G. L. Pease Blackpoint

Blackpoint is a very interesting blend. Looking for something a bit lighter than Old Ironsides this one fits the bill nicely. It provides the Latakia taste I like, but is more complex with orientals, Va. and Perique to round things out a bit.

I dont tolerate nicotine very well so this one is right up my alley in that it has a full taste, but relatively low nicotine punch. I find this to be in the mid range as for as strength of taste is concerned. I dont think that there are any toppings here, but I do indeed taste the figs and prunes that the tin describes.

The room note is pleasant with a slight autumn fireplace ambiance. The taste, as I mentioned is very pleasant and satisfying with orientals and latakia being predominent with perique bringing up the rear.

This is obviously a very high quality blend as are all of Mr. Pease's offerings. I will keep this in my permanent rotation especially for afternoon and evening enjoyment. Highly recommend.

This is a bit of a lighter English that I expected, but a nice change of pace. The Latakia is great and the Perique is well balanced. I found this blend to be appreciated best in a meerschaum because it let the subtle textures come out the best. The exotic Oriental tobacco's were not in the forefront, but in the background and the VA tobacco seems to carry the most weight in the blend. I find this blend best for experienced smokers who know what they are looking for, it just may be to subtle for fast puffers or the inexperienced. In a world where the most popular blends are the ones that push the flavor envelope it is nice to smoke one that still knows knows how to tread lightly.

**** UPDATE 10/11/07: I went out of town last weekend. While I was gone I left the tin lid open. Upon my return and need for my next smoke, I filled my pipe. Those three days did some good. Keep in mind "some" is the operative word here. The after-drying smoke did improve some things. I did not encounter strong tongue bite, the experience was more pleasurable. I wonder if my tongue tasted the lemon VAs - a good semi-sour taste that was pleasureable! This blend could go up one star. IMHO, this is a smoke that I would not turn down if it were offered to me.



By its tin description it seemed to have similar characteristics of a tobacco I really enjoy. That, coupled with the fact that I really enjoy Mr. Pease's Fillmore, led me to order this blend. The tobacco quality was very good. I questioned the tin aroma though. It seemed to be heavy. However, those in my presence when smoking Blackpoint preferred this to the other blend referred to earlier. My lovely wife (the nattering naybob of nicotine negativity) did not seem to complain about an odor when I came in the house.

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My tin had arrived already aged three years. I tried this in all my presently small collection of pipes. None of them seemed to like it. The best results were in a thinnish-walled zulu. Even then there were only momentary glimpses of cool smoking. About midbowl it felt as if somebody slathered corrosive material on my tongue. The other portions of each smoke this blend seemed to burn hot. I really tried to give this blend a fair try and wanted the results to be good. However,I am going to have to side with flyboy and Noorrmm on this one. Perhaps Samarra will be more to my liking ...

Greg Pease has single-handedly altered my perceptions of latakia and English or Balkan pipe tobaccos so I guess this review is as subjective & biased as you get.

Spicy. Peppery. Citrus flavours. A touch of latakia leather and wood. In short, this is a wonderful blend that I could happily smoke constantly were it not for the rest of his offerings.

I am only ten or twelve bowls into my first exploratory 2oz purchase, but it is already a firm favourite. It is complex, tasty and extremely easy to smoke, requiring all my attention due to its moreish and attractive qualities.

Please Mr Pease, do not allow anything to dissuade you from continuing to blend this glorious substance!

I do enjoy this as a good "daytime" smoke, a slightly creamy taste with a fresh scent(that for some reason reminds me of soap!?Maybe I'm just wierd?) but that's a good thing, not so smokey so that the scent won't be appreciated by others, just a fine balance, I reccomend this blend to all.

Pipestud said most of what I wanted to say, but I will add the following.

I have difficulty keeping this lit, which begins at the start. The cut is beautiful, being short, medium-wide ribbons, but it does take some practice packing your pipe with it.

The initial smoothness, natural sweetness, and vibrancy diminishes in the last two-thirds of the bowl into some bitterness and sour notes.

Update: February 2004- Sad to say I am giving up on this blend. The Orientals are just too sharp and biting for my tastes. I like what approaches creaminess from the latakia leaf, but it falls short of my expectations. It just could not perform for me at any moisture level.

Update: September 2006- I just couldn't help giving this another try. Time was no friend. My wife, who likes the aroma of English blends generally, said that Blackpoint burning smells like the old, dirty bars we've errantly entered.

I returned to this blend and Pease tobaccos after long break during which I experimented with different less known tobaccos including so called cigar leaf tobaccos. My sample was aged almost two years.

Upon openning the smell was that of fermented fruit. Not unpleasent but slightly overwheming. Appearance is typical of English blend with different colors. Latakia definitely present but not overwhelming. Packing was very easy and I tend to use large pipes for most of my tobaccos.

Lighting was easy with average two matches and I had no problems with keeping it lit as long as I remember to puff on it regularly.

Taste fairly compex and tobacco quality is excellent. Latakia is easily noticable but not overwheming which I like. Sweatness of quality virginia makes it more enjoyable but there was no tongue burning at all. Blackpoint burns into esthetically pleasing grayish ash. This blend is not to die for but nice change of pace. Recommended.

A good tobacco, very complex, difficult to understand at the first bowl. Actually it took me a lot to tame this beast and the big changes throughout the bowl haven't helped. To me this is Virginia dominated, with latakia and perique in the background, coming out stronger in the last third of the bowl. Orientals are present but jump in and out stronger at times, lighter at other times. It's a fine tasting blend but a bit too confusing for my raw palate, and it's a bit too light too, as far as nicotine content.

I can't believe that I haven't weighed in on this one yet! Well, this is a classy blend. It's rich and round. The fine ingredients make for a pleasant smoke, and there's enough body to hold my interest. Easy pack, easy burn, and minimal harshness upon relight later in the day.

Of interest: The complexity within stays curled up tightly in a ball for little while, and then all of a sudden...

WHAM!

Blackpoint uncurls in a burst of flavor that makes you want to pack a second bowl of it to have on hand as soon as the bowl you're working on is ash. I love the English/Balkan/Perique hybrids like this, and it's no surprise that Pease delivers the goods.

This is good stuff, to be sure. Blackpoint may never reach the permanent rotation, of which Abingdon is a part, but it will be cellared. No doubt about that.