Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Cumberland (Original Mixtures)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-07-28		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another masterpiece from Greg Pease, this reminds me somewhat of Haddo's Delight without the topping, and with less Perique. This is a very nuanced tobacco, with layers of subtle complexity in its flavors, and constant change throught the bowl as the sweet and savory notes compete. Tin note is the familiar dried fruits: figs, raisins, dates, layered on a base of leather and gorgeous full, natural tobacco flavors. Cut is natural ribbon, and the bits of veined leaf suggest minimal processing. Moisture content is just right and may be easily smoked right out of the tin. Takes and holds a light well.

The Kentucky here must indeed be well-aged as its flavors are less tangy and more subdued. The flavor profiles are subtle, if a bit hot, with salted nuts layered over dried fruits, and the Virginia sweetness very subtle in the background. There is a sweet & savory foundation to this tobacco that is discrete rather than overwhelming, in sharp contrast to many recent offerings in the Kentucky/VA/Perique mold.

Deeper into the first third of the bowl, some pepper emerges from the Perique, used here truly as a condiment, and compliments the salted nut flavors to create a harmonious, delicate balance of what I would class as subdued, rather than assertive, natural tobacco taste.

As I progress to mid-bowl, the sweeter notes from the Virginia's assert themselves beyond the savory elements, but again, it's very subtle. And short- lived: the delicate pepper and salted nut balance reasserts towards the end of mid-bowl.

I find that the Perique asserts more towards the final third and can be picked up through the retrohale, a treat for Perique lovers. But it's never dominant.

This is a tobacco for smokers who love tobacco: deep, rich, leathery, largely savory, and perfectly balanced against a subtle yet ever-present and delicate sweetness.

Truly an American tobacco classic and a must-try for lovers of Kentucky burley, VaPer and VaBur smokers, as well as those who have enjoyed similar GLP blends. An excellent change of pace from the more assertively cased GLP VaBurPer offerings. Think Haddo's Delight or even Barbary Coast boosted up a notch and absent the plum brandy topping.

Very highly recommended.

(update: I've found this blend to smoke better and really shine in a larger, wide- bowl shape such as a pot or large prince.)

30 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-21		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Who was that girl in the fairy tale/limerick who was very very good when she was good and horrid when she was bad?

Ok, this was never "horrid" but in all my years of pipe smoking, I've never smoked a blend whose outcome was so predetermined by my mood, the time of day, the food I ate or even IF I ate, the location, and even possibly the phases of the moon. I could never count on this stuff to come through but when it did, it was absolutely sublime! It wasn't consistent at any time. Sometimes it was great first thing in the a.m and sometimes not. Sometimes it was perfect after a meal and sometimes it tasted like soil. 2 oz was not enough to pin down any logic. A most confounding tobacco. This tin was nearly 2 years old.

This comes in a longish cut, deep mahogany color in the tin and smells like a good burley... sometimes! Yes, there's perique and VA in here and yes I occasionally tasted them. But this seems to me to be a good old burley, unabashedly masculine and robust. It just tastes like tobacco. And sometimes other things that shouldn't be in tobacco. I have no clue how to rate this blend other than to split the diff between when it was wonderful and when it wasn't, so 3 stars it is. GL Pease has a knack for making interesting tobaccos that I can't easily figure out. I gotta stock up on this one and do some more experimentation! Cumberland has some secrets.

Updated 7/26/14 - it took awhile and about 4 more tins for me to figure out the proper cadence to smoke this, and it has become a regular in my rotation. Very spicy and robust but with a smooth, lasting flavor. Excellent! 4 stars all the way!

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-09-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is just a great blend for my palate. It presents as a full bodied VaBur solidly on the Bur end of the spectrum. The burley in the form of the Kentucky is the dominant flavor. It is earthy and satisfying. The Kentucky is more nutty and not the spicy you find in something like Superior Round Sliced. There are few notes of slightly sweet Virginia and the Virginia is more present in the last half of the bowl.

The perique is a light touch and is mostly condimental. I pick up a little pepper when exhaled through the nose, and every now and then there is a whiff of plum. There is a complexity here that makes this a wonderful smoke to savor.

This is a solid 4. It is strong, but not so strong as OJK for me. It is probably not a smoke that will be appreciated by beginners. It is very good though with those disclaimers, and you owe it to yourself to try this blend if the description sounds remotely appealing.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2019-03-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The earthy, very woody, rather spicy, mildly floral and lightly sour, lightly nutty, dry dark fired Kentucky is the lead component. The tangy ripe dark fruity, earthy, woody red and matured Virginias are important supporting players, and also provide a touch of stewed fruit. The peppery, rainy, plumy perique is just above being a condiment, but seems a tad more impactful than the percentage added to the mix. The strength is in the center of medium to strong, while the taste level is half a step past that mark. The nic-hit is just past medium. Won’t bite, but has a light rough note here and there, and super fast puffing may get you a little tongue tingle. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a nuanced, reasonably consistent, lightly sweet and fairly savory flavor from start to finish. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. The potent after taste does pleasantly linger a bit, and the room note has a little pungency. Not an all day smoke, and I wouldn’t use a big bowl for it either. Three and a half stars.

-JimInks

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Can't add much to what has already been said about this outstanding blend. One of my absolute favorites.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	½ bowl (103)	2009-08-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cumberland by GLPease will intrigue you with an arpeggio of Virginias, graced by an appoggiatura of spicy Perique riding, with each puff, on pedal tones of a rare and exquisite mahogany Burley aged in bales for 20yrs. As Big Daddy Pollitt would say, "Bull!"

The Va's, which should be singing in chords, not arpeggios, are too assertive and sharp, if not downright bitey. As for the Perique, like any seasoning, if you can taste it clearly enough to identify it, you've probably used too much. Nothing subtle here! To me this tastes rather stale, at times acrid, and musty in a bad sort of way. Its apparent popularity is a triumph of marketing hype and the power of suggestion. It's a case of "the emperor has no clothes."

Here's what I imagine happened. A wholesaler whose operating capital has been tied up in rejected leaf for 20 yrs., and on which he has paid annual inventory taxes, offers it to Pease at a huge discount. "What would I do with it?" asks Pease. The wholesaler suggests giving it a fancy name like "Mahogany" and mixing it with sharp Va's and a palate-numbing dose of Perique. Put it in a fancy tin; call it an "artisanal" blend; charge an arm and a leg; and watch 'em lap it up!

Reviewer 'Briarabbit' nailed it earlier: if the Burley had been at all good to begin with, it would have been scooped-up long ago. So why now, just at 20yrs? Think about it. Being low in sugar, Burley doesn't benefit much from any kind of aging. I doubt that a wholesaler, whose job is to move inventory, would intentionally hold back quality Burley, hoping for improvement, duh, for 20 years! To me it's all a lot of marketing hooey.

There are plenty of good American style tobacco blends out there, and this isn't one of them. 20-year-old doo-doo is still doo-doo.

Cumberland gets 1 star for rough edges, poor balance, and unpleasant taste.

Mr. Pease gets 4 stars for chutzpah.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been wrestling with this tobacco for a couple of months now and am only halfway through the tin. I must say that this tobacco has the steepest learning curve of anything I've ever smoked, surpassing other heavy hitters like Nightcap, Haddo's Delight and 1792 Flake by a mile. After the third or fourth smoke, I actually made myself ill by smoking this too fast. I also ruined the cob I was smoking this in (no biggie there but still, it takes something wicked to actually decomission a quite forgiving cob). When smoked too fast, Cumberland has a tendency toward the most pucker-inducing bitterness, an experience akin to a mouthful of alum powder. It must be the aged Kentucky, as nothing I've ever encountered in any tobacco has been this volatile. However, this is factor a double edged sword. The other edge that I assume belongs to the aged Kentucky is a very delicious and unique herbal/floral flavor that ties the whole blend together. This tobacco gets noticeably better with each passing week of being opened, and is getting easier to smoke. I agree with those who suspect it will do well with age, and will buy a couple tins to cellar. Nevertheless, after only a couple months of being open it is already quite tasty and relatvively smokeable. I don't mind tobacco being a puzzle, and Cumberland has been an intriguing one. It is growing in my esteem each time I smoke it and already earns an 8 out of 10, despite its volatile nature. Recommended, with a word of caution: Even if you are a Mr. Macho Pufferman like I am, this blend will kick your arse if you don't treat it with respect. Take the time to unravel Cumberland properly and you will likely find the end result to be most enjoyable.

*Update: It's a couple months later and the tin is almost gone. Cumberland has become what is perhaps my favorite tobacco blend. It has all of the qualities I look for in a tobacco: the right amount of bite/astringency (woodiness as I call it), good nicotine kick, natural tobacco flavor and plenty of complexity. The difficulties I expressed in the above review are no longer an issue now that the tobacco has dried out a bit. I am going to buy several tins and age them, ASAHP. Spectacular stuff!

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Most tobaccos IMHO improve with age and for me, this is especially true with Pease/ C&D Virginia blends. I have several that I struggled with that I am revisiting and Cumberland (tinned 7/08) is the third one of the four of them. The others being Fillmore, Cairo, and Laurel Heights. Given the amount of Burley in this blend, a leaf with little sugar, I didn’t have high hopes for much improvement. Boy was I wrong! The tin note is a little woody, tangy, lightly sweet and slightly sour. The Burely to me is more earthy and “woody” more than nutty. The red Virginia offers a little tang and has sweetened as have the mature Virginia. The Perique adds a little bit of pepper. Cumberland burns cool and the combination of earthy and sweet is simply delicious. There is a little more acidity toward the end of each bowl, but it’s not a problem. The Burley asserts itself a little more in the later stages of the bowl. It’s moderate in complexity to my taste. The nicotine level, meaning strength, is for me somewhere between medium to strong, and fully strong if pushed. I tend to be picky when it comes to Burley, but Cumberland has won me over. I now wish I had aged more than a couple of tins. So far, this little experiment has proved to be a pleasure.

Age When Smoked: 8 years

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-10-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco was one I was curious to try, yet based upon reading other reviewer?s comments, I was cautious. Upon recommendation of a trusted tobacconist who smoked it often I purchased a 2 ounce tin. I had smoked perhaps 5 bowls of it and couldn?t make up my mind about it. This same tobacconist when questioned later advised that I dedicate a pipe or two to it and ?stick with it? promising that I?d be rewarded. Though I never have experienced the ?tongue bite? that others reported (and that I secretly feared) I just didn?t ?get it? not understanding the subtle nature of this mixture.

Suddenly, nearly at the end of that first tin it hit me! I was astonished, and proceeded to smoke my way through every remaining tin my B&M had in stock! I now order in 8 ounce bags and I have goals of building up several pounds for aging and enjoyment in retirement!

Appearance: This looks to be about 25% dark tobaccos (Burley and Perique), 20% golden-yellow, 20% red and the remainder is a golden colored. It is varied in cut yet mostly medium ribbon cut.

Tin aroma: This is probably the one of the most complex mixtures I have ever encountered. The Red and matured Virginias and perique are evident, with rich earthy tones and under-currents of fig/raisin and cocoa. Burley is just there under the surface with its characteristic nuttiness. There are high pallet hay-like scents and low deep forest rumblings.

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture and I employed the ?Frank method? for packing each review smoke. I smoke this tobacco in either a 1960?s Edward?s Freehand or a well broken in cob reserved for Burley Mixtures such as Cumberland or Edgeworth Sliced. For purposes of this review, I?ve chosen the Edward?s Freehand.

Lighting usually is a single match affair, I find that the ?Frank method? usually eliminates the need for much of a ?lighting tamp?, though once in awhile if I pause or just let the pipe go out, I might have to re-light it. As expected, the initial flavor is very mostly a nice Burley blast with a strong Virginia presence. The Perique seems mostly there as a ?condiment? adding a little pepper and roundness to the rapidly building flavors. I am also greeted with very deep fruity tones from the Virginias and the Burley nuttiness and fuller body in turns. There is a very slight sweetness to it probably from the Virginias. There is no single way to describe Cumberland, the complexity is subtle yet quite apparent and builds throughout. This is one of a handful of tobacco blends that I wish would keep smoking for hours.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors mix and match very nicely. I often employ the ?French curve? method of inhaling slipstream smoke nasally. That is not to say this isn?t a very full tobacco, often relaxing me nearly to the point of sleep. I cannot imagine any tobacco blend that would more perfectly define an ?American? taste. This term is probably not very helpful to some, yet to myself (an American) I cannot think of a more descriptive single term. It is NOT English or Danish and definitely NOT an aromatic by any imagining. I suspect custom blenders in the middle 1800?s would have several tobacco blends similar in composition for those interested in American mixtures. The honest straight-forward tobacco goodness shines in this fine blend. The richness of Burley and Virginia are apparent without stoving or other ways of enhancing/altering the way aged tobacco tastes in its most natural form.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I?m absolutely in smoker?s heaven. The fullness and character of this blend have ?widened? to a very full pallet of astonishing subtlety and complexity. The Virginias have deepened to a wine like goodness and the perique keeps it all honest. The Burley has begun to pull its nutty dominance from several feet below the Earth?s surface. This is a heady blend indeed and care must be taken not to over do the puffing rate. I have never experienced the ?tongue-bite? many complain of, however, over-puffing this blend ruins its subtle nature easily.

A truly astonishing blend from America?s premier tobacco blender

Supplemental Notes: If Cumberland does not do it for you, please e-mail and arrange to ship the remainder to me. I will dispose of it properly; I have trouble keeping enough on hand for aging and smoking. Rating for those interested in numbers **

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2014-10-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This was a decent enough tasting tobacco, but not great IMO. I have tasted many tobaccos with these components and this one will be very forgettable to me. I enjoyed it more in the beginning, but it got old as time wore on.

My problem with this is that it is just too spicy. There is a substantial amount of perique in it as well as a good portion of Dark Fired Kentucky that has a variety of spiciness as well. The two of these tobaccos severely overwhelm the Virginia IMO leaving it a pile of spice that is screaming for more sweetness or something to dilute it down. I find this a matter of balance and this one just dips too heavy to the spicy side.

I will say that it is much better than Haddo's delight, but that is not saying much. This one was a major disappointment to me as it seemed to be one of those blends I could not help but like. A better pick in this genre is Rattray's Hal O'The Wynd.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2013-11-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The charring light of a bowl of Cumberland is most enjoyable and brings forth a slight tang along with a spiciness that lasts through the entire smoke. At the beginning of each bowl a very subtle sweetness comes to the forefront with a smoky chocolate like undertone. As the bowl progresses, Cumberland's primary flavor profile constantly teeters on the slightly bitter dark-fired driven side of the spectrum. This mixture is not devoid of sweetness, it's there, but it's only enough to assemble harmony. Altogether the Virginias do provide exceptional balance but for the most part they never seem to get ahead of flavor curve. And as for the Perique, it's there, but again in balance.

In the pipe, it performs wonderfully. It's easy to load and burns well, (albeit moderately fast). Nasal exhales are smooth with a delightfully edgy tingle. Cumberland is a very enjoyable yet somewhat simple mixture. The flavor is polished and about as sophisticated as rustic can get. It isn't as complex as other mixtures that I enjoy but it still manages to be a mainstay in my rotation.

I can't smoke most Burleys without risking a scorched tongue. Yet at times I pine for a blend that strikes those same hearty flavor chords. For that, Cumberland is the perfect surrogate.

Age When Smoked: 12

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-02-07		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Life is too short to have to baby your smoke. I want a tobacco that is forgiving when puffed on with regularity. Cumberland, fortunately, is one of those forgiving tobaccos that won't fire up your mouth if puffed on with aggression. A subtle bite of pecan flavor hits the tongue from the Burley and stewed prunes flavor from the pinch of Perique will tickle the cockles of many smokers.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Effluvinator (60)	2018-02-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Having tried many of the Pease blends, this remains my favorite one, with JKP a close second. I am now anxious to try C & D OJK and other American style blends. If you enjoy Burley and Kentucky based tobacco you must try this masterpiece. It's strong, sweet, hearty, and satisfying. There is the spice from the Kentucky and perique interwoven with the Virginia sweetness, resulting In a wonderfully full and delicious blend. A regular for me!

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Connoiseur billiard: cob.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: GL Pease JKP..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update 1/8/09.Upgrade to 5 stars! I just recieved 10 8oz.tins, (3 of which were dated 2006)and 50 2oz. tins for the cellar. After several more bowls of this truly wonderful creamy, muli layered blend it is my single favorite tobacco....I love it! 3 years of age does make a big differance, I am comparing a new tin to a tin dated 03/06 and prefer the aged tin greatly. I am so glad I beafed up my Cumberland inventory. After decades of smoking the pipe I think this would be the tobacco I would choose if I had to pick just one. I am very glad though that I do not have to make that choice and enjoy at least one dozen other blends that I smoke regularly and will review in the months ahead as I re-visit tins.But right now I am hooked on Cumberland. Strong yet sweet/smooth/creamy with the occational hey-like aroma/taste that visits once in a while. I cant say enough about this wonderful tobacco. I have 4 pipes dedicated to it already....I dont want anything to intefere with its complexity and layers of flavor.

