G. L. Pease Blackpoint

Based on 1+ year of age:

The presentation is nice--a nice ribbon typical of Cornell and Diehl. The tin note/jar note is like barbecue, and some tangy fruit quality with some wood and wood smoke. There is also a slightly floral quality. It's really interesting and nice. If I let it air a little I get raisin and sultana notes. It's sort of boozy.

It starts off tangy and sweet and zesty, like barbecue, a touch of smoke. The sweetness and tanginess is assertive early. There are fruit notes of sultanas, plum skin and plums --somewhat like a medium-bodied red wine and some bass notes. There are woody notes that sweeten, expressing an elegant development, incorporating itself into the spicy notes, ending with some smokey notes. This is a more fruit-forward, tangy, sweet-woody, zesty English blend as opposed to a smoky-forward English mixture.

The strength is medium. Taste is medium but somewhat full. The nicotine strength, for me, is medium. I noticed it, but it definitely wasn't overwhelming.

I would recommend this to people who like Latakia mixtures, or Oriental mixtures. There is also enough Virginia character and sweetness to interest the Virginia-lover. I would buy it again because it is widely available and it's a tasty blend that isn't overwhelming. It's balanced.

This reminds me of Chelsea Morning but a bit more Lat heavy or Dunhill Nightcap. Very pleasant and easy to smoke. Update: Really lovin this stuff. A great English. Dont really taste the Perique at all though. This is not at all a Vaper as it has way to much Lat to be categorized as such. Update 2. Getting a little bored with the mono flavour of this. Taking it down to three stars. Still very good tobac though. Just not holding my attention long term like most of Greg's other English blends.

I liked this one better than Abingdon, if only because the perique and (I think) lower amount of latakia smoothed this out and made it a bit sweeter than Abingdon. I can't say I really noticed the perique that much. A good smoke. However, I liked Charing Cross even better.

Very fruity smelling in the tin, thanks to the Perique. It almost reminds of the great Sobranie 759. Rich and intense, but not at the beginning of the bowl. Depending upon the pipe, it can seem good but nothing special (and lacking some Virginia sweetness), or great (and sweet tasting). A good tobacco anyway. It's a bit tricky to pack: too much dust, which might clog the airhole: moisture level was a bit higher than usual for GLPease tobaccos. When packed correctly in a pipe of the right shape it's a joy, otherwise it can be a bit troublesome. Definitely one of the best GLPease efforts: rich and full of nuances.

The tin had a production date of "April 13, 2015." The tobacco had been in the tin for seven years, a considerable amount of time. The tin made a loud pop when I opened it, and when I stuck my nose into it, I found myself greeted by the familiar smell of "ketchup." So I transferred some of the tobacco to air to smoke later, and let it rest for about a week.

Appearance: a handful of Virginia and Oriental varieties, sliced in an uneven wide ribbon, with flecks of perique and latakia. Over the years, Lemon Virginia has become darker and has acquired a dark straw color. But not the Lemon Virginia is the basis of the palette, but the milk-chocolate color of red Virginia and perique, which by the way is rather significant. Dark coffee latakia flakes are clearly distinguishable, but there are fewer of them than in Samarra, which has a similar composition. The tobacco did not dry out during storage in the tin, preserving the excellent moisture content.

Flavor: dense note of dressed leather, mixed with the sour flavor of mature cheese and stout, a complex set of spices (obvious turmeric, a little nutmeg, saffron) - these are the main notes, almost on par with the tar and smokiness of latakia. A little sandalwood, a little earthiness, citrus zest, notes of dark dried fruits supported by a well-defined aromatic pepper - all this comes a little later and remains in the background. The bread and herbal notes of light Virginia are almost indistinguishable. In general, the aroma is quite rich and complex and I had to stick my nose in the jar and smoke a dozen pipes to break it down into its known components.

