G. L. Pease Temple Bar

Straight forward tangy Virginia of the fermented bright variety combines with the Latakia and soft petal Orientals to provide a rather heady smoke. There's strength in them thar leaves, boys! I absolutely loved this blend. There are others similar, but the way Pease can take Bright and special process the leaf for ripeness is superior... as is Temple Bar.

Greg Pease’s new Temple Bar is not much of a plug, but it’s a hellova smoke. I wish I knew the age of the tin I purchased, but for once it did not have a manufacture date sticker on the bottom. I suppose it was young. In the freshly opened tin, I smell apricot over peaches, over golden cake, grassy, fermented, flue (and air?) cured VAs, over plummy, slightly earthy, forest floor type moss, along with faint fermented dates and Middle Eastern spices; all very “exotic”, yet somehow comforting to me. Add to this a hint of orange liqueur. My first thought was to prepare and smoke this tobacco in a way that would best preserve the tin note, if that were possible. The “plug” here is a rather loose amalgamation of stacked leaves of the constituent tobaccos, mostly light orange to orange/gold, nothing dark. I sliced and re-sliced it against the grain, producing chunky “broken flakes” or “ribbons” that I first rubbed out, then I re-blended the resultant rough chunks. I tried this rough mixture right from the tin and more or less dry, guided by results. For now, I’ve settled on fairly dry tobacco tamped into a pipe that’s not been used for stronger blends, especially not darker varietals or blends, including dark burley, cigar leaf, Latikia, or aros. A VA pipe works fine for Temple Bar, but not so well for VA after that. Based on results in this case, I will be dedicating a pipe to this blend.

Dried even a little, Temple Bar lights and smokes down great for me with regular poking and light tamping. The constituent tobaccos are well proportioned to my taste, with the lovely tin note present throughout the bowl, in the tastes and aromas, alike. The snork is sublime, and more so as it’s smoked down. The complex Orientals make a substantial contribution from the match, on, simultaneously playing the main theme, harmony and counterpoint, while the rich, smooth, sweet and grassy VAs play a tasty continuo that rises as the smoke progresses. For me, the complexity here stays in perspective for a medium-bodied smoke. “Tone” is mostly “mid-band”, with not much in the way of high or low “notes”. Medium to delicate side streams and ephemeral puffs always add, never distract or detract. It’s almost as though the well-melded dash of plummy Perique tempers the Orientals. At any rate, the outcome is grand. Strength rises slowly and steadily to medium. Tastes are just over medium. I like the room note. Aftertaste is a tapering off of the best of the smoke, and it lingers longer than most Turkish blends.

Temple Bar is as delicious and interesting a pipe tobacco as I have ever smoked, at least when it’s relatively fresh, and it has supplanted Embarcadero on my Favorites List. I recommend it to those who believe they would enjoy a fermented mix of these varietals, though the Perique is truly condimental here, important, but not in and of itself. Congrats again, Greg, four stars with a flourish.

G. L. Pease - Temple Bar.

Plugs always infuriate me, I'd much rather spend my time smoking than preparing. So this was a wonderful surprise when I decided I had some expendable time to spend on preparation. I removed the lid and wasn't met by something solid like Revor Plug, instead it's presented as a sort of dichotomy between a plug and a crumble cake. As it's more like a firm cake than a plug there's no requirement for a sharp knife and coffee grinder, the tobacco can be prepared with a firm hand.

I smoke this at a very coarse consistency so use a jet flame to initiate a bowl. The flavour from Temple Bar is brilliant: the Virginias lead, making a smoke that's led by a rich, sweet, fruitiness. The Orientals confuse me, because the description says Fragrant I'd anticipated some florals from them but I get more of an arboreous, smoky, and rustic flavour. The Perique's lightly added, but not vacant. The burn's slow, steady, and cool.

Nicotine: a little higher than medium. Room-note: pleasant.

One of the nicest 'plugs' I've had. Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Oh McClelland's No. 24, why did you have to go? First stop on my No. 24 Replacement Train was to sample Pease's Va/Or type blends, beyond Cairo. Regent's Flake and Temple Bar are very, very similar; therefore I'll write one review for both. The Va aspect behaves as one would expect and has been described in other reviews, with the Perique showing through a bit more in Regent's Flake, and the Oriental, bringing a strong woody component, shining a bit more in Temple Bar. Overall, Regent's Flake is a bit more rich, creamy, and sweet while Temple Bar brings a more delicate and complex offering. Regent's Flake is a real pleasure to smoke when it comes to how smoothly the draw remains consistent and how trouble free it is in regard to not needing relights. It is a very consistent smoke throughout the entirety of the bowl.

Between the two, my favorite is Temple Bar, due to the complexity and distinctiveness between the different leafs. If you are opposed to plugs, stay away from Temple Bar, though I enjoy the preparation aspects and variety in presentation.

I give Temple Bar 4 Stars, while assigning 3 Stars to Regent's Flake.

Appearance: a tin with a production date of "April 10, 2020" contained a two ounce brick. In my case, it was one piece. The brick is loose, easy to cut with a knife into plates of the desired thickness, easy to break. The humidity is perfect. I have tried many different cuts, and I can say that the rough cut tobacco from 2-3 millimeters thick was the most interesting to me in taste.

Flavor: dense, but not too bright. The spiciness of the orientals, in which the smell of the pepper mixture is particularly prominent, lies well on the tones of raisins and figs plus a little brine - all said that the perique in the mixture is quite good. Virginia's hay and woody notes are clearly in the background here. A tobacco which has been left to dry loses them quite quickly, leaving only the perique and orientals.

Taste: a mix of peppers, turmeric, a little bit of sourish badian - the orientals also play the first fiddle in the taste, but don't stand out from the overall bouquet, supported by moderately sweet Virginia and a small, but quite noticeable amount of perique, which adds wine and plum tang and pepper pungency. The overall bouquet from the different tobaccos quickly becomes complex, their flavors intertwine into one whole, with the spicy orientals remaining in the foreground, while the perique goes into the background, leaving a very slight spice on the exhale. The tobacco in my bents seemed to me sweeter and a little more interesting than in the straight pipes, where in my opinion, the woody note of Virginia was a bit out of the common taste. The tobacco does not bite, has no harshness in taste, very tolerant to overheating, smoked very cool, slow and dry, does not leave moisture in the pipe. The strength of the tobacco is medium, in very large pipes the nicotine hit is possible. The blend burns into a whitish ash, no lumps. The aftertaste is spicy woody, fairly persistent.

The smoke from the tobacco has a smell of sandalwood and spices. It is quite persistent, but pleasant.

What's the bottom line? Charming. Unlike Oriental Silk, Gregory Pease didn't skimp on quality Virginia, but also pressed the blend into plug, and the result is excellent. This blend obviously needs a separate pipe to appreciate all its nuances, but anyone who likes a good dose of Oriental in the flavor will obviously not be disappointed - if, of course, he prefers mild blends.

Splendid stuff. Really interesting tin note with some sour orientals and sweet virginias. Smoke it in the garden on a sunny day and match it with a cup of Earl Grey tea, trust me it really works.

Okay, so I'm a sucker for a good Oriental blend and this tobacco is just about perfect to scratch that itch. Also, I have a special place in my heart for plugs, so this was a match made in... the Lesser Key of Solomon? Others have said that the Red and Bright Virginia's take the lead in this dance, but for me it's the Orientals that are the first tobacco that I feel that I am forced to notice. Yes, the Virginias add some much-needed sweetness to this blend, but the Orientals are the star of the show. The Perique is masterfully applied and restrained; adding a piquancy and some needed bass-notes to this sweet and sour blend.

The tin note? Stale gym socks and a vegetal/wood... But in a good way! If that actually makes sense. I suppose all smells have a pleasantness to them, even those considered "odorous."

This has been a most pleasant experience. I'm just finishing my second tin of this and already have another aging. This is definitely worth trying. Especially if you are partial to blends featuring Orientals. By Astaroth, the Dark Lord has done it again!

Another G. L. Pease blend that is exactly what you'd expect from the description so not much to add. Primarily the excellent C&D virginias with the orientals on the side and the perique in the background. A great twist on a standard VaPer with no sugars or flavoring added. It is nearly identical to Regents Flake. This seems just a little less sweet and tastes like there is a little more oriental. Full flavored and mild nicotine.

I'm a newbie ... been at this about 6 months (see profile). Been sampling lots of baccys based on reviews and ordered online. My palate is not as refined as many here, so as with wines and scotch, I mostly go with whether I like or not. But I do like things flavorful, for example Islay & highland whiskys.

I didn't like this first time; it seemed harsh and bitter. But I've since concluded it was difficulty with the plug which is somewhat moist and diffult to cut with my dull knife (will do something about that).

Now, after a few bowls I find I really like this! It is 'different' than any others I've tried. To me, it's tangy, full of atypical flavors. My suggestion is to pack it lightly since the draw gets tighter once lit.