Just finished my first tin and find this tobacco the most unusual of all smoked. It is truly complex and delicious. I predomintly smoke virginias and vapers and this is like none other that I have ever tried. I can understand why this weed is so contriversial as well, it is not as sweet as FVF, Blakewoods, HOW, Escudo, Filmore, Embarcadaro(less sweet),Long Golden Flake,Cut Va. Plug,633 and Cairo(my favorite Va's and Vapers), it has the slightest sweetness and just a wisper of perique but wow does this blend pack a punch yet keeps it's complexity and smoothness throughout the bowl. I only purchased one tin of this tobacco dated 06, but plan to order multiple of tins for the cellar. Not a blend for the begginer or the timid, but give this blend a full tin and you too will become hooked if you can handle the above average nicotine level. I sure didnt need another tobacco in my rotation, or more tins for the cellar, but cumberland will find a spot without question. I smoked this tin going back and forth with embarcadero and find both of them truly unique and worthy of cellaring many tins.Cumberland all of the time and Embarcadero for the change of pace. Exactly what I was missing actually, great stuff if you like pure tocacco without flavoring! I forgot one word to describe this blend...creamy!!!!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	p120d16y (22)	2016-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I've given myself about 6-7 bowls in various pipes before doing a review here. Individually, all these tobaccos in the blend are favorites, and these are obviously quality tobaccos in and of themselves. I am smoking out of a really fresh tin, and this seems like it would need age. About the blend. I get the flavor of the burleys not playing together as the tin description states, but back and forth. Dark fired Kentucky, then a white burley/VA like flavor and then back again. A bit flat and sour. I regularly smoke quite a bit of C&D Haunted Bookshop and Cumberland when smoked in a cob will taste to me like a light version with Kentucky twang. It seems like a lighter and unbalanced Haunted Bookshop flavor profile. The Perique is very faint and can be noticed a bit half way or more into a pipeful. Overall, it just falls too flat for me. I will smoke a couple more and then let it age a year or so and come back to it. The end of the bowl gets a real ashtray and acrid taste.

EDIT: 5/5/17: Just recently cracked the jar to see if a bowl or two would show any profile changes. Really still leaves me personally wanting to just smoke some Haunted Bookshop. Something about it is just not balanced to my taste preferences.

EDIT 11/2021: As was suggested to me, this mix really did need 5 years of age minimum. With the fermentation that's taken place, my 2016 tin is now married perfectly and well balanced. The dark fired has mellowed a tad bit and married perfectly to the VA and Perique here. This is a great long term blend for aging that was a little rough around the edges fresh. Recommended to give this blend at least 4-5 years minimum age. This is now very excellent with the age and has proven to me I need to cellar several tins for just this length of minimum time.

A second EDIT 7/11/17: I've just received a 2003 sample of some well aged Cumberland. This sample has led me to believe I got a one-off slightly off balanced tin, or it just really needs years of age. I will be buying a few tins and forgetting them in the cellar for a decade or better. The 2003 was great. The Virginias had aged well and that might have been the ticket, as well as aged and subdued Kentucky I imagine. Raised my rating one star for the aged to average it out a bit. This sample also would have contained the original well aged Kentucky leaf that the tin description notes as well for such a difference to the fresh tin.

After revisiting this mixture at five years of age it has shown well worth the wait. It really requires the patience and age. Delicious starting at this age and very well married.

Pipe Used: Briars, cobs, phenolic resin, and clay

Age When Smoked: Tinned a week before smoked,again 5 months later

Purchased From: SP

Similar Blends: Burley dark fired Kentucky and Virginia blends., Like a light version of C&D's Haunted Bookshop..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-11-15		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Some tobaccos are not meant to be gourmet complex evening smokes ( I consider some of the gawith Hogarth flakes that way, and I guess St James Flake by sam gawith, or even some of those great mcclelland virginia flakes and Reiner's Long Golden Flake) but are also not exactly all day smokes. They are something in between -- but there is another niche (IMHO) that I think of as partly all day smokes, particularly suited to long drives (which my work imposes on me). Cumberland is the perfect car on a long highway drive smoke. Old joe Krantz is another. You want some nicotine and you want a no fuss easy to handle smoke. Now I prefer flakes and plugs, but they can be demanding. Cumberland is a burley blend, really, with a fair amount of Virginia (a lot of red it tastes like) and a bit of Perique. There might be a subtle casing in there, too, though not very strong (not as strong as Haddo's). Its more complex than one might think, but still a pretty straight forward working mans blend. Easy to light and burns pretty cool (there can be a bit of flavor loss toward the end of the bowl, but not a lot). It has punch, and a great burley nut flavor enhanced with virginias. The Perique isnt very prominent, but its there. It gives what complexity t here is. I give it a 3 and a half star rating. Close to four, but then I dont think its meant to be that kind of masterpiece. All i know is I keep a couple tins on hand.

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RedDirtBlueSkies (4)	2016-06-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This blend is for the Red Va lovers. I'm revisiting this blend after a year of age, hoping that it had sweetened up a bit. Though this blend did not develop the way I had hoped, I can tell that age does great things for C&D Virginias. To me the Red Virginias add a very earthy, vinegary taste, while the Kentucky provides this baseline flavor that reminds me of unsweetened bran cereal. The Perique plays in the background adding complexity to this blend; this was actually my favorite part. This blend was not for me, but if you like McClelland 5100 or HH Anniversary Kake, this blend is a much more earthy, less sweet comparison to those.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2015-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Think Old school, ( OJK). "N" is med. strong., good for that 'N" hit. Reminds me of a blend made up of 50% Union Square , 45% mature Kentucky and 5% Perique . Relatively smooth, if you don't push it, but this isn't one that says "Wow" to me, satisfying, savory, yet boring.

Side comment: The description says the Kentucky is from 25 year old bales ( with a clarifier that this ran out in about mid 2012 ) !!!! Who ages Kentucky for 25 years ???? I think I can hear the conversation at the blenders, "Hey, Greg, can you come up with a blend that we can unload these 25 year old bales that have been just sitting here?" Anyway, it's hard to find less than a 4 star rating prior to early 2014 ( older Kentucky) more lower ratings now , so buyer beware !

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Similar Blends: ojk.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-07-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm a very lucky guy, my friend give this blend after he keep it for 1 year and half and he give it to me at last 2014 January and now after 6 months I keep it on my desk tonight I open it and I start to smoke this stuff on my pipe. The tin note is good, with a scent of dried raisin follows with baked bread.

The cut and moisture is great, in coarse cut is very easy to make layers pack on my pipe and I'm using Comoy Tradition 36 which is deep narrow bowl but I don't have any trouble to pack it well. Easy to light and keep it on my pipe so I can enjoy well long time smoking with this blend. The burn is well and quite cool with a great smoke so I start it with a heavy great smokes that made me cought because it follows with baked bread taste that is new for me.

After I get usual with the baked bread taste, a little bit peppery taste came with a small amount. I'm a Telegraph Hill fans so I think this stuff is contains less perique, the dominant taste is baked bread with less fruity taste and follows with similar taste of american cigars and it consistant until I finish the whole bowl.

The strength is increasing from medium to strong, so this stuff is really good to enjoy at late before go to bed. With a cup of tea or green tea this blend is so nice to smoke and feels so well on my palate. No intense to bite but with enough strength to enjoy a little bit heavy smokes.

Pipe Used: Comoy Traditon 36

Age When Smoked: 2 year

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-05-29		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin: Fairly uniform mahogany with the occasional black fleck of perique, transitioning to brown hues after the tin had been opened for a week. Sweet fragrant aroma, yet stale leafy scent, like fragrant boiled peanuts. Short to medium ribbon cut with an infrequent stiff ribbon. Almost dry but supple. Date stamp on bottom of tin, 030306, 03MAR2006.

Lighting: Burned with one match

Taste: Musty crawlspace, stale. Once in a while, multiple bowls, in a pipe uncleaned inbetween, tastes just like a rancid cigarette.

Aroma & Room Note: The smoke aroma is akin to the tin, not leaving much of a signature behind.

Nicotine: Strong and heady

Overall: Not quite my flavor of tobacco. Not even close to the standard nutty burley taste. Try McCranie's Old Master for typically flavored burley or McClelland's Mixture X-10 Burley, or C&D 108: Pegasus.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Cumberland is one of the finest tobacco blends I have ever smoked. The red and mature VA's do exactly what the GLP states. They are sweet and flavorful and set the stage. There is though, no tang or tartness. These are mature but not cooked. The Kentucky is exquisite ... it brings fullness but never steals the show. The perique, for my tastes, is the perfect condiment. Permit me a further comment on the perique. I have come to not enjoy it as a main character, but still, I appreciate what it brings to a blend. Here it adds a gentle bit of spice and depth but doesn't overwhelm.

The smoke is complex. When I gently puff this blend, each of the components manages to identify itself at random through the bowl and then back to a beautiful harmony that is very satisfying. The musical analogy is perfectly fitting here.

It needs no special packing. It smokes cool and clean and leaves a wonderfully natural room note. At time it's woodsy, earthy, nutty and never sour or acidic (or alkalai as it were.) I smoke this before or after a meal. At any time of day.

I enjoy fine VA blends that have no Orientals as much as I do those that do contain Orientals, but I have never smoked a blend that was without them that is as satisfying as this blend. This is a VA blend for the Balkan smoker that finds the typical VA blend a bit sharp. This is deep and full without a bite in the bowl.

A most facinating blend. I'm hooked.

Cheers, VC

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2004-03-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: Short ribbons of medium width, assorted medium shades of tan, brown, orange and black.

Aroma: First impresion is that it might be an aromatic. The aroma of chocolate and PRUNES hits my nostrils. Very pleasant, and as i continue to sniff and enjoy, it occurs to me that this is the smell of really well matured leaf.

Packing: Packe easily into any size bowl in my collection. Easy to overpack, as it's very soft, but normal care in packing is adequate for a good draw. just don't get too cavalier.

Lighting: Lights very well, sometimes just one match is enough. This is, after all, an American style tobacco.

Initial flavor: The initial taste is very dense and mouth-filling. There is the sweetness of red and orange Virginias, the smokiness of dark Burley, and the slight sour spiciness of Perique.

Mid-bowl: The blend wants to be smoked slowly, for maximum flavor and for coolness. When smoked in a relaxed mood, it is cool and dry, and full of nuances and layers. There is a complete range of hight through low notes present. The contrast of the sweet and smokey and their variations are beguiling. Definitely a stout blend, quite a bit of strength (both flavor and nicotine) from the Burley.

Finish: A bit more Perique strength at the end, but not excessive. Burns to a clean gray ash, no guck in the heel and a fairly clean pipe.

Summary: This is a stout blend. For the nicotine sensitive, don't smoke and drive. Not an eye-opener for me, but a blend for relaxed moments. Excellent with strong coffee or a bit of Bourbon. Just a masterful achievement.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-12-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Presentation: Tin looks the same as all the others in the Pease Original Series. Black and white label with blue accent and pipes photographed in the background.

Cut: Chunky ribbon cut, perfect moisture.

Tin note: Smells of figs with a fruit sweetness.

Tasting notes: Leathery, peppery, grassy and slightly fruity. That pepper actually made me sneeze from retrohaling too much. Of course I continued to retrohale and was fine though. This is no pepperbomb, do not worry. Slight bread and earth on the finish. Tangy on some draws. There is a smokiness that is almost meaty that occasionally comes up and a subtle chocolate will rear its head here and there. I have to say the virginias are excellently balanced between the bright and dark. Many blends are too much of one or the other, but I feel like just the VAs could be its own blend and still be good. I feel there is more to this blend than what I can pinpoint in these notes.

Mechanics: N/A -- A well behaved blend.

Extra Remarks: This blend is incredible and incredibly complex. I almost forget it's a VaPer because so much is being thrown at me. Not at all like more mainstream VaPers that are pretty usually simple and two dimensional like sweet and sour sauce is. I imagine this blend like a great movie, one that you can watch many times and everytime get something different and new out of it. Excellent. 4 stars!

Pipe Used: IMP Straight Billiard Meer

Age When Smoked: 11 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2020-07-13		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Cumberland, for me, demonstrates the endless possibilities of combining Virginia with Kentucky and perique.. it is nothing like penny farthing or the rattray's trio for example.. it has a passing resemblance to cornell and diehl 5 oclock shadow.. but it has a subtle complexity that the c and d blend doesn't possess.. it stands alone offering rich cigar like tones contrasted with subtle spice and sweet notes.. it is really a deep flavor.. almost in the same way Jackknife plug is.. but the fine ribbon and gentle dose of perique still make it unique.. it satisfies in the strength department and has a rather harsh edge to it.. this edge is mostly bearable since it is such a delicious combination of leaf.. but it does smoke a little raw.. overall I really like it and will probably buy a few tins to age.. it is kind of the thing I want when I want the heft of 5 brothers but more nuance of flavor... I'm not sure if I'm alone here but the Kentucky that c and d uses is so much different than others I have tasted.. I do not seem to get that barbecue flavor from any of their blends.. more of a rich, floral, woody, spice element..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2019-03-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

G. L. Pease - Cumberland (Original Mixtures).

Hmmm, not a blend for the faint-hearted!

I'll start with the word Medium. The ribbons are medium in size, and medium brown in colour. The unlit aroma isn't so 'medium'; it's suggestive of a hearty, natural, blend of tobaccos. The moisture's good.

As expected, the smoke's a heady one. The Burley takes the frontline position, taking 'rugged' to a precipitous level! Don't expect a sweet tasting Burley, this one's rough and coarse! That said, the Virginia and Perique don't get forgotten; at first they missed me, but after a couple of bowls I became more acquainted with them. The Virginia gives a sweet-tanginess, yet the Perique gives a counteracting sourness; they definitely fill out the flavour. It burns without a quibble, needing little maintenance.

Nicotine: lots. Room-note: quite strong.

Cumberland? A very well put together smoke, I can't deny that, but it's too darn heady for me! That said, I'll recommend it based on quality:

Three stars.

Pipe Used: Altinok Lee Van Cleef: Friday pipe

Age When Smoked: 12/27/17

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2019-01-09		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Based on hazy memories of a ~1oz sample I got granted: Full-flavored, stout and yet very refined and "fine" in flavor!

The tin note is lovely.. somehow the fruity nuances prevail for me, but you already get a hint of the smooth spiciness that's awaiting you. Easy to pack, light and burns evenly as it comes in a ribbon-cut. Mine came quite dry, yet I found it to smoke just fine this way! I wouldn't be surprised if GLP (or rather C&D who produces it for GLP) tins it at low moisture, it fits the blend!

From the first puffs this blend makes no-nonsene, honest "conversation" to you! Fairly stout in mouth-feeling the creamy smoke gives plenty of aroma right away. The main player is - I suppose - is the Perique as a delicate and caramel-y fruitiness takes main stage. Quickly accompanied by the smoky, earthy and mildly musty dark fired leaf (Kentucky), which adds to the body of the blend. In interplay with the stout Perique's flavors you'll get a mouth-filling, creamy and stout smoke to please you. I guess the Virginias are what makes the nice, mellow and caramel-y sweetness, which underscores the Periques fruitiness and peppery spicy very palateable and digestible.

Rather a smoke for smokers who prefer stout blends, or best to be smoked in small quantities. For me a small cob (straight Pony Express f.e.) works just fine! 15-20mins of very intense smoking experience, leaving you pleased and satisfied - yet somewhat teased to fill another bowl, as the aftertaste that sticks on your lips and palate is very(!) pleasant to me.

Personally nothing I'd smoke every day, but certainly a 4-star worthy blend. Va/Per lovers looking for extra "oomph" or stout treat.... dark fired Kentucky lovers looking for a stout, yet not too musty smoke that can be enjoyed at any time of the day... Virginia lovers looking for a "kick" in a blend... even me as a Burley-Bloke I find joy in this! Very well done GLP and C&D.. you guys know tobacco! ;-)

|| Personal rating: 3,5-stars (I hestitate to give all 4, as I only smoke this on occasion) | Attempt of an 'objective rating' : 4-stars (without hestitation!) ||

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ozark bulldog (3)	2017-01-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Very strong for my taste. I like the smaller amount of perique. Well balanced. Tastes a bit like H&H Delta Days only more refined. Not a all day smoke but great for after dinner. Recommended as such.

Pipe Used: Cobs and various briars

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Delta Days.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2014-07-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a good tobacco that has just enough perique to make it interesting. Nic hit is right up my alley. In my opinion it's somewhat reminiscent of C&D Bayou Morning.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2013-07-16		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Original Mixtures: Cumberland = OMC

Is this a "shibbon" or is it a "rag"? Whatever you call it, the presentation is rather loose and dry, and the rich tin note suggests the initial smoke. Gently loaded, it lights and smokes like a dream that is gone in 60 seconds. Yet, somehow, this is time enough for a few surprises. Smoking this, I am reminded of Orcilla Mixture, despite the profiles have nothing in common. But both these tobaccos have a certain "throwback" quality that "takes me back" to 1970. Simpler times? Well, yes, and no.

The first few puffs of OMC burn off the light and delicious topping, smelling and tasting of sugared, damp silage and saddle soap, with just a breath of cocoa. Enjoy it while you can. From here, OMC begins to unfurl its aged Kentucky, tempered with a judicious pinch of Perique, while the VA seems to serve as a "reference" without running the show, sticking close to the KY throughout the bowl. This KY/VA pairing quickly establishes a solid "base" of a sort not common to ordinary Burley, while the Perique is ever-present but also fairly mild and condimental. The smoke is a good deal richer and deeper than the average VA/Bur, and it smells great. You can make nice, big, complimentary clouds of it if you puff hard enough, but this must be weighed against a faster burn and the resultant heat. My own balance makes for a singular taste and aroma that I do not recognize apart from this blend. It's not the "figs" or the "pepper" one might anticipate, nor the "nuts", especially, rather it's a deep, unusually mellow tannin that morphs and enriches the "saddle" and "silage" qualities; hard to explain, and hard to resist, and this applies to the aroma, as well. Back to the figs and nuts, they are stragglers here, typically showing up after the smoke is well under way, but they are hardly late for the party. They enhance a rich, non-peppery, Bur/Per aftertaste that always makes me want more, even more so when the Va sugar makes a surprising return. Strength is toward strong from medium. Tastes are toward full from medium. Room note is OK, considering. Aftertaste is best of the smoke. It troubles me not at all that OMC is "different" each time I smoke it, but not so different that it changes its profile. Changes involve nooks and crannies, while you can count on the surprisingly rich, All-American flavors.

Hard to predict how a full English lover would react to OMC, given the solid body, there despite no Latakia, not to mention the unusual Burley (KY) that defines the blend. I have to give it 4 stars because it is unique in my experience, and - most importantly - it is better for it.

Update, 09-13-13: I recently read on GLP's website that the ancient Kentucky bales that Pease originally touted for Cumberland had been depleted for some time prior to his July, 2012 public notice of the fact, also prior to the time the tobacco I reviewed was tinned. Of course, this does not change my review; just saying, FYI. I also wanted to point out that Pease obviously knows how to prepare and blend distinctive tobaccos, and all of his offerings that I've tried, even blends with "the same" base component tobaccos, differ enough, one from the other, to justify themselves.

Pipe Used: various briars

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-11-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: June, 2010

From Pease's website: “Ripe, red Virginia tobaccos create the frame in which some truly special Kentucky dark-fired leaf is exhibited. This leaf has a depth and richness that is rarely seen in tobaccos of its type. A measure of stoved and matured flue-cured is added to provide a gentle sweetness and solidify the foundation. A little Louisiana perique provides a piquant spice, and a subtle fruitiness.”

Appearance: Mostly lighter-colored leaf, expected from the lack of Latakia. The extremely occasional dark bit betrays a whisper of Perique.

Tin Aroma: The aroma is quite mild, a very woodsy and earthy affair with little of the grassy Virginia character. I don't know the percentage of Kentucky leaf here but it dominates the aroma. I like it.

Flavor: Wow, this one is tough! I have had four star puffs in a two-star bowl, it seems very pipe-dependent, and in the wrong pipe it's absolutely nothing to write home about. But in the right pipe, paying close attention and using careful technique this blend could be categorized as a sleeper.

In general it's an up-front burley blend, but this really does seem like some special weed. On his website Pease talks about discovering a stack of these 20- year-old bales somewhere and buying the whole lot, enough, he says, to make 60,000 tins of Cumberland. Having no idea how many tins per year he sells, I can still imagine that some day when it runs out, this blend will go the way of the other Pease blends that now command high prices and fond memories. This Kentucky has a woodsy character that at times actually borders on “meaty'” for lack of a better term. Yes, it was a special find.

When it's in the zone it's great, and when it's not, it's far from great. Perhaps I should have saved my “La Donna Mobile” analogy for this blend since it seems quite likely to change its mind at any given time. It seemed to work best in one of my star Virginia pipes, a GBD pot whose diameter is roughly equal to its depth. It lit and burned beautifully, requiring few if any relights, and the last third of the bowl seemed consistently the best as the flavors richly melded and the Perique spice became a little more evident.

I am not a Burley fan but this has surprised me a bit. It's reticent to give up its secrets and therefore will require many more bowls to unleash its true potential. More Virginias would probably make it more personally appealing to me, making it a two and a half to three star blend. If I could keep it in the zone it would easily rate three stars. But for Burley fans I can't see how this could disappoint and would probably rate four stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Dry, tasteless,musty, tongue niping, overpriced weed. I really felt ripped off. GLP makes some nice blends but please, is this the Emperor's new clothes? The burley in this blend tastes like they were left in an old dusty warehouse.This blend made me sneeze.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

I love GL Pease tobacco, and it pains me to say it, but yuck! I just don't get it. The tobacco was very dry when I opened the tin, so dry it had crumbled up into quite small pieces. The smell was mild and a tad musty, maybe even bitter, definitely a bit different. It lit very easily, and only one relight for the whole bowl. But the taste! Cheap cigars. That's it. I didn't get any nuances or subtleties.

Maybe my tin had suffered some abuse somewhere between it leaving the GL Pease factory to getting to my house, to cause it to be so dry, and maybe it is unfair to review such a dried out tobacco. But you might get a similar can if you order some. Rating 1/10 honestly, the worst tobacco I have ever smoked.

Tin Marked 04-2009

EDIT: Right, lets try to be fair about this. I don't like burleys generally. But if I try to exclude that fact: what can I say? (after slowly rehydrating the tobacco by putting a few pipe fulls in a glass jar, and covering with a damp cloth)

Pros: - Lights well, stays lit well, burns well and really nice a cool

- Has a nice hit of vitamin N. Probably one of the strongest after kendal black xx rope. Stronger the full virginia flake.

- Nice peppery, spicy smoke

- If you smoke it fast, you get a nice nutty flavour

Cons: - Bitter

- Drying smoke (i.e. my mouth feels all dry and grainy)

- Its just not nice

Conclusion: If you like burley, smoke Solani Aged Burley Flake or Wessex Burley Slice instead.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Laudante (29)	2008-06-30		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Theorically, this MUST be right, according to the description, the blender´s reputation and some of the comments. I agree with someone who says that this requires a thoughtful review, and to finish more than one tin to rate it properly. But the problem is that I couldn´t even finish the first bowl, not to say a whole tin!

I tried to, but every time I made the effort to open the drawer and take it, my body started to shiver, sweat cold, my stomach ached strongly and my nerves collapsed. I just couldn´t.

The smell in the can is very appealing, though. I wouldn´t dare to ever again draw a match near it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Highly unimpressed with this "trendy" pipe tobacco. It is nothing more than cigarette tobacco. The taste is musty and cob webed. I felt as though someone tined this tobacco as a joke, just to see how many would buy it and call it a masterpiece. Yuk!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flint (30)	2004-01-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Strong

I completely agree with BriarRabbit and Pipestud just read their reviews. I couldn't have said it better. I'll also add that this is the ugliest tobacco I've ever seen. Looks and tastes like they swept up the floor at the end of a hards day blending and made Cumberlend.

Funny thing about this blend' it starts off great and in two seconds it goes bad and gets worse, oh well move on to the next one.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking_Strider (21)	2020-06-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opened a tin from '02 with the original Kentucky in it, damn rust holes... Anyway, compared to the new stuff without it, I can't really tell the difference, other than the age of course. The blend overall is a very earthy blend. Hint of nut and floral tastes accompanied with a pleasant tin note. Burns a little hot for my liking, but I think the age has brought a nice balance overall to it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aurorasofautumn (38)	2020-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Within the category of Kentucky/VA/Perique blends, this certainly is my favorite baccy. I prefer it even to GLP's Jackknife Plug, which seems to garner better reviews on this platform. Why do I prefer it? Because I think the individual tobaccos are balanced out more to my liking. Cumberland is a little bit less full but has more depth. If I had to use an analogy JKP is the heavy, alcoholic red wine you have with your main dish and Cumberland is the more refreshing white wine you drink as an apéritif, which will leave you with a feeling of wanting something more.

Be that as it may, I still prefer the flavor profile of a nice Oriental/Balkan or Straight VA tobacco and don't reach for Cumberland all that often. Since I consider this the crown of this style of tobacco, I could give it 4/4 stars but rate it at 3 because of my own idiosyncrasies.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-06-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Based on tins/jars of various ages. Presentation is a nice brown mix of tobaccos, some lighter than others. Smells like cocoa and a touch of red Virginia fruitiness. The fermented fruit smell is amplified with age.

Taste: fermented fruit notes, tartness and tanginess like a wine, spice from the Kentucky all the way and towards the bottom there are raisin notes and a profound nutty, cocoa taste and it is sublime. I've gotten that special mix of cinnamon and nutmeg as well sometimes. The development becomes earthier and chocolaty. Have no fear. This still tastes and smells like tobacco.

Strength- somewhat spicy and strong, heavy, robust. The taste and strength almost (for me) force a slower smoke. Nicotine- high/strong. I don't think it will kill you, but it could put you down if you're not careful. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

This blend is readily available and tasty. The combustion is great, and slow. I have bought multiple tins and would buy again. I would highly recommend it to a burley lover, a Virginia lover, and anyone that likes strong blends. This blend also gets better with age.

Pipe Used: Bent pot,canadian,lovat

Age When Smoked: Fresh, one year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lingo (39)	2019-03-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Uhm, quite a debated one here... I fell in love with its room note: a fellow was smoking it and I loved the smell so much that I had to rush and buy some. Was I disappointed after smoking a tin? Yes, I was. But still I can not agree with the bad comments I read here. This is, after all, a very SIMPLE recipe: good tobacco mixed. Sometimes the sum is more than the parts, sometimes it is not. Well, this is a case of perfect equality: the sum is the same than the parts.

My thoughts: Tin aroma is just fine, those expecting a classical VA taste in the back will be disappointed: red Virginia is not the most zesty and sweety, but -Solani 660 taught me- it is the best companion to KY. The rest is leather, dried fruits and wood.

Packing is flawless. Smoke is full and bitter (yes, burleys seldom are). Perique gets high way too early for my taste, I prefer when it’s slow and constant.

I’ll give it three stars for the roomnote vs taste discrepancy, but I’ll be happy to smoke a 3-4 years aged tin. Can’t agree with those who say that there’s no bite: imho va/burs should be much much more mellow and biteless than this. Still a great blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2019-03-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I picked up a tin of this Cumberland a while back because it's listed as a VaPer in most places. I gave it some time to age and now that it's about 1.5yrs old I decided to crack it open . Tin note is very much the stewed fruits, bit of the earthy nuttiness. First few bowls where in some more generous chambers like an MM Carolina Gent and a Sam Adebayo Lovat that's a deeper chamber. In those bowls it was overwhelmingly spicy. The Dark Fired Kentucky is clearly the spotlight of this blend. After those first few bowls I decided to change it up and loaded a Scottie Piersel blasted pencil shank Dublin that has a smaller chamber size and the spice cooled down considerably for me. It brought out a bit more of the fruity Virginia and fig like Perique flavors on top of the spicy earthy woodsy salted meat kind of flavors from the DFK. Moisture level was really good from the get go. It lights really well and burns nice and evenly and on the cooler side. Even if you push it and puff a bit more frequently than you should it doesn't bite. Overall I think it's a good blend and if you're a Burley/Dark Fired Kentucky fan then give this one a chance.

Pipe Used: Scottie Piersel blasted Dublin pencil shank

Age When Smoked: 1.5yrs

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	popo 5-0 (2)	2016-12-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin aroma: Slightly smoky in the vein of the kentucky not latakia smoky, some perique tickle in the nose.

Taste: Nutty at first, i only really detect the burley and kentucky. The mouth feel is really full and rich. As the smoke goes down a myriad of flavors come through, not particularly complex but very satisfying. The perique emerges about ion quarter of the way down the bowl and marries well with the burley.

I primarily smoke VaPers and think this is a good blend to try if you want a change of pace.

I believe this blend will appeal to those who like perique, as well as burley smokers.

i found sipping this tobacco and smoking slowly helps bring out the best of this blend.

I really enjoy this and is a everyday smoke for me.

This is a strong blend from a nicotine perspective. I have been a user of chewing tobacco and dip for almost 16 years and have a fairly high tolerance. most blends i do not even feel a nicotine hit, but i get a decent hit from this blend especially if i have not eaten. It is not overwhelming, but is present.

takes to the flame really well, packs well.

I have never had to relight, burns to a clean ash with no dottle.

Also have not experienced any ghosting.

Pipe Used: mastro de paja group 4 cherrywood

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2014-09-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Disappointed with this one. The tin aroma is intriguing with a synergistic play between the mahogany kentucky leaf and the whisper of perique producing almost a slighty tangy and faintly smokey beef jerky-like bouquet. The balance seems excellent in that regard. However, when smoked, the base of virginias seems too flat. This blend needs a more pronounced underlying sweetness to round it out and pull it all together. It's actually somewhat bland and muddy taste wise. It seems to me that this blend would be better if it were pressed and matured to develop more sweetness and character. Left to it's status quo ribbon cut then a bit of sweet casing to the virginias would help it along.

Age When Smoked: New, production 021414

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-05-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

After picking up the pipe again after a half decade hiatus I've been busy buying and trying tobaccos. Given the reviews of Mr Pease's blends I figured that since I'm a lover of quality leaf I needed to pursue his extensive catalog.

Cumberland is number 4 in the ones I've smoked so far. Preceeded by JackKnife plug, Sextant, & Cairo, I had high expectations for Cumberland.

My initial impressions were wow, wow, and damn that's good.

The Pease description given is pretty spot on. I would add that, for me, the perique was way back in the background which is good. Perique while tasty of course is plenty capable of biting my tounge. To me I taste virginia and burley in such a nice soft, chewy mouthfull that I can only assume the labeled contents are correct. Think Peterson's Irish and Univ flake together in one bowl.

Big mouth full of burley that is definitely subdued, with creamy virginia that gives a sweet tang on the sides of my tounge midway through. Cool smoking with no bite, even with a considerable push. I could smoke it every day, all day. And plan to, atleast everyday that is.

Highly reccomended!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Roy Odhner (9)	2013-03-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a great blend, and an understated bit of tobacco blending genius. If you're one of those pipe smokers that love "kitchen sink" blends - you know, everything plus the kitchen sink thrown into the blend - then you probably won't like this.

Cumberland is comprised of just three basic tobaccos: Kentucky (burley), Virginia, and Perique. But these three tobaccos are blended in a way that is nothing short of genius. The sweet Virginias play off the nutty burley, and the ever so light peppery quality of the Perique goes gently dancing in and out of the smoke. No gimmick or cute marketing ploy here - just three solid, traditional tobaccos blended together by somebody who knew exactly what he was doing.

About the only thing that is particularly noteworthy about any of the tobaccos used in this blend is the age on the Kentucky leaf - it's 20 years old. Burley may not age like Virginia leaf, but something wonderful must happen to it because there is something about this burley that is just fantastic. I think it's what makes the whole thing work, cuz if the blender had just used regular burley this blend would just be another VaBur.

But it's not. It's a rare stroke of tobacco genius, and I think you owe it to yourself to lay your hands on a tin or two, while you still can. Sooner or later it's gonna be gone, and it would be shame if you missed out on this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-11-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I grew up in Kentucky and spent a great deal of time harvesting tobacco and working in it. A bale of burley was always available back then (early 80's) and I would often grab a leaf and crumble away and shove it in a pipe. That straight burley flavor is hard to forget. It was pungent, strong, harsh, and needed to be smoked very carefully or you would be sick.

I open my tin and pack my first bowl. Oh, the memories. This takes me back. It isn't the same though. Gone is the harsh, removed is pungent, unfound is the sick feeling when not being overly careful. This is definitely old burley. That flavor cannot come from anything else. I'll even guess this could be some of the same tobacco I harvested once. The years has mellowed it, the virginia has tamed it, the perique keeps it interesting. Thank you Mr. Pease for creating this blend.

