I highly recommend this masterpiece.

Typical of Greg's work, Piccadilly uses top shelf leaf and is masterfully blended. I'll keep this around for the occasional Latakia cravings between bowls of my dwindling supply of Scandal

UPDATE May 2005: I opened a tin which was aged for two years, and the tobacco has truly improved. Much more tasty, both on the Latakia (toastier and nuttier) and on the Virginia (less grassy, sweeter). This tin was from the same batch of my first and slightly disappointing one, so this isn't due to batch variation: maturation in the tin was the only responsible of such a great improvement! A nice, lighter EM, which is truly good to smoke in the morning in a small bowl. Similar to Dunhill EMP, but never as heavy or cloying. I am almost tempted to raise my rating to three stars!

Picadilly is an attractive tobacco (big shock!) that screams quality -- from the leaf to the scent to the burn. The smoke does have its mild moments, but there are enough punchy puffs in each bowl to warrant a strength rating of medium.

The dry, silky finish I enjoy in many of Greg's other blends is prominent here as well. Mouthfeel is balanced, and Picadilly is easy to smoke. This also is a prime example of how good Latakia can be when used as a condiment. I love Latakia-drenched tobacco, but not every English or Balkan blend needs to be bathed in the stuff to be full, bold, or rich. The Perique -- another so-called spice tobacco that I can't seem to get enough of -- is, as you'd expect from Greg Pease, used in an amount appropriate enough to give it the attention it deserves without trampling the other exciting components in the mixture.

I can't say for sure whether I'll add Picadilly as a regular to my rotation. However, it is unique and flexible enough that I will likely buy tins to age. This is a welcome treat at any time of day.

According to the tin, some of those dark flecks were Latakia. The tin aroma suggested Latakia. The flavor was more like an essence of Latakia. If you are considering this blend, but are put off by the idea of Latakia, don?t let that stop you. After the charring light, you may not even remember it?s there, because it stays well into the background providing a low-note base for the Virginias.

The Perique is ever-present, but well in the background. The Va leaf is most definitely the star of this show. The complexity of the Va is simply amazing. Every puff brings a new taste sensation. Subtle sweetness is intermingled with citrus-like nuances in a way that keeps you looking forward to the next puff.

Piccadilly burns well right to the bottom of the bowl, and in my most unforgiving briar I only had to use a pipe cleaner on a few rare occasions. As you reach the bottom, the Perique pops out for a little finale.

I tried DGT with Piccadilly a few times, ranging from 2 to 12 hours. At lower DGT times the overall flavor picks up a notch, and at 12 hours the Va becomes much bolder, but at the expense of the subtleties.

If it were possible to pull me away from my full English, Latakia-laden blends like Raven's Wing and convert me to Va?s on a regular basis, Piccadilly would be the best candidate for the task. While I appreciate the flavors the and superior qualities of this blend, it will not be something I smoke regularly. Based upon the rating criteria we use here, I have to give this blend only two stars, because I very well might try it again ? but I will not keep this wonderful blend on hand. It just isn?t the style I prefer. So, two stars ? but one of the finest two-star tobaccos you?ll ever run across.

Aroma: A marvelous bouquet of aromas from the Virginias, Latakia (not heavy) and the Perique. Definitely a ?breakfast blend?.

Packing:. Packing was quite easy in all sizes from group 3 through group 6.

Lighting:. Almost too easy. Often got a good burn with a single match.

Initial flavor: Initial flavor is like a medium English blend, with all of the parts right there. More taste than I expected from the description. On the down side, the smoke seemed to dry my mouth a bit.

Mid-bowl:. By mid bowl, the blend settles down into a milder flavor. All the parts still sing in harmony, but there isn?t much volume. Nice interplay of nuances as ribbons of each component catch fire. Overall, a nice taste but not enough of it. Must be smokes slowly, as there isn?t much in the way of slower burning darker tobaccos to slow it down.

Finish:. Ends pretty much like the middle, maybe a bit more kick from the Perique. Dry and clean, very little guck for the pipe cleaner.