Taste: definitely a creamy, peaty, smoky note with a hint of meat juice, seasoned with a good dose of spice from Perique and Oriental - the first thing that comes on the tongue. This is quickly joined by a woody, earthy flavor and a bit of dried fruit (dark raisins and figs). The tobacco flavor is dry rather than sweet. Initially distinguishable by components, the taste quickly enough becomes a complex bouquet, in which the latakia gradually gives way to a combined bouquet of oriental and perique spices, with the pungency of the latter being smoothed out considerably. My first impression that Blackpoint is a slightly modified version of Charing Cross (which, in turn, initially seems to be a slightly lighter version of Abingdon), where some of the latakia has been simply replaced by perique, was immediately dispelled as soon as the perique and oriental have become slightly more intense. Unlike the stable taste of Charing Cross, the taste of Blackpoint gradually changes towards Virginia and orientals, with latakia and perique supporting them, providing overall harmony and English taste of the blend. The tobacco smokes very smoothly, slowly and is cool enough without threatening to overheat the pipe or bite your tongue. However, due to the perique in it, the strength of the blend is slightly higher than that of Charing Cross, and in a very large pipe lurks the risk of nicotine kick. The tobacco burns into a dusty light gray ash almost completely, leaving not a drop of moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste is slightly astringent, woodsmoked with a sweet tinge.

The smoke is quite dense, with the smell of smoldering wood and peat. Even in the ventilated room, it was felt for a couple of hours.

Bottom line: another blend in the series of "classic" Balkan and English blends that can be considered quite successful. The Cyprus Latakia and Oriental blend was clearly intended to recreate ancient recipes with the taste of Syrian Latakia. I have some Ashton Artisan Blend with Syrian Latakia in my collection, and I can say that its imitation in Pease's arrangement is enough alike the original, although it does not reproduce all the nuances of taste of Syrian tobacco. As for the entire series, so far I have the impression that every fan of latakia can find the mix that he likes, whether it's a serious dose of it in a mild Abingdon or a small one in a spicier Blackpoint. As for my personal attitude to Blackpoint, I would prefer a little less perique... But wait, I already have Chelsea Morning!

Another blend that I consider part of the "full side" of the Pease's EM production, with Westminster, Charing Cross, Abingdon, etc. Full in terms of taste that, in Blackpoint, is nicely represented by a subtle, nice taste of incense. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Blackpoint is a blend from GLPease's Classic Collection of tobaccos. It is a nice mixture of red and lemon Virginias, Cyprian latakia, Orientals, and perique. As with other blends in this collection, this has a beautiful, mottled appearance of golds, browns, and black, with a sweet, musty aroma, and is presented at what I consider to be an ideal moisture level. The charring light shows the promise of the blend, being a mix of the sweetness of the Virginias, the smokiness of the latakia, and the wonderful, fruity and musty taste of the fine Orientals. The blend lights easily, and remains lit with little effort. This flavor combination continues once the bowl is lit, with the latakia a strong presence but none of the tastes dominating. The minimal amount of perique used adds a hint of both pepper and raisins. Deeper into the smoke, the flavor remains balanced and yet mixed and complex. The smoothness of the smoke is delightful. It is sweet, smoky, musty, slightly peppery, and contains nuances of stewed fruit baking in pastry. No one tobacco overpowered any other, so well-balanced a blend is this. Though I find, at times, that I enjoy tobacco flavor variations through the bowl, I found the consistency of Blackpoint to create an exceptional experience. But saying that, I still was aware, deeper into the smoke, that I was aware of different constituents at different times. Toward the end of the bowl I thought of the Virginias, and how their sweetness was never lost. The Orietals, too, create a music of their own by the end of the smoke, being spicy, woodsy, and musty all at the same time. Blackpoint is another excellent contribution to pipe smokers from the Dark Lord. I can imagine enjoying a wonderful steak dinner and then loading a bowl of Blackpoint to finish off a relaxing Fall evening.

Very nice sweetness in this blend..almost tangy sweet but not like a tangy virginia. Moments of toastiness as well. Really a superb english that has grown on me quite a bit since I first opened the tin. It does have sort of a winey taste to it as KahveDelisi mentioned. This blend provides a lot of flavor without being the least bit harsh all the while reeking of complexity. Truly enjoyable. 3 stars.

The tin aroma of this slightly chunky medium ribbon is heavy on the orientals and latakia with a slight perique tang.

The flavor is centers on the turkish and latakia though neither dominate, since the perique and virginas add plenty of variance and a light sweetness. It is very complex.

Blackpoint is a textured balkan that is not unduly tilted towards any one flavor.

Chamber Gauge: Medium to Wide