G. L. Pease Blackpoint
(3.27)
Blackpoint is a luxurious blend of red and lemon Virginias, Cyprian latakia, exotic Oriental tobaccos, and a perfect measure of Louisiana perique for a lively, piquant finish. The smoke is creamy and lingering, engaging the palate with a mouth filling array of wonderful flavours. Reminiscent of raisins and stewed figs, fireplaces in the fall, walks in the forest... Perhaps the most complex in the collection. Perfect for evenings.
Notes: Blackpoint was released in March, 2003. Read the story "G.L. Pease: The Man Behind the Tobacco" on the Smokingpipes Daily Reader, https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/gl-pease-the-man-behind-the-blends
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Classic Collection |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.27 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 91 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I have been smoking pipes for almost one year now and I must say that I have fallen in love with this hobby. Exploring the many different tobacco blends out there have been a real pleasure and I have found many blends that will be in my daily rotation for a long time to come. This blend is one of those tobaccos.
I have found that latakia forward blends ain't my cup of tea. I prefer the natural sweetnes of virginia. Becuse of this, it is surprising that I have fallen for this relatively latakia heavy blend. But I have. Completely. It's both straightforward and complex. Both sweet and sour. Both heavy and light. I do realize that I am rambling but it realy is that good!
Heavy flavors like earth, salt, pepper and leather( no doubt coming from the latakia and perique)are combined with sweet notes(from the virginia) reminding me of dark dried fruits such as raisins. There is also a little sour taste in the background(orientals I guess) that is really pleasing. This combined with just the right amont of nicotine(for me) makes the blend perfect for me. As with all the blends from G.L Pease that I have tried it dosen't bite and behaves well in the pipe, burning slow and steady with little effort. It also seems to produce a lot of smoke, if that's what you like.
I prefer to smoke this tobacco in my bent Peterson system pipe during my walks in the autum, spring and especially cool summer evenings or in my extra long Chacom prince when I'm reading. I recommend this blend to everyone, even those that don't like latakia all that much. My search for the perfect Balkan blend is over. Here it is.
I have found that latakia forward blends ain't my cup of tea. I prefer the natural sweetnes of virginia. Becuse of this, it is surprising that I have fallen for this relatively latakia heavy blend. But I have. Completely. It's both straightforward and complex. Both sweet and sour. Both heavy and light. I do realize that I am rambling but it realy is that good!
Heavy flavors like earth, salt, pepper and leather( no doubt coming from the latakia and perique)are combined with sweet notes(from the virginia) reminding me of dark dried fruits such as raisins. There is also a little sour taste in the background(orientals I guess) that is really pleasing. This combined with just the right amont of nicotine(for me) makes the blend perfect for me. As with all the blends from G.L Pease that I have tried it dosen't bite and behaves well in the pipe, burning slow and steady with little effort. It also seems to produce a lot of smoke, if that's what you like.
I prefer to smoke this tobacco in my bent Peterson system pipe during my walks in the autum, spring and especially cool summer evenings or in my extra long Chacom prince when I'm reading. I recommend this blend to everyone, even those that don't like latakia all that much. My search for the perfect Balkan blend is over. Here it is.
Pipe Used:
Chacom prince, Peterson system bent billiard
PurchasedFrom:
www.smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
almost new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 27, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Blackpoint is probably the best example to show why Mr. Pease's blending gets all the good reviews. Balanced and complicated. A lot of time you just get one or the other, but rarely both. I think the perique does some magic to this blend and brings out the brightness, though not in the front.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
G. L. Pease Blackpoint is smooth, sweet, nutty and creamy with a cooling smokiness. Indeed slightly piquant throughout the entire bowl, but not annoyingly so. It keeps the tobacco interesting and makes it appear a bit stronger than it actually is at first.
I also tested it with a carbon filter, which seems to make the Perique even more prominent, while the Virginias get mostly suppressed. The taste and smell of roasted nuts increases within the first half of the bowl, then remains pretty constant for the second. Expect some sweet and earthy tones in the end. Try to smoke it different shapes and bowl sizes, because I found it varies quite a bit dependent on our choice. A medium size Sillem’s Gentleman 333 Rhodesian is now my personal Holy-Blackpoint-Grail.
I once put the pipe down and picked it up after more than 30 minutes ready to get rid of the now cold tobacco, but it was surprisingly easy to reactivate it back to full taste. No doubt a high quality product and benchmark for its kind. Enjoy!
I also tested it with a carbon filter, which seems to make the Perique even more prominent, while the Virginias get mostly suppressed. The taste and smell of roasted nuts increases within the first half of the bowl, then remains pretty constant for the second. Expect some sweet and earthy tones in the end. Try to smoke it different shapes and bowl sizes, because I found it varies quite a bit dependent on our choice. A medium size Sillem’s Gentleman 333 Rhodesian is now my personal Holy-Blackpoint-Grail.
I once put the pipe down and picked it up after more than 30 minutes ready to get rid of the now cold tobacco, but it was surprisingly easy to reactivate it back to full taste. No doubt a high quality product and benchmark for its kind. Enjoy!
Pipe Used:
Several briars with and without filter
Age When Smoked:
fresh to 2yrs
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2011 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This was the first so called balkan that I ever tried, and I must say I probably have the fondest memories of it of any blend I've smoked since. The first time I smoked this blend I remember I went for a walk around the block on a warm summer night a few years ago. I remember about half way through the bowl some bold spicy goodness came through and hit my tongue like a parade of ballet dancers. I think I actually stomped my feet and shouted with excitement at the amazing experience I was having. I recommend this blend to someone who is just moving into Latakia from Aromatic blends, it has a series of surprising and bold flavors that change as you smoke through the bowl. I picked up on various spices as well as that leathery, campfire taste, which comes through boldly and then subsides to let you experience what may have been vanilla and a bit of nutmeg, not saying these are flavors intentionally put there, but that is what I got out of it. I recommend that you smoke this blend in the evening or as a nightcap while sitting out on a cool or warm night, sometime when you are not in a rush and can give your devout attention to the smoke, smoke the whole bowl through and take note of the different flavors that you can pick up on. I call this a medley blend and in my opinion one of the best!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 20, 2007 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
A fine English, with Perique mixed in. Emphasis shifts gradually from the leathery smoky Latakias of the English to the sweet raisiny Perique. By the second half of the bowl, the English flavors have moved to the background and you find yourself with an especially robust VaPer (with Orientals for complexity). Like most Pease blends it is interesting but not, in my opinion, a total success. The flavors never really marry: it?s as though you were smoking two pipes at once, not a single well balanced whole. (Every Pease blend I try only increases my admiration for Butera!). More charitably, don?t smoke this if you?re hungering for a good English blend. Smoke it if you like VaPers but want something stronger, with latakia to cut the sweetness and add oomph. It?s like Haddo?s English cousin, or Pelican plus Perique.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 03, 2006 | Medium | Medium to Strong | Very Full | Pleasant |
Herewith my first review. As background, I'm 49 years old and have been smoking pipes since I was 18. Started first with a $2.50 Dr. Grabow and a plastic pouch of Captain Black. Not a whole lot of enjoyment there, however, when I was 20 a wise tobacconist by the name of Mr. Hellams, of Hellams Tobacco Shop in Monterey, California, introduced me to tinned English blends and my first "expensive" pipe - a $32 Butz Choquin. I never looked back - and that was in 1976. Thus far I have made my way through two 2 oz. tins of Blackpoint and have found it addictive. I smoke it exclusively in a large Cavicchi 1C pipe and only wish the pipe bowl was larger. On lighting up I can just sense the perique, which does not dominate the wonderfully full virginia leaf. The latakia gives the smoke a creamy rich flavor which builds and becomes very full in the last half of the bowl. Nicotine level is adequate (I crave the nicotine) and the bowl finishes off with the same full flavor as the beginning, just much more full. I smoke it down to nothing but gray ash, and the end always leaves me wanting more. I have yet to be disappointed in any GLP blends and lately have been smoking Blackpoint and GLP Laurel Heights to the exclusion of just about anything else (well, I do load up quite often with S. Gawith's "Perfection" quite often, but only in the mornings). I highly recommend Blackpoint.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 05, 2003 | Mild | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
Although I typically smoke VA or VA/Perique flakes, I thought a trip into the English via the renowned GL Pease might be rewarding. I was no more successful with this trip than my prior ventures even though this is a comparatively mild English. This is not the fault of the tobacco but rather my personal tastes. In addition, I received many complaints on both the tin and room aroma even from cigarette smokers. Although not so surprising due to the Latakia, Oriental and Perique content, these reactions must be considered. The various colors in the tin indicate the complex and varied tobaccos that are present. Packing and lighting were easy and an even burn rate resulted. This blend burned hotter and faster than my unrubbed out flakes but did not even hint of bite. If you enjoy English blends this might be a good one for you but I'm back to my favored VAs.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 31, 2003 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Well, this is another fine blend from Mr. Pease. A medium English with complexity. I got this "classic collection" tobacco from Mike of classicpipes. What a display of fine Upshalls he has in a comforting atmosphere.
