Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Bohemian Scandal (Heirloom Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-04-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I never took the opportunity to smoke the now infamous Bohemian Scandal during its brief tenure before the fire that ended the future of the blend. This is based on a half tin of BS from 2004. The tin description describes a “wine like character” and I find that to be very true as BS smokes through the bowl. Any rough edges that may have existed are now gone as this smokes very smooth. I have to admit that it seems that anyone that doesn’t rate this as a four star blend gets down voted. I guess I will have to get my down votes too. This is a good tobacco. I repeat, a good tobacco, but it isn’t manna for me. This is a complex blend and that makes it interesting. As stated above its smooth too. But there is a sour note in BS that just doesn’t agree with me. Maybe it’s a body chemistry thing? . I initially thought it was the Syrian Latakia. But I have now investigated further and I am certain it is a particular Oriental when it is well aged. I am not sure which Oriental leaf it is, but I can now say that with confidence. I had the same issue with Margate and Penzance, both blends that I really enjoy. But when those two get more than 15 years old, that same sour taste prevails here for me with BS. For me, that makes it a three star affair, and not a $100 tin. Sorry guys (and ladies!)

Age When Smoked: 10 years

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2016-11-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The smoky, woody, wine-like Syrian latakia is a team player as it takes a light lead over the other components. The Orientals are woody, a little earthy, buttery sweet with some dry and sour floral notes, and a couple mild spices in a support role. The base of the blend are the bright and red Virginias, which provide some citrus, tangy dark fruit, earth, and a few blades of grass. I noticed the red a tad more than the bright. The nic-hit is a step less than mild to medium. No chance of bite or harshness even if pushed. Well balanced, you’ll observe most of the aspects of the tobaccos in virtually every puff. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a smooth, very consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a nice after taste. Not quite an all day smoke, but it is a repeatable one if you’re ever lucky enough to score a tin or two.

-JimInks

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-05-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Colors run the range of light brown to black and more of that incredible cheese aroma in the tin, mixed with latakia. Mouth watering aroma. More "Balkan-y" than Raven's Wing, which I see as more of an "English". Both smelled wonderful.

I've been reading more reviews here lately on TR, and 100% agreement is hard to come by - we are, after all, blessed or cursed with different taste buds. But Steel Cowboy nailed my feelings about this blend almost perfectly. Smooth tobacco indeed, and very complex. But I found the same sour note he tasted and it reduced the enjoyment I got. Still a very nice tobacco, but I can't call it great. Raven's Wing did not have this sour component, and I enjoyed it much more. I'm not as sure as he is about what is causing it, but I can't disagree with his findings. That underlying sourness might very well be what kicks this blend over the top for some folks, but it worked an opposite magic on me. Like Steel Cowboy, I can only recommend this to those who haven't tried it if they can find it for less than $100 (I paid $76). Those who know they love it, of course, would gladly pay more. Good blend, but it doesn't stand up to Raven's Wing for me.

Pipe Used: meerschaum and morta

Age When Smoked: 11 years

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-01-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Strong

Hey, that speed reading course I recently took worked. It only took me three days to read the above review. And I pretty much agree with the parts that talked about this blend.

One correction is in order. All Syrian Latakia on the face of this earth did not get burned up in a fire. As many of you know, there was a tragic fire that did destroy a great deal of stored and aging Latakia owned by a plantation house that exported to Mr. Pease and others.

BS is a treat worth lighting up. (IMO, of course.)

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Ok, before I get crucified for giving "only" a "I smoke this on occasion", let me explain... I think this is a great blend, but it still has some edges that I would like to see smoothed out by age. I have full confidence that this will happen, and then I'll come and upgrade the recommendation rating.

Ok, so my tin is still quite young: the virginias have not fully evolved into a round, soft sweetness, thus making the latakia more muted. Yes, because here it's not your usual latakia... The Syrian Latakia is incredible, completely different from anything else: I had already tasted Syrian in some Ashton blends, but this is a world apart. Now that I could taste it in big doses with this blend, I understand its true nature: I realize that some hints of it were already present in Renaissance and Raven's Wing (only I couldn't place the exact "tone" of their instrument in the orchestration of these two blends), here they are left free to sing their solo voice without being assisted by the very different voice of the Cyprian cousin. It is a very tasty blend: I won't say that this is better than the Cyprian latakia blends made by Greg, but it surely is unique and "different". It has a spicy, thick, "heavy" and dark flavor (wine-like the tin says...) that is simply exciting, similar to that of some Dunhill blends of decades ago.

I suspect that there isn't much Syrian percentage-wise, but I'm not sure I would want more: its taste is already true and bold, and more would be overkill (while I can't help but wishing for higher and higher doses of the lighter Cyprian latakia).

It's a quality product, made with great care (usual mixed cut of Greg's blends, but drier than usual) and with a stunningly unique taste. It is quite strong (but not exceedingly so, and full of subtleties) so I wouldn't advise you smoke it too many times a day. Me, I probably still prefer a bit the classic taste of Caravan and Blackpoint (and this is another reason for not giving full rating), but it may just be a matter of habit. It sure is better (though a completely different genre) than the 20 years old tin of Balkan Sobranie 759 I have smoked during the same days of the test... and that is saying something!

BTW, I have never found a blend that would smoke as consistently well as this in EVERY pipe I own. Most blends have their "favorite" pipes, but this one shines on every occasion.

UPDATE: OK, I have smoked more of this tobacco and it keeps being delicious... 4 stars is the right rating, even on a young tin! Superb!

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-01-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I got very lucky a few weeks ago and while shopping in a large tobacconist on Long Island ( I should say cigar shop with some old pipe tobacco's and a nice selection of pipes that no one seems to have been interested in for years) and stumbled on a dusty tin of Bohemian Scandal. It was yellowed with cigar smoke and sticky and grimy to the touch but I was very excited. I found a few other old difficult to find blends as well, 3 different years of Christmas Cheer, Wilderness, and some of the Oriental series tobacco's from McClelland. The guy told me he was cleaning out the basement in January and he would send me a list of what he finds. I also bought a few pipes at a very good price as well. One of the only days I recall enjoying shopping so much in my life. One of the best parts of this hobby other than the obvious smoking component is the hunt. Finding that old pipe you are looking for, occasionally finding it at an antique shop or garage sale where someone thinks you are doing them a favor taking that old Sasieni off their hands for $40 or in this case buying an old tin of pipe weed that hasn't done anything but collect dust and grime. It was quite a rush to see these blends and this one in particular. I am a fan of Syrian Latakia and have only tried one of G.L. Peases blends prior with Syrian leaf.

On to the review. I have smoked about 1/3 of the tin and I have been trying to ensure I have tried the right pipe, the right moisture level and packing method before I reviewed, with such a small amount you can only do so much. The tin note was sour, some from the Orientals and much I think from the Syrian Latakia. I have smoked pounds of HH Vintage Syrian and pounds in combination of some McClellan and Brebbia blends so I am familiar with this rare leaf. That wine and vinegar like scent is present, but in this blend so much so that it was off putting. Maybe age has done something to amplify the aroma. who knows. The tobacco was dry, not crispy, actually just how I like to smoke it as I like my leaf on the dry side. The leaves are dark from a black to light and dark brown. Despite being dry I found a few minutes of dry/air time allowed the vinegary smell to dissipate, making for a more enjoyable smoke. When smoked straight out of the tin the vinegar smell translated into the taste too much for me and persisted throughout the smoke. With some air time the acrid vinegar taste turned into a red wine like flavor that I have not experienced in any other smoke. I would say it was a port/sherry like flavor that was blended with smoky sweetness. The orientals were woody and had a sour note that was pleasant (again when aired out). I also picked up some spice like from pumpkin pie: nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. The Virginias had a citrus sweetness and added to the mouth feel. The mouth feel was also unique in this blend, what I usually attribute to Canvendish was present in this blend, despite there being none in the mix. A round lush feeling in the smoke. Very pleasant. As the bowl passes the halfway point the malt flavor that I love so much in Balkan blends becomes present. This with the port flavors and spice from the Orientals made the second half of the bowl far superior to the first half, consistently. I expected something different, I don't know what but at first I was disappointed, but once I figured out the air time prior to smoking this blend is quite delicious and very unique. Sadly it is gone and perhaps the world will rid itself of the poison that destroyed that nation. Then maybe we will get the gift of the famed tobacco fields of Syria. Until then I will smoke this along with my other cellared blends, occasionally and reverently.

Pipe Used: briars

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: B&M

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-06-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

06-06-2006 June 1 was my 40th birthday and I celebrated by opening a tin of this spectacular blend. The tin had a date of 07-09-2004. This ageing has already made a big difference! The sharpness is totally gone, the flavors have melded ever so wonderfully! This is truly a blend worth celebrating with. It is a pity that I can only open a tin per year for the foreseeable future.

09-17-04 Finally!

Disclaimer: I am a big fan of GL Pease blends, but to smoke this sublime blend everyday, would be a crime!

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Perfect medium ribbon cut with mostly brown to dark brown leaf. Smells delightfully spicy after the gasses leave tin after openning.

Packing and Lighting: Easy, moisture perfect out of the tin.

Initial Flavor: delicious! Reminds me of the initial flavor of a fine Russian imperial stout. Wine and clove undertones abound.

Mid-Bowl: A wonderful fugue of flavor, begs to be French inhaled through the nose (only I don't know how to do that so I just sniff it close to the bowl for the same effect, LOL!).P.S. the room note is absolutely delicious! (at least to those of us who love Balakns)

Bottom of Bowl: a nice spicy kick develops that approaches that of Perique, but more complex than that named weed and without the allergy triggers. Burns to the bottom without of fuss and have been suprised many times that I was done!

Overall: I smoked this blend in many different pipes, even a meerschaum, but my oil-cured ones seemed to smoke this best. This blend begs to be smoked slowly and methodically due to its sublime complexity and richness. The patient puffer is rewarded with an exceptional journey that leaves one satiated and relaxed. This blend does have a bit of a nicotine kick as well, so eat first! I am amazed at what Greg has concocted for us this time! A blend that truly surpasses anything else I have smoked, but because of that, it is better to smoke this blend when you have time to enjoy it and travel long with this "Bohemian Scandal" Also, I will dare to say, this is way better than Balkan Sobranie!

A blend worthy of the original "Bohemian Scandal", namely the reformer John Hus. Enjoy!!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-12-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is destined to become a ?classic? whatever fairs in the world of Syrian latakia availability in the USA! With the recent tragic fire destroying all remaining leaf, it seems we are at the mercy of whatever powers look over our leaf.

I have tried several Syrian Latakia mixtures, and understand the vast difference between Syrian and Cyprian forms quite well. Among all Syrian mixtures I?ve tried, Bohemian Scandal stands alone on a very high mountain. Other blends have used it well; most notably Santa?s Mistake by C&D, but Greg?s unique understanding of this eastern cayenne pepper of a leaf mixes it in a masterful way to present it.

Appearance: This looks to be about 25% dark tobaccos, 20% golden-yellow, 20% red and the remainder is a golden colored. It is varied in cut yet mostly medium 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 Syrian 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.

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. I was gifted a small (but generous none the less) sample to taste this wondrous mixture (thank you Zach).

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 Syrian latakia. Syrian latakia and Orientals tend to live ?nasally? for me, so I often employ the ?French curve? method of inhaling the slipstream smoke. Syrian latakia is challenging for me to define in most cases, and the special leaf used in this blend defies all attempts to do so. The complexity is very nearly overwhelming of this single component (not to say the blend as a whole is) it?s just nearly impossible for me to describe this particular Syrian latakia to anyone who hasn?t tried it. The composition of this blend is perfect to the degree that I easily loose myself and stops wondering about each component.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and the flavors mix and match very nicely. The initial strength of the Syrian 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. Each mouthful is slightly different (as in many a GLP presentation) and unexpected tones creep gently in from time to time. There are tones here drawn from the abyss and several tones that seem to float in on billowy clouds of exhaled smoke. I?m fairly sure that the room note is rather potent, though rarely offending to those tolerant of strong tobacco.

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 Syrian latakia and Oriental has widened and mellowed with the passage of breath and time. This is a heady blend indeed and care must be taken not to over do the puffing rate. Not that one is ever in danger of tongue bite, rather, the subtle nature and underlying character can be ruined. While this tobacco blend is fantastic, it does not replace my favorite Balkan blend GLP Odyssey. I imagine that were it ?available? on a wide market that I would pursue it with vigor. Bohemian Scandal has won a very special place in my heart and on my pallet, and I can only pray the powers that be allow Greg to blend more soon for us to enjoy.

A truly astonishing blend from America?s premier tobacco blender

Supplemental Notes: This is truly fine Balkan blend, standing head and shoulders above nearly everything I?ve tried. Rating for those interested in numbers **

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pagercat (40)	2004-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I begin this review by making a statement that I have never made before about any blend. I say this because it is the ONLY blend that has ever required this statement. Please bear with me as this is a bit awkward for me...This blend made me happy. Not only in the way of enjoying the many features of this tobacco as a pipe smoker but a genuine happiness seemed to fill my soul upon my first few puffs. It made me happy that I am a pipe smoker...it made me happy that Mr. Pease created this blend...it made me just...happy. After several puff a visible smile appeared on my usual depressed/grouchy looking face causing my wife to wonder just what exactly was I really smoking.

Smell is rich and inviting...appearance is complex but unmistakably premium leaf...taste is magical...full, complex and a true adventure in every bowl.

My big worry about this blend is that the government will classify Bohemian Scandal as an illegal drug due to it's addictive nature.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ever since the UPS man knocked at my door, I have been entwined in a scandal. A Bohemian Scandal. I have smoked more of this since I received it than any normal person would ? but it is good. I am going to forego the puff-by-puff description type of review here, there is simply too much going on with this blend to do it that way.

Bohemian Scandal is a wonderful Balkan blend made with Syrian Latakia. It?s delicate at times, bold at other times. All good quality leaf with no bad habits. The Syrian Latakia and the Orientals combine wonderfully, and the Virginia even has enough gumption to speak out now and again. The slightly dry, smoky, delicately spiced flavor is the main attraction. I often find that a blend with a lot of Orientals can tend to get a bit sharp around the edges. Not the case here. You can easily lose yourself I this stuff. Scandal isn?t a Latakia powerhouse, but there?s plenty of it there to keep most people happy.

My normal ?preferred? tobacco is Raven?s Wing, so for me to become this enamored over a Balkan came as a bit of a surprise to me. If this is what Balkan blends were like ?decades ago?, well, then I guess I was born too late.

There is more good new to be had. This blend promises more good things to come. The tin tells us that it is part of the Heirloom Series. It would appear that the Dark Lord has something more up his sleeve. (Man, I?m going to need to ask him if he minds being called that!)

Oh yeah? No dottle, bowl dry, burns great, blah, blah, blah? It?s a Pease blend. Of course it does.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Benjamin Meyer (25)	2022-06-14		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

I've had two tastings of this from a 2004 tin a friend brought to a pipe meeting. Here's what I thought of the first pipe full:

The can was just opened and I think it needed a little more air time for the flavors to open up. The Syrian lat was barely there at all. The orientals in the forefront giving lots of leather and fresh cut wood. It’s weird, but there was a very winey character very present in the unlit tobacco and then all along the smoke. Lots of evolution towards something darker with the Virginias gaining in presence and sweetness. All this was a little muted though.

I left the meeting with a loaded pipe for smoking later. I only got to it three days later. here are my impressions:

Straight ahead, this is much better now. The winey character is mostly gone. The first puffs give a lot of that flowery spicy Latakia. It quickly settled and the Orientals took their place right in the center with some funky, salty, leathery goodness. The virginias are well in the background but still give this a little tang and vague sweetness.

In conclusion, although the first fresh pipe I had wasn't all that exciting, some time out and better drying brought it all out for the senses to grab. With this second pipe full, this gets the highest mark no doubt.

Pipe Used: Conical chambered Baki

Age When Smoked: 18 years

Purchased From: Sample from a friend

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-10-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I got an "04 tin of this stuff and it is fantastic! I was curious about the hype so I hit ebay and scored one. My tin obviously has some age on it, so I would say that the blend was probably a bit heavier on the Lat. originally. Nevertheless this is a great blend, the subtleties of this blend are wonderful, for me it is one to be smoked alone in a quiet, controlled environment where there is no wind or noise or distraction where you can focus and just sip the blend and pay absolute attention, because if you don't, you are sure to miss something. It changes as the bowl progresses and it seems that the VA's, orientals, and latakia all make their stage appearances in their own turns, it's more like a fashion show of tobacco than a blending, each tobacco takes it's turn walking down the catwalk and showcasing it's light, whispy and magnificent flavors. So far for me the orientals seem to dominate the show which is unusual in a balkan or english blend. Anyways great stuff and well worth the money if you have the palette to enjoy it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eric Cioe (37)	2008-05-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

New notes, February 2014: I'm smoking through the last I have of this stuff. It's still really good. It has darkened quite a bit from the tins I had six years ago. That unbelievable tin note is still there, that unmistakable wine-ish Syrian note. But in the pipe, I'm finding that the flavors are starting to mute a bit, which makes sense if you think about it. This was meant to showcase that particular batch of Syrian latakia, and latakia fades more quickly than other tobaccos. Now that the main player has started to fade, you're left smoking the proscenium. Not that it's bad, but it isn't what it once was.

So I reluctantly am declaring this one as getting past prime.

I won't knock down my previous review, though. There were some grains of truth in there among the youthful exuberance.

Old review, May 2008: This is the best tobacco I've ever smoked. It's that good.

I got a tin on eBay a while ago and just finished it last night. I fell in love with it at first. It burns somewhat quickly, but never hot. I think that Syrian latakia tastes totally different from Cyprian and can't imagine how anyone could confuse them. This is a sweet, velvety/silky/wine-like full blend.

I was lucky enough to come across a few tins of this for a reasonable price ($40) at this year's Chicago show. I bought them as soon as I saw them, especially given the prices this stuff is commanding on eBay these days. I bought my eBay tin last fall for $60, and now it's 50% more than that. It's expensive, but if you want the best, this is it. I'm going to not open those other tins for a while, but if I had a decent supply of this stuff, I'd smoke it every evening.

Not a very coherent review, but I'm talking about the absolute best tobacco I've ever tasted. I've had the ultra-rare Balkan Sobranie Flake, but other than that, not much else competes. I really hope that someday this stuff becomes available again, but I doubt it will. It's a poorer pipe smoking community without it.

Age When Smoked: 3-9 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2005-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I really wanted to love this one because of the Syrian only Latakia. Instead, I felt that it nneds more time to age to be fully enjoyed. Sadly, I only got a few cans before it was discontinued (hopefully only temporarily), so I may never taste it at its full potential.

The flavore was full and rich, with the Orientals providing a mouth-filling spiciness, tempered only slightly by the sweetness of the Virginias. Being a Balkan, the Orientals outweigh the Virginia component. The Latakia was super smokey without the sweetness of the Cyprian variety. The combination was superb, but just a bit "edgy" for my palate. This was mostly because the blend was freshly packaged, with almost no time in the can. I was planning on getting more to cellar, but was too late. (Actually, I spent all my ready cash on a stash of Renaissance. That remains my holy grail of Latakia blends).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-12-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Green is the colour of her kind,

Quickness of the eye deceives the mind.

Envy is the bond between the hopeful and the damned.

Although there is a lot going on in this blend, it is far too young to warrant a full review. Even a novice can taste a bottle of 1990 Latour or 1970 Taylor and know that they've just sampled a blockbuster. It is far more difficult to evaluate a Chambertin or a Richebourg, wines whose strength lies in its complexity and subtlety, and may require years to display its nuance. Such is the case with Bohemian Scandal. It's going to be a lot of fun watching this one develop.

Addendum, 12/04: The tobacco gods sure pulled a fast one with Bohemian Scandal. Evaluating the nascent palate of this fledgling blend was hard enough, but now I have to treat it as if it were the last canteen of potable water on a dessert island. (If you don't know why, you're in the wrong website.)Despite having the foresight to aquire several 8oz tins (just love 'em) and a host of the 2-ouncers, I am limiting myself to a single bowl per week for the foreseeable future; hence the reduction of recommendation.

A crime against humanity.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Greg Pease would'nt like me reviewing this blend after only two bowls.Greg feels one must smoke many bowls in different pipes to full comprehend a blend.However, I could'nt help myself.What a fantastic tobacco!Upon lighting I was greeted with a flavor I've never tasted.It's much different from any other balkan that I've ever tried.Along with Va's,Latakia and Orientals I believe that I detected a small dose of Turkish leaf as well.The flavor stays rich and full all the way down the bowl.I was enjoying it so much that I puffed too hard causing the VA's to bite me a little(my fault,NOT the tobaccos).The next time around I'll keep a slower pace.Interestingly smoking this in a pipe I use primarily for VA's made the taste lean toward the lighter side(great for a morning smoke).Smoking it in a pipe I use for latakia blends brings out the rich smokey flavor I love(better suited for the evening).I bought ten of the 2oz tins to cellar,and plan on buying a couple of the 8oz's for the same purpose... ====HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION==== PREP (9-6-04)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2011-10-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I'm finishing a 2004 tin of BS which I have found to be wonderful. It does have a "wine-like" quality to it, which I suspect results from the aged Syrian Latakia. The cut is a medium ribbon cut which burns cool and dry. The Orientals and Latakia blend nicely and predominate over the dark Virginia base tobacco. It's unfortunate that it is no longer available but I do have two more tins aging. It is a treat to smoke. Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TwoCents (4)	2011-10-24		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

12/04 vintage, in a jar for a year, doling it out. Really, really, really enjoy this one, especially on a Fall afternoon with a small cup of traditionally brewed Te Quan Yin tea. The fine art of blending at one of it's highest peaks IMO. Have a P. Becker 2H Lovat dedicated to the 4 tins I managed to hunt down, for as long as they last. And then a little (old timer) birdie (on this site) told me "go get some Wilderness and add a little Tambo or Sliced Brown Twist (I use 5-10% Tambo) to up the strength..." Same batch of Syrian is used in both blends. Not an exact match, but you be the judge. To me, it's delicious and a much better experience than belly aching about the loss of a classic. I'm no longer doling it out and am consequently enjoying what I do have more. And Wilderness is fantastic any way you shake it. Thanks to GLP and Birdie, F.Hanna and McClellands and the Indonesian natives who make Tambo; a virtual team. Turning adversity to advantage, right here on TR :-)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2011-10-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just smoked through a sample of this of the original 2004 tins, seven years later, so this might be an unfair review of how it was then.

Over time the latakia has died off a bit, so the orientals and VAs definitely took the forefront. Fairly full flavored and very smooth. The friend who gave some to me said the flavored changes for him throughout the bowl, but for me it was generally the same, with only slight changes. Overall it was excellent, and the other good comments speak for themselves.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2011-05-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Wow. I was not impressed with this one, and I was really expecting to like it! This is considered to be one of the absolute high-water marks for Balkans, a classic for the ages. I paid an obscene amount of money for my tin from a popular vintage tobacco dealer, and quite eagerly dug into the contents...

I love latakia mixtures, and I normally love how Pease utilizes it. But there were no fireworks here.... just a very bland, overly tangy muddle of flavors with only the faintest hints of the spicy, incense-like aroma that I normally associate with Syrian. I would like to provide a more detailed review in which I explained exactly how the various flavors work together, but there simply wasn't enough of a distinctive flavor for me to do so.

I suspect that aging hasn't helped this one. It might also be that I simply enjoy Cyprian more than Syrian latakia, although I'm a huge fan of Renaissance and Wilderness. Or perhaps my jaded taste buds are too blown away by years of smoking Balkans to appreciate the subtleties here... whatever the case, I woudn't buy this again even it were still produced, much less at the inflated prices seen today. There are simply too many great blends out there right now to mourn the loss of this one, I believe. YMMV, of course.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

ah Bohemian Scandal! What a Masterpiece! I like to look at the tin art and wonder where is that lone smoker going? what is he thinking? I imagine he is smoking a fine briar with an amber stem,a pipe that is very expensive and very gentlemanly. he is a bit of a rogue, but the kind of man you want to know. I look at my last two tins and feel profound sadness. five years of age is working its magic and turning this to pure heaven. incredible for cold windy fall days. I glady pay over 100 dollars for tins of this, correcting the mistake of not stocking up when i had the chance. I love how the Syrian will pop up and say hello, then the nutty orientals. such complexity. I like to pack this in a clencher pipe, something small, old and very English. how i look forward to cooler weather so i can open another tin. I'll be scouring E-bay in the coming months for more tins. I sigh when i think of this blend. what a shame, the loss of all that delicious leaf.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-01-04		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Tolerable

I have to highly recommend this blend. It has been quite a while since I tried some and I opened a tin over the new year looking to check up on how things are coming along. Well things are coming along just fine I must say. The tin aroma is just incredible! Very complex smoke. Every tin that I have opened of this stuff has been stuffed to the gills and this tin was no exception which creates finely ground tobacco that can make it a pain to pack. Takes nothing away from the wonderfull smoke though. i would smoke this stuff every day if I could. I love good Syrian and this blend has good stuff in it. I don't think it's worth the 100+ $$ price tag but I will buy it in the two figure price tag and might decide 100+ was worth it if I totally ran out and needed a fix of this and only this would do. The best balkan of the bunch IMO. MMMMMMM!! Big GLP fan here and getting worse year by year so take it for what it's worth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-02-27		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was gifted some BS after losing auction after auction for a tin on eBay. I had been so excited about finally getting to try this coveted blend.

This is a delicious blend that smokes wonderfully. It's a shame that we probably won't see any of this in the future. I can't highly recommend this blend to anyone because it's unavailable and I don't think it's worth the price (over $100 for 2oz.) on eBay.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-12-29		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It couldn?t be said better, yes, this blend promises a taste, and delivers a feast! The Syrian is wine-like, possessing subtlety and nuances that would be easily lost to a heavy hand at the blending table. Bright and red Virginias are used, and rare oriental tobaccos to compliment the spice of the Latakia; hints of cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon are present, along with a gentle smokiness. A soft, slightly tangy sweetness continues throughout the bowl, with the complex, earthy notes from the oriental tobaccos providing depth. The flavor is bold enough for casual smoking, but sufficiently refined to be engaging during more contemplative moods. Wonderfully balanced, it is excellent in its youth, yet sturdy enough for long aging. Enjoy it now, and be sure to cellar plenty for future adventures! Truly a 4 star!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-11-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Yummy. Good rich orientals and syrian latakia. I have many tins of this. The complexity and richness of this blend is amazing. Its aroma is exotic and intoxicating. I pick up notes of frankincense, myrrh, the smokiness of latakia, and a pleasant toastiness. Age works wonders with this blend. Tis most unfortunate that Mr. Pease can no longer get Syrian Latakia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-04-19		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

As a lover of English/Balkan blends, I had BoScan on my short list. I ran around and paid a lot of green for a tin via a nice ebay seller. After about 10 bowls, I've come to the conclusion I'm not enough of a connoisseur. I'll just throw out a few observations and be done with it. I rated it three stars, so as not to change the average.

Packs and lights nicely. Burns super fast! Not hot, just quickly. Somewhat like an English blend -- is this what they USED to be like? Plenty of peppery notes and, yup, some wine-like flavoring. The oriental component seems to be top notch. There's so much going on in the flavor department, I just can't keep up. This must be for the pipester who sits around with friends and describes things. It's more of a distraction for me.

Maybe I'll get smarter . . . yuh, right.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2007-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I got ten ounces of Bohemian Scandal in January 2005. I smoked two ounces immediately, but did not find the blend living up to the expectations that had been generated.

Coming back to it after a gap of two years I find that the colours are largely brown with some darker shades. The tin aroma is muted. In the pipe it reminds me of one of Sullivan Powell mixtures - but a thirty year old memory of taste could very well be at fault. It has a kind of subdued richness of taste which is very appealing for its somewhat faded elegance. I think Bohemian Scandal is to Odyssey as Durbar is to Nightcap. It is good. It is very good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simenon (20)	2006-03-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well here it is the famed Bohemian Scandal! And -- wosh -- now its gone!

If all you did was smell a pipe tobacco this would be the best Pipe Tobacco ever. Period. It has the smokiness of Latakia but none of the darkness and mustiness associated with the Cyprian variety. The smell also contains hints of clove, cinnamon and most of all, it is powerfull and pungent! What a delight.

In the bowl, however this blend is a major disappointment. First the Virginias can smoke hot, which is sadly almost habitual in most of Pease's blends: the virginias are too raw in need aging; no wonder they keep badgering us to stock up and cellar his blends (though we really shouldn't have to). Another letdown is the fact that the Syrian does not deliver in the smoke its olfactory promise --too bad. Of course, none of this jives with the almost reflexive and sycophantic praise of some in the internet community of pipe smokers regarding any and all of Pease's blends (usually the latest product gets the louder praise). I mean comparing it with a controled substance is a little much wouldn't you say so? Truth be told, some of the praise may be generated by what could be called a precious form of nostlalgia since though just released, this blend is now unavailable due to a fire!

This second Syrian Latakia shortage (for Pease belnds) in 4 years has created quite the frenzy on asp and ebay, since apparently Syrian Latakia will, once again, never be available!

However, I clearly remember reading that the suppliers wanted to insure there was going to be a constant demand of Syrian Latakia. Some have said that creating a demand for Syrian was part of the impetuous for the creation of Bohemian Scandal. So let me get this right: now that there is a demand, the suppliers bail? This is all almost too strange to be true my dear Watson. Perhaps overrating isn't the only thing that makes B.S. so scandalous...

In the final analysis, this blend needs a lot aging. It might be that in four or five years it will be worthy of all the fuss. Right now it isn't.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

After visual examination of the mixture, I have found this one uses Two different Oriental tobaccos as a "base", one for sweetness, the other for a naturally aromatic "spice". A small quantity of Virginia leaf, and the small leaf Latakia in a larger proportion to the Virginia. This blend is a full flavored one. The mystery presented, comes from the Orientals, with the Latakia leaf being a less sweet variety compared to mixtures using a sweeter Cyprian latakia. Most latakia we know of today is made from the Smyrna(Izmir)leaf variety. The Smyrna is the most naturally aromatic of the Orientals, prior to fire-curing with the smoke of Asaitic oak wood and herbs. The advertised Syrian condiment latakia is a pleasantly less sweet component to this blend--the base Orientals compensating. To my taste, to harmonize a blend of this sort--"panning" of the mixture, after blending, with heat, tends to make a harmonized end product, as the people of Rattray's of Perth, Scotland, have done, in years past. For a further study of the differences of Oriental tobaccos, Milton Sherman's "ALL ABOUT TOBACCO" is useful. This blend was a nice surprise, and pleasant to smoke, but a bit overrated because of the shortage. If you really like Syrian latakia, McClellands has some to offer, readily available, in the style of Balkan mixtures.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Wow, exquisite stuff this is. To me, what sets Greg's blends apart from the pack is his mastery of the interplay between different types of tobaccos. Bohemian Scandal is one of the best examples of this fine art that I've come across in a long time. It offers up a new and intriguing experience each time it is smoked. There is just so much going on in this blend. The closest summarization I can offer is a most enjoyable mingling of spiciness and sweetness. Often, a woody, almost cedarlike note is what I notice. Other times, it is the smooth, sweet undertones that catch my attention. The flavor alternates between these and other aspects throughout the duration of the smoke. Very smooth yet very complex, this stuff is just superbly blended. I can't wait to see how Mr. Pease manages to follow up on this masterpiece in subsequent Heirloom Series offerings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-01-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I'm going to preface this by saying I will probably like it better after aging. This is the first tobacco I bought on faith specifically for that purpose. My three cans bear a date of only three weeks ago. I like oriental blends and GLP's comittment to fine tuning. This blend seems flawless in component balance and complexity. I just haven't yet found a pipe that neutralizes a distracting green sour taste. When that resolves by time or pipe, I expect it will become a favorite.

Update 1/05: I think I'll unload mine on eBay while hysteria is high; I'm sure others want this worse than I do. This is a good blend; I just don't follow the hype and there are many out there I like better. Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JB (44)	2004-12-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Wow.

First of all, let me say that I don't dig everything that Greg puts out. So these comments don't come from one of GLP's army of, "The Dark Lord can do no wrong..."

However, after putting out some very, very bland tobaccos in his classic collection series, Bohemian Scandal is a grand slam!

I think the other reviewers have done an excellent job of describing this tobacco, but let me add a few other points. I recommend letting the Scandal dry out quite a bit to really enhance the leathery tastes and smells of this blend...delicious. It smokes wonderfully now, but will almost certainly be a great aging tobacco.

I'm old enough to remember the original Balkan Sobranie and some of the other great Balkan blends of that era. Scandal is at least the equal of any of those blends and, indeed is probably better. It's THAT good.

This is the tobacco that will make you remember each time you smoke it why you're a pipe smoker in the first place.

12/28/04

I've just gone through another tin that has aged a bit and it's just delicious. It is a cruel fact of life that it may be months...many months...before we see any Scandal again due to the unfortunate fire. However, much like the untimely death of a musician, writer or artist, this set back will likely only strengthen the lore that already surrounds this blend. Is it worth spending $60 a tin on eBay for? Gee, I guess that's up to you, but as much as I like it, it's not that much better than other Balkans in its genre. The moral of the story is this...if you like something when it comes out, buy enough to put away just in case there is another war, fire, flood, etc. Thanks for this tobacco in any case, Greg!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-10-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

I was very excited about this blend finally coming in and bought it right away-- I was not disappointed. Although the spice is not overwhelming in this blend (from the orientals, I gather), it seemed to make the whole bowl stronger and more potent. As everyone else has remarked, some aging will be just the ticket (and have bought my second tin for said purpose).

Room note: The only place I can smoke is in a tobacconist's (where I work), where, if one looks up, the ceiling is usually a faint atmospheric blue haze. Thus, no one within close range of pipe & I made any remarks.

Taste: That's really the most exciting thing about this blend-- Taste! If you normally smoke Balkans, you're sure to get the spice, that "wine" finish, and the Syrian Latakia all within a few puffs. If you don't normally smoke Balkans, then you just might start!

Recommendation: While not truly an "everyday" smoke, I'd like to think of this one as a "Friday" smoke-- its the end of the week, and I deserve something nice-- why not smoke?

Finally: One major criticism of GL Pease's tinning-- 2 ounces in a small can is great, but in many of my tins I have found a lot of "broken dottle" ( I don't know how else to describe this), akin to the little bits left over in a box of cereal. I can only guess this occurs b/c there is so much tobacco in so little space, sometimes it gets crushed.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-10-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

October 2004

Smoking BS (???!!!) is . . . OK, let's start again . . . Smoking "Bohemian Scandal" was a terrific way for me to get a handle on the difference between Syrian and Cyprian Latakia, as this blend contains the former but apparently not the latter. Although some of the other reviewers have characterized the Syrian Latakia as heavier than its Cyprian cousin, I find just the opposite to be true. The Syrian does seem to be creamier, and it has a certain spice that I don't taste in the Cyprian, but to me the flavor is somewhat lighter and less nutty. While this is a terrific blend, I found that I like a mixture of the two Latakias even better: hence, my preference for Raven's Wing, and the subjective three-star rating for Bohemian Scandal. Objectively, this blend deserves four stars all the way, as its every aspect is spot-on perfect IMHO (with the exception of a few too many stems, which I can get past in a New York Minute). Greg Pease doesn't seem capable of producing an inferior blend--more Kudos to the "Dark Lord!"

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (178)	2004-10-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Another fine english/balkan attemp. More body and comlexity that Renaissance but not as tasty to me (turkish-wise) as Caravan or as heavy (latakia-wise) as Odyssey.

Short of the complexity and great depth of latakia flavor in the original Balkan Sobranie which I haven't smoked for decades but which I remember its smoky aroma well, and which is quite an unfair comparison for us to be making.

Yet still more complex with latakia notes than McClellands' Rose of Latakia or Syrian Full Balkan; however, the latter has a smoother finish in my opinion. The syrian used must be the same in all of these blends -- McClellands and Pease's now under review.

McCranie's limited edition by McClellands' of Old Syrian had more of a syrian latakia note and a smoother smoke for the whole bowl than Bohemian, but after all the latakia used in Old Syrian was over a decade old and the blend itself was quite well aged before marketing.

If you haven't tried a lot of these blends you may miss my evaluation, which is not intended to be anything other than good. It's just that there are a number of blends to compare Bohemian with but some are gone from the market now. This is spicy (orientals), complex, very dry, and cool, with a friendly note of woodsy latakia throughout, