G. L. Pease The Virginia Cream

A very enjoyable blend.

I opened a tin labeled 10-1-15 in early January 2016. I was greeted with an intriguing aroma - a mix of a pleasant spirit and a candy-like sweetness. I couldn't quite place it beyond an honest "yum". The bright Virginias were nicely cut in longish ribbons, adorned with small chunks of Cavendish. The tobacco was evidently moist, but not goopy.

Being an unskilled aromatic smoker, I let some tobacco dry for an hour and decided to lightly pack a Peterson 106 bowl. Gravity fill, tiny pinch for the top.

A root beer float came to mind when first exploring the copious, generous smoke this blend produces. Then I tried to zero in on the liquor - is it rum? Bourbon? Perhaps even brandy? And is that just vanilla or is there a hint of spice hidden somewhere?

All these perplexed thoughts were indicative of a complex, engaging, and memorable smoke ; one I intend to revisit soon.

If Navigator is for the "men", The Virginia Cream is for the "boys". That said, the Kentucky portion in TVC s much less prominent as compared to Navigator. Any vanilla flavouring is hardly noticeable, and the "bourbon" is probably from the same cask which serves other GLP blends as well... e.g. in Navigator, Sixpence, Haddo's... sometimes called rum... whatsoever... Same as Navigator, I have the feeling to smoke two tobaccos in parallel... possibly a matter of age, since the components yet haven't had the chance to "marry". Somewhat disappointing is the Virginia constituent, as I think that Cornell&Diehl have better leaf on stock, than what Greg used here for making TVC. In conclusion I might give TVC one more chance after one year of aging, hence, 2.7 stars for the time being.

Somewhat disappointed, as I really want to love this blend. I’ve tried a fresh tin and then a year old aged one, and frankly there wasn’t much difference. Strangely, I had one fantastic, nuanced zen smoke on one bowI of my first tin. With high hopes, I stocked up on several tins. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to replicate that great bowl. Usually I only get the occasional hint of vanilla and bourbon, with the Virginia being monochromatic and a bit dirty tasting. It usually hits its best about mid-bowl when all the flavors seem to come together, and then the dfk comes to the forefront and gets a little harsh, leaving the sinuses feeling a bit rough. I’m hoping I can find the right pack-pace-pipe combination, but at this point I think funds are best spent elsewhere on more reliable offerings.

The following review take a look at Virginia Cream in the context of other G.L. Pease blends, as well as other vanilla blends. Reviewed in a vacuum, I think that it's a very nice blend. However, in the context that I suggested, it's below expectations.

The vanilla jumps out immediately in the tin note. It reminds me of classic (although stronger) typical Danish Cavendish vanilla aroma, although it's completely different in the smoke itself. I'm not really getting bourbon in the tin nor in the smoke.

Rather than being a smooth vanilla blend, I see this as a very two-dimensional smoke, which, if we compare to music, has a very strong high note and very strong low notes, never meeting each other and missing the very important middle. If this was mixed into an album, you would feel that some "meat" is missing in there and both the guitars and bass would mask over the singer, drums, and piano. I would assume that the Cavendish's role was to make that bridge between the creamy and the strong, but it doesn't really translate in the smoke.

It's possible that what I conceive as a rough Virginia is actually the combination of the Virginia with the Perique and Kentucky. I wouldn't have guess that the two stronger leaves are there. To me it felt like a stronger red Virginia. But unfortunately that doesn't meld very well with the more delicate (especially when it's called "Cream") vanilla topping.

It's just below medium in strength, about medium in body.

Aside from that, it's easily packed and smoked, no relights. Moisture is fine out of the tin. While the vanilla just slightly disappear later in the bowl, the Virginia comes to the fore. Can be an all-day smoke for those who like it. It doesn't get too hot or bites. Mechanically, it's very easy to deal with.

As I said in the beginning, on its own, this is a very nice blend and deserves good attention. I'd give it three stars easily. It's high quality, easy to smoke, and an enjoyable experience. However, it's not a typical vanilla blend, nor a typical Virginia blend. If you're looking for the best of either, look somewhere else. And most of all, I have to rate this in considering Greg Pease's masterful blends. In that context, this is largely a miss. Greg admitted that he's not much of an aromatic smoker, nor blender. I think that this is his only aromatic blend. Unfortunately, it shows. Two stars.

After opening the tin I put half in one jar for the cellar, and the other half in a jar to enjoy now. So far, I really enjoy this blend even being only a few months old (according to the tag on the tin). Somewhat creamy, fruity/tangy, and just a hint of spice. I wouldn't compare this to normal aromatics, but the creamy vanilla flavor does come through at times. Can get a little harsh towards the end of the bowl, but it's really not bad. I'll look forward to trying the 2nd jar after a few years in the cellar. For now I recommend to aromatic/virginia fans, but probably not for beginners.

Pease blended an Aero? Curiosity got the best of me. This is tasty and refined, with a topping that doesn't detract from the core Virginias, which are delicious and enhanced by the perfect balance of perique and Kentucky that deliver body and depth. Think 1Q on steroids and you get the picture.

It's more than just a great change of pace when you want something a little sweet. It can easily be an all-day blend, and it has a reasonably good room note. Doesn't ghost a pipe, but it's so tasty you may want to dedicate one to it. Definitely worth a try.

The tin has a wonderful aroma of bourbon whisky, which to my surprise I can actually taste when I smoke it! This is unusual for me since most aromatics simply taste like hot air to my pallet. A nice mild blend interesting enough to be enjoyable as an all day smoke!

Virginia Cream is the type of aromatic that one might expect from the mind of Greg Pease in that the topping, while stronger smelling in the tin, doesn’t get in the way of the tobacco flavor. Comprised mainly of lighter tobaccos, the burn is clean and I didn’t notice much, if any ghost in my pipe. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a huge fan of C&D Virginia tobaccos and Virginia is the dominate flavor along with vanilla and a hint of bourbon. Given the fact that there is some added spirits, I would expect this to be one of the few aromatics to continue to improve with age as the sweetness of the Virginia's and spirits meld over the years. As others have pointed out, there is a “soda” quality to this blend and it should appeal to smokers of both aromatics and non-aromatics alike. I have squirreled away a couple of tins to see what a couple of years does for this blend. I expect it will be great.

One vote here for tobacco of the year. As mostly a Virginia smoker I have to comment that this is quite a shift of pace. Quality tobacco, not to much casing once in the bowl ( tin note is strong. Made me thing this is a heavy aromatic, not so) Nice easy Virginia blend, maybe some perique. Stays even all the way through the bowl. As for complexity, maybe some age will help. It is not a nice aged Virginia like I am used to but a nice switch up. Take it for what it is, an aromatic in the least sense with quality tobacco. Blended with great skill. Add one to my rotation.