Public Profile

H.H. CURTIN

About Me:

48 year old father of 3 from New England. First pipe experience at 23. Latakia loving, Lumberman smoking, writer, painter, hunter, woodsman & Patriot.

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Reviews

G. L. Pease - Blackpoint 2oz
Quintessential G.L. Pease
A beautifully complex blend with a very pleasant room note. The tin note is very nice as well, reminiscent of burning leaves and exotic spices. This is a very enjoyable mixture that I can see being added to my rotation. I really enjoy how the flavors develop throughout the bowl. The smoke is creamy and evokes images of dried prunes and a bit of orange zest being poached in Madeira wine over a campfire. The aroma of the smoke is incredibly fragrant and really quite wonderful. None of the tobaccos in this blend step to the forefront or hit you in the face. Blackpoint is intricately balanced to provide a very enjoyable, contemplative smoke that is quite satisfying.

G. L. Pease - Cairo 8oz
Another Great Offering
G.L. Pease has managed to come up with yet another excellent mixture. Cairo is a complex blend of several quality Virginias of varying colors, rich, buttery Orientals that also offer a little zest and herbal quality to the blend, and a touch of peppery Perique. The flavor profile has a toasty sweetness and an earthy richness to it, with a proper bit of spice. There are notes of sweet citrus and toasted Chestnuts that develop throughout the bowl that are accentuated by the condimental dose of Perique. A flavorful, medium-bodied smoke with a pleasantly mild aroma that is warm and comforting, perfect for the first smoke of the day. Just another great offering from Mr. Pease.

Seattle Pipe Club - Deception Pass 8oz
A Decent Morning Blend If You Like Cavendish
I’m a fan of Joe Lankford, so thought I would give this blend a try. I started my day with a cup of coffee and a bowl of Deception Pass outside on my porch on a beautiful, breezy, cool Fall morning. At the beginning of the bowl, I felt as though all of the elements went well together. However, at the halfway point it seemed as though there was a bit too much cavendish. This blend is unique, described as a Northwest style Virginia/Perique blend. In my opinion, that is an accurate description. Definitely not your typical Va/Per. The blend is composed of matured red and stoved Virginias that provide a bit of sweetness, spicy Perique, some rich Turkish Orientals, and toasted black Cavendish that adds an extra dimension of flavor. If you’re a fan of black cavendish, this blend might be good for you.

Hearth & Home - WhiteKnight 1.75oz
Russ Pays Homage To Balkan Sobranie
WhiteKnight is Russ Ouellette’s tribute blend to Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. It’s an artfully composed blend of the same tobaccos that went into one of his most memorable and sorely missed tobaccos: bright Virginias, magnificent Macedonian Orientals, with an abundance of the "Queen of Tobaccos", Yenidje, and rich, smoky Latakia. There's an incense like aroma to WhiteKnight that is pleasant and tremendously fragrant and there's a clean, short, crispness to the finish that's unlike most Latakia blends. Very well done.

Hearth & Home - Magnum Opus 1.75oz
Very Nice English/Balkan Blend
Russ first experimented with this mixture back in the seventies by taking a favorite blend of his, Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture, and adding Yenidje and Perique to it. That experience provided the foundation for the creation of Magnum Opus many year’s later. This mixture is a complex and well crafted Latakia blend that is vibrant and not too heavy with an amazing aroma from fine Orientals, balanced with a bit of sweetness from the bright Virginias and just a touch of spice offered by the addition of Perique. It’s absolutely loaded with high quality Oriental leaf that offers a wide array of notes from a buttery earthiness to zesty herbaceousness. A very smooth, fragrant, and well rounded Balkan mixture.

Seattle Pipe Club - Hood Canal 2oz
Another Tasty Cake
Hood Canal is a brilliantly executed English blend with a uniquely American influence. There is a good amount of Burley in the mixture that provides plenty of body and a very nice, nutty, earthiness as a foundation for rich Orientals and woody Latakia. The Virginias and Perique add a very pleasant sweetness and subtle cooked fruit essence to the blend. All in all, a very flavorful, silky smooth, and sophisticated smoke that’s robust yet well rounded with a toasty sweetness that’s perfect for Autumn’s Cool weather.

G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon 2oz
Sultry Smooth Sweetness
G.L. Pease is so good. Maltese Falcon is a rich, dark, velvety smooth blend that has a remarkable sweetness countered by just the right amount of spice. A bold, full-bodied offering with notes of dark chocolate and citrus. The Orientals add a richness to the mixture reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. This is a brilliantly sophisticated, well balanced, very tasty, and tremendously satisfying blend. The only drawback is; that it required a lot of dry time and several relights. It’s almost as if the tobacco was dipped into, what I believe to be, a mild ginger casing, like you would for a plug cut, rather than being sprayed on. That said, 40 minutes of dry time and a light hand when packing, at least in the tin I got, and your good to go.

G. L. Pease - Abingdon 2oz
A Big Balkan Blend
Abingdon is a rich, full-bodied, and bold Balkan mixture. It’s an assertive blend, yet subtle and sophisticated. Dark notes of leather and smoldering wood intertwine with softer undercurrents of earthy sweetness while the Orientals offer a fragrant herbal quality to the blend. Abingdon is a robust mixture blended with finesse. A light hand is recommended when packing. Overall, a very well balanced, flavorful Balkan offering from G.L. Pease.

Hearth & Home - Fusilier's Ration 1.75oz
Well Done
Russ Ouellette really knows his stuff. Bengal Slices was a blend that he really enjoyed back in the day. So much so, that he decided to create a homage blend as a tribute to that very memorable tobacco. He called it Fusilier’s Ration, a name I found intriguing and was drawn to right away. I never smoked the original, so I can’t say how close it is to the Bengal Slices of that time. However, I can’t imagine Russ putting out something that wasn’t as close to perfect as he could get. What I can say is that what he created is very similar to my favorite tobacco, Plum Pudding. It’s a bit sweeter, and a touch brighter than Plum Pudding. Additionally, it has a very interesting, subtle top note that is not in any way overbearing and blends nicely with the tobaccos to provide a pleasant incense like aroma. That said, I would not consider this blend an aromatic. It crumbles very nicely, has a brownie like feel, lights readily, and stays lit. A very smooth, cool smoke with the essence of leather and anise. It’s well balanced, slightly sweet, dark with a touch of brightness, has a nice finish, and a creamy mouthfeel. A very enjoyable blend from a great blender.

Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding 2oz
Perfection
This is, without a doubt, my favorite crumble-cake of all time and it’s in my top three amongst English Balkan blends. In fact, when I consider all things such as affordability and how easy it is to get, it’s probably my favorite tobacco. This blend of tobaccos is expertly and artfully combined to create a truly amazing crumble-cake, a perfect blend of smokey sweetness and spice. It’s smooth, cool burning, with lots of smoke, and tons of flavor right down to the bottom of the bowl and it burns down to a fine white ash. It crumbles so nicely, requires very little to no dry time, lights readily, and stays lit. Combining this many tobaccos without the blend becoming muddled is not an easy task. Joe didn’t just succeed at doing this, he has blended these tobaccos in such a way that they become something more. Like the instruments of an orchestra playing in harmony, a symphony of top notch tobaccos that hits all the marks. It just can’t be improved upon in my opinion, except, of course, for the Special Reserve blend. It’s just that good.

G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 8oz
Lovely Tobacco
Simply put, G.L. Pease is the man. He consistently puts out just bang on blend after blend. Westminster... homerun, added to rotation. Stonehenge Flake... amazing. Odyssey, Abingdon, Maltese Falcon, Lagonda and on and on. All things considered; tin note, room note, retrohale, strength, and flavor; Quite Nights is just a beautiful tobacco. I can't say enough about Mr. Pease. He is a true master that takes the craft of blending tobacco to another level, a real artist. This blend is dark and smoky with a tartness balanced on a sweet structure of dark and red Virginias, and a touch of spicyness from the addition of Perique. It hits all the marks and it’s so smooth. I have been a longtime lover of Plum Pudding. It has been my favorite for quite awhile now. This blend by G. L. Pease has got me seriously questioning whether Plum Pudding is number one or number two. Quiet Nights is a bit sharper, which I actually enjoy quiet a bit and it also has a tangyness that Plum Pudding doesn’t. For the record, the hype is on point. Just as good as Penzance in my opinion, and much easier to get, for now at least.

G. L. Pease - Odyssey 2oz
The “Dark Lord” Strikes Again
If you’re a lover of Latakia like me and Mr. Pease, you should give Oddyssey a try. Big flavor in this one. Odyssey is a very bold and full-bodied blend loaded with the dark leaf. However, the Latakia is expertly balanced by wonderful Orientals and the spicyness is offset by some very flavorful, sweet red and stoved black Virginias. The result is a remarkable depth of flavor. The blend is savory and complex, full of subtle nuances. Billowing clouds of savory, sweet, smoky goodness with a very pleasant aroma. Good stuff.

Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding Special Reserve 4oz
Truly wonderful
Plum Pudding is, without a doubt, my favorite crumble-cake of all time and it’s in my top three amongst English Balkan blends. In fact, when I consider all things such as affordability and how easy it is to get, it’s probably my favorite tobacco. The Special Reserve blend is, in a word, remarkable. These high quality, wonderfully fragrant tobaccos have been expertly and artfully combined to create a truly amazing crumble-cake. The Orientals in this blend are among the best I’ve ever smoked. A delightful blend of smokey sweetness and spice. It’s smooth, cool burning, quite savory, and a touch sweet with tons of flavor right down to the bottom of the bowl. There are notes of campfire and barbecue in the retohale with a nice leathery, peppery floral essence. The cake crumbles so nicely and has a brownie like feel to it. The tobacco lights readily, stays lit, and when packed with a light hand, tremendous flavor and luxurious clouds of smoke are produced. Combining this many tobaccos without the blend becoming muddled is not an easy task. Joe didn’t just succeed at doing this, he has blended these tobaccos in such a way that they become something more. Like the instruments of an orchestra playing in harmony, it’s a symphony of top notch tobaccos that hits all the notes, creating a real masterpiece. It just can’t be improved upon in my opinion. A truly wonderful blend. Well done Mr. Lankford.

G. L. Pease - Lagonda 8oz
Very Interesting Blend
I finally got around to trying Lagonda. I was actually going to purchase some Quiet Nights because I’ve been trying my hand at blending as of late and came up with a blend that is very similar in flavor to Quiet Nights. I wanted to try them side by side. Quiet Nights was out of stock, so I finally pulled the trigger on this one. It’s very good. Upon opening the tin, I was struck by how dry it was. It’s not overly dry, perfect right out of the tin. The tin note was nice, smoky and a bit floral. Although, not as smoky as I expected. According to Mr. Pease, this mixture has over 50% Latakia and more Latakia than Westminster. It’s a spicy blend, which I attribute to the use of Izmir, a buttery Oriental with some zestiness that can stand up to the dark leaf. When those two tobaccos are combined, something magical and truly beautiful happens. Lagonda is also quite savory as well. This blend is very well balanced. It’s not as dark or as sharp as Quiet Nights but, it has a wonderful tangyness to it and the pressing of the tobaccos rounds out all of the flavors nicely. The campfire smokiness is there. It’s an earthy blend, woodsy, with notes of leather, tart apple, and a very delicate essence of toasted almonds in the retrohale. A very nice blend for Fall. Lagonda has a dryness to it with just a touch of subtle sweetness from the Virginias that dances in the background. When packed with a light hand, thick billowing clouds of smoke are produced. The cut is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this blend. It’s not a broken flake, as some have said. It’s really closer to a ribbon cut. However, some of the ribbons remain pressed together, resulting in a chunkier ribbon cut. This is the way a lot of English mixtures were produced long ago. Greg has brought the technique back. Rather fitting, for a blend in the “Old London” series. Lagonda is robust, round, and full. It has a wonderful flavor, a pleasant incense like aroma, a smooth finish, and a creamy mouthfeel. All in all, a very satisfying blend that’s a bit different.

Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding 8oz
Excellence
I have already written a review for Plum Pudding. However, I am smoking a bowl of this awesome Oriental forward English Blend right now and feel compelled to say that I have been a pipe smoker for years and I have tried numerous blends that I really enjoy. That said, if I could only choose one tobacco to smoke, Plum Pudding would be my choice.

Seattle Pipe Club - Potlatch 8oz
A stroke of genius
Joe Lankford is really good. Combining this many tobaccos and having them all work together to create a smooth, enjoyable smoke is not an easy thing. Potlatch is a nice change of pace for me. I smoke a lot of Latakia forward blends, like Plum Pudding. This blend has a smoky Latakia element to it that compliments the sweetness of the Cavendish. The Burley provides a nutty richness and body. While the Bright Virginias and Orientals add a zesty sweetness and floral note to the blend. The Perique adds a bit of that musty, peppery essence which fits in rather nicely. It’s another truly great blend from SPC.

Bengal Slices - Bengal Slices 1.75oz
A masterpiece
Let me first say that Russ Ouellette doesn’t get enough credit. He really knows his stuff. Bengal Slices was one of his favorite blends and he even created an homage blend called Fusilier’s Ration as a tribute. He was chosen to recreate the original and with additional information, was able to perfect the top note. I believe it’s a combination of tonquin bean and anisette. The blend is very similar to my favorite tobacco, Plum Pudding. However, it’s a bit sweeter, and a touch brighter than Plum Pudding. Also the blend doesn’t have the spicy component of the Perique as does Plum Pudding. It crumbles so nicely and the subtle top note isn’t overbearing. The flavor goes perfectly with the tobaccos. One of my favorite blends. Thank you, Russ.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Bob's Chocolate Flake 50g
Very Familiar & Very Good
Bob’s Chocolate Flake is a wonderful blend of high quality tobaccos and a very flavorful, enjoyable smoke. I have been wanting to try it for awhile now. I received an in stock notification and before I could place my order it was gone. A very popular blend, and now I see why. Unfortunately, I had to get it from a competitor of smokingpipes.com. It’s a very complex blend with big flavors and it’s incredibly smooth. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that these are the same tobaccos used in the G.L. Pease/John Gawith collaboration, Stonehenge Flake. The exception, of course, is that the Perique has been replaced by Latakia. Stonehenge even has the same cocoa casing too. This blend also has an additional chocolate top note that’s very tasty. Very good stuff.

Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River Special Reserve 4oz
Wow!
I have been a longtime lover of Plum Pudding. It has been one of my top five tobacco blends for quite awhile. I just recently got around to pulling the trigger on Mississippi River and decided to go for the Special Reserve. Let me tell you, straight up, this stuff is awesome. The Virginias in this blend are incredible, some of the best I have ever smoked, and I believe a portion of them were very carefully stoved until black. Compared to Plum Pudding, it seems to me that the Virginias are obviously up front, the Perique is where you would expect the Orientals to be and the Latakia is in the background, lending the blend that smoky richness. The Orientals are aged bringing in that fragrant touch with a bit of butteryness. It’s just damn good tobacco harmoniasly blended. Rich, dark, and smooth with tons of flavor.

G. L. Pease - Stonehenge Flake 2oz
Absolutely wonderful
I first tried Stonehenge Flake awhile back and fell in love with it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, G.L. Pease is the man. He has so many great blends, but this stuff is truly amazing. I have always considered myself as an English guy with a taste for VaPer. This tobacco made me seriously question whether I might be a VaPer guy with a taste for English. That said, I still haven’t tried a VaPer blend I like as much as Stonehenge Flake. It is just so perfectly balanced, consisting of high quality tobaccos from Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Malawi with a subtle cocoa casing that lingers in background. It’s smooth and cool burning with a touch of sweetness from the Virginias, that wonderful cooked fruit, peppery essence from the St. James Perique, and the dash of excellent Malawi Burley adds body and a creamy mouthfeel. As I mentioned earlier, I tried it awhile ago and I wanted to write a review right then, but I decided to wait until I could get my hands on 5 more tins. Now it’s out of stock. Hopefully, not for long because I will be buying more.

G. L. Pease - Westminster 8oz
So on point
G.L. Pease is just so good, a true artist when it comes to blending tobacco. He is right there at the top with the greats. Westminster is an expertly blended tobacco, everything you would expect from an English blend, smoky and fragrant. Just another full-flavored, perfectly balanced, sophisticated blend from Mr. Pease. Westminster is a truly superb, high quality everyday English. I will definitely be adding this to my rotation.

G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 2oz
Lovely Tobacco
Simply put, G.L. Pease is the man. He consistently puts out just bang on blend after blend. Westminster... homerun, added to rotation. Stonehenge Flake... amazing. Odyssey, Abingdon, Maltese Falcon, Lagonda and on and on. All things considered; tin note, room note, retrohale, strength, and flavor; Quite Nights is just a beautiful tobacco. I can't say enough about Mr. Pease. He is a true master that takes the craft of blending tobacco to another level, a true artist. This blend is dark and smoky with a tartness balanced on a sweet structure of dark and red Virginias, and a touch of spicyness from the addition of Perique. It hits all the marks and it’s so smooth. I have been a longtime lover of Plum Pudding. It has been my favorite for quite awhile now. This blend by G. L. Pease has got me seriously questioning whether Plum Pudding is number one or number two. Quiet Nights is a bit sharper, which I actually enjoy quiet a bit and it also has a tangyness that Plum Pudding doesn’t. For the record, the hype is on point. Just as good as Penzance in my opinion, and much easier to get, for now at least.

Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding 8oz
Perfection
This is, without a doubt, my favorite crumble-cake of all time and it’s in my top three amongst English Balkan blends. In fact, when I consider all things such as affordability and how easy it is to get, it’s probably my favorite tobacco. This blend of tobaccos is expertly and artfully combined to create a truly amazing crumble-cake, a perfect blend of smokey sweetness and spice. It’s smooth, cool burning, with lots of smoke, and tons of flavor right down to the bottom of the bowl and it burns down to a fine white ash. It crumbles so nicely, requires very little to no dry time, lights readily, and stays lit. Combining this many tobaccos without the blend becoming muddled is not an easy task. Joe didn’t just succeed at doing this, he has blended these tobaccos in such a way that they become something more. Like the instruments of an orchestra playing in harmony, a symphony of top notch tobaccos that hits all the marks. It just can’t be improved upon in my opinion, except, of course, for the Special Reserve blend. It’s just that good.