H. Vachon
King of the Hobo Hut
First and foremost, a huge shout out to Brandon (@bfreebern ) for sending me a very generous variety of blends to sample. He’s managed to keep this blend in great condition for 12 years. So three cheers to you brother!
I hope this post finds you all safe and healthy on this unusual Easter Sunday. I am new to the pipe hobby, so I hope I don’t do this wonderfully aged blend any injustices.

Tin note: Chocolate Liqueur. Very strong but pleasant
Cut: Fine ribbon
Family: Burley. It’s not listed as an aromatic but this definitely tastes like one

The first few puffs pelted me with chocolate, vanilla, and more chocolate. A very ‘in your face’ sweetness. The room note is very pleasant. 100% wife friendly.
Just shy of the halfway point the sweetness from the casing has subsided considerably. The buttery/nutty profile from the burley is starting to move to the front. Chocolate, vanilla and honey from the black cavendish on the finish really linger from one puff to the next.
The retrohale is very pleasant and mild. That being said, some people only retrohale from time to time. I retro every puff with pipes and cigars. So take that as you will.
The burn quality has been great despite how wet of a blend it is (I let it dry for about 20 minutes before packing it). I had to chase down one of the dogs and wrangle them inside which took about 5-7 minutes. When I came back and it was like I had been puffing on it the whole time.
It smokes relatively cool if you take it slow. There have been a few times that I’ve gone a bit too fast and it’s let me know.
As I near the bottom of the bowl. The flavors haven’t changed much. It’s a sweet, earthy nutty smoke. Medium in flavor with a mild nic-content. For lovers of burley and aromatic blends, this could absolutely be a nice all day/everyday smoke. For me, this is more of a weekend afternoon in the shade with a glass of dry red wine. But of course, YMMV.
I hope this post finds you all safe and healthy on this unusual Easter Sunday. I am new to the pipe hobby, so I hope I don’t do this wonderfully aged blend any injustices.

Tin note: Chocolate Liqueur. Very strong but pleasant
Cut: Fine ribbon
Family: Burley. It’s not listed as an aromatic but this definitely tastes like one

The first few puffs pelted me with chocolate, vanilla, and more chocolate. A very ‘in your face’ sweetness. The room note is very pleasant. 100% wife friendly.
Just shy of the halfway point the sweetness from the casing has subsided considerably. The buttery/nutty profile from the burley is starting to move to the front. Chocolate, vanilla and honey from the black cavendish on the finish really linger from one puff to the next.
The retrohale is very pleasant and mild. That being said, some people only retrohale from time to time. I retro every puff with pipes and cigars. So take that as you will.
The burn quality has been great despite how wet of a blend it is (I let it dry for about 20 minutes before packing it). I had to chase down one of the dogs and wrangle them inside which took about 5-7 minutes. When I came back and it was like I had been puffing on it the whole time.
It smokes relatively cool if you take it slow. There have been a few times that I’ve gone a bit too fast and it’s let me know.
As I near the bottom of the bowl. The flavors haven’t changed much. It’s a sweet, earthy nutty smoke. Medium in flavor with a mild nic-content. For lovers of burley and aromatic blends, this could absolutely be a nice all day/everyday smoke. For me, this is more of a weekend afternoon in the shade with a glass of dry red wine. But of course, YMMV.