G. L. Pease - Original Mixtures: Renaissance 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 >
bigblends	04/22/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
I picked up my first tin of Renaissance more than a month ago -- stamped 01 13 04. Fantastic aroma in the can! After dumping it out on a tray to have a look at my first Pease blend, I was pleased to see some fine tobac in there. It's an attractive mixture for sure. Dunhill 965 is my standby, so I tend to compare everything else to it by default. Renaissance has a more tangy scent and, in certain spots, a less homogenous cut. But that's no problem. I also found a bit more powdery tobacco settled in the bottom of the Pease can than I would have liked, but I discovered that adding a pinch or two of the powdery stuff to each bowl actually enhanced the overall burn. No big deal, really. Renaisaance packs nicely, and after a few bowls I was able to adjust my technique to complement the blend. Some of my pipes wanted a slightly firmer pack toward the bottom. Charring light is inviting. Really nice. After a tamp, I give a second charring light, tamp, then light up. This blend was picky about staying lit at first, but again, you can't expect every blend to behave the same. You either find that it's worth the trouble to learn how to treat it or you move on. I found Renaissance worth the wait. The flavor is very nice, very even, and extremely balanced. I love Latakia, and while I'm used to blends with more of it, I found this one to have enough to still do the trick. Renaissance really lets you taste everything and keeps the Virginias in check. Great stuff. Earthy, leathery, nutty, spicy notes all over the place make for an exciting, satisfying smoke with a robust, dynamic aroma. This stuff smokes cool and doesn't want to bite. But if you do smoke fast/hot, the moisture level out of the can may send your tongue to the sandpaper sauna. This is a top-notch blend, suitable for seasoned smokers, newcomers, and those who might just want to see what a nice English-style blend is about. I give it my highest praise and plan to try other blends from G.L. Pease. This blend is worth buying in quantity and aging for a special smoke.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Final Identity	03/12/2004	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
Although I've rated Renaissance as "I smoke this on occasion," I did so more because I believe this is a high-quality tobacco, than because I actually liked it. I was searching the reviews and descriptions for tobaccos that might have the tangy tinge that I liked so much from Balkan 15 (by Smoke 'n' Snuff of Florida) and was very impressed with G.L.Pease's Samarra. So I branched out into his selections, trying recently Charing Cross and now Renaissance. Well, I find Renaissance as high-quality as the others, but much less Latakia than I'd like. It is a well-rounded, nutty, sometimes beefy taste, and that disappoints me. I want that Darjeeling thing. So I find the tin description ever so slightly misleading on Renaissance -- "a good measure of Cyprian and Syrian Latakia" should be reworded as "a hint of ...". It's largely a Virginia blend, to my unrefined palate, and it has more nicotine than I'd like. I'll continue with this one tin for another few bowlfuls, unless someone emails me (hint hint) to offer a trade of my remaining Renaissance (approx. 1.99999 oz.) for Samarra or another zingy tangy blend by G.L.Pease, maybe Cairo or ... what's that other one ... Barbary Coast? Can't remmeber. Hint hint. So, it's a high-quality smoke, but not the type I was looking for. People who like Virginia-based English blends with only the sneakiest suspicion of an Oriental zip to it would LOVE this tobacco -- hence the many positive reviews. I find it is too, umm, cigar-like, beefy, what's the word -- unhealthy tasting. Reminds me of musty old stogies.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Albion 1956	02/03/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Intrigued by the mixture of Syrian and Cyprian Latakia dancing clouds of sublime smoke above my head, and not to mention the rave reviews here, I had to give a go. First I bought a pound, well just in case, anyway, nice strands of brown, gold, black, with a bit of green? Not sure, maybe some cavendish. Tobacco comes as all Greg Pease blends do, just right. Packing was easy enough, so it was time to light it up, the charring light produced voluminous amounts of smoke, and what a treat, the olfactory senses were working overtime trying to assimilate the varying tobaccos. As with all blends, this too, changed it's complexity down the bowl, Virginia's wafting in and out, with the dueling Latakia's bouncing around, with the Oriental's as support. This left a nice grey ash, with no dottle, and a pleased palate, good stuff!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
WxGuy	11/07/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable
While I love a lot of Gregory Pease's blends, I do not worship the Alter of GLP. What I DO appreciate is how well he balances his blends and makes each offering distinct from the others. Renaissance (I always missed this one on spelling tests) is a great example of this balance. It is not a heavy hitter in the realm of latakia blends- and I am a fan of the heavy hitters- , but the interweaving of flavors in Renaissance is superb. There are so many dimensions to this blend that it justifies enjoyment with minimal distractions. A "must have" blend for those Renaissance moments... I still prefer the heavy hitters and tried 1 part of Pirate Kake to 4 parts of Renaissance. (sacreligous to GLP worshippers, I know- 40 lashings) but this just ruined the balance. Now, I just leave it alone. I wish that these GLP blends were not so expensive, or they would be more staples in my cellar.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
RCUSElder	07/10/2003	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This is another of Greg's masterpieces. It burns well, smokes well, has a wonderful complexity,but............ Yes, there is a but. I found this blend a little too bland,there I said it. I much prefer the flavor of Oddysey or Charing Cross, and IMO nothing has surpassed the greatness of Raven's Wing.(trust me, I have been searching since it went out of production). If given a choice between other blenders of English or this, of course this one would be the one. This review was given after 3 tins in various pipes to give me as much experience with it as possible, but with other great ones in the Pease line, I have to pass this one for now........ Update: 7-10-03 The new batch of this blend is truly delicious, IMO this is the best "English" blend that I have ever tasted. If it were not for the other delicious blends by Greg, this would be my favorite. As Greg stated, the Syrian Latakia that is in this blend is truly tastier than the last batch. Enjoy...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
LarryF	07/06/2003	Mild to Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant
This is my favorite Pease blend, and is as good an English blend as I ever expect to find. As a general rule, I don't care too much for really heavy latakia blends, and this this mixture seems just right. What makes it a winner is how beautifully harmonized all the different parts are. The Virginias, orientals, the latakia - you can taste it all, with everything working together. If you like English blends, you must try this.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
pmonroeb	03/07/2003	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
Firstly, I must again compliment Mr. Pease on producing a product that is perfect right out of the can. All of the Pease blends I have tried are perfectly cut and are at the right moisture level right out of the can. Now if we can just get him to use cans with a wider opening. Renaissance is an outstanding English. It starts off tasting like most other English blends for the first third of the bowl, but quickly builds to heights of good flavor. This is a very complex taste, not dominated by the latakia and the latakia that is there is sweeter than most and not as smokey. I understand that this is due to the Syrian latakia used, which unfortunately is Renaissance's downfall as Syrian latakia is, once again, unavailable. The Pease website indicates that Renaissance has been discontinued until further notice. It took me a while to warm up to Renaissance. Frankly, my first can was good, but I did not feel it was exceptional. As I am now into my third can, I have warmed up to it. This may be one of those blends that is so complex, it takes some time for your tongue to understand it. It may just be that Renaissance needs to be smoked at the right temperature to bring out its best qualities. Now that my taste buds understand it, I love it.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
smokey	02/05/2003	Medium	None detected	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
i almost hate to keep posting these GLP reviews, because it probably seems as though i'm on greg's payroll. great english mixtures have always been my favorite type of tobac, and this one DEFINITELY qualifies! the thing that sets renaissance apart from the pack for me is the brilliant mixture of the virginias, orientals, and two types of latakias. all are definitely present, yet one never overwhelms the others. think "virginias" and your taste buds can easily discern their sweetness. the same with the nutty orientals and creamy latakias. it's all there, an orchestra playing a beautiful concerto. to top it off, packing and lighting are well above average. renaissance also requires minimal re-lights, although i think that's because you almost have to hold yourself back when puffing on this blend. i've smoked most of greg's blends, and this may very well be his best work. four BIG stars!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Mike Castello	01/02/2003	Medium to Strong	None detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong
What can I say that has not already been said about this wonderful blend? It has everything one can want in a traditional English blend. Great aroma. The finest of tobacco ingediants. Expertly blended to give the orientals freedom to lead the parade. The latakia is in just the right amount. The Virginias brighten it all up for a perfectly rounded flavor. It is such a wonderful blend that it makes English blends new and old and familiar all at the same time. If Alfred Dunhill were alive today Renaissance would be one of his favorites. It is definatly one of mine.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
CJ	11/20/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
The label states that this is a classic English Style mixture. And that it is a perfect balance of its ingredients. That is exactly what this blend is. It is not marketing hype. My tin is one year old, and has been opened for the full year. Every few months, I smoked a bowl and adjusted the moisture level. It was very difficult to do this, and not devour the tin in a day or two. The wait was worth the effort. With a year of age, I find this to be one of the very best English, Oriental, Latakia blends that I have ever tasted. It is not a classic. It beats the classics of this genre. Although the ingredients have melded into a more uniform taste, all the ingredients are still noticeable. It has a wonderful deep rich creamy mahogany flavor that has the Virginia high notes offset by the Latakias, but all pulled together by the consistency of the Orientals. Along with its excellent flavor, it has a remarkable burning quality that leaves nothing but a light gray powdery ash. It is not an all day smoke for me. It is too good for that. I will save this for those occasions when I can concentrate on the smoke and not be distracted from its pleasure. This is a must try for those that enjoy Oriental, Latakia blends. Try and give it some age if you can. Highly recommended. One final word???.Excellence.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
mailman 5000	11/05/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This blend is the smoothest tobacco mixture ever . So smooth and subtle. It only seems to need one light. Much finer cut than Ravens Wing and more virginia based. The latakia content has been taken way down . A bowl of this is like a driving or being driven in a Mercedes, you may travel at the same speed and arrive at your destination just the same but what happened along the way was subtle and sophisticated. A smaller bowl size about a group 4 seemed to work best. A rare treat.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
lustra	10/06/2002	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Although Renaissance contains Latakia, it's impossible for me to think of it as just a "Latakia blend." This tobacco is simply too complicated and too refined to be compared to the hip-hop bass thump of many Latakia-heavy blends. The orientals and the Virginias in this blend carry just as much freight as the Latakias and the smoking experience is wonderfully tasty and complex. Like all Pease blends, the smoking characterics, cut, and consistency are all top drawer. Renaissance smokes down to a very dry light grey ash, and leaves your pipe quite clean.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Tantric	09/11/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Renaissance is the second G.L. Pease blend I ordered from Cupojoes (the other being Barbary Coast). I must say this is one of the best Latakia-Oriental-Virigina mixtures I have tried in years. It is full of different flavours, spicy, allowing the different components to expand and mingle to form a tapestry of delicately balanced counterpoints. It is different form most English tobaccos (be it Dunhills? or Gawiths?) in that the Latakias used are not as ?harsh? or powerful. In fact the Orientals in Renaissance seem rather disciplined (though by no means tame) and harmonious, not overshadowing the Virginias? mildness. I don?t mean to say that Renaissance is ?better? than traditional English-English (I still find London Mixture, 965 or even Squadron Leader top smoking material), but it is definitely different, mysterious and ?deep?. The interplay of flavours, the excellent burning rate and the perfectly structured body of the mixture as a whole, provide a wonderful smoke. I think this is a tobacco every Latakia-Oriental-Virginia smoker should try. It is absolutely enjoyable and a very rewarding experience.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
JoeBriar	08/12/2002	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
I was desperate to see what all the fuss was about as GLP's aren't sold in the UK (come on Greg!). The appearance is similar to Dunhill EMP and on initial smoking has vaguely similar characteristics, but this is a more refined less harsh smoke. The smoke is *smooth*, velvety and very well balanced, nothing overwhelms anything else, VA & Orientals are singing in harmony, not having an argument. The taste is complex, if I puff slowly more VA whilst a stronger puff give mores orientals. I have to slow myself down to avoid tongue-bite, but that's my fault for being too eager! This has enough VA backbone to give the VA lover satisfaction, whilst the oriental & latakia add spice & top-end flavours. The flavours meld more toward the middle/bottom of the bowl, but remain consistently good. Some tobaccos are like dim-sum (tasty but ultimately not satisfying) some are like a heavy meat & two veg (satisfying but not that tasty) whilst a very few are like a cordon-bleu 3 course meal (both tasty & satisfying) Renaissance is the last category - high praise indeed! The moisture content is excellent, a good dry smoke without burning like straw. So now I know what the noise is about and it's not hype. This is an excellent tobacco.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
youdaman10	04/15/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full
I've smoked enough bowls to now offer my humble opinion on this offering from Pease. I find this product, my first from Pease, to be quite rewarding. As a converted cigar smoker (and mostly aromatic pipe smoker), this product is both rich and well balanced. It may be the product to convert me from aromatics except Frog Morton on the Town of which I'll never stray. Good enough is this product that I must try the other Pease blends. Fully deserving of its current 4 stars. I offer the same.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
ruggiero	02/19/2002	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
This is the silkiest, smoothest English I have ever tried. I find this burns incredibly cool in my Don Carlos billiard and is virtually "biteless". It's difficult to avoid overpuffing on this blend due to it's incredible taste and complexity, no doubt due to the wonderful marriage between the variety of Virginias, and Orientals in the Latakia backdrop. This will easily move to the forefront of my rotation and may unseat 965 as my most reached for all-purpose English. Burns cleanly throughout and to a fine white ash. Room Note is much improved as compared to a 965. Highly recommended.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Paul Tatum	01/16/2002	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Pleasant
See notes on Ravens Wing . This tobacco comes in a very close second in my cellar . A wonderful Latakia blend .
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
MikeB	12/17/2001	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant
This is simply incredible. This tobacco is everything I was looking for in a smoke. The flavour and body are amazing. The light was fast and easy. The flame took to the leaf as if they were meant to be together. And after tasting this one, I know that to be true. Th smoke was white and pure. There was a pleasant perfume in the air That complimented the taste nicely. The tobacco burned well and left me wondering how I would get a hold of enough to last me the year.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Noorrmm	12/13/2001	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
Appearance: Medium ribbon cut, nice assortment of lengths. A full spectrum of colors, mostly medium and dark with some noticeable lighter leaf. Aroma: A very full oriental aroma, spiciness and smokiness predominate. If you persevere you will also detect some wonderful virginia sweetness. The turkish and latakia definitely are the stars. Packing: Very easy to pack in a wide range of pipes, but not tried in anything smaller than a ?group 3+?. Lighting: Takes a charring light well, usually does not go out during the initial tamp. Initial flavor: Flavor is just what I expected from the aroma, only more intense. There is quite a bit of latakia flavor, (both the sweeter Cyprian and the smokier Syrian are evident), but the main sensation is the turkish spice. The virginias are in the background here, but lend a roundness o the smoke. Mid-bowl: By mid bowl, all the flavors come through with subtlety. They are all there, but nothing dominates more than momentarily. The smoke is cool at any normal puffing rate, and the pipe is dry. The ash is a lovely shade of pale gray. This is a blend that can be enjoyed even if your mind is busy elsewhere, but if you give it your full attention, it can carry you away. Some have used musical analogies to describe this blend, usually likening it to a symphony. To me, it?s more like one of Schubert?s string trios. Finish: End of the bowl is too soon. There is usually no dottle, just gray fluffy ash. If you smoked slowly, your pipe cleaner won?t even get very dirty. Summary: This is definitely a blend for the oriental lover, also recommended for the latakia lover (unless he?s a latakia junkie). Extremely well balanced, rich, tasty and well behaved.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Rev. Smoke	04/19/2001	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I will state my one complaint against Mr. Pease tobacco first - the doggone tin is too small - not that there isn't a full 2 oz, it is too small to pack a pipe over the tin. You end up with tobacco on your desk or lap as you trickle it into the bowl, a real pain. That said, there is nothing else to complain about. The tin aroma is rich in Latakia on first opening, but that mellows and the VAs and Balkan come through after a bit. It expands nicely in the charring light and takes a match very easily. At first, it appears that the wonderful Latakias battle for dominance over the Orientals. Then, a couple puffs later, the Balkan makes an appearance setting the stage for a three frontal assault upon both palate and olfactory senses. Finally, the Viriginas make their presence felt and add a new dimension. These four flavors continue the struggle - each rising and falling in a wonderful complexity that tantalizes with each puff. The smoky room note has wonderful nutty overtones. While I give the battle scene as an image of how the flavors compete for my attention, this isn't a bad thing. Instead, this tension throughout give Renaissance its distinctive charm. Too many times, one flavor dominates a blend to the exclusion of the others. The flavors in this blend compete on equal footing - blended in such a way that all the charms of each of the individual tobaccos take the stage in a dynamic struggle. Only as you smoke it do you understand, they are not fighting one another - each is fighting for your attention - and you give it, willingly, the battle staged in your own mind of which one you find most enticing. In the end, I decided it was a stalemate and packed another bowl for a rematch.
< PREVIOUS Showing reviews 21 through 40 of 43 reviews of this tobacco NEXT >