If you are not a PER lover, do not attempt trying Fillmore.

The tin I opened was 9 months old. When it comes to GL Pease and C & D blends, one should wait at least 9 -12 months before opening.

Fillmore displays some sweet, savory, raisin and home made bread taste notes from the Red VAs that are complemented by the peppery and sometimes fig notes from the PER.

Fillmore is interesting from the beginning and builds richer and stronger, but not overwhelmingly, as I work my way down the bowl.

Right now, I like it a bot more than Escudo. The Red VAs can work some good magic at times!

My first thoughts on Fillmore was that it was borderline overwhelming. After a little tweak in my intensity of puffing, I found Fillmore to be quite sweet and savory. I don't think I'll confuse it with an all-day smoke. After Thanksgiving turkey or any big meal, it is a nice way to unwind and reload on the N. I smoke it in a Group 3. One of the knocks is that it is so high in nicotine that one really doesn't want another pipe for a while. Maybe that's a good thing?

I look forward to finishing up the tin but likely will be venturing to greener pastures when it's empty. Even though it didn't make me jump out of my skin with a "wow" factor, there is enough going here pick up a tin to see if it's to your liking.

My biggest problem with this tobacco, is that the smoke can be rather harsh and acrid- which seems odd, as many of the much stronger tobaccos I smoke are not so.

Basically, it's a middle-of-the-road tobacco. Produces only a medium amount of smoke- i.e. not rich, heavy creamy smoke. But between there not being a lot of flavor and the fact that it's rather harsh and acrid, and not at all appealing as it wafts past your nostrils [This is the ONE tobacco I've encountered, where I find myself actually waving the exhaled smoke away from my face; whereas I normally savor that exhaled smoke from other tobaccos]

Yet, there was something nice about this- and, as seems to be the case with most GLP blends, it gets much better with age. All-in-all, I'd take it over drug store tobacco anytime...but otherwise, not enough here to make me buy it again. It was O-K to try though...not a total loss.

The first time I smoked Fillmore, I thought I was going to be knocked out for a few hours -and I was! It appeared to be much too strong for me. I actually had to resort to smoking half of a bowl. Then, I began to smoke it slowly and the taste was amazing. Right now, I'm smoking a full bowl of this everyday, and it's just great. When I'm done smoking Fillmore, I don't need a second bowl of anything. It fills you up.

This is becoming a favourite of mine -and it is my first VaPer mixture. Quite an enjoyable smoke. Give it a chance, you may like it.

Update 6/15/12: Forgot to mention that the date on this tin was 3/01/11. Revisited the tin after 10 months from first smoke described above, only to find some mold growth. I simply swirled the flakes around, filled a bowl, and what do you know: it was sweeter and richer than ever!! Remains a wonderful blend.

Despite too much perique to my liking, this is the best offering from Pease in my mind.

I find his english/Balkan blends to be inferior than the other blends he offers.

This is a very good blend, and for some it will be their Holy Grail, their desert island tobacco, their every day, all day smoke. For the lover of Perique, this may be it.

The Latakia is barely there, not even noticeable at times, just the way I like it. The Virginias are sweet but somewhat subdued by the Perique. There is no tongue bite, even when abused or puffed hard and fast. But smoke it as slowly as possible to get the sweetness of the Virginias and the flavor of the Perique. Nicotine dose is medium.

Tin note is wonderful. I love to take the lid off and inhale deeply. Like some of the other Greg Pease flakes, it comes quite wet.

A unique VaPer blend, ideal for those who want the emphasis on the Perique. A strong three stars.

Excellent with an ice cold root beer.

Update 25 September 2010: I can't resist comparing it to my other VaPers. After a head-to-head with Escudo, alternating days with each tobacco, the Fillmore is bigger, sweeter, slightly heavier on the Perique, more full in general. The Escudo is milder, easier and more forgiving, more of an all-day smoke for me. The Escudo also is easier to pack and keep lit than the Fillmore flakes. I definitely have a place for both tobaccos in my rotation.

However, too peppery in taste for my liking and rather on the harsh side. Probably the need for aging.

This is one downside of Peases's blends. Often, they are not sufficiently aged when tinned.

The first light impressions lead with the perique more than the virginia. Although GLPease says himself that this blend contains latakia, I must say that I am part of the population that doesn't detect any, neither in the tin nor in the smoke.

I think this is a blend where the VAs get better as the tin is opened longer, either from oxidation or gradual drying. At the bottom of the tin, the VAs got sweeter and the smoking experience more flavorful.

I recommend those who pick up this blend (and don't like it), smoke it all the way down to the bottom of the tin. The VAs will start to shine through as the tin is exposed to air and become a nice, sweet and tasty smoke.

Filmore packed easily, without fuss, and was easy to control as far as arrangement of the leaf and control of the density in the bowl. I have taken to a method where upon I place unrubbed pieces of broken flakes in a generally vertical fashion at the base of the bowl. These are not really packed in firmly at all. Then with the next pinch, I will take a similar bit of tobacco and place them in the bowl laying sideways on top of the flake from the first step. Next, take a generous portion of leaf from the can and roll it into a ball which is just slightly larger than the diameter of the bowl chamber, and press it down on the first two layers. In my case this results in about 5/8 of the bowl being filled. I will then add another layer of flake laying on its side, another "plug", and then sprinkle the top with some finely rubbed shreds of leaf. I find this makes for pipe that lights easily, needs only minimal attention with the tamper, allows for tobaccos which like to expand great deal(this one), and maintains an easy draw. Another benefit to this method is the different way each of the layers in the bowl will burn. The light fluffy bits on the top take to flame very quickly like kindling in a campfire so as to get things moving. The "plug layer" burns even and steady creating a broad cherry on top of the whole bits of flake which will burn in a slow, cool fashion to release the goodness flakes are known for. The lighting procedure was simple and took two matches. Char, puff once or twice, tamp, light....and we're off to the races.The only way to really describe the overall result with this method is a "cacophony of flavors". I get cocoa, leather, chili pepper essence(not the heat), sweet -tart red Virginia, a deeeeeeep earthy flavor that comes and goes which I can only describe as slow roasted mushrooms. That great buttery pastry flavor is in there(which is one of my favorites) when you snork or retrohale. The complexity and ever evolving nature of this weed makes it great as meditative tool, but it is also such an easy, pleasant, comforting smoke that it could be a more than once a day blend for the care free puffer. This baccy smokes cool, and mild, with no bite. It only gurgled once, but the pipe I have been smoking it in is known for that, and always at the same point about midbowl, no matter the blend. The nic hit was there, but it didn't seem to beat me up, but I think I am bit more tolerant of the vitamin N than some others. Some have mentioned bitter ashy flavors coming through, but I don't think it is a problem with the tobacco. It is mostly user error. I noticed this once or twice when I over tamped the bowl at mid smoke. Dumping the ash resolved the issue entirely. The leavings in the bowl are the classic salt and pepper ash granules that a good VA is known for. The tiny bit of dottle doesn't seem overly soggy and dumps easily. As much as I have enjoyed this so far, I may go for a bigger 8oz can to keep around. I do wish the number of stars one could give was more refined. This is a 3.75/4

Happy puffing!