G. L. Pease Cumberland

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.