Aroma: More campfire-smoky in the jar than Abingdon, even though we’ve established that Abingdon has more Latakia. Don’t know what it is about this blend, but it’s darker, smokier and richer than Abingdon. I expect darker because the Virginias are stoved, but perhaps that adds to the overall “smokiness” of the blend too, a characteristic I normally associate only with Latakia.

Appearance: A finer ribbon than Abingdon. Well, Abingdon really isn’t a ribbon at all. And actually Odyssey is more like a cut-up flake. A pseudo-ribbon. A ribbon poser. The shorter, stubbier, not-as-handsome cousin of the classic curly smooth ribbon. It’s like little sticks, cut up short and thin, busted up a bit, like it was soaked in liquid nitrogen, dropped, and busted into shards, which makes it easier to load and pack than Abingdon. It looks kinda like Lancer’s Slices except with the addition of some red leaf. The Latakia and the black stoved combine to make it at least 80 to 90% black.

Flavor: Smoky. Again, a flavor I normally associate with Latakia, and which seems to make this more smoky than Abingdon. If I blind tested the two, I would surely peg Odyssey as having more Latakia, but that’s not the case according to Mr. Pease. The age of my relative samples could have something to do with it, as well as the proportions of the Orientals and Virginias too. For example, even if there was less Latakia than in Abingdon, but there were also less Orientals with a higher percentage of Virginia, then the Latakia could overpower the smaller percentage of Orientals and make the blend seem smokier. But this, as in many other areas of my life, is total speculation. However, it does seem quite clear to my taste buds that this blend has a lower percentage of Orientals than Abingdon. And I like that!

Yes, I am a Latakia Hound. Among my favorites are Commonwealth, SG Balkan Flake and Lancer’s Slices which, to my knowledge, are all made from only Virginias and Cyprian Latakia. Odyssey, however, has the smokiness I love in those blends, but with the added interest of Oriental tobaccos “belly dancing” in the background (Greg Pease’s words, not mine!). He also states “If you're a Latakia lover, Odyssey will surely enthrall you.” Yup, he’s right. I like this better than Abingdon.

I found myself relighting more often than with many tobaccos. It’s not at all wet, in fact my 8 oz. tin dated 2007 was quite dry when I opened it (grabbed it off the shelf at Cigar and Tabac in K.C. a couple months ago). Can’t figure that one out, but a very recent thread discussed this same problem. It’s not to the point of being a nuisance, so it won’t affect my opinion about it at all. It also smokes a bit hotter than Abingdon.

The first two-thirds of the bowl are relatively consistent, a big Latakia blend with a noticeable Oriental presence that always stays in the background and even fades as the bowl progresses. There is the sense of some Virginia sweetness present, but the actual Virginia flavors are lost to the Latakia, especially in the second half as the overall flavor gets more and more pungent. Sipping, as usual, really brings out the flavors, but this also allowed mine to go out, therefore the relights. Upon relighting, there was a big Oriental blast, then it settled down once again into its regular form. No gurgling during the entire smoke, and didn’t use a single pipe cleaner.

The last 15 to 20% is hardcore (in a good way). This is where it lives up to the adjectives like “full” and “big.” Like the last two inches of a really good cigar, Odyssey gets serious at this point. If you don’t like strong, then stay away or dump it out before arriving here - the journey to this point will have been worth it. But if you’re the type that likes a double espresso after you’ve finished your big garlicky Italian dinner at 11:00 p.m., then you’ll want to persevere to the very bottom of the bowl, where you’re left with only a very dark to black-colored ash.

Pease says he worked for months on the proportions in Odyssey, and I would say it paid off. Any more Latakia, and it would totally overpower the rest of the blend. Any more Orientals, and it would be difficult to distinguish from Abingdon (except for the stoved leaf). Any less Orientals, and they would totally fade into the background. With more Virginias, there wouldn’t be enough room for the Latakia and Orientals to play. Yes, I’d say his work in the lab paid off handsomely. Four stars, and one rung higher than Abingdon IMHO. I want to smoke this while sitting around the campfire at Stinson Beach with some dear friends, a bottle of 1994 Dow’s Vintage Port and a guitar.

The cut is ribbon - which I prefer - and the tobacco is dark, mixing rich browns with hints of red and black into a color quite unique to itself. And when I smell the tobacco I am greeted with a slightly sweet scent reminiscent of an old leather jacket, broken in by years of wear yet promising even more years still.

When I load Odyssey into a pipe, I fill it loosely to the top, tamp it down lightly and without force, then fill it to top, tamp it down again, and finally overfill and tamp it down evenly with the rim of the bowl. It does take a few lights to get it going, but it isn't anything astronomically terrible. I just make sure that I have three matches instead of two or a lighter present. The reason for Odyssey taking longer to light is because it is an extremely slow-burning tobacco. I can literally fill up my Ser Jacopo and smoke it without break for almost two full hours; Squadron Leader in the same pipe will smoke about 30-40 minutes less time.

I don't think that any tobacco blend is perfect, but when it comes to Latakia-heavy blends Odyssey is about as close to perfect as is humanly possible. The smoke dances around on my tongue, giving me hints of old leather and spices from afar. The Latakia - as said on the tin - is a huge part of Odyssey. It gives this blend a deepness that in itself could be explored endlessly, but there is so much more to it than just Latakia. The Orientals are also huge, adding extra spice and life to this blend. But the most important part of Odyssey is what ties the Latakia and Oriental tobaccos together. Mr. Pease chose to use red and black Virginias to give a smoothness to Odyssey that a yellow Virginia just could not provide. It's the velvety touch that softens the edges of what might otherwise be an overpowering blend. And in the end, this is by far my favorite fall and winter smoke.

For me, this is a blend where I either love it, or I hate it... all from the same 8oz tin date stamped on the bottom as 9/05.

I love the smell of the actual tin itself, and I'll stick my nose there for a couple minutes just to savor the scent. Yet the smoking experience is quite different.

For me, this is one of those tobaccos that loves to bite. I have yet to smoke this once where it didn't. I've tried it in a brier, a cob, and even in a ceramic pipe. I've packed it tight, loose, and everything in between. Every single time, I get bit really hard, which then removes my ability to taste anything.

It is impossible for me to keep this lit unless I keep sucking and sucking, which results in more tongue bite.

The room aroma is quite pleasant though. It reminds me of a campfire with just a hint of spice.

So, if I despise it so much, why do I keep smoking it and why did I give it 2 stars instead of just 1? Because on the rare occasion where I can smoke it without a hard bite, I just love it!

I think the majority of my problems lay in the fact that I'm quite inexperienced. I have a hunch that to really enjoy Odyssey, you have to know what you're doing. This is not a tobacco for the new smoker.

smells great in the pouch. the orientals come through fine. light up is easy, and reveals a beautifull virginia and quite fine orientals and latakia. this is very well tuned and very clean tasting, and my only gripe with it may seem strange: it somehow seems a bit didactic (sic). imo the flavours do not quite unite. but still, an good and interesting smoke which i will definitely try again.

smokes a bit wet even when rather dry, for some reason.

edit.. this is a fussy tobacco.. but one thing improves it greatly.. dry it out! it seems dry right out of the tin.. but somehow the extra exposure to oxygen does help it. It still doesn't live up to expectations but it is a lot better over time.

another edit.. I would just like people to take my review with a grain of salt.. as I have heard from many sources that the pease blends differ from batch to batch.. maybe i got a bad batch.. so take this review in context.. i would also like to add that I am an admirer of consistency so i probably won't take chances with buying more tins.. but hey you might want to give it a try so - so do try it.

This stuff blew my mind. It's loaded with Latakia, but there is still so much complexity to this blend. The sweetness of the VAs poke through as if on cue. Unlike others, I have no trouble keeping this lit and have never experienced anything resembling tongue bite. Amazing weed!

I seriously started freaking out after my first bowl that, if this stuff ever got discontinued, and I didn't have enough in the cellar to last me 4 lifetimes, I would be very upset with myself. If you ever see anybody at any time not smoking Odyssey, it's not me.

Yeah, it?s tough to keep lit, a little heavy in the black leather department (Latakia), but it?s good quality tobacco.

If you have these other products on hand you might try this. 50% Odyssey, 25% S.G. Full Virginia Flake and 25% McClelland Yenidji Highlander.

For me that mixture produced a smoke with a normal relight rate with a terrific taste, no bite, a dry bowl and a fine white ash.

Be sure to let the Odyssey and FVF dry appropriately before mixing this blend if you chose to try it.

Smells like McClelland's Blending Latakia, quality stuff, flat black with dark brown mixed in, 60:40, supple but tending towards dry. Short ribbon cut.

Packs, lights, and burns readily. Dries in around 40 minutes, out of the can. It developes into a powdery consistency after the tin has been opened for a couple of days and frequently causes the pipe stem to get clogged.

Taste-Aroma: Full and robust, while having a nice, soft, velvety interplay of smoky Latakia and perfumy oriental, maybe 70:30. Fairly intense incense, herbal, smoky. Soft puffing gives a nutty taste. It is slightly bitey if puffed rapidly.

I'm thinking that I don't get a VA signature due to the age of the tin, the VA having melded into the blend.

Room Note: Definite, smoky Latakia and herbal oriental nuttiness, medium to full, closer to full, the term tolerable being misleading, but rather, pleasing to pipers.

Strength: Surprisingly low, mild

Overall: Odyssey resets my standard for Latakia and Balkan blends. This is a 7-year old tin and I need to try a new tin for comparison. Better than Westminster, Penzance isn't even close, as good or better than Abingdon, Odyssey having a pronounced interlay of Latakia and Orientals. GLPease labels Abingdon as their fullest Balkan. From what I remember of Abingdon, this 7-year old Odyssey, a member of the Original Series, is richer in Latakia, more flavorful. Other GLPease Balkans include Charing Cross, Kensington, Caravan, and Ashbury.

The powdery consistency mentioned is really agrivating and consistently cloggs the draft hole and stem. Odyssey is not a candidate as an all-day smoke due to the potential for tongue bite, remniscent of Blackpoint and Penzance, in that respect only. As rich as the blend is in taste and aroma, it is correspondingly lacking in nicotine.

A strong 4 stars.

I noticed that 90% of Pease blends are Latakia based, since I am already highly impressed by BC, I am going to try only the VA and Va/Per from this blender.

Odyssey is 3 stars for me and maybe 4stars for Latakia experts.

Quality stuff!

Odyssey and Maltese Falcon are very similar but they do have some differences. Odyssey is a little more complex than Maltese flacon is and it also has a more leathery type taste and scent where I feel maltese Falcon is slightly more sweet.

I find this to be intriguing and absolutley one of the best flavor/ power building smokes ever.

It starts off very tasty and each puff gains more of the overall character of the flavors.

It is loaded with latakia but as the label states there is much more to the story. The va's are blended with a heavy hand in this one also with the orientals slipping through in the background.

The tin aroma is not really an indicator of what to expect in flavor from the smoke, how decieving. This smokes so nicely- forget the tin aroma. Smells a little like a twangy VA barbecue sauce, Smells more like another reviewer said he found westminster to smell like a can of freshly opened tennis balls, but to me with hints of the stuff thay add to propane gas so it can be smelled. Luckily this fades after opening and settles down. Also my tin is 3+ years old and sat in the local cigar shop so long the label and lid are yellow.

This is not even close to what I would consider a Balkan. I find this to be a great english. Not sweet but very well thought out.

Highly reccomended. I guess I am in the Pease Corps now. They are becoming all I smoke. The man just knows what he is doing- much respect to his talent and sense of taste.

Update: I am taking back one star due to the difficulty of keeping this lit and the fact that it is VERY pipe picky. Still a good smoke. Just not my #1.

This one missed the mark for me. I'm not experienced enough a smoker to say what all is happening with this tobacco, only enough to say that there is a lot... and all of it stops just short of harmony.

By all means, give it a try. If this was from any other than G.L. Pease I would rate it higher-- it doesn't suck. Because of his blends I've tried heretofore, I expect better. I expect harmony.

No doubt that on my own Pease odyssey I will encounter more blends that fall short for me personally, and I'm sure he won't mind the honest reviews.

PS Did I use the word 'blend' to much? I hate when I do that