G. L. Pease Stratford
(3.19)
Stratford is an enticing blend of delicately sweet brights and rich, ripe, red Virginia tobaccos, seasoned with just the right measure of fine Louisiana perique. The wonderfully nuanced interplay of sugar and spice is sure to delight the lover of this time honored combination. The room note is soft and subtle, the taste zesty and piquant. This is the one for the Virginia/Perique fans.
Notes: Stratford was released in July, 2003.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Classic Collection |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | 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
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.19 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 68 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2004 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Appearance: A fairly light overall color. Mostly lemon and orange (reddish) Virginia, with a few darker strands visible. The cut is long and short ribbons, typical GLP.
Aroma: The first impression is grassy, sort of like a really fine grade of hay that you would feed to a horse you really liked. This tells me that lemon Va. is a major component. There is also a slight tang from the Perique, but none of the acetic acid smell of a McClellend blend. Doesn?t have the heavy, sweet aroma of a matured red, so I anticipate a light, but pleasant smoke. Possibly this is the ?Breakfast Virginia? counterpart to Piccadilly.
Packing: Like all of the GLP blends, this packs easily into any size bowl from group 3 through 5. Experience with this series tells me to pack just a hair tighter than usual, but only a red hair.
Lighting: The blend takes flame readily, but not too quickly. The cut is just right for lighting.
Initial flavor: This is a Breakfast Virginia indeed, the flavor is light and bright on the tongue, with grassy overtones. There is a bit of Perique tingle, not excessive. Shows promise of some complexity. Needs to be puffed slowly. Don?t pack too loosely. Has excellent DGT qualities.
Mid-bowl: This is definitely a light blend, but not bland. There is some interplay of the different Virginias, and the Perique fades in and out as you proceed slowly. Puffed too quickly, this can become monochromatic in taste (read boring), and can get hot. In other words, don?t push her too fast, or she?ll slap your face. Go slow, and she?ll give you everything you want.
Finish: Nothing really changes at the end of the bowl. It finishes dry and cool, leaves a fluufy, light ash behind. You may be ready for another soon, or for something heavier.
Summary: For me this is an eye-opener. For others, it may be a great all-day smoke. Definitely a winner, and I will buy a bag or two to cellar, as well as a few cans to dip into. Another winner in the Classic Series.
Aroma: The first impression is grassy, sort of like a really fine grade of hay that you would feed to a horse you really liked. This tells me that lemon Va. is a major component. There is also a slight tang from the Perique, but none of the acetic acid smell of a McClellend blend. Doesn?t have the heavy, sweet aroma of a matured red, so I anticipate a light, but pleasant smoke. Possibly this is the ?Breakfast Virginia? counterpart to Piccadilly.
Packing: Like all of the GLP blends, this packs easily into any size bowl from group 3 through 5. Experience with this series tells me to pack just a hair tighter than usual, but only a red hair.
Lighting: The blend takes flame readily, but not too quickly. The cut is just right for lighting.
Initial flavor: This is a Breakfast Virginia indeed, the flavor is light and bright on the tongue, with grassy overtones. There is a bit of Perique tingle, not excessive. Shows promise of some complexity. Needs to be puffed slowly. Don?t pack too loosely. Has excellent DGT qualities.
Mid-bowl: This is definitely a light blend, but not bland. There is some interplay of the different Virginias, and the Perique fades in and out as you proceed slowly. Puffed too quickly, this can become monochromatic in taste (read boring), and can get hot. In other words, don?t push her too fast, or she?ll slap your face. Go slow, and she?ll give you everything you want.
Finish: Nothing really changes at the end of the bowl. It finishes dry and cool, leaves a fluufy, light ash behind. You may be ready for another soon, or for something heavier.
Summary: For me this is an eye-opener. For others, it may be a great all-day smoke. Definitely a winner, and I will buy a bag or two to cellar, as well as a few cans to dip into. Another winner in the Classic Series.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 18, 2004 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Mr. Pease has indeed a well deserved reputation in the tobacco world for excellent blends. Stratford, for me, was not one of them. Beautiful it the tin, and full to the brim it was nice to behold. Yet as I packed and lit the leaf I found it was not very old.
It had a thin, burning taste that always left me with something like tounge bite, but not quite. It had what I might describe as an ashy taste. One other reviewer mentioned cigarette like, I concurr. Perhaps this blend can be rehabilitated by time. The tin will go on the shelf until then.
It had a thin, burning taste that always left me with something like tounge bite, but not quite. It had what I might describe as an ashy taste. One other reviewer mentioned cigarette like, I concurr. Perhaps this blend can be rehabilitated by time. The tin will go on the shelf until then.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 03, 2003 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Full | Very Pleasant |
I'm finding that Stratford may be the finest all around smoke for me. The above reviews cover about all that needs to be said.
I wanted to add that the tin I received was packed absolutely tight, and required some decompressing when the seal was broken. I was really surprised but thrilled how much product was in that 2 oz. can. It was really crammed in there and was not overly moist. It lit and burned perfectly. Nice looking leaf!
Also, the tin aroma has an irresistable freshness which was not unlike fresh hay or freshly mown grass. Very nice! When set to flame this fresh, grassy smell becomes just the finest sweet, yet distinctive smoke. Can't keep my nose out of the bowl.
Also,I find that bowls go by rather fast. May be the higher sugar content or might be my enthusiasm, but a tigthly paked bowl might not last as long as you would expect. No bite at all however.
The hint of Perique is just right-on. Hardly noticeable, but wouldn't want to think about it not being there for balance.
I can settle right into Autumn and probably smoke this through Spring and Summer, never touching another blend and be a spoiled and happy camper.
I wanted to add that the tin I received was packed absolutely tight, and required some decompressing when the seal was broken. I was really surprised but thrilled how much product was in that 2 oz. can. It was really crammed in there and was not overly moist. It lit and burned perfectly. Nice looking leaf!
Also, the tin aroma has an irresistable freshness which was not unlike fresh hay or freshly mown grass. Very nice! When set to flame this fresh, grassy smell becomes just the finest sweet, yet distinctive smoke. Can't keep my nose out of the bowl.
Also,I find that bowls go by rather fast. May be the higher sugar content or might be my enthusiasm, but a tigthly paked bowl might not last as long as you would expect. No bite at all however.
The hint of Perique is just right-on. Hardly noticeable, but wouldn't want to think about it not being there for balance.
I can settle right into Autumn and probably smoke this through Spring and Summer, never touching another blend and be a spoiled and happy camper.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 04, 2021 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Stratford presents as a fine ribbon of medium and light browns. The tin immediately spoke to me of Cairo, or perhaps more precisely Haddo’s Delight, minus the flavoring agents. It’s just… that, exactly: subdued sweet baked goods, fresh baked bread, a hint of plum stewed fruit, everything one might expect in a balanced VaPer sans the flavoring of the aforementioned blends. And while those blends are outstanding, and among my favorites, I think I prefer this tin note. On to the smoke….
Stratford arrives at an optimal moisture level and is ready to smoke right out of the gates. Takes a match well and burns cool and dry right from the char all the way through. The Virginia’s are kind and smooth; there’s no bite here. The Perique is balanced in its flavor profile, leaning slightly in the beginning towards the plum rather than pepper nuances of this complex tobacco formulation, but opening up with more assertive, though far from overwhelming spice by mid-bowl. The final third is a crescendo of bread and stewed fruit with a hint of pepper that suggests quite a bit of time and effort on Greg’s part to get this, well, perfect. And it’s no wonder that he built a few other blends over this base.
In short, this is the base VaPer of both Cairo and Haddo’s, before the magic additions are blended in, and is simply divine on its own. Extremely flavorful yet far from overwhelming, Stratford is a repeatable smoke, or an all-day blend for a VaPer lover. I have smoked many pounds of both Cairo and Haddo’s over the years, but have been leaning more and more towards Stratford as the stripped down and simple base of those two blends. Alternatively, look at a tin of Stratford as a calming break that will make you appreciate its big brothers even more upon your return.
Stratford arrives at an optimal moisture level and is ready to smoke right out of the gates. Takes a match well and burns cool and dry right from the char all the way through. The Virginia’s are kind and smooth; there’s no bite here. The Perique is balanced in its flavor profile, leaning slightly in the beginning towards the plum rather than pepper nuances of this complex tobacco formulation, but opening up with more assertive, though far from overwhelming spice by mid-bowl. The final third is a crescendo of bread and stewed fruit with a hint of pepper that suggests quite a bit of time and effort on Greg’s part to get this, well, perfect. And it’s no wonder that he built a few other blends over this base.
In short, this is the base VaPer of both Cairo and Haddo’s, before the magic additions are blended in, and is simply divine on its own. Extremely flavorful yet far from overwhelming, Stratford is a repeatable smoke, or an all-day blend for a VaPer lover. I have smoked many pounds of both Cairo and Haddo’s over the years, but have been leaning more and more towards Stratford as the stripped down and simple base of those two blends. Alternatively, look at a tin of Stratford as a calming break that will make you appreciate its big brothers even more upon your return.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a very well done, top tier tobacco. For my tastes, it is very similar to Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture, which recently went away and came back again under the Peterson name, and is still a regular smoke for me. It's mellow, tangy with some dark fruitiness to it, with a decent nicotine hit, I'm a fan!
Pipe Used:
Peterson Bent Dracula
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 27, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I will start this off by saying that I have been on a latakia kick for a while, syrian specifically. Most of my cellar contains latakia of either variety and I felt I needed to find something lighter to stock.
Enter Stratford. There isn't anything fancy about it and it is not complex by any means. Perfect, because that is what i was looking for.
I have had the tin open for about a week and have found I can smoke several bowls throughout the day without issue. The virginias give a nice sweetness that really shines if you dry it out a bit. The perique is there, but only as a spicy background note. I noticed very little of the fig/raisin notes I have gotten from other Va/pers.
To me, all of this is great. I can smoke this while driving and still enjoy it without feeling that I'm missing something by not being able to devote my full attention to it.
Tasty all day smoke, imo.
Enter Stratford. There isn't anything fancy about it and it is not complex by any means. Perfect, because that is what i was looking for.
I have had the tin open for about a week and have found I can smoke several bowls throughout the day without issue. The virginias give a nice sweetness that really shines if you dry it out a bit. The perique is there, but only as a spicy background note. I noticed very little of the fig/raisin notes I have gotten from other Va/pers.
To me, all of this is great. I can smoke this while driving and still enjoy it without feeling that I'm missing something by not being able to devote my full attention to it.
Tasty all day smoke, imo.
Pipe Used:
Bent Apple of my own make
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
3 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 04, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I found this blend to be easy to light and it burns very well. To my taste buds the Virginia Base is got too many of the harsh notes yet from the red Virginia, but probably reflects the fact that my tin is relatively young At 6 months. I would expect there to be much improvement in the blend as it ages. While I find the flavored enjoyable, it clearly needs more age. I find it somewhat difficult to give it 4 stars, but as a Virginia perique, it offers a long-term good VaPer blend. Three stars, with a solid hope that'll improve as it ages as I'm sure it will.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Kinsale XL 20
PurchasedFrom:
Indian River Tobacco Grand Rapids MI
Age When Smoked:
6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2017 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
G. L. Pease - Stratford (Classic Blends).
It's mostly a blend comprised of light brown and yellow ribbons with only a smaller amount of darker/medium brown pieces. The moisture of this tin looked brilliant when the lid was first removed, and because the ribbons are slim in build filling a bowl's easy.
