I liken Mephisto to Odyssey with Syrian and rum sprayed on it. If you like Odyssey, this will certainly please you, I'm sure. Mephisto's rum adds the chutzpah and the Syrian adds mucho sophistication (i.e. Charlize Theron in perfume commercials). I thought the "steamed and toasted" Pease does with Mephisto gave it an unusual humid-basement-like smell that doesn't take away anything but translates into an all around stellar blend. It took a minute to grow on me but we're there now. Fantastic aftertaste! P.S. Don't forget to load it loosely. The lat needs room to work its magic.

Sometimes the collaboration between briar and leaf breaks down; perhaps one of them goes on strike or the other is simply grumpy. It's hard to tell why, but it just happens. And I had a particularly bad run of it last month. I have a number of reliable pipe / tobacco combinations, and they all failed me. I got nothing but bland, ashy, flavor from everything I tried, and it was a puzzle. I've been doing this for a while (since the early seventies, actually) and I feel that technique is about 80% of the game. I can usually take any random pipe off the rack, pack it with any random tobacco in my stock, and simply enjoy. But the magic was not working. Even stellar tobaccos of renown were failing me -- and even in my very best pipes. Escudo! Three Nuns! Dark Star! Black Parrot! Bland, ashy, pointless "blah" pipefull after pipefull assailed me. I began to wonder if it had always been this way, and I was only deluding myself about a glorious and nonexistent past of fictional pipe glory. I began to wonder if my taste buds had gone awry and would never return. I began to wonder if every tobacco I own had gone hopelessly stale.

But the drought ended with a bang, and a glorious pipefull of G.L. Pease's Mephisto.

It's interesting that it turned out to be Greg who came to the rescue; he's a blender renowned for balance and old-world polish in his work. I was thinking that I needed something with "oomph" or straight "horsepower" to break through the grip of my pipe blahs, but it was Greg's pure finesse that did it. Mephisto simply woke up and sang for me, not just the Hallelujah Chorus but the entire Handel's Messiah, from start to finish, well over an hour of flawless pipe pleasure, rich, sweet, smooth as silk, complex, fascinating, and brilliant to the very end of the dottle. "Ah, yes," I thought, "now I remember. This is why I smoke a pipe, and this is how it's supposed to be." I could still taste the lingering sweet and smooth flavors eight hours later, even after a few mugs of tea and some X- Files reruns.

Finesse. Balance. Carefully managed complexity, with a beautiful grasp of the gestalt. Technical expertise. Decades of experience. It all shows. Bravo, Greg.

It was sad that Mephisto turned out to be the magic blend. Joyous, because it was so brilliant, but sad, because it's discontinued (still, as of 2011.) Only two unopened tins remain in my cupboard. Could I add my name to those who are clamoring for a retooling of this blend? The translation and evolution from Raven's Wing to Maltese Falcon was a great success; it's not the same, but still wonderful and very satisfying for those who lamented the loss of RW. Perhaps there could be a "Mephisto Waltz" of Cyprian, still wooed with a bit of dark Jamaican rum?

Now the review. Very good blend. The Latakias (both Syrian and Cyprus) interact very well. The Syrians spicy taste is enhanced by a very gentle addition of rum. I can understand why GLP does not introduce it with only Cyprian, because this is what the blend is all about to me- an interplay between Syrian and rum with a background mild smokiness from the Cyprian leaf. Virginia is way back in my opinion, but I can't believe it is there for more than a canvas for the paint.

Do not fear if this is your type of blend, Ebay sellers will put these tins up pretty regularly and the prices are less than half what they were one year prior to this date.

This review is based off of three tins smoked. Most recent dated 2000. Please don't forget to jar it up after opening, or better yet enjoy it while you have it within a couple weeks, rum flavor will dissipate and Latakia will lose its "umph".

I am smoking my last can of Mephisto. This can is six years old, opened about 9 months ago, and laid away again. It is RATHER UNFORTUNATE that this is no longer available, as this is one of my all time favorite Latakia blends, and too soon, this can shall pass.

This is an exquisite smoke. Upon opening the tin, one is impressed by an aroma of smoky Latakia. This is not the case upon smoking.

A very nutty almond-like flavor strikes you upon first light, balanced by a generous touch of sweetness from the Virginia Tobacco. A minty smokiness from the Latakia frames the background, holding this perfect symphony together. This structure stays with you through the first half of the bowl.

The last half of the bowl presents a somewhat different structure. The Latakia comes on in the forefront, the mint and smoke taking center stage. This is balanced by a more subdued nuance of the nutty aromas, and the Virginia sweetness lingers in the background to hold everything together.

This blend smokes cool and slow, and works well in bowls of varying shape, size and design, and is simply delicious from start to finish. A salute to Mr. Pease, Master Conductor, Master Arranger, of this fine Symphony.

Mr. Pease, Please, Please bring this one back!!!

2008 Update: smoking a 2002 tin right now... Smooth, smooth, smooth!!!! A wonderful smoky sweetness, creamy and thick! The stoving of the leaf is wonderful. I appreciate this tobacco even more today, and I sorely miss its departure. Latakia content seems perfect now, not light at all: simply perfect, without being overpowering. A very welcome change of taste, absolutely unique... at least until my cellar reserve will last!

To start, the rum is dominant right out of the tin, peaking curiosity. To the touch, the tobacco feels just right with moisture and packs easily. Upon lighting, the senses are flooded with the smokey sweet floral spice of the finest exotic Oriental tobaccos, with a good healthy dose of Latakia. The aroma is of the typical campfire Balkan scent, with the added hint gingerbread. I attribute the gingerbread like aroma to the rum presence. Aside from the tin and burning aromatic effect, the rum is virtually absent in the taste. I think the Jamaican rum provides a quorum to bring the tobaccos into fine agreement and produce a unique taste, but nothing more. I believe those who are disturbed by the rum topping, may be thrown off by the psychological effects of the tin and smoke aroma. Hey, that's just my opinion, but try some if you can find it - you won't regret!

Has now become my everyday blend and a most favorite for sure. Very complex but not too powerfull and great burning properties. Gladd I got about 10 tins on a trip out of town to a store that had got this in but never moved any because the locals didnt want the stuff in the strange not so flashy looking can. I dont think you can get fresh anymore as production has been stopped. Maybe it will pick up again some time soon. Airing out and ageing help the smothness of this blend. Truyly great.

The tin aroma is splendid: sweet tangy, barbecue, orange marmelade, clementines.

At the match, the first puff is the best. If by chance, you have just popped the tin open, then you will feel the sweetness and the rum and the latakia litteraly mixing in your pipe and coating your mouth. Few other blends can produce such sensations.

The only dissapointment is that -- as usual in virtually all the Pease blends -- the virginias burn hot. This is unpleasant. It is too bad that a blender of the reputation of Pease has to work with such raw virginias --or doesn't care enough to remedy the situation.

It is true that the older tins from a few years back don't burn as hot, I wonder: have we really reached the satge were we consumers have to "cellar" tobaccos for 4 to 5 years before smoking them. I would say that this is a little much to ask the consumer, to put it mildly!

Despite this nagging issue, and considering the quality level of available blends, I would have to say that this is of the best light aromatic english tobaccos today. Strangely, this blend is currently suffering its second shortage in four years due to a lack of Syrian Latakia, and according to the manufacturers (the good and unheralded folks at Cornell and Diehl), it will never be available again. Time will tell.

?I know someday I?ll walk out of here again, but now I?m trapped ? ooh yeah!? (J. Cliff)

One good idea: If you have a friend who only smokes aromatics, and want them to try an English, this would be just the blend to start with for an easy transition. I must reiterate though, if you like latakia, there's a lot of other blends out there.

Lucho Barra