I generally prefer a Latakia laden blend, and I tend to shy away from a Perique-heavy mix (I can't even get through a bowl of Haddo's, let alone enjoy it). Samarra has a smokey, creamy, rich taste, and it has a velvet like texture. There is definitely a lot of complexity here, but the creamy, butteriness is what gets me. I certainly wouldn't object to more Latakia, but the thing I really like is the hint of Perique which I think adds some noticeable depth to the flavor. There's a very interesting intersection of flavors that I generally don't notice in other Perique & Latakia mixtures (Epiphany for example). Perhaps it's the Orientals or VA's?

If you like english (or at least light english) blends, I would suggest you give this one a try - cellared if at all possible.

But I finally found a pipe (a large-bowled brandy) that brought out the potential I knew it had, and it is very nice indeed! Creamy -- even buttery -- smoothness, delectably spicy without dominating the blend, soft and well-rounded latakia tones. A beautifully balanced medium english blend with lots of complexity to maintain interest. It seems to straddle the line between english & balkan perfectly. Would make a good, classy all-day blend. Definitely recommended -- if you find the right pipe to bring it to life.

It is lighter on the Latakia than most of the English and Balkan fare I prefer, but thoroughly satisfying. It shines as a masterful blend, rather than as a showpiece for any single of its constituent tobaccos. At the risk of appearing deliberately alliterative, the adjectives that come to mind while pondering its allure are complex, clean, and creamy. There is nothing harsh about this blend, yet it has an uncanny depth that rewards patience and attention. If I were to attempt a byline for Samarra, it would be: "Sophisticated incense for the contemplative smoker."

As my affinity for this blend grows, so does my concern that I don't have more of it in my cellar...

Should I had to choose only one GLPease tobacco, this would probably be the one. Luckily, that's not the case, so I have plenty of Charing Cross, Odyssey, Haddo's, Abingdon and many others.

The latakia is even more subdued now, with the orientals coming to the forefront. The incense note I detected in the first tin has been amplified tenfold, and the sweetness of the VAs has also increased. I am pleased to note the impact of the perique is also more noticeable, as there is a distinct tendency to bite here if the tobacco isn't allowed to go out every few minutes (in all fairness, this might be more a matter of my body's chemisty than a property of the tobacco).

As others have pointed out, this stuff is almost the definition of complexity. I like the aged product more than the fresh, but I still wish it had more of a kick. This is a very mild tobacco, and even at its most flavorful it seems like a Balkan light. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however, and even I (someone who craves powerful blends) can appreciate this on occasion. I'm going to upgrade to four stars, with the caveat that you don't go into this expecting something like Odyssey, Abingdon, or even Penzance or Balkan Supreme. If you do buy this, let some age for a few years. It's worth it.

ORIGINAL REVIEW from 2007: Samarra is intriguing -at times the latakia is dominant, but the orientals and VAs take their turns at the forefront as the bowl progresses. Also, as other folks have pointed out, there is at times a flavor/aroma that's reminiscent of incense. My one complaint with this blend is that the flavor is simply too mild -- it tastes great, but the smoke simply doesn't have enough body to satisfy. In any case, I've got a couple of tins aging right now, as I think some age would do wonders for this mixture (the tin I smoked was only about 3 months old).

Background: Greg Pease knows how much I love this blend so he decided to give me a full background on the history of Samarra. 

Per Greg:

"Since you enjoy Samarra so much, here's the whole history of the blend. When I was working part time at Druquers, I wanted to create a blend just for me. I worked on it for weeks, finally coming up with something I really liked. I blended up a batch, and put it in a jar on the counter, offering samples to any who was willing. The reception to it was excellent, and I received some great feedback. I spent a little time adjusting it slightly, and created the final blend, Sublime Porte. It was very well received, and became a good seller for the shop.

When I was doing the first blends for F&P, I revived my old recipe. Some of the components weren't available any more, so I had to almost start over with the formulation. But, I really wanted to revive my old blend, so I went to work on it. Given quite a few years of experience behind me, the result, Silk Road, was actually better, in my taste, than Sublime Porte had been.

Eighteen months later, after starting over as GLPease, I was again at ground zero. In order to simplify the process of dissolving the partnership, I agreed not to use the old blend names or recipes. So, I re-created my favourite from the line, again, and introduced it as Samarra. Once again, I actually like the new one better than the old.

So, you can see, the blend actually has quite a long history - over 20 years. It's the only one of the Drucquer blends that I carried forward with me, as it was the only one that was 100% my creation from the outset. It remains one of my faves, and holds a very special place in my collection, and my heart." ~GL Pease

What always amazes me about Samarra is that it has the rich, round and full creamy smoke of a Balkan but it's just not quite that latakia-heavy. This isn't a latakia bomb. Layers of flavor is what you get here.

The Virginias are the first tobaccos that I notice upon lighting the bowl; sweet, rich and a little bit tart - but never hot. As I progress down the bowl the latakia comes into play and every once in a while the perique reminds me that it's there.

Towards the middle of the bowl all of the ingredients meld into one good flavor, none dominating and all contributing...smoking clean and true down to the bottom of the bowl. The different components still dance but it seems that the components have agreed that the sum of the whole are superior.

Wonderful! Greg's blends are very good but this is the most sublime and elegant of all. Rich, full but not heavy - Samarra is a class of it's own. This kind of blending is masterful, all the pieces contributing to the whole.

For those who crave latakia, try Charing Cross. For those who want to experience complexity, Samarra is a classic. Smoke a big bowl of Samarra. And please, don't smoke it in a pipe that you've smoked Cherry Jubilee in. Smoke slowly. SLOWLY. Examine the dottle. Good stuff, eh? Samarra is a classic's classic. 1,000 stars.

I believe this will be a 4-star blend for those who enjoy the lighter Latakia fare. Just make sure you cellar it for a year or two before smoking for maximum enjoyment as the Pease Virginia leaf ages beautifully(IMO, of course.)

I am a big Pease fan and this one I can see why some would really enjoy, but it is not intense enough to keep me interested. Don't get me wrong, it is good just not what I consider a stand out from the crowd blend.

I can see why people liking this sort of strength would love this. I just find it to be a midweight in terms of flavor, and I hate to say it but just a touch bland. Each to his own.

Normally this would ask for a lower rating from me, BUT considering the quality of leaf used and the well behaved manner of the tobacco. This earns a very solid 3 stars. There is nothing bad about it- it just does not get up to the level I enjoy.

If it grows on me I'll update.

Update: This has grabbed my attention a little better lately. About 3 weeks after I opened the tin things greatly improved. I never left the lid off but opened it every 4 or 5 days and let it breathe about 30 seconds and replaced the lid. The tin aroma and texture of the tobacco improved. It seemed to fulff up a bit.

It was about the 6th pipe I tried it in- then it hit me, all the different layers of taste sometimes taking turns or blending into nice combos. I had previously only smoked va tobaccos in this pipe and it was very clean. I find the blend like most needs it's own pipe. A straight, punto oro 506 Mr G Savinelli seems to be doing it the most good. Too big of a bowl and it just blurs all the tastes together too much. The perique is elusive but detectable.

Also to be noted, This is a good first or second smoke of the day. It really does go much better on a clean palate. I have found it to be extremely pipe picky, but when you find the right one it can be very rewarding. What most people would call a small deep bowl favors it. Most pipes that smoke red/orange fine cut va's well will work ok.

Still a very solid 3.5 stars though. Not quite a 4. better than a 3. I think one of the key points to all pease blends is they they offer volumous clouds of pleasent tasting smoke. This allows you to smoke at a medium to relaxed pace and get a good satisfying quanity of smoke from the pipe. You should not feel the need to rush these tobacco's. Even though I don't care for every pease blend, They are all well done.

Update: 4 stars, very complex. took longer than usual to appreciate this tobacco for what it is. Must get more.

At the opening of the tin my olfactory glands noted what seemed to be the scent of a full-on English. To me that signals room note issues. That did not seem to be an issue after lighting up though.Upon lighting up, I tasted a wonderful array. Latakia was there with its wonderful smokiness and there was a stewed plum or currant taste. The lemon Virginia really shines in this one.There was some wetness in the bowl. However, the wetness was most likely due to my smoking it a bit fast during my fist bowl; as I wanted more of this wonderful blend.

I must agree with Pipeline here. Although Blackpoint is a fine blend this is more to my taste. Frankly,had this not been so I would have looked to another brand when I wanted something with Latakia. I would have returned to Mr. Pease for his wonderful Fillmore, though. Not to detract from them, but if you enjoy Mc Clelland's Frog Morton series - especially FMOTB; but were looking for more smoke - you might want to try this blend.

I first tried this in my little "taster" billiard and was underwhelmed. I now smoke it in the largest bowl I have and, and, and HOLY SMOKE! This blend has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, without the dizziness. If this bores you in the proper bore, you aren't doing it right.

Great layering of flavors, aromas and textures, this one begs to be huffed, but don't indulge your inner shop-vac, and keep the pace slow.

Right Tasty! Get some.

Similar (but fuller) tobaccos I've tried: GLP Blackpoint, C&D Epiphany.

The flavor is complex, light and nuanced. The top-quality virginias are in the foreground. The latakia and orientals are ever present, though not dominant. Perique is a minor, though crucial, element.

It is a very nuanced, elegant, and delicately sweet blend with enough latakia and perique spice to keep it interesting. Aging is highly recommended. This seemed to work best in narrow to medium gauge chambers.

Update 2/08: This still continues to satisfy in the extreme. In it's favorite pipes it continues to be a go-to on regular occasions providing what I interpret as a unique delicate sweetness that no other blend has duplicated. Ideal as my morning smoke.

In all fairness, the tin was only four months old and the tobacco was fairly moist in the tin. I have a two-year old tin, and I will give it another whirl

I'm more of an English smoker who tried some VA/Pers, and this was one of the few that might get purchased again. There was enough complexity here to keep me interested, and the Perique was used sparingly enough to keep my mouth from being overwhelmed.

Appearance: A random cut, with some medium width ribbons. Mostly red leaf, with some darker elements.

Aroma: A typical English blend, with the emphasis on the Virginias. There is obviously some Latakia present, and some Oriental, but the Va. seems to be the key player here.

Packing: Packs well into normal size pipes.

Lighting: Takes flame easily. After charring and tamping, the relight is just a touch of flame.

Initial flavor: As expected from the aroma, the red Va. is the star. The other tobaccos play as condiments only. There may be Perique present, but it is in such a quantity that it whispers only.

Mid-bowl: Remains basically as it began, a rich flavored, medium strength English blend. For me, the taste remained quite uniform, little layering noticed. The taste is quite a treat, being sweet, smokey and spicey all at the same time, so I would not call it monochromatic, just constant. Of course, YMMV.

Finish: Ends with just a bit of Perique tingle (it will always show up at the end).

Summary: Because of the constancy of the taste, this is an English I can smoke while working on other things. The taste just keeps coming, whether I concentrate on it or not.

I was so impressed with Samarra, that I purchased 6 pounds of it three years ago. Every tin gets better and better as it ages. Fortunately, it is only one of the many tobaccos that I have cellared, so I have about 5 pounds left. I can't wait to see what this will be like as time goes by.

Has a very nice sweetness from the Virginias with a nice smoky, spicy note from the latakia and orientals. The perique is there, and must add something, but happily it does not announce its presence loudly, but rather acts to support the other tobaccos.

I have one more tin of this from 2003, and I plan on putting a couple of other tins in the cellar soon.

While this blend doesn't have the distinct flavor that syrian latakia adds, it is still a delicious tobac. Upon opening, you are greeted with the typical short, broad ribbon-cut typical of the Pease offerrings. Mostly dark with some lighter browns and an occassion golden leaf visible. Moisture is perfect, packing is easy, lighting is a breeze as well.Upon first light, the flavor is light but after about a few solid puffs, the flavor begins to come out nicely. It has a medium complexity and fullness which makes it an all-day smoke. There is a little increase of strength toward the bottom of the bowl and I had no moisture issues or bitterness to complain about. I was not able to detect the perique in this, but that is fine by me. Highly recomended. I rate it 4.5 points out of 5, Richard Baxter would have probably enjoyed this blend...Enjoy...

It is a medium tobacco at an exemplary price. Not worth all the trouble. Odyssey is better and has the same price.

Four of five stars

I've set some of this up to breathe and marry for a few months and have come back to vastly improved mixture. While I enjoyed Samarra initially, age does wonders for the fullness and depth of this tobacco. I believe it maintains the number one slot as my favorite "light balkan".

------------- Though some may say that this tobacco - particularly for a Balkan/oriental blend - is a bit mild, it happened to be exactly what I was looking for.

The much loved Latakia initially blasts the smoker - but soon the orientals and VA kicks in. The overall effect is a tangy, light smoke burns cleanly and consistently. It is robust due to the latakia and orientals, and just slightly spicey towards the end. I don't find this an extremely complex or multi-layered blend like other offerings from Mr. Pease, but all in all a very high quality set of ingredients that are skillfully blended.

It reminds me of Dunhill's Durbar without the powerhouse smell/nicotine/harshness that I find with that tobacco. I feel with Samarra I can enjoy a Balkan blend that isn't a wimp - but at the same time won't leave me feeling abused.

Although there is a pleasant Oriental background to the taste, and the Virginia is well used (it serves as a cushion to the entire composition, so that this is really a mix for Virginia fanciers) I found the basic taste muted, only very faintly reminiscent of DORISCO, with neither the exciting edge of that blend, nor its enlivening périque briskness.

This tastes like baby NIGHTCAP, if you can conceive of such a thing. It is smoother and sweeter, and smokes remarkably cool.

One can hardly notice the latakia: there is not enough of it to give depth, so it only contributes a wooden oaky mass that somewhat weighs the taste down. I find latakia rather boring these days: this might be the effect of the uninteresting Cyprus product that seems to have taken over for good, lately??especially in America.

The smell of SAMARRA in the tin is indeed delicious, although something suggested a very slight topping.

For those who are looking for the lightest of latakia blends.

The tobacco is very attractive to look at, mostly medium brown with some dark brown and a bit of bright leaf providing contrast. It?s a short cut with only a stem or two. Samarra lights easily, and stays lit with little effort. It produces a gray ash that is so fine it will blanket the underlying tobacco and deprive it of air ? you?re going to have to dump the ash on this one a couple of times if you?re using a deep bowl. And I wholeheartedly recommend that you do use a larger bowl. The complexity is a bit diminished in a small bowl. There is a nice Perique flourish at the end.

Overall, I would say that Samarra is a full-bodied Va mixture that is light on the palate. Plenty of depth from the Latakia, with Perique and Va providing the highs and Oriental competently rounding out the middle. A well rounded mixture, with no other leaf so potent as to fully overshadow the sweetness of the Va leaf. Another fine effort by Mr. Pease.

Visual: This tobacco has a nice velvety look to it, short ribbon cut, and not as much "dust" as I seem to find in other Pease blends. The Red Virginia dominates the mix, and that's just fine with me!

Texture: Typical Pease blend, (on the dry side, and perfect springiness for packing right out of the tin).

Pack/Pipe: As I am used to smoking VA flakes, I have to remind myself to pack ribbon cut a bit firmer to ensure a consistent burn. Fortunately, the moisture content allows for some inconsistency in packing. I enjoyed this blend most in an Alpha Apple, and Dunhill Redbark Pot and a Svendborg Brandy. All wide shallow bowls.

Lighting/Burn: One match to char, one to light for the long run. Usually needed at least two matches to finish the bowl, which is surprising considering the dryness of the blend.

1st 3rd:WOW! The flavor is just outstanding. There is so much going on in this initial portion, that I don't know where to start. Rather than being a Latakia dump, the Virginias carry the beginning, and add some class and depth to the blend.

2nd 3rd: Blend warms up a bit here, (probably the VA's, and loses a little sweetness. A slight pleasant bitterness shows up here, and reminds me to keep my puffing rythmic.

Final 3rd: Still some tangy VA tones here, and I've fully marinated my mouth in good Latakia smokiness. Always seem to have some unburnt tobacco in the bottom of the bowl, probably due to my aggressive tamping with non-flake blends.

Notes: Well, each Pease English blend I try keeps rating higher in my notes. Considering I've only been through 2 of them so far, I am rather excited to sample the rest! I will mention that it is difficult to taste another non-Latakia blend after smoking this one.

Stogie Rating: 9 Magnificent Montecristos

The attitude behind the flavor is fully tobacco, not some kind of "make it more palatable for people" type of fakery. But it's not overwhelmingly strong. And the Latakia level is less than many of my favorite smokes -- Balkan 15 of Smoke 'n' Snuff being foremost -- but this still seems more tangy, like I like it. I can't add anything to what's already been said in the many reviews that precede me, except that I'm really impressed. Looking forward to Pease's "Renaissance" when I can find it. Until that time, I'm making this one of my number-one smokes. The refinement in production is clearly a high priority of the GLP creations -- no stems in the mixture, consistent flavor tin to tin, and so forth.

-----

Additional notes: This is the greatest tobacco I've ever smoked. It gets better with each application. I have a hard time not squandering it, and instead relishing every pot, since it's such an easy, quick smoke, burning dry and taking a match so readily.

Side note: I smoked this once, had a so-so reaction to it. Then my dog got sprayed by a skunk at close range, so I chose Samarra as a smoke-screen against the stink while washing my little darling. Very tasty! Now I even like it without the presence of rodent anal-sac excretions!

My notes: This is wonderful. Nice nutty latakia flovor at lighting that blends into a nice somewhat sweet smoke. Very pleasant throughout as each nuance steps forward to capture your attention. Mild with no bite. This is a great blend of flavors, none of which dominate and all of which are clearly present.

A good but not outstanding English mixture.

The tobacco itself has a high proportion of medium colored leaves with 30% or so dark leaves (latakia and perique) and a sprinkling of lighter leaves. The cut is primarily a largish ribbon. There is a small portion of partially rubbed cake (virginia, I assume). The tin aroma is on the sweet, fruity side rather than the smoky sense one gets from heavy latakia blends. While fruity, it does not recall the fig scent that is characteristic of Haddo?s, and to a lesser extent, Cairo.

The smoking characteristics are very good. It is easy to keep lit; I went over 90 minutes from first light on a recent, large bowl.

The smoke itself starts nicely from the start, sweet, but not cloying. A very full flavor ranges through the middle of the palate, without the extreme lows of heavy latakias nor the extreme sharp brightness of some virginias. The characteristics change frequently through the bowl. Occasionally nutty or a slight sourness dominates for short periods of time. Very tastey and highly recommended.

May 2002.

This blend stays lit, burns cool and is easy on the tongue - very pleasant to exhale through nose. I believe that a little aging will mellow the very slight young, grassy characteristic I noticed towards the beginning of the bowl.