G. L. Pease - Renaissance pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 42 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
sagesmoke	01/22/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

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Pipestud	06/28/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Very Pleasant
A symphony of harmonious leaf combine to make this truly a unique and remarkable smoking experience for those who like Oriental leaf in combination with both kinds of Latakia and a smattering of quality Virginia. A light English? Not really; it is so much more than that. And, of course, with the loss of the Syrian Latakia which led to the hiatus of this blend, I miss it terribly. If you can find a tin of the original and want a smoking experience that goes beyond the norm, put Renaissance in your pipe and prepare for an adventure that may never be repeated.
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UncleGar	12/16/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Update three years later..... The obnoxious greenness has indeed abated; I now pronounce it cured. It may have completed its journey after only two years in the can. I forgot I had an open tin until recently. I owed Greg this update, but not an apology- it really was initially nasty. Do I like it? Well... Yes, the tin I smoke from is quite adequate, damn good even, but having been opened in 2005, it has lost its subtle graces. The closest I can compare it to is Squadron Leader, a favorite of mine. I'm too cheap to crack open a fresh tin due to its appreciation on the open market; my tins will become gifts instead to a few pipe snobs who have taught me much. From 2005: I hate to keep pissing on GLP blends, especially this one, his only 4-star (with more than 5 reviews) as of this writing. From the ingredients, it ought to be my favorite. I enjoy the smoky phenolic tin aroma and virtually every characteristic about it... but the flavor. All I can taste is harsh latakia with an undertone of coarse steel wool. Extremely dry, ammoniacal and green, like uncured tobacco, like drying latex paint. Orientals? Can't taste any. My (second) tin is now six months old, and I'm praying for a mellowing effect with age. Raven's Wing started the same way, but became smokeable after a year, and very nicely so. This may be a bad lot or it may be my body chemistry. Why similar C&D blends with similar (same?)leaves don't share this quality is a mystery. I cannot recommend what I dislike, but will give it two stars, borrowing one from a hopefully better update in December. I use the term "green" as a euphemism for harsh, raw, astringent and noxious. I've grown tobacco and unfortunately recognize greenness when I taste it. This has it.
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Bent Stem	12/10/2008	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
My review is from a 9 year old tin dated Jan. 2000 that was recently opened and put into a mason jar. The appearance in the tin is an overall medium to dark brown with very few lighter brown flecks throughout. The moisture upon opening the tin was nearly perfect. After a few bowls I noticed a shiny black piece inside that upon closer inspection turned out to be a small piece of nylon twine about an inch-and-a-half long that had apparently been processed with my batch. I wonder if that had anything to do with my initial dislike of it? Anyhow, the more I smoke of it the more it?s growing on me. Very smooth and mellow and a pleasant smoky/sweet/slightly spicy taste. It?s definitely different than anything else I?ve tried so far. For all it?s smoothness it still gives me a faint warning of tongue bite when I smoke it the slightest bit quickly; although I haven?t actually gotten tongue bite nor am not certain it would actually occur; it?s just the sensation I get on my tongue when puffing moderately. I don?t get this tongue sensation when smoking any other blends aside from aromatics and then it usually ends up actually burning my tongue, but this doesn?t. I hope that makes sense, maybe it?s just my body chemistry? Actually this ?warning? is kind of good because it serves as a reminder to slow it down and take in this wonderful smoke! I would give it a 8.5 out of 10 but since my only minor complaint is probably a unique, personal one I?ll give this rare classic its due. Highly recommended! If you get a chance, try it!
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BriarChef	07/29/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Tin put into bail-top jar dated 5/02. The Master of Latakia hits it again, Dead On. This is Oriental tobacco at its finest, with the Latakia and Virginias playing their important, but subdued, roles with elegance and grace. Damn I miss Syrian Latakia! A tobacco tapestry...NOT an Oriental rug. I get notes of toasted Irish oats, butter, brown sugar, smoke, sourdough bread, cherrywood campfires, bacon and Hoisin. This is not a flavor bomb. Best to smoke while paying attention to smoking. Very relaxing and meditative. If you hoover this one, you're wasting time and excellent tobacco. Many try. Few succeed. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Masterful accomplishment with simple ingredients.