Not everyone will like blend. Some of the reviews clearly shows that. You need to appreciate burley because burley is what this smoke is all about. The thing with burley is that it is a difficult tobacco to blend with. In the wrong hands burley can grab your esophagus and rip it out while burning every other part of the mouth like a torch. This blend is masterful. It highlights the burley while somehow removing all of its naughty traits. This is a smoke for experienced smokers and I wouldn't ever recommend it for someone new to pipe smoking. I feel this is a smoke for an older generation. It's like a great black and white film. The younger generation will have difficulty appreciating it because it lacks special effects and relies on the quality of the actors (tobaccos) to provide the magic. It's a classic American car, void of foreign parts.

I like it. It won't be an all day smoke. It's a little strong for that. It will be a treat. I expect this to be my evening smoke at least 2-3 times a week. I have several I enjoy exclusively in the evening. Cumberland will become part of that rotation.

UPDATE: I know I already gave this tobacco a 4 star review. Now its a solid 5 and more. But I need to add this. This tobacco likes medium to large bowl pipes best. A small chamber pipe will not do this tobacco justice. It takes a bowl large enough that you can get past the taste when you first light it up. It matures. It gets so much better. It becomes so dang good I almost want to buy out the whole stock of this stuff just for myself. The more I smoke it, the better I like it. Hands down, this is my No.1 favorite smoke. I said before that this won't be an all day smoke...well, I lied. It is this blend most all of the day for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-11-21		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a fantastic blend. I am a huge fan of Kentucky as a condiment tobacco in virginia blends, but when perique is added its a whole different experience. The spicy notes are unbelievable, and mixed with the strong, rich, very well aged Kentucky...I will always have this on hand.

Just keep in mind that this will not last for ever so enjoy it now or leave it for me, because this is an amazing creation by Pease.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Cumberland is my favorite of Pease's blends. The amount of perique in this, blended superbly with the Virginias and the burley cultivar Kentucky, is minimal, and just provides a little boost. The Virginia, while a presence, isn't the driver of the blend, either. To me, it is the Kentucky that gives this a distinctive flavor and attraction. I wasn't expecting what I got. The blend itself is pretty, with browns, yellows, and black. The tin aroma is unlike any I've encountered as well; I would have sworn I was smelling a can of roasted coffee mixed with a mild English blend of tobacco, with perhaps a raisin or two thrown into the mix. The tobacco is slightly on the dry side, but is plenty moist enough. It packs into a bowl with ease, and lights extremely well. Relighting is rare.

The first bowl of Cumberland I smoked was in a Don Carlos Oom Paul, a very neutral pipe used almost exclusively for light Virginias. My first thought was of an English blend in character, but minus the latakia. The nutty taste of the Kentucky provides a wonderful counter to the sweetness of the Virginia, while the perique, though quiet, asserts just enough of itself to bring in a richness, fruitiness, and pepper/spice as an undertone. The Virginia is somehow subdued and even tamed by the other constituents of the blend. As a Virginia lover, I wasn't sure at first if I liked that, but as a burley smoker I realized, the deeper I got into the bowl, that I was genuinely enjoying the smoke. When trying new tobaccos I like to inhale a puff or two so I can see how it hits me. Cumberland felt smooth, and I didn't get a big nicotine rush; the exhalation gave my nostrils a treat.

I initially bought three tins of Cumberland, in the initial tinning some years ago. The first was opened the day the package arrived, and stayed in my pipe bag. I wanted to try it in most of my pipes, just to see if I could detect differences. The second tin was saved for a few months to see how this blend aged short-term, and it does superbly. And the third tin I set aside and still have in my cellar, saved for a rainy day. Since those first three tins I've purchased untold pounds of Cumberland, and can't imagine not having this blend available. There aren't enough words to praise this stuff!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-16		Very Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had held off for years being sure this wouldn't be for me, as I am a lover of Latakia blends. I'm glad I opened my mind, along with the tins. The cut is a delightfully chunky, pencil-shaving sort of presentation that dries easily yet retains its substance and body. It loads quite well, as the little chunks hug each other in the bowl. The load drinks the flame lustfully, and holds its ember quite well in a larger sized bowl. I preferred this in larger Rhodesian. The smoke tastes of vanilla bean and apple marring toward the bottom into nutmeg and maple syrup. It has a pleasing "smokiness" and palate elevating piquancy. Very long and delectable aftertaste. Surprisingly complex and harmonious. You'd almost think there's a touch of Latakia. This is the perfect after- breakfast smoke. This kind of delightful, and subtle complexity is a rare treat. It will not jump up and grab you, don't come with expectations, just listen to what it has to say. Superb!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-18		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cumberland is one of those Virginia/Perique blends that required some time and thought to review. I had to be sure and smoke two tins this time around. I love this stuff. Open and dock your tin for a few days as the tins seem to be packed rather tightly. Then sit back and enjoy some of the grandest aged Kentucky Mahogany you'll ever smoke.

Cumberland's 20 year matured ribbons make this one of the most enjoyable Virginia/Perique recipes to ever hit my senses. It packs and smokes effortlessly and gives you as much time as you want to enjoy the moment.

The Perique is subtle yet present and compliments the Kentucky all the way to the last third of the bowl. This is a powerful smoke, one to enjoy extra slowly while reading or writing.

Highly recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-11-28		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Tolerable

Everyone has different taste buds, and mine are way different than the others listed here. I opened the tin and sneezed my head off. After I picked my head up off the floor and put it back on I sniffed the tobacco and sneezed again. I had to retreat, and refrom my ranks a little while and think about this one. I wondered if I really wanted to smoke this stuff. I had smoked other G.L Pease tobaccos before and thought they were fair to good,but this one had me wondering what the heck was in that tin. The cut is ribbon with larger and smaller pieces mixed in. The color is light blond to light brown,and reddish. I got my strength up and filled the bowl of a BBB Canadian with a small bowl diameter. I smoked the tobacco and was not able to smoke another pipe for two days because of the tounge bite I recieved from this crap!.IMHO, it smelled like hay burning! I happen to really enjoy Burley tobacco,and I'm wondering why any bales of Burley are from twenty years ago. How come that tobacco wasn't sold when it was at the auction? Makes me wonder if it wasn't poor quality tobacco bought dirt cheap,and given a fancy name. I hear a lot of pipe smokers really bowing down to the Pease line,touting how excellent it is.I just don't understand that,and I have been smoking pipes for 20 years. I'll avoid this dry cheap quality hay that I payed way too much for. Its like eating chiterlings when you could have had a pork chop. I'm from Tennessee and I wish Mr. Pease could have named this tobacco something else besides Cumberland. How about naming it "Rag weed".But hey,thats my taste buds. Your tate buds may really enjoy this.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2003-10-16		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is the stuff that legends come from.

I delayed obtaining this blend because of the somewhat mixed reviews, but when Mike of Classicpipes said, "Here you go Stan, you'll like it, " I was hooked. I said some of the reviews feel the aged burley is too strong. Mike explained that lots of traditional english or virginina smokers look down on burley, so I had to form my own opinion.

This is the best burly blend I've had to date. Granted most of the blend is virginia I'm sure, including a good amount of red virginia. I don't taste the perique, which does keep this strong blend fairly cool. However, the major player is the aged kentucky burley used. The virginia adds a little natural sweetness, but this is by no means sweet in an aromatic sense. The very deep earthy-nutty belch of the burley keeps you entertained throughout. A steady flavor.

The blend lights and burns steady and easy, so fast puffing may be a temptation. That's where its strength may overpower you. Puff slowly as Mr. Pease advises on the tin, maybe not as slow as with a delicate bright flake, so you get the richness without the dread. Savor it; don't rush it.

I'm sure C&D has a couple of similar sounding blends (e.g., Old Joe Krantz), but without the aged burley in it that makes this blend what it is -- a legend in the making. McCranies Old Masters (with more burley than this one) and McArris (with more sweet virginia than this one) are close but lighter. Edwards Colonial is the closest thing I know of in nutty richness, but it has more burley and less virginia than this one.

Very rich, tasty, satisfying, easy burning, reasonably cool for a blend of this weight unless puffed fast, and dry (could still use one pipe cleaner during the smoke) smoking; this is another tobacco that should be knighted. Recommended to red virginina and burley die-hards.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-08-14		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Greg Pease's Cumberland is a very singular and unique blend. A special find of 20 year old, bale aged, Kentucky Mahogany adds a special, rich character to an earthy base of matured, stoved Virginia tobaccos, enclosed in the ever dependable red VA. A slight nuttiness occasionally making itself known, reminds me of the English Virginia blends of old, with a perfect soupçon of Perique adding a lovely top note, and a touch of spice. All the ingredients are of Greg's usual top quality.

The convenient cut makes packing simplicity. Easily lit and even burning, it does demand taking one's time. All the better to enjoy the slightly muted yet definite facets.

With a quite intense, full and complex flavour profile, a sustained presence and abundant, round, but never bloated smoke, it has a tendency to assert itself throughout the bowl, with a hit, a palpable hit, which makes this a heady mixture, of not only the flavour.

I put away a quarter pound in a jar just over a year ago. The tobacco has darkened appreciably and upon opening, the sweetness was almost tangible. Its flavours are much more pronounced, and have married very nicely. The complexity of the blend is as entertaining as the day I received it, all the nuances are still in evidence, but seem much deeper, the body more filled in, and any small edges have rounded off. In aging, there is no loss of the spontaneity Greg put into it, and overall, it has lost nothing, but improved dramatically, enough to put this among his best.

There is a clear personality...robust, though not pushy. Cumberland is no wallflower. Notwithstanding the hints of old English Virginia mixtures, GLP is right on the mark, this being very much an American blend. He continues to show blending genius, and has certainly done justice to this rare and auspicious find of Kentucky tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-11-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had a bit of trouble when I first opened this. I experienced a lot of tongue bite and ashy taste. However, the initial flavor was good, so I stuck with it. I think, in retrospect, that my problem was that I was thinking of this as a burley blend rather than a Virginia, and was smoking it too fast. I have now settled into a smoking pace with this and have been rewarded. Additionally, I have finally settled into the idea that I am unsatisfied with any tobacco during the first 2-4 weeks after initially opening the tin.

The flavor of this tobacco is very good, with the red virginia dominating. The burley provides a depth across the middle section of the palate as well as body. The perique provides a nice fruity sense in companionship with the VA resulting in a nice all around smoke.

This does require some care in packing to prevent an ashy taste in the bottom of the bowl, which I find true also of Haddo?s and Cairo. However, the attention is well rewarded in terms of the flavor. It responds nicely to DGT.

This is a bit stronger than I normally care for, but I am a bit of a nico-wimp.

Overall: Flavorful, strong, and requires a bit of patience in airing, packing, and smoking pace.

October 2002, updated November 2002

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-08-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Today caps the 10th bowl that I have sampled of G.L. Pease's newest blend, "Cumberland". Cumberland represents the Company's 10th entry into the market (excluding limited edition blends), the fourth in a little over a years time. For a company with one "Chef in the Kitchen"... that's a hell of a lot. So much so that I can't help get the feeling that a tumble is coming up, that the man is due for a stinker. Thus far it hasn't happened. I'll state that some of his tobaccos aren't in my rotation, Mephisto and Cairo come to mind. But not because they aren't well made, they just don't fit any of the holes that I perceive I have in my lineup. When I first heard about Cumberland, I had some high hopes (American Blender, American Tobaccos) and some trepidation. Va/ perique blends are very easy to "screw the pooch" on. At their best, they are tangy, sweet, nuanced and satisfying. At their worst, they'll make you regret that you didn't buy stock in Biotene Mouthwash. The following review is an amalgamation of 5 different smokes, and notes taken during. Any anomaly that didn't appear twice, I tossed out, assuming I was just having a flashback to the days when I was possessed by the Spirit of Lillian Gish.

Packaging 2 oz. Tin, Gray/ White paper Blue characters and accents. Tobacco appearance and fragrance: Fairly uniform in color, medium brown, reddish brown, and Mahogany, with several different tobaccos evident, even upon cursory inspection. Tin fragrance is rich hitting primarily middle and upper olfactory registers, without any of the Acetic tones found in many American produced Va blends. At the very top of the melange of scent is the tiniest hint (hint!) of juicy fruit and raisin. The cut of the blend is interesting, and makes it easier to pick out the components. If you are a stickler for an exact ribbon cut look elsewhere, but if the tin aroma is any indication, the loss will be yours. Good moisture content, a smidge on the moist side, if I had to pick a direction. Packs great. Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain" on the stereo..... let's rock. Flame touches weed freeing a wonderful, round smoke. At first glance it's all here. Elements of sweet toast and nuts. Tangy, date like flavor without any hints of the sour that, at times, can be associated with that aspect of taste. Va is the dominant taste coming through... but there's so much more. The Kentucky registers on the mid and back palate, perique taking to the air, adding a dash of pepper. A constant subdued, swirling parfait. Taken both on the fresh, as well as the jaded palate, the smoothness is undeniable, the fullness unmistakable. The tobaccos are newly acquainted ones, to be sure, but the 20 year old Kentucky provides a harmonious bridge between the strangers. I can't wait to see what this is like in as little as a year of marriage. Mid bowl, none of the of those elements seem to be going anywhere, they're happy to be here. Nicotine is here, well represented. Not a jagged shrill presence, more like an IV drip. This blend while full, is very inhaleable, so if you tend to such things, take it slow. End bowl, burning exceedingly well, one relight at about 3/4 down, seems to be about the norm. The Aspect of dates has faded, with the flavor of nuts taking the forefront. I'm not much of an "end bowl" guy, but there's something here that makes me want to keep it rolling till there ain't no more. Summary: If Va is your thing, I think you'll find this the best G.L. Pease ever. If you have been put off by most American Va/ Periques, you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot. I give this one an unqualified recommendation. 9 out of 10 Bearclaws.

-- Bear Graves

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (39)	2022-05-29		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

A few things need said first. If you are new to pipe smoking, and have little experience with tobacco. This is the wrong blend. You will not appreciate it, and you will not understand the comments made about this tobacco by seasoned smokers. However if you are a lover of Virginia perique blends, you will enjoy this tremendously. If you are a person who really does enjoy good cigars, and understands them. You may enjoy this blend

I believe Virginia/perique smokers are a small minority of pipe smokers. I think a lot of other pipe smokers put up with vapors and try to sing along, but I don't think they really "get it".

This is indeed an excellent vapor. (Vapor =Virginia perique blend). Even though the perique is not overused, it is right there in the center. Not only that, it is so noticeable that you can safely say they used very good perique. Fruity, peppery, all the normal things that YouTube pipe reviewers rattle off. (Most have no idea what they're talking about and are simply posers). If you really appreciate perique anyway that is noticeable but not overpowering. This is it. The virginias are also quite good. But the Kentucky is what makes this a big boy blend. It adds the aftertaste and a background flavor that reminds you of strong tobaccos of yesterday. I don't think this blend is as complex as other reviewers say. I think it has three main components, and three things going on at any given time. It does remind me of Dunhill Elizabethan, but stronger. Hado's delight? Possibly. This is not a big full very smooth smoke. It's got some rough edges for sure. But there is a group of smokers that really desire that in a tobacco. It really does have a cigar flavor, minus the connecticut shade wrapper. In my own words I would say it has a dry flavor. Which is not uncommon in vapors. But in this one it could easily be mistaken for harshness. I found no tongue bite and I found that it does not burn at an especially high temperature. If you're getting tongue bite, you're doing it wrong.

Here's how you smoke a vapor. Keep it lit. Clinch it between your teeth so that the mouthpiece points towards the roof of your mouth. Puff very gently out of the opposite corner of your mouth. Do not hold the pipe in your hand, keep it clenched out the side of your jaw. This will help you regulate very well. Never pull large mouthfuls of smoke. Never puff up a great smoke cloud. It's not only numbs your palate, it also raises the temperature of the tobacco in the pipe and totally destroys the good flavor. Vapors taste best and smoked very gently from a pipe that is almost going out.

Final thoughts. I smoked this tobacco a bit, but I have found myself wishing I had smoked something different. It's not a bowl dumper. I did enjoy it some. I guess I prefer an American smoke to be more rounded and smooth. A little more tamed. A little more luxurious. 5 years of aging might do absolute wonders for this smoke. So for some perspective about myself. My favorite non-english blends blends from Mr Pease are triple play and Stonehenge flake. Cumberland for me simply isn't as enjoyable. But I will keep working with it.

Pipe Used: Cobs, bonez

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: Elizebethan.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Martini (17)	2021-02-09		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I had a lot of expectations given the comments on the web and I tried it for several smokes with different pipes, including meershaum. The aroma is nice and reveals clearly the presence of Kentucky.

The moisture level was correct.

The nicotine is well visible although not at top levels.

However the virginia disappears against the Kentucky and Perique. At the end each smoke was harsh, quite bitter and acrid.

I tried with smaller pipes and also with meershaum pipes that tend to smooth the stronger blends, but the result was always the same. Unpleasant.

It is plainly a well done manufacture, but I do not like it.

I tried other blends similar to this one. For example the Lakeland and the Bracken flake from Samuel Gawith and they had a quite pleasant side, although not so straight forward. But this Cumberland could not be resolved.

Pipe Used: Castello, Dunhill, Meershaum

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Tabaccheria Guzzi, Gorgonzola

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TobaccoGonSPM (9)	2019-11-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Nice red brown and dark brown tobaccos, in fine ribbon cut. The tin aroma is earthy, sweet, fruity, woodsy, fermented and of course I get hay. I get just a wisp of vinegar too, may be the perique is responsible.

Once lit Cumberland burns cool and its strength is noticeable. The Virginias red and matured are the base components and are always in front, with sweet, fruity, earthy, hay flavors. The Dark Fired Kentucky makes his presence very noticeable more woodsy and earthy than nutty, a little bit toasted, and it’s more than just a condiment. DFK presence is evident through all the smoking experience. The Perique is also evident but a condiment; it adds a pepper and some little plum/figs flavors here and there. Cumberland produces an abundant thick smoke also creamy, sometimes a little bit acid. Half way down de bowl the perique is more evident, and the smoke turns more piquant and a little vinegary/ acidic. To me it’s a medium to strong tobacco, in strength and in flavor, and has a medium nicotine level. It pares well with black coffee. Room aroma is tolerable, beard note it´s ok. I recommend comparing it with Rattray´s Old Gowrie, the have some similarities, and differences, but kind of the same alley smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Clay, Corn Cobs, briars

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpippes.com

Similar Blends: Some similarities with Rattray´s Olg Gowrie.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SiriusAmory (25)	2019-02-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Cumberland has fairly faint aroma from the tin. I notice the hard cider note that seems fairly common from the Virginias, but the Kentucky and Perique mellow it out and add more of an earthy, toasty note. The tobacco itself is dry enough to be smoked right away as well.

Right away I notice a very strange room note that took me a while to figure out. The best way to describe the smell is tartar sauce. The odd smell of the lit tobacco doesn’t take away from the flavor and luckily I don’t taste any tartar sauce or similar flavors while smoking it. I do get some earthy spice, floral, and toast though. On the retrohale the floral turns more fruity and the spice is a bit more pronounced.

Cumberland burns quite well and only required a few relights. The slightly above medium strength make it more of an afternoon smoke as well.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2018-09-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a delightful Dark fired Kentucky blend. The flavor is fine ,the nic hit is in line for a Kentucky blend. The flavor is complex and full with a little playfulness from other components. The flavor is full and robust. I love the room note, but non smokers might be put off by it. I found it a delightful smoke for those who like Kentucky blends. 4 stars for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Hercules Lumberman

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Indian River Tobacco Traders Grand Rapids Michigan

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-08-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Tobacco of excellent quality.

But I tend to agree with most people here, Cumberland is a bit drab.

Quite possibly if I smoked one pipe per week, then Cumberland would be deeply satisfying.

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Online somewhere.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2013-12-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Starts up somewhat flat and muddled in flavor delivery and strength. Then smooths out to good tobacco flavors, medium strength and flavor. Always a hint of sweetness present, with the Virginias and burley weaving in and out as a predominant flavor. Perique hits as a subtle hint on the exhale. Retrohale has a pepper note. Quite a pleasant experience. Stays lit well, with a consistent burn. A solid 3 star blend, with very good tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Italian Basket

Age When Smoked: Unknown; at least 3 months.

Purchased From: Corona Smoke Shop, Jackson, MI

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rsuninv (2)	2013-09-02		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first review so please bear with me. I have been piping for about two years and have smoked aromatics and some light English blends but decided based on reviews and finding a 2005 tin of this blend I made the leap.

I couldn't have done better if I tried. This blend is amazing. Easy to pack, light and puff. Zero tongue bite (refreshing based on my limited experience) and beautiful flavor. I taste pepper, sweetness, boldness and complex flavors I can't begin to describe.

This why I started to smoke a pipe. I haven't smoked anything prior to going on the pipe and I can tell you I am now spoiled. I have a fairly large bowl Dunhill apple that I have now dedicated to this blend. The pokers I own also perform well but in my limited experience the bigger the bowl the more this blend opens up.

I am going to buy some more because I am already worried eight ounces will go faster then normal and I'll be out.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

First review and fits first try of a GL Pease so bear with me. I enjoy VA and VA-centric blends.

Tin is from 2002, so aged 11+ years. I smoked this in a straight Rhodesian by Radice rind and half a bowl in a half bent Moretti magnum Rhodesian.

Tin note is reminiscent of dried black figs and dates, as well as hoisin (Chinese plum sauce), i.e. on the savory side of preserved plums. Not the ketchup of McC VA style, though there is a faint note that tends towards tomato BBQ sauce.

Cut is loose ribbon/shag. Fairly dry right out of the tin, but not sure if this is due to the age or general nature of the blend. Because of this, I don't bother drying and loaded straight from tin to pipe.

First light is love! Charring light was easy due to moisture content is lower than most, without being "sticky". It's lightly springy. Burns very evenly and smokes dry first third with nice gray ash.

Nic kick is not too much initially, but I have previously adored FVF without much wooziness, so maybe my tolerance is higher? But, the nic really kicks in towards the bottom 1/2 to 1/3.

Perique & Kentucky seems to combine for a BBQ smoke/smoked salmon/bacon sort of savory quality that I really enjoy about 1/2 through. Take care not to smoke fast as again, the nic tingle of Kentucky and heat of the VA comes out.

Room note remains fairly neutral, natural sweet tobacco. Exhaling through the nose you get smoothness of the VA, with slight Perique spice. It's really just barely there. Sniffing the pipe directly yields a slight ammonia and roasted corn character, though these may be my pipes still continuing to break in. I wouldn't notice if I were not looking for it or putting my nose there though, but thought it worth mentioning.

Takes more relights at the end to avoid getting too hot as expected, but maintains the smoothness. Ultimately the nic hit did creep up on me and would not recommend this in a larger bowl dose. All in all a quality tobacco and smokes to the bottom.

Very happy with the pipe/tobacco combo and will try again in some others shapes like a straight pot.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-07-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

After receiving my Pease blends and smoking 18 bowls in two days I decided to take a break. After two pipe-free days my mouth/palate has recovered sufficiently to offer a review of Cumberland, a bowl of which I am 3/4 finished as I type. The defining factor of this blend is, to me, the ease with which it smokes- initially quite hot a few minutes afer the first real light, I let it cool down for a few minutes and then relit. I instinctively distrust ribbon cut tobaccos, having smoked too many very mediocre blends presented in this way, but Cumberland has the depth of flavour for it to make sense and my size 5 bowl has been absolutely hassle-free, smooth, a tiny bit hot (which I feel is entirely due to the smallness of the ribbons), but with no moisture problems. This, like the other Pease blends I have tried, benefits from breathing for an hour or so, and is savoury, with a hint of buttered buckwheat. This is a no nonsense, everyday blend which I can imagine getting quite addictive. It is nicely-measured in its nicotine and strength of flavour, giving enough satisfaction without overdoing things, causing that chewing/ruminant action one has when drinking a nice Pinotage. I'd love to see this presented in a broken flake. No bells, no whistles, no gimmicks. Just good tobacco.

Addendum: After rehydrating my tin this tobacco has been transformed! Previously it was very good, now it is wonderful though hiccup-inducingly strong in the last 1/5 of the bowl. Obviously the heat was not due to the ribbon-cut but the moisture level. After this treatment, Cumberland needs to be treated with respect, but smokes cool and wonderfully full-flavoured, with a serious dose of Vitamin N. Upgraded to a full 4 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	7formy1911 (37)	2013-02-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

About 3 years ago I tried a few bowls of GL Pease Cumberland and promptly wrote it off as something that I don't like at all. I don't know if it was my mood, the pipe was too small or ghosted as to wash out the flavor or I just hadn't developed a good sense of what tobaccos I really enjoy. I suppose we can just chalk it up to being a curmudgeon. In the three years since I've tried Cumberland I've gone away from English and latakia blends and moved squarely into all burley blends. Particularly I favor burley, Virginia and perique in some combination along with maybe some unsweetened black cavendish and/or just a pinch of latakia. Old Joe Krantz is my go to blend and since I've been hooked on it I've smoked little else until lately.

I was going through my old reviews of pipe tobacco and was curious what other burley blends were out there that had a combination of burley, Viriginia and perique. I came across Cumberland again and thought "hmmmm, I don't know... I really didn't like that stuff." Luckily my stubbornness prevailed and figured I didn't give it a fair shot. I ordered a couple of tins and I've been smoking it exclusively in a Custombilt bent pot. I don't know what it is about Custombilts but they are the finest burley burning implement ever created. It may be the bowl geometry and the briar but I suppose that's another discussion. On to the tobacco...

There's a very nice earthy scent from the tin with very faint hints of fruity perique. The color is a mottled brown appearance and nothing too noteworthy or attractive. I do get just the faintest hint of that old Kentucky with what seems a very faint scent of smoke. Fantastic smelling stuff and I had my wife smell it who instantly recoiled because of the faint smell of smoke (she absolutely abhors latakia). Loading is easy: just dry out a bit to your preferred moisture level, fill to the top of the pipe and then tap and add more 'baccy to the pipe until it needs just a gentle tamp. It takes to light very easily and burns like a champ with no fuss.

The taste is robust with plenty of flavor and smoke to go with it. There is a slightly sweet, nutty taste that is the main player followed by the dark Kentucky. The perique comes only in whispers and is more an underpinning that helps add interest. One item of note is that the Kentucky adds a tone much like Petersons Irish Flake but not as forward as Irish Flake. There is no tongue bite to speak of.

Overall this is wonderful blend. In fact I liked it so much I've ordered 6 tins for the cellar and there will be more in the future. I haven't been very enamored with any of the other Pease blends that I've tried but this one is definitely an interesting burley blend that Mr. Pease has done masterfully.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-10-03		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I had high hopes for this given the description and even after opening the tin. It smelled great. However, it leaves the nastiest taste on my tongue, like a ashy film on it that stays even after i stop smoking. It must be a PH thing because it does not feel like it is just the tobacco, but almost like a chemical reaction. I have never had any other tobacco do that. Has any one else had this experience?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-08-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Good, gooood toby. Lightly sweet, nutty. A hint of fruit, pepper and smoke. Tin note reminds me a bit of a McClelland. Strong, but not belligerant. Treat it with respect and you will be richly rewarded. Great in the ole cob. This could become an all day favorite.

Cumberland in a MM Diplomat, a glass of Buffalo Trace bourbon, and Ken Burn's "Baseball:. I love America!

Update: Ordered this in bulk and found the overwhelming tomato catsup of a McC produt. Won't do that again! Minus one star.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DavidP (25)	2012-07-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great tin aroma as it has a strong, sour leathery note that immediately reminds me of corn silage. It has a very well-rounded flavor of sweet graham cracker and wheat bread with spicy perique on top.

I have a February 2011 tin and its moisture level is perfect. Agreeable cut which is east to light.

This isn't an overwhelming tobacco but rather a pleasant, nuanced smoke. Well worth a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2012-07-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If you like a Kentucky-based blend, you need to give this a try; for me that was the predominate note, the rest adding some interest. This worked best in a cob for me. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not too often.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2012-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

"The coda is lovely and lingering - a perfect finish to a rich performance. Best savored slowly".

Take note. These words couldn't be more true. Be sure and smoke it slow and there will be plenty of enjoyment attached to it. A little perique goes a long way.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2011-11-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Superb flavour. I like burley and vapers so this was a no brainer. Very smooth and mildly sweet the whole way to the bottom. My only criticism would be that if you are not attentive it does require a few relights. A small price to pay for such fine tobacco. Medium nicotine and would make a great all day smoke if you can afford it. Softer than straight VA's that i love, so makes a good alternative if your a bit tender in the mouth from to much pipeing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I pick up more of the Virginia flavor than do I of the burley. That makes it quite a sweet smoke with a spicy topnote that occasionally will see some nutty burley poke through.

The perique, for my taste, is barely heard from in the smoke, appreciable only through the musty tin aroma and occasional similar note in the mid to bottom of the bowl.

Great smoke, though. Well-rounded,transforms from top to bottom, and could be an all-day smoke. I didn't get the nicotine blast that some did, apparently.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-07-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This tobacco never lets you forget that you are indeed smoking! Its bold and edgy. The burley is the dominant player, and the perique is present. The Virginias in this blend are awesome! My tin was four years old, which certainly will make the Virginias sweeter, and it is an interesting dance between the bright and spicy, and the sweet and creamy. At the end of the day, I'm just not a big fan of Burley.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-06-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Very interesting blend right out of the tin. The burleys, accented by the perique,seem to dominate most of the time, but every now and again the virginia sweet edge takes center stage. Although I am not generally a burley fan, I really enoyed it in this blend, probably because the perique makes itself known most of the time. I'll take the advidce of others who say it improves with age, and set some aside for awhile. In the meantime, three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend was easy going, and worked toward the smoothly nicotine leaden finish very gently. Cumberland is a calm smoke, for those how love a relaxed midday pipe full of goodness.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

One of my favorites.I start my day with it and as my last smoke of the day has to be a strong one , Cumberland is a go to.

While strong it won't "cover" the sweetness and taste of this tobacco as sometimes strenght won't make it possible to discern any taste, this is not the case of Cumberland.

Another great GLP blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a nice choice for all day smoking if you like the Va-Per blends. The complexity of the flavors is well balanced. It offers a medium nicotine dosage. Packs very well and burns easily. Even if you smoke this fast it won't hurt you. Burley is smokiness. Virginias are mature and flavorful. Perique adds its usual peppery strongness.

It is just another masterfuly prepared blend from GL Pease.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-06-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Now THIS mixture is full and rich. Cumberland begins strong and ends in damn near overkill. I like that! It reminds me very much of Cairo in that respect, and I find many similarities between the blends, particularly the tin note, which reeks almost of a McClelland Virginia, sour like vinegar--though Cumberland lacks the sweetness of Cairo, which does have a topping. My tin, dated February 2007, was packed tight, all the way to the brim, more so than any Pease blend I've tried, and not particularly damp, either. The ribbon, cut thin, the tobaccos deep red and populated sparsely by the Perique.

People have remarked of the dominant nature of the Burley in this blend. To me, the Virginia stands out more, and it is the Kentucky that almost mutes the sugar in Cumberland. Yet, I don't get that dominant nutty flavor from the Burley, and perhaps that is a consequence of the aging. I confess to have a difficult time with the leaf, though I can't find anything offensive here (I despise that Prince Albert, and I know he is a favorite of the Burley genre.) This one builds, right to end and will knock you on the floor if smoked first in the morning--though I imagine it would go very well with a bitter coffee. For me, Cumberland works best as an occasional smoke, for those times I want to get slapped in the face.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a very interesting tobacco to me. It feels full and the taste I find gratifying after a meal especially. The Kentucky in this wonderful orchestration of tobaccos gives it fullness and Virginias sneak in some sweetness when smoked slowly. Go to G.L. Pease's site and learn about 'Breath Smoking'. It seems to accomodate Cumberland rather well. The Perique tweaks an aftertaste that keeps me looking for another bowl. I'm gonna rate this one at THREE stars. Taken for what it is it's a acceptable smoke. It's lights and fills very easily and dried out just a bit it becomes even better. The room note has given me no complaints from my wife or daughter. No flavorings noticed but real tobacco combination from Mr. Pease provides true tobacco taste. If I want to taste rum I drink rum, if fruit is what I'm after I eat fruit. If I'm yearning for a full tasty smoke I'm finding this one is disappearing fastest of my on hand selection and that's about six different tobaccos. This one is a no nonsense blend that I'll probably order more of.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2010-04-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Cumberland is a high quality mixture featuring Kentucky with nice Virginias to provide sweetness and a pinch of Perique for spice. Very enjoyable, but my palate keeps asking for more virginias in this tobacco. Nice burning qualities.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2010-02-04		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just love this, I smoked my 2oz tin in a week, a classic American blend unmatched by any European blender today. For me it jumped to and fro from the Burley (Kentucky) and VA's as you smoked it, but the burley always dominating most. But if you love burley and VA's and don't like a casing AND want some nicotine this fits the bill on all four counts. Simply put a classic American blend in a great understated way...my favorite of Greg's blends so far....and lots more to try. Just good honest tobacco here.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-01-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Cumberland is a rustic mixture, consisting primarily of fired Kentucky, perique and Virginia. In the tin, it's dry and the small flecks smell of a pile of raked leaves fermenting sweetly, and load easily. You can tumble them into your bowl, lightly knock the side of the pipe and they settle perfectly, allowing more room for another load. The first few bowls smoke like a parfait. The fired kentucky is the principle that alternates with heavy hits of perique. After the tin was open for a week, the flavors seemed to meld and burn together harmoniously. The room note is musty and there is a subtle, elusive sweetness that you can never chase down. It presents itself when and only when most appropriate. Cumberland's nearest cousin would be Old Joe Krantz. If you enjoy OJK, I predict you will enjoy this. The main difference is the type of burley used and OJK, to me, is a bit stronger in nicotine.

