G. L. Pease Haddo's Delight

I wanted to love this blend, but it was a little too much for me.

The topping is very fruity and alchololic, like rum soaked prunes. This flavor, combined with the heavy dose of figgy Perique, resulted in a very dark, spicy, and one-dimensional smoke.

I love what artisional blenders like Mr. Pease are doing to expand the enjoyment of our hobby, but this blend was just too Perique and booze forward for my tastebuds. Perhaps it will settle down a bit with age (I refuse to give up on a tin).

One more club sample I had the other day from a 16oz tin dated 051005. A good 14 years under its belt. This has a very, very strong tin odor that reminded me of Nehi Grape even though this says it is flavored with rum. Another of the pipe club members noticed the same thing. This is a very perplexing blend in that the flavor and taste though very powerful does not remind me of rum but then again, I don’t partake of the Devil’s Nectar anymore and maybe it is a Spiced Rum. But definitely a liquored flavoring whatever it is. About halfway down the bowl it did tame down a little bit. Maybe it fermented in the tin too long because I really could not detect the Perique much though it did also have a little spiciness to it at times, maybe that was the Perique coming through. I would have classified this as an aromatic if it was up to me. Not bad, glad to try it but will not be revisiting this one.

The only way I can somewhat enjoy this blend is to sip it slowly. That goes against my nature and ruins the experience. Gets harsh and nasty if I smoke it like I usually do. Having said that, I can see where others may like it. Somewhat recommended.

I was surprised how much I disliked this one. Surprised because it was one of those that I was sure I would enjoy. I tend to enjoy the VaBurPer blends and I also love GL Pease Blends. This was not what I expected. It is like smoking an aromatic Va Per. I don't know what the topping would be, but it felt like someone soaked this quality leaf in a cheap grape soda.

It was horrible and a one star to my personal tastes, but as I do know a few people who enjoy it and it was possible to finish a bowl of this in a cob or a Meerschaum, I will give it two stars. It also packs a decent nic hit if you can bear to get through a bowl.

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….

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.

I am not a fan of Pease's virginia blends in general, but this one is quite good. A dash of added flavour adds a complexity and richness his other blends tend to lack. There are levels though, this is not up there with Peterson and Gawith; it is too thin flavourwise and leaves an ashy note on my tongue. Want something light and salty that is far from full, by all means try this. I can't see myself revisiting it though.

Taste: First light reveals a slight sweetness from the virginia just below the flavour of the topping; mainly alcohol (more rum than brandy and not so much of the plum). The perique grows more noticeable towards the end half of the bowl, as the spiciness continuously grows and intensifies. The topping strikes me as a tad bit peculiar, as it really is quite loud and present throughout the entire smoke. I am certain that it is the alcohol that plays the leading role, but it does not taste like any brandy or rum that I have ever imbibed - rather it reminds me of a crossover between the brandy in Barbary coast and the miscellaneous topping (I really have no idea what it is comprised of) of Samuel Gawith's Kendal Cream. Does it work? Well, I think so - it is unique and adds a character to the leaf in the blend. Now let us talk about the mentioned leaf. It is my opinion and belief that Mr Pease and the gentlemen at Cornell & Diehl have poor virginias to play with; their virginia blends always come across as a bit bland to me (whereas I love their burley ones). This actually plays in favour of the topping, as it is allowed to be dominant and take charge without me grieving the masking of the natural virginia taste. Now, though the topping is rather forward this is not an aromatic like, say, Autumn Evening by C&D - there is a balance that allows for a prominently salty side of the tobacco to play alongside the added flavours. They kind of have each other's backs. I still find the overall sensation somewhat thin, underwhelming, as it is quite cautious and never really grabs a hold of me.

Mechanics: Rough cut, a bit moist out of the tin, easy to pack. No bite, medium nicotine. Burns just fine but a moist smoke that will require some pipe cleaners.

Prep: Perfect moisture level

First impression: Grassy and dark fruity Virginias, accentuated by the Perique. The fruit notes is on top. The Perique is right in 2nd place, quite strong. The burley’s nutty/molasses presence is quite evident.

The nicotine level is high enough where one bowl is enough for me, though granted, I'm not a heavyweight with good ol' Vit-N. I’m kinda glad this blend isn’t high on my list, as I feel I highly rate every Pease blend. The white burley is what I believe turns me off about this blend. It does call to mind Druquer and Son’s “Princes Blend” which is a Pease blend as well. They both have an exact flavor profile that I don’t like (Prince blend has latakia). And the only thing I can come up with is that they both have a white, light burley in enough quantity. It is either that itself or in combination with the Perique. I have smoked pure dark burley and I don’t get that taste. 5/10

https://youtu.be/TPSxbF7QVVg

I recently discovered a tin that I had stored in a freezer bag inside an airtight ammunition container dated 05/06/09 that is still fresh & moist. This tin is nearly full. Imagine my "delight." It has an aroma of vinegar that is very dominant & the cocoa flavoring is still noticeable as well. I'm letting it air out occasionally but still, after ten years of aging that strong vinegar aroma will not yield... if that's what it is. Yes... it was almost good but nothing special.

Perique & whatever else was too abundant in this mixture & the flavor of any spirits other than vinegar had become unoticeable. There is so much Perique & I guess that, combined with the Rum flavoring fried my palate & pretty much worked my tongue over as well... chemical burn, as it were, which was So bad I even type with a lisp. I couldn't handle it back then & can't today. This tobacco finally started easing up on my palate only during the fourth quarter... too late! Who was Haddo anyway? He might have been a "Rum Runner" who chewed & spit St. James Perique.

Rather than condemn or recommend Haddo's Delight, try it for yourself if you feel like this may be a blend that pleases your palate. It was rough on mine even after aging for 10 years... didn't improve or seem to make any significant change in flavor & may have even become more objectionable. Not for this piper ever again. G. L. Pease can keep all these types of blends. FWIW, I also thought Westminster was another loser... both ended up in the trash. However, I find G. L. Pease's blends for Drucquer & Sons exceptional possessing that old timey flavor. My thoughts only but we're all different in DNA with varying taste receptors & many might find this "exceptional?"