G. L. Pease Stonehenge Flake

Va-Bu-Per. Aromatizado con cacao y Lakeland.

Esta labor viene de una colaboración entre John Gawith y Gregory Pease en el 2001, y que GL Pease ha relanzado en el 2017.

Vamos a ver. En lo concreto el tabaco se presenta en flake. Largos y finos, de unos 3 gr cada uno. En frío tiene un aroma muy rico, acompañado de un toque floral, con un fondo herbal y a cacao. Da ganas de liarse a mordiscos con él. Dicen, y yo doy fe, que tiene Lakeland. No sería de extrañar, ya que los virginias de GH suelen estar bien provistos de este aromatizado floral. En todo caso, es un toque suave, nada para alarmar a quien no le acabe de gustar en demasía.

De entrada, en el encendido, se presenta sobretodo sabor a frutos secos, y a cacao... sobretodo el caco. A medida que avanza la fumada nos asalta ese sabor floral del Lakeland, poco a poco, pero llega un momento que acaba por dominar la fumada. No ahoga el resto de sabores, esa base más seca, terrosa del burley, y ese toque herbal del virginia, muy muy bien redondeados, pero los acaba por situar en segundo plano. Insisto, no es un lakeland poderoso, pero ese sabor por pequeño que sea coge protagonismo. Me ha sido imposible despegarme de él. Sobre el perique... bueno, yo solo se lo notaria en cierto sabor a pan fermentado que arroja en ocasiones, o en la exhalación retronasal, que uso lo justo (3 o 4 veces en toda la fumada), y que deja ese picor, ese toque de pimienta por decir así.

El flake ya venía casi en su punto de humedad (recordar que yo solo he recibido unos gramos para probar, en un zip, así que no se de su humedad si es directo de lata). Solo lo he dejado airearse unos pocos minutos. Su combustión es buena, y no genera humedades. He fumado un flake solo, sin desmenuzar, lo que hace que siempre sea más lenta la fumada. Lo he doblado por lo largo, luego de forma transversal y lo he enrollado como si de un cigarrillo se tratase... lo he "aireado" entre los dedos, y lo he cargado como si de un tornillo se tratase. Una vez arranca, por poco caso que le hagas no se apaga (yo lo he tenido que reencender varias veces, pero todas ellas por dejar la pipa de lado, no por dificultad en mantenerlo). Me lo he fumado enterito (y yo soy de dejar siempre una hebras de tabaco al final), dejando una ceniza fina y blanquecina. No es un tabaco mordedor, supongo que ayuda que su combustión sea buena, y que no requiere de grandes pitadas ni una cadencia de fumada elevada, que puedan provocarlo.

En definitiva, un muy buen tabaco, rico en sabores, para amantes de los bu-va-per (más bu que no va, a mi parecer)... y de los Lakeland. A quien no le guste este toque floral que ni lo intente (o si). Se le nota la calidad del tabaco, y una muy buena mano para combinar los componentes.

En cuanto la fortaleza (sabores), yo le daría una buena nota. Si algo tiene es que no es nada plana y sus sabores están ahí mostrándose, aunque sin empalagar. Sobretodo sus sabores terrosos y achocolatados y más tarde los florales. De potencia nicotínica, soy de notar poco la Vitamina N, pero lo dejaría en un grado medio, nada para asustarse.

When I sit outside on the porch smoking a particular blend, I always enjoy reading the reviews and how varied they can be. Some smoke up the whole tin before reviewing, some a few bowls, some try it in different types of pipes, etc. I am a mixed bag reviewer, I will smoke a blend for a little while, take notes and later write a review but in honesty I have tins I opened two years ago and if I waited to finish a tin, I would never be able to record what I have tried. By now I pretty much know what I like or rather pretty much know what I do not like. Some reviews I am only able to try a small sample such as from the pipe club but I like to put my two cents in and post a review to record that I at least got to try something new. Usually these are blends that are no longer in production. Probably should have put this tidbit of info on my profile page but I am here typing. So, this is a re-release of a blend that was collaborated with G.H. & Co., home of the Lakeland Essence. This tin was dated 100318, a little over a year after the reintroduction and has a mild sweet cocoa tin note. It contained flakes about 1 ¼ in width and as stated about 2 inches long. I know everyone is doing round tins but it is so much nicer to open a square tin of flake tobacco that is packaged flat rather than folded in a round tin. Progress marches forth I suppose. This smoked smooth, mild, really mild cocoa taste and no Lakeland Essence that I could detect which is good news for me as I am not a big fan. In my opinion this is some high-grade leaf and I enjoy the taste and profile I get from flakes and this being one of them. I do the fold and stuff method which seems to make it more flavorful but that is just my take on it. No bite, but did seem to smoke a little stronger about 2/3rds down. It possibly could be the corn cob I was using but I do not believe so as it was well broken in. I sometimes pair a cob with Vapers which I did smoking this in my MM General. If I thought I had the 15-20 years I would definitely cellar some of this. Tip to the youngsters out there. Really good stuff and glad the chocolate flavoring was in the background on this one.

From a freshly opened tin you are greeted with hay/bread/malty notes with a rich chocolate nose. Once you rub the flake and give it about 5-10 minutes of dry time it's ready to go. I fully rub the flake very well to aid in burning and dry time. Gawith Hoggarth made their Louisiana Perique Flake after this blend was originally made through collaboration with John Gawith and Gregory Pease in 2001, so it seems of little surprise that these are nearly identical. The Stonehenge Flake contains a little Malawi burley that helps give body and depth with a bit more strength to the smoke, and helps add more chocolate note. A very great tobacco, you'll get brown VA flavor, a bit of Perique, and a chocolate note to pull it together. Truly a Gawith Hoggarth English style VaPer that will age wonderfully. I did get the chance to smoke the original, and I had a very aged sample that tasted nothing like this re-release. The original used Percy Martin's Perique and added a different profile.

Note: This is virtually the same tobacco as GH & Co. Louisiana Perique Flake. It was first a G.L. Pease and Gawith Hoggarth collaboration as Stonehenge Flake, then GH based off this glowing release decided to make their own version called Louisiana Perique Flake and it's virtually identical but missing the smidge of Malawi burley that this re-release contains. These tins will age wonderfully.

It is hard to go wrong choosing a work by G.L. Pease. In this case, a very well combined mixture of ingredients, the result of the collaboration between John Gawith and Gregory Pease in 2001, relaunched by GL Pease in 2017. The result of this collaboration and the aesthetic and organoleptic qualities of tobacco give it a somewhat exotic.

When you open the tin, the dark flakes appear and a little twisted to fit in their container, with a somewhat frayed appearance that reminds of the typical Samuel Gawith. What is not reminiscent of Uncle Samuel's tobacco is the humidity they bring, very correct to load the pipe immediately (although I am one of those who only dry the tobacco when it is dripping). With a good range of flavors that go from sweet to earthy, fruity, bitter cocoa and very light floral notes, but always keeping a "dark" hue. The supposed coverage is hardly noticeable, given the all-natural appearance of the blend, looking more like the sporadic chocolate notes came from the burley. For example, I can't find a cocoa flavor as strong as Solani's Age Burley Flake.

A mixture to pay attention to it and smoke it relaxed because if not it can become somewhat irregular. Highly recommended.

So after trying and being disappointed by Haddo's and Black Frigate in the same smoking session, having had my expectations dashed twice in a row, I pulled out my last American-bought tin.

I thought if the other two were misses, this one can't be anything but a bullseye. Gawith manufactured VaPer, I reckoned it's hard to not be good.

Yet again was sorely disappointed.

Smells very faintly of cocoa from the tin. Flakes are chunky and thick, typical Gawith, and likely due to the time it had sat before I opened it have a light dusting of plume (whatever it may be).

Taste is again not there as the other two American tobaccos I had that weekend. Neither is strength. It's more like smoking a light cigarette. I don't get anything I know from Virginia, Perique, cocoa, or Lakeland. I don't get much at all to be honest.

Will keep the tin to give it more time than I gave all but two of the other C&D/GLP blends I smoked, only because it's made by Gawith, but know for sure that with the exception of Bayou Morning Flake I am not buying any C&D/GLP again. Their style just doesn't agree with me.

When you first open your tin you will find semi-broken flakes nicely folded to fit. I think they are way too big and broken up to fold and stuff but they do rub out easily. The tin note is very inviting as with any topped blend, the topping is fairly up front. At first you smell the chocolate, and maybe I'm going a little far here, but it reminds me of milk chocolate I used to have as a kid. Underneath that smell is a nice nuttiness from the Burleys and some of that familiar Virginia sweetness. Lighting this takes a little bit more time than normal and you may end up relighting a little bit more than normal throughout the bowl. I think the flakes come at a good dryness but your mileage may vary. Don't be tempted to pack too much in your bowl as the flakes tend to expand quite a bit.

Now to taste. Upon lighting I do taste the chocolate and I think it has a lingering pleasant taste. It definitely melds with the Burleys and their nuttiness. I am having a harder time tasting the Virginias, but I do get the spiciness of the Perique every now and then which is very enjoyable. There is a tiny amount of that Virginia hay, but I think the sweetness is lost in the topping.

I'm hit or miss when it comes to topped blends as my reviews for Bengal Slices and Orlik's DSK will show, but I think this one is really nice. It's not a daily go-to for me, but definitely would make a nice blend to sit down to with a good book. It burns quite slow which means your experience will take some time, but that's what this is all about. I think the taste is a medium to mild, the nicotine is right in the middle of medium for me.

This is for the current version of Stonehenge, not the one released in 2001.

This blend seems to be a "love it or hate it" type of blend. I have enjoyed most of Pease's blends (with the exception of Chelsea Morning of which I am in the minority), so when I was in Alexandria, VA I found a couple of tins of Stonehenge sitting on the shelf of a cool pipe/cigar shop down on King's Street called John Crouch Tobacconist (a very cool place with great people) and decided to give it a whirl.

Let me start out saying that I do not have that much experience with Lakeland-style blends. I do enjoy Samuel Gawith's St James Flake and Full Virginia Flake, but from what I can tell there is not much (if any) "Lakeland Essence" in those blends. So I did not know what to expect from Stonehenge, but I was willing to try it as I was looking for a different type of Va/Per blend to add in to my rotation.

The tin note is very nice. The Virginias give off a nice sweet aroma, and the figiness from the Perique is evident. But the main note coming off of the tin is the cocoa essence that has been added. It smells like a freshly opened box of Cocoa Puffs cereal. Very interesting and not off-putting, just different than what I'm used to because I don't really smoke blends that have a noticeable topping to them. The Lakeland essence that everyone talks about was there, but it was very subdued.

The flakes themselves are fairly uniform, but they can become broken flakes very easily if the tin is shaken up a lot. One flake is just about perfect to fill a medium-sized bowl and offers up about a 45-60 minute smoke depending on the pack and the cadence. I have used the fold-and-stuff method as well as rubbing the flakes out and lightly packing the bowl. I prefer the rubbing out method as I get a better pack and more flavor, but YMMV.

The moisture content is a little wet when the tin is first opened, so I open the tin and leave the flakes in the tin for a couple of weeks and then transfer to a jar when it has reached the moisture level that I like. Otherwise, you'll need to dry the flakes before packing as it can get a little steamy if smoked straight from the tin.

The mechanics of the tobacco are great once the moisture level is right. It takes the charring light very well and lights up very nicely. Only the occasional relight towards the bottom of the bowl is needed for me.

Now, for the important part. How does it taste? I personally love this blend. The tobacco itself is very high quality and is loaded with flavor. It is as balanced as just about any other Va/Per that I have tried and the little touch of Burley adds just the hint of nuttiness and body. The Virginias are nice and sweet and go back and forth between bright high notes and the more rich, stewed flavors. The Perique is there with some spice (pepper) and pruney flavors, but it doesn't hit you over the head. As far as the topping is conerned, the cocoa is extremely subtle and is sometimes nonexistent, and the Lakeland essence is very light for most of the bowl. I will occasionally get to a spot where the Lakeland flavor is much more pronounced and when I do, it is a light floral flavor that is not at all off-putting to me. In fact, I kind of look forward to those instances as it breaks up the flavor of the bowl and has a kind of palate-cleansing effect for me. I can see where some people who are either not used to that flavor, or just down right hate it would find it offensive, but that doesn't seem to be the case for me.

All in all, this has become my go-to Va/Per blend and I smoke it almost daily. I am now on my third tin and I have several more in the cellar. I cannot wait to see how this blend tastes when it has some age on it. If you are hesitant to try it because of the Lakeland flavoring, just know that it is very mild and not off-putting, but if you absolutely abhor that flavor then you might want to look elsewhere. I really enjoy this and see it as a major player in my rotation for years to come.

Happy Puffing!

Wow! Sweaty gym socks, dried in the sun, then burned in a fire. That's what this smells and tastes like. Has a full mouthfeel, stays lit fine, all the usual technical things are fine. But man, does it have a nasty smell and taste to me.

I have been self conscious about posting reviews, so have not created any until now. Here it goes..... I have to post a review on the new release of Stonehenge Flake because I find this to be a lovely tobacco, certainly a new favorite. As an appreciator of VaPer, it meets the needs of that category. As someone who enjoys good aged burley, I get a nice bit of that. The tin note has a touch of dark cocoa powder, but not enough for me to say it will be a chocolatey smoke. I get a nice note of nut and stewed fruit. I do not smell any Lakeland upon opening. It breaks up and packs easily with only a few minutes of added dry time. Once lit, I understand where the Lakeland comments come from. However, it is very light and adds a certain "antique" quality to the smoke, and accentuates the quality Virginia and Burley. I do not think it is overwhelming, and it has not ghosted my pipes (though I have smoked other blends between each bowl). I am not a fan of aromatics, and I do not consider this to be one. I did find that in a wider bowl, the note of Lakeland was less perceptible (nearly nonexistent). The burn is nice when rubbed out completely (I will try some fold and stuff on my next tin). It leaves no moisture or residue in my pipes when smoked slowly, and grey ash is all that remains. The strength starts to pick up in the second half of the bowl, so don't take its light start for granted. I thoroughly enjoy this blend, and find myself smiling throughout the entire experience. I will be stocking up, and am ever more enthused to track down an original tin if I can afford to. I can't wait to taste it aged.