations accepted to assist in this research goal). It took the first light immediately. i could have probably stayed with that, but I settled down and gave it a second light after the char. No further lighting was necessary. black House burns evenly, with a light gray ash, all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

The smoke is heavy, fragrant, and luxurious. yes, there is Latakia, but the Turkish varietals provide that heady incense. As for flavor... if you eat steak, you'll know what a perfect rib eye or prime rib will do for you. I felt the same with black House. It's full, smoky, and sweet. The Virginia and Orientals weave in and around the Latakia, while the Kentucky provides a solid foundation for the whole. The sweetness is evident from the first of the bowl until the end. And, like any great meal, try not to gulp it down. it's hard not to, but patience really does reward this smoke.

Oh, hey, absolutely no bite, whatsoever, in case that's a worry.

My wife says I've spent more time writing this review than i do on the garden, so I'd better stop. Still, even she enjoys the tin note, and is looking forward to sitting with me during a bowl. plusses there, too.

Anyway... 5 out of 4 stars for a more than faithful recreation of the 759. I've started cellaring Black House. It's going to be that sought after in years to come.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Frank27 (14)	2022-07-15		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the best representation that I recently had between Balkans. Probably , because I never tried, the best imitation of the BS?

I compared three types of Balkans :

White Knight HH Balkans MacBaren BH

This is the one that smokes better. It leaves a great great taste in the mouth, It is as well-balanced between the different types of leaves, Cyprian Latakia indeed represent a great part of this blend but also other orientals plays an important note.

When smoked a slow pace it gives more aroma and it's just an overall experience.White Knight is a step lower than this as well for the HH Balkan.

I didn't realize I reached to bottom of the bowl. And I am kinda of sad about it otherwise I would continue to smoke it for hours.

4 stars.

Pipe Used: W.O. Larsen flame grain model #62

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: White Knight.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noahrk1 (1)	2022-02-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I smoked a pipe for years, mostly aromatics, quit for cigars but picked it back up to find my new favorite line of tobaccos. I fell in love with English and Balkin lines right away and haven’t looked back. THIS blend so far has my top billing! Naturally sweet from the Virginias in the first puff (even the tin note is sweet), which is creamy, elegant & pleasing. As a Latakia lover, this has just enough to mingle with the Black Cavendish and Perique to create a lovely bouquet for the senses. Woody, earthy & burns cool, right down to a fine white ash with minimal relights. My new and forever baccy friend!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma bent billiard

Age When Smoked: Right out of can

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Hearth & Home: Fusilier's Ration.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smokolier (21)	2021-12-13		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Black House is a solid English blend with an unusually sweet body. The black cavendish is immediately obvious upon initial lighting -- it gives the tobacco a burley-like creamy foundation that sits nicely beneath smoky latakia and peppery-winey perique.

Those who appreciate ostentatious and strong Lat-bombs might be a little disappointed here, but otherwise this is a friendly place to start if you're new to English blends. If you love both English and aromatics, this might serve as a kind of synthesis in a way, being both sweet and spicy.

The burning characteristics are great. The tobacco comes pretty dry and doesn't seem to need much or any drying time.

I found this blend to be similar to Fusilier's Ration, which isn't surprising since it's made by the same guys. This is like a milder, earthier, and sweeter variation. It's a great casual smoke for quiet evenings and easy to relax with when a hard-hitter like Fusilier's seems like it would be too rough.

Overall, this blend is enjoyable and will highly please a select milieu. It's worth giving a shot.

Pipe Used: Crown Manola Sandblast 608

Age When Smoked: 1 Day

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tzinc (12)	2021-12-08		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Probably among my two or three favourites if not my absolute favourite. An English with complex flavours but not overwhelmingly heavy. When I smoke this it almost is like eating some roast for Sunday dinner. Very filling. Very delicious. 4/4

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sosakan (33)	2020-09-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When it comes to Balkans or Sobranie homages, Russ takes the cake. This guy is (in my opinion) made from quality leaf, a practiced, balanced hand, and one hell of a palette.

It’s smokey, floral, a touch prune-y, with a great foundation that lifts up the key players. It is a great Balkan and deserves its place in the Pantheon of Balkans, which is no surprise given the blender.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novaki (41)	2020-04-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I always go back and forth between this and Whiteknight. Both have that very enjoyable “soda biscuit” note, but I think it shines through more in WK than BH. This is probably due to BH being a bit more full flavored than WK. Both a very enjoyable depending on what I’m in the mood for but there are some advantages that BH has over WK.

The primary difference would be the type of tobacco in BH makes it burn a bit slower and cooler than its counterpart. The light sprinkling of perique gives it some interesting spiciness as well. That plus the Kentucky adds a bit of complexity here. The Latakia isn’t too toward here and is more of a steady background note. The orientals are just barely perceptible and the cavendish is almost nonexistent. I assume this is due to the Kentucky wanting to overpower everything else.

The main advantage the WK has over BH is that it’s an oriental forward and those blends are slowly becoming my favorite. It does burn a bit hotter so you have to baby it more than BH. I enjoy the taste of the orientals and notice the Yenidje “baking soda” note much more in WK, since it’s a lighter smoke. There’s no perique, which I see as neither good nor bad. I think perique in any amount would spoil WK and overpower it, but that’s just a hunch. BH is strong enough with the Kentucky that the perique doesn’t take over.

Really it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. Both are sweet and Smokey and flavorful. Both are exceptional smokes in their own right. You really can’t go wrong with either of these. The age old battle continues and it will be up to your pallet (and mood) to determine if the fabled Whiteknight will be victorious over the intriguing Blackhouse.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: New, 1 year

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Hearth & Home - WhiteKnight (Marquee Series).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nkulk8r (90)	2019-02-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This Black House is a classic.