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RMBittner	02/21/2008	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
At the risk of offering a superfluous review, I'll just throw in my two cents on this discontinued blend, since tins are still to be found on eBay and in private cellars. I'm currently smoking a tin from 2004, and it is a fantastic combination of incense-like Syrian latakia (from a truly memorable vintage), delicious Cyprian, and a delightful balance of Virginias and orientals. Among the Pease range of discontinued Syrians, Renaissance is tied for second place with Bohemian Scandal (to my palate), behind #1 Raven's Wing. Only you can decide if it's worth $50/tin (or whatever it'll be going for on eBay when you read this), but since that breaks down to only about $2.50 per 45-minute bowlful, I can't imagine passing up the chance to experience this.
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calavera	04/22/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
I had a tin of this that I had acquired before the notorious fire that caused the loss of the Syrian latakia. I had it sitting on the shelf, because I had not gotten to it yet. All of a sudden, tins are going for fifty dollars on ebay. It was mighty tempting to list this one. I did not. I was looking for something special to celebrate passing the RS/REHS certification (an environmental health certification that involves a 250 question test that covers everything under the sun- nasty). I pulled down the tin of Renaissance. Upon opening, I was presented with a very nice smoky, latakia aroma. The cut was very attractive. Loaded a pipe, and put it to flame. It was too wet, and was hard to keep lit, but seemed to taste good. I let the tin dry, and have worked my way about halfway through it. It is good, but does not seem to have all the nuance and the slight sweetness that Samarra does. I will gladly smoke my way throught the tin, but I wish that I had sold it and bought five tins of Samarra instead.
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Collezionista	10/07/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Renaissance is by far the smoothest English blend I've ever tried. Subtlties abound in its mingling set of very well balanced flavors. The room note and even the taste remind me a lot of the incense used in Catholic masses at the abbey near my childhood home. With all this going for it, this should be one of my favorites but for some reason it isn't. It's simply too light an English to fit into my regular rotation. I like blends that send a wave of orientals and/or Latakia washing across the palate. Call me a simpleton, but I prefer Squadron Leader or a good Balkan (like GLP's Charing Cross, actually). Nevertheless, I keep a can of Renaissance around for the occasional after-dinner smoke, when I feel like concentrating on the hidden treasures to be found in this exceptionally well made blend.
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Methos	09/01/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
One of the first tobaccos that I tried after I started smoking a pipe a few years ago. I wanted to try a Latakia blend before I went for a full English mixture and I wasn't disappointed. I loved this tobacco from the moment that I opened the can. The flavor was so complex, but yet, not overpowering, and the flavor was close to the description on the can. The good news is, this is one of the best tobaccos that I have had to this day. The bad news is, the G.L. Pease factory that the Syrian Latakia (used to make this blend) was housed in burned to the ground, so they are not making this blend, indefinitely. It will always be a true classic in my mind, and I hope to have another tin of it in the future, if it is produced again.
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Ebola	06/24/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is an excellent English Blend. It packs easily and lights with minimal effort. The latakia is the main attraction but this is perhaps the most balanced; smooth blend I have encountered. There is a harmony of flavors which start out bright and get darker towards the bottom of the bowl, however nothing "takes over" and all elements are present and in balance throughout. It burns clean and dry and never gets harsh. I love this blend and highly recommend it to those looking for a near-perfect English.
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Thatcher	01/19/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
This or Robert Lewis? Tree Mix (which Renaissance seems to me to resemble greatly) would probably be my desert island blend. A rich, smooth, excellent blend. Another instant classic from Pease, truly deserving of all the high accolades received from previous reviewers. I won?t try to add to their descriptions of this fine blend. I will only note how remarkably well this blend burns, even by Pease standards. I generally take it as a good sign if you are smoking a blend and suddenly start bringing in ash because every last shred of tobacco has been consumed. No gooey dollop of dottle at the bottom of the bowl with this fine blend. Excellent in every way.
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Lbarraa	01/02/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
Don`t you have five stars in this ranking? This is one of my favorites english blends, may be the best together with Bohemian Scandal, My Mixture 965 and Nigthcup. The aroma of the tobacco in the tin remembers me higos, nuts and grass. The blends is easy burning, a litle agressive with the people around. The taste is just great, all you can wait for a english blend, a perfect balance betwen the orientals, latakias (cyprian and Syrian)and the virginias. Is my favorite Dark Lord`s (AKA GL Pease) english blend! You must try this wonderfull tobacco
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The Cellarmaster	12/18/2004	Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant
A full flavored English blend, carfully blended where one component will not overpower another. The texture of the smoke is creamy and full, the flavor as discribed on the tin is nutty with a good balance of spice. Overall a well balanced English smoke, great for anytime during day or night.
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thedigger	09/11/2004	Strong	None detected	Full	Overwhelming
I didn't get very excited by this one. I can't add more than the tin description says (it is a "classic English blend") except that it is a bit richer and thicker than I expected; definetly an extra-full flavored blend. If you like English blends, this one is worth a try. I thought it to be clean and to smoke well but it didn't really excite me enough to stock my cellar with it. It is a good tobacco (as usual for a Pease), it just dosen't suit my usual cravings.
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Esoxhunter	09/04/2004	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
September 2004 Mr. Pease has outdone himself with this blend. So much has already been said abour Renaissance, so all I will add is this: although my palate is not as accomplished and sensitive as some of the other reviewers, it was immediately clear to me after a bowl of Renaissance that this is the most well designed traditional English blend of the dozen or so top names that I have tried. It's obvious that Mr. Pease cares a lot about his craft, and the results show. Kudos!
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Beer	08/31/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
My fourth experience with GLPease blends, or "I thought I would hate this tobacco, and ended up liking it". Why did I expect to hate it? Simple, because so far I have had bad experiences with light/medium English mixtures: I simply can't find anything of interest in stuff like Celebrated Sovereign, for example. When I think of English, I want something full and latakia laden!!! So my fears were understandable: opening the can, I was welcomed with a blend that looked and smelled very similar to Celebrated Sovereign, with an amount of lighter coloured leaf quite too high for my taste. And the aroma? My nose could detect just a whiff of smell, and almost nothing of the deep smokiness that I immediately associate with Latakia. The tobacco was finely cut and rather pressed, and I took some ribbons to fill my Le Nuvole, a pipe exclusively dedicated to English mixtures. I lit, very easily, and I began to kneel sending virtual apologies to Mr. Pease... After a few puffs, I had already understood that this is the ultimate English blend for me, a symphony of taste that almost equals London Mixture by Dunhill, but less powerful and nauseating. This is the proof that a perfect EM does not have to rely on latakia only, but that the secret of a perfect full taste lies in a careful balance of the components: just the right dose of Virginias (too many of the and you get the sweetish Standard Mixture Medium), the right dose of Orientals (too many and you get Durbar, which I find a bit harsh and "empty", too little and you get something boring like Celebrated Sovereign) and the right dose of Latakia (too much and you get something delicious, but not as complex and refined like Renaissance). From top to bottom of the bowl the taste is always great, strong but not overwhelming, an experience in which all the tobaccos complement each other without ever dominating: only a slight harshness emerges here and there and makes this tobacco fall slightly short of the four stars mark (another reason for this fall from perfection is that I found that it quickly loses taste a very few days after the tin has been opened). Many different nuances emerge from time to time, adding even more interest. No relightings (if you pack correctly), no fuss, and at the end you have a dry light grey ash. Very often I find myself craving for another bowl after the first one, which is very uncommon for me. Mephisto and Odyssey seem to contain more Latakia, but Renaissance for me has a taste which is fuller, more complete (this is not meant to say that the other two are bad, mind me!): probably it is also due to the nice and rare interplay of Cyprian and Syrian Latakia (while other English mixtures only rely on one of the two), probably it's just a touch of Greg's wizardry... Who cares? What matters is that I love this tobacco, and I hope that one day it will be imported officially here in Europe, too!!!
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Paladin1940	07/20/2004	Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant
This is my first review for this site. Having read several raves about Renaissance, it was the first of the GLPease blends I decided to try, and it turned out to be terrific. I recently switched from cigars to pipes after many years of abstinance. I did a great deal of research, and doing so has enabled me to enjoy a pipe MUCH more now, that when I was younger, and always in a rush. I decide to try this pipeful in the morning, with coffee on my patio, and it was ooutstanding! The aroma of the latakia was clearly present, and since I had been smoking mild aromatics, to begin, wasn't sure how it would taste. I found it mild but rich, with a very satisfying flavors, particularly in the back of my throat. It stayed that way through the entire pipe, and burned to a clean white ash. I used a Prince style, older Ascorti KS, which tends to get warm if I smoke too fast, but it worked very well for this experience. This will become a regular in my tobacco rotation, but I have not yet decided on "the" tobacco, if such ever comes to pass. My wife liked the aroma, and commented on the "richness" when she walked onto the patio. Definitely a winner, as far as I am concerned.
