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Abingdon

Brand: G. L. Pease
Blender: Gregory Pease
Tin Description: Abingdon is the fullest Balkan style blend in the range. It is rich and robust, powerful and forthright, yet still posessing subtlety and finesse. Dark flavours of wood and leather mingle with delicate undercurrents of sweetness, and deep earthy notes, while the oriental tobaccos provide hints of their verdant, sometimes herbaceous character. A big Balkan blend, reminding us once more of what these blends used to be.
Country of Origin: US
Curing Group: Fire Cured
Contents:
Virginia
Latakia
Oriental
Turkish
Cut: Ribbon
Packaging: 2oz Tin, 8oz Bag



Average Ratings
Strength: Medium
Flavoring: Extremely Mild
Taste: Medium to Full
Room Note: Tolerable
Recommendation: Recommended


The Reviews  

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Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 74 reviews of this tobacco
Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Claudius Stradivarius 07/24/2010 Mild to Medium None detected Medium Tolerable somewhat recommended
This tobacco needs some aging because it has a tendancy to bite.

The Latakia and Turkish are the main players.

This is one of the only Balkan/English mixtures I can smoke in my wife's presence. She says the room note is similar to the incense burned in church. Aren't I the lucky one?

But the tongue bite persists despite all my efforts to reduce it...I'll see if aging it will help, or not.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
anders1 06/17/2010 Medium to Strong None detected Full Tolerable not recommended
My first tin of Abingdon had some nice campfire notes so I decided to by a big can. Boy was I disappointed. None of the nice campfire notes. The tobacco was just harsh and boring. Totally unaged. So I've put away the can and will wait a couple of years. Maybe it will improve. During that time I will smoke Orlik's Dunhill MyMixture, which is infinitely better than any of the Pease Balkans and yet ridiculed by him. Don't get carried away by the description on the tin. In all honesty it should read: "Abingdon, harsh and boring."


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
BowHunter 06/03/2010 Medium Extremely Mild Very Full Tolerable to Strong highly recommended
wow. We have a blend. It really reminds me of the good balkans of the past. Just a bowl until now. I'm going to update at the end of the tin, but...first impression is...superlative blend.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Alexander 05/29/2010 Medium to Strong None detected Medium Very Pleasant highly recommended
Have just opened and smoke a 2 oz tin 2004. I had forgotten it in a drawer and found it back few weeks ago. Filled my good bulldog and enjoying it. An excellent balkan, to be smoked all day around. Burns evenly, slightly on the hot side, but it may depend that the pipe is filled loosely. Smoke it slowly or a little tongue bite may appear. There is one thought tough, you never fail with GP blends. It burns quite fast, so may be prepared for to small pipes. Yes, I like it and will buy more. Some to be smoked and some to be forgotten. My favourites? GP Westminster, odyssey, some flakes with latakia and or perique.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
DrRaoulDuke 05/03/2010 Medium Extremely Mild Full Tolerable to Strong highly recommended
This is my favorite blend right now. The orientals play a great upfront role. I don't find the latakia overwhelming even though supposedly it's got a good amount. I think the sweetness from the virginias and orientals counter act the latakia; sweet but not too sweet. I guess this is what balance/blending is all about. I would recommend this just to experience how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Medium on nicotine, full on body and taste. I really enjoy Westminster, but this is my favorite GLP blend.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Michael 05/01/2010 Medium to Strong None detected Full Tolerable highly recommended
I have been awarding four stars frequently as of late, the result of choosing tobacco blends with more prudence. The selection of Abingdon continues the trend. This full Balkan is a formidable mixture loaded with smoky Latakia and delivers a deep, earthy and salty smoke with just a soft breeze of sweetness. The subtle interweaving of the Oriental/Turkish is the distinguishing characteristic; thankfully, the Latakia doesn't overpower it all, but this one's not for the faint of heart. After mid-bowl, you'll want to slow down your cadence and appreciate its nuances. If you want more complexity, dial down to Charing Cross or Kensington in this series.

Pease and C&D make the best Balkans on the market. In this category, I have smoked all but Blackpoint in the Classic Collection -- and awarded each four stars. In my opinion, these blends represents the best that Pease (or any other contemporary blender) has to offer.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
ItarPeyo 02/04/2010 Medium None detected Full Tolerable to Strong recommended
It's a high quality full Balkan blend. Packs and lights well, perfect moisture content from the tin. It would benefit greatly from aging.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
sagesmoke 01/22/2010 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Tolerable recommended


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
JazzSmoke 12/26/2009 Medium to Strong None detected Medium to Full Strong highly recommended

Well, it's obviously blended in the style of the classic Balkan blends. There are two: Sobranie Original Mixture and 759.