When Black House won the 2011 Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown at the Chicagoland Pipe and Tobacciana Show, it would be another two years before I even picked up the pipe. I have never experienced the 759, so I can’t compare Black House to what it was intended to replicate. But were I given Black House in a blind taste test, I would have drawn the following conclusions:

1. This is Balkan – it’a a fantastic Balkan – and it’s not like the Balkan Sobranie (London), nor is it like the Balkan Sasieni (STG).

2. I immediately loved this blend: it’s sporty, very fun to drive; I love the fine wood trim, along with the fabulous plum & raisin leather interior. The Latakia smokes – the mixture burns totally clean – and it only gets better as you go.

I’ve never driven a 1962 Corvette, but this Black House version is just totally awesome! Highly recommended. 4-stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2018-09-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

The winning blend from the Chicagoland Pipe Show 2011, Balkan Sobranje 759 throwdown. I have smoked almost two tins of this in the past few months which for me says a lot since I am hopping around from blend to blend. It starts out smooth and slightly spicy with a little sour note toward the end. If I had a top ten this one would be in it. For me this one is on the mild Latakia spectrum but that is not a negative. I would highly recommend this one to try.

Pipe Used: Briar Works Poker Classic C71

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2018-05-10		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I found a jar I cellared of this a couple years ago. The tobacco is well balanced and doesn't taste cheap. Ive been occasionally smoking this as a treat at night. Nice incense aroma and smooth oriental/turkish taste thats plays nicely with the cavendish, virginia, and kentucky. I like this stuff I hope its around a long time.

Pipe Used: Tilshead tall bulldog (briar)

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2017-11-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

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.

Pipe Used: Briar, meerschaum and cobs

Age When Smoked: 1year, and <1 year

Purchased From: smoking pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-05-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I have no idea how I've not reviewed this one yet. Still not a balkan guy (I keep telling myself that), and while I gave White Knight 4 stars on blending merits alone(even though I don't plan to smoke it regularly), I give BH 4 stars plus 1 for all the same merits and the fact it's a top 5 blend for me. It's the added complexity brought by kentucky and the general smoothness and hint of sweetness brought by the cavendish -- that's what sets this stuff apart and above in my book. Hardcore balkan lovers may disagree, but for me personally, the combination couldn't get any better.

The flavor is still led but not dominated by latakia and orientals. As with WK, this is high quality leaf. The Kentucky gives it a little extra depth and strength that makes me wonder if there isn't some perique in there. And the cavendish rounds it off with that mellow, fermented sweetness. As with WK, I don't really care what blend this BH is trying to emulate, recreate, or even pay homage to. It has the potential to be legendary in its own class.

Nice burn, never harsh, no bite, just the right strength, loads of flavor...a true treat to smoke. Very, very nicely done again Russ. The Marquee series may make a balkan guy out of me yet.

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LivingFreeinTN (24)	2016-05-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Black House is as good as a Balkan gets IMO. Earthy, sweet, a hint of spice and butteriness with a faint caramelized sugar quality in the smoke that I seem to find with most Latakias. I could use a little more Perique, but that's my preference and in no way takes away from how good BH is.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nelsoncrx (10)	2016-04-18		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

It´s my first approach to a balkan, latakia based blend, and I have to say, I´m extremely pleased. It´s intense and full and the after taste lasts for hours; it leaves me craving for more, however it´s not for an everyday smoke. I detect some spice in the background which is most enjoyable and overall a full body taste with a strong aroma. I was afraid at first because they say latakias are not for everyone, but, I´ve loved it

Pipe Used: Aldo Velani

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TSchiraldi (5)	2016-04-14		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Rich and complex, BH is one of my top 3 go to blends. It packs easily and burns evenly. Taste is consistent throughout the bowl. Smoky, sweet, spicy at times, pungent in a good way, this one is best sipped slowly to bring out all the flavor combinations. Don't smoke BH on the go! Sit on the front porch, with a cup of coffee, fill a bowl with Blackhouse, and just focus on the taste of this elegant blend. Tease the flavors into your mouth. Pure tobacco pleasure! Right on the money, Russ!

Pipe Used: Savinelli Nonpareil, Castello Old Antiquari

Age When Smoked: Fresh - New

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes

Similar Blends: Nothing on Earth!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haroldt (26)	2015-12-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

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.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: 6 month

Purchased From: Pipe and Cigar

Similar Blends: C&D Di Vinci, C&D Star of the East.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Polaris82 (22)	2015-08-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This is a blend that is synonymous with roaring crackling mesquite wood camp fires, Texas starry skies, cold, dead still nights, yapping coyotes and remote deer camps! A smoke perfect for woodsmen! This is a well balanced blend though the aroma clearly states Latakia. The perique is evident and adds still another facet to a complex full flavored blend. Similar to Britts Balkan though I give Britts a slight, very slight edge. That may change. 4 Texas Stars!

Pipe Used: Mizzou Legend

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Britts Balkan.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tank Man (10)	2015-07-16		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Tin Note-Very Pleasant. Smokey scent, which is to me liking. Moisture content perfect. Perfect amount of Latakia. Slightly sweet. Not harsh. Great room note. Nice puffs of smoke. Infrequent lights. Fantastic flavors. Flavors are variable during entire bowl. Slightly complex but fun to smoke and figure out. Great blend. Even burn. Top ten in my rotation. Love this blend!