It is string cut blend and doesn't smell overpowering in the tin. It does have a fairly strong room aroma, with definite dark notes. I used the blend to break in a Taylor Made pipe from Mike. So it really took about a full ounce (10-11 bowl fulls) before I was truely getting the fine, complex flavors from this new blend. I have smoked the whole tin in it now. The tobacco tastes quite good even with the little aging it has.
There are several layers of natural flavor -- lightness from the virginias, a little spice from the orientals, varying dark notes from the balanced latakia-perique combo, and a slight sweet note. Not very strong for an English blend, but very interesting.
No bite, fairly dry, packs easy, and burns steady. Nothing to complain about if you want a change of pace English or to venture into English anew. (Now all may not appreciate the room aroma.) Complex enough to capture my attention (as Renaissance did), and I have another tin in the cellar. I'm sure some additional aging will enhance the properties I described, at least a smidgen. I will try more of this classic series.
A solid recommendation.
It is string cut blend and doesn't smell overpowering in the tin. It does have a fairly strong room aroma, with definite dark notes. I used the blend to break in a Taylor Made pipe from Mike. So it really took about a full ounce (10-11 bowl fulls) before I was truely getting the fine, complex flavors from this new blend. I have smoked the whole tin in it now. The tobacco tastes quite good even with the little aging it has.
There are several layers of natural flavor -- lightness from the virginias, a little spice from the orientals, varying dark notes from the balanced latakia-perique combo, and a slight sweet note. Not very strong for an English blend, but very interesting.
No bite, fairly dry, packs easy, and burns steady. Nothing to complain about if you want a change of pace English or to venture into English anew. (Now all may not appreciate the room aroma.) Complex enough to capture my attention (as Renaissance did), and I have another tin in the cellar. I'm sure some additional aging will enhance the properties I described, at least a smidgen. I will try more of this classic series.
A solid recommendation.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Presentation: I love the labels on the Classic Series. All the labels have the same coloring and artstyle, being a drawing of a pipe but they each have a different pipe. That's so cool to me.
Cut: C&D style ribbon, moisture level is just right.
Tin note: Light smoky, sweet note -- not a strong scent.
Tasting notes: Smoky, earthy, leathery. A minimal amount of spice. Sometimes little woody. The earth is very rich with a tinge of sweetness. Sometimes a bit tart. Cedar wood note becomes more apparent as the bowl progresses.
Mechanics: N/A -- A well behaved blend.
Extra Remarks: This blend is a straightforward one which is a plus for some, though I prefer things to be more interesting. It has a lot of flavor and if you love english blends it could certainly be one to try. A good blend for sure, 3 stars.
Cut: C&D style ribbon, moisture level is just right.
Tin note: Light smoky, sweet note -- not a strong scent.
Tasting notes: Smoky, earthy, leathery. A minimal amount of spice. Sometimes little woody. The earth is very rich with a tinge of sweetness. Sometimes a bit tart. Cedar wood note becomes more apparent as the bowl progresses.
Mechanics: N/A -- A well behaved blend.
Extra Remarks: This blend is a straightforward one which is a plus for some, though I prefer things to be more interesting. It has a lot of flavor and if you love english blends it could certainly be one to try. A good blend for sure, 3 stars.
Pipe Used:
IMP Straight Billiard Meer
Age When Smoked:
1 year 5 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Great tobacco, not as good as Abingdon, but that is a tall order. Tangy and sweet tin note. Orientals are fantastic but the Latakia comes out more in this one. Woody and sour with an earthiness from the mix of Red VA and the Orientals. I find this smokier and more Latakia forward, but not by much. Creamy and smokey Latakia put this squarely in the Balkan category for me. This tends to get bolder as the bowl smokes down and I found if you try to push this it tends to get ashy and harsh. I like the flavor and try to tease out the different flavors so I have to be careful not to puff too fast, so the harshness is pilot error not the blend This whole series is quite good and it can be hard to stack rank them due to my differing moods
Pipe Used:
Briar’s and cob’s
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