Black Blood Society?

I've been wondering this too myself.

It all started with Baronsamedi's review of Black House on luxury tobacco reviews. It was a spinoff of his review title. If after smoking the Black House you find an insatiable craving for its Balkany goodness, put the crest in your signature and enjoy the benefits of becoming a member of our esteemed society. ::

It's a great english blend, that has attracted a bit of a cult following.

Membership has its privileges!

With all due respect to this blend's fans here, I've only had three bowls of Black House -- and I never write up a review until I've had at least three times that many -- but I've been sorely disappointed in this blend.
Not only did it arrive with balls of tape holding the labels on most of the 11 tins I bought (purchased based on all of the early praise!), but the blend itself was virtually tasteless. The aroma was a mixture of latakia and a hint of burley, but there was nothing the least bit Balkan about this blend in the bowl. And Balkans are my favorite category of English blends.
I'm willing to give it some time, try it out in other pipes, but honestly, all I could think as I smoked it was "this Emperor has no clothes."
As a side note, I was also seriously disappointed in another Russ Ouellette blend I tried, Ten to Midnight. Smelled fantastic in the air, but virtually flavorless in the bowl. So maybe Russ just isn't the blender for me. . .
Bob

Read this thread. I think this is where it all started.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/for-the-blackbloods

all I can find about them is they love the Black House tobacco blends

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That's pretty much the only criteria for membership. Everyone has their tastes, but if you happen to be one of the ones who really dig it, then put the crest in your sig and Welcome to the Society!
Bob's experience seems odd. There's no Burley in Black House and I've never seen a tin with balls of tape holding the label on. I'm not questioning you. You like what you like, but where did you get it?
Edit: By Burley, I meant regular air-cured Burley. I realize both Cavendish and DFK are both made from Burley but their flavor is way different than regular Burley.
Other edit: If you finally decide you don't like BH, just holler at some of the Blackbloods. I bet you'll be able to trade all or most of it!

One thing Baron failed to mention is that to be a true member of the society, you have to get one of these hats and wear it while you are smoking the Black House. :rofl:

Baronsamedi:
Hmmm. . . There is definitely burley in my tin of Black House. (Identified as Kentucky on tobaccoreviews.com.) It's evident in the smoke and definitely in the nicotine content. While I realize that definitions aren't set in stone, to my mind burley (in any form) has no place in a Balkan blend. To me, a Balkan has a subtle base of Virginias and a more-dominant combination of orientals and latakia. There was no oriental presence whatsoever in my three bowls of this blend.
In its favor, I will say that it smoked like a mature blend, not something that was tinned last week, which is a good thing. But in terms of flavor, this didn't deliver anything to me other than latakia and the burley component. It didn't taste anything like a Balkan. And, to my palate, didn't taste anything at all like Balkan Sobranie Black, which is what it was created to replicate. (And I smoked my share of both Balkan Sobranies back in the day.)
I bought from SmokingPipes.com, since pipesandcigars was out of stock on it when I ordered. And, yes, the labels-held-on-with-tape was definitely a new one to me!
It's possible -- though highly doubtful, I'd think -- that what I got was actually mislabeled. But I don't know how I could know that for certain.
As I said, though, I'll try another tin at some point. But if that repeats the experience I had with this first one, then I'll definitely be looking to trade.
Bob

I know the labels are usually glued on. Maybe the glue failed and SP decided to improvise! sounds like just a difference of taste then, since you explained further. You probably just don't care for the DFK and Cavendish components, which shows the subjectivity of taste because those are things I like about it!
I notice when I smoke BH in a briar, the flavor is more subdued, which is OK for me because I like it so much. I prefer it in a Meerschaum, though, so give that a whack, maybe.
If you do decide to trade just post an offer in the "For the Blackbloods" thread.

I have yet to try it, but it's on my list.

baronsamedi wrote:

You probably just don't care for the DFK and Cavendish components,

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Actually, I enjoy both (although I do prefer a Virginia-based cavendish). While I don't think a proper Balkan should contain anything but Virginia, orientals, and latakia (and I'd also allow for a touch of perique, although I can't take it), I wasn't so much complaining about the presence of other leaf; I was commenting -- or meant to be, if I wasn't clear -- on the fact that latakia and the DFK were the only flavors coming through.
But I've sidetracked things enough. . .
Bob

Funny thing about those great RussO blends, much as I like Black House (and prefer it to the other Throwdown winner Blue Mountain), I love Magnum Opus, Cerebus, Ambassador, Ten to Midnight and most especially Larry's Blend.
hp

les

Magnum Opus is a favorite, too.

Ok, Ive changed my sig line. I think Black House has become my new "go to" smoke. Where do I pick up my porpeller beanie? ::

I thought cortez cornered the market on the beanies a while back. Just don't let him sell you an estate pipe. He probably dropped it in the toilet.

:laughat:

I thought cortez cornered the market on the beanies a while back. Just don't let him sell you an estate pipe. He probably dropped it in the toilet.

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As a newbie and a recent purchaser of Black House, I'm proud to call myself a Black Blood. Sure I haven't smoked a hundred different kinds of tobacco yet, but out of the ones I have smoked, I love the stuff. Others can probably describe the taste better than I could, but to me it has a nice cool woody flavor.

If anyone has ever asked you if you are smoking old shoe leather.....you might be a Black Blood.