G. L. Pease - Kensington pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 30 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Marshall Law	04/30/2010	Mild	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
I did not find this to be a well-balanced blend. Good flavor, good burning qualities, but the various elements of the smoke experience come too strongly to the forefront on occasion, to the extent it is distraction. Samarra takes it over this blend all day long. Kensington also lacks smoothness and has a tendency to occasionally spike up and bite. This will not work its way into my rotation.
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Michael	04/01/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Kensington is an excellent Medium Balkan, another classic by Greg. If I had to build an ideal blend from the ground up, this would be it. To me, it represents what Squadron Leader, Old Dublin, Solani 779 and other popular UK and EU medium Balkans could have been, because it provides harmonious, intermingled layers of sweet, smoky and earthy flavors where the others fall short in one way or another or impart an artificiality. The Virginias and Oriental sing in this one, delivering a virtuoso performance with complexity and refinement. The Latakia is perfectly proportioned, delivering enough smokiness to balance everything out. I enjoy this category of tobacco mixtures best -- and Kensington is a front runner. Some of the reviewers have complained that it doesn't contain enough Latakia, but the label description clearly explains that it's "a Balkan-style blend with restraint" that is "not quite as full due to a more delicate hand with the Latakia." Exactly. If you want a bit more Cyprian weed, try Charing Cross, which is arguably the best Balkan on the market today.
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MDP	02/13/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
Kensington smells wonderful in the tin and burns like a premium tobacco should, but we find ourselves incompatible. It bites me from the first to last puff, regardless of careful counter measures. It is also more bitter than I prefer.
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sagesmoke	01/22/2010	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

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Xeneize	09/30/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
A rich, sweet and solid Balkan. Almost an English, with dominance of Virginias and a perfect balance between Orientals and Latakia. I'd say Kensington is midway between Samarra and Charring Cross, being those three my current Latakia favorites.
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CPT/VSG	07/26/2009	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Kensington comes in a rather rough ribbon cut which indicates a large bowl for best burning quality and to open up the flavor. I tend to smoke it in one of two GBD Calabashs I have and it does best in that large bowl format. Because of the thickness of the ribbon it can need a more frequent than normal re-light but burns down to a light gray dry ash. It is a cool smoke, though. The tin description is accurate--a Balkan with restraint. In other words, a light Balkan that brings out the blend of flavors of the bright and red Virginias with the Orientals. The Latakia is not pronounced. In all, a fine Pease effort, well balanced and flavorful. A good tobacco for someone wanting a Balkan that is not overly complex yet satisfying. Three stars. My tasting was a tin from 10/27/05. Some aging benefits this tobacco.
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jankoez	12/27/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is very dry tobacco... And to mild with Oriental/Balkan tobacco. I expected more of this blend - it is not even close to quality of Westminster.
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fmichaelnv	11/26/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
While I mourned the demise of Dunhill pipe tobacco, I decided to look at the bright side: the excitement of exploring other tobaccos. I was quite loyal to this brand and rarely ventured into new tobaccos. My basic rotation consisted of Dunhill's EMP, Standard Mixture (med.), #965 and occasionally Nightcap. I also would frequent some nice oriental and virginia blends from McClelland... and still do. After some disappointing experiences with some of Rattray's blends and other English/Balkan brands, a dear friend recommended G.L. Pease tobaccos. I purchased Piccadilly, Kensington and Charing Cross: in a word, "Wow!" These tobaccos are absolutely fabulous! They have completely replaced my love of Dunhill tobaccos; and are now ensconced in my rotation. Kensington has taken the place of EMP and Standard Mixture. It can be smoked at any time of the day. With my morning coffee or Earl Grey tea, I often reach for Kensington or Piccadilly. The orientals and virginias are in the foreground and the latakia is subtly in the background. This blend can be smoked in any size pipe with equal satisfaction. The first half of the bowl is tantalizingly good and sets the stage for a fantastic finish. The second half of the bowl is pure wonder! Each time I finish I always look forward to my next pipeful. This blend has become my pipe tobacco anchor. When I desire the pepperiness of perique I turn to Piccadilly; and when the time calls for more latakia, I reach for Charing Cross. Currently, these three blends meet about 85% of my tobacco needs. The other 15% I'm pleased to say I'm still exploring to fill.
