The smoke is somewhat sweet, with a bright Virginia taste predominant. Nothing harsh about it. Nice tobacco.

However, this blend is oddly astringent, sort of like strong tea or red wine, but more like sucking on an oak chip - very woody and astringent. From start to finish. And unfortunately this pretty much ruins the blend for me. Maybe your experience will be different.

Upon opening the tin you will find a fluffy light brown blend. It has very mono-tone tobacco ribons. The smell on the tin is delicous: bread, hay and a hit of dried ruits (date?). That was probably the best part of this tobacco.

The smoking experience was flat all along. Tried different bowl sizes, but got the same results. I was even more wet than I expected. I beg to differ: this tobacco has no "subtle complexity". Just plain subtleness.

Montgomery is a nice smoke. It reminded me, in appearance, cut, smoking characteristics, and flavor, of Hal O' The Wynd, one of my favorites. Except, of course, this has no perique, and to my tastes it has more Kentucky/Burley flavor. Some reviewers notice less of this flavor than I did. I think I am sensitive to it. Sometimes the dark-fired component was too much, leaving a bitter, muddy impression on my pallate. But most of the time it was balanced and, simply, delicious. No grassy flavor, which I liked. Definitely worth a try. Don't pack it too tightly and dry it out some, as usual.

This was a 1 oz sample I picked up direct from C&D as part of their wonderful sampler pack. Nice looking orange-ish wide ribbon cut of predominately virginias. Just a few specs of dark leaf in there, which is likely the Kentucky. Loads easily and smokes to the bottom without effort.

I've smoked a lot of virginia blends containing everything from lemon to red and in most of them the flavor of the lighter VA's is stronger. As I prefer the darker VA's, such blends are not often my favorites. This one is no exception, but I think the slight addition of Kentucky leaf keeps this one from going overboard on the light side. There is an orange-peel flavor as I taste in Orlik's Golden Sliced but it's not overwhelming. As in the Solani VA w/perique I recently smoked, the "odd man out" condiment is expertly applied and creates a very light citrus flavor coupled with some spiciness - just enough. The flavor of this was spot on for me, for when I want something refreshing. I found just a touch of complexity in this one, that being the darker flavors coming through at the match and then going AWOL until the middle of the bowl.

Three stars for this because of one problem - tongue bite. It didn't bite me like a dog but it did have a tendency to sizzle just a bit, enough to make me mildly uncomfortable and slow my puffing cadence down to a point I'm not used to. As I have convinced myself that tongue bite is neither the fault of the tobacco nor the smoker (unless he puffs furiously) but rather a simple chemical imbalance between the two, I don't feel the need to warn anyone. If you like lemon VA's with just a ligh touch of darkness, try this one out!

From Pease's website: "Several grades of wonderful flue-cured leaf, from soft yellow to deep red, are combined with just a touch of dark-fired Kentucky for a little added richness. A special process, recovered from ancient archives, provides the finishing touch to this wonderful blend. Naturally sweet, and possessing subtle complexity, Montgomery presents delightful new dimensions for the lover of sophisticated Virginia blends."

Appearance: This is a very brightly-colored blend, with the yellow predominating the color scheme. It's called a ribbon but it's cut in the quintessential Pease flaky-bits style common to many of his blends. There is a very tiny amount of dark leaf in there, methinks the "dark-fired Kentucky"?

Aroma: Delicious fresh-cut hay. Also a hint of raisin-like dried fruit smell. Very nice.

Pipe 1: Savinelli Author Pipe 2: Homemade bent billiard with a narrow chamber Pipe 3: GBD Rockroot billiard/pot

Flavor: For me, Montgomery seems very pipe-dependent. I started with the Author, and was very underwhelmed. But in the smaller chambered billiard it really delivered some great flavors. My wife said the room note smelled like burnt toast, a very good thing in my opinion since I'm the one always picking the out the burnt bacon, the burnt biscuits and the well-done toasted peanuts. The flavors were straightforward tobacco, leading me to believe there's very little casing if any. Makes me wonder what Greg means by "very special process recovered from ancient archives." Don't know it that's a physical process or a flavoring process, but all I taste it good ol' tobacco.

Thinking that I had discovered the key with the narrow chamber, I took a risk with the GBD, which has a big, wide-open chamber as wide as it is deep. I think this was the best pipe so far! No matter what type or cut of tobacco I smoke, I normally judge how firmly to pack it by the ease of the draw. I pack small pinches at a time, checking the draw after each pinch. With this tobacco, I packed it in hard and it still maintained an open draw, due to the cut and the dryness of the leaf. I packed the GBD to the rim and let it swell up as it took the fire. Then I didn't tamp at all for the first half hour. It burned flawlessly and full of flavor.

Pease's phrase "subtle complexity" is dead on. Neither monochrome nor complex, it offers some mild variations on the straight-ahead tobacco flavor as the bowl progresses. The fresh bread/burnt crust wafts in and out, trading places with the pure tobacco flavors. A very mild sweetness remains while a very slight tang keeps the flavor in balance.