It certainly is reminiscent of those classic Balkan blends. It's a medium to full smoke which is fairly smooth. It does have the underlying sweetness and the slight chocolate notes that it should have.

So, the classic Balkan qualities are there. This is a good thing because the term "Balkan" blend is used too much. (Perique doesn't belong in a Balkan blend!)

Very much worth a try.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
FALCON 12/04/2009 Medium to Strong Extremely Mild Medium to Full Tolerable somewhat recommended


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
wdsmith 12/03/2009 Medium to Strong None detected Medium to Full Tolerable highly recommended


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Tripjoker 11/22/2009 Medium None detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable recommended
I'm not one prone to lofty prose of blends, and could care less if my tastes are like others here on this esteemed site. I've always been one to march to my own beat. That being said, I do like this blend very much. As do many of my brother and sister pipers.

In it's youth, this is not a very enjoyable blend. It has all the nuance of a backwoods redneck at a bar-mitzvah. Given about 5 years in the cellar on the otherhand, this sings to you with great balance and power. The aged version will provide hours of layered goodness changing notes from oriental, to latakia, to virginia and then back again for another round.

Pease has a way with tobacco, but with most of his blends aging is essential. He says so himself, and I take him at his word. I cannot say enough about this fine blend if you have a few years to spare. I do.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Requiem 11/07/2009 Medium None detected Full Tolerable to Strong somewhat recommended
This tobacco is close to my favorite Erinmore Balkan Mixture. However, it is not as complex and it looses all around in a comparision... even so, it's a very well balanced balkan, well worth to cellar a couple of tins.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
DK 09/24/2009 Medium to Strong None detected Medium to Full Pleasant somewhat recommended
First of all, I rated this on how well I liked it, in order to maintain consistency with my other reviews. Is it something I'll smoke regularly? No. Is it something everyone that loves latakia blends should try? Absolutely. Could this be one of those "genius blends" as I like to refer to the ones that seem above the crowd? I think so!

The second line of the tin description above, while perhaps seemingly poetic in the extreme, precisely mirrors my thoughts on this blend. This is a powerful, brute of a blend that can also put on a tux and act civilized and refined. The room aroma made me swoon! I think the layering on this one is expertly done, as the overall darkness is interspersed with whisps of teasing high notes. I love "dark" flavored tobaccos such as McClellands Navy Cavendish and this reminded me of that one, even though they are worlds different. This is a blend I wanted to love. It's one of those things that seems a masterpiece and that I know is going to be an important blend, yet my heart can't seem to catch up to my head on this one. I'm going to buy more and cellar it for a few years and see what that does.

All this said, I raise my star rating to a solid 4 if you are a lover of heavy balkan blends and you appreciate blending genius.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Sinister Topiary 08/11/2009 Medium to Strong None detected Full Tolerable highly recommended
I've never known a blend it's taken me so long to make up my mind about: I practically had to reach the bottom of my 2oz tin (13% more than the standard 50g tin!) before I could reach a conclusion.

My initial experiences of it out of the tin were not very pleasant. Indeed my first bowl was so off-putting I had to wait a month or two to try it again, though I knew I would get around to it someday because there was something special there, and I give every blend several smokes so that I get to know it on its own terms. So when I finally got around to it again I came to understand it more. I couldn't say I enjoyed it's complex, full flavor on the surface of it -- the whole in some ways seemed to exceed its parts, and not necessarily in a good way. But there was something in it I found irresistible, so even though I didn't necessarily enjoy it I kept going back to it. It was somehow simultaneously overpowering yet subtle.

There's no doubt it was a quality blend, even from the first. I mean, it was certainly very smooth and creamy and biteless, and yet somehow raw and strong. I just couldn't wrap my tastebuds around it. I figured each bowl was going to be my last since I was slightly repelled by it, and yet I looked forward to my next bowl.

It's flavor was uniquely alluring, and it cast a spell on me: strong, very full, with an oddly musty flavor. UncleGar used the word "creosotic", and [no name] used the word "corky", and they're both on to something. I would add that I taste something piquant, even bitter with hints of sweetness around it, like Angostura bitters. Indeed there's something elemental about this blend, something of the earth and dirt (and creosote and cork), salty, leathery, musty -- strong, raw, subtle, creamy and smooth all at once. I'm reminded of the way Lagavulin has that incredible essence of iodine to it. Abingdon's flavor is so unique that I found myself craving it even when I wasn't sure I liked it much.

