G. L. Pease Abingdon

This is the first G.L. Pease blend I've tried. That being said I think it's brilliant. Great flavors, awesome smokability, no bite. I'll admit though I cellared this tin for about two years that may have added something. It's so smooth and tasty, It is Latakia heavy which is ok in my book when I'm in the mood. The crazy thing is though, is that the Latakia doesn't dominate. I love the fact that I get a sweetness from the virginias, and a nice creamy herbal note from the orientals and Turkish. The only drawback for me is I get bored with blends easily and this one only holds my attention for a few nights before I have to switch it up. That being said, however, after smoking this some of my old faves pale in comparison. For instance, I'll switch this up with Billy Budd to give my palette a change and I'm always struck at how much more tasty Abingdon is compared to ol' Billy. I think it's the contrast between those brighter high note flavors and the low end, deep heaviness of the Burley and cigar in Billy Budd.

Like the description claims it is robust but also subtle in many ways, that's what brings me back every time.

I find this to be a bit on the bright side of my personal spectrum, which makes it a nice change of pace from my normal, heavy Latakia favorites. As a matter of fact, the first bowl from the tin was like a mouthful of juniper, but this seems to have lessened, although it certainly retains an herbal, woodsy profile. It tastes very "green" to me- not as in young or immature, but as in a forest. I think it's delicious, and I've yet to find a Pease blend that isn't outstanding. I'm glad that we have him around. As far as arguing whether or not it's suitably "Balkan", who cares? I hear that argument a lot and, personally, I think it's a moot point. I prefer to judge a tobacco on its own merits, and this one's a winner! Unless it hasn't won anything, then it's just an excellent blend- like gin and vermouth would be if someone mixed them together. Someone should do that.

Just in from the deck on a cool, fall morning - my Saturday ritual - relax with hot coffee and a favorite pipe, and watch the sun come up through the poplars. On cool autumn mornings such as this (~50 degrees) - I tend to drink a dark roast and smoke one of my "heavier" latakia blends. So I packed my pipe loosely with Abingdon this morning, and enjoyed it to the bottom of an old Peterson bent Dublin. I enjoy many of G.L. Pease's creations - but this is the one of his that I smoke most often. It is strong, yet subtle, and never overpowering in it's presentation - I feeeeeeel the nicotine, but it is not like some heavier blends that give you a punch or sneak up on you suddenly. Tastes and smells linger in the thick smoke: leather, earth, heavily toasted nuts and raisins - this is one that I like to exhale though my nose to enjoy that extra sensation and aroma of the toasted raisins. Excellent blending of the various types of leaf - none in command, yet all working together in the mixture. I favor the room note, heavy and lingering - Mrs. Irishpiper - she prefers my lighter/sweeter choices (but she is sleeping in, and I am smoking ABINGDON!) If you like Samarra, Charing Cross, Westminster, or Maltese Falcon, and have not yet tried Abingdon - I think you would be pleasantly surprised with it. Highly Recommended.

Years ago there was an advert on UK television that ran like this:

"Tasty, tasty, very very tasty - they're very tasty!"

Time has passed, and I can no longer remember which product was being advertised - whatever it was, it could easily have been an advert for Abingdon. I love the mix of smokiness and relaxing qualities that this blend provides. Jet blacks, deep browns, light browns - all combining to produce a flavourful hour of pleasure.

I am coming to the end of yet another 2oz container, but thankfully another is ready at my side.

Go Pease!

This is certainly a big dark blend that requires many bowls to get to know. Opening the tin reveals a diverse mix of light brown and black leaf with some hard twig-like pieces. The cut is fine, moisture content is drier than I am used to but certainly not dust yet. The blend feels and appears light and fluffy. It packs easily and burns slow and even throughout the bowl.

The initial taste is a heavy Latakia introduction starting the bowl off with a big boom. As the bowl continues, flavors of dark leather, wood and some subtle tang of Virginia take turns at the front. Towards the very bottom of the bowl I detect something that I cannot really figure out. I am almost tempted to say "Butternut Squash" but that might sound like I am smoking something other than tobacco. My wife says that the room note is that of "Hickory wood and cedar chips burning in an old fireplace" (a very positive opinion!)