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CaptnDan	05/14/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
When I saw that Renaissance was rated higher than my favorite (Raven?s Wing) with roughly the same number of reviews, I got excited. Wow! Better than RW?!? I was really anxious to start smoking Renaissance. Looking at it, the hand of Greg Pease is readily evident. He just doesn?t make unattractive tobacco. The colors range from bright to black, and everything in between. The mid-tones dominate. The aroma is definitely Latakia and Oriental. Packing was pretty easy, and lighting went better than I expected ? the leaf seemed a tad bit damp to me. I needn?t have worried. It burned very well, even in a deep narrow Bjarne. The tapered bottom of the bowl didn?t even keep Renaissance from burning down to a fine ash. In other bowl shapes, the tobac performed even better. Renaissance is a very complex tobacco. It took me a few days just to get a handle on it. Every time I thought I had it nailed, it threw me another curve. The Oriental used is first-rate, and has a nice well-rounded flavor. The Va component rounds out the blend with very interesting high notes, while the Latakia takes care of the lower end. But the main focus of Renaissance isn?t either of those, this one is all about the Oriental. You will find the full gamut of flavors here, from woodsy and leathery, to the sweet-tang of the Va. But at no time do the Va?s or the Latakia ever upstage the Oriental. I enjoyed the multi-layered complexity ? the Syrian and Cyprian, and Va?s intermingling amongst themselves while at the same time dancing with the Orientals. Renaissance is a truly wonderful tobacco. If you haven?t tried it, you should. You won?t be sorry. For its ingenious complexity and outstanding flavor and quality, I have no choice but to give it 4 stars. I?ll have it in my rotation. Is it better than Raven's Wing? Nope.
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pipenewbie	05/10/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
A very nice tobacco. I don't know if I can call it an all day smoke because its richness builds on you, but surely it would be welcome for a good portion of the day. I cannot really detect the orientals, but the latakia comes through when sampling the bag aroma and also during initial lightup. It has less latakia and orientals than my beloved British Woods, but that is not a bad thing. BW is superb, but it can be heavy. Renaissance is markedly lighter without being flat and is therefore an excellent alternative. (If British Woods is my coffee then Renaissance is my tea). Also as the weather gets warmer, I have noticed BW seems almost too heavy whereas Renaissance is almost perfect for spring temperatures. The room note of Renaissance doesn't sit too well with the wife, but when outside it is somewhat complimentary. I smoked it during the Super Bowl and got evil looks from my wife and daughters. However during Easter, smoking on the deck, they gave it a "not too bad". It does smoke very dry. Before you know it, it is almost gone from your bowl. All throughout the bowl, Renaissance does not misbehave. As a newbie, a FNG, to pipe smoking--if this is what is meant by an English blend--I will be smoking English for a long time to come.
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bigblends	04/22/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
I picked up my first tin of Renaissance more than a month ago -- stamped 01 13 04. Fantastic aroma in the can! After dumping it out on a tray to have a look at my first Pease blend, I was pleased to see some fine tobac in there. It's an attractive mixture for sure. Dunhill 965 is my standby, so I tend to compare everything else to it by default. Renaissance has a more tangy scent and, in certain spots, a less homogenous cut. But that's no problem. I also found a bit more powdery tobacco settled in the bottom of the Pease can than I would have liked, but I discovered that adding a pinch or two of the powdery stuff to each bowl actually enhanced the overall burn. No big deal, really. Renaisaance packs nicely, and after a few bowls I was able to adjust my technique to complement the blend. Some of my pipes wanted a slightly firmer pack toward the bottom. Charring light is inviting. Really nice. After a tamp, I give a second charring light, tamp, then light up. This blend was picky about staying lit at first, but again, you can't expect every blend to behave the same. You either find that it's worth the trouble to learn how to treat it or you move on. I found Renaissance worth the wait. The flavor is very nice, very even, and extremely balanced. I love Latakia, and while I'm used to blends with more of it, I found this one to have enough to still do the trick. Renaissance really lets you taste everything and keeps the Virginias in check. Great stuff. Earthy, leathery, nutty, spicy notes all over the place make for an exciting, satisfying smoke with a robust, dynamic aroma. This stuff smokes cool and doesn't want to bite. But if you do smoke fast/hot, the moisture level out of the can may send your tongue to the sandpaper sauna. This is a top-notch blend, suitable for seasoned smokers, newcomers, and those who might just want to see what a nice English-style blend is about. I give it my highest praise and plan to try other blends from G.L. Pease. This blend is worth buying in quantity and aging for a special smoke.
Showing reviews 1 through 20 of 42 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >