G. L. Pease Stonehenge Flake

Full Disclosure: With a handful of exceptions, I am generally not a fan of straight Virginias, perique in general, or VaPers.

That being said, I would still give Stonehenge a solid 3 stars.

This is definitely a quality tobacco that has been blended with great thought and care. The chocolate-Lakeland flavor is very subdued, but quite enjoyable. For me the biggest drawbacks are: a) the perique adds more peppery spiciness than I like, and b) it burns relatively hot ( below "tongue bite" level to be sure, but still much hotter than the English blends I prefer). Because of those reasons, I had to force myself to finish the 2 oz. can. A fine tobacco, but one that I personally don't get a great deal of overall satisfaction from.

Edit, 2-17-2023: After smoking this more and upon reflection, I can confirm the rating. I get a very pleasant chocolatey, Lakeland flavor for about the first 1/3 of the bowl, after that I start picking up the pepperiness and Virginia flavors more and more and don't enjoy it as much.

Tin note ripe fruit, Rasin and vinegar. Tobacco flakes are brown and dense, cubes nicely and/or rubs out with a little effort. Tobacco maybe a little sticky, no drying out needed. Burns nicely and slow with average amount of relights. The strength is med and nic is mild-med. Floral flavor is consistent throughout, though no coca was detected. Tobacco taste sweet, floral and mildly spice. Virginias leads with perique supporting. Burleys peek through in the background. Room note got a compliment from the wife, and aftertaste was great too.

Normally I am not a big fan of Lakeland laced tobaccos but Greg Pease has balanced this one so perfectly that I have it as a regular in my rotation. I never tried the original limited edition years ago but this new stuff is a perfectly balanced combination of Virginia, Perique, a touch of burley and just a whisper of Lakeland essence. Burns cool, benefits from some drying time before smoking ( I usually dry out a bowlful for about 30 minutes under a 60 watt light bulb) and smokes dry and tasty right to the dottle. Great stuff.

Stonehenge was the sought after blend for me due to its resemblance with the Bob's Chocolate which is my favorite. But Stonehenge is the Unenglish version of BC due to addition of Burleys and perique. I received the tin about a month back and upon opening the tin I could only smell bread I smoked a bowl it just went bland for me so I jarred it after a month so went by and I opened the jar now there's a smell of chocolate in it I think further jarring would mature the tobacco and topping will be more prominent. At this stage I can get the taste of chocolate till quarter bowl and after that it's more Coco and nuttiness of Burleys takes over perique pinch is just a mild upon retrohale. Overall Tobacco quality is very good it's just need few months of jar time.

NOTE: Review of Stonehenge Flake's 2017 re-release in the last paragraphs. I was fortunate enough to obtain one of these rare (1 of 1,500 two ounce tins, manufactured in 2001) from Pipestud's Consignment Shop. This tastes/smokes nothing like you'd expect from the tin aroma. Shades of Lakeland style flavoring that seems to compliment & enhance the sweetness of the mixture. This stuff really starts producing a good flavor after a fourth of it has burned off when the initial harshness begins to fade into a fairly strong savory blend that smokes mildly.

Easily rubbed out or folded, it smokes cool either way. Plenty of rich, creamy smoke with respectable strength. I loved the chocolate/cocoa flavor but it did not overtake the rich tobacco taste. I've never tasted anything like this before or since. I didn't notice the soapy flavor so much that some have mentioned but I surely noticed an alluring flavor from the smoke. This blend reminded me a little of vintage St. Bruno Flake, only not as strong. The combination of top shelf leaf is expertly blended, smells good, burns great, smokes mild & sweet, requires minor maintenance & produces minimal moisture.

The flavor remains throughout the bowl and doesn't get harsh or bitter toward the end. Drying it out pretty good will provide a better smoke and doing so won't diminish the flavor. One of the best of this genre that I've ever smoked. This blend kept me coming back for more. I suggest airing this out until the sharpness from the aroma subsides...as should be done with any tobacco that has been enclosed for a long period. Be careful because the thin flakes dry out quickly if the tin is left open too long.

This stuff commands a premium & has already become legendary. So, try to reward yourself with at least one tin. Truly remarkable. Therefore, IMHO, SF easily obtains a four star rating for an expertly crafted masterpiece. Sampled in a size two Dunny Shell Briar & a size 2 Stanwell... NOTE my comments on the newer SF below...

October, 2018 AD... Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. About the re-released Stonehenge Flake: First of all, there's nothing much to be noted from the tin aroma… maybe a slight hint of cocoa. This review is based on a second bowl I've sampled in a clean Meerschaum to be sure I was getting the truest, purest flavor from this blend. I lit up and took several good puffs & at that point, didn't really notice much other than a regular tobacco taste/flavor. Then, I let the pipe sit & cool for about twenty minutes, tamped & then relit. It has an excellent burn rate & can be smoked with very little drying time if desired. I always use the DGT method regardless of what tobacco I'm sampling. Upon relighting & after a few more tokes, I started noticing a little more sweetness & then the cocoa flavor came bursting through, although very slight, it complimented the smoking experience considerably & this mix started tasting so good, I just wanted to jet-stream this stuff but maintained my composure & continued sipping this wonderful concoction.

The flavoring seemed to have more cocao that I didn't notice so much in the 2001 version but could be due to the age difference. However, I noticed the flavor becoming more pronounced after about one third of the way through & at the halfway point, tasted even better as the mixture melded into a delicious flavor & remained until the finish &... FWIW, more of the cocoa flavor & sweetness was obtained from my Meerschaum than my briar. It fired back up again with a few tokes after being left unattended for a while. I'm rating this newest edition with four stars & have acquired a few more tins for the cellar... It's amazing how a few years of age can react on this tasty treat.

