It didn't seem to change much with a little jar time, goes best in a cob. It's spicy, but sorta reminds me of smoking an old parchment, like a musty scroll from centuries ago, in a good way.

I bet if I put some away for a year it would be magic, as it stands, the jury is out. 2 stars until I try some of this with age on it.

Loads and lights easily, smokes like a dream. Thick and rich smoke, that can sting the noseholes if puffed too hard. However, it never hints at biting.

Finishing up a tin right now, dated 09/07

Highly recommended VaPer, one of my favorite late summer blends.

Pairs well with a bright, acidic coffee.

GLP tobaccos, as a rule, make me work very diligently to unlock their potential. As I like to say, they hold "secrets" that are up to me to figure out. A few of them either have still held onto those secrets or I simply discovered I did not care for them. Many more eventually turned out wonderfully. But rare is the GLP tobacco that hits me with a hammer blow from the first puff and makes me exclaim "Ahhhh... this is IT!".

Telegraph Hill is the consummate VaPer, in my book. The virginias are the perfect base to a fairly heavy dose of perique, not overwhelming, but very very prominent. Fillmore overdosed me with perique and harshness but this one is just perfect. It's mellow but not too mild, it's almost briny as opposed to peppery, and it burns very cool. Because it is so flavorful, I was afraid that this blend couldn't kick back and relax with me, but it does that perfectly as well. I would call this a spicy blend as opposed to a sweet one, but it also possesses a bread-like quality. No hay or fruit. And nothing approaching bite. Never could coax much bite from GLP blends, and this one won't bite even when abused. But smoked in a normal slow cadence, this one delivers what Cope's Escudo and Bell's Three Nuns used to, as well as the old McConnell version of Ashton's Old London Pebblecut. Fantastic blend! I cannot rate this one highly enough. It seems to take a backseat to Fillmore in the popularity arena but I find it infinitely more to my taste. As far as I'm concerned, Greg has mastered the venerable VaPer blend. No need for me to experiment further.

I’m just going to have to admit that these Pease vapers are not pushing my buttons. They all have that ashy characteristic that feels kind of like licking an ashtray. Don’t get me wrong, I know from other reviews of these and other similar tobaccos that this style of smoke is quite appealing to many smokers, but there is just something about them that does not do it for me. Telegraph Hill is the same as the others, just too plain and ashy. I’m attributing it to body chemistry.

But I am not about to give up!

Since all these vapers have been quite dry from the tin I am going to assume that this is how Mr. Pease designed them, so I’m going to continue experimenting with packing and with different pipes. I have been trying these in my star Virginia pipes, but I realize that it may require a different combination.

Union Square is one of my desert island smokes, so I know Pease has the Right Stuff. I’ll try these with some age, I’ll try packing them a bit tighter, I’ll try some other pipes, and I promise I’ll update my opinions should they change.

The second part of my review is based on a five year old tin of TH. In a word, it was OUTSTANDING! Sweet, tangy, more complex with a steady build of perique throughout the bowl. A four star blend all the way. Like many of his blends, the age seems to be the key and as such I have a lot of TH and other Pease blends in the cellar.

Telegraph Hill is NOT as close a cousin to Fillmore as I thought it might be. For one, it is a very soft ribbon cut and not a broken flake. Not a big deal to me, but I find it requires a good deal more attention when loading your pipe as the very soft nature of the leaf can lead to over packing and a poor draw. That poor draw is a one way ticket to bites-ville baby. But, keep it loose, and tamp sparingly to allow an easy loose draw and you will find success.

The tin aroma is kind of buttery, caramel, pastry, and almost a hint of some other flavor/scent that makes me want to say "MALT". No sour, vinegar, or fermentation like my Fillmore experience. The smell makes me want to smoke it, the feel makes me want to dig around in the tin to see what I can find.

It lights fairly easily, with a minimum of fuss and is easy to keep lit. The flavors I am getting are a SLIGHT reminder of past experiences, but the layers are in a different order. The nuttyness, the bakery and pastry, and the fruityness all hit in different phases than what I was expecting, and with less pepper and spice as well. The Perique doesn't seem to be a huge player for me.....but that musty, earthy, raisiny quality is in fact in there.

Telegraph responds really well to changes of pace. Let it almost go out if you grow tired of the flavors you are pulling, and PRESTO!......all together different. It also DGTs rather well.

While I enjoy it a good deal, I am not sure how much of it I would feel a need to keep on the shelf. Due to the need to pack light and loose, my tin will last a good long time. Not to mention the fact that more than one bowl of this a day can leave my tongue with a sort of dull ache....who knows, can't explain that one.

GLP did a good job here. If Fillmore was overwhelming to you, the milder nature of Telegraph may be what you are looking for........have fun!

Don't just sit there try a can of this one too. Update 1/7/2009 This is still just great! Pairing suggestion: Actually this one goes well with a moderate Syrah, blended Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey.

As with all Pease tobaccos, tongue bite is nil. Recommended.

Fillmore? Telegraph Hill? Different parts of The City. Flake versus Ribbon...apples and oranges, therefore no comparison in my book.

Definitely benefits from some aging, and I don't think three years' worth is sufficient...better now than it was then. Better balance of sweet, tangy and sharp Virginias with the spice and pepper of Perique making itself known only after the quarter bowl mark, for me, at least. This is a transitional Va/Per for me...summer into fall and winter into spring. Not enough Perique refreshment for the dog days, and the Virginias aren't deep enough for snowy, cold gray days by the fire...that's why they invented Latakia.

Very Highly Recommended