Interview with Tobacco Blender Russ Ouellette

Russ Ouellette is the tobacco blender of the widely popular Hearth & Home pipe tobacco blends. There are over 30 blends covering a wide variety of styles and tastes. Hearth & Home has Aromatics to English and everything in between, and they are all high quality tobaccos that have received numerous rave reviews. Russ presented a detailed and informative seminar on "Tobacco Blending Basics" at the West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas during the first weekend in November. He spoke of the different flavor characteristics, room note characteristics, burning quality, finish (or aftertaste) and how these are all different with different types of tobaccos. By knowing the different qualities of Virginias, Burleys, Orientals, Latakia, and Perique, plus the different flavoring agents and sweeteners, you have the basic building blocks of creating pipe tobacco blends. PipesMagazine.com’s Cynthia Sargent talked to Russ after his seminar. Here is our exclusive video interview with Russ Ouellette.

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Hearth & Home Pipe Tobaccos can be purchased at PipesAndCigars.com.

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12 Responses

  • Russ Ouellette is my MAIN MAN ! In this interview he seems very much “in his element.”
    There are so many great, creative blenders out there, Tarler, Pease, Runowski, Gottlieb… the list could go on, I’m sure I’ve overlooked several of the popular ones. But to me, Ouellette has a natural flair for the field — it’s something he seems very comfortable with. I just love those blends of his that target my favorite genres.
    I’ve already checked out H&H blends at the PipesAndCigars website, and the new blends: Sweet & Savory, Log Cabin, and Magnum Opus are not yet available on line in either tins or bulk. But I’m so excited I can hardly wait!
    Thanks for a great interview and the heads-up info it provides.

  • Great to actually see Russ Ouellette in the new video. A master artisanal blender, to be sure, and I greatly enjoy his blends, especially his Anniversary Kake. This blend is a mixture of a range of Virginias (Reds, Lemons and Browns), combined with good amount of St. James Perique. The blend is then heat-treated and pressed. I expect this Krumble Kake to age well, on account of the highly sugared Virginias, and so have committed quite a bit for the cellar. Thanks for bringing this video on line, and thank Russ for your fine blends. Happy smoking.

  • Never tried any of Russ’s blends, but he got my attention here.
    Actually just started buying from his employer.
    Going to have to see if his palate and mine agree.
    Should be a fun.

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