Stratford ignites with ease, and gives a smoke flavoured with just enough Perique to add some life, without causing the smoke to be cartelized and ruled by it completely; albeit, it tastes a little vinegary at times. The Virginia gives a clear and unambiguous taste, being a little citrus-esc, and not allowing the Perique to dominate. The burn's consistent enough, but one of the few negatives is the speed of it: not ridiculously fast, but it's a better smoke in a larger bowl.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not great.
Stratford: in my opinion it's the archetypal three star blend:
Recommended.
It's mostly a blend comprised of light brown and yellow ribbons with only a smaller amount of darker/medium brown pieces. The moisture of this tin looked brilliant when the lid was first removed, and because the ribbons are slim in build filling a bowl's easy.
Stratford ignites with ease, and gives a smoke flavoured with just enough Perique to add some life, without causing the smoke to be cartelized and ruled by it completely; albeit, it tastes a little vinegary at times. The Virginia gives a clear and unambiguous taste, being a little citrus-esc, and not allowing the Perique to dominate. The burn's consistent enough, but one of the few negatives is the speed of it: not ridiculously fast, but it's a better smoke in a larger bowl.
Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not great.
Stratford: in my opinion it's the archetypal three star blend:
Recommended.
Pipe Used:
Erik Nording
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Six months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 22, 2013 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Very Pleasant |
Tried this tobacco for the first time ever - this review follows smoking 5 bowls in various style pipes - Ben Wade freehand (1972), Savanelli Autograph (1974), Barling tanshell (1974), Peterson bent (1984) and a Caminetto egg(1972).
Overall this tobacco has an excellent aroma in the can and the room. Is is very light on the perique side and burns somewhat fast due to the ribbon cut.It is very moist straight from the can and I let it sit out for 3 days to dry before smoking - any less and it is a wet and hot smoke.
To maintain this as a cool smoke I find it does best in a tall narrow bowled pipe like my old Barling tanshell (1974), packed fairly tight and with slow, regular and deep draws.
To me it paired really well with GlenDronach Revival (15 year old single malt, neat) and not so well with coffee (Columbian or Sumatra) or wine (Merlot or Malbec).
Overall it is an OK smoke for early or mid-day, but I prefer something with a more pronounced perique taste in the evening like Escudo (#1 all time favorite) and Bayou Morning Flake (#2).
After finishing this 2 oz. tin I most likely will not purchase again - only because it is too light for my taste.
Finally, this tobacco is best enjoyed indoors ; outdoors the taste and aroma change to that "grassy" state so common with light virginias.
Overall this tobacco has an excellent aroma in the can and the room. Is is very light on the perique side and burns somewhat fast due to the ribbon cut.It is very moist straight from the can and I let it sit out for 3 days to dry before smoking - any less and it is a wet and hot smoke.
To maintain this as a cool smoke I find it does best in a tall narrow bowled pipe like my old Barling tanshell (1974), packed fairly tight and with slow, regular and deep draws.
To me it paired really well with GlenDronach Revival (15 year old single malt, neat) and not so well with coffee (Columbian or Sumatra) or wine (Merlot or Malbec).
Overall it is an OK smoke for early or mid-day, but I prefer something with a more pronounced perique taste in the evening like Escudo (#1 all time favorite) and Bayou Morning Flake (#2).
After finishing this 2 oz. tin I most likely will not purchase again - only because it is too light for my taste.
Finally, this tobacco is best enjoyed indoors ; outdoors the taste and aroma change to that "grassy" state so common with light virginias.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 04, 2010 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is good stuff but I'm only giving it 3 stars because I like Embarcadero and Fillmore so much better. I thought I'd never say this, but I think this could use a touch more Perique. I bought a couple of tins and I'm going to squirrel one away for a year or so and then try it again. A little age on the Virginias might improve the way it tastes to me. As it is, the Virginias have the sweetness I've come to expect, and it burns cool and all the way down to a white ash, usually with no relights. If you're a fan of Virginia/Perique blends a little light to Perique, I think you'll love this.
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