G. L. Pease Blackpoint

This is a very good blend that has a lot to offer. First off it is what I would call english- not quite balkan. As a general rule a balkan to me has a more intense oriental and less sweet flavor. I don't believe this blend is cased or topped due to the way the tobacco looks, feels and smokes. I notice many reviews ranking it as flavored. I honestly believe it is from the variety of tobacco's that the flavor is derived.

The tin smells good- leathery and earthy, very intriguing indeed. The tobacco has many complex tastes going on sometimes many at once. I find this one to be a great evening or walk in the woods smoke. Makes me think of fall and the associated smells for some reason- just as the tin describes. I don't know why some criticize Pease for his tin descriptions. In almost every instance I find them accurate. They may be a bit poetic but this is high class tobacco, I can see how it would inspire one.

This just has the perfect balance of all the components that is very hard to achieve. I normally don't care for perique but in this case it is welcome- although it is a aftertaste note and it dances in the background. The best analogy I can make is to compare this to is the Lindt dark chocolate with the chili pepper in it. The blend has a complex smokey, spicy, sweet taste from the va,latakia+orientals, but is peppery on the finish from the perique. Some of the flavors are time release and you taste three or more different tobacco's in one puff. Much like fine food.

So well done. This is a twist on your usual english and I really am into it. As usual for a Pease, it has no bite and burns dry till nothing is left. This is one that I am never in a hurry to see the end of a bowl of and it is best enjoyed at a relaxed pace with a clear mind. It is pleasent all the way, and could, make that will be smoked regularly. The nicotine level is light too, I never feel overpowered. Sometimes this is very welcome. other times I smoke laurel heights and feel a little buzzed when I want to be. Amazing how different tobaccos make you feel.

This one is right up there with Caravan in terms of how much I enjoy it. This is 100% for sure in the top five tobacco's being produced today. Pease uses some great quality leaf in the blends. This one is amazing in that it incorporates many of my favorite tobacco's into one great blend.

I am planning on building a stash that includes quite a bit of this to age. It seems rare to find a tin older than a couple months. I can only imagine what a few years age would do for this.

One of the best ever. I think you should try it. If you like the spice in this try Caravan, it is a different beast of the balkan genre but the complexity and flavor seem to be a good companion/contrast to this blend. I like to smoke blackpoint then caravan, sometimes the other way around. To me that is about as good as it gets.

Blackpoint reminds me of what many a Balkan used to be. I don't think the goal was to exactly match any particular mixture so much as to remind us of formulations of 15 to 50 years ago.

Appearance: Upon very close inspection I can detect at least 5 different hues of leaf in this mixture Red and Lemon Virginias are in abundance, darker browns of Oriental and Perique with nearly jet black Latakia. The cut is a somewhat varied rough ribbon cut.

Tin aroma: This is one the most complex mixture I have ever encountered. The Virginias are evident, with rich earthy tones and under-currents of fig/raisin and cocoa. The smoky Cyprian Latakia makes the main statement, complex and enticing, plenty of smokiness with underlying astringent tones of bergamot and sandalwood. Just under the surface I detect the Orientals giving the mixture?dryness? and lending even greater depth to the mélange of flavors. Finally, we have a touch of Perique lending it's Louisiana ?pepper? to the range of flavor.

This tobacco is nearly perfect in moisture and I employed the ?once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a gentleman? method of layered packing. The sample I'm reviewing is dated Oct 18, 2004.

Lighting usually is a single match affair, and with a friendly lighting tamp I was well on my way to nirvana each time. As expected, the initial flavor is very smoky with an astringent (very gently so) quality I?ve come to expect from Orientals. Latakia and Orientals tend to live nasally for me, so I often employ the 'French curve' method of inhaling the slipstream smoke. The Virginias and Perique set a firm background and foundation on which the Latakia and Orientals play out a slowly evolving ?drama?. This blend slowly builds in flavors and complexity with each puff.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors gaining intensity in unison. The initial strength of the Latakia is slowly giving way to other components, the Orientals slowly numbing (not at all in a bad way) my soft pallet and nasal regions. The Virginia comes through a bit more assertively from time to time with rich fruity and sweet tones, the Perique seemingly is there to lend character and fill in the few gaps. Each mouthful is slightly different (as in many a GLP presentation) and unexpected tones creep gently in from time to time. There are blends that lend themselves to what I call auto-pilot smoking, Blackpoint is NOT in this category, requiring my full attention, complex and subtle and constantly changing it is a contemplative smoke.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I?m absolutely in smoker's heaven. The fullness and character of this blend really come into their own during this final stretch. The Virginias have deepened to a wine like goodness and the Latakia and Oriental has widened yielding leather and forest tones. While not particularly strong in nicotine the final third of the bowl is far fuller in flavors and depth than one might expect from where the blend begins. Those who enjoy fuller blends may initially want more of this blend, but in the home stretch I can't imagine wanting more. Blackpoint finds the perfect balance of refinement and power, is never harsh and has plenty to satisfy even the most discerning of palates.

A wonderful and complex Balkan blend from America's premier tobacco blender.

Supplemental Notes: This mixture in my favorite of the Classic Collection and easily within my top ten favorite Balkan mixtures. Rating for those interested in numbers ****+

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: 5/13/10

Appearance: The quintessential Greg Pease rough-cut pseudo ribbon. Some big sticks and twigs, which I normally just load right into the pipe.

Aroma: The tin aroma is delicious, very woodsy and smoky, but not a Latakia bomb. There is a wonderful tang, either from the Perique or the Orientals (or both, methinks) that adds a nice counterbalance to the smoky Latakia. The room note is wonderful, possibly the best of any medium to full English I've had to date.

Pipe 1: Meer bent billiard Pipe 2: GBD pot Pipe 3: Danske Club volcano Pipe 4: Nording Signature freehand

Flavor: For me, the Orientals really make this blend come alive. There is a distinctive oriental toasty/herbal quality that is beautifully balanced with the other ingredients. The Latakia is actually quite mild, not even approaching what I would call a “heavy lat” mixture, however it gains strength in the second half of the bowl when the mixture becomes a predominantly Latakia-laden English. The Virginias form a firm foundation adding some sweetness and richness to the smoke and spice.

The Perique never makes a strong appearance according to my taster. It's mild enough to be considered the tobacco equivalent of a dash of salt or pepper in a bowl of pasta. This mild condimental behavior is probably what Mr. Pease planned, and it works wonderfully.

Many call this a complex blend, but I'm not so sure…delicious, yes, and in certain pipes it exhibits a wider range of flavors and nuance. In my Dankse Cllub volcano, for example, the Latakia shone through. In the meer, the spice and toastiness of the Orientals. In the Nording, well-balanced in the beginning then Latakia-heavy near the end. Experiment with different pipes, but you will probably love it in any of your chosen utensils.

It certainly is less “full” than Abingdon and Westminster (regarding Latakia content) but is altogether as rich and flavorful. The nuances of the Orientals float in and out, depending on temperature, puffing cadence, etc., and the various ingredients—while behaving well together with none taking a predominant lead— make appearances which just as quickly fade away, which is probably what leads to the descriptions of “complex.” Campfire smoky one moment, toasty and warm the next, then a bit of spice, then a combination of any two or three of the above...yes, I guess you could call it complex after all.

Having not smoked Abingdon or Westminster for many months, I'll have to do a side by side comparison, but the preliminary word is, I may like this better than either of those classics. And this from a new tin! Eventually I'll be going back to do a quick refresher with all of the Pease English blends, so I can narrow it down to just a few favorites. Right now, this one is a contender for top of the list.

Four stars and on my “buy a lot more” list.

