Opening the tin I was greeted by an aroma that clearly stated "You have never had anything like this". It was interesting. Reminded me of leather and earth in a pleasant sense, very robust. I packed my favorite briar being carful not to over pack. It was a little difficult to light. It took several char lights and tamping before it got going properly. And throughout the bowl I needed to relight twice while smoking at a moderate/slow pace.

Taste: I'll tell you with full confidence that this will become part of my rotation from now on. The taste is wonderful. Occasionally I would get a note of something different, something I can't quite put my finger on. Whatever it is, I love it. This is earthy, smokey, with hints of leather and wood. Not like leather and wood smells burning, but more like the impression you get when you walk into a place full of antiques and history. It is hard for me to properly explain. But it is very pleasant and pleasing.

Room note: The family seems to like it. No complains at all. I was a little worried about this as they are used to my aromatics. From what I can detect, as the man behind the pipe, it has a smooth room note that is quite nice.

Final thoughts: Outstanding. I'm already gathering my other OTC brands from around the house to give away. I've been awakened to something I've been missing in a good pipe smoke and I'm not looking back. The neighbor is going to be happy today. He's about to recieve 10oz of OTC tobaccos in various brands which I'm never going to smoke again.

Like a great wine, this blend has a tight, yet complex, structure. About mid-bowl you start to get some really nice cocoa or cigar-like notes that surprise without overwhelming.

Great stuff. Should age well, too.

Updated 5/28/12 Now I'm at the bottom of the tin, it has had time to breath and dry and it is wonderful. I now like it better than Meridian because it is smoother. The sour note reminds me of the taste you get from sour cherry or lemon , uped to 4 stars and one of my favorites. great with morning coffee but even better with an dark afternoon beer

Just a quick comparison of Pease Blends: Haddo's Delight- whiskey topped , light latakia, fruity (2), Chelsea Morning- Light latakia, fruity (4), Meridian- Medium Latakia, creamy bacon Oriental flavor (4), Lagonda-Medium Latakia- Campfire flavor, light Oriental (2,) Quite Nights- Heavy Latakia- Campfire flavor with Creamy Orientals (4), Odyssey- Heavy Latakia- Campfire flavor dominates , light orientals(3),

I would say all of these are 3 & 4 star blends, the numbers (#) indicate my personal preferences when compared to "only" these 6 blends

Calling it a mild English is a bit misleading, as it is a kind of hybrid between a complex VaPer and a mild English. It can definitely be an all day smoke, especially for VaPer lovers. The muted Latakia and Orientals certainly are there, but in a restrained fashion, hence the preference for this as a morning smoke for English lovers. I'd give it four stars as an outstanding blend in its own, unique category of a complex mild English with a strong VaPer foundation.

I like my English blends these days to lean less on a strong VaPer base, with more harmonious Latakias and Orientals present, so I personally only rate this a three star blend. But that's my own, current preference. Within its genre, it is truly outstanding. A master blend.

This is not EMP but you can taste some similarities. It's stronger than EMP as a first thing in the day smoke due to the great vaper backbone but it is well balanced. Of the 6 or 7 bowls i smoke a day, either this or EMP start things off. Yummo!

Packing & Burning: It does not stay lit very well. It had to be packed tightly, to achieve this. The chunky shape of the partially rubbed cake is partly the reason for this. But a bowl lasts a long while.

Taste & Aroma: Soft and smooth, the oriental presenting a moderate, sweet, herbal essence. Down the bowl, it develops a darker light chocolate-butterscotch taste. The orientals have a green tang to them, like grass, that has been mentioned as due to lack of age, or immaturity.

Overall: Reminded of Robert McConnell's Oriental. CM does not have as strong an oriental taste, just some what subdued. The cut gives a problem in handling and packing.

If this was the only tobacco left on earth, I could smoke it, but I certainly will not be buying more.

I can see this being great outdoors in the fall and winter. I just had in on a slightly rainy, cooler summer day commuting into work. Lovely.

Great stuff. One word description: Complex

Going back to edit this one to say that so far this is the best blend I've been able to pair with a cup of coffee. It's almost like it was designed with that in mind.

After falling heavily for the other two blends in this series, I decided to give this one a spin. This one has twice the complexity of the other two combined. Not just in one bowl but from bowl to bowl, this one showed many different faces. If there are any pipesmokers that listen to a lot of Iannis Xenakis' music (besides myself), you'll understand the complexity factor. And yet a lot of it seemed randon, like it showed whatever face it felt like at the times it felt like showing it. As a result, this is one of more intriguing blends I've ever smoked, the same as with Abingdon. Smokers of heavy latakia blends should try that one, just as those who favor a lighter hand should absolutely try this one. This one is everything that Dunhill EMP promised but failed to deliver. IMHO, this blend fills the "early morning" niche ten times better than the venerable Dunhill. No limp wrists here.

So why did this not make my rotation? Well, whereas I can't give this one enough respect as what I refer to as a "genius blend", my heart overrules my head in matters of subjectivity such as taste. I simply didn't find enough punch to this one. It should be noted that I rarely smoke before noon. By that time, Quiet Nights is calling - or Meridian. But if those two are too much for you and you prefer a milder taste but still fulfilling, and you enjoy complexity to the Nth degree, you absolutely HAVE to smoke this. It's a must. Instead of Dark Lord, I'm going to refer to Greg Pease as the Thinking Man's Blender. His blends are often puzzling, sometimes confounding, but all of them are worth a serious audition. The rewards will be plentiful.

for me, It starts off with the Latakia "smokeyness" at the start and revisits throughout the bowl, especially when relighting. The virginias really begin to come through at mid-bowl all the way till the end. near the end is where I started picking up that natural sweetness from the Virginias. I have not been able to pick up any Perique yet, but I'm sure it's there somewhere.

all in all, this is a very good blend, I think the Dark Lord has opened my eyes to the Latakia world. I'm not ready to Lat-bombs, but I can definitely appreciate flavor that Lat lends to blends, if only in small doses for now.

If you're looking to dip your hands in the Lat blends, I would highly suggest giving Chelsea Morning a try. you just might find that it's for you!

Packs nice - rub it out just a little, burns well.

Sweet Virginia background supports the smoky tar of the Latakia, and the very nice subtle floral flavors of the Orientals. The Perique is faint in the smoke, but the effect it has on this already fine medium English blend is balancing and warming. New leather, cigar boxes, feed grain and creosote. I find this stuff very satisfying. It’s cool and damn tasty.

Another favorite for my list. Masterfully Done !