G. L. Pease Haddo's Delight

This is one of those tobaccos that I knew from the first couple of puffs would become a favorite. The tin aroma reminded me of the brandy flavoring in Barbary Coast, which I enjoyed. It should be noted that I rated this as "mild to medium" in the flavoring category but to be truthful, the nose of it was mild to medium. This flavor came out in the smoke but was on the mild side.

The perique "feel" is strong, in that it definitely tickles the nose and the back of the throat, but the perique flavor is a simple enhancer. The virginias played the lead role to my taste and the perique and brandy (or rum or whatever) were vocal backseat drivers. Excellent body to this one and it was just a "fun" smoke, as long as I didn't overdo it, as the nicotine could be just a bit over the top in the large bowls I favor. The flavors did a lot of dancing and were brazen almost to the point of haughtiness. But it was all in fun. A complex smoke, this can also be smoked as a dessert blend to relax me after a tough day. As much as I enjoyed Barbary Coast, this variation on that theme struck me as superior, and I immediately bought a 16 oz tin. The only downside to this is that it willfully smote any attempts at DGT. It simply didn't like being extinguished and relit hours later. But that's ok - I don't often DGT.

Yes, this could be considered an aromatic by some people, and there's nothing wrong with that. Highly recommended as something different and... yes... fun!

Fig Newtons? Pavlovian response? After reading the above review, I don't know what old Howie's been smoking, but I don't think it was Haddo's Delight!

All joking aside, this is not bad stuff. In fact, I call it a dose of heaven on earth. I have had a love affair with Haddo's ever since it hit the market back in 2002 (I think that's when God gave Pease the ingredients for this manna). The bowl I just finished was from some 2004 vintage Haddo's and was it ever goooooood! If you have not tried this blend and enjoy complexity with strength, then you owe it to yourself to partake of this weed. It contains several varieties of strong and well aged Virginia leaf along with a nice helping of true St. James Parish Perique, white Burley and some Black Cavendish. It leaves a tobacco aftertaste in your mouth that is just this side of heaven. I prefer to smoke Haddo's in the evenings either just after a workout or just after dinner. This blend deserves attention and that's why it needs to be savored slowly (sipped rather than puffed). Truly one of the all-time great blends (IMO, of course).

Pouch Aroma: Ok, let me go on record saying that this stuff smells really ODD in the baggie. It's got a sweet note that reminds me of maple sugar, and right alongside - neither dominating nor being dominated - is the earthy, compost-y smell of Perique and rich orientals. At first it was almost unpleasant, but after burying my nose in the bag a few times methinks me likes it.

Appearance: This looks to be about 25% dark tobaccos, 20% golden-yellow, 20% red and the remainder is a tawny honey-gold with a greenish cast. This is a nice looking tobacco cut mostly short and coarse - 15mm x 2-3mm average. It looks perfect for a short, wide bowl so I packed it into my old Hardcastle bulldog which is a favored pipe for VA mixtures.

Packing and Lighting: This stuff packs easily - actually, I had to be careful not to pack too tightly due to its being just a little moister than I usually prefer. Still, the light hand triumphed and the first flame brought me mouthfuls of soft sweet smoke which had a peppery tingle when blown out of my nose and a very mild and sweet room note.

Exposition: After a very light tamp and relight (not really needed, just habit mostly) the pepperiness has mellowed just a bit, leaving a mild tobacco flavor to entertain me. It's not as full as something like GLP's Cairo but it's got a bit more physical presence, producing great billows of thick, light blue-grey smoke. It's a bit early to be sure, but I don't sense much potential here for biting and it would make a great social smoke for those who can't handle flavored tobaccos. The adorable young lady who works at the jewelry store across from my work says it smells great, and quite unlike any of my usual smokes. So far this is a keeper!

The Story: Word of advice - do NOT accidentally inhale this one! I smoked cigarettes for too many years but have managed to lose the inhaling habit. On occasion though, I do it subconsciously, mostly with milder tobaccos in what must be an attempt to get 'that old-time feeling' or sumpin'. Well, this stuff tastes mild, but underneath that velvet glove lies a fist of pure unobtainium! I had to set my pipe down and let Thin Lizzy finish "The Boys are Back in Town" before I could stand to relight . . . this stuff packs a teensy wallop!

The flavor is holding quite well; it's a bit gurgly but nothing too terrible, and after my involuntary rest period it has taken on a flavor reminiscent of popcorn of all things! Not in a bad way, it just has some of the same nutty, buttery flavor components underneath its nice sweet virginia taste. In classic VA fashion the flavor is intensifying toward mid-bowl though, and some of the sweetness is turning woodsy.

Denouement: Reaching the end of the bowl, I'm finding quite a bit more strength than I would have guessed initially. It reminds me of Two Friends' "Redwood" in this respect; mellow start, smooth but full-flavored mid-bowl, then BAM! upside the noggin with the nicotine stick.

Is gooood smoke, Kemo Sabe!

The ash is a dark salt-and-pepper and very fluffy and the bowl walls are left clean as a whistle. This tobacco has a nice mellow start, an interesting middle and a gloriously relaxing finish with nice smoke volume and room aroma throughout the entire smoke. The burning qualities are faster than normal but with no bite. Granted, it's not the most complex smoke I've had, but I get the feeling that a dedicated pipe would bring out many nuances in time. The last few shreds are blackened leaf scraps and the heel is dry with a nice coating of ash for future cake-building.

Pros: Mellow initially with a good progression of strength and flavor, great burning properties, nice smell for those around, lots of thick smoke and no bite. I'll buy some when I find out what it is!

Cons: It almost starts out too mellow and some may find it a tad powerful at the finish, but anyone who likes naturally sweet tobacco but doesn't care for the preparation and slow smoking properties of VA flakes should be able to overlook these 'problems'.

My second trial of this was in a family-era Sasieni 'Cromer', a group 2-3 billiard which smokes exquisitely well. The experience was almost identical to the first - I smoked it entirely at work and got a LOT of compliments on it and not a few queries as to what I was smoking. You can imagine my initial sheepishness when I had to say "Umm, I have no idea" before explaining the BPTT concept. I like this better in larger pipes though, as the little Sasieni was down to ash long before I was ready for it to be finished. . .

This one definitely gets an 85, for I can easily dance to it!

Alright. Haddo's Delight is a tricky one!!!It has a very weird smell upon opening, which invades the nostrils and stays there for a while; it's definitely a bit strange. And rather strong. That smell is hard to explain, rather spicy, with a powerful note of damp earth after a light rain ( Hum, I guess Poetry is not among my many other talents...but this is an epistemological exercise). My wife says it smells like dried prunes, I wonder where she gets it...I can't, myself, detect the smell of cocoa and dried fruit as it says on the tin.

As for the tobacco itself, when I read stout, I expected mainly a dark tobacco. But it's not: rather brown, golden brown and shades of black. The cut is long and thin, no presence of ready-rubbed flakes: all loose cut, and it's a nice change! I recommend the tin to be dried out a bit before smoking, because this tobacco is a real man's smoke, if you see what I mean. If you're starting off your pipe smoker career, stay away from this blend, or you will repent! It might even make you sick to your stomach! This blend is for the experienced pipe smoker only, and you need to have measured yourself with the strong English blends to be able to deal with Haddo!

I selected my Stanwell Buffalo and Chacom Carrare for this blend, both medium sized bowls. Curiously, upon lighting, the Burley seems predominant at first, but it fades away after about 5 minutes to be replaced by the rest - VA, the more substantial Périque and I cannot really make out the unsweetened Black Cavendish, whose job is supposed to compensate and soothe the strong overall taste. And boy, this gets stronger and stronger as you go! Haddo's Delight has a tendency to leave a slightly sweaty bowl by the end (which must be provoked by the Burley, I suspect, and the fact that the tobacco is still rather damp). I think there might be more than just a "little air-cured white burley" in this mixture. Personally, I do not really enjoy Burley, but it's a minor factor.

I must say, I like this tobacco! Haddo's Delight is strong and satisfying. The nicotine is not lacking, you won't feel like having another pipe full shortly after. This is the kind of smoke enjoyable with a fine measure of Bourbon whiskey, Single malt or an old Cognac. Or smoke it when you need to extract yourself from an absolute boring day. Feeling tired? Smoke Haddo's, it will bring you back to life pretty darn quickly!

The only negative side is that Haddo's Delight leaves my tongue rather beaten up afterward. But it's a nice alternative to a traditional English Blend - the only blend about which I let my wife win because she tried to tolerate them but can not stand the smell of Latakia...

Don't let the weird smell stop you from trying this blend, it's worth it. Extremely different, it is a unique blend, like nothing I've smoked before. Definitely recommended, but in small doses.

Update

My first tin has been opened for 4 or 5 weeks now, the weird damp smell that tickles the nose has settled down a lot. I do detect now some discreet tones of coco, both in the tin and when I smoke it.

I started smoking this tobacco when it was too damp. I've learned from this mistake. Didn't know, it was my first attempt. Mind you, once dried out properly, it is still strong but the taste is different - the Burley barely sticks out anymore at first-, it's more on the good side of bitter-sweet black chocolate, the full victory of the magnificent Périque de Louisiane! Haddo's Delight smokes extremely well and the bowl is dry upon completion. The room note is rather strong, though - according to my ever attentive critique- but tolerable.

Haddo's Delight is a great tobacco, a masterpiece of blending. I am truly impressed by this one. Don't let first impressions dictate your relationship with this blend. I've been a pipe smoker since 1988 and this is the first time that my first impression proved wrong. For some reason, I refused to get rid of my three tins and kept trying. My instinct has not let me down! If you rely on that first impression,you might miss an absolute jewel! This blend needs time, patience and 5 or 6 pipe fulls before it reveals itself in its full glory. You need to be patient because it's like nothing else available on the market and redefines the smoker's conceptions of pipe tobaccos. That's what makes it so great. The folks at G.L. Pease really hit the Bull's eye with that blend!

So, I must change my verdict from recommended to highly recommended. It will never be an all day smoke for me, but it will always have a privileged place among my favorite blends.

This is a review of Haddo's Delight with 9 years of age on it.

Charring light is lovely and a forward sweetness hits the tongue along with the undeniable bold perique pepperiness. A tangy wine like flavor is immediately noticeable and intertwines perfectly with the sweet round bottom note. The beginning bowl shares a somewhat similar flavor profile to Peterson's Irish Oak, however Haddo's is much more refined. There seems to be some sort of topping at play here, perhaps brandy/rum. Whatever it is, I do believe that it plays an important role in enhancing my enjoyment of this blend. It deftly softens the smoke, enhances the room note and adds a buoyancy to the chutney like sweetness of the perique.

The flavors and strength build quite nicely down the bowl. By mid-bowl a slight bitterness comes forth and as the sweetness deepens a harmony is struck that both softens and elevates the spice kick like no other perique forward blend on the market with exception of perhaps Escudo. End bowl flavors are sharp, intense, briny, complexly layered, voluminous and extremely satisfying.

This is a sweet, stout, spicy mixture. I would call it spirited and I am not just referring to the topping. However having sampled both fresh and aged versions, I can confidently say without any doubt that age dramatically tames the rowdy acerbity that I experienced in a fresh tin. I think a few years of age pushes Haddo's out of the "For Perique Lover's Only" realm and into that of the piper who enjoys a rich, strong smoke regardless of a mixture's components.

This is one of the few blends that has left me feeling pretty woozy. I enjoy it after a good meal and because I eat lightly during the day, I reserve this blend for the evening after dinner.

Obviously a few more tins for the cellar are required.

Ah, Haddo's Delight.  A masterpiece. 

A truly unique tobacco and among my all-time favorites. 

Tin note is of liqueur topping, similar but lighter to that of Barbary Coast. A brandy note, with a touch of rum.  I find this a variation on a theme of toppings shared by Haddo's, Barbary Coast, and Cairo.  Beyond this initial note are the expected aromas of dried fruits: figs, dates, raisins. But in Haddo's the dried fruit flavors are more pronounced than the average plum-sided VaPer. After all, Haddo's Delight is not truly a VaPer, but rather a hybrid - I suggest it is the King of Hybrids. 

While Haddo's ages divinely, it is smokable right out of a fresh tin. Presentation is ribbon cut, so minimal dry time is needed: maybe 10-15 minutes prior to packing. Takes a match well and, once going, requires very few relights. 

The initial flavor is dominated by the topping, but this soon gives way to the most amazing VaBurPer flavors out there today. Rich, thick, creamy clouds of smoke as the bowl progresses with a delicious and copious Perique of the stewed fruit persuasion. The Virginias are soft and biteless, the burley provides a solid foundation to it all, and there is a hint of sweet, natural Cavendish making periodic appearances. 

Once deep into the first third of the bowl, approaching mid-bowl, the deep, dried fruit flavors assert with an amazing interplay of slightly sweeter stewed fruit. But the sweetness here is anything but cloying. It's a deep, rich, refined and natural sweetness, held in check by a touch of burley and an array of Virginias that simply could not be more smooth-smoking.  

After mid-bowl, an amazing transformation takes place: the plummy-side Perique flavors begin to yield to a more savory note. The dried fruits are still there in the background, but the peppery side of Perique shows its face.  This is the real treat for Perique lovers as this is the only blend I'm aware of that demonstrates both sides of glorious Perique tobacco - and shows each side in all its glory. 

To my palette, this blend is a symphony of flavors masterfully blended: balanced, nuanced, deep, contemplative, and simply unique even among celebrated tobacco blends. I simply cannot say enough good about this blend - and I'm not the only one: odes, websites, and many a pipe has been dedicated to it. Very creamy mouthfeel and a surprisingly cool burn when sipped.

 I can't give five stars, so I'm going with four. 

I know most people say that in order to get the most out of a particular blend one must smoke at least two tins or more and I have in no way done that... yet. I just couldn't wait to tell you all what I thought of this blend.

I have this habit of reading tobacco reviews a lot while I'm sitting online at work and at home, the wife gets a little annoyed by this I think but I really enjoy learning about tobacco. So I have been looking at different perspectives on this tobacco and as with any tobacco I suppose there are people who love it and people who loath it. I happen to love it after only one bowl no less! In my internet search I stumbled upon a review by someone who drew my attention to the fact that Oliver Haddo was a caricature of Aleister Crowley in a book called "The Magician" written by W. Somerset Maugham. And I would say that Mr. Crowley would probably be pleased by this blend because it really is Magick. Now on to the review.

Upon opening the tin I was greeted by a strong smell of some sort of alcohol, not quite sure what type, I'm thinking rum. What ever the smell was it smelled delicious. I loaded up my La Scala because it has a slightly bigger bowl using the method suggested by Rich Hacker where you trickle in tobacco and tap the side of the pipe to settle it and lightly press the tobacco with your finger and repeat till at the top. I filled it fairly loosely as per the suggestion of Puff. And off I went to to balcony. After the lighting had been done I settled into a wonderful smoke. The taste reminds me somewhat of Peterson's Special Reserve 2007 only much much better because Haddo's smoked with no bite whatsoever. It did burn a bit hot but that was, in all fairness, probably my fault because I was smoking it a bit fast because I liked it so much. I could definitely taste the perique which is a big plus as I am becoming more and more a fan. It had a pretty strong nicotine content, made me feel like I should have eaten before trying out this one. Never the less I really did enjoy this one more than I have enjoyed a blend in a while. This is only my second foray into Mr. Pease's blends and I am not sorry for it. My first was Maltese Falcon which I still enjoy very much.

This will be a part of my rotation for the foreseeable future. I plan on getting a few more tins to begin my cellar I can't wait to see how this changes with age. It can only get better and that makes me very happy. I give it four stars.

Appearance: Somewhat random cut, consisting of about 60% reddish leaf, and 40% darker. I could not separate the perique from the cavendish by eye.

Aroma: A definite perique presence tingles the nostrils, adding a slightly sour note to the sweet and earthy aroma of the blend. There seems to be an additive, or special process here.

Packing: Packs easily into small and medium size pipes. With this much perique present, I did not try any large bowls. I like perique, but prefer moderate amounts.

Lighting: Lighting is about average for a va/perique blend, neither too slow to cach, nor too quick.

Initial flavor: Wow, it?s in you face. Big red virginia flavor, nutty cavendish background, and the raisin/fig taste of perique. There is something slightly sweet in the Cavendish, but it?s identity is elusive.

Mid-bowl: Everything settles down into a lovely melange with layers of taste. There is a substantial fullness to the smoke with just a touch of tingle. Puffing too fast increases the tingle, so slow puffing is definitely in order. Moisture is sometimes present, but not excessive.

Finish: Like many perique blends, this finishes a little bit stronger than the middle but not unpleasantly so. Ash is dark gray, and there is little or no dottle.

Summary: An excellent blend for the va/perique fanatics, and I will return to it periodically. It may be too rich for an all-day smoke, but one bowl satisfies your craving for quite a while. Wonderfully rewarding for evening relaxation.

Particularly liked: Richness and flavor.

Particularly disliked: For me, just a bit too much perique. YMMV

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.