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CFAF (9)	2014-08-28		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

I want to like this. I really do. Maybe, it's the Kentucky, but this one is on the strong side as far as vitamin N. The cool latakia taste is great. I agree with other posters that this burns a bit quick. This stuff just goes to my head. I think this is going back into my closet for a while.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 6 months to a year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hottgunn (19)	2013-05-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Bought 8oz in bulk. First impressions were a weak tobacco without much flavor. A month later I found the flavor and aroma did not come on until about a third of the bowl was smoked, but for the rest of the bowl it was very tasty, woody and nutty. Full flavor. Leans more toward the Oriental side rather than the Latakia side. moisture was about right. It was very good but not excellent, however, I would guess after 6 months or so of aging it might be excellent. We'll see. Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-11-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (566)	2023-01-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of sour smoky fruit. Tobacco is dark brown, black and tan ribbon cut mix. Moisture content is ok. Drying may be preferred for some. No prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes of smoky, peaty vegetation, wood, floral, spicy, acidic, spices, incense, lemon peel/zest, herbal, bready, stewed dark sour fruit, mildly savory, almost buttery, rich dirt, leather, a tangy citrus dry soda background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish and Virginia supporting. Black Cavendish, Perique and Kentucky are supporting from afar. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is outstanding.

Pipe Used: DR Ardor Urano Dublin

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkansas Piper (47)	2022-10-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’d be lying if I didn’t say a part of me bought this for the awesome, Hammer Horror style artwork!

Regardless, great Balkan mixture. Everything you’d expect from a Balkan. I’ve never had the Sobrani, so I can’t compare, but Blackhouse is full flavored with a serious Latakia, floral (NOT Lakeland) taste. Room note is not off-putting either. That’s a quality smoke!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2021-11-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was mostly leather. Being the first latakia tobacco I tried, I am going to try a few more blends, but this was not my cup of tea.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaHale43 (47)	2020-07-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (85)	2020-07-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is very nice sweet-perfume with just the right amount of Latakia smokiness.

This is a masterpiece by Russ Ouellette. It's greatly balancing between the somewhat sweetness of the Cavendish and Balkans that appear as the background base, with great additions of spicy Perique and smoky Latakia and Kentucky, which also adds just a drop of kick.

Can't say I'm crazy about the tin art. The feeling that I'm getting from the blend is of a Mediterranean balcony in front of the sea. The feeling I'm getting from the tin art is of Dracula's castle... I usually smoke it in my Spanish Ena pipe and am even tempted to put a different art on my jar. Hey, it's part of the experience.

Mechanically, it's easily packed and smoked. No relights. Smokes cool and doesn't bite.

Not overly complex, yet has much to talk about. Medium strength and medium-full bodied. It's a very satisfying blend that would keep you happy throughout the bowl. Fairly consistent. Aroma is smooth creamy floral and smoky.

I've never had Balkan Sobranie and I can't compare. But I can see how this blend can be many smokers' cherished blend, sort of a "taking to a deserted island" blend. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: "Ena" Brezo red bent apple shape

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-02-06		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Okay right off, I'm not sure what happened with this tin, if something was amis, or I was coming down with covid-19, but I just couldn't taste anything. I smoked 7 bowls and it was the same each time. The Cavendish makes this blend so smooth and sweet I had a hard time teasing out specific flavors. My first two bowls had me totally perplexed. I couldn't taste much at all. It was like smoking seltzer water with a hint of Latakia. I had read many, many reviews and was expecting a superb flavorful blend. I do like the soda taste from the orientals in this one. That was nice, and gave an enjoyable aftertaste. I'd like to order a second tin and give this another try.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacopo

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Tobacco store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (226)	2020-02-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I thought JimInks was nuts when he said he rehydrated Magnum Opus from the tin . I think now he is right as this tin of Black House I just opened was fairly moist when I opened it . I loaded up my bowl right out of the tin and wow is this balkan outstanding! The Yendije is sparkling in every puff ! The more I smoke the more I learn . The more I read these great reviews the more I learn also . Thanks to all for sharing your experiences with great tobaccos like this one here . Most of Russ’s blends seem to be smoke ready right from the tin which is great but I am not so sure they are best for the cellar long term . The tins I have probably won’t last long anyways. I hope they never quit making this but we all know how that goes . This is one great balkan , all the tobaccos are blended perfectly and nothing is too forward in the blend . This and Magnum Opus and Potlatch are my favorites. Another 4 stars for Russ !

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2019-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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

Pipe Used: Bones Dublin, various cobs

Age When Smoked: 11-12 months

Purchased From: Gift

Similar Blends: Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding Special Reserve.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2019-08-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingDuncan83 (25)	2019-05-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

i will just add my name to the list of those who absolutely adore this blend. Just an absolute harmony of glorious flavors. I will always have this in my cellar. In my top 3 of all time great smokes.

Pipe Used: cobbs and briars

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: p&c

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SiriusAmory (25)	2019-03-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

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.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Piper (89)	2018-11-21		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Having smoked balkan sobraine, this is really close to a very old tin of it, but not a newer one as most people remember it. Dunhill London mixture had a lot of the oriental flavor that sobraine did, but lacked some of the more earthy background flavor. There was never a huge difference between those two blends to my taste other than that. This, black house, has it in spades. The perique adds the age element to it, but also makes it sing a new tune. While easily a 4 star tobacco on its own merits, one I will buy more of for what it is, it is not quite on the same page as balkan sobraine. The one tobacco which has not only recreated balkan sobraine but surpassed it in all of its former glory by using higher quality leaf, is Robert Lewis Tree Mixture.

However do not pass this up, as some elements that made those old smokes what they were, are richer in this and other attempts to recreate them. You may prefer this over tree mixture, or one of the other options. I found the perique in blackhouse to hit a "scents of the fall" making this rather unique, and entering into a weekly rotation for that reason. This has a good incense style note to it which makes for a great evening smoke. The best english blends for me, have some cavendish in them, whether black or brown, and this does not disappoint.

I can see this becoming a favorite blend for a lot of smokers. The only complaint with it that I have, is the wide ribbons, which burn much slower than my regular rotation; however this may be perfect for a long evening smoke.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Balkan Sobarine, Ashton artisan, tree mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BlueDog1950 (17)	2018-11-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Balkan: Virginia, Oriental, Latakia, Perque, Black Cavendish & Kentucky. Outstanding. Close match to the venerable Black Sobranie 759 that I smoked back in the 1970s. Lights easily, burns perfect. Nice soft ribbon cut. Latakia forward, with a robust taste. Many components that are blended perfectly. Has rich deep complex taste with the Latakia and dark fired Kentucky delivering a pronounced smoky taste. The Orientals provide nice tang. As a pipe smoker for over 45 years, this is what pipe smoking is all about. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Erik Nording King

Similar Blends: Balkan Sobranie 759.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	toddsmith7378 (41)	2018-04-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is what true pipe smoking is about. The marrying of complexity with pure taste and enjoyment comes together in what may be my favorite blend so far. I've smoked a few GL Pease blends that left me understanding that depth could be achieved with the varietal elements of blending, I just never felt most of those were completely superior because of their complexity. This blend, however, is far more than the sum of its parts. At first, I get the latakia and deepness and think I'm smoking something in the vein of 965, but it changes as it goes. 1/2 way to the end and I'm not noticing individual elements at all, but a marriage and synergy between all that is there to become a flavor in and of itself that is what its all about. Truly, a blend that stands above the rest.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2018-02-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Tin descriptions: The second entry to the Hearth & Home Marquee series.In 2011, our master blender, Russ Ouellette, was asked to submit an entry in the Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown at the Chicagoland Pipe and Tobacciana Show. Based on a 23 years old sample, Russ Oulette was the hands-down winner, and this is his championship mixture: Blackhouse. Like Balkan Sobranie 759, BlackHouse contains a good amount of Latakia, bright, fragrant, Orientals, sweet Virginias and a touch of dark-fired Kentucky. To help simulate the effects of long-term aging, Russ included a bit of Perique and unflavored black Cavendish.

Finally, I change my mind even though it contains Black Cavendish and Dark Fired Kentucky.

The tin note is exactly same as J. F. Germain & Son - Balkan Sobranie. A little bit hard to describe, I hope you to buy J. F. Germain & Son - Balkan Sobranie when in stock at smokingpipes.

For the difference, as JimInks said: "This has a little more sweetness than J. F. Germain & Son - Balkan Sobranie and lacks the "unflavored soda note" from the Yenidje."

Besides that, I don't taste the Perique. Black Cavendish is melting every part of smoke (not as standout as My mixture 759).

Overall, a perfect all day smoke.

By the way, right now Black House (my tin version) is produced by the Scandanavian Tobacco Company rather than the Sutliff Tobacco. And I have not done the side by side comparison of two version.

Pipe Used: churchwarden

Age When Smoked: nearly ten monthes

Purchased From: 2 oz tins from pipesandcigars

Similar Blends: J. F. Germain & Son - Balkan Sobranie.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SunriseBoy (21)	2017-12-01		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

25.12.17 - Reading through my review of the BH, I'm only confirmed in my mind of those observations. I thought it might grow on me a bit, as some blends do. After working my way through the tin, there really is no interest in this blend for me. I find it quite sad that it's touted as a brilliant blend, but I still find it confusing and lacking in genuine "taste". I'm glad I only bought one tin of it.

------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I'm always the odd man out in most things and this is par for the course. After reading the reviews for BH, and all of the sighing and the crooning noises declaring their love for this stuff, I really had to try it. And I did.

I don't know why it tastes "off" to me, but, brother it's a bit like the boys left it near last weeks fish that got left out in the sun.

In my opinion, this is a very pretentious tobacco. It is very good quality, but for my taste it is very poor on the taste scale. Someone mentioned Kentucky. Obviously that is what's putting my off also. Give me Samsun anytime. A true oriental (not that BH is an oriental per se). I like a good whiff of Latakia but something in this has made it distasteful for me.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Out of the tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	samchiang8088 (1)	2017-09-14		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Amazing! It's a wonderful tobacco,I like it very much. Some friends say it likes the famous "dunhill 956",certenly they mean the old version.Unfortunately I did not try it.But if like really they said,I should find the "famous dunhill 965" try my best.

Pipe Used: Berggreen

Age When Smoked: 5

Purchased From: local store

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derekpodo (4)	2017-07-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

...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

Pipe Used: hand carved briar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhantomWolf (41)	2017-07-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A must try smoke with many brilliant layers

A savory dose of Latakia, but in no way overpowering. You will remember the performance of every character in the play. All the smokiness is cut pleasantly by the earthy spice of Kentucky, the sweetness of the Cav, and the orientals which to me taste like the word 'mysterious.'

The tin note is wonderful.

The tobacco from the tin was a bit dry for my taste. That is to say it smoked perfectly, but as a newer pipe smoker I am in a huge exploration phase at the moment and have many open tins. I feel like I need to smoke this all in the next week or so to avoid wasting it.

Never got too hot or bit and tastes great to the end.

Required no relights. Even after tamping.

Definitely an All Day Smoke if you dig it.

No idea what the blend this attempts to emulate tastes like, but I can imagine someday twenty years from now, I will be smoking something inspired by Black House and saying it falls short. haha

Pipe Used: Bjarne Viking Skagen, Virgin Acorn-Bent

Age When Smoked: Fresh from Tin

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Connoisseur (47)	2017-06-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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.

Age When Smoked: 1 yr

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

Similar Blends: Dunhill London Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke_61 (7)	2017-05-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I wanted to like this one, I really did. I fell in love with Whiteknight and was expecting this one to be just a slightly fuller version. I was wrong. I'm no fan of Kentucky baccy, and its obvious in this blend. There are some good flavours here, but the Kentucky killed the blend for me. It took me about six months to finish the tin. If you don't like Kentucky, steer clear, but if you do...try it!

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipes and Pleasures

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-01-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another bell-ringer from Russ Oullette. I've never tried the original 759, but on its own merits, Black House is an excellent English/Balkan blend. The addition of Kentucky adds fullness and complexity, and the Virginias and Orientals really shine and are perfectly proportioned.

Two small quibbles: As I understand it, the cavendish was added to help approximate an aged sample of the benchmark smoke. I think that softens things up a bit, especially toward the end of the bowl. Also, the nicotine content is somewhat low.

I prefer 759 to the re-released Original mixture by Esoterica/Germain. It's far more stout, easy to pack and less finicky to keep lit. I know the differences are black and white (ba dum-dum tss), but I couldn't resist the comparison.

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2016-08-15		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

While only a neophyte in the world of pipe smoking, i can already claim that this is my favorite blend (so far, but something tells me it will remain at the top for a while). Reading the list of component tobaccos, its a bit scary. But one sip is enough to realize that this is delicious, flavorful, deep, savory, spicy, sweet, rich, etc. All these superlatives may make it seem overwhelming, but while it covers a very wide spectrum of tastes, Black House remains elegant and balanced. It is also well behaved, does not bite, smokes cool, and compared to most other english blends, does not leave me with a dry mouth and the smell of campfire, instead leaving me with a faintly sweet and delicous aroma that lingers for a while.

Never smoked Balkan Sobranie, so im judging this baccy on its own merit.

Pipe Used: Various cobs and briars

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2016-05-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was just not a big fan of this and I don't know why. My personal tastes for this type of tobacco are more towards Dunhill's standard mixture. I found this to be a too much in your face latakia blend without all of the subtleties that such blends should have.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jhand45 (13)	2016-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Everyone knows the story of this blend and I bought it hoping to get a taste for what tobaccos were like 'back in the day'

It's beautifully balanced and rich. Latakia has a strong presence without overpowering the sweetness of the virginias and cavendish, nor the tartness of the orientals. I loved this blend and have put a few tins away for a rainy day.

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leaf Packer (30)	2016-03-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

If like me you are addicted to English blends for mercy sakes try this blend. I waited eight mos. before cracking a tin, I can't decide who likes the blend more , me or my bowl.

It is a heavy English with all the aroma you would expect. It's burns well along with balance of flavors this is hands down an triple A blend. There is no coaxing of flavors all are present from the start to the end of bowl, many times I have repacked the same bowl instantly, never a bite, nor warm bowl. Enjoy.

Pipe Used: Saenelli, Noce 320 bowl an Dublin

Age When Smoked: 8months

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: No comparison.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2015-12-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

By far that only blend to me that the Latakia can stand out but not over power the rest of the blend. Has a sweet creamy leather like taste to it. I have noticed it kind of burns a little on the hot side but other then that it's great. Just wish I can still buy it in bulk. 10 dollars for a 50g tin? Robbery I tell you.

Edit 5-28-19. I've found this is another blend that loses its complexity and flavor as it ages. My order is a hair over 5 years old now. My theory is since this was originally blended to mimic an already aged balkan sobranie 759 that further aging it would dilute the flavors.

Age When Smoked: New and 2 years old

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-07-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first time I smoked Black House I found it to be to full for me as the different tobaccos competed for my attention. Actually it was not that strong, though the spiciness made it difficult to taste the layers of variety. I thought it might need some aging to reveal it's greatness. Today, I use my meer for a change and magically the spiciness resolves and the flavor comes together as a incense like, wonderful whole. I think this one is not an easy horse to tame, but once it settles down...heavenly smoke!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2015-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A little update as I have finished my first tin, I found only one stick in the tin but being that it was a little over two inches long it made up for not having more :-) , I used it as a toothpick, but other than the tree trunk surprise the tobacco was not dusty or powdery so that's a plus. While I absolutely loved the changing flavors of BH, there is not enough nicotine involved to make it my bedtime smoke. As a morning smoke BH is Divine and replaces Early Morning Pipe as my mild English when I don't want Prince Albert with my coffee.

O wow this is a delightful English blend! I smoke English blends at night as a nightcap (no pun intended) and as such I prefer my English blends to be complex and in the medium spectrum meaning not too much nicotine and yet not a wimp either so Black House meets those criteria as a bedtime smoke for me. I just love how the Orientals and Virginia's play nicely with the Latakia, no one really taking all the attention. Russ did a very good job here and although I have never had the opportunity to try any version of BS, I can see how this won the throw down being that it is truly delightful, if a truthful replica of BS then my hats off to him! Since I have no comparison I just take BH as a wonderful example of the masterful blending of exotic and top shelf leaf that leave many companies blends in the dust. In fact besides Smokers Haven Exotique and Blackpoint, BH might just be the finest English blend I have tried to date.... I am sure BH will age beautifully in the tin and is sure to be a classic in the years to come. As a plus BH has just enough nicotine to keep me satisfied which is rare for a medium strength mixture and therefore I can see this being someone's all day English, smooth, mild and very unique. Very good job Russ, your best blend yet IMHO!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TimHart (3)	2014-11-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

ABSOLUTE TOBACCO NIRVANA!!!! Russ MOST CERTAINLY hit the ball out of the park with this blend!! EVERYTHING the English smoker is looking for---and then some... My everyday smoke... Pure Bliss!!