Summary:. As always with Greg, the best ingredients, and a masterful blending. I generally don?t care for this genre of blends, but this is quite nice for a change of pace. I will get some to cellar for the summer months.

Appearance: My original recollection of this blend, when newly made, was an abundance of very light tobacco, almost ivory in shade. This appears to have now darkened, although the overall color of the blend is fairly light. It now ranges from light through medium brown, with the lighter tones predominating. There is still some light yellow (lemon Virginia), as well as some olive tones. The latter suggests some oriental leaf, even if this is not listed in the ingredients.

The Perique is noticeable by smell in the tin. It is present in a moderate quantity. There is more than what might be simply used to tame the Virginias, but rather to also spice the mixture.

This is a delightful slow smoke. The blend can be best imagined as a bright and varied melody played over a pedal tone. The pedal tone in this case is almost flavorless and neutral when the tin is first opened. This develops into a sharp and flavorful tartness following a combination of air exposure and palate education. Above this tone, the melody of perique and latakia interplay amongst the Virginia. They make themselves known though brief periods of spiciness, chocolate, and fruity flavors. These come and go throughout the bowl, keeping it interesting and complex. The extent to which these flavors make their appearance varies with the air exposure of the tobacco.

The delicate and changing flavors of this blend are best appreciated on a clear palate, and with sufficient time to observe and reflect upon what you are experiencing. This is a great blend to enjoy with a book on a cool afternoon.

Despite an apparent affinity to EMP: both are lighter blends with respect to latakia and utilize marketing language evoking a sunny breakfast table, that is the extent of the similarity. The lighter blends do call for a clean palate. The interactions between the tobaccos can be best appreciated in this environment. However, the base flavor in this blend is derived from the sharpness of the bright and red Virginias. EMP, at its best, has always attracted me for its nuttiness from the orientals.

Flavor: 95/100 Smoking characteristics: 95/100 Overall: 95/100. Don?t let the 95s fool you..the only thing keeping this from a 100 is an optimistic streak that the world of tobacco will always bring a little bit more to the table. This is a great addition to GLP line-up.

January 2004 Revised

My highest praise - I just ordered the bulk bag for "right now" smoking...I can't even imagine how this would be with a year of two on it...not that I'll get to find out...I'm much to weak to let a tin of it sit anywhere near that long.

The tobacco is yellow, brown, and black ribbon; there is at least four different tobaccos present. The tin aroma is lovely; it's mild with a slight latakia aroma. The moisture level seemed to be just right.

I loaded Piccadilly into my only latakia dedicated pipe: a big, old Dunhill straight billiard. The initial flavor is rich and mild at the same time; I can taste the latakia, but it's not overwhelming. I taste the Virginias towards the front of my tongue and the Oriental near the middle; the perique is there too. As I slowly smoke, I can't help but think how well Piccadilly will improve with age, due to the high proportion of Virginia tobacco present.

Towards the middle of the bowl, the Virginias start to come forward. The latakia takes a back seat, but has not gone away. When I "French inhale" I can pick up the latakia a little better. Piccadilly has much less latakia the Samarra, but still has a rich flavor one would expect from an English blend.

Piccadilly may not have enough latakia for the hardcore "lataphile", but for a Virginia flake smoker like myself, it's a very nice change of pace. It will surely find a place in my tobacco rotation. I don't think it will replace Samarra though.

The last third of the bowl the flavors meld into one interesting taste. This is where I usually tire of most English blends, due to the latakia; here it's not too much.

Buy a couple of tins. Put one away for aging and try one now.

I was wanting to try a light English blend, in order to diversify from the stoved Virginia flakes I normally smoke. I was given a sample packet of Picadilly to try. My first bowl was lovely, and subsequent bowls have been equally good. A light, mild tobacco, with a nice citrus taste on the tongue. Refreshing is a word that comes to mind. I'm typically not a lover of latakia, but this was very nice. I like the way you can taste the various ribbons of tobacco fire up. The tin notes say this is a good morning tobacco, and I concur. I can see this becoming part of my regular rotation. I recommend this particularly for VA smokers looking to expand their horizons.