I've finally decided that this blend is a masterpiece -- it just took me a long time to appreciate it for what it was on its own terms, much like Schoenberg's music for the classical music lover wading into the twelve tone waters for the first time. I suspect that with more aging this blend will be otherworldly.

Pretty women who aren't beautiful are fairly common. But beautiful women who aren't pretty are something special, each one uniquely mysterious. This is a beautiful, even exceptional blend -- it's just not a very pretty one.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Raynyct 06/27/2009 Medium to Strong None detected Full Pleasant highly recommended
I've been smoking English/Balkan blends for forty years. IMHO there is nothing available today that compares with this blend. Flavorful,smooth, and sweet in all my pipes; totally outstanding in some. Although I enjoy a few of the Pease blends, this has become my favorite.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Fofo 06/25/2009 Very Strong None detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable highly recommended
Let me try to divide my review in a few different categories in the hopes that I can be more objective, which is devilishly hard to do when it comes to pipe tobacco.

Flavor: The flavor is full but not at all harsh. Like a good Balkan Latakia is the main player, closely followed by the Oriental and with the Virginias very present but still in the background. I'd say the amount of Latakia is perfect for a blend with a healthy portion of it since it makes it "kick" but does not overpower the other delicate flavors.

Complexity: Very complex blend, the flavors change as you smoke it and yeet it remains very consistent. At first light all you get is Latakia and a hint of the Oriental, but as you progress through the bowl the Orientals start building up and stand up to the Latakia beautifully.

Aroma: Very full and leathery, with the Orientals and Virginia giving a somewhat strong (or at least very noticeable) natural sweetness.

Tin aroma: Latakia with the sweet/spicy pungent Orientals being clearly present.

Room note: What you'd expect from a Balkan. I like the roomnote but my wife says it stings her nosetrills. It is a somewhat heavier note than other Balkan blends. Probably not something you'd want to smoke in teh company of non-smokers.

Burning characteristics: Burns very cool and dry to the bottom, there is absolutely no gunk at the bottom of the bowl. I have sometimes tempted it and puffed too fast and my pipe was still cool. Absolutely no tongue bite to speak of. It lights easlily depending on how you prepare it. If you layer it it lights up easily, if you use the air pocket method if will take some effort to light. I think the air pocket method makes blends taste a little fuller and while I favor it for some blends I prefer to layer this blend.

Cut/looks/moisture content: The cut is somewhat coarse and broad, which I find it to compliment the blend since it makes it burn at the perfect pace. Moisture content is perfect too, not to wet or sticky and actually somewhat on the dry side. I have to confess I was a little concerned about how dry it was but after a couple of bowls my concerns were gone.

Overall: One of my favorite blends, much closer to my tastes than any of the Dunhills. I actually think this stuff is of much better quality and, after smoking it, I don't think I'd want to go back to Dunhill blends. A little more expensive than most offerings out there but I don't think there's a better Balkan available today. Worth every penny.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
hrhf 06/20/2009 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Tolerable recommended
This is my second review, the first being for English Oriental Supreme from Stokkebye. As far as quality and depth of character, both blends are comparable.

Abingdon has a lighter touch, though. This provides more room for nuance. It's as good as any blend currently in my possession, and may very well be the best-burning blend I have. That's got to count for something.

I could see this easily remaining in my English/Balkan rotation indefinitely. While I tend to prefer a little more kick, this is a very, VERY nice middle-of-the-day smoke.

If GL Pease's other blends are at this level -- and the word is they are -- I look forward to sampling Mr. Pease's other offerings as I continue to explore the diverse and wonderful world of pipe tobacco.

This may very well be a four-star blend, but -- like my previous review -- I'll initially give it only three, for fear of over-reaching. I'd rather save the four-star designation for the truly transcendent blends. This may very well prove to be one. If so, I'll update my review.

In the meantime, it's still a very nice, not-too-powerful Balkan. Enjoy!


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
quantumboy 05/29/2009 Medium None detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable highly recommended
Now, THIS puts Westminster to shame. Smooth and rich, smokey and flavorful, all the components work well together and add up to the perfect medium English blend. There are stronger blends out there like Nightcap and Ashton Artisan's Blend, but this if for those times when you don't want a smack in the face. It's for relaxing on the back porch on a chilly autumn day.


Reviewed By: Date: Strength: Flavoring: Taste: Room Note: Recommendation:
Tudval 04/17/2009 Medium to Strong Medium Medium to Full Tolerable not recommended
I rate this 1 star because I cannot recommend it. It seems too spicy and not remarkable in any other way, except to say that it's quite strong and almost made me sick. It may just be that my taste buds are still alive and well and are easily overpowered.


 
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 74 reviews of this tobacco

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