Pipe Used: Dunhill Straight Shell Briar

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

1st open smell is not good, to strong orientals. The ribbon cut surely looks great on my eyes, golden virginia, and with the other black leaves in ribbon cut very entertaining. Easy to pack and not hard to light it up. 1st draw is very great, a smooth latakia and a little bit spicy at my nose gives me a pleasure and a little amount of the sweetness from the virginia are excellent, I'm trully enjoy this blend. The taste and the smoking quality is increasing when I relight it, perhaps I'm loosing the latakia's scent, but the sweetness of the virginia and the spiciness of the orientals pleasure me a lot. Sure this blend is something that I will buy it again and I give it 4 stars rating.

Pipe Used: tamarind woodheart

Similar Blends: Blue Mountain McClelland.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2013-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a great Balkan. Anymore I don't trust my taste memory enough to tell you if its a dead ringer for the original, but its in the same camp, and stands on its own as a great Balkan.

What I get throughout the bowl is a full, dark Balkan flavor. The taste is a big, woodsy, cool latakia, with the orientals coming around the sides with hooks and jabs. The flavor is spicy, but is tempered by a very dry sweetness (aided in no small part I'm sure by the cavendish). And it is smooth, more than almost any other modern Balkan.

This blend never got harsh or bitter, staying cool the whole smoke, and being full without wearing out the mouth. I am not a sipper of tobacco either, I loaded this up in a very generously sized Castello bulldog for its inaugural smoke and it never bit or got harsh, even with my freight train smoking style.

As far as new Balkans go, this is one of my favorites, right up there with the new Balkan Sobranie and the Compton's balkans.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	M42 (11)	2013-08-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I never smoked that Balkan tobacco which this one was supposed to emulate. I just know that this is a complex blend that pleases any time of the day I reach for it. It packs well, burns evenly and leaves the bowl dry and clean and the smoker wanting another bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2013-07-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

There is dark fired KY as the base, some cavendish which is forgivable. The lat. is good and strong in this blend. The oriental and Turkish tobaccos are more forward than most blends even for balkan's and the VA is a sweet creamy element. Beautiful smoke without bite.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2013-03-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A very satisfying Balkan. The latakia and Kentucky linger on the palette the longest, but the other players are discernible throughout. This is a true medium smoke where the flavor and strength are almost perfectly matched. The flavor is also well balanced between dark, mysterious and exotic on the one hand, and on the other hand salty and savory. The tin did not stay on my shelf for very long--looking forward to a long relationship.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puddlepirate (11)	2013-03-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

ive bought this now in both bulk and tin. it is excellent in my 20+ year old molina briar, which i use only for this blend. i dont smoke this in regular rotation, but only on sunday, after church.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bill Porter (2)	2012-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am just recently back into pipe smoking for the first time since the 1980s. Over the past few months I have sampled quite a few tobaccos, including several of the OTC blends and some of the blends that have been highly recommended on this Website. I have learned that straight Virginias and Virginia/Perique blends are not my "cup of tea." I can enjoy some of the "old codger" blends like Carter Hall and Prince Albert (maybe because I am an old codger!), but don't find them as deeply satisfying as English blends.

In my admittedly limited sampling of tobaccos, I find Black House to be the best tobacco I have smoked. I won't try to describe the nuances of flavor and aroma, not having the expertise to do so in a valuable manner, but I will say that this is the blend I would choose if I could smoke only one blend from now on. I can find no fault in Black House; no bite, great flavor and aroma, adequate strength, and it leaves me fully satisfied at the end of the bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-12-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a tobacco I had been wondering about for a long time since hearing it won the contest for matching the old Balkan Sobranie at the 2011 Chicago Pipe Show. I ordered a tin last month and immediately found out it was on back order. After about 3 weeks I called to inquire about it and the nice young man on the phone said he would send me 4 oz. of the bulk for the same price as a 2 oz. tin, even though the bulk was worth considerably more. Pipes and Cigars customer service is the best!! The package arrived 3 days ago and after work I immediately opened it and pulled out the bulk Black House. I loaded a favorite straight billiard and fired it up. The iniatial taste I got was intriguing and a little spicy. Then after about 1/4 bowl it settled down into a beautifully balanced smoke between the Latakia, Turkish, and VAs. I had never smoked a tastier Balkan and subsequent bowls only re-inforced this opinion. I smoked 6 bowls straight between 3 different pipes: the billiard, a Jan Zeman Rhodesian, and a Karl Erik bulldog. I just can't get enough of this blend! This is one that is definitely going to be cellared and I'll get at least a lb. next time.

My wife did not mind the room aroma, either, although to be fair I should say that she lets me smoke other Latakia blends in the house. Burn rate and lighting were good, too, with minimal relights.

Scores for Black House: Taste- 20 of 20; lighting and burn- 8 of 10; value- 9 of 10. That gives Black House a score of 37 points, the highest I've ever given and a HUGE ** rating. If you love Balkans, you must try this tobacco!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Relapse (18)	2012-09-21		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

An true epiphany!

I still remember my first contact with the original Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture while preparing a college exam a cool and rainy afternoon in 1967. The tin was a gift from a dear auntie who had just returned from London and had asked for "the best English tobacco for a pipe smoking nephew". God bless her soul. The leather and figs upon opening the tin! The perfect humidity, the easy to pack wide ribbon, the whirldwind of smells and flavor on the char... Oh Lord!

I kept at it, adapting to its subtle changes until 1999 when I quit tobacco altogether blaming the pipe over a brief relapse into cigarrettes. Then I cleaned, sanitized and packed my collection and gave away my supplies, among them five unopened tins of the then current BSSM, plus one more than half-full. I still want to hit my head on the wall when I remember; but enough! This is about Black House.

I got this after reading it was the winner of the ChPS last year and the complimentary reviews; all true, IMHO.

On opening the tin, the scene of the first paragraph returned to my memory with a vividness that was almost painful. It's said that the olfative memory is the most prominent of all and this must be true.

I don't intend comparing it to the lamented Balkan Sobranie, any of them —too many years have passed for that. Suffice to say that this is by far the best Balkan blend I've smoked since I relapsed into pipe smoking with a vengeance several years ago, and I've tried quite a few, looking for the lost Grial.

No description can make it justice, I suppose most of the educated ones here are correct and you will pick them out easily, but this is one you have to try and decide for yourself.

For me, it has completely filled the void. I have begun stocking on it and this time around I won't be commiting my previous sin. I frequently give away tobacco tins to friends but this one I'll scrooge away. I only expect it to age like a great Bordeaux.

Accolades to Russ Ouelette for this superb blend!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MrPiper (31)	2012-08-29		Strong	Medium	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The depth of richness is difficult to describe. Black House carries a dense and flavorful smoke that is amazingly well balanced. The flavors of every ingredient come through and can be detected individually and yet they all work together to produce a unique balkan taste that is elegant and unique. My greatest delight in this tobacco is that the pace of the smoke doesn't harm the experience. No tongue bite from a rapid pace, and still flavorful. A slow and relaxed pace and the reward is likely to be one of the most consistently delicious smokes you have or ever will have. This is a permanent addition to my rotation and I could easily be happy if this were the only tobacco I could smoke for the rest of my days.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-08-03		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Russ Ouelette has created another masterpiece. My taste tends to be English/Balkin preference with an occasion rare aromatic for a change, but this mix harkens back my early balkin experiences. A slight sweetness rounds the flavor considerably. Not sure about the 759 connection, but there are a few memorable blends that compete for my taste in comparison, the original BS, and Britt's Balkin, of these Black House wins out by just an edge. If your a balkin lover this is a must try!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2012-05-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Updated 10/23/12 _Ok things change, I'm a believer! This starts out with a blast of Latakia, then it smooths out to a flavorful, creamy Oriental . Just don't push it as I did with my original review. Orientals / Turkish and Latakia in nice balance, not real sweet but not bitter either, A late evening smoke . This would be 4 stars but if you push this, even slightly, it gets hot and bites, half way I seem to get some grating on the back of my throat. I don't understand the description saying for, " Virginia Heads", that's the only tobacco I don't find in this blend? I do find that this blend doesn't burn real well , but it is good on relights.

original review:I'm sorry, but this tobacco doesn't impress me. I find the taste mottled between the Orientals and latakia, neither one shines. The overall blend is hot and spicy from the Kentucky and without any sweetness from the Virginia. Too many better blends out there to buy again. Very surprised at all the 4 star reviews and from reviewers who I usually agree with. It must just be my chemistry, I find Kentucky(bites)& Cavendish(blah) both a problem.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2012-01-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've only smoked three bowls of this, but so far it seems to be better and better every time. Very rich and earthy. I think the Kentucky and BC add some greatness to what might otherwise be a very stereotypical Balkan. This is good stuff. I feel like I'd have to smoke a lot more before it warrants a four star quite yet.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2011-07-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A nice recreation of an old, classic (so I hear) blend. Good job Russ.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2011-06-29		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Another tobacco in this year's Chicago Pipe Show was the winner of the jury, as a "quest for the Holy Grail", the legendary Balkan Sobranie. This tobacco is actually the closest to this ideal, particularly because I had a chance with him smoking one of the last cans of Balkan Sobranie in the world! So, what is true for the Balkan Sobranie, this is true for this tobacco. The only thing it lacks that little amount jenidye tobacco in Macedonia that would be perfect!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (156)	2023-05-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this on a whim, as I liked the picture on the lid. It's quite pleasant so I'm quite happy - I don't often try tobaccos from American blenders, partly due to having been underwhelmed by the few I tried many years ago, and partly due to the difficulty of obtaining them here in the UK. I've also never tried Balkan Sobranie or 759 - I can't compare to the blend this claims to emulate, so have judged it entirely on its own merits.

The tin contents are black and dark brown, with barely any bright leaf, prepared in a very wide ribbon cut. Moisture content is perfect - on the dry side. The aroma starts with a yeasty smokiness, with treacle and old socks. It smells a little like Nightcap, but sweeter.

The flavour comes through well from the light, with smoke, leather, creosote, black tea and a brown sugar sweetness. The latakia smokiness grows as the bowl is consumed, and the sweetness develops a treacle like character. In terms of component contributions to the flavour, I'd say the Latakia and Cavendish are foremost, offering a decidedly sweet smokiness. Orientals are a background element, with some wood and the barest hint of spice. I'm not all that well acquainted with Kentucky tobacco beyond the lovely (and uniquely punchy) Toscano cigars, and I can't say that I discern it amongst the other parts here, nor does the Perique really make itself known. I think these leaves and the Virginias meld together as a background flavour.