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al1	11/25/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I enjoy the complexity of this blend. Well balanced and flavorful. Like the label says- not ponderous. The flavors are easily recognizeable and work together very well. One of those blends where everything complements the other components nicely. The taste is very much a light balkan after you get it going. The smoke is heavy and thick like a balkan should be however. I don't really notice the latakia's smokiness a lot until at least half bowl- It is there in a supporting role mostly. The flavor develops nicely and finishes good as well. This is good for the times abdingdon and caravan are just too much. So I consider this a good daytime smoke or when you want something just a little different. The presentation and moisture are great also. Almost dry. I have found that it goes well in a savinelli 104 for me. Some of you think thats a small pipe fot this I'm sure. It does run all the bases for me. I reccomend this to a balkan fan wanting something to get them through the day or for when something that is not overpowering is desired. Really it is good anytime for me. Definitley will be ordeing more in bigger tins. Be warned however this tobacco is highly addictive(I mean that in a nice way as I love the devil leaf) and withdrawl can be unpleasent. Seriously, not having this leads to irritability, frustration, longing for more, and finally a call to c&d to get more. Update: Still 4 stars but I now prefer Charing Cross over this. Kensington has a bit more sweetness than I would prefer but it is a very well done blend.
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Eric Cioe	05/18/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Short story - Kensington has become one of my favorite blends. It's a good blend that becomes great with age and one that could be smoked all day long. Four of four. Longer story - My first tin of this is from the middle of 2003, so it's nearly five years old. That's the basis of this review. Kensington's label is pretty much accurate - a Balkan blend with restraint. For me, latakia blends tend to fall on a spectrum of sweet to smoky, with something like Maltese Falcon or Odyssey on the sweet end and something like Abingdon or Charing Cross on the smokier end. This tends towards smoky, but not so much as Charing Cross. I kind of view Kensington as Charing Cross Light - good flavor but not quite as big, and maybe a bit more complex. Anyway, I found a few of the old tall tins of this stuff at Iwan Ries a while ago and bought two of them though I had never smoked it before. I cracked the first one and am just now finishing it. This is an all day sort of Balkan-light blend, comparable to Ashbury but a bit bigger. You could say that this is the result of Ashbury and Charing Cross being mixed together. Shoot, between those three blends, my latakia needs would be mostly covered. Kensington occupies the middle ground without being boring, has enough flavor to matter but not enough to overpower like Charing Cross can, burns well, and has those beautiful small-cut leaves that burn so well. I've had a few bowls of fresher Kensington, too, and it's quite good. But with a bit of age, it starts to meld together really well. I've been buying old tins of this when I find them and this is one blend that I plan to have a built-up stock of old tins, because it is that good. If you're looking for a milder Balkan, look no further than Kensington. This is about as good as it gets. Highly, highly recommended.
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SirLoirn	02/25/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Tin: Looks like Piccadilly, also of the Classic Collection, having a familiar, overall light mahogany hue. While Piccadilly was dry, Kensington is at least so. Medium, somewhat irregular ribbon cut. Kensington displays a balance between smoky Latakia and spicy, perfumy orientals, presenting a mild, mellow smoky oriental scent. Packing & Lighting: Seemed easy to overpack. Being dry, it lit readily. Taste & Aroma: Nice, soft and smooth, to start off, but included a slightly annoying tangy zest on the tongue. After this, it continues a nice presentation, a soft interplay between smoky oriental perfume and VA oats, a well-arranged bouquet of orientals and VA's. This seemed to be elicited more favorably in a large meerschaum. Being mild, Kensington keeps me busy concentrating on trying to elicit more of this aroma. Nicotine: Mild to medium. Room Note: Medium. A pleasant VA afterthought until multiple bowls are smoked back-to-back leaving a cigarette odor. Overall: Kensington has a signature taste and aroma akin to other GLP offerings. 3.8 stars. Based simply on types of tobacco, this Classic Collection tobacco should be compared to Ashbury of the Fog City Selection, Ashbury having a more light oriental quality. Other GL Pease offerings in this genre are Charing Cross and Caravan, out of the Classic Collection and Original Mixtures, respectively.