I can't honestly say I detect the Kentucky leaf in there unless it's the slightly earthy character that lingers in the background. Overall, this is a great tobacco and I'm assuming it will age very gracefully. This tin is very fresh, tinned only two months ago, so I'll be interested in jarring it and trying it in six months. If anyone has experience with aged Montgomery please share! This and Laurel Heights are the only Pease blends other than Union Square that I would call a true Virginia, even though it has a bit of Kentucky in it.

I'm giving this an easy three stars, perhaps a bit more. Lately I've been reserving four stars for my desert island smokes. An excellent tobacco, sure to please Virginia fans wanting to try the Pease Virginia blends. I'm waiting anxiously for Greg to introduce more pure Virginias to his lineup!

My experience with Montgomery now is that it can be a pleasant smoke - if smoked in a narrow chamber that has been well-seasoned with the smoking of Virginia leaf (seems to fall flat for me in wider bores), in pleasant weather, with a very clear nose. My tin is now about 2 years old and I believe that helped. Smoked slowly, it yields a soft, subtle sweetness with malty, wheat-like notes. The Kentucky leaf is used very sparsely, and I wish there was more of it, as it lends much-needed depth when it does come through. Otherwise, smoking Montgomery is like listening to Charles Mingus with the bass turned all the way down. It is undoubtedly a thing of quality, but I feel there is something missing.

Maybe Montgomery is the most natural Virginia blend have ever tasted. Oh, I know Greg admits that a "natural" tobacco is something simply non-existing. So let me say that this is something smelling and tasting tobacco, nothing else. Just like the so-called Continental blends I often smoke. Just to talk of European-produced Virginia blends, the only comparison I can recall is with Old Gowrie. Just that Montgomery is even better.

It fills, lights and burns fine and dry. Absolutely cool with no bite at all. Flavours of cereals, hints of citrus and malt. Kentucky is used very sparingly, just to add a condimental ghost of earthy smokiness and a body. Very nice alternative to the VaPer's. Nevertheless we are in the mild territory, and like many Virginia blends it requires good smooking technique to perceive it's refined bouquet. I have learned that in long years, and pounds of FVF and others... a lifetime of patience. I have to say that Montgomery offers a "meaty" mildness, and after the mid bowl (this review is based on a XX bowled Castello, Liverpool shape - let's say like a Dunhill group 3 - seemed quite stupid to split the bowl in three small parts) the strength goes decidedly to the medium and the body is improving even fuller, the Ky layering its spicy flavours over the mature Va's base.

So, again with a Greg's blend, I'm experiencing an unusual shape of building of the elements. Very nice e very much recommended.

Hopefully I will add other GLP's.

When i open my tin i smell some fruit it comes from dark fired Kentucky, dominant to Va smell...Tin picture is ribbon cut red and golden Va. and dark fired Kentucky...

It's much too dry, crispy...And Greg told me it's not supposed to be that way...I think its mistake by C&D who manufacture and distribute G.L Pease...Also big leaf and leaf grain in it...I dont like tin presentation...Then its 3 star tobacco...

I like dry tobacco but this one is too much...Than easy to light and no need to relight...

Nicotine level is very good for Va...I like it...And taste balance is almost perfect...All day smoke...Sweat, tasty and creamy...

If solve some problem, this tobacco perfect for me ...

Ok, this makes no sense. Short story, my order of Westminster was switched out with Montgomery by mistake. In the end, this turned out to be a free tin of tobacco, so I shouldn't be complaining. But..

When I decided to crack the tin, I was underwhelmed. There was a grassy like odor emanating about (it's alright, I like that), the tobacco itself composed of blond strands with a spattering of dark leaf (I'm guessing the Kentucky falls in at less than five percent). The tobacco was uncharacteristically damp for a Pease blend, leading to packing, lighting and biting issues. The smoke was unexciting, to be blunt. Nothing terribly wrong here--good leaf, wonderful presentation. Just rather ordinary, which is not something I've come to expect of Pease.

I don't know. I guess I've grown accustomed to Virginias in flake form. It seems proper. The ribbon is straightforward, but with a small component of condimental leaf, it's hard to include a balanced amount in any one pinch that fills a bowl. Not that the Virginia in Montgomery depends upon the Kentucky...it's tasty enough on its own, but tame. The Fog City series is all about the Virginia, and that's exactly what this is, so I'd be a bit of a jackass to suggest something is missing (Syrian).

Now curious, I read the Briar and Leaf Chronicle on Montgomery. Greg stressed its potential for aging (very true), and defended himself against those who called the tobacco "green". Well, I didn't see any green tobacco, and I picked around in that tin for a few good minutes. It wasn't young, or sharp, in my estimation, though this blend was dated August, 2009.

Mr. Montgomery isn't all that bad. But I'm not sure I'd introduce him to my friends. They're horrible people.

Three of Five.

Definitely one of the best Virginias in GLPease line.

Like smoking spices with bright flavors, nothing dark or touching the low end of the spectrum here. If you are like me and like a spicy smoke but hate perique, you might be into this. Very simillar to cairo just minus the perique. This reminds me of a clove cigarette towards mid bowl.

Not my favorite but a nice change of pace on occasion. Good enough to reccomend, just not for everyone. That is a major point, this has an acquired taste so I reccomend trying a small tin or sample.

Nicotine is not too strong for a Va.