Friedman & Pease Templar

Kind of non-descript visually with basic mottling in color and a rich and fairly potent Virginia and aromatic agent scent. Couldn't place the scent but "herbal liqueur" works for me, I suppose. Ribbon cut with some small chunks.

This was a tale of two halves of the bowl. In the first half, I always tasted the flavoring at first lightup. The only real evidence that it's an alcohol is a phenolic-type "bite" (not a tongue bite) that bursts on the tastebuds. Very quickly this fades more to the background and the Virginias take over with some commentary from the perique and orientals. Towards the midway point, the perique becomes slightly more prominent and the burley starts to come forward. The black Cavendish isn't so much tasted as it is felt as a smoothing out of the blend.

The second half of the bowl (and this was consistent) was the Virginia in the lead, burley as a fairly vocal shotgun rider and orientals tagging along. The perique went MIA for the most part and the topping subsided but was still pleasantly there. The overall flavor of this blend was a mellow spice with a ripe, almost McClellandy Virginia tanginess. Reviewers use the term "nutty" for burley when they run out of adjectives, but it works very well here. The burley gave the blend a nut-like essence that was compelling! I usually enjoy a burley/Virginia mix and this one was no exception. A lot of blending genius in this one and I wish it were still available. I also found myself wishing that the bottom and top of the bowl could invert themselves so it started with this basic nutty sweet spiciness and then moved into the more exciting phenolic peatiness and heavier spice of the top half. But that's a tiny issue. This is simply a masterful blend with a lot of surprises and complexity. I wish I could have found more than a single tin.

I nabbed a few tins of the old Friedman & Pease tobaccos off ebay recently. I never had the opportunity to try them when in production. I was somewhat suspicious because if these blends were so wonderful, why the discontinuation?

Templar was a rare treat. It has a wonderful tin aroma and was extraordinarily spicy at first light. The Burley/Virginia/Perique combination all made an appearance as did the strange but delightful liquor casing.

The blend burns very easily and rather quickly as well. Not even a hint of being bitey either. I was going to share this one at my next pipe club meeting. Now, I think not.

There never was anything like Templar, nor is there an equivalent today. I have no idea who Friedman is, or the nature of his business agreement with Greg Pease...but Greg was the spirit of this pair and this trademark, and Greg owns the formulae.

There have been some rumblings that Greg Pease "might" re-issue some of the old "F & P" blends under the GL Pease lable, but presently they are only rumblings. I, for one, live in hope that where there once was smoke...there might be smoke again, at least where Templar is concerned.

I used to buy this in 4 oz. cans, which was then the only size available. I must have smoked a gallon of this fabulous weed.

The description above details only the basic ingredients; nothing but actual smoking can yield a clue into the delight of Templar. This was unique, and uniquely delightful. It gives a natural, complex, true tobacco taste, and sidestream aroma that will satisfy the Virginia and British blend smoker alike...PLUS hold him harmless from criticism of those around him.

The absence of Latakia will discomfit only the hardcore Balkan junkies. The Oriental and black Virginia components will visually reassure and delight those who enjoys these as condements, not as steak. And the strength, in smoke and nicotine, will satisfy nearly anyone.

Templar has no equivalent or equal. It was one of a kind for Greg Pease then and, alas, it still is.

Greg...are you reading?????

I miss this one . A very nice balanced blend , full of spice and flavor . Best smoked slow and easy . One of the few non latakia tobaccos that I found to be very fulfilling . Stays in "the zone" longer than most tobaccos . Best described as light but rich in flavor .

Tin Aroma: Man, this stuff just plain smells good! A very heady mix of vinegary virginias ans potent oriental varietals, and a bit of perique spice as well. A soft undertone of burley, and a hint of the mentioned herbal liqueur round out this heavenly aroma. Makes my mouth water.

Physical Characteristics: a uniform ribbon cut, slightly longer than most F&P blends, but still very easy to pack, even using a 'gravity-feed' method. Takes a charring light easily, without ballooning out of shape, and leaves a grainy, dove-grey ash.

Notes: I am not too sure what kind of herbal liqueur is used as a topping in this blend, but if my olfactory sense does not deceive, it contains anise, as well as perhaps dandelion, making 'Angelica' the most likely candidate.

On first light, my initial reaction was; 'whoa! where did all that perique come from!" The first few puffs seemed to be nothing but perique and xanthia spice, but shortly the burley began to calm things down a bit and the clean tobacco taste of the virginias shone through.

Though this blend contains burley, oriental varietals and black cavendish, make no mistake, this is a virginia/perique blend, and is nice and spicy. The orientals were obviously picked for their spice-like qualities, and they work hand in hand with the perique to create a smoking sensation very closely akin to eating hot-wings.

The spiciness does seem to level off around the midway piont, though it may simply be the point at which my palate ceases registering the 'hotness' of the blend. Whatever the reason, the second half of the bowl, to me at least, is much more pleasant, consisting mostly of dueling virginias and nutty burleys.

The melange of tastes and tobaccos in this blend require careful concentration in order to fully appreciate them, and while I can recognise the blenders art, I just cannot smoke a blend like that on a regular basis. I definately will put some of this away however, for special occasions when I am able to sit and quietly meditate on the bowl at hand. The virginias in the blend should also age nicely.