G. L. Pease - Laurel Heights pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 32 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
Xeneize	06/20/2010	Medium	None detected	Mild	Tolerable
This is one of the best Virginias blends on the market, and definitely the best from GLPease (I've been ageing a tin of Union Square that I haven't tried yet, so that might change, although I doubt it. Laurel Heights is that good). Most GLPease Virginias are high quality but I find them too mild, almost lacking taste. That is not the case with LH. Telegraph Hills is also tasteful, but this one is richer and darker. Not only the best Virginia from GLPease, but also the only one that I've given 4 stars.
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Marshall Law	04/30/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
A quality tobacco that lights and burns fine. Hints of citrus fruit noted; however...easily becomes harsh, can be angry on the tongue with almost no provocation...and..the overwhelming core of the experience is consistently an ashy bitterness in every puff. Smooth natural sweetness? Hell no, not from this cross weed. Sawdust and ash afertaste doesn't add to the experience either. It's not hard to find a far tastier VA. Pass.
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vaperfavour	08/25/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Very Pleasant
cracked a tin a month ago and i must say this is becoming terribly good, smooth, no bite, the latakia is still there and pops in and out of the smoke, great for when you just want to relax while puffing away. Three years has done this blend wonders. I did not like it when it first came out, so into the cellar it went. Three years latert, Presto! delicious. try aging this for a fine smoke, indeed!
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al1	01/03/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
If you like red Va then this is for you. I was pleasently surprised by the nice tin aroma. Smells like good Va tobacco and not vinegar. I used to really enjoy Mclelland #27 but this Pease blend is so much more refined and is ready to go out of the tin. Great for the much anticipated smoke break. If you have one of the peterson mini calabash pipes you need to put this in it. It gets you a quick nicotine fix even in that small dose. I find Greg's tin descriptions to be dead on. This one is no exception. Some criticize him for being too poetic, I see how one could be inspired from these tobacco's myself. I do detect the grapefruit undertones- or is it orange blossom. Not overly complex but not one dimensional either. The tobac also lights up easily and burns very well. I would reccomend this out of a 3/4" diameter bowl, or perhaps smaller. The nicotine is potent and uplifting. Not really an evening smoke for me but a good mid day one. Anyway I found something much more refined to satisfy my va cravings in this blend. This one is worth a shot for anyone who likes or loves rich red Va without the perique. I don't smoke this all the time but when I want something of the sort nothing else does it like this. I hate stoved Va- that kills the flavor and makes it bite, this is it's purest unstoved form. Aparently Greg has simillar tastes to my own and maybe thats why I find his blends so intriguing. At any rate the man knows his tobacco's. Another plus is that the tins are ALWAYS sent at the moisture level that is perfect for the smoking, and the tins are so full they could not possibly hold more. So I guess if you read this far you know I would reccomend this to a fellow brother of the pipe. Why risk a perfect chance to smoke on a less than perfect tobacco?
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DoctorThoss	12/04/2008	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
GL Pease sometimes takes some hits for the way he writes his tin descriptions. Without getting into a debate as to whether his style of floral prose is appropriate, I have to say that in this case it's completely accurate. I actually tasted "malt and grapefruit," as well as a lot of pure Virginia flavor. The latakia is applied very lightly here -- it's noticeable, but that's it. It butns fairly well and doesn't bite so long as you go slow and don't smoke consecutive bowls. I debated between giving this three or four stars and opted on the former. I don't reach for this often (mainly because I have a low threshold for VAs), but there are times when it hits the spot like nothing else does. If you like well-crafted, delicate VA blends, grab some of this.
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Laudante	07/21/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This one is a very good blend, but something prevents me of giving it four stars. I can´t find anything wrong with it (except perhaps a certain harshness on the throat), but I wouldn´t have it in my regular rotation either. It happens sometimes. Should age very well and one day I will buy some tins for that purpose.
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parker	04/19/2008	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
good tin description.smoke carefully to appreciate the taste and avoid bite.much better with a few months aging after opening the tin,i transfer mine to a mason jar. i don't think it is similar to any other pease virginia's apart from the obvious similarity of blends from the same type of leaf.if you really hate this you obviously don't like virginia tobacco.
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john doe	04/16/2008	Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
This stuff is dumbed down Embarcadero, with the added bonus that it's so incredibly dry right out of the tin you can pack it really, really tight and it'll still burn without a relight. If the sweet-tart thing gets your motor running, Embarcadero's where it's at. This stuff is harsh on the throat and nasty, nasty, nasty. Avoid.
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SirLoirn	12/28/2007	Strong	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Tin: With a mahogany hue, LH looks and smells like Montgomery, though less golden VA, a little less sweet and more wheat in character. The tobacco was just pliable, but not dry; and certainly not sticky. This is an all natural VA. Tin date: 081706 Packing & Lighting: One thing: it seemed to require several relights down the bowl, but develops almost no moisture in the shank or stem. Taste & Aroma: Similar to Montgomery, but not as good somehow. I think perhaps Montie is sweeter. I can see malt or roasted oats, but like the term wheat. LH is a bit flat, or one dimensional. As soft and mild as Montie is, LH is even more so; yes, creamy, but a little too soft. I could just about inhale LH, something I rarely do with tobacco. Nicotine: Oddly, compared to the very light creaminess of the taste and aroma, LH seems to be a notch higher in nicotine, mild to medium. This may be because of inhaling more second-hand smoke, due to the mildness. Subsequent bowls range up to strong, on average, rather strong. Overall: Having smoked Montgomery before LH, first impressions lingering, if I had to choose, I'd stick with Montie, though I'm not sure in a blind taste test I could tell much difference, discounting LH having more nicotine. 3.7 stars
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Alexander	11/23/2007	Strong	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I am not an experienced VA smoker so please take my opinion with a pinch of salt. I have found it very pleasant, strong in the sense it has lot of nicotine. Prefers smaller bowls (I use group 2 Pokers or little bamboo pipes for it because I would not stand to smoke more of it).Has a very pleasant natural sweetnes but "bites". Lights up and burns easily to the end leaving a dry clean bowl .Give it the right to burn in a clean good pipe. It takes me a while to finish a tin but an unopened one should always be in one my drawers. Just in case. Highly recommended to VA lovers and to all in a need for a good diversion from latakia loaded tobaccos.
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daidunno	11/06/2007	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I don't think that I can add to what others have said, so I will just say that I enjoyed this blend. I wish that for this, as well as some other blends, that there was a way to give it partial stars, as I think that this is a bit better than just recommended, but I cannot quite give it four stars. Update on 5 November 2007: After smoking this once in a while, but lately more often than not, I have to update to 4 stars. It is great when you're in the mood for it. It's equally good in small through large bowled pipes, but gets very intensely flavored, and strong nicotine-wise, in larger bowls halfway down or so, even more so than many blends. Great in any sized bowl, depending on your preference or mood.
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billb3	10/19/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Very Pleasant
Not too much to add really. See the most favourable reviews. For a while I thought Pease didn't know his way around a virginia. this series proves me wrong. Nice easy burning, easy packing ribbon cut. Great tobacco. Rich, sweet, complex. The latakia supports the virginia and adds a bit of depth and cmplexity. This is GGGGGGGGreat.
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wosbald	10/12/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
The tin aroma is nutty and sweet red virginias, behind which slight amounts of latakia is noticeable. The wide ribbon cut allows for an easy pack and a quick light. The red virginia is subtle and deep, though not aggressive. The latakia lends a distinct background note and adds solidity and presence. Unassuming, yet elegant, this is a charming, nuanced blend. Aging is highly recommended. This was best in a narrow to medium gauge chamber.
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tacoeatingzebra	04/25/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Just finished my first can of Laurel Heights. I've been smoking it from a Don Carlos two note bent bulldog. In fact, I broke this pipe in with LH. On another online pipe forum, I saw someone joking that GL Pease should give free tins to anyone who detects the flavor hints that he indicates on the tin, well, recently upon having a big fat bowl of this stuff, I TASTED THE HINT OF GRAPEFRUIT! I was so excited that I told my wife and naturally, she looked at me funny. This is a rich, yet simple blend. It is a little plainer than the English/Balkans I generally favor. Perhaps my tastes are skewed for this reason, because though I can see tiny flecks of latakia here and there-- I mean it's like the dash of tabasco I always add to my famed spaghetti sauce-- I can sense its presence more than I can taste or smell it. It's simply there to wake up the flavors. Kudos to GLP for once again blending a wonderful pipe tobacco.
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Talonr1701	01/03/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
The blend is very much true to the tin description. It really has become one of my favorite Virginia smokes. From Char light to finish, you get a mélange of tastes from malt to citrus, with nary a nip or touch of bitter. Not a sweet blend, it?s a wonderful testimate that Greg Pease knows his Virginias as well as his Perique. Mild to med in Strength, I?ve had it in a small Bulldog to a large Meer and it behaves no matter what you throw it in. Over all a great companionable smoke. Can?t go wrong. P.S. "If" there is Latakia in this, It's in the same proportion I like vermuth in my Martini's....Just walk the vodka glass by the Vermuth bottle, and hand it over.... Cheers!
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tonyg	11/10/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
GL Pease is arguably the best blender today. I now have seven of his blends in my rotation and at least one of his tins open at all times. Having said that, I must concur with Mainspring's assessment of this quality blend.
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Ben Rich	10/09/2006	Mild	None detected	Full	Very Pleasant
This is my "reading" smokes - what I like to smoke while sitting back and reading one of Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubry and Stephen Maturin sea novels. LH packs very easy and tamps down with a springiness to it before lighting. Obviously quality tabacco - wondeful fresh smell while still in the tin. On lighting, the initial taste for me is slightly bitter and slightly "woody". Perhaps the woody taste is GL Pease's term for "peat"; nevetheless, it is very satisfying. As the smoke developes, the bitterness (which is somewhat akin to bitter beer hops) disappears and the smooth natural virginia flavors kick in. This is an excellent tobacco and I believe it would be ideal for breaking in a new pipe. It doesn't burn too hot, it remains lit without constant puffing, burns perfectly evenly throughout and finishes with a fine whitish ash - and its flavor is fantastic. I have several tins stockpiled and will order more. I highly recommend this tobacco.
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SparkleMotion	09/15/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is a dangerous tobacco- it has to be smoked very very slowly or it can easily become harsh. In a large pipe smoked slowly its quite good.
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mainspring	07/27/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
As much as I have tried to enjoy Laurel Heights, I just don't seem to be able to. It isn't the quality of the tobacco because it is obviously top shelf. My taste buds are to blame. To me it is a harsh and hot smoke. The moisture in the tin seems to be just right. From the charring light to the last shred in the bowl, it just doesn't give me any enjoyment. Maybe some aging will change my rating.
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Wetheel	07/15/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Laurel Heights made me feel like a rich man. Not every pipeful, and not all the way through the tin, but in two or three smokes it just pushed the right buttons. The strong top note in the aroma is almost floral, the smoke feels and tastes good in the mouth, and the support in the middle is (not a word I like to use) perfect. The bottom notes are well in the background. This is simply a brilliant blend. Two things I'll do differently next time: look for a discount, and don't scrabble around in the jar to get the last bits. The Latakia crumbles more than the Virginias, and at the bottom of the container the balance of the blend comes unstuck. But hey, a rich man can afford to throw out a teaspoonful of tobacco.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 32 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >