G. L. Pease Regents Flake

I love Oriental forward blends and I think C&D's Izmir is outstanding leaf. The flavor of Regent's Flake is toasty, slightly sweet, woodsy with a bit of earth and an ample amount of piquant spice. I picture this blend as somewhat of a reimagined version of Embarcadero. One where the Izmir provides the flavor focus and the Virginias play the supporting role.

I found Regent's Flake to be very pipe dependent and I think it's crucial to run it through several pipes to experience its intricacies and discover what works best. For me, it tasted average to good in some pipes and down right sublime in others. Having smoked my share of Embarcadero, another blend that doesn't exactly glow in every pipe, I wasn't surprised by this. However, unlike Embarcadero, I was quite surprised at how vastly different Regent's Flake tasted pipe to pipe. In the right pipe this flake is a perfect example of how flavorful and complex Izmir can be. I can't say I notice the perique, but there is plenty of spice and some tang to the finish.

In the sidestream I taste something along the lines of mace or allspice. The smoke is a bit edgy but it's not harsh. This blend is quite reminiscent of Cairo and fairly close to C&D's Oriental Silk, which I think has a bit more perique. One thing is for sure, this will make for a fantastic rich tasting Oriental-forward, non-Latakia winter smoke. The tobacco flavor strength is a firm medium, the nicotine is there and provides a nice relaxing feel but it's not too strong.

Personally, I think this is a masterpiece by Mr. Pease, and after smoking a sublime tasting 6 year old tin of Cairo, I am sure this will age equally as well, if not better.

This is a steady burning, easy folding or rubbing flake.

A little temperamental while new, so I do not rub much and sip. Time will mend that.

This is brighter tasting and a lighter blend than Temple Bar IMO. Still rich.

The base is mostly bright Virginia too me (Like Montgomery). I do not detect the Perique, but it is mostly there to keep the blend reasonably cool. I do taste the Oriental. Hay, herbal, spicy, and interesting. Tasty. Creates a craving.

If you like a moderate helping of Orientals, absent Latakia, here's a blend for you.

If Telegraph Hill is Montgomery on steroids, this is Montgomery on Mars and beyond (couldn't think of anything past steroids). Four stars because it is a Turkish taste I miss from the past.

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 Temple Bar. This seems just a little more sweet and tastes like there is a little less oriental. Full flavored and mild nicotine.

I bought this tobacco based on the tin note which states that a generous measure of Izmir leaf is layered on a foundation of mature red and sweet bright Virginia without ever mentioning the inclusion of Perique. However when smoking it for the first time I could not help but notice the peppery spiciness and musty fruitiness which I associate with Perique.

Tin note has a suspicion of fruity smell, if I had to name one I’d say cherries or strawberries and it could possibly be the natural smell of the tobacco and not a topping, but I am not sure. There’s also an underlying tangy tobacco smell and a sour fermenting yoghourt note. Quite enticing.

The broken flakes are on the dry side and quite soft to the touch. They rub out fairly easily and the tobacco takes to light easily and smokes quite slow. In the beginning of the smoke I can sense the fresh fruitiness of the tin note but then on it is a mostly dry-tasting blend but does not lack sweetness completely. Difficult to describe the taste, I would say it has the taste of loamy soil with notes of white pepper, it’s also smoky but not in the dark Latakia way – it’s a lighter smokiness like that produced by dry hay burning. Also a little bit ashy. It is complex and surely the Orientals - tangy and loamy - contribute to this complexity.

I do not know how the flakes are pressed but I did not get always the same taste from all the bowls I smoked. In some Perique was more dominant (thankfully, not with its strength but instead with its ……flavor), in others I got clearly the beautiful tangy and sour Orientals. Still a beautiful blend.

I get mostly Virginia and Perique. The Virginias are slightly sweet and lightly citrus. The Perique is spicy pepper. I get some slight nuttiness halfway through the bowl. I'm having trouble picking up any of the Oriental/Turkish in this. Strength is just above medium. Room note is difficult to describe as I live alone and have no feedback from others. I find it tolerable.

As with most new blends for me, it changes as it ages and I am likely to update this review.

This is the type of blend I enjoy.

This is a delightful red Virginia blend with some sublime Perique and Oriental tobacco. I rubbed mine out and lit it. The burning is clean and even.The rich sweetness of the Red Virginia is complimented beautifully with the oriental components and the Perique plays as a perfect condiment. While I am not totally sure, there seems to be a touch of Samsun that has added a delightful depth of flavor. This blend is a solid 4 stars and deserves a place in every cellar.

Although their original tin notes differed, I am hard pressed to see or smell differences between GLP’s Regents Flake and my jarred Temple Bar as I‘ve pre-prepared it for smoking, which is to say, sliced and broken, looking essentially like Regents Flake. My tin of RF was 1 year old when I popped the lid. The crumbly flakes are medium brown with gold striations, and they are dry, as fresh flakes go. Tin note is somewhat lighter and more open and delicate than a fresh TB plug, as I recall, with an overall smell of fermenting date nut bread, meadow grasses, and peach and apricot blossoms, vs. a Temple Bar plug’s addition of over-ripe, whole peaches and apricots. I have no trouble lighting and smoking down broken RF ribbons straight from the tin, using my usual loose, “vertical” load, whereas – according to my notes - fresh TB worked better for me after some dry time. RF burns cool for me, and it burns pretty well, too. Smoked gently, the aromas herald the tastes, with date nut bread and meadow grasses and fruit tree flowers that stay sweet, while it sours a little, as well, down the bowl. The rich, smooth VAs split the bill with the Izmir, and the Perique is more dried figs and dates than pepper, rounding out the Izmir rather than adding fuel to the fire, though there is some pepper, and there’s more if one tugs. The net effect makes the Izmir mellow for its ilk, featuring exotic rather than hot spices. IMO, the VAs and the Izmir are both rich and tasty, and not too dry. Taken slowly, I find RF to be delicious, also subtly complex, and worthy of contemplation, though I currently enjoy it most as a no-brainer. YMMV, likely depending on your impression of the Izmir, and I realize that some people just don’t like Turkish tobacco. Anyway, again, it’s a factor here, fer shizzle. Strength is medium. Tastes are medium. IMO, the room note is pleasant, and I won’t say that about many Turkish blends. Aftertaste is a trailing off of the best of the smoke that lingers longer and sweeter than other Turkish blends.

While Regents Flake may start out as exactly the same blend as Temple Bar, it seems to me that the processing, if nothing else, has ultimately made for some differences. Generally speaking, I find Regents Flake to be “lighter” and easier to smoke than Temple Bar. Which I choose to smoke will depend on my mood, or a whim, and I can’t lose. I like RF any time, any weather, for long or short breaks. Four stars from me.

A beautiful tin. I loved Cairo, Embarcadero, and now this Regents Flake. If in the first the orientals were a companion and in the second a condiment, here they are the protagonists, giving this mixture a remarkable fragrance. This makes it very interesting for me because it allows me the possibility of smoking a different tobacco than the ones I usually smoke. It is tasty and very aromatic, with the typical spicy of Izmir, something that should not be confused with the itch that occurs with the bite on the tongue and that with this tobacco does not have to happen, as long as the smoke is not accelerated as a locomotive. I would highly recommend it to any smoker who likes oriental fragrance. The quality of the orientals that G.L. Pease in their mixes uses is fantastic, and also how you combine them with the other ingredients. Now, waiting to try Temple Bar ...