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Lochinvar	11/24/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Very good tobacco, as are all of the Pease offerings.. IT does not puppoet to be, nor is it, a classic Balkan. I find it somewhere between over the top English and true Balkan. Maybe an all day English blend for one of us strapping Scots. It lacks some of the sour taste I expect from a Balkan, and is not so spicy. The latakia seems to be of good quality, and the blend is well behaved and tasty throughout the bowl. Don't complain that it is too weak, the tin tells you that. A good blend for when you want Balkan taste, but you have already blasted yourself into shellshock with one of the the GLP or Comptons Super Balkans.
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wosbald	10/12/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This is a review of a 3 year old tin. The tin aroma is dominated by the orientals, supplemented by moderate portions of latakia. There are goodly amounts of virginia here also. The medium-wide, long ribbons pack and light with ease. The flavors follow the tin description. No surprises here. A surprisingly sweet balkan with good oriental character and a dusting of latakia. A well-orchestrated composition, this is a fine blend made with quality ingredients and thoughtful blending. Aging is recommended. This seemed to go best in narrow to medium gauge chambers.
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bigdummy	09/25/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
I have to admit that this one had to grow on me. I initially popped the lid on this tin last spring (early spring, when Balkans are still tasty) and the tin has an October '06 date on it (I think - me eyes aren't what they used to be). I was completely underwhelmed at the time - Restrained?, uhhh... no. Absent was more like it. Tasted green, hot and well... kinda just smoke-less - nope, save it for later. Well... 6 months goes by with the lid on but tucked safely away in my desk drawer-ador. Last weekend we had a little weather here in SoCal (such as it ever is) and it got chilly enough that thoughts of Balkans and lucious, smokey Latakia came bursting into my VaPer-ized summer thoughts. I happened across the tin of Kensington slumbering in my collection and decided to give it another go. What a complete revelation! I packed my trusty old Castello 33 with a goodly pinch and fired 'er up. I finally got it... this IS a Balkan with restraint - dunno what I was tasting the first time, but I have since gone through half my original tin and I'm gonna bust down Sykes' door this Friday with an order for a few more tins. It's smokey, yeah, but not Pirate Kake by any means - and the orange blossom thing is right on the money. Sweet, smokey and Virginney and... OMG!... gotta go - I have a big Croci just waiting it's turn... I'm givin' this 3 stars because I had to wait 6 months for it to turn into something - but WOW! What a something!
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Talonr1701	08/27/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
If your a Latakia Drip Lover- Read no further..... This is for you smokers out there who, Like me, like a balanced tasteful, easy on the latakia mix. I went out for my Birthday to Bruce's Pipe shop in Ashville (which by the way is a wonderful place) and found a tin of Kensington from early 04. That in itself should have been enough to inspire me, but I had recently been pointed toward this blend by the Dark One, who knows of my sensitivity toward heavy englishes- as a possible smoke of interest. On popping the tin I immediatly got the smell of fermenting virginias- Like canned fruit....Glorious...I packed a bowl in a KW Shell Poker and away I went. The Charlight was an immediate taste of sweetness....spiced figs sitting around a Cedar fire at night.....The burn quality was perfect right out of the tin....Tamp and more sweetness....This is what its about.....This just hit my rotation like Muhamad Ali in his prime on RedBull.....This is like sipping a fine port....Sweet and rich....To the bottom of the bowl its magnificent. It never got bitter or dirty toward the bottom, and just ash and a dry bowl were the remnants. Just prior to this- I cleaned Smoking pipes out of their 2 oz tins. I can't recommend this enough. The word restraint in the description I think was a poor choice. The only restraint I see is a light hand at the smokey stuff- And thats not a bad thing for some of us.
