Abingdon, for such a full-flavored, deep, dense, smokey balkan, has a fantastic, masterful balance between the plentiful cyprian latakia, assertive tangy orientals and slightly sweet virginias, which is quite unlike my experiences with most other Pease blends. The latakia firmly but gently controls the entire smoke from top to bottom of the bowl, being properly complimented in the right proportion by the other tobaccos, but never ducking out, and never being overpowered by any other leaf. Due to this better and more harmonious balance, Abingdon's flavor, room note and aftertaste are superior to Odyssey, without Odyssey's cloying, bludgeoning, occasionally oppressive excess of latakia.

Abingdon also lights, and stays lit, far easier than Odyssey. I can easily smoke Abingdon in a fine old Nording Giant or Ser Jacopo Maxima for over an hour without need for relights, so long as I am generally attentive, don't pack too tightly, and tamp occasionally, very lightly.

The orientals in Abingdon also never become acrid, biting, harsh, drying in the throat, or overly assertive, as they can be in Charing Cross if that blend is pushed, which is the Achilles heel of Charing Cross. In fact, I find Abingdon to taste quite similar to the excellent flavors in Charing Cross, although perhaps a bit less intense/earthy, and certainly less controlled by the orientals, which can occasionally be too dominant and assertive in Charing Cross at the mid-bowl.

In all, Abingdon gives me the full, dark, rich, savory flavor I crave from Pease's heavier balkan blends, but does so in a refined, balanced, easily managed, low-maintenance manner that makes it a true pleasure. A top-notch, four-star smoke. Abingdon has become my favorite Pease blend, and is possibly the best heavy full balkan on the market.

Like the description claims it is robust but also subtle in many ways, that's what brings me back every time.

I don't have much to add in the way of flavor/aroma descriptions that hasn't been said already. My last Pease tasting was a 2oz tin of Charing Cross which I smoked throughout the end of Winter into the Spring. I would say that they are both "big" blends. I find Abingdon to be a little more Latakia-forward, whereas Charing Cross lets the Orientals shine a little more. Don't get me wrong, they both offer a significant punch of both, but that is their chief difference. Virginias provide a nice canvas for the dark, smoky hues of the Latakia in Abingdon, with Oriental spicy notes giving definition and offering contrast to the broad brushstrokes of the Cyprian leaf. But there is balance here which I find attractive... as opposed to, say, Pirate Kake or Capt. Earle's Diamond Head - both extremely heavy on Latakia to the point of salty dry-ness and rather uni-dimensional experiences. Abingdon is also relatively gentle in terms of nicotine.

I like this blend quite a bit. It has lit and burnt consistently across pipes and I've always found it very satisfying. It is obviously made of quality tobaccos and has been blended with considerable care and finesse. Is it extraordinary? Maybe not. Is it a solid Balkan offering the best of what this style of blend should offer? Absolutely. And perhaps this makes it remarkable in its own way.

I will definitely buy some to cellar for future enjoyment. My tin was quite young (Jan 2011) and I'd like to see what a little time does to it. I also have a tin of Pease's newest, Lagonda, which in the wake of such smoking pleasure as I got from Abingdon and Charing Cross, should also be a fantastic blend.

If you like "big" Balkans... definitely give this a try.

Abingdon is a chunky-cut mixture, with large pieces of tobacco and some broken flake bits. The tin description is accurate, as far as the flavors go. In the forefront is the latakia, followed by the virginias and then orientals. Not much oriental flavor here, only enough to fill in the gaps and such. Mostly latakia. As with most Pease english/balkan blends, the flavor improves to my taste after a few to several weeks after opening the tin. It mellows a bit, the bitterness recedes, and you get more sweetness from the virginias. I did get a wee bit of bite from this one; maybe I didn't dry it out enough. More nicotene than Westminster, which is to me a good thing. Solid, quality latakia mixture. Not outstanding really, but worth a try.

I should say, though, that all of these blends are a touch lighter and more focused on the acrid-oriental side of the Balkan spectrum than, say, Caravan or Odyssey, which feature a stronger latakia presence and slightly sweeter orientals. (If you're new to GLP blends, Odyssey is the "biggest" of the Balkans currently on offer.)

Abingdon, rather, assumes a more traditional course. It seems to have a more restrained Oriental component, with more Latakia than Charing Cross, sort of in between there and Odyssey, and also hits a middle note in sweetness between the two. There is a less than pronounced jump in strength and I confess to having spiked most of my bowls with the addition of Perique. I felt guilty desecrating the stuff but the urge was similar to spiking damn near everything with Tabasco sauce. Sometimes I'm weak.

I can't fault Abingdon yet it seems indistinct to me--certainly tasty yet there is nothing novel that separates it from the many multitudes of Latakia mixes out there. That said, there is one small bowl left in that tin, and I confess that I'm feeling a little apprehensive about lighting her up. I won't know what to smoke when she's gone.

The last few mornings have been in the 40's after months and months of hot weather. I searched my cellar for an open tin of something Balkan or English. I first smoked a few bowls of Maltese Falcon which was good, but wasn't what I was looking for. Next I found a Mason jar with a little more than half a tin of Abingdon remaining. I've gone through almost all of it in two days, smoking it morning, noon and night. It's been exactly what I needed to bring in the fall weather here in Atlanta.

The bad news is this is my only tin of Abingdon. I will get a few more tins for next year, but it sure would have been nice to have another aged tin ready. I normally don't smoke many blends like this with the exception being Odyssey. However, I prefer the cut of Abingdon more than Odyssey. It packs easier and it stays lit much better as well. Live and learn. My wife particularly hated the room note which didn't surprise me with the generous latakia present.

The flavor is smoky and thick, beefy and delicious (I smoke Balkans for preference but certainly not exclusively). Rather like biting into a steak that's been seared on the grill. The subtle sweet notes are there, the hint of chocolate, etc.

My palate is not nearly as refined as many of the excellent reviewers on this site, but I find this to be big, bold, yet polished. Very satisfying indeed.

I feel Mr. Pease has scored a knock-out with this one.

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.