UPDATE May 2005: Well, I have opened a tin which was aged for 3 years.. and it's a completely different music! The taste has intensified, the tobacco is a darker orange, and it's much better than my previous experience. A nutty, slightly earthy taste, with a subdued sweetness and a solid sour presence due to the Perique. I don't find it exceedingly strong anymore: no more stomach ache, no more spins. It still tickles the mouth a bit, but overall it's quite pleasant, though still heavier in body than tasty. Not bad at all... I'll keep for the other aged tin I have in my possession for future enjoyment, and I have uprated the blend to two stars. Hey, I might even be tempted to give it three stars, although it's not one of my favorite blends yet. IMHO more enjoyable and balanced than Haddo's Delight, to which these three years of aging made it somewhat comparable in taste (although more delicate).

I don't share Greg's adoration of perique, with which he sprinkles or pours into almost everything he blends. Like Greg, my grandmother invariably added black walnut essence to everything she baked. Bless her support hose, her cookies won awards and acclaim from family and neighbors: it was her signature tweak that brought out many flavor nuances. So I'm told. I never ate them. I hate black walnuts. I don't exactly hate perique, it just has a habanero juice effect in my mouth. Wish it weren't so.

Having said all that, I still like Cairo. There's a spectrum of flavors here, and it goes well with hot sauce, whisper to you or perique-shriek to me. It's that good. But not for everybody.

Next time I used briar pipe and puffed much slower. It rewarded me with sweet and bit spicy taste. No overwhelming anymore. I quickly went through a tin and ordered next one (maybe should I order a 1 lb pack, but where??).

Now, it's my favorite tobacco. No one are even close to this one.

Nice, light colours and wetness just enough. No rubbing or drying needed.

The only thing I didn't liked is a tin cap. It's loose and doesn't prevent drying of tobacco.

Highly recommended!

Incredible tin aroma. Nutty, figgy, delicious.

Moistness is just right. Maybe more moist than dry, but very close to ideal, and could easily be dried to perfection.

Packs evenly and easily; lights easily and burns evenly.

Medium strength, full body. Delightful "creamy" mouth feel. Taste gracefully modulates through notes of figs, nuts, chocolate, and rum. Requires careful pacing, both to avoid bite and to savor the delicate play of flavor notes. Quite complex, and extremely well mannered. All that being said, the taste of the smoke doesn't quite deliver on the incredible promise of the tin aroma.

A long, clean, peppery aftertaste.

Room note is mild and pleasant.

Misc: The plastic lid on the tin was loose, worryingly so. Had to store the tin in a Ziploc.

Overall: Smooth, complex, pleasant, interesting.

Rating: ***/****

Appearance and Tin Aroma: My two year old tin was opened with much expectation since I love many of Greg's fine blends, but this is another one that was beyond me. The leaf appearance was exemplary as usual with light brown to medium brown being the majority view. The tin aroma was fascinating. It smelled slightly like spiced rum and perfume, very floral.

Packing and Lighting: Moisture was perfect, no fuss from the medium ribbon cut. Two to three lights max.

Initial Flavor: Very much the oriental component with the Perique close behind. The VA is here only for support.

Mid-Bowl: Due to my Perique allergy, I began to cough and sneeze. The tartness of the Perique was not overbearing though.

Bottom of Bowl: This blend was a chore to finish. I know there is something great here, but my allergy would not let me explore.

Overall: This is definitely a unique blend that I could not enjoy due to my physical limitations. I will leave to others to explore and enjoy. After 5 bowls, I gave the rest to a dear friend who does not have the allergy problem.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 points

There is clearly some topping or essence in this blend, but it doesn't put me off in the least. It's a delicious blend that ages wonderfully.

Oddly enough, the perique in this blend only adds support and background for the overall taste. So if perique isn't your thing, don't sweat it...

This blend defies convenient categorization. It isn't an English blend, it isn't a Virginia and it isn't an aromatic. So what is it? A pretty darn yummy tobacco blend that ages extremely well.

Update 8/02/04:

I hate to say that I don't like the way this blend changes as it ages. In my opinion, the wonderful balance of the blend when newer tilts drastically toward Perique and top dressing with a few year's age, and I don't much like the change. No disrespect to Greg Pease, who is truly a master blender, but this one simply changes in ways I don't care for. I'll try it again in a few years, and we'll see if it has changed again, more to my taste.

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What would Haddo's be like with some Oriental influence? How about a hopped up version of Samarra with more perique and denser flavors? Try Cairo and find out.

I found this blend to be quite unique and very luxurious tasting. Not quite a Balkan, not quite a proper English, not quite a VA/Perique. Elements of all three are rolled into one. This was by far one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a long time.

Reminiscient of the chaotic, dry yet dense and complex city of it's namesake...but also having distinctly woodsy, grassy notes and flavors. But don't be fooled...beneath the light exterior is a solid nicotine kick.

Cairo is the only GLP blend that just looks boring. The cut is nice, but the coloration is mundane, just all medium brown.

At first it seemed OK. There was a well-rounded taste of some savory Oriental. But by the 1/3 mark it had degenerated into what tasted like a cheap cigar. The room note was quite unpleasant, again with the cheap cigar. By the middle of the fourth bowl, I knew I wouldn?t be smoking this blend again Even after I had finished it, for several hours I could ?smell? this stuff if I inhaled deeply. I thought it was lingering in the room, but it did it outside too. The smell was stuck in my nose!

I?m sorry Mr. Pease, I have been able to find something good to say about all of your other blends, but this stuff is just rank.

For what it?s worth, it burned well, was smooth, and it didn?t bite.

I feel like I need to come back to this one and change one thing. I still love this as much as before but must say that the nic. is a little stronger than when I first reviewed this. Still very, very good and in my regular rotation!

The tobacco has a beautiful golden color, a crumbly rough cut, packs like a dream and smells like 5 kinds of Heaven in the tin...but smokes like Satan holding a flaming bag of doggie doo.

There was a harsh and peppery taste that overwhelmed my taste buds, nose and sense of balance, sending me spinning. The smoke it produced sent my loved ones scrambling for duct tape and Tom Ridge's phone number.

Pepper is good in food, but not in my pipe. I can't honestly recommend this one. Maybe it was my body chemistry? In any case, I have to give this one a thumbs-down rating because of that overpowering pepper taste. I ran inside and immediately fished out my rested Brookfield apple bowl and packed it full of British Woods and managed to save the night with a nice smoke from that. I DO like some Pease blends (Barbary Coast is dreamy!) though, so I'll continue to sample them.

After smoking half the bowl with no noticeable flavour I tried puffing a bit faster only to get blasted with a horrible peppery taste and scorched the hell out of my tongue.

Other GLP blends make up a substantial part of my rotation, but this was just awful. I think I'll stick to Haddo's.

Packing and Lighting: I think this needs to be packed fairly tightly as I have to relight about 3 times on average. No difficulties getting it started.

Taste: Initial impression is sweet in that wonderful Virginia way with just a bit of tingle from the perique. Later, towards the last half of the bowl the flavor becomes stronger, rich Virginia, smooth Oriental, tangy Perique.

If you like Virginia/Perique blends you will want to try this.

Notes on this are consistent. A very nice smoke, smooth, almost light. As I smoke I notice that whenever it starts to become routine, the perique steps forward and provides a tickle to bring it back in line. It offers different treats in each smoking and I find it to be a very "peaceful" smoke, especially for a quiet, thoughtful time alone. It also brings enjoyment when with others without distracting or displeasing my friends.

I rated this as an "occassional" smoke not because of quality - which is excellent. I rate it as such because it requires one's full attention to truly enjoy. It demands a moment where one puts down the book, turns off the PC monitor, isn't in the car, isn't doing yard work, where one just sits quietly and smokes. Thus, it is a luxury best sampled infrequently like a vintage champagne.

The tin aroma of this tobacco is unusual, and initially one might think it cased with something. On opening, one becomes aware of an intensely citrusy, fruity, bubble-gummy aroma. Let the tin sit open for a bit, and the aroma becomes more subtle - you discern that it comes not from fruit flavoring but from prime, bright, lemony Virginia tobacco combined with the sweet spiciness of Oriental and Perique.

The tobacco packs well, and on lighting is nothing like bubble-gum. It is bright in flavor, and ever so slightly spicy. Never overwhelming or bite-y, it settles into a flavor profile not unlike a good, buttery, oaky Chardonnay. It's fruity and sweet due to the Virginias, the Perique adds a bit of tingle to the tongue, and the Oriental tobaccos provide a sweet spice flavor and aroma that melds perfectly. It's simultaneously sweet, tart, toasty, and spicy. Room aroma is tolerable to non-smokers.

Cairo is a pleasant change in that it offers the combination of Virigina and Oriental tobaccos without the usual addition of Latakia. I recommend that any pipe smokers should try this blend at least once, giving it the attention it deserves, if only for the experience.