G. L. Pease Caravan

Until I tried Charing Cross, this was my very favorite GLP blend. The tin aroma is luscious, and oriental leaf abounds. This is one of the only love-at-first-puff tobaccos I have ever tried.

I have always enjoyed latakia blends accompanied by a hefty helping of orientals. Here the spicy, mildly sweet orientals dominate, with the latakia and virginias providing ground support.

Acridity, the great bugaboo of so many English/Balkan blends, is a relatively minor issue, as Caravan stays smooth all the way down. I've smoked this at all hours of the day, finding it light and pleasant enough for morning, and rich and satisfying enough for evening. Mr. Pease has given us some memorable English blends, and this one ranks near the top, my preference for Charing Cross notwithstanding.

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Addendum: My most recent tins of Caravan (last twelve months, or so) seem to lack the heft of the inaugural blend. Having been assured by no less an authority than Mr. Pease himself that the blends are identical, and with the added caveat that Caravan, of all his blends, takes the longest to come around, I set aside some cans for future sampling. So far, a years's wait has not restored its former glory, and it still seems suspiciously similar to Blackpoint, although I would not exactly consider that to be a pejorative. Guess I'll have to try again next year. Poor me!

I wrote the following review after purchasing my first tin of this tobacco. I now realize that the tobacco in the tin marked "Caravan" was not in fact Caravan and that it had been mislabled. I believe what I was smoking was in fact the Cumberland blend, but I am not positive.

I purchased this tobacco both on the strength of its ratings here on these pages, and because it is blended here in the sunny East Bay area, and I like to support local businesses. I find the packaging attractive and novel and have no problem with the shape of the cans, which remind me of the containers of snuff that were popular in Minnesota when I lived there and were on display at seemingly every grocer and drugstore.

Upon pulling back the foil ringtop(!) I'm greeted with lovely hues of yellow red and dark brown. The can aroma calls to mind trips to rural cider mills in my native Western NY State, although I'm not sure why, there is a leafy, very sweet, almost apple like aroma to it. There is no indication of Latakia whatsoever in this particular can, which I find mystifying considering the previous reviews. Perhaps the blend varies somewhat from can to can? I can identify russet and lemon virginias and not much else, although this is probably because I am not adept at tobacco identification on sight.

The tobacco packs nicely into my $29 straight Amadeus billiard, slightly long strands tamp right down.

The charring light produces nice puffs of white smoke, sweet and with many of the same notes as the can aroma, but with a bracing spiciness. Nicotine content seems on the medium to stout side. I am very happy at this point sitting in my thrift store chair listening to children play in the playground across the street.

Halfway through this pipe a bracing bitter note creeps into the smoke, its a pleasant bitter though, like maybe the impossible to find Moxie soda, bitter and sweet. The nicotine content is mellow and relaxing. There is a little gurgle here and I have to run a cleaner through the pipe to soak it up.

Towards the bottom of the pipe it starts to smoke a little hot, producing the only unpleasant moment of this pipe, a brief ammonia taste that disappears quickly. I can taste just a hint of latakia, but no smoky smell like English blends. It smokes down to grey ash.

All in all, this is a subtle experience indeed, I'll return to this one again and again, especially in midday smokes.

First and foremost, not to make any points mind you,but I would like to congradulate Mr. Pease on a well blended mixture. This is the second GLP blend that I have tried, the first, well, while good, was mostly a Virginia blend, and they, Virginia's, have their place. Not to compare this to other Balkan blend's, which we all do, I have been mostly an English advocate. This blend was ordered from a, no plugs, internet web merchant. Anticipation started to consume me, while in wait, based on Mr. Pease's reputation as a purveyor of fine tobaccos. Unfortunatly, there was no fan fair when the expected package arrived, nothing but a box, with a few tins snugly confined in a bed of styrofoam peanuts. That is when it happened. Temptation abound, I thrusted myself into my favorite chair and proceeded to open the tin that had beckoned me with it's call for release, from the prison which it had been placed. The thumb ring was pulled, and, all of my attentions were placed upon the contents. This being done, my olfactory membranes immersed themselves into the current conundrum. Contemplation of a respite was quickly thwarted by the urge to touch, which I did, while I started to remove the contents from their former contraints. The tobacco inside had the most bright yellow Virginia strands intertwined with the dark ominpresent Cyprian Latakia, and a cornucopia of Oriental variants. Two of my senses had been awakened, was there time for a third? These seemingly, intrinsic tobacco's had but one test, and that was fire. Tobacco was placed in the bowl of sandblasted Loewe Falkland, in the preferred method, and a match was stuck and placed on the filled bowl. Initial reflection was of the Orientals, followed by Latakia, and susequently, the Virginian contingent. Bellowing clouds of professed taste engulfed my room with the aroma of old ideals, now gone. This I thought, is an interestingly tasteful tobacco, one which may have a percentage of the order of brier brothers wanting to make a proclamation, to bestowe upon this blend the title of Burgher of Balkan blends! Palate stimulation had been reserved for finer English blend's but that too had passed, and with the arrival of this blend I had to capitulate. Caravan will engulf the senses, stimulate the palate, invigorate the soul. Smooth, creamy, smokey, in that leather chair vision, this tobacco burns well, not wet, not dry, but just right. The discovery of a small amount of dottle did surprise me, though, so I placed the blame on the pipe, for not being in harmony with the tobacco, and the matter was closed. In conclusion, my experience with this tobacco may be unique in that I have been waiting for a Balkan blend to arrive, and this one seems to be in the front of the group. Three cheers, once again to Greg Pease for an outstanding tobacco. We can only hope this will be around for a good while! Update 11/02 this tobacco while great in it's processing just hasn't done it for me. I have switched to Rennaissance primarily because of the air cured leaf in Caravan, while still a great tobacco blend, the log term result for me hasn't been memorable.

I've taken more time with this blend before writing a review than I have with any other. Over a period of 6 weeks, I've smoked 10 bowls, only two of which were back to back. I've kept some fairly extensive tasting notes, which I have distilled down to basic descriptions, eliminating the impression that popped up, never to be made again, and concentrating on those that were displayed consistently. For my 10th and final tasting, I went down to my Gent's Club and shared a bowl with Paul Buza, Tobacco Store manager and a pipeman of 20 straight years, and the only palate in the world I think is more sensitive than mine . I had him smoke a bowl, for first impressions, write his notes, with no conversation, save baseball going between us, and later we compared. We were in virtual agreement every step of the way as it turns out. The following impressions are mine alone, with Paul's designated as such. Appearance: Lightly dappled medium brown in appearance. Latakia content is less than some of Greg's others. Some burley, red va's, some flue cured or possibly lemon va's and turkish that beat the s--t outta both Paul and I as far as it's ID goes. Unlit fragrance is quite pleasant, fairly monochromatic. Moisture content is dead-on beautiful. Packed extremely well. I used an English only Autograph for the final tasting, Paul used a pre transition Barling. Flame hits weed releasing a soft, round smoke with a leather base note, muted, nutty mid-range, and a keen, dry, woody top note. The wood impression wasn't that of the usual conifer (cedar, pine, what have you) but, unusually, a hard wood such as hickory. The Room Note had the usual English accent to it augmented by hints of freshly sawed lumber. The yet-to-be-identified Turkish made it's presence well known with the Latakia in more of a supporting role. The burning qualities were as good as either of us have ever experienced. The fragrance and taste was relatively straight forward, haunting in it's familiarity, yet there is something in the smoke to differentiate it, something ephemeral...... Mid pipe, the weed developed a more pronounced nuttiness and softened on the high end. Paul attributed this aspect to the youth of the sample, having, essentially zero age to it (more later). Paul remarked that he was quite impressed with it, and it could replace Samarra as his all day English. My impression is that it would make an excellent aperitif tobacco, a perfect pairing with a dry martini, followed by a good steak. End pipe. Top note returned with some vigor creating one of the few experiences that I've had in tobacco where the end game was as nice, or nicer than the middle of the match. Summary: Highly recommended by both testers. Should become absolutely spectacular with additional age. Get a few to lay down, and a few to smoke. It's a keeper. 8 out of 10 Bearclaws with aging potential of 10 out of 10 Bear

Am enjoying a tin from Feb. 2007 (thanks, Pipestud), so it was laid over 8.5 years ago. Thus I cannot comment on a fresh tin. My goodness, the tin yielded up a sweet and sour must that I instantly knew was going to be good. And it is. These Balkans, like so many others, become so refined with a long nap.

There is a light natural sweetness but not overmuch, since the VA is well in the background. I would love more VA but--it IS a Balkan. The Lat is front and center but very distinguished and soft from the years, and the Turkish pokes its head up now and again. The blend has melded so well that it simply is faultless. It is not a nic hit, but on the high end of mild-to-medium. Supposedly ribbon, my tin has a lot of broken flake in it, some of which are pretty tough, so I just spend a little more time rubbing it out.

The aroma is sweeter than the smoke and is wife-approved. (And she don't approve much.) You might not like every Greg Pease blend but he's never made a bad one. And this one sings. It really ghosts a pipe, though. You want a pipe dedicated to this blend or to similar blends.

This was my first experience with a G.L. Pease blend. I had read a few articles written by Mr. Pease and was impressed with his knowledge, common sense and humility on the subject of all things pipe. The tin (dated 2012) is plainly adorned- nevertheless, I could hear Duke Ellington performing the jazzy exotic "Caravan". Also, the use of the word "opulent" in the description was enough to hook me like a trout.

Not being able to wait for the 30 minute trip back from my local B&M, I decided to crack open the tin in my hot car (evoking a desert caravan experience) and was greeted with a spicy smoky scent that was indeed exotic with the slightest background of balsamic vinegar. The ribbon-cut strands (wider than I am used to and with a handful of decent sized stems) were a nice pleasing mixture of mostly golden browns that fell easily into my Ben Wade Western with an adequate springy bounce. The moisture content out of the tin seemed ideal to me: not in the slightest bit wet. After a quick taste and charring light, the tobacco lit easily and I was soon enveloped in a creamy rich smoke scented with a pure cocoa powder.

I was impressed.

From that moment on, I had to fight the urge to guzzle rather than sip. It had a temperate sweetness in its flavors. I was not only hooked but was now being reeled by a master into an experience that, although being new to me, had the friendly support of the Latakia and Virginias giving it a needed familiarity.

This is my only experience with his blends, yet I suspect Mr. Pease has a rare gift for crafting flavor. Although the delight of discovering something new has lessened some as time passes (particularly evident in the gradual fading of the cocoa), its toothsome quality still remains. No tongue-bite to speak of, only had to relight once and my Lady Nicotine seems gentle only revealing a leg toward the bottom of the bowl. Caravan does not travel across many borders during the journey (it's not overly complex), but the journey is slow and very pleasurable. Thanks and well done Mr. Pease. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

I have but one thing to add to the prior wonderful reviews of this immensely tasty Balkan:

My wife, who generally wrinkles her nose in disgust when I enter the room after enjoying a pipe, no matter the blend, and mutters something about an ashtray, asked me what I had been smoking. "Why, GL Pease Caravan," said I. "Hm, you actually don't smell like an ashtray," said she. "It's just kind of a manly, outdoorsy smell." Or something like that. That alone garners it an extra star or three.

Rugged yet contemplative, like a lumberjack monk.

Very rich smoke full of Latakia and orientals. The tobacco is a bit on the dry side but burned well. The aroma is a heavy English. Reminds me of Balkan Sasieni. Smoked this after having a few blends around that were light on latakia and enjjoyed the full latakia smoke of Caravan thoroughly. Exotic is a good description of this blend which presents more than just a latakia blend but combined with the orientals and blend of Virginas make this blend. I also detect a nice sweetness. Will be a regular in my cellar. This tobacco can age well and think it will be one that will come out when a special latakia blend is necessary.

This is one of my favorite Balkan blends. This is a very well-balanced concoction. It has a touch of sweetness that sets it apart from other Balkans that I have sampled. Not sure if this comes from the Virginias or the Orientals, but I like it.

Some Pease Balkans and English blends ofter are a chore to keep lit. This one is not. The tin I sampled was two years old and just worked perfectly with a 2002 Savinelli POY.

Pease blends are always presented well and this one is no exception. Moisture content was just about right on. I like tobaccos just a wee bit on the dry side and this did not require much airing out.