G. L. Pease Haddo's Delight

Much better than I expected. Very fruity note. Usually not my thing but it sounded good. It lit nicely nothing out of the ordinary. After the first few Puffs I was afraid it was going to get harsh. But it did not. After five minutes it reached its sweet spot. And everything came together instantly. Smooth, rich, and delicious. I might compare this to Royal yacht. But this is better.after 20 minutes I did not want to put my pipe down, to refill my drink. It's that good.

The first thing to strike you with Haddo’s Delight is the fragrant topping. It is quite intense, think of Petrson’s Sherlock Holmes or Sunset Breeze. It makes me wonder why it is categorized as a Va/Per and not an aromatic… It is a liqueur topping which reminds me of liqueur infused chocolate-coated raisins. At first I thought it was delightful but now I find it sickly…

The cut is a nice ribbon but moisture was high, my tin needed drying. It behaves very well, lights easy etc., but I am quite ambivalent about this tobacco. At least the first half of the bowl is dominated by the liqueur topping plus a Perique dark spicy taste. Though the smoke is smooth, it seems to lack body and leaves an acrid aftertaste I’ve experienced with cheap tobacco… It’s not a tobacco I enjoy inhaling as it irritates my throat and gives me a buzz in the head. I’m not sure if it is excess nicotine or some kind of chemical in the topping.

On the other hand as the smoke progresses and if sipped, it produces many nuances apart from the fruit liqueur notes and the piquant spicyness of Perique. A nice sweet woodiness, cigar-like notes, the dark mellow smokiness of Cavendish.

But while I think it’s more complex than the aforementioned Peterson tobaccos, I do not enjoy Haddo’s Delight as much. Actually, however much I tried I did not get myself to really enjoy it all. In any case this type of tobacco is not exactly my cup of tea…

I read other reviews mentioning that it mellows and gets better with age, so this is what I am going to do, I am going to cellar and forget it….

Haddo's Delight, I like the naming conventions of the G.L. Pease blends (unlike C&D's names which I am not crazy about most of the time). The blend itself is quite unique. It is essentially a VAPer with a twist of a pinch of Burley and Cavendish along with a topping. The tin aroma is quite good but it isn't tobacco, or at least it isn't what you would expect from a pure tobacco blend. I can faintly make out the raisiny perique but the what I smell is apple brandy. I am not sure that is actually what it is but that is what I smell. The flavors in this blend are quite interesting, I don't think that this can be categorized by it constituent components as a VAPer in the flavor department...at all. I get notes of chocolate, brandy (apple brandy), toast, earth, The perique is noticeable in the feel, tingle in the nose on the retro hale, some "itchiness" in the throat. Occasionally I can do get a bit of white pepper in the flavor but it comes and goes. I have always found Burley blends to be rather "flat" in terms of mouth feel. The smoke feels less dense to me. This blend seems to almost be more like a topped Burley blend with the richness of a Virginia blend. I am not sure what types of VA's are in here but I think there are some reds as that unique earthiness comes through quite a bit and the sweet topping masks any other distinguishable VA flavor for me.

I really like this smoke but I have a hard time putting into any other category other than an aromatic...an extremely well done aromatic. I recommend this blend but if you are in the mood for a traditional VAPer, this ain't it.

I am fairly new to pipe smoking, so I won't embarass myself or insult others by trying to adequately describe this tobacco. Suffice to say after trying a few of Mr. Pease's offerings, he may well be a genius. This one makes me wonder if he is master of some black art to which few are privy. It's wonderfully interesting.

This is an old favorite. It helped forge the path that I am on now by making me realize the possibilities outside the realm of Latakia mixtures. It took some time to understand and can actually be unforgiving if smoked in the wrong pipe but if you are patient and find a pipe that smoke Haddo's well you will be greatly rewarded. It's a very complex smoke so I like to smoke this one when I have nothing else to do but concentrate on the plethora of woven flavors that delight my palate. I haven't smoked this mixture in years but I have a large tin in my cellar and I'll be popping the lid when it reaches 10 years of age. I've had this one fresh and with several years of age one it and it smokes great either way but I do prefer at least 6 months in the tin to let the flavors marry a bit before I lock and load. The room note is nice but non-smokers will probably still give ya the stink eye if you're smoking this near them. The nicotine is in the "just right" park (medium) and makes for a good, satisfying smoke any time of the day but I usually enjoy it most on a nice and cool evening. This one never fails to take me to that special place. One of my favorite Pease mixtures, no doubt.

Essential.

This was a blend I had wanted to try for some time. It wasn't at all what I expected, but became everything I wanted.

When I first popped the tin I dug my beak in and buried it in the tobacco. I thought of honeydew melon immediately. The colors were mostly dark brown, some terra cotta red accompanied by some strips of black (cavendish). Each time I opened the tin that melon scent turned more into a bread and raisin.

I can't help but feel this is the reverse of most multiple course meals. With the dessert (sweet plum/sweet bread notes) coming first and the end is where we get into the meat of the blend. Despite being heralded as a VaPer, it is very much a VaBurPer.

The first 1/4 or so is sweet and soft having the Virginias, Cavendish and topping play the main roles while the Perique adds a slight zest. The Burley follows suit and mosts supports the VA while adding a slight amount of rustic baked bread and a hint of earthiness.

Further down the bowl the sweet VAs, Cavendish and topping begin to dwindle opening the curtains for the Perique and Burley. An almost complete 180 is made and what was soft sweet becomes piquant tangy, what was subtle becomes robust and assertive. The latter half of the bowl reminds me of a leveled out Burley Flake #3 with a very slight topping. It's delicious.

In my experience, this blends needs at least an inch and a half of bowl to slowly work it's magic. Too small of a bowl and it doesn't get the proper time to develop and has some acrid moments. Again, for pure VaPer lovers this probably won't satisfy; if not potentially repulse. After all, this is made with C&D tobaccos and it's extremely apparent in the last stanza. But anyone who enjoys their burleys and is looking for a bit of a zesty kick with some sweetness on top, this is the one.

I found this most enjoyable in my briars over meers and mortas. Well done Mr. Pease.

This tobacco is hands down my favorite tobacco blend ever! If I were told I could only have one tobacco for the rest of my life, Haddo?s Delight would be my first choice. Everything I desire in a full bodied blend is here, in abundance.

Appearance: This looks to be about 25% dark tobaccos, 20% golden-yellow, 20% red and the remainder is a golden colored. It is varied in cut yet mostly medium ribbon cut.

Tin aroma: This is probably the most complex mixture I have ever encountered. The deeply fermented Virginias and perique are evident, with rich earthy tones and under-currents of fig/raisin and cocoa. The unsweetened Cavendish and Burleys are just there under the surface. I smell an enticing mixture which immediately gets my mouth watering, there are tones in this mix that hit me in that spot rather like a good steak sauce (although it?s nothing LIKE steak sauce).

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture and I employed the ?Frank method? for packing each review smoke. I smoke this tobacco in any pipe that I?ve dedicated to Virginia mixtures. For this review I?ve chosen a large clean Edward?s Husky Canadian, a very ?neutral? pipe with nice thick walls and a long stem for all the best in flavor preservation.

Lighting usually is a single match affair, I find that the ?Frank method? usually eliminates the need for much of a ?lighting tamp?, though once in awhile if I pause or just let the pipe go out, I might have to re-light it. As expected, the initial flavor is very smoky with the familiar ?peppery? sensations one expects from perique. I am also greeted with very deep fruity tones from the Virginias and the Burley and Cavendish lend their nuttiness and fuller body in turns. There is a very slight sweetness to it probably from the Virginias and an additional note from the rum casing. There is no single way to describe Haddo?s, the complexity is immediately apparent and builds throughout.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors mix and match very nicely. The layers of flavors build and build, each mouthful of smoke tasting slightly different from the last. As a former cigarette smoker, I?m not particularly bothered by the nicotine content here, and I often employ the ?French curve? method of inhaling slipstream smoke nasally. That is not to say this isn?t a very full tobacco, often relaxing me nearly to the point of sleep. Accompanied by some good ambient music and some good reading material, an enchanted evening ensues. I cannot help thinking that hobbits, wizards, dwarves and the odd Ranger would enjoy this mixture very much.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I?m absolutely in smoker?s heaven. The fullness and character of this blend really come into their own during this final stretch. The Virginias have deepened to a wine like goodness and the perique keeps it all honest. This is a heady blend indeed and care must be taken not to over do the puffing rate. If I can discipline myself enough and keep the puff rate down I can enjoy Haddo?s until it resigns itself to ash.

A truly astonishing blend from America?s premier tobacco blender

Supplemental Notes: This is absolutely my favorite tobacco anywhere at any price. I have trouble keeping enough on hand for aging and smoking. Rating for those interested in numbers ****

I wanted to try this mix that arouses so many different passions among people who have smoked it. Yet another example that everyone must try and judge for themselves. In my case and in view of the success that I have had with the tobaccos of G.L. Pease so far, I was hoping for good things. The tin on which I base this review is five years old. According to some users, it is a tobacco that can change a lot depending on this circumstance.

When you open the tin, the smell of the liquor is quite intense, and mixed with the tobacco it reminds me a lot of champagne. The cut of the tobacco is quite irregular and it has a degree of humidity that I would say is on the high side, but this does not prevent it from burning well. During smoking it can produce some humidity.

In the flavor section, the coverage overshadows the other ingredients that make up this mixture, in such a way that it is the liquor that has the leading role from beginning to end. Only in the retronasal exhalation you can feel a little the natural flavor of tobacco.

So this is not the type of mix I am going to go to every day, and I am not going to repeat the purchase of another tin. I rate it three stars because I have no reason to say it is less than that, either. It just isn't for me.

10/26/2020: For those of you who, like me, have found that the flavoring hides the flavor of the underlying tobaccos too much, I recommend letting a few months pass after opening the tin and aerating the tobacco a bit so that its coverage loses strength. For my taste, the experience improves a bit, although the tobaccos that are below seem too neutral to me. Since I had to fight with the tobacco to make it work moderately, I lower it one star.

Presentation: Tin looks the same as all the others in the Pease Original Series. Black and white label with blue accent and pipes photographed in the background.

Cut: Thick ribbon cut. Acceptable moisture but a little dry time won't hurt.

Tin note: Smells like chocolate and raisins.

Tasting notes: Creamy with a light smooth rum taste on light up. Becomes woody (cedar as well as a darker wood), smoky, slight spice, bready, and a moderate creaminess sticks out through most of the blend. Slight chocolate here and there. Spice kicks up some once the blend starts going but is not overbearing. You taste the rum in the blend, but it doesn't taste like a cheap chemical additive and is quite mild and smooth in the blend. Will not offend the tongue -- and that's coming from someone who doesn't like most blends with toppings.

Mechanics: This blend packs, burns, and smokes well. You can smoke at a moderate pace and be alright but for best results, slower is better.

Extra Remarks: This blend is delightful. This is the right way to top a blend. An example of a rum topped blend that does it poorly would be Gawith Navy Flake -- even drying that blend out to bone dry crunchy, it will still bite you and is still difficult to light. A similar blend to this is Barbary Coast although I have not smoked that one with review level focus, but I do know I enjoy Haddo more than it. Anyways, Haddo's Delight is full flavor, quite complex, and a very unique blend. Outstanding -- 4 stars!