G. L. Pease Cumberland

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!!

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.

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.