Greg keeps upping the ante. Rennaissance, Raven's Wing, Caravan, Odyssey, Blackpoint, and Charing Cross are all impeccably made, well received, and highly sought-after blends that have garnered untold fans, myself included. Abingdon is the best of the lot.

It's big enough to supplant Nightcap or Red Raparee, yet soft and approachable enough to enjoy at any time- the elusive "iron fist in a velvet glove". A truly marvelous concoction of the highest order.

This blend is sour, spicy, cedary, herbaceous, flowery, and very savory with a picante yet unctuous mouth feel. You can tell this is a quality product blended by someone who knows what they are doing. While I find this a well balanced blend where each component carries its own weight, the focus is quite weighted toward the orientals and Latakia. The other components are far in the background, but add what’s needed for the focus. This is not a symphony, it’s a teeter totter that is perfectly balanced.

The tin I opened had a production date of "February 23, 2015. This isn't the first time I've opened tins of Pisa Latakia that are 5-7 years old, and I like this trend. The latakia gets softer and doesn't give out as harshly, and the Virginia gets some maturity over that period of time.

Appearance: a mixture of tobaccos from medium brown to almost black, coarse ribbon cut with occasional flakes. Latakia is plentiful. The moisture content of the tobacco is perfect. It is light and a little fluffy, and packs well into any pipe. The author himself recommends a loose filler, and I took his advice.

Flavor: the dense, smoky aroma certainly dominates, but does not envelop you completely, leaving room for the smell of leather, oaky woody notes, earthiness, and complementing the feeling of a campfire in the forest. A very light spicy Oriental note nicely complements the base, adding mostly a mixture of saffron and turmeric. Virginia in support gives the scent of dark dried fruit and a subtle sourness, while the usual notes of bread and hay, being absorbed by the resulting bouquet, play in the background.

Taste: the characteristic creamy, peaty, smoky note that cannot be confused with anything and can be loved or hated, does not fall on the tongue as a heavy "latakia bomb", but it envelops the tongue, letting you know that there is a lot of latakia here. In addition to this, there is a woody flavor, a slight hint of Kenyan black tea with some spices added - sourish badjan, herbaceous thyme and a little ginger. The tobacco has a very slight fruity sweetness mixed with an equally imperceptible sourness. As you smoke, the sweetness, already imperceptible, disappears almost completely, the latakia flattens out, the spicy note increases slightly, and the woody note comes almost on par with the latakia. The strength of the tobacco is medium, in very large pipes a slight nicotine hit is possible. The tobacco smokes evenly and cool, but too frequent puffs can still heat up the pipe with a wide bowl. The blend burns completely into a dusty light gray ash, leaving no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste is slightly astringent, smoky and woody.

The smoke, as befits a good Balkan blend, is dense, with a characteristic smell of latakia. It stays in the room for a long time.

Bottom line: a beautiful, very deep-flavored blend, rich in latakia, but lavishly flavored with other tobaccos. Fans of "latakaya bombs" may not be happy with this fact. But what is certain is that it is worthy of the highest praise for its taste and quality of execution.

Well, what can I tell you that you don't already know. There are a hell lot of GLP blends that fit into the English/Balkan category and more than a handful of them are superb. The reason why I prefer Abingdon and Westminster to the others most likely can be traced back to the fact that those are the first two Pease blends I bought a few years ago when I started trying blends from American manufacturers. What should you expect when you buy this blend? A robust Balkan that is perfectly cut and conditioned. A tobacco that when you open the tin will entice you with its lovely smell. As to the taste, it is full and the Latakia is quite noticeable. The Oriental is a key player here as well and the Virginia provides just the exact amount of sweetness that is necessary to make this a rounded composition. There sure is some complexity to this smoke and it is just the right amount for me. I can observe the interplay between the tobaccos as the bowl progresses, which is something I enjoy quite a bit but it's not the kind of complexity that is sort of tiresome and exhausting (if you guys know what I mean).

One last comment to the novice smokers out there. This is really one of the tobaccos that came to me naturally - I cannot put it into words very well - but I just immediately grasped its flavor profile and what the tobacco wants to achieve.

4/4 stars