G. L. Pease - Original Mixtures: Raven's Wing pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 21 through 34 of 34 reviews of this tobacco
Inquisitor	04/05/2003	Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
My least favorite of Greg's initial four Latakia blends; to me, the closest to a middle-of-the-road English (while the other three each have their own distinctive element that make them truly unique). The latakia is a bit too overwhelming, thus reducing the overall complexity and robbing the blend of the input of the other high-quality components. All in all, good, just not in the same league as the others.
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mailman 5000	10/13/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This is the first of the Pease blends that I have tried and boy did I have high hopes. It is my belief that in Mr. Pease pipesmoking has reached a new level in that he is not a pipemaker producing tobacco as a sideline. This is "designer" tobacco if you will and as it is blended by an enthuisast on a small scale then in these small tins lie the hopes of many of us who have seen the big brand tobaccos go downhill over the years. The cut of this one was broader than any most and as a result my usual pipes being of average size and oil cured seemed to not suit ravens wing it was only when i tried it in a big Italian pipe the charateristics of which or light and airy that this mixture really started to shine and shine it did. A rich complex blend posing a almost flinty quailty that I have only experienced with Cuban cigars. A great smoke ideally suited to big bowls. The only downside being a little lacking in body in the middle range for me.
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Pipestud	06/14/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
I guess I should have waited a year or two before opening the tin. As has been the case with several Pease blends I've picked up, the tobacco was not "ripe," and tasted hot and harsh. The virginia element was mixed well with the latakia, and the latter did produce flavor that I liked, but boy, that virginia just didn't do it for me. If you don't care whether your virginia leaf has been aged, try Raven's Wing, you may like it. If, like me, you prefer a little aging, grab a tin, stick it in your "cellar," and pay it a visit a year or two down the road.
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ruggiero	03/02/2002	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Unfortunately this review comes after I have fallen head over heels for Mr. Pease's Caravan and Renaissance, respectively. I'll try to remain fair and reasonably objective, but if you've tried the aforementioned Pease blends, I'm sure you'll understand my dilemma. On cracking open the tin, it's apparent there are some serious goodies shredded up inside. A full, deep English is at hand (never a bad thing). I had no problem packing and keeping lit, the medium cut ribbon. It stayed lit throughout without a problem. This is a nice, smooth smoke, but my palate kept picking up a bit of a salty taste which seemed difficult to forget during the smoke. I guess where it's lacking from my standpoint is the well-roundedness, depth of flavor and complexity infused by the addition of the Orientals and Matured VAs everpresent in it's G.L. Pease cousin's, Caravan and Renaissance. Good stuff, recommended for an English lover to try, but not a personal favorite. Sorry boys. I guess I failed the objectivity test.
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Black Seamus	02/17/2002	Medium	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Here we have the perfect marriage of the smokiness of the Latakia and sweet sharpness of the Virginias. Can a tobacco really be this good? Slow smoking, cool burning; I smoke this one in my biggest bowls. If you like Latakia blends, you owe it to yourself to try this tobacco. If you don't like Latakia blends, Raven's Wing may change your mind. Highly recommended.
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lustra	01/21/2002	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable
Raven's Wing is a short-cut black ribbon with a few pieces of brown here and there. Although it definitely smells of Latakia in the tin, the tin contents don't have an overpowering smell. This blend is easy to load, takes the match well, and burns wonderfully. At first, the blend is a little tingly, maybe even a touch bitey, with a muddy Latakia midrange. As the bowl progresses, though, the smoke becomes softer and just a bit sweeter (although still not at all "sweet" in the usual sense). At this point, the smoke is a heavy, nice, smoky Latakia with the upper ranges alternating between a slight sweetness and a slight bitterness. Very tasty. All the way through, it smokes very cooly and produces a good smoke volume. For me, the single most striking characteristic of this blend is not its taste, which is very full and rich and wonderful, but its incredibly RELAXING effect. I don't know what's happening, but this blend invariably turns me into calm, relaxed blissed-out dishrag. I am simply imperturbable for a few hours after I smoke this stuff. It is true Buddha-weed. It smokes to a fine white ash, but you won't be paying any attention to that. You'll just be sitting in your chair saying "oooh," "aaah" and stretching your butt around like a Persian cat.