If latakia, is synonymous with “English” tobacco, the fired kentucky makes this blend decidedly “American” in the same manor. It is smoky, and delicious and evokes all the common pleasures of the North American wilderness. The marketing copy on the tin is a bit highfalutin for this blend taking its vocabulary from the dressy halls of classical music. I think the rustic imagery of wagon wheels, log cabins and campfires would be more appropriate. But whatever sells cumberland is fine with me. For, in spite of its pastoral nose and flavor, Cumberland is a sophisticated blend that would appeal to the snob and the farm-hand alike. I highly recommend this tobacco. There is more of it in my future.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr. Scott (82)	2009-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not my number one, but it is in the rotation and in the cellar. I found it to be average in nicotine content. The 'Kentucky' provides a change of pace, and it is considerably milder than my usual VaPers. Those of us from Southern Appalachia will recognize the unique American character of this blend. It reminds me of home. I don't know if Pease chose the name and then concocted the blend, or vice versa, or maybe he was just looking for a name that meant "Kentucky" to him, but it is exactly what one would expect on the Cumberland plateau in north Alabama. Smells like what the little ol' ladies in the hollows smoke in their cobs.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2009-10-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

My tin was aged and pretty dry when I opened it. A nice Kentucky-based offering that is not too strong. Did tickle my throat a bit. This had a wonderful complex flavor to it, but completely natural. Might have been better if there had been a little moisture left in the tin when I opened it-this style of tin does tend to dry out with aging, so if I ever buy any of this in a younger vintage I will transfer it to a jar as soon as I open it. I also think I would prefer it as a flake or coarser cut since it seemed to burn fast, but this may just be because it was so dry.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	newmission (14)	2009-05-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

I found a 2 oz. tin a few years ago that smoked fantastic and it made me feel like there was still hope. After a year I finally ordered an 8 oz. tin and was quite depressed that the flavor was not the same. Lid on and stored away for 2 months I packed a bowl and found the old friend again. I suggest that this tobacco be allowed to breath a little before smoking in order to enjoy the full flavor. The full flavor and consistant burn is a joy to smoke. I think every smoker should sample this great American treasure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2009-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've finished a tin dated from Nov. '05. When bought, it had a solid three years in the tin.

I have to say that this had to grow on me a bit. At first it was way too much burley. But the other components did sing the right notes, so I kept on trying it once in awhile to touch base and acclimate to the burley level. There was never any doubt in my mind that the Kentucky was of the highest quality, I just don't generally care for a predominate burley flavor in my smoke. I find that it tends to overpower most of the things it's paired with.

After a few months, I did fall victim to it's siren song. The strong Kentucky is something that I look forward to from time to time. It has a very different taste after the 20 odd years of age. Rounder and more able to match well with the Virginia and the Perique. It did take awhile to adjust my palate to the assertveness, but this is some very tasty stuff. No place for a novice to begin, but for the more experienced smoker, a delight.

The vitamin N level is exactly where I like it. The flavor of all components marry well and I think if you are a burley lover, this will be your cup of tea. It just took me alittle longer to appreciate it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-13		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update: Reaffirming my 4 star rating here. This is pure tobacco joy. The age of the Kentucky has to be a major factor, and i fear this will soon go the way of the do-do bird. Take the time to learn the nuances here, and fall in love with a rare and wonderful treat of American homegrown.

Well, I am going to jump on the Yay's for this one. I loaded up a bowl from a freshly opened tin from 2007. I haven't tasted a tobacco quite like this one. It has a very complex layering, though there is nothing in your face except the nicotine punch. I suppose it's the Kentucky that I am finding so damn delicious. I DO get nice subtle sweetness form the Virginia that prepares me for the next puff. I guess this is what an American tobacco is all about. As for the cigarette comments; I guess this would make a very delicious one, as American ciggy's ARE the best in the world.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colt25314 (42)	2009-04-07		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

In my humble opinion, this is a great example of how an all American blend should taste. I find Cumberland to be very smooth and soothing. I may be in the minority when I state I find this to be a great all day smoke. I have been smoking this for several months in various size pipes and find it delightful &, thankfully bite free. I also find it very similar to Three Friars by C&D (another fine blend). While Cumberland may not be as interesting or subtle as some of Mr. Pease's other blends, a la Hado?s, it is a consistent straightforward smoke sure to please burley and Virginia fans. In this regard, it is unequivocally the best of its sort I have ever tried. It burns well, does not get overly hot and delivers all the flavors one could expect. If you are looking for subtle nuances as you proceed down the bowl look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a consistent satisfying all natural Virginia and burley blend you need look no further. In short, this is an amazingly straightforward blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Backwoods Piper (70)	2009-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have made it a habit to date all my tobacco when I store it away in my cellar. I was taking an inventory of my tobacco stores recently and ran across a 2 oz. tin of Cumberland. The date on the bottom of this tin is 7/05. I have been smoking it all week at work and have been in heaven since the first pipeful. This is a nice full bodied smoke that has many layers of flavors and complex characteristics. This is a truly magnificent blend of crinkle cut Kentucky burly, sweet Virginia's and a splash of peppery perique. This tobacco starts off nice and sweet on the light up. When enjoyed slowly it mellows to a nice full nutty smoke with cigar like overtones that is sure to satisfy the mature pipe smoker. The finish is a crescendo of spice and pepper form the perique. This is definitely not an all day smoke and deserves quiet contemplation while smoking. It is my experience most full flavored tobacco's improve with age. I am sure Cumberland is no exception to this belief. However I have never had the opportunity to smoke any that was not well aged. Nice work Greg! Four Stars.....

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2008-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Quite the controversial blend eh? I have smoked cigarettes for years and don't see any similarities between cigarettes and Cumberland as some reviewers note.

Yes, it needs to be savored slowly as Mr. Pease recommends; however, that is sound advice for many pipe tobaccos. I have tried the current tin (a little over a year old) in a small Kaywoodie white briar apple, a Peterson 999 Donegal and a brand "new" 1989 Savinelli POY. It is delightful in all three.

A dedicated pipe may be a good idea or at least a pipe that is dedicated to Virginia/Burley/Perique only and small to medium bowls sizes work best for me.

I like it a lot and give it 3 1/2 stars. I guess that rounds up to 4 on this site.

I have 10 tins that have been in my cellar for as long as 6 years. I am hoping for sublime results as it ages.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I can't decide whether I like this blend or whether I hate it. The description is nearly spot on so you will get what you expect, and perhaps that makes this review a bit unfair. I've been smoking the same 100g tin for two years and it hasn't improved or changed since I first opened it. As a part-time cigarette smoker I find myself reaching for this when I need a 'fix' and I'll tell you why: It tastes a lot like cigarette tobacco modified for the pipe. When I want a cool smoking pipe tobacco with "Pure, natural tobacco flavors harmonized by delicate arpeggios and underscored by deep, resonant tones" I'll try something else. Sorry, but this one should be sold with papers so you can roll your own.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-10-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Smoke slow, maybe in a cob, good smoke, dont rush it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-06-07		Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This tobacco smells very musty in the tin (as described by many other reviewers). I can tell it is very high quality tobacco, but it just does not have any taste/character to me. It is pure unadulterated tobacco, which is a good thing, but it tastes like I'm smoking ashes. The burley (which is not listed in the description above) comes thru now & then, but I can taste no virginia, nor perique. However, it has a knockout nicotine punch!! This tobacco is very similar to Samuel Gawith 1792 flake.

I'm gonna stuff some cigarettes with it because it has a long ribbon cut which is very injector friendly.

It's just not my cup of tea as a pipe tobacco.

2-stars only

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-02-29		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm joining the "nays" on this one. To me, this is a nauseating burley, described adequately by other negative reviews. Moldy, dusty crawl-space is the feeling I get. Good marketing, though I don't know what to do with the extra tin. Perhaps a swap - I sure won't smoke it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The first tin I tried of this tobacco was about three years ago. It tasted like a straight ahead burley blend with no real surprises. I made it through half a tin but just couldn't handle the harshness. Tried it again just recently and made my way through a few bowls before I gave the the tin away. Harsh and hot smoking and well, it's just burley! I can't recommend his blend because if one wants a simple burley tobacco, there are plenty available that won't burn so hot.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-19		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

First time I tried this was after the Second Memphis pipe show. On the way to Alabama I packed a pipe and lit it up and said ackk? this tastes like stale cigarette tobacco. I tried a few more bowls and was underwhelmed. Recently I cracked a tin that was a few years old to give it another ride and yippy. It is quite good after about 3 years of age. It is slightly sweet, spicy with the cliche rich nutty burley taste. The strength is still there but I kind of like the occassional butt whooping that strong blends provide. There are woody notes and the occassional bit of sourness. This is a very good blend, given enough age. The aroma is not exactly friendly for those who do not like tobacco however. If you like burley, perique, and virginia score a few tins and put them down. I don't, however, suggest trying this before it gets some age, it might scare you off.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-16		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I was not a huge fan of the tin aroma but I really could care less, its whats in the pipe that counts. Packing was a breeze; I used a rather large Viprati for the entire tin and for one reason or another I really just liked filling the pipe with this stuff. The nicotine, for me, was quite overwhelming especially in tandom with the large pipe. The smoke was musty, sweet, and very thick in a good way. It was also very easy to keep lit from beginning to end. There wasn't a great deal of variance however, the pipe accounts for that with its very wide bowl. All in all this stuff is a solid pipe tobacco not my favorite but agian it is something I deffinetly will be coming back to.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I'm sure I'm missing something with this tobacco,as I have just sampled it once. I bought the tin totally because of the name Cumberland and the Ky tobacco in it. Good enough reason. Upon opening the tin I noticed an aroma I had known before, but it wasn't until I was half way throught the bowl did I remember the scent. Snuff or Dip, like Skoal and Copenhagen. I also picked up the aroma of cigarette tobacco. This kinda turned my stomach, as I am not fond of either. Hence the pipe. With so many of my favorite tobaccos on hand, It's hard to go back to this right now. When I do, if the update warrants change I'll make note. Best savored slowly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2006-11-18		Strong	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This tobacco reminded me of C&D's Easy Times, only with no latakia. I wonder if this is the same aged burley used in ET, as it has a similar effect -- the taste seems extraordinarily muted to me, to the extent that I can't detect much in the way of flavor. A lot of folks obviously enjoy this, but I was somewhat disappointed. The quality of the tobaccos is obviously high, but it wasn't for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

An excellent blend for those who wish a change from a pure virginia or VaPer. I am not a burley fan, but Cumberland does not come close to your standard "nutty" burley blend. The aged Kentuckys supply a unique spiciness; not like perique, but more of a dry pleasant natural smokiness. Sip Cumberland slowly and do not allow it to start roasting away. Cumberland is expecially nice on a hot summer afternoon whilst relaxing. This is a tobacco I enjoy freshly made or aged.

aj

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

10/23/10 I've been smoking Cumberland for 8 years now. I like it more than ever, and as my tins age they just get better and better. It's one of the most satisfying blends in my rotation. If you like Cumberland, you might like to try C&D Easy Times. It is similarly satisfying with the addition of some latakia as a condiment. If my taste buds are not deceiving me it shares the same Kentucky with Cumberland. I increased the strength rating to medium to strong from medium.

06/24/06 I have to increase my recommendation of Cumberland. Over the past couple of years I have come to appreciate Cumberland very much. The depth of the Kentucky really is special, but the skillful blending and the synergy of the components is what makes this my favorite Pease blend. I now smoke this much more than the burley blends I mentioned in 2003. Moreover, I have had a chance to smoke some Cumberland that has been aged for 2 or 3 years. It's really wonderful. I'm stocking up on the 8 oz. tins.

04/12/03 It has taken me about 8 months to finish my first tin of Cumberland. This is a tobacco that requires your full attention; it will bite you if you're not careful. I don't believe I have another blend in my rotation that has burley, VA, and perique, or at least one where the burley is the dominant tobacco; too bad, it's a great combination.

Cumberland is dominated by the nutty burley flavor. The Virginia adds a little sweetness, and the perique adds spice. It has a nice nicotine hit that I enjoy, also. Even though the burley dominates, I smoke it more like a Virginia, nice and slow.

I reach for burley blends quite often. But for some reason, I don't reach for Cumberland as often as Wilke's Nut Brown Burley or Barbary Coast. It could be that Cumberland is a demanding tobacco and I often smoke burley in a cob when I'm working in the yard or wrenching on the motorcycle.

That being said, Cumberland is a wonderful blend and I'll buy more.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-25		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Okay quick note; more to come. Bit of advice, the last note on the Tin Description "Best savored slowly." Yes, savor slowly in your coolest pipe, preferably a corn cob. This is a bear and will turn you off totally in a large VA or English pipe. Make sure you have time to savor how this blend develops and it pays off. Also, no tongue bite until the end then you end up with a peppery finish. I thought originally this was a Virginia blend, it is not, it's a Burley blend of which I'm not a fan of.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have had a tin of this in my cellar for three years now and just opened it the other day. The tin aroma is incredible! sweetness and a slight musty smell are first noticed. This is a fairly strong blend in the nicotine department. The perique is noticable but not overwhelming. The virginias used are top quality. I like the addition of the Kentucky, it rounds and mellows the whole blend. Great representation of the old American blend tobaccos!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	butman (50)	2006-03-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, here we go with a Haddo's spinoff with a lot of Kentucky burley added. The can aroma is great. I am going to put the can away for a year and see if it gets better. I like Haddo's and I like burley blends, but there is something lost here in this new can.

There seems to be a recurring theme among the GL Pease family of VA/P blends including Stratford, Telegraph Hill and Lombard. I like all of these better than Cumberland, but time improves all of the others so we shall see. Won't buy another can for a year or so.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cumberland... what can I say... wow! Levels, and levels... a truly subtle smoke that one can still smoke and enjoy a good book while "tasting" it. I know that makes no sense, but you will have to try it to understand. The Va and Per. are old hat for me but these are very nice and have a sweet "dancy" nature on the tongue that is very refreshing. Not like some that can be in the realm of stewed fruit... I like that too... this is just different. The burley, 20 year aged in mahogany... and it is in there binding all of the flavors while conducting this journey wonderfully. It builds, so half-way down to the end you start to get a much richer experience without ever a tanic, acrid, acidic or overpowering note from any one player. I will be taking more time with this one. BTW... I agree with Kilted on the particulars of the smoking experience, so I will save you the recap. I will say that it reminds me of a truly good cigar, one that does not overpower the palette.

Namaste'

Robert

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have been smoking Cumberland off and on for the past year. I am now smoking a year old can. I think there is a real difference between a new can and a year old can here. In most cases a well aged can really improves the quality of the blend. In the case of Cumberland I actually get the impression I am smoking a whole new blend. The sweetness of the Virginia is now playing second fiddle to the Kentucky and the Perique. I am one to enjoy the sweetness of the a nice Virginia no matter what the cut or the curing type. I really love the way a Virginia/Perique blend changes in flavor as I smoke down the bowl. In a fresh can of Cumberland I can really notice this. The Kentucky will play off the Virginia at the top of the bowl, and all settles in a wonderful meld toward the bottom. My aged supply seems to lose this. This is one tobacco that I prefer new as opposed to aging. The Perique seems to be the dominant factor here. I love Perique as it is supposed to be: a condiment tobacco. After the first third of the bowl that is all I taste! I am a smoker of English blends most often, but always find refuge in a nice quality Virginia/Perique blend to wile away my leisure time outside in my garden on a pleasant afternoon. IMHO I will stick with in the direction of a blend like Astley's No. 55 Elizabethan. I have yet to write a review about that blend, but I will give it a hands down approval over Cumberland whether it be new or aged, Periqued, or not. I really appreciate Greg Pease's skills as a blender. Give me Haddo's Delight for strength, complexity, and pleasure. Maybe it's the addition of the Black Cavendish that makes it over the Kentucky for that subtle back note.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

There I was, completely nude, skipping and jumping through the Kentucky hillsides. My chubby body was flailing about as I danced in a daze through the vast fields of tobacco. Scents of wildflowers and fresh honey filled the air. All of a sudden, a farmer appeared and blasted me square in the buttocks with a shotgun filled with bacon rinds! My sweet ass was ablaze, but I cared not. I was smoking Cumberland!