Once it's smouldering, a few relights are required towards the end of the bowl and it does leave some dottle which is best left. Other than this it's very well behaved, smooth and doesn't bite. While it's fairly full flavoured, it is not excessively strong in terms of nicotine, and can certainly be enjoyed in a large pipe.

So here it is, a blend of many types of tobacco, but that doesn't necessarily equate to a complex smoke, and to me, this is not a complex blend. It's nice as an evening smoke, and I'm quite happy to puff on it while I'm studying, it's not distracting but it does satisfy. It's a medium to full mixture where Nightcap and Aperitif are full, and it certainly shares some characteristics in common with those blends, if not their complexity. I would also second comparisons with Rattrays Black Mallory, although it's been some years since I last enjoyed that good stuff. Will I buy it again? Perhaps, if I get the chance.

Pipe Used: Meers, Briars, calabash

Age When Smoked: New

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip'n'Piper (54)	2023-04-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I have never tried the fabled Balkan Sobranie and likely never will. I have tried Peterson produced Night Cap and Black House is pretty similar to that, less spicy, in my ever so humble opinion. Concerning Black House individually, I gotta say, I don't have much to divulge. It's basically a perfect smoke. Ready fresh, right from tin, no drying. Smooth, creamy, dry, cool smoke. No bite, no chance of bite. No heat, no chance of heat. In fact, this is the coolest and easiest smoking tobaccos I've ever had; you can puff this like a magic dragon and it never gets hot. It is balanced and smooth. Mild in all aspects, with a slightly above mild nic hit. An exceptionally well-rounded smoke. Dynamite. 4 stars.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mitchell Alan (22)	2023-03-25		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A tobacco that found its identity in a odd way. To start. Yes. This Tobacco is amazing and pleasant from char light to the heal. Now. Picture your tongue. Now picture A hash of unique flavors… smoky, slightly sour, grassy, leather, all happening on the borders of your tongue. It will feel like nothing is going on in the middle of the pallet. But we are wrong, there is a subtle dry, smooth and crisp taste that comes. It follows all those flavors happening around the edge of your tongue. I feel like in every single way, this tobacco is what plum pudding tried to be. This tobacco has a special place in my heart, because it shows you that sometimes less can be more.

Pipe Used: Rossi

Age When Smoked: 1yr

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Frog Morton cellar.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (72)	2023-03-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This blend has been compared to the original Balkan Sobranie 759, and while I am too young to speak on that, I can speak on the excellence of this blend.

Black House is a luxurious English blend, that hits all the flavour notes you want from the genre. No varietal of leaf is overpowering the others. This is harmonious, slightly creamy, and delights the palette. No chance of tongue bite, and has a pleasant room note.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-10-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

good tobacco but Larry's blend is better IMHO this is sweeter though so if that's what your looking for go for it

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-03-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A fantastic tobacco and an easy 4-star smoke. Rich and smooth, with absolutely no bite, bitterness or harshness. A fabulous, sultry, nuanced, full balkan which seamlessly integrates and balances the various component tobaccos like few other balkans ever have. Mind-boggling how smooth this smokes for a blend rich in orientals and virginias. The savory virginias assert themselves more in the second half of the bowl. The latakia is ever present but does not muddle or overpower the blend. Does it look, feel, taste or smell like my heavily aged samples of 70's Balkan Sobraine? Not really. But then, it's pretty green in comparision, so the latakia is still quite a bit more dominant in this blend's youth, it has an odd but pleasant sweetness from the cavendish, and the orientals have a different flavor. This blend is sweeter, smoother, and less complex, earthy and salty than the Sobraine I've smoked so far. There IS something reminiscent in the room note, however, oddly. An outstanding effort nonetheless. Is it closer than McClellands' Blue Mountain? I think so. Regardless of any unfair comparisons to other long-aged weeds, it stands on its own merit as one of the smoothest, most creative, most well-balanced and flavorful balkan mixtures currently available.

No disrespect meant, but this strikes me as the balkan blend that GL Pease has been chasing for a long, long time. This blend is quite lat-heavy but has none of the occasional harshess and/or bitterness in other blends which often do not agree with my chemistry the way Black House does. Four stars. Stock up and don't look back. This is a great smoke now, is almost dry enough to smoke right out of the tin, and can only improve with age and proper cellaring. Several of these fantastic new balkan blends on the market are making me reorganize and rethink my cellaring activities.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-03-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is the best Balkan blend I have ever smoked. The DFK gives Black House a new and very well received reaction on my part, which distinguishes this mixture from all other Blakans.

Russ Ouellette has produced an outstanding Balkan. I have never tried the original 759, only the pouch version. As this is a bit different, it still has the rich deep earthy, spicy, leathery everlasting taste that I love so much.

As a lot of VA/OR/LA are simply bland to my tastebuds, BH is and will always be my favorite among English/Blakan blends.

I will stock all the way up to High Heavens this marvelous tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-02-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a novice pipe smoker, I've been trying a lot of different blends, styles, and brands of tobacco over the past few months trying to really nail down my own personal tastes and preferences. I've been impressed with some, disappointed by some, and surprised by a few. Black House, however, really does stand out in a class of its own. Having never smoked the legendary tobacco it was intended to emulate, I can only say that the original must have really been something. This is to date the absolute best tobacco blend I've tasted. It has earned a spot in my regular rotation, and I envision many years of enjoyment ahead. I've already started hoarding up tins of this stuff to store in the cellar for future smokes.

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