G. L. Pease - Original Mixtures: Mephisto pipe tobacco reviews

Review

Please log in to add or edit a review. If you do not have an account yet, you can sign up for one here.

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 21 through 40 of 43 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >
CaptnDan	03/28/2004	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
I have to admit, I was drawn to this tobacco for a silly reason: One of my favorite computer games is Diablo II - Lord Of Destruction. Mephisto is one of the 'Prime Evils' in the game. I was intrigued. The Devil's weed and the Daemon Rum. OK, you have my attention. There is nothing evil about this tobacco, that's for sure. I would smoke it all day, except for the fact that I would run the risk of getting tired of it - and that's not something I want to do. Mephisto, typical of Pease blends looks wonderful in the tin (can, whatever). It's an attractive tobacco. Good mixture of dark leaf, with just enough light brown to make it interesting. The aroma was a mixture of Latakia and rum. Packing is a breeze. So is lighting. The rum pops up to say 'hello' right at the start, then the Latakia joins the party. Also typical of Pease blends is the amazing complexity. The flavors intermingle in a way that never gets boring. Not quite English, not quite aromatic - it's in a class all it's own. The flavor stays with you in it's ever-changing way, all the way to the end of the bowl, and leaves you wishing you had put it in a bigger pipe - you won't want the ride to end. My only complaints are two: 1-The tin is a bit small in diameter; and 2-Mr Pease, yuo are really messing with my pipe rotation here! I find that I want to dedicate a pipe to every one of your blends that I try. I guess I'm going to have to buy more pipes - not that this is a BAD thing! Another winner from GL Pease.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
badsneaker	03/09/2004	Medium	Medium	Medium
Just finished my third tin of this today. Mephisto (great name) is the tobacco I tend to reach for when I want something a bit more extraordinary to tease my olfactory nerves. Dark, sweet Jamaican rum and spicy Latakia do a seductive tango somewhere in the clouds of thick smoke swirling about my head. The more I smoke Mephisto, the more I find to love. The highest of kudos to GLP...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Noorrmm	02/18/2004	Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Appearance: Fairly fine cut, mostly dark leaf. There are some medium to light flashes to give it some visual interest, but the overall impression is quite dark and rich. Aroma: There is a noticable aroma of Rum, underneath which can be detected substantial Latakia, and a stoved Virginia. The Orientals don?t contribute much to the aroma. Packing:. Packs easily into any pipe from group 3 through group 6. Seems to need a light hand to avoid overpacking.. Similar to Raven?s Wing in this regard. Lighting: Takes flame easily, but not overly fast. Usual charring light, tamp, relight to get started Initial flavor: The Rum and Latakia are in your face at once, really out there at the start. They settle down shortly to reveal some nice layers of dark Virginia and Orientals. Mid-bowl: The Va. component is rich, and combines nicely with the Rum to produce a slightly sweet Cavendish effect. The Latakia and Orientals provide layers of high and medium notes to harmonize with the Va. lows. This is always cool when enjoyed at a slow to medium puff rate, and delightful to the palate. Rich and tasty, and a dry smoker. Stays lit very well, down to the bottom of the bowl. Finish: Burns slowly to the end, less Rum and a bit more Latakia flavor at the bottom. Always leaves a fluffy gray ash, sometimes needs to be dumped for the last relight. Got some positive comments about the aroma, surprising when you consider the amount of Latakia present. Summary: I normally prefer booze in my glass, not in my pipe. However, this is the exception to my rule. A lovely blend, best enjoyed in the evening, when you can relax with it and savor the compexity.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
chaplikc	02/14/2004	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
To me this is the perfect english crossover blend. It is wonderful and complex and very delicous. What I realy enjoy about this blend is that it seems to be very well blended with the idea of the rum being a twist or addition to the blend. I actually enjoyed the light backround flavor of the rum in this blend. I normally do not go for aromatics ( if this can even be classified as such ) but I felt that the rum was added in perfect proportion and flavor in this blend. Alot of english crossover blends I have had seem to be the other way around where the aromatic agent stands in the front or spotlight. This is very good and highly recomended for those who want to try an english blend with a litle bit of a twist in it.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Devonshire	02/12/2004	Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable
Although I am a fan of many of Mr. Pease's blends, Mephisto is my second favourite, after Haddo's Delight. Of course, comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Mephisto is a full yet smooth blend. The dark latakia give it a fullness like Ravenwing, but the Turkish and light rum casing mellow the blend. I should note that rum is my favourite liquor and it is used in artful moderation in this blend. Overall, I can heartily recommend Mephisto. I smoke it to relax after a 12 hour shift, but it does not leave you lethargic.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Briarabbit	01/08/2004	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
A great blend of tobaccos...RUINED BY LIQUOR! It tastes sweet and smoky and seems to want to break from the rum but can't. No thanks.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
David Cimino	10/18/2003	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I think it's a great thing when a blender successfully blurs the line between blend styles. Smokers of taditional English blend will usually turn their noses up at anything with added flavoring. In the past I have been one of them. Lately, I have been discovering a number of really good English-style blends that contain added flavoring or Cavendish. The "long stoving" and "steaming and toasting", described on the tin, certainly marries the tobaccos exquisitely. It is a testament to the skill at G.L. Pease that so many elements can be brought together in a blend and the result is a tobacco that smokes so smoothly and easily and yet still imparts a variety of nuances to the smoker's palate. As a side note, I've noticed that this tobacco smokes well out of new pipes which have not yet been broken in. I may have to use this as my standard "breaking-in" tobaccco.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
The Keeper	07/19/2003	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
My first bowl of Mephisto left me dazzled and dreamy. I thought I had fallen in love with the great adversary himself. The blend struck me as more a potent and complex Frog Morton in overall taste and impact. I couldn't wait for another bowl. Several bowls and weeks later and I'm less enthusiastic. The blending is still creative and the tobacco quality is good. I love the latakia and the turkish dance that goes on under the aroma of rum. But I feel the taste becomes a bit blurred and muddied...not as interwoven as other Pease offerings I've sampled to date. The smokiness of latakia and tanginess of VA seem to contrast a bit too much through out the middle of the bowl...leaving the overall flavor a bit bland and sour at times? The rum is present only in the vapor for most of the bowl...less so in the taste of the smoke. The last third of the bowl picks up a bit with more Orientals coming to the forefront and the rum gathering strength on the palate, but not enough for me to give it high marks compared to some of the other English and Latakia blends I've tried. Bonuses for Mephisto: this stuff stays lit, produces nice smoke, and burns slow and even. Little to no bite. I've had it actually rejuvinate after only a tamp...getting through a large bowl with only one relight. I still will likely enjoy Mephisto every now and again, but probably not a blend I'll rush out to restock anytime soon. Perhaps some age would do a can well? We shall see...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
BriarLaw	05/27/2003	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Well . . . I hate to rain on the parade but this tobacco did not work for me. I know it comes from a very well-respected blender and is of high quality leaf. I normally love G.L. Pease blends. But not this one. Spicy Orientals and full Latakia accentuated by a sweet taste. Now I have smoked and like Navy flakes, so can handle that type of thing, but this blend went too far for me. Sort of like taking a fine smokey single malt scotch and mixing it with Grand Marnier. Both are high in quality, but sure don't mix well in my opinion. Sorry to be so harsh, but that is my impression. This review is by no means intended to indict the other G.L. Pease blends. They are excellent and I highly respect Mr. Pease. It's just that Memphisto did not work for me. Maybe it's because I hate rum . . .
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pipestud	05/07/2003	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I recently sampled a couple of bowls of this blend at my pipe club's "tobacco Bar." It was not a huge hit with the group. The description says this is the Devil's weed, and it sure bit like the Devil. Smoke very slowly or suffer the consequences. It was a little soggy when the tin was popped (perhaps that is why it nipped my tongue), and contained more stems than I care to have to pluck, but other than that, it packed decently. Mephisto was unusually sweet for a latakia laden blend. It also smoked dry considering how moist the leaf was before packing and smoking. I did indeed detect the discreet topping of rum, but only on occasion. The Virginia leaf also co-starred, and did an admirable job of keeping pace with the Latakia and other Turkish leaf which I could not begin to identify. Mephisto was light enough on the palate to warrant an immediate second bowl. I do not think I would smoke this in the mornings, but following dinner, it is quite good.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Oliphaunt	04/30/2003	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
This tobacco smells heavenly in the tin. Therefore, I suggest its use as a room freshener, as smoking it is no great treat compared to smelling it. I admire the concepts behind Mr. Pease's mixtures, but I have yet to try one that I felt was made with sufficiently high quality tobacco. Take, for instance, this blend. It lights with a vague latakia taste, but without a hint of the deep, strong latakia flavor from the tin. The sweet savoury notes of the rum topping are utterly absent in the smoke (Blasted! For once, a casing I actually wish to taste, but it refuses to show its face), and the predominant flavor throughout the bowl is something like unfiltered Camels with a touch of evasive, capricious latakia. This is work, not fun, and I cannot finish a bowl of this stuff. To clarify, I do not feel that this mixture is actually nearly so bad as some of the filthy mundungus available out there, but at this not inconsiderable pricepoint standards are rightfully high, and Mephisto does not meet them. Where is all this money going if not to buy the evidently absent high quality leaf? If you can afford the Pease pricetag, you can easily afford brands like Dunhill, McClelland, S. Gawith, etc., all of whom blend just as well as this and do so using...good tobacco! Do not confuse newness or trendiness with quality, and send your tobacco dollar elsewhere.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
RCUSElder	04/28/2003	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
While I do not smoke this everyday, when in the mood for something different, this is a great choice. Upon opening the tin, you are greeted by the rum aroma and after a few minutes the tobac odors come out as well. I do recommend you leave the tin open for 5-10 mins. before packing your pipe. This seems to mellow the rum aroma and allows for a cooler smoke. Upon lighting, the rum sings strongly but after a few mins. the blend settles into a tasty symphony with syrian latakia as the conductor. This quality leaf mixes well wth the rum. The blend smokes evenly to the bottom of the bowl with not much change toward the end, but you do have to slow your puffing because the rum seems to make it easier to get it hot. The only drawback for me to this blend is that it does not work for me in the morning, the rum makes my stomach a little queasy. But after a hearty lunch or dinner, this blend is perfect. The room note is well liked by my kids and my "sweetheart", so that is a plus. Greg has to be commended fo his committment to making quality blends, a hearty AMEN!!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pounder 5000	03/11/2003	Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
This is a truly wonderful offering in the aromatic english category. The flavoring is never over the top and gives the blend a unique sweetnes. This is what I smoke when I want an english and have my wife right beside me. In fact I have received numerous compliments from people about how good my pipe smelled, something I have never encountered with an english blend. This blend is still a little too sweet for my normal tastes though, and did bite a little towards the end. I believe this may be caused by a lack of aging however, so others may find differently. All in all a tobacco I will keep on hand for whenever my sweet tooth is kicking in.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
RobAtHome	02/25/2003	Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Mephisto is an excellent introduction to English blends for smokers of either quality aromatics or Virginia tobaccos. It offers the classic flavor of a mild Latakia blend while providing a hint of aromatic flavoring and a excellent balance with the sweetness of its Virginia base. On opening, one sees a mixture of mostly darker tobaccos with light flecks of golden VA and greenish-gold Turkish tobacco. The dark brown stoved Virginia and blackish Latakia form the base of this wonderful blend. The tin aroma is pleasant, with the sweet tang of mature, stoved Virginias mingling nicely with the delicate herbal smokiness of Syrian Latakia. The rum is detectable only as a hint of fruity molasses sweetness lingering in the background. The tobacco can be a bit moist from a fresh tin, so you may desire to dry it out a bit. Once at the proper moisture, packing is a breeze and it smokes cool and dry. Greg's blends are admirable in their lack of tongue-bite even though they frequently use rather sugary Virginia leaf. The smoke is very flavorable and "aromatic" in the sense that it is pleasing to the nose in a classic pipe-tobacco way. The rum topping is barely noticable to me as anything other than a mellowing of the latakia aroma or a hint of molasses on the tongue. An excellent mild-medium English, Mephisto is one of my favorite Pease blends along with Barbary Coast. Alas, as of this writing (late February, 2003) production has been halted due to the non-availability of Syrian Latakia in the US. Thus, this blend will be increasingly difficult to come by until Greg resumes making it.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
CJ	12/12/2002	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable
This tin is dated January, 2001. I have kept this tin open for over a year, and I have kept the moisture content at my optimum level. At this point, the mixture is primarily dark in appearance. The tin aroma is that of a good classic English Latakia-Oriental blend. I don't notice the rum component in either the tin aroma or in the taste. It is possible that most of it has evaporated. Regardless, this is a deep, rich, creamy, smooth, sweet, and very fulfilling smoke. There are moments of a cigar like flavor. This should be appreciated by any fan of this type of English blend. Mr. Pease, not too surprising, has created another winner. For me, there is no bite at all. It burns clean and dry leaving a white to very light gray ash. Highly recommended for Latakia fans.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
mailman 5000	12/06/2002	Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable
I opened a tin of this after trying Blockade Runner from C and D. That blend does the rum thing to the max. This is a much subtler blend . At first I found it a little odd as its English base was quite complex but the rum seemed at odds with this. But as I worked my way through the tin it really started to grow on me.. Most of my all time favorites start this way and Mephisto could very easily fall into that catergory. Well worth a try.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
lustra	10/07/2002	Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Mephisto is another fine tobacco from Greg Pease. Superficially similar to Raven's Wing, it is a touch milder, sweeter, and not quite as soporific (Raven's Wing, for me, is the opium of pipe tobaccos--bringing on a sweet langour that makes me useless for any sort of modern rushing-about). Like Raven's Wing, this is a virtually biteless tobacco--smooth, slightly sweet, and subtle. As with all Pease blends, the cut, composition, and burn are always first-rate.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
pmonroeb	08/06/2002	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
I applaud Mr Pease for this creation. This is a very good English mixture that has been laced with demon rum. Frankly, I could have done with a hint of the rum rather than the overt statement made by the rum. I usually mix this down with some Renaissance to lessen the rum flavor. Overall, this is an excellent English and different from any other I'm aware of. I have about 6 cans of this in my cabinet. Note to Mr Pease: Please change your cans. they are too difficult for load from because of the narrow width.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Paul Tatum	01/16/2002	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant
This is another of the GLP blends that I buy in quantity on a regular basis for the cellar . It's a wonderful all around smoke for me . I generally can't stand aromatic tobacco , but sometimes I want something just off center from the standard English latakia blend , and this fits the bill .
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
MikeB	12/13/2001	Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Full	Very Pleasant
This is incredible. Everything about this tobacco is amazing. Right from the get go when you open the tin to the last puff on a bowl. There is nothing this tobacco is lacking (other than 10 more tins in my cellar). The casing is light and give a wonderful room note (the wife likes it). The fullness of the smoke and the ease of smoking are great. No tonge bite and a wonderful flavour. One of the best tobaccos I have ever tried!
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 21 through 40 of 43 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >