G. L. Pease Haddo's Delight

Haddo's is another winner from the Greg Pease. One thing that intrigues me is just how much this blend changes as it has time to age. I've been lucky enough to try it fresh, aged 10 years, and a number of points in between. Regardless of the age, a few things seem consistent:

The tin note is a combination of tangy tobacco with a plum brandy topping. The combination of the topping and the perique give the tin note a little something reminiscent to chocolate covered raisins. The smoke and mouthfeel are also very consistent - heavy-bodied, quite a bit of smoke, and a fair bit of nicotine strength from the white burley and perique.

Otherwise, when it comes to describing the taste of the smoke, itself, I think it's necessary to break it down into a few different ages categories:

**1. Fresh --Fresh from the tin, Haddo's is loud, bold, and brash. The Virginia is still a little rough around the edges, but not too sharp as its nicely rounded by the cavendish. The topping is more apparent here then in older versions, and the plum/brandy taste is easily found in the first half of the bowl. I wouldn't go as far as to call it truly an "aromatic," but the younger the blend is, the closer it gets. Also of note is that the perique is very peppery at this stage, and goes a long way to clearing out the sinuses!

**2. Moderately aged (2-6 years) --The topping begins to fade into the background, but it is still detectable. With it being less dominant, you get a better sense of the VA and Burley leaf in the blend, and you taste those tobacco components more than in the fresh version. Here, something magical starts to happen between the topping and the leaf - the subdued flavor of the topping really complements the natural characteristics of the tobacco, and it's a match made in heaven. The perique at this point is still very peppery,but has begun to take on the characteristics of dark fruit.

I think this is really something special. The topping of dark fruit and sweet alcohol diminishes in its own right but goes a long to support the increasing natural sweetness and dark fruit qualities that result from the aging of the leaves in the blend. WHAT A TREAT!!!

**3. Well-Aged (7+ years) --The topping is barely detectable. In fact, in samples aged 9 and 10 years old I haven't been able to taste it all except, perhaps, in the very first lighting of the bowl. What remains is an excellent quality blend, tasting nothing but the sweetness of well aged Virginia with a bit of the burley to carry it along. The perique has now lost a lot of its peppery quality and instead lends its characteristic "dark fruit" qualities to the blend. With this much aged, it has very little in common with its fresh form, but is a top-tier VaPer in its own right.

So, to sum up, the older the blend gets the more sweetness is owed to the aged VA rather than the topping, and the more the perique offers "dark fruitiness" as opposed to peppery-ness.

For my money, Haddo's is best between 4 and 6 years old. It is at that point that you can still taste the plum brandy topping, but in a way that fully supports and complements all of the component tobaccos but doesn't stand out in the crowd. As a perique lover, this is where you find the best combination of pepper and fig/raisin, as well.

Bottom line: I call this a 3-star blend for the purposes of this site, but because age plays such a huge role, I would break it down as:

Fresh/Young: 2.5 Stars Moderately Aged: 4 Stars Well Aged: 3-3.5 Stars

I a writing this review after finishing a 2 oz tin. My first impression was that this was a little harsh and disappointing. I smoked it in the same Peterson 999 and then switched to a GBD pot, and I will say that I acquired a taste for it. I think this blend benefits from a dedicated pipe, and this may explain part of the improved experience. For me, it smoked better in the larger bowl, and I picked up more of the flavors.

There is a subtle quality to this blend despite a solid dose of perique and a little more nicotine than most things I smoke. You can pick up the sweet Virginias and a slight topping that is hard to identify. It almost seemed like banana. It was not much like the things I usually smoke, and it made a nice change for pace. I was sorry when the tin was done, but I did not order more.

This tobacco left a somewhat pleasant ghost in the two main pipes I used with it. I would pick up just a trace of the perique and the fruit in the next couple of bowls after it was gone.

Haddo?s is serious tobacco, the stuff of professionals. It attempts to reach the apex of blending perfection to such a degree that it is at once magnificent and overwhelming. Though I try not to be pedantic in my reviews, this one requires a breaking down of the elements.

Appearance: large, shaggy, course cut strands of rich, blackened Cavendish, sweet hearty Virginia and bold, tangy Perique. It is thickly cut and thoughtfully packed like a McClelland, but it is in a class by itself. Careful detail obviously went into marrying these tobaccos. Each of the leaves is blended perfectly to form a dazzling interplay of colors and aromas.

Tin aroma: Beautiful and bouquet like. Figs, stewed fruits, plums, prunes and coconuts create one of the most delectable and inviting aromas offered in a two-ounce can. I could revel in the tin aroma alone. It?s almost a shame to light this product.

Packing: Firm yet loose. It?s moist enough to pack easily yet dry enough to get started on the first light. There is just the right amount of firmness and sponginess.

Burn: Like a fine cigar, it has its moments of billowy, creamy smoke and other times when it seems to hit a knot and choke. I only needed two additional relights, but you never know when the draw is going to get a bit stubborn on you. The pipe tends to get a bit juicy as well, though it leaves the bowl virtually dry upon emptying.

Taste: Haddo?s reacts to the room and the pipe in which you are smoking it as well as to temperature and humidity. Each day (or is it by the hour?) it seems to behave differently. This is not predictable and one-dimensional by any means. This is not a blend for the neophyte. It takes a seasoned palate to appreciate Pease?s skill. The Cavendish cools and relaxes. The Virginias provide just the right amount of sweetness and the Perique is not a garnish, but rather, a main course. The Perique awakens a vivid, sweet/sour tanginess on the palate that enlivens the taste buds but can overwhelm if you don?t react well to that leaf.

Room note: Aromatic, chocolaty and pleasant, though it fails to leave a lasting impression. Entering the room five minutes later, the aroma dissipates with very little distinguishable traces.

Effect: This has a physical effect on me, probably due to the large amount of Perique in the blend. Sometimes it?s a buzz, other times it?s a queasy feeling. Be careful not to inhale a drop of the smoke or a spot of juice. It will close your throat and make you gag. Don?t smoke this while walking or operating a vehicle. Find a comfy sofa in which to relax and chill out for a while. Haddo?s is like a sinfully rich dessert. You want to eat more and more, but if you do, you?ll feel sluggish and regretful later.

Summary: Haddo?s is one of the truly great accomplishments in the art of connoisseur tobacco blending. Greg Pease is a skillful and imaginative perfectionist. Nevertheless, unless you have the stomach and physicality to endure Perique, be forewarned. HD is like a ten-course degustation at a French restaurant: a delectable, over the top sensory adventure that can quickly go from pleasurable to nauseous. I suppose this is the case with anything that aspires to reach the summit. It?s almost too much of a good thing.

Because this is such a complex beast, I must give Haddo?s two separate ratings:

Taste/presentation/aroma: Five of five stars Physical sensation: Two of five stars

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.

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.

When I opened the first tin of this I was taken aback by the note. A rather strong fruity aroma arose (from the rum, I guess), and I haven't been a huge fan of that aroma from a VaPer. I more often associate the smell of what is popularly referred to as "McKetchup" with quality VaPers. I approached the blend with caution. It packed and lit well, and the fruity aroma carried over to the smoke. After about three bowls, I stepped out and bought another tin.

I must have adapted to the taste quickly and now find it really good. Nicotine is medium and the room note is pleasant. I have had no problem with the blend smoking hot even though I'm a rather heavy puffer. Although I wouldn't consider this an all day smoke I certainly recommend it.

Presentation: Haddo's Delight comes in a chunky chopped ribbon. My tin had a melting pot of shapes and sizes. Throughout the tin, there are dark pieces of what I believe to be the perique or black cavendish that need to be broken up a bit more than what was provided. Amongst the darker portions of perique and black cavendish, lies medium brown/red virginias and a few brights and the lighter and smaller chunks of white burley. Nice sugar crystals had formed on the darker tobaccos due to the age of the tin, which was eye candy.

Palate: The newly opened tin hits you with a plum and raisin aroma, with a slight feather tickle from what seems to be minuscule vinegar to the nostrils. Very strong topping, but not nauseating. This blend is complex. It offers a deep earthy bouquet and diverse taste. It's somewhat smooth and while the rum topping is heavy applied in the tin, it doesn't particularly overwhelm the tobacco taste, but is noticeable. The base of Virginias is mostly reds from what I can gather, which offer a delicate sweetness, with a hint of bright here and there. The black cavendish adds a creamy dimension to the mouth feel and retrohale, while the perique is a little spicy, yet more dark fruit natured than anything. The burley is barely detectable, as I feel it may have been added to round out some of the rougher spots. It does however have a lovely side stream.

Performance: When I first smoked this blend, it didn't consistently give me the same flavor and was hard to keep lit due to the uneven cut. I'm not sure if this was just my tin, or if this is how all the tins are, but I feel that it could use a re-work in how it is packaged. Either new or aged, Haddo's Delight needs some breathing time to settle down. Even with the 4+ years of age, it was unrefined and had some sharp edges that needed to be dulled. Lights with two or three charring, and stays lit until the last 1/3 of the bowl. Requires an additional light. Burns at a medium pace, not too fast or slow. Medium to medium/strong nicotine hit, yet varies on your tolerance.

Conclusion: This blend sat for another year in the jar before I came back to it. It developed a lovely deep dark chocolate aroma that was absent when initially opening it and the plum/raisin smell was diminished greatly and not sharp. Perhaps I needed to let it mellow a bit before truly experiencing this popular blend. I can see why so many people like it, but first impressions are everything. I enjoyed it after it went to rehab for 12 months and found myself reaching for it every night for two weeks as my nightly smoke. It's a delectable smoke and its complexity shines despite its shortcomings, but I can't see myself cellaring any more than one or two tins of this tobacco, due to the factors mentioned above. There are many tobaccos in which I prefer to this as of right now, especially as this is a Va/Per and I have a better palate for other blends in this category. I'm afraid I'll let this blend slip through my list of favorites as so many others before me have felt the opposite, but I won't be sad. I know that Haddo's Delight will stick around, and if something changes, then perhaps those few extra tins won't go to waste.

This is one of those tobaccos that lately can do no right. So much has been written about it that new smokers seem to get upset when the face of God doesn't appear in the first puff of smoke. "Hey, I just smoked my first bowl of Haddo's and my underpants are dry as a twenty year old pouch. What a rip-off." I hear you.

Oh well.

I've been enjoying Haddo's for some time now and I find it a perfectly serviceable blend. The tobacco quality is excellent, after all. In the tin it's all butterscotchy but in the pipe it behaves like a mid-weight VaPer with a twist. It's neither impressively intense nor disappointingly bland. It's just good.

The way I see it, Haddo's doesn't have a thing to apologize for. It's the authors of all those hyperbolic 4-star reviews who should be held accountable. Haha.

My first slight disappointment with Greg's tobaccos, and many other smokers' favorite (so I'll shock someone here). The smell of the unburnt tobacco is nice: if you let the tin open for a while, you can get some chocolatey notes under the sharp perique notes and the alcoholic topping (the intensity of which seems to vary slightly according to the tin: as a matter of fact, Greg has confessed that an ingredient of the top secret processing to produce this tobacco is rum!). When smoking, however, the rum is almost not perceivable: the taste is of a typical Virginia/Perique blend. The burley and cavendish contribution explicit themselves in a very subtle way, almost ghost-like. What puzzles me about the rave reviews of Haddo's is that I can't seem to get much taste out of it... I am not a fan of Va/perique mixtures, but some of them are really good and I love them a lot. This one, instead, has a blander taste which I find a bit lacking in the sweet notes department. Certainly this is too subtle a tobacco for my unsophisticated taste, but I prefer sweeter and simpler blends. It doesn't bite too much, but I find it to be rather strong nicotine-wise and gives me headaches: if you want a earthy and complex virginia/perique blend rich in citrusy sour notes, full with perique and with a toasty quality that reminds a bit of Tribute (which I like better), this might be a great choice for you anyway.

2012 Update: I raised my rating for this blend... The trick was simple: let it age A LOT. My current tin is 7 years old, and it has developed a wonderful complexity, a rich sweetness and a earthy/dried fruit aroma which makes for a memorable smoking experience. The Perique has become less evident, and it is much better integrated. A much more flavorful smoke than from fresh tins! If I have to be nitpicking, it STILL is a bit astringent/drying on the back of the palate (makes me thirsty, and I have to smoke it slowly and occasionally, otherwise I end up with a sore throat), but it is delicious. Like Barbary Coast's bigger and more flamboyant brother. Good stuff.