As a side note, this is fantastic tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2005-09-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not one of my favorite Pease blends, but still better than other brands of similar tobacco content. The burley stands out most for me. I smoke this in the evening after a meal, with a strong ale or bourbon. Not an everyday smoke for my palate, but I can see and appreciate how some folks can really like this. By the way, mine was in the tin 7 months before opened. It was a springy, multicolored ribbon tobacco, full smell with a background of sweetness, and perfect moisture content.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-08-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is maybe the best tobacco I've tried as far as leaf quality, really exceptional, but I didn't like it a lot. It's that "toasted" flavour that blows off when you open the tin and you find when you smoke it too. It's full enough to be an evening smoke, with a kentucky punch that leads throughout the bowl, supported by the VA and the Perique in the first part, while in the second the Lousiana tobacco surrounds the VA-K interplay. Sure one to try out, but not my cup of tea.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

08/16/05

-- This is by far my favorite burley based blend to date. It is luxuriously textured, sweet, cigar like and bitter - all in the best possible ways.

I don't smoke it often - but instead treat it as a special weed to be pulled out when I am in the mood to really sit and relax and enjoy.

---

Having ventured deep into Pease's Balkan imagination, I was reluctant yet anxious to try his attempt at "Americana".

An aged and dry sample yielded only minimal heat and nip. Though I see how a raw sample could rival Haddo's in its ability to scorch the mouth. I smoked it slow, over a few hours - and was led through an amazing array of fruity, nutty, sweet, spicey and earthy tones. I didn't get the cigar notes until the end, and then found them exquisite.

It has some similarity to one of my other new favorites: Three Friars by C+D, yet is considerably more complex in flavor variation. I am not sure I will exactly smoke this regularly, but I think I will order a few bits to keep in stock and savor it slowly. Rated high due to fantastic quality and qualities.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-08-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After smoking GLP's Montgomery all summer, I returned to my tin of Cumberland for a second round. Both have Virginia and Kentucky (leaves that I love, and especially the Kentucky leaves used in each) but Cumberland has the inevitable perique. Damn. I gotta see if my genes can be altered so I can taste it like most other smokers apparently taste it.

I agree with previous reviewers: smoke this SLOW, like Greg instructs on the label. The intended character is brought out: a really nice VA/burley taste that isn't at all harsh or biting and is what I sought when I bought it. Cumberland, I think, is the primo mixture for training new pipers: puff it hard and you get punished, like a shocking anti-bark collar for dogs.

When smoked as instructed, the perique becomes tolerable to me like it does in Barbary Coast and Cairo. My only fault with this mix is that I don't want a didactic smoke. I want one that I can puff without special attention. True, most all my favorite smokes are at their best smoked slowly. I just tire of Cumberland's jolts when I forget.

Back to Montgomery for me. If you are the type to put additional perique in everything, you'd probably like this a lot.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-12-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Several previous reviews have been disenchanted by the heat/toungue bite from this tobacco. I am a novice pipe smoker and I too was disappointed by my first bowl of this blend. However... I have found that it simply takes a careful pack and light to extract the best from it and with a little care you will see the Dr.Jekyll come through instead of Mr Hyde. The can doesn't lie when it says 'best enjoyed slowly'! SLOOOW puffing is mandatory for a smooth smoke that reveals all the different layers to be enjoyed. I went through three matches before I found the natural rhythm of this blend, I'll probably let it dry out a touch next time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Boy did I expect to like this one. I've enjoyed several Pease blends and I enjoy a few savory burleys and Va's that contain burley. Alas, this was a big disappointment. The boiled peanut tin aroma was not off-putting, albeit weird. The Va's seemed an afterthought. The touted burley was both flat and flavorless. The perique without a flavor-foil seemed almost vulgar. My review is based on an 8 month old tin so the biting tendencies noted by many were non-existent in my try. The antithesis of the cased and aromatic burley, Barbary Coast, but even that isn't enough to make me buy more of this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-11		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This has a delicate, nutty flavor. It burns well and delivers moderate amounts of smoke. Burley, Burley, Burley it is, with a touch of sweetness and ethereal Perique-osity.

Good for resting the palate from heavier Perique blends, but be wise: this can "do you in" with a nicotine punch on an empty stomach.

I have experienced some problem keeping this lit...

Maybe I'll keep a tin around when I have a whim. I cannot imagine it as my all-day companion.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-01		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I find this tobacco to bear some resemblance to Cairo and Haddo's Delight, but with some distinctive differences. The golden hues of the leaves, with mahogany bits here and there, are very nice, and the tin aroma is gentle, sweet, nutty and earthy. The taste is a cross between the virginia nuances of Haddo's and the earthiness of Barbary Coast: at first I found it rather sweet, but after a few bowls the earthy tones and the citrus notes seem in good balance. The sweetness seems a bit less evident, too. It is definitely a blend which requires attention and a slow smoking pace: I think it gives its best in a huge-ish pipe, paying attention to all the subtle earthy notes given by the kentucky. Alas, I personally think it gives some tongue bite and that I can't always get all the taste I would like. But probably it is due to my inclination towards english mixtures rather than virginia blends. As I am not a great fan of Haddo's, I am not of this one either, but there's definitely something here that will appeal to a broad category of smokers. Give it a try!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mainspring (27)	2004-08-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This seems to be a well aged tobacco with an herb-like spice. It burns cool with no sweetness at all. Maybe I am not one for Kentucky tobacco. I'm not sure. I do know that I will not be trying this again. There is just something about it that does not agree with me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2004-07-15		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

As Rob-at-home noted, ?It doesn't contain cigar leaf, but its character is very close to that of a strong, spicy, Honduran handrolled.? I, too, find it to have a cigar-like quality, similar to C&D Gray Ghost that does contain cigar leaf, yet still stronger than Gray Ghost. You had better be sitting down when you light this up for the first time or it will knock you down. As other have stated, smoking it slowly may still may result in tongue bite. I found this to be true. I had to DGT bowls of this blend in all of the pipes it was smoked. Regardless, this is a delightful tobacco with complex flavors and cigar like undertones that weave in and out. Give this tobacco your full attention. It is too strong for me to be considered an all day or even an occasional smoke. I will not downrate this tobacco because of its strength. If you want a full strength, full-bodied smoke, try Cumberland. It is best after a full meal. I will age some of this to see if it mellows. Be patient with Cumberland and go easy.

I rate this tobacco 9.0 out of 10

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-06-13		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

This is a blend that I first put off after having smoked it about a year ago and having a bad experience with it. I am glad I revisited it! The very first time I smoked this it was hot and not very flavorful ,harsh and unforgiving. The 13 or 14 months of age made this blend do a complete 180. The negative qualities that at first made me detest this blend have disapeared. This is a very good burley blend with some virginia and perique. The emphasis is on the burley however, the virginia and perique are detectable and very much a good addition to this blend. I highly recommend this blend to burley lovers or those who who like to try a high quality burley blend. Be sure that the tin has at least a years worth of age on it though or you might be highly disappointed as was I at first.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	alfredo_buscatti (9)	2004-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In this blend I find the Mahogany vying with the Virginias, it?s earthy element present in every puff, albeit in much smaller proportion than in other burley blends I?ve smoked such as Old Joe Krantz. This Mahogany also goes by another name??20 year-old fire cured Kentucky burley??which Craig Tarler stated was the same tobacco used in his blend ?Easy Times.? Whatever it?s name, the Cumberland Mahogany is expertly blended, never taking control but a coequal partner to the Virginias. Regarding the Virginias, my palette is not yet sufficiently sophisticated to separate the red and matured Virginias, but their presence is undeniable, also coequal to the Mahogany. The Perique adds zest but with a gentle hand.

Blended as they are, these tobacco strains yield a blend with finesse, as do other Pease blends; but this blend is different, an effort to incorporate the Mahogany without letting it dominate, matching its dark tones with the midrange notes of the Virginias, and then adding just enough Perique to enliven the show. Pease complexity, for me, does not occur with Cumberland as it does, for instance, with Renaissance; that is, the different tobacco strains do not in variable order make their presence known, coming to the fore and then receding as the next tobacco makes its appearance. Rather, it is the totality of these strains all present at once, rendered with a masterful hand, that makes me label it superbly balanced, that gives the blend an elegance and refinement.

I do find that the blend is best smoked slowly; also, the tobacco I?m smoking is as at least six months old. Straight from the tin the Mahogany can have an astringent quality. I feel this blend needs 6-12 months of aging before smoking, and this review is based on a batch of this blend with 12 months of age.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-05-03		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Cumberland is the most recent stop on my journey to taste all of the available Pease blends. This is the first time out for this particular combination of tobaccos.

Having read the reviews here, I was a bit surprised at my experience. On the initial light, there was a sweet Va flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. Soon thereafter, the Va was overtaken by the Burley. The nutty flavor of the Burley not only shoved the Va to the background, it hogged the stage most of the time, hardly letting me know that the Perique was there at all.

This is not to say tat the blend was one-dimensional ? it wasn?t. But the balance was too much in favor of the Burley to make it a favorite for me.

Overall, the taste was light and pleasant. The room note was Burley all the way. When the ride was over, I found nothing but a fine white ash in the very dry bowl. I was careful, trying to learn from the mistakes of other, and due to this, I felt no bite whatsoever.

In the end, this wasn?t a blend that left me thinking ?wow, I want another bowl right now? ? it was more of a ?well that was nice, I?ll do it again sometime?.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Horse Bodotes (19)	2004-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

About a year ago I purchased a can of Cumberland tobacco from my local B&M. Based upon reviews here and on ASP I was expecting a great smoke.

Well, Cumberland just didn't ring my bell. The leaf looked and smelled fine, altough it was a bit wet. Upon lighting up, it just didn't work for me. The flavors didn't marry well, and I found it to be a hard smoke: wet and producing severe tongue bite no matter how hard I tried to smoke it gently. After half a dozen bowls, I sealed it up and put it away in my "chalk it up to experience" pile.

A year or so later I am poking around the bowels of my tobacco cabinet looking for something different to smoke one evening, and I rediscover the can of Cumberland. Would I, could I, should I subject myself to this abuse again, I wonder in trepidation? I put on a brave face and load a bowl...

Wow, did I pick up the wrong can or what? This stuff is fantastic. Much drier and darker than previously, the smoke is sweet and smooth with deep, complex flavors that compliment each other well. I am usually not a big Burley fan but it works for me in this blend, adding a dimension to the Virginias that I really enjoy. I am going to order some Cumberland in bulk and put it up for a year or so.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-11-14		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This has become one of my favorite tobaccos! Great VA/Perique flavors, with a nutty burley in the background lending a bit of body. The burn is perfect leaving a gray/white ash and dry bowl. It can nip you if pushed, but smoked slow it is heavenly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-09-17		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I know that when I think about tinkering with a new blend that it is not for me. After two bowls of Cumberland, that is where my mind began to wander. "Whmm, I wonder if some of my aged McClelland X-10 Burly would cool this off?"

I had such high hopes. A blend containing 20 year old Mahogany Kentucky, Virginia and Perique. How could it go wrong? Except for an occasional digression, I smoke nothing but Virginia/Perique blends. I've developed a technique that handles them very nicely.

But it was not to be for Cumberland and me. It scorched the roof of my mouth and torched my tongue. Another try, then another, each time smoking oh so slowly and carefully was of no avail. And this is all rather tragic. The tobacco has a very intriguing scent in the tin. The odor of the smoke it generates is quite pleasant in the air. But those ancillary benefits are not worth parbroiling my mouth. Maybe I will try taming it with some home blending.

But why pay $10 a tin just to end up piddling around with the blend. That is the job of the blending master, not the smoker.

I do not plan to revisit this tobacco. ADDENDUM: I relented and did it. I brought out my pound of McClelland X-10. It has been aging for close to a year. The age did good things. I mixed it half/half with the Cumberland. It softened and smoothed out the Cumberland considerably.

McClelland descirbes X-10 thusly:

"A beautiful Tennessee Burley ribbon, naturally rich and nutty in flavor, complemented with a touch of North Carolina Bright Virginia for balance. No added aroma. This is as natural a Burley as you will ever see."

The Cumberland no longer fries my tongue and the roof of my mouth. It is milder, smoother, with a touch of sweetness that was not there. Some of the complexities of Cumberland are still there. But it is a different tobacco now. I can smoke it. I am not going to buy more Cumberland to create more of my home mix. The Holy Grail of tobacco it is not. But I can smoke and enjoy it now.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-09-17		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I generally like full flavored blends but this one is a paradox to me. Upon opening the tin, you are greeted by delicious smelling brown leaf in the typical short, broad ribbon-cut that most of the Pease blends come in. The quality of this blend is definitely apparent. Packing is easy, lighting is easy. I tried this in both small and large pipes but it just did not work for me.The room aroma is delicious, but I just could not get that flavor in my mouth. Instead, it was a little harsh and irritated my throat. I tried slow-puffing like I do with flakes, but still could not get the flavor. At the bottom of the bowl it got a little too ashy for my taste. I also experienced a lot of moisture, regardless of the pipe (three pipe cleaners worth!).I am almost tempted to roast it on my stove as a type of potpourri because of the delicious room-note, but alas, I will save this as a premium blender that I will mix with some syrian latakia and experiment. Rating 2.5 out of 5 points and yes, body chemistry is the probable culprit..Sorry... P.S. I did not experience tongue-bite with this blend even when I turned up the puffing to see if I could get that wonderful room-note in my mouth. Update:9-17-03. Well I still can not enjoy this blend as it is but let me tell you, this is a premium blender. I have mixed this with both cyprian and syrian latakia and a little turkish and wow! Excellent! At least I was able to save this from my potpourri roaster.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Upon opening my first 8 oz. pkg of this blend I removed about half the compressed portion and placed it into a plastic tray so that I could "Play" with it. First I loosened it up and ran my fingers through it. The feel indicated that the moisture level was fine for smoking without adjustment. Under the illumination of strong, direct lighting I saw...Brown! Medium brown, dark brown, and darker brown.well, no difficulty in that description. Putting my nose up close to the shards I recognized a bit of the musty aroma of Burley, the spice of Perique, and, oh, oh,...the sharp virginia odor which frequently spells "Tongue Bite" I hate Tongue Bite! It screws up all of my oral pleasures for days. But ya' can't make an omlet without the cooperation of a Chicken! And so even though I was a bit chicken, I charged my Wilke Papa Shaped pipe, did the charing/lighting thing and was off. And whatta' ya' know? This stuff was great! No bite! I tried puffing faster. No bite. Still faster...no bite! I stopped short of having the pipe itself ignite. Slowed down to a comfortably slow sipping technique and began to concentrate on the sensory attributes. The smoke has good body, mouthfilling, and burns very evenly after a few minutes. If you give it some attention you may smell/taste what I can only describe as "chocolate covered Cherry Cordial". Not in an aromatic way, but it I swear it must have brought back some kind of ancient memory from my formally "Fat" days. Very pleasant. The Perique seems to be condimental at best and peaks in and out as you smoke down the bowl. Decent Nicotine effect without being overbearing. Burns to a fluffy grey ash. At this point I've enjoyed this blend in 4 different pipes of various styles and has been a positive complement to each one. The description states "Best savored slowly". I beleive this is true, not to prevent it overheating, but rather not to miss the gentle and sometimes surprising flavors and aromas. You owe it to yourself to give a few oz.s a try. Love it or hate it or anywhere in between, I think you will find it to be a worthwhile experience. My grade - 86 out of 100!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Although I am a fancier of Virginia flakes, and have developed a slow, steady breath-regulated smoking technique, I have never been able to smoke Cumberland slow enough not to get bitten. Sometimes badly bitten. The taste of this blend, especially in the second half of the bowl, is wonderfully rich, complex, and sweet. It takes a light well and smokes like a dream. The aroma is terrific. But this blend just plain bites. Beware.

I'll note that when I first opened my tin, the tobacco was quite raw and and a very agressive biter. A month or so in the quiet room has calmed this stuff down some, and I've been able to smoke it, but I'm still wary and smoke it with caution. It may simply be that this tobacco needs a good six months or year of aging to calm down enough to smoke consistently well.

Given my personal fondness for Greg Pease, and his stellar record as a blender thus far, I'm more than willing to give this blend some time to mellow. I'll update this review as needed as I smoke increasingly older Cumberland. I am sure this blend has a sweet spot, and I'm patient.