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RMBittner	04/09/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Kensington is billed as a "restrained Balkan." For my palate, it's actually too restrained in the orientals and latakia -- and those are the two ingredients that are essential for a good Balkan, to my mind. I've also found that, regardless of the pipe, it tends toward heat in the bowl (though, I must say, never on the tongue). (My tin was dated 2003; it was opened and smoked in 2007.) As a result, Kensington never reaches the level of oriental/latakia creaminess that I've come to associate with other Pease Balkans. For a Balkan, I'd like the orientals and latakia to shine more; for a medium-strength English, I'd like it to burn cooler in the bowl and highlight the latakia more. In the end, it just didn't end up hitting the right notes for me. If I want a lighter-weight Balkan from GLP (and I tend to love GLP blends), I'll still reach for Charing Cross, where the orientals are more forward, more acrid. If I want a lighter-weight English. . . well, I have a feeling that I actually like my Englishes to veer more toward the other end of the scale in terms of both strength and complexity. Of course, that's just my take. Although I wouldn't point anyone to Kensington as representative of a Balkan, it might just work as a lighter English for those enjoy lighter English blends. . . and who either don't mind the hot pipe or can figure out a way to avoid it.
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dualkarnain	09/21/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
Charing Cross is one of the few blends I've 4-starred on this site; Kensington is a great morning/day trip to the himalayas of pipe happiness prior to the nighttime sojourn to the raucous scorched-tongue. The sweetness and accessibility of this blend is great. No complaints. Recommended. Evoked images include an undead army drumming and marching through lush tropical jungles.
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Jason S. Rundle	06/07/2006	Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant
After a few bowls I must admin I didn't change my rotation, but each time I smoke it, it gives me a satisfying, smooth pleasant smoke, and actually it isn't bland at all, which is what I initially expected. It simply hasn't the over whelming, heavy taste one would expect from a Balkan. It burns the tongue a little if you puff too aggressivly, which I attribute to the Virginias, but much less than other blends of similiar nature.
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Brutos	01/22/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I got this tobacco by mistake from an order I placed. At first I was unimpressed, partly because it wasn't what I ordered and partly from a rather pungent aroma on first light; rather musty like damp, cut grass in a compost pile. After a few bowls I found I liked the brightness of the orientals present and the refreshing quality of a clean, medium weight Balkan with a nice aroma, like a complex blend of exotic spices. My usuals are Odyssey, Charing Cross, Abingdon, Penzance and Squadron Leader. Kensington creates an enticing aroma with a moderate Latakia balance. Clean burning, spicy, refreshing and never overpowering. I alternate this along with Wellauer's English Blend when I want Balkan flavor and complexity in an all day smoke. As with most Pease blends, it comes a little dry in the tin and really improves within a few weeks after opening. This blend really stimulates and wakes up the senses and burns well all the way down to a fine, gray ash.
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Meerschaum Man	12/24/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
As yet another balkan variant, this thoughtful blending of leaves burns easily, leaving a fragrant signature that hints of both the balance and complexity revealed by the rituals of the smoke. No heavy presence here but instead, a wonderfully light essence that does not portend to be some rigid attempt at perfection, but demonstrates a more lively spirit. A slow approach is recommended as this proper presentation of earthly delight is not to be rushed. In the symphony of balkan blends, this is the flute - always light and airy while displaying full range of discourse. I've no problem in recommendation without reservation to anyone wishing to enjoy more of the balkan dynamic experience. Meerschaum Man Smoking a Fischer Meerschaum
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 30 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >