G. L. Pease Spark Plug
(3.78)
A quality English blend from renowned G.L. Pease, Spark Plug's tin art immediately denotes its inspiration: A Union Jack comprises the foreground in recognition of the English blends that dominated British pipesmoking preferences in the early 20th century. These original mixtures offered a distinctly spicy and smoky component though the use of Latakia and Oriental tobaccos overtop a Virginia base. Pressed into a dense plug, Spark Plug can be sliced thick or thin, based on individual preference, and it presents a deep, powerful flavor profile, marked by a campfire's smokiness and aged leather from the Cyprian Latakia, married to rich and spicy Orientals from Greece and Turkey, and sweet bright and red Virginias. Like the classic cars that inspired its invention, Spark Plug is charming and satisfying. Take it for a test drive before setting aside to age or enjoy it at full throttle straight out of the tin.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Plug |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.78 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 27 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Spark Plug is a very special blend from GL Pease. Think Squadron Leader on steroids. It’s dark, dank, greasy, and campground smoky in the tin, with the varietal leaves pressed pretty well together but still plainly variegated, black, brown, red-brown, and golden, so it’s easy enough to identify the constituent tobaccos. As for the tin note, the Latakia is well forward, then the Oriental/Turkish, then the VAs, which include flue cured lemon and air cured red. The scent is concentrated; if you can imagine a sort of Nespresso English. Nice. I keep a small, thin piece of tropical hardwood handy for use as a cutting board, and I usually carry a sharp pocket knife that I use to slice thick-ish “flakes” off the plug. I roughly rub out a flake or two then re-blend a representative load for my pipe. It loads and lights fine straight from the tin, and it burns down OK, but it burns better if it’s dried some before lighting up. A group 4 English briar works great for me. This is a very fragrant blend that ramps up smoothly from mild to over medium. The Latakia is excellent, with only the best additives and an amazing “creosote” taste. The Orientals are top of the line, a flowery goat pen, with woody, exotic, savory, spicy, sour Katerini, Basma and Izmur pulling together to saturate the Latakia, and they very nearly succeed. The VAs are like a hip chorus, never overstepping but always lending more than mere support from meadow grassy, fragrant lemon and bready, savory, earthy red that is cased just right to balance the blend. The lot is well met, tasty, and interesting top to bottom, getting sweeter and sourer both, to the end. Strength builds to over medium, likewise the tastes.. Room note is wonderful for those who like Turkish tobacco, hopefully tolerable for autres. Aftertaste is spectacular, savory, sweet, sour and smoky, and it keeps getting better and better for a good, long time.
Just when I thought I was English’d out, here comes Spark Plug to knock me out and drag me back to the fold! Four stars for my young tin, and this stuff will age beautifully, as well.
Just when I thought I was English’d out, here comes Spark Plug to knock me out and drag me back to the fold! Four stars for my young tin, and this stuff will age beautifully, as well.
Pipe Used:
dedicated Group 4 briar
PurchasedFrom:
Liberty Tobacco
Age When Smoked:
young, from the tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 18, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I dont feel like this is a 4 star mixture... yet! It may be with age, but it's a new mixture and tastes "raw" still. I'll re-review after my tins get some age.
For now, this is an interesting english/balkan. The overwhelming note for me is cedar -- each bowl, I sorta feel like I just smoked my cigar humidor. The orientals are very very woodsy, slightly tangy, and only mildly sweet. The latakia is not overwhelming at all, and provides some nice cool smoothness. There are moments of sweetness (likely virginia), and moments of butter notes, which are nice. But then the cedar...
Mine was made in January, and has been in a jar for a few weeks. I'm plugging through the tin, but really more eager for how this develops and settles for my other tins in the cellar. I'll check back in 6 mo or a year, minimum, because I think this blend needs it
UPDATE: I will say, 4 months in the jar and the cedar has mellowed nicely. This is going to age very very well. I keep tapping away on my open jar when I get inspired, and keep stocking more away for the cellar. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic....
For now, this is an interesting english/balkan. The overwhelming note for me is cedar -- each bowl, I sorta feel like I just smoked my cigar humidor. The orientals are very very woodsy, slightly tangy, and only mildly sweet. The latakia is not overwhelming at all, and provides some nice cool smoothness. There are moments of sweetness (likely virginia), and moments of butter notes, which are nice. But then the cedar...
Mine was made in January, and has been in a jar for a few weeks. I'm plugging through the tin, but really more eager for how this develops and settles for my other tins in the cellar. I'll check back in 6 mo or a year, minimum, because I think this blend needs it
UPDATE: I will say, 4 months in the jar and the cedar has mellowed nicely. This is going to age very very well. I keep tapping away on my open jar when I get inspired, and keep stocking more away for the cellar. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic....
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2020 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
I'll start with the fact that the plug is more like a semi-crumble cake than a hard plug as everyone has mentioned.
That said, being that my tin is less than a month old... it still comes across a little moist and "raw" but I think this has some really good potential as it continues to age and mature.
I really like the flavor as it is a great old style English like you'd expect from the name. To me the orientals are carrying the show here. I love the spiciness and the campfire taste and really think this could make the rotation if it ages well.
For now 3/4 stars and we'll see how she ages.
That said, being that my tin is less than a month old... it still comes across a little moist and "raw" but I think this has some really good potential as it continues to age and mature.
I really like the flavor as it is a great old style English like you'd expect from the name. To me the orientals are carrying the show here. I love the spiciness and the campfire taste and really think this could make the rotation if it ages well.
For now 3/4 stars and we'll see how she ages.
Pipe Used:
Radiator Pipes, Canadians
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 07, 2022 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
Spark Plug gets an overall 3.8 on this sight for good reason. I saw the adjectives “balanced intensity “ on one review and on another “beginners beware” as this tobacco is not for the light of heart. Read all of the 4 reviews and just agree with them cause if ya don’t like this then I can’t imagine why you would smoke a pipe. If I had to pick one adjective for Spark Plug it would be memorable because every time I get pissed off at the high price of mediocre pipe tobacco, I get reminded of why we do what we do when we light up.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
City Tobacco in New London Ct.
Age When Smoked:
?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2021 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Gran mezcla, de quema lenta, una gran fumada, siempre he disfrutado de las mezclas inglesas y este plug es realmente excelente, si lo vas a fumar debes tener el tiempo suficiente, es una fumada larga y placentera.
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipes
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 16, 2021 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
Latakia forward English blend. Has the nice smokey, leathery flavor you'd expect, and a bit of the floral oriental in the background.
I'm still experimenting a bit with this blend and the cut, as it does seem to take more relights than average. I might try to break it up into finer pieces before drying and packing to see if that helps.
Overall, solid English blend with nice flavor. May revisit the review in a year or so as this ages.
I'm still experimenting a bit with this blend and the cut, as it does seem to take more relights than average. I might try to break it up into finer pieces before drying and packing to see if that helps.
Overall, solid English blend with nice flavor. May revisit the review in a year or so as this ages.
Pipe Used:
Benton Select, MM Corn Cob Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom:
Governor's cigar lounge
Age When Smoked:
2 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 09, 2021 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Smoked this blend several times on cold January nights bundled up on the porch and perhaps it just wasn’t the right environment, but despite its complexity, this one just didn’t do it for me.
It starts out with a mellow soft creaminess, the orientals come through a bit, and then as it builds towards the middle of the bowl it gets a bit sweeter, smokier and not voluminous, the last third of the bowl always took a turn for me and seemed to have this fusile gas ish taste, reminded me of the smell of kerosene.
Like I said, for me, this time around, this one didn’t do it for me, I think I like slightly more VA forward English blends these days. I passed the remaining 2/3rds of the jar to a friend. I suspect maybe the smoking environment played a role, so maybe I’ll revisit this one in the future, dunno.
It starts out with a mellow soft creaminess, the orientals come through a bit, and then as it builds towards the middle of the bowl it gets a bit sweeter, smokier and not voluminous, the last third of the bowl always took a turn for me and seemed to have this fusile gas ish taste, reminded me of the smell of kerosene.
Like I said, for me, this time around, this one didn’t do it for me, I think I like slightly more VA forward English blends these days. I passed the remaining 2/3rds of the jar to a friend. I suspect maybe the smoking environment played a role, so maybe I’ll revisit this one in the future, dunno.
Pipe Used:
Radice Pease Di Piazza
PurchasedFrom:
Olde Towne Tobacconist
Age When Smoked:
1-2 Years?
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 22, 2020 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Wow, what a wonderful pipe tobacco. Never been a fan of plug offerings, this is the exception. The tobaccos contained are married together perfectly. Dare I say the taste is reminiscent of Dunhill 965. On the sweet side of the road. None of the ingredients overwhelm the other. Wow again!
Pipe Used:
Caminetto, Dunhill Shell, Cobs.
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking pipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
When I opened the tin for the first time, it gave off one of the best smoky aromas I have had the opportunity to smell in my short life as a pipe smoker. Just for the fact that I find that smell every time I go to smoke this mixture, for me it already deserves two stars in the review of this page.
After removing the cardboard lid, a tender plug appeared that invited to be handled slowly, enjoying its color, aroma, texture ... before being cut, dried, shredded and loaded into the pipe. The scent in your tin has evoked in some pipe smokers the aroma of car workshops, motor oil... There may be some of that, or perhaps the name of the mixture, the image that comes on the outside of the tin and the color and aroma of the plug have created some kind of suggestion. Once lit, the high dose of latakia is balanced by another no less high from oriental and accompanied by bright red virginias that add a touch of sweetness to the mixture, making it very tasty throughout the smoke. The smoke is quite creamy and its smell evokes at times that of church incense, which is why some pipe smokers with many years of experience associate this tobacco with English blends from the last century.
The only problem I have had with this mixture is that regardless of how long I have let it dry (I have let it dry up to four hours) I have always needed frequent relighting.
Of course I have already taken care of having another tin in my cellar since it seems that it can improve by aging it.
After removing the cardboard lid, a tender plug appeared that invited to be handled slowly, enjoying its color, aroma, texture ... before being cut, dried, shredded and loaded into the pipe. The scent in your tin has evoked in some pipe smokers the aroma of car workshops, motor oil... There may be some of that, or perhaps the name of the mixture, the image that comes on the outside of the tin and the color and aroma of the plug have created some kind of suggestion. Once lit, the high dose of latakia is balanced by another no less high from oriental and accompanied by bright red virginias that add a touch of sweetness to the mixture, making it very tasty throughout the smoke. The smoke is quite creamy and its smell evokes at times that of church incense, which is why some pipe smokers with many years of experience associate this tobacco with English blends from the last century.
The only problem I have had with this mixture is that regardless of how long I have let it dry (I have let it dry up to four hours) I have always needed frequent relighting.
Of course I have already taken care of having another tin in my cellar since it seems that it can improve by aging it.
Pipe Used:
Stanwell Pipe Of The Year 2011, Freehand Missouri
Age When Smoked:
4 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 18, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Okay, Greg has done it again. He hits my budget with a new creative blend. Really not expecting to like this. I normally don't like much Latakia in a blend. So the nose scared me a bit, but there was a richness so I lit it. Happened to be having a gin and tonic by the pool and good golly this was a great pairing. I am all into what goes with what. This is ideal. When weather cools I will try it with a single malt. Anyway, smoke about 5 bowls a week of the stuff and have had to order more. The Latakia and the other tobaccos just sing together. So the cheap Santoku knife will be busy chopping this plug up for a few months at least.
Pipe Used:
Ashton Old Church, Dunhill Tanshell
PurchasedFrom:
4 Noggins
Age When Smoked:
3 months
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