08/02

Update 6/03: Ten month's age has mellowed Cumberland significantly. I can now smoke a bowl with pleasure, and possibly two in the same day, but by the middle of the second bowl, I'm feeling the beginnings of a cooked tongue. Cumberland is still a wonderfully tasty tobacco, but not one I can smoke often.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-05-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In the tin it has a mild, pleasant, pure American tobacco smell. It packs easily, though the shape of the 2oz. tin is such that one tends to end up with quite a bit of tobacco in one's lap. Lights and burns easily. The taste is pure clean Tobacco. There is also a subtle sweetness that one senses on the soft palette. I don't care for English blends much (latakia leaves me cold) and tend to hunt for latakia free pure tobacco blends. This one is a winner.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-03-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I enjoy smoking blends w/natural tastes and the earthy flavors of Cumberland are what I feel to be the high points of this blend. The taste reminds me of rich dark soil such as one might find in forests. This is a well-rounded smoke and the elements work well together. The VAs. do come to the fore but are not overly dominant. There's enough Perique to add some spice notes and the nutty Kentucky flavors balance the delicate sweetness of the VAs. keeping the taste fairly consistent nearly all the way down the bowl w/subtle variations in the sweet/spice/smoky notes along the way. Packs well, lights well, burns clean to gray ash. I can see where this could be a bit bitey but I had little problem in that department. Not much gurgle trouble, used a cleaner here and there over time smoking numerous bowls. Most of this tin is gone and there is another waiting in the cellar. Think I'm gonna hafta get a few more as well, ageing mellows the smoke nicely. And any tin of Gregs tobaccos I've ever opened has been full to the top so you're getting what you pay for...a packed tin. Keep your puffing cadence easy and enjoy this rich, tasty and robust American blend. Nice job Greg. Works for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-03-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If you like American blends, then you will surely want to try this one. I don't go in for huge doses of perique, and here it provides a perfect touch of spice and smokiness as a background to the natural sweetness of the other leaf. The tobacco is not overly complex and remains fairly constant throughout the smoke. It keeps up enough interest flavor-wise, and packs enough wallop for those of us with nicotine requirements, to merit a solid recommendation. This blend does tend to the hot side and a slow puffing cadence is advised. Out of the tin the weed is fairly dry, perfectly so, but you may want to stay with this one once its opened. I put some in the cellar as I'm sure it will age nicely. Comparisons can be misleading, I know, but...if you like Barbary Coast, imagine that blend with a shade more of perique and you're on your way to Cumberland!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-02-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just came in from smoking a bowl of this AWESOME tobacco outside, and raving about it on ASP. I KNEW it had VA and perique in it!

This is not a simple blend. These are VERY high-quality tobaccos blended in a wonderful proportion. The combination is like magic. The spiciness of the Periques is powerful, but not domineering at all. There's a faint nuttiness, and sweetness, but the VA's in this blend seem almost exotic. The melody is great (if I can be bold enough to use that word.) I guess I should say the "harmony" is great.

This is a fantastic blend, and I've sussed this after only one bowl... G.L. Pease, you're a master!

Daniel

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gae (46)	2003-01-06		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I found Cumberland very easy to get along with-nice & easy to pack & light.The taste doesn't jump up & bite you hard at all(But it's all there)Kentucky,Virginia & Perique.It's not weak but at the same time it has a pleasant suttleness to it,that give's you a nice smoke full of flavour without being boring at all.And you can taste all three tobacco's easily.It smoked clean & dry leaving a nice clean white ash.Definitely no tongue bite to me.I tried it in five different pipe's with positive result's. I'll give this one 3.5 Star's out of 5.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-12-20		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Cumberland is a very full-flavored and full-strength mixture. As such, it's a tobacco I enjoy only occassionally, when I'm in the mood for a smoke that's going to command my attention.

While this is a Virginia/Burley/Perique blend, it's the aged Kentucky Burley tobacco that thunders through your taste buds. Combined with the Perique, this is a very peppery, spicy experience. The Virginias play a mellowing role, providing an offsetting sweetness that's not noticeable except that it keeps the smoke from getting mean. Every once in a while, a slight tanginess from the VA tobacco will come through.

This tobacco will bite you if you're not careful. As the burley flavor is the prominent element, you may forget that there's a healthy dose of mature VA in there. Smoke too fast, and you'll scorch your tongue in a bad way. In fact, even if you do smoke slow, I recommend having a drink handy from which to sip, lest the spiciness of this blend become overwhelming.

This is a mixture that I would definitely recommend to a cigar smoker who's starting to smoke pipes. It doesn't contain cigar leaf, but its character is very close to that of a strong, spicy, Honduran handrolled. Nicotine strength is manageable - on the medium side. However, the flavor, aroma, and spicy qualities provide a challenge to the smoker and require one's full participation. This is a blend with which to set all else aside and just smoke - carefully.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-06-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

Best savored slowly. That is the key phrase in the description on the can. It reminds me a little of Solani 633, but without the 'processing' taste and with a hell of a lot more dimension and subtlety. The harmony of the flavors is incredible. My analogy would be to Beethoven's Grosse Fugue. Not a piece of dinner music nor something you would listen to as ambient music, but something that requires attention to appreciate the interplay of the parts which make up the whole. If your looking for an ?all day smoke?, move on, this tobacco will be wasted and your taste buds will be fried.

I plan on hoarding this tobacco, and when I have the time, savor it, one bowl at a time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-04-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is based upon smoking half of a tin, a very limited sampling to say the least, but some response at this point is better than no response at all. Upon opening the tin I was greeted by one of the most pleasant bouqets I've encountered. This is truely a natural tobacco blend, very complex, and very different. I can understand why GLP says it is an "American" blend. It has a certain fresh and direct taste that is American rather than a more reluctant and reserved European approach to these tobaccos. It's sort of the New World Symphony vs. Bach. The Kyntucky is middle tones rich, the Virginias are sweet and citrus like, while the Perique is the spice. The tobacco is beautifully cut and packs like a dream. It lights without effort and burns down to a powdery white ash. The blend needs to be smoked slowly to fully enjoy the variety of flavors. The overall taste, well there isn't anything like it that I can think of at the moment. The citrus of a McClelland 5100, the middle tones of Barbary Coast, the zing of Perique, all mingle together to form the organic whole of this blend. If you truely appreciate natural tobacco taste then this may call your name. It will not suit everyone of course, but that's ok because no one blend ever does. I'll smoke this tobacco regularly and often. Congratulations Greg, this is an American original that could be framed and put on the wall, but better to smoke it. For my next bowl I'm going to listen to The Nashville Bluegrass Band (Dvorak would approve) and feel like I'm on a back porch in some old holler just waiting for my buddies to come by with some good ol white lightnin to sip on.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-04-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I couldn't wait to get my shipment of this new GLP blend. On opening the tin the smell was a very faint Burly. Course cut with mostly light colored leaf with some dark mix in. After the tin was opened awhile, the aroma became more complex. The first thing that came to mind was Two Friends Redwood. This was also my first impression on lighting up the first bowel, Even though there are different tobaccos in this blend. I think I was a little to eager to try this because I got a good case Of tongue bite. This blend burns very hot for me, even with slow puffing. I find this very unusual for a GLP blend. I have not found one yet that was overly Aggressive in that department. The blend itself is very complex. The fullness of the burly, the slight peppery tastes of the perique, and the very slight sweetness of the Virginias. Overall I would say this is a good blend, maybe it will mellow with some age. I would give it 7 out of 10. I would give it an 8or 9 if it burned a little cooler for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

It took me a half a tin to decide I liked this tobacco. The tin that I have is a couple of years old. I find that I like this blend when I have time for it. It behaves best when you can put the pipe down between puffs.If you smoke it too fast it just winds up tasting like bitter hot ashy air. The cigarette comparisons I don't really get. It doesn't anything like any cig I ever smoked and I've smoking thousands of them. If you smoke leisurly you get the subtle sweetnes and some pleansents sour. Really is tasty. I enjoy this with coffee or a nice bourbon equally. It has a nice nico-hit that I need and gives the nose tingle that I sometimes like. This isn't a 4 star tobacco or one that you can wear all day, but I think it has to be a solid 3 star for the times it works right. I would recomend this to anyone who enjoys stronger nico filled natural tasting tobacco. You just have to slowly sip it, and there might be a little bit of a learning curve. I went back to where I bought ny first tin and picked up the other aged one that I hid in the back of the self in case I liked it, but I think I'll let it sit for another year before cracking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-12		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

03/08/2008: Maybe I have some bad luck with this blend, but every time I smoke it I end up reaching for the Biotene no matter how gently I treat it. It has no flavor and stings my tongue. I haven't had this problem from other Perique blends. I will re-visit this after I dry it out some(and heal my poor tongue).

Update I wanted to revisit this blend before too much time passed. I dried the tobac out and broke up the rather large pieces of ribbon. I was able to tame the blend this time without much effort, smoking a smaller bowl. Problem is, relights taste best to me, only puffing on this brings the bite on. Additionally there's just no flavor, or maybe my lead tongue is just used to something more full bodied. The Perique asserts itself towards the middle of the bowl in spiciness, but the flavor still isn't there.

Overall, this is a very clean, natural tasting smoke but I can't recommend it to anyone looking for something with body.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2007-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I am totally rewriting my review. Initially I had only glowing things to say about Cumberland; its flavors, its aroma, etc. Upon opening the tin it is one of the best smelling tobaccos I have smoked. And smoking it right after opening is a wonderful experience on the palate.

I had a year and a half old tin that I just openend, and smoked for a few days. About four days after opening it, I resealed it with my foodsaver vacuum sealer. There were no air leaks, and it was not dried out when I sealed it. Now, a few months later, I have reopened it.

The tobacco remains a fairly constant moisture, neither too dry nor too moist. But the aroma was all but gone. I could pick up hints of perique, and only a shadow of the kentucky. The va.s were very week in aroma. Somewhat disappointed, but undaunted nonetheless, I packed the very same pipe I last smoked it in. On first light, the flavors were certainly there. But they faded rapidly. A quarter of the way into the bowl, and it was just ashy and acrid, with the merest dopple of perique playing peek-a-boo.

Summarizing, I would say that this tobacco seems not to have a good shelf life once opened. I don't understand this, as I have left tins of MacBaren Plumcake around for months after opening, and it loses very little flavor. Now, it may be that Greg uses nothing in the way of preservation, and his tobacco is meant to be used up within a few days of opening. But I still find this situation a bit consternating, and have to downgrade my rating from four to only two stars. Sorry Greg.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stogie (26)	2003-02-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I broke my own rule, and am reviewing this after only 2/3 of a tin. I have had this in the drawer for a while, and I let it dry out one too many times. I think I will retire this tin, (as I have 4 more in the cellar).

Visual: Gold with a reddish hue and a smattering of black strands. Nice and fluffy with a leathery quality to it.

Texture: Stringy and soft to the touch. The tin smell is 100% quality tobacco aroma. I love it!

Pack/Pipe: I sprinkle a large pinch onto a piece of paper and primp it apart with my fingers before trickling a pinch into a Von Erck Classic. (This is a rare case where I dedicated a pipe to the tobacco.) The pipe has an agressively tapered bowl and I pack it lightly, repeating the sprinkle and tamp only twice.

Lighting /Burn: One match to char, one to light and we are off. The tobacco lights easily and puffs up in the bowl quite a bit. A quick tamp, and the ember begins its journey to the bottom.

1st 3rd: I won't usually refer to a cigarette when making a complimentary statement, but the first draws on the pipe give the effect of a very high quality French or English cigarette. Lots of strong tobacco taste with a nice big mouthful of white smoke. By the third or fourth puff, the Perique has made its presence known and there is a slight sweetness as I let the smoke escape my mouth. Being the widest point of this bowl, the tobacco takes a little while to burn down for a first tamping.

2nd 3rd: Now I am into the narrower deeper part of the bowl, and the flavor becomes much more intense. Again, great tobacco flavor with a caramel overtone. This does not taste like any of the VA/Perique flake tobacco that I love so much. Another two tamps and I'm on the way home.

Final 3rd: I normally am able to smoke all tobaccos in all of my pipes to the bottom with 1 or no relights. Although this is a moderately dry and loose tobacco, I almost never was able to smoke it to the bottom of the Von Erck. ?? The final portion of the bowl gets a bit ashy tasting to me, and often needs multiple relights.

Notes: Another Pease blend that I enjoy smoking, and that does not contain the dreaded element that wreaks havoc with my tongue as do Haddo's and Cairo. I did not experience the tongue bite that many other Cumberland smokers have attested to, and overall look forward to my next tin.

Stogie rating of: 6 Mild Macanudos

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not really my wheelhouse. Some tartness, mild dark fruit maybe. Smoke isn't especially acrid or biting. A bit sweet. It's not terrible, but not really for me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	b7q (53)	2023-01-16		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is chili sauce. My first attempts were all done in a clay pipe, and it's recommended not to smoke it on an empty stomach.

I'll just have to finish the rest of it in the reverse gourd pipe, so maybe I should try cellaring it for a while.

Pipe Used: Clay&Briar

Age When Smoked: new

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2022-11-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of mild Worcestershire, tangy barbeque, and wood. Tobacco is coarse cut is mostly dark brown with some light brown and black. Tobacco is moist but needs no drying. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is mild to medium to full and consistent, with notes of wood, floral, spiced figs, leather, Rasin bread, mild sweet grass, and a moderately peppery retro. Virginias are barely leading, with Kentucky on its heels. Perique is supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2016 XX Ashton Pebble Grain Lovat

Age When Smoked: 4 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (151)	2022-08-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

"Well-aged Kentucky." The two questions that immediately popped into my head were "what for?" and “where from?”. I hardly can imagine a person who would age burley-made tobacco, because changes are very little for burley over the years. I just see in real some farmer somewhere in North Carolina invites Pease to the shed with the unmarketable stuff and saying, "Here I have the rarest Kentucky in the whole state - these bales are two decades old! Yet my old dad tried to sell them!" - And Gregory says, "I'll sell." That's crazy... And he sold them, by the way! He's been selling them for ten years. All right, twenty years old, you say. As long as the price and quality were not affected for the worse. At least, my tin already had a new composition.

Appearance: I got a 2 oz. tin with a production date of "December 12, 2013" which was half-empty. Cumberland is a blend of tobaccos with a coarse cut. Over the years, the color of the blend has become an almost monochromatic shade of light roasted coffee beans with occasional flecks of darker perique. The tobacco is a little drier than I would have liked, plus get some veins from the leaf.

Flavor: Salty and slightly smoky almonds, well-dried hay, almost without floral and bread notes, some wood chaff, a bit of earth, barely perceptible boiled fruit, with a slight "aroma" of burnt rubber mixed in. Nevertheless, everything is very smooth and mellow, although absolutely nothing like the flavors of those blends I consume.

Taste: minimally sweet herbal notes, drowning in a semi-dry woody, earthy bog after a long ago fire. Perique adds just a barely perceptible harshness and the slightest hint of plum to this landscape. Faint nutty notes gradually gain strength toward the middle of the pipe, taking the place of Virginia, which was already scarce. Strangely enough, a hint of sweetness remains in the blend, but, but the blend acquires a rather dense "cigarette" taste (I'm talking about good cigarettes - if such still exist), which is enhanced by a woody-rubber aftertaste. Tobacco is very tolerant to the speed of smoking, although if you feel the bitter notes - then you've obviously overheated it. Another argument for slow smoking is the strength of the tobacco. I'd say it's above average, although my sensitivity to burley and Kentucky may have heightened my perception of strength somewhat. The tobacco burns evenly into ash of an even gray color with small black flecks, leaving almost no moisture in the pipe.

The smoke, as is typical of a blend with a lot of Kentucky or Burley, is very abundant, with a characteristic smell of smoldering wood with an admixture of walnut and dust. Of course, it is quite persistent.

What's the result? As for the sample I smoked, don't look for the sweetness and sophistication of Three Nuns or Sovereign. This blend is of a completely different order. I don't know how it smokes fresh, but I'm guessing it doesn't taste much different when aged.

Pipe Used: Peterson 80s, 106, 999

Age When Smoked: 2013

Purchased From: Borrowed some friend

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Francisco Vidrio (3)	2021-08-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Un gran tabaco, muy complejo, yo diría que debes invertir tiempo en conocerles un tabaco que exige un ritmo lento de fumada, es como tener una conversación con un buen amigo, inicia en forma casual, pero conforme avanza la platica esta se vuelve compleja, así, la fumada, pasando un tercio de la pipa es increible, cada bocanada de humo es completamente diferente a la anterior, ya te lleva a un poco de picor a un ligero amargo como de humo de habano, a pasar a un humo dulce propio de los virginias, como en una buena charla, pasando de un tema a otro, regresando a uno anterior pero con sutiles diferencias. Eso sí, es un tabaco celoso, debes estar al pendiente y ser sutil con un ritmo lento, su complejidad hace difícil pensar en el maridaje ideal, un vaso de agua simple es lo que recomiendo. Quizá lo mejor es que tras terminar la fumada, el sabor sigue evolucionando en el paladar,. Gran tabaco,

Pipe Used: Chacom

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

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