G. L. Pease Robusto

A top-notch blend, outstanding really, but so unique that it takes a lot of effort to love.

When smoked moist, straight from the tin, the cigar leaf overwhelms the other tobaccos.

If allowed to dry long enough, Robusto is a completely different experience. The Virginia dominates the first third of the bowl, and gives me a wicked tongue bite, despite the tin description above. Orientals make the middle third an exotic, flowery interlude. The cigar leaf and Latakia, in the background throughout, dominate the final third. The wrapper leaf is always present, but not overpowering.

Nicotine was evident only in the last third of the pipe, medium to strong.

I am a Virginia/VaPer/Burley man, so this kind of blend is not typical for me. I bring it out once a month when I want something exotic.

While making my rounds of some cigar enhanced English blends, I popped open a tin of Robusto. Initail greeting was that of a natural product, with a bit of a musty undertone. Tobacco comes slightly moist, as I prefer, and loaded was breeze, as are most Pease blends. The charring light was accomplished and so I settled in for a treat. Tobacco is well balance, Orientals, Virginia, Latakia, with what I detected as a Turkish varient, that seemd to mask the Maduro leaf. While not a bad smoke, it just didn't exite me, compared to Robert Lewis' 123, which has Havana seed leaf, and a different Latakia configuration, perhaps that is the difference? Robusto is a good smoke, but one that I won't cellar. I have tried this in various pipes and conditions.

I smoked cigars regularly many moons ago. I ventured from cigars to pipe. Haven’t smoked my pipes for probably 10 years until recently. I thought a cigar blend would be a pleasant reintroduction to my pipes. With that said, I ordered some Robusto. While I did get a hint of cigar early in the bowl, I found the flavor rather thin. I was hoping for more cigar flavor. It seems to me to be a relatively moderate blend that doesn’t stand out in most regards. It doesn’t fill my mouth with much flavor. Seems to burn ok, and doesn’t go rancid on me towards the bottom. I’ll keep searching for a fuller cigar blend.

I was curious to see what a "cigar blend" was like so I picked it up. Duh. Tastes like a cigar, which is fine if that's what you want. It was like a cigar was rubbed out, dried a bit and loaded. So for impersonating a cigar, Señor Pease, you did that well. That said, it doesn't rile me up enough to say much else. Threw away the rest of the tin due to so many opened tins. Maybe Key Largo will bring more to the table. I'll try that sometime.

One and done.

Check.

An unremarkable blend. Found that the cigar leaf & Latakia were MIA. Tasted to me like an unremarkable Virginia/traditional blend. If I'm feeling like a cigar blend I guess I'll stick with my Virginia Spice by Pipes & Cigars, thank you.

Musty, ashy, and bitter. Smells like garbage. Glad I tried it. Not for me.

Update: aged it for about six months and pulled it out. Still strong and bitter, but with a complexity that may be intriging to a cigar smoker. I add one more star.

I particularly didn'tcare for this blend.It seemed overpowering.Key Largo wasn't bad though.I think I'll stick to aromatic and/or english.

I love cigars and like cigar pipe blends quite a bit. These blends are usually English style (with virginia, latakia) with a small amount of cigar leaf added. They aren't meant to be a Montecristo No. 3 crushed into a pipe. In 2007, I smoked two tins of Robusto and enjoyed them. Like many of his blends, I think this one burns a little hot, but not too badly. Another smoker familiar with Robusto told me he thought it was "agressive". Maybe that's a better description. I do like Robusto more than most of the GLP blends, and I enjoy the balance of the different tobaccos in this one. I have a one year old tin and probably won't smoke it for at least another year. However, I have found "The Bankers" much smoother, more complex and I stocked up on that tobacco instead of Robusto.

It is worth a try and I will smoke it again, sometime. If you like cigars and pipes, I recommend trying a tin or two. If you don't like cigars there would be no reason to smoke this or any other similar tobacco. (Other than writing a negative review!)

This isn't my favorite of the Pease blends, simply meaning I don't plan to purchase more -- he has many better offerings. This is one of the better burning latakia blends that Pease makes.

Spend your money on Westminster or Caravan.