G. L. Pease Cumberland

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.

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!

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..

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.

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!) ||

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.

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.

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.

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.