G. L. Pease Abingdon

Mixture of browns and black, medium cut. Smells strongly of leather, with a hint of dried fruit. Taste - dry, smoky, rich, well-balanced, hint of spice. One of the great tobaccos.

A very good balkan blend. Lat. is upfront and good and smoky sweet. Orientals are always present with a slight bitterness that I like from them. The VA's are there too and very sweet. Maybe too sweet for just VA's?

Here is the only issue I have with this blend. I think there is a top note that is just more than the blend should have. Maybe just a little sugar water added to the mix? Something, I know a lot of English blends are topped for room note help but something here is more than that yet not quite distinct enough for me to say exactly what it is. Also, I cannot help but wonder if PG solution was added. The tobacco is moist and maintains it moister for a very long time. It takes about 1 hr. of drying time to get it right.

These little issues aside this is a great blend in its own right. Not the best balkan I have had but it is very good. Those who love the big balkan's should give this one a try.

A nice tobacco. I like the cut, semi shag, easy to light and kept lit. This I classify as a mild Balkan with plenty of flavor. Many times you get a mild tobacco and it just doesn't bring a lot of flavor ( Squadron leader comes to mind), this one is complex. I like to ball and stuff this tobacco for packing.

I don't find this real sweet or dominated by Latakia as some of the other reviewers have said, but that's why some of us smoke, " Captian Black" , individual taste. I do find a taste of split oak logs, found the same thing in Dunhill's London Mixture, different, nice, interesting. I can see myself going for this any time of day.

My only problem with this is it is more peppery than I like. I have to agree with "Darth Vader 03/28/2013"

A tangy Lat Bomb. Very easy to smoke for hours and moderate nicotine so satisfying but not overwhelming. Gee i like the Latakia that Greg uses in his blends. Lights easily, burns slow and cool, although the Lat/turkish combo makes it quite spicy on the tongue. Well suited to a nice big pipe. Another winner for me.

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.

Almost through a 2oz tin of Abingdon... overall, a very good smoke!

I don't have much to add in the way of flavor/aroma descriptions that hasn't been said already. My last Pease tasting was a 2oz tin of Charing Cross which I smoked throughout the end of Winter into the Spring. I would say that they are both "big" blends. I find Abingdon to be a little more Latakia-forward, whereas Charing Cross lets the Orientals shine a little more. Don't get me wrong, they both offer a significant punch of both, but that is their chief difference. Virginias provide a nice canvas for the dark, smoky hues of the Latakia in Abingdon, with Oriental spicy notes giving definition and offering contrast to the broad brushstrokes of the Cyprian leaf. But there is balance here which I find attractive... as opposed to, say, Pirate Kake or Capt. Earle's Diamond Head - both extremely heavy on Latakia to the point of salty dry-ness and rather uni-dimensional experiences. Abingdon is also relatively gentle in terms of nicotine.

I like this blend quite a bit. It has lit and burnt consistently across pipes and I've always found it very satisfying. It is obviously made of quality tobaccos and has been blended with considerable care and finesse. Is it extraordinary? Maybe not. Is it a solid Balkan offering the best of what this style of blend should offer? Absolutely. And perhaps this makes it remarkable in its own way.

I will definitely buy some to cellar for future enjoyment. My tin was quite young (Jan 2011) and I'd like to see what a little time does to it. I also have a tin of Pease's newest, Lagonda, which in the wake of such smoking pleasure as I got from Abingdon and Charing Cross, should also be a fantastic blend.

If you like "big" Balkans... definitely give this a try.

Mr. Pease has done it again. I don't know how the man continually comes up with winning blends, but am beginning to subscribe to the Dark Lord theories. So be it. Abingdon is a full and rich Balkan, blended of Virginia, Latakia, Orientals, and Turkish tobaccos, which come together beautifully as a mix of golds, light and dark browns. The tin aroma is strong and leathery, with almost a hint of what I can only describe as the aroma of shoe polish. To me, the aroma of a Balkan is not the most desired, but getting past that aroma and loading a good one into the pipe brings a flavor pleasure not found in other blend types. The moisture level of Abingdon, as with all Pease tobaccos, is ideal; when you buy a Pease blend you aren't purchasing PG or water. The shorter ribbons of the blend pack into a bowl nicely. I find, with Pease blends, that I have a more successful smoke when my first layer is pressed a bit more than with most blends. Once lit, and lighting is easy, the blend reveals the smoky taste of the latakia but also the leathery, somewhat spicy flavor of the Turkish. The Turkish/Oriental component of the blend takes control after a few puffs, and while the latakia remains a presence this blend is not driven by it. The amount of Virginia used is enough to placate the other tobaccos without ever really announcing itself. There is, of course, a mild, sweet flavor, as an undertone, to this blend which is delightful, but if you are looking for sweetness don't look here. It is not until the end of the bowl that the real sweetness comes through; in fact, the last eighth to quarter of the smoke do take on a sweetness that is quite different than the rest of the smoke. Yet even at this point the control is that of the Turkish and Oriental tobacco, and I can't help but think that some of the sweetness comes not from the Virginia but from the latakia, which has been stewing through most of the bowl. The flavor, throughout the bowl, is a wonderful, layered, complex mix of smokiness, spice, leather, and herb, and reminds me of why I like a good, rich stew – each ingredient adds to the mix, each ingredient enhances the others, and the overall mix, being balanced perfectly, is far more than the sum of the components. I wouldn't consider this to be a Balkan for beginners. If you are a smoker looking to explore a new direction, you might want to play it safe with other, less rich Balkans in order to get an idea of what these blends have in store in terms of taste and complexity. But for those who know and enjoy Balkans it will be hard to find a better blend; this is one you'll want to always have on your shelf.

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.

My first tin of Abingdon had some nice campfire notes so I decided to by a big can. Boy was I disappointed. None of the nice campfire notes. The tobacco was just harsh and boring. Totally unaged. So I've put away the can and will wait a couple of years. Maybe it will improve. During that time I will smoke Orlik's Dunhill MyMixture, which is infinitely better than any of the Pease Balkans and yet ridiculed by him. Don't get carried away by the description on the tin. In all honesty it should read: "Abingdon, harsh and boring."