This is another one of those excellent blends that demonstrates the finest procurement & blending process of experienced professionals in their craft. Great job! NOTE: Be on the lookout for molded tobacco tins of Stonehenge Flake... the molded flakes tend to have a light grayish, green, grainy coating on the flakes which may seem normal but later, after receiving a credit on my account w/Smoking Pipes, I opened another tin with a "normal," non molded preparation & noted a significant difference in color & taste. Did I feel like a fool for smoking half of the molded preparation? Yep!

NOTE: Review of Stonehenge Flake's 2017 re-release in the last two paragraphs. Back about ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to obtain one of these rare (1 of 1,500 two ounce tins, manufactured in 2001) from Pipestud's Consignment Shop. This tastes/smokes nothing like you'd expect from the tin aroma. Shades of Lakeland style flavoring that seemed to compliment & enhance the sweetness of the mixture. This stuff really starts producing a good flavor after a fourth of it has burned off when the initial harshness begins to fade into a fairly strong savory blend that smokes mildly.

Easily rubbed out or folded, it smokes cool either way. Plenty of rich, creamy smoke with respectable strength. I loved the chocolate/cocoa flavor but it did not overtake the rich tobacco taste. I've never tasted anything like this before or since. I didn't notice the soapy flavor so much that some have mentioned but I surely noticed an alluring flavor from the smoke. The combination of top shelf leaf is expertly blended, smells good, burns great, smokes mild & sweet, requires minor maintenance & produces minimal moisture. The flavor remains throughout the bowl and doesn't get harsh or bitter toward the end. Drying it out pretty good will provide a better smoke and doing so won't diminish the flavor. One of the best of this genre that I've ever smoked. This blend kept me coming back for more. I suggest airing this out until the sharpness from the aroma subsides a little. Be careful because the thin flakes dry out quickly if the tin is left open too long.

This stuff commands a premium & has already become legendary. So, try to reward yourself with at least one tin if possible. Truly remarkable. Therefore, IMHO, SF easily obtains a four star rating for an expertly crafted masterpiece. Sampled in a size two Dunny Shell Briar & a size 2 Stanwell... NOTE my comments on the newer SF below...

October, 2018 AD... Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. About the re-released Stonehenge Flake: Tin note is of a very slight aroma of cocoa & of course, the smell of tobacco. This review is based on a second bowl I've sampled in a clean Meerschaum to be sure I was getting the truest, purest flavor from this blend. I lit up and took several good puffs & at that point, didn't really notice much other than a regular tobacco taste/flavor. Then, I let the pipe sit & cool for about twenty minutes, tamped & then relit. I usually employ this DGT method regardless of what tobacco I'm sampling, with the exception of the straight Burley stuff. Upon relighting & after a few more tokes, I started noticing a little more sweetness, pepper & fruit from the Perique & then the cocoa flavor came to the forefront, although very slight, it complimented the smoking experience considerably & this mix started tasting so good, I just wanted to jet-stream this stuff but maintained my composure & continued sipping this wonderful concoction.

It seemed to me that the Burley is the dominant player in this game as the VA sweetness subsides somewhat toward the finish & the Perique also seems to tone down a bit but is always noticeable. The flavoring seemed to be more "chocolaty" than I'd noticed in the 2001 version but could be due to the age difference. However, it is so very slight & hardly noticeable. I noticed the flavor becoming more pronounced after about one third of the way through & at the halfway point, tasted even better as the varietals melded into a good flavor & the Perique in this blend lent itself to compliment the cocoa flavor & remained until the finish. SF is fairly mild tasting but has a pretty good nicotine hit, will not bite but the peppery effect of the Perique might make it feel like it does. It can be left unattended for a fairly good while & will fire back up again with a few puffs... really good stuff!

I'm sure that a bit of aging will bring forth a little more sweetness from the VA & should present a even tastier treat. This is another one of those excellent blends that demonstrates the finer procurement & blending process of experienced professionals in their craft. Great job!

I agree with the reviewers that affirm that Stonehenge Flake does not have much in common with G & H's Louisiana Flake. This is simply because the addition of Burley makes SF a very different beast. Thank God for that; as where Louisiana Flake left me indifferent by its blandness, SF does not. The typical Kendal scent being very subtle, this G & H co-creation will be accessible to those who fear it. The chocolate topping, while being also subtle, remarkably completes and enhances the tobacco. As I work my way through every pipeful, the chocolate becomes a tad more noticeable, making the smoking experience creamier and creamier. SF is quite an achievement for all Virginia/Burley fans.

Stonehaven is a beautiful dark broken flake with scatterings of lighter birdseye. It seems to have no particular scent in the tin. On lighting, I taste Virginia sweetness plus an almost Latakia-like chocolate top note. These tastes seem very distinct and aren't mingled at all. As the bowl progresses, I taste Virginia sharpness and sometimes the soapy/floral undertone of the traditional Lakeland flake. In this case, the soapy undertone is muted enough not to put me off. (Reminds me of Fox Squire's mixture in that regard.) Although this flake can be sharp, it is never really a tongue-biter in the class of certain American flakes we all know and love. Excellent smoking characteristics and a very slow, cool burner. Near the end of the bowl, a certain not unpleasant bitter element comes to the fore, a fifth dimension to the uncoiling flavor of this complex blend. Stoenhaven smokes to a fine white ash and, oddly enough, my wife says she doesn't mind the room note. (Note that my sample was a very early release version of this blend; I am quite interested to see how this blend behaves with some age on it.)