In the last six months, I have smoked through two tins of Blackpoint dating back to 2006 and 2007, making most of my experience with this blend at the 7-8 year mark.

Like most GL Pease tobaccos, this one comes slightly moist, which suits me well. I am a sipper rather than a puffer, and did not tend to get gurgle from this at all. The moisture slowly evaporated in the tins over the weeks that I smoked them. The colors tended to be a bit darker than I expect when this was fresher.

Pease nailed the tin description, as always. Stewed fruits and campfire are the predominant notes, both in the tin and in the pipe. The latakia is there but well-integrated and probably a little muted after 7 years, which suits me just fine. The perique wasn't noticeable to me on its own, but like many of his blends with small amounts of condimental leaf, I suspect I would notice its absence. I'm guessing that the perique and Virginias conspired to create the base of deep fruits, with the orientals and latakia providing spice and smoke. I'm terrible at picking out individual flavors, but after 7 years of aging, it's really more of a holistic experience anyway. I can recall moments of thinking that this must be the sort of latakia blend that folks enjoyed in decades past. It wasn't sweet, like Maltese Falcon is. But neither was it acrid, as some bigger latakia blends can taste to me. It walks a tightrope of perfect balance.

Make no mistake: this is a big blend. But it's not without refinement and complexity. That's not to say it can't be a set it and forget it smoke, as it sometimes was for me. The easy burn made that possible. But in the right pipe and the right circumstances, this one sung to me as few fuller latakia blends can.

This is highly recommended, especially with age. If you like your fuller latakia blends with some complexity and balance, this is your smoke.

I bought three tins of this three years ago on a hunch that I may like it and I love when hunches pay off. This is a great Balkan blend that packs everything you would want in such a blend. It has the campfire notes of the latakia, spicy exotic flavoring from the orientals, more spice and a little nicotine boost from Perique and the perfect amount of Virginia to add sweetness.

When you have this many components it is inevitable that you will have shifting flavors, the key is finding one where you like all the flavors presented. This is exactly how Blackpoint hits my palate. It shifts from one great flavor to another. Just a well done blend with incredible balance.

To anyone who is bemoaning the potential loss of Dunhill Nightcap, buy some tins of this and you will forget about Nightcap quickly.

I'm very impressed by this creamy classic English mixture, a thick and medium ribbon cut with a nice smoky and exotic smell from the tin with good burning qualities.

The Latakia is leathery and evokes a campfire, the Turkish/Oriental gives a sour and slightly sweet flavor. As an end note, the Perique provides, towards the end of the bowl, a peppery spiciness and the contrast actually surprised me. This tobacco leaves a lingering exotic sensation on the palate. Thank you Mr. Pease for bringing me back in time.

Virginia lover

General impression: This was my first introduction to Pease and was my local tobacconist's personal recommendation for the GLP line when I told her that I liked latakia but not in large doses. The tin aroma is absolutely sublime - it smells like a combination of earth, dried fruit and campfire (I know it sounds like the description given on the tin, but it really is accurate!). In fact the tin smell is so good that sometimes I open it just to take a whiff! When smoked it tastes creamy, mild and well-balanced - neither VA nor latakia nor perique dominate. The room note is very nice for a non-aromatic and has a slight sweetness to it. This has become my favorite non-aromatic blend.

Who should buy this stuff: You like mild to medium English blends that are complex in taste. You like VAPER blends and you want something different with a little hint of smokiness to it. You like complex, contemplative tobaccos. This is not a good blend for latakia-fiends or for situations where relighting would be highly inconvenient (while walking or gardening for instance).

Final notes: This stuff needs to dry out before being smoked and even then, the wide cuts of the leaf make keeping it lit difficult. This blend can also produce some gurgle, so keep your pipe cleaners and lighter handy. I like pairing Blackpoint with chamomile tea.

Revised 12-30-2004 Aging makes a difference.

Apearance and Tin Aroma: Tin date 08-04-03 smelled deliciously musty with some fig notes. Typical medium ribbon with a good balance of light and dark leaves.

Packing and Lighting: Easy as all the Pease blends. Lights 2-3 max.

Initial Flavor: Aaahh! Classic English! Perfectly balanced from the get go.

Mid-Bowl: This blend really shines with a complexity that is among the best. Each leaf is noticable the VA's, the oriental, the perique, the Latakia is all there.

Bottom of Bowl: A slight build up of strength and a delicious sweet note comes through. Ash is mottled grey and dry.

Overall: Well, since the demise of the Syrian latakia, I have been exploring blends that don't use that leaf to replace them. This is a blend that has done that. I wasn't too impressed with this blend when it came out, but after a year and a half of aging, the blend does show it's quality of leaf and blending skill. The perique in this blend is low (which I prefer), but it is felt and noticed from time to time. The nicotine is fairly low and there is a low chance of tongue bite with this blend due to its richness. Thankfully, I stowed away a few tins when it first came out and now I am going to purchase some more for future enjoyment. How does this blend compare to other English blends? It is much more refined than Dunhill London Mixture, It is less Latakia laden than Margate and hence, not as full. It is smoother than T-16, Solani Gold, or even Astley's 99. Bottomline: it is a very good English that I have been smoking pretty much daily.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 Points

Mr. Pease describes Blackpoint as a luxurious blend with a piquant finish. The following notes prove that this is an understatement.

On lighting up the smoker is greeted with a nice blast of Latakia plus something else. That extra initial blast greeting the smoker is nothing other than the superb Oriental that this blend introduces and always returns to. Soon after lighting up the woodsiness of Blackpoint, transforms into a piquancy, or sourness, of fruit. But this is no ordinary fruit. While it has been described as stewed plums, it reminds me most of dark, sour cherries. I am not talking of the variety that McDonald's uses to stuff their pie with, nor am I talking of the Bing, Ranier or any other such variety. No, this is the taste of a noble, small, and almost black fruit grown and cherished in the Near East. If you have ever tried Mediterranean (Greek or Turkish) dark sour cherry preserves, then you know what I am talking about. These cherries are so sour that their taste is often enjoyed after they have been mixed with sugar and allowed to macerate. Only then does one get the perfect mixture of sour and sweet that coats the mouth. From all the fruit's qualities, this ability to coat the mouth is prized highest. Like fine wine it stays on the taste buds and tickles with alternate nuances of sweet and sour.

If this piquancy has been achieved by the addition of perique to the blend, I must say that the Louisiana leaf has been blended so masterfully that Blackpoint's transformation from spice and wood to fruit takes place seamlessly. If Blackpoint had nothing more to offer but this transformation it would still be one of the greatest pipe experiences available. But around halfway into the bowl, the smoker becomes aware that the smoking experience could never be this pleasant if the whole blend were not buttressed by some magnificent and complex Virginias which throughout have been providing sweetness in counterbalance to the piquancy of perique and the spice of the Latakia. Realization of the Virginias' contribution is similar to listening to one's favorite Jazz track and realizing, halfway through it, the piano has been sustaining and driving the quartet for a while.

As complex, and I assume robust, as these Virginias are they do not dominate the blend, because even at mid-bowl the Oriental continues to sing bright. Every puff whether sweet or sour, whether Virginia or perique finishes clean, with a hint of mint, because of the Oriental tobacco in this blend. I am sure that this is a very high quality Oriental, and in the hands of a lesser person it would have still made an enjoyable blend. But in the hands of Mr. Pease this Oriental tobacco creates history. With hints of mint, menthol, spice, and burning wood, it sings louder and louder as the bowl nears its end. The kind of tastes and smells usually associated with Christmas. As a matter of fact, instead of counting the days until Christmas, I think I will just smoke some Blackpoint and pretend it has arrived already.

This is truly a great blend and I cannot imagine how it will improve with ageing, but I am sure that it will.