G. L. Pease Cumberland

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.