G. L. Pease Penny Farthing

I enjoy VaPer a lot. But add the dark fired Kentucky like a Master and you're in another class. What a great and enjoyable smoke. But use caution because it is a strong nicotine blend. Stag cut demands you smoke slowly. Easy pack and light. Burns clean to ash. I compare this to a fine Havana cigar.

Smelling the tobacco in the tin, immediately comes to mind a favorite of mine, Telegraph Hill, and smoking it I find also the same smooth taste; so it seems to me that it is Telegraph Hill with a bit of Kentucky added and then I think that, if you like Telegraph Hill and don't hate Kentucky, you should love Penny Farthing too. The shag cut is really unusual for me, it seems almost a RYO tobacco, but no worry: if you're not used to dry your tobaccos anyway, even when non needed, and don't puff too hard, it won't burn that fast and, packing a little more tightly than usual, your bowl will last enough to satisfy you.

Good to the last drop. This blend lights easily, stays lit and smokes without drama until there is simply none left. This is my first tin and I've been smoking it all through my work days. If I get carried away, for me anyway, it can give a pretty strong nicotine hit (another thing, besides the look of the cut, that it has in common with 5 Brothers). It's simply a tasty, mellow (and mellowing) smoke. I will be buying more.

11/24/19...I'm on my fifth tin and my opinion hasn't changed. I have found that it smokes best in my Falcon with a piece of pipe cleaner in the Humidome. If smoked too enthusiastically, it will give you a drink. As it says on the tin, it is best sipped and with the Falcon's roomy bowel, I have to set aside plenty of porch glider time. If you're sitting on the fence, go ahead and buy a tin. You will not regret it.

Captivating blend. Spicy. Full mouth feel.

Shag yea. Pack firm. Puff slowly. Right moisture on dry side.

Citrus Va taste.

Reminds me of an old codger Va — Virginia Extra from LA. Too strong. This is not so, but full mouth feel.

If you don’t like some spicy Perique, don't be tempted. Could be a “Penny Deadful” to you then.

But to the rest of us a treat while hunting for a big foot.

A most unusual blend in Master Pease’s lineup. Smoked a full tin of course. Will grow on you.

In my experience, there is a remarkably sweet tin note right upon opening. It's fruity (a darker fruitiness), honey-like, or maybe maple or caramel-like with hints of chocolate. It's so sweet, I actually think there may be an added topping. I could just smell the tin for ages, it smells so amazing.

How it looks... Penny Farthing isn't a typical shag cut. When I think of shag-cut, I think of finely cut, long, ribbon style tobacco. Penny Farthing is more like a finely chopped flake or coarse tobacco. Still... I love it. I love most finely-cut tobacco, and seek out those blends. I find that finely cut blends tend to have a more uniform, well-blended flavor.

Upon lighting up, it's the naturally sweet Virginia's up front. Sweet and fruity. There is some tang and spice in the background, but mostly it's the really pleasant, high quality Virginia's at first. It's only about 1/3rd of the way through the pipe that the spicy Perique is really apparent, as are the complex sour tang and slight floral notes of the Kentucky. They add lots of richness and complexity and match with the Virginia sweetness and grassy notes perfectly. This is a masterfully blended tobacco.

I had zero tongue bite, although it can get hot. Shag, or any finely cut tobacco needs to be packed more tightly than most blends, and smoked a bit more slowly, in order to slow the burn rate and keep it cool. If you do that, this blend burns beautifully.

Bottom line: A brilliantly blended Va/per with a hint of Kentucky. I'm still not sure if there is a topping or not, but I strongly suspect there is a touch of something. And if not, it has the most naturally sweet Virginia's I've ever had. Either way, an outstandingly sweet, tangy, complex blend.

-=UPDATE=- I recently opened a 1.5 year old tin, and it seems aging does wonders for this blend. The tin note on this aged tin is much more chocolate-y, with an almost Nutella-like scent. Taste is smoother and much sweeter with a complex fruitiness. This is a top five blend. One of my absolute favorites. You need to try this blend aged.

From the tin, Penny Farthing is a finely cut shag. The tobacco is on the moist side, and I found it best to let it dry a bit. The tin aroma is hay that is on the sweeter side. There’s some grass, and bright citrus notes as well. The perique adds a plummy note to the nose, while the Kentucky has a pleasant smoky and woody aroma.

The Virginias are sweet with notes of freshly baked bread and hay. There is also citrusy nuances accompanied by lemon grass. The perique applied fairly heavily. There is a good amount of plums and black pepper. Its presence grows as the bowl progresses. The Kentucky adds a layer of complexity to the blend. It’s adds some campfire smoke, spice, wood, and earth. I know in Fillmore, another Pease VaPer, there is a touch of Latakia added (less then 3% I believe). It is interesting to see how Kentucky is used in this blend instead to add a bit of a smoky character and a added depth to the blend. It also helps merry the flavors of the Virginias and the Perique together. Overall, a fairly complex and nuanced VaPer. I believe this has good cellar potential, so I’ll be back in a few years to add to the changes time brings.

Penny Farthing, being a shag cut Virginia, can burn a little hot if puffed fast, and can sport a light ashy note. However I I never got tongue bite from this blend. It stays lit well, and leaves no moisture behind. The taste is full, and the Nicotine is a little past medium. Not an all day smoke, because of the complexity in the flavors, but certainly repeatable. 3.0 out of 4 stars.

The cutting of this tobacco was a first for me. Coincidentally, a week later I opened a tin of Rimboché S.J., from D & R Tobacco, which came with a somewhat similar cut, although not as thin as this one. Penny Farthing's shag is so fine it looks like sawdust. This makes it burn noticeably faster, that if the smoke is hurried it can heat the pipe, and that in order not to lose the flavor it has to be smoked very slowly.

The cold aroma is, above all, vinegary, a product of the perique. The feel of the tobacco when loading the pipe is very pleasant. After lighting, the flavor is rich and the ingredients that make up the mixture are well appreciated, as long as the rule written above is followed. Kentucky comes and goes gaining prominence at times, and other times giving it to the perique and the virginias.

In short, it is an interesting mix as long as the smoker does his part, since you cannot smoke carelessly.

Apriamo questa latta dal sapore vintage.

Siamo di fronte ad un tabacco di un bel marrone, né scuro, né chiaro, sono presenti strisce rossastre, proprie dei virginia. L’umidità è giusta e taglio sottile, proprio dello Shag , non è un impedimento ad una carica immediata della pipa. I profumi a crudo sono intensi, ricchi; presenti note speziate.

Accesa la pipa il sapore che pervade è quello del Perique; un Perique di classefruttato e piccante nel contempo. I Virginia sono molto ben bilanciati, ma chi rende la miscela unica e particolare è il Kentucky col suo cuoio secco che rende “rurale” questa miscela che sarebbe poi diventata snob. E’ poco il Kentucky, ma quel poco che fa si tutta la fumata scivoli via con piacere e godimento. Poi consideriamo che siamo davanti ad un tabacco dalla forza media, tutto giorno, adatto anche a coloro che iniziano ad esplorare tabacchi un po' più complessi.

Unica accortezza: tende a surriscaldare e se capita la lingua piange di dolore.

Conclusione un gran tabacco (non importato in Italia), come nella linea della G. L. Pease. Voto finale 4,5/5 stelle.

GLP
Penny Farthing

A VaPer with a condiment level addition of fire-cured dark Kentucky. The backbone are moderately sweet Virginias. The Perique is very present, spicy, plummy. The bit of KY adds sone nutty texture.

It’s not a VaPerKy like Royal Twist Deluxe or Doblone d’Oro. It’s more of a Perique star though the shag cut says, smoke me slowly and deliberately and suss out my flavor profile.

The taste and nic-hit are medium. The flavor is medium to strong. Creeps up on you if you puff hard. Slow it down! No detectable casing.

Lingering sweetness. On a par with Chenet’s Cake but stronger. Better than Orlik Golden Sliced. Much more interesting than Salty Dogs but equally as potent.

Stays lit easily. A good VaPer when you have the time to let it speak softly to you as you might reflect on the past month or so.

3.5 stars.