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Paul Tatum	01/16/2002	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant
This is my single most smoked tobacco . I call it my default tobacco . If I find myself indescisive about what to smoke , I reach for this . More times than not I find myself wanting a classic English latakia blend , and when faced with the array of english latakia blends in my cellar this blend gets smoked 50% of the time . There are times when I have to force myself to smoke something different . It's not the Holy Grail , but to date it's my most often smoked .
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smokey	12/23/2001	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
great tobacco, but what else would you expect from greg pease? as the can says, there is a lot of latakia here, but the oriental and virginia tobaccos also add flavor. in other words, it's not quite as stout on the latakia as something like C&D pirate kake. nice slow burn that doesn't require a lot of re-packing or re-lights. i would agree with some of the other posts and would like to see greg use a wider, flatter container with 4 oz. ones also available. that may be the only thing that keeps it out of my regular rotation of tobaccos. i just don't like to have a lot of smaller cans around and would prefer to buy this in larger quantities(and save a little money). this one still gets 4 stars for taste.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
tslots	08/02/2001	Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Very colorful tobacco here from ... blond to black. The aroma is smoky / sweet and very rich. The flavors start out somewhat tart. Toward the middle of the bowl I noticed that this changed to a somewhat floral taste while the smoke was still in my mouth. This was folowed by a very nice sweet tobacco aftertaste that lingered on, and on ... The end of the bowl was strong. This is a dry tobacco and did not burp or bite. I definately concur that loose packing is in order. My first bowl of this, packed in the normal way, required a few relights.
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farndog	07/04/2001	Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
As incredible as some of Greg Pease's blends have been, first with F&P, and now in his own G.L. Pease line of tobaccos, Raven's Wing may be his masterpiece. Raven's Wing comes in those crummy little pop top cans, but the contents are easily dumped into a tobacco jar. Upon opening the tin I wonder if there is anything but Latakia in the can - a second whiff reveals a sweet background and the some spice - do I detect Syrian Latakia too? Yum. The blend is 75% dark and 25% light tobacco. zit packs easily into a pipe and has a nice consistency. The match reveals a different tobacco than one would expect from the tin. Raven's Wing is well-balanced and full of flavours other than Latakia - do not get me wrong you have to like latakia to fully appreciate this blend. The Virginia tobaccos (reds?) in here support the Latakia well and don't leave with only the taste of Latakia that some smokes do. This tobacco burn cleanly and doesn't get yucky toward the bottom of the bowl. The pipe stays clean and mostly dry. You English tobacco smokers have to try this one!
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Noorrmm	04/17/2001	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Strong
Appearance - Full range of medium and dark tobaccos. Medium width ribbon, neither long nor short. A bit drier than most blends, but perfect for my taste in that area. I usually have to let most tobaccos dry out a bit before I can enjoy them. Aroma ? Very smoky and rich, I wanted to just sniff at it for a while (almost chew it). There is a definite presence of Syrian Latakia, some sweeter Cyprian, good Turkish spiciness and a solid sweetness of Red Virginia. All the components seem to stand out, but none drowns out any other. Excellent balance promises a great smoke. Packing: This blend needs a bit of a light touch when packing, especially at the bottom of the bowl. It is too easy to pack it just a bit too tight. Lighting: Lights easily when properly packed. Typical "charring light, tamp, relight" sequence gets a good slow burn going. Initial flavor and aroma: I noticed the Latakia first, followed immediately by the fullness of the Virginias and the nutty, spicy Turkish. Rich, cool and well balanced right from the beginning. Stays lit well even at a slow burn rate. Mid-bowl: No perceptible change at the middle third of the bowl, continues to burn dry and even. Finish: Like most tobaccos, gets a bit stronger in flavor at the end. Continues to burn to a clean gray ash. I sometimes had to dump a small amount of the ash to relight, as it forms a blanket which impedes relighting. Left me satisfied, with my tongue and palate unstressed. I didn?t get the "hit me again" feeling right away, owing to the richness of the smoke. Tried in the following pipes: Actually tried in too many to mention, medium to large bowls mostly (and a few small ones), both air-cured and oil-cured briars. For me it worked well in all sizes, but best in the larger bowls. Particularly liked: Where to start? I liked everything about it, including the size (2 oz. Vs the usual 50 grams) although I wish it were available in 4 oz. size. Particularly disliked: The only thing I disliked is the shape of the can. It?s too narrow for me, and I don?t have large hands. I can get the tobacco out for the first third of the can, then I have to pour it onto a sheet of paper. Summary: For me, a great evening smoke in a good size pipe. It would probably be a good choice for outdoors on a cool day, as it does not burn hot unless really overpuffed or fanned by a stiff breeze. Definitely a smoke for anyone who enjoys Latakia, but does not like being overwhelmed by it. It is at the top of my list of Full English blends
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Sceny	04/09/2001	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
This is by far the fullest GLP tobacco I have tried. In fact, it's the richest, fullest tobacco I've tried by ANY blender! This one's a definite treat for us Latakia fans. The tin aroma is subdued, like most Pease tobaccos. I can smell heavy Latakia as well as a hint of spice, a subtle sweetness, and a "brighter" tobacco odor which I can't place. The leaf itself is highly variable in color: deep blacks, dark and medium browns, and some lighter yellow/tans make up the visually pleasant mix inside the tin. The moisture level is a bit low, normal for GLP, and the cut is medium in length and fairly wide. It packs easily and lights easily, burning with an average number of relights. In the first third of the bowl, the primary flavor is Latakia: strong, full, and not at all subtle. This is quite obviously more Latakia than I am used to seeing in a blend. Despite the heavy nutty, woodsy taste, other flavors are also contributing. I can taste a light sweetness, a smooth Oriental flavor and a complexity that is far from one-dimensional. Into the second third, I am finding this a surprisingly smooth smoke for such a full taste. The complexity has developed nicely, as it does with every GLP blend I've ever tried. This is a very rich, full, satisfying blend; it is perhaps the fullest English I've ever tried. It is remarkable how such a good level of subtlety can be maintained in this type of tobacco. The room aroma is very full as well; non-smokers may object! Into the final third of the bowl, I noticed a bit of a gurgle, easily taken care of with a pipe cleaner. There is no bite, just a smooth, full, rich, and very dark flavor that is complex yet satisfying. The complexity and darkness have increases since the first part of the bowl, maturing nicely into a lovely finish. Overall, this is a very satisfying, very full English blend, best smoked at the end of the day. It is fuller than both Frog Morton and Dunhill 965, and yet is more complex than FM as well. If you are looking for a very full but smooth English blend, or a blend with heavy Latakia, you should try this one. It will find a regular place in my rotation, and possibly even a dedicated pipe. Excellent!
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Padraig	03/29/2001	Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong
A nice contrast to my beloved 5110, the blending of the Syrian and Cyprian Latikias is nicely achieved by this great blender of tobaccos. As expected, it arrived a bit moist, I aired it and packed it lightly. It was a bit of a problem keeping it lit, but the flavor of this full English style tobacco was worth the effort. I will continue smoking Raven's Wing from time-to-time, but I feel that it's missing some depth and since I'm not a blender, I have no idea what I'm looking for -- maybe a touch of Perique? It's good. If you like Latikia's, this may be your perfect smoke.
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sal	03/11/2001	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a great blend for Latakia lovers. The tobacco appears dark with a smattering of lighter pieces thrown in. The pouch aroma leaves no doubt that this is an English blend. The tin's humidity seems about right and the tobacco packs well, if not a bit heavy. The charring light delivers a blast of smokey, leathery taste that never quits throughout the whole bowl. It is not a sweet smoke, but more of a woodsy-smokey experience. Do heed the advice on the label and pack a little more loosely than you normally would as too tight a pack will be hard to keep lit. My previous Latakia blend had been Dunhill 965, but I found that it would tend to bite if I didn't pay attention, which Raven's Wing seems less likely to do. This blend, in my opinion offers a richer smoke with less bite. A great outdoors smoke with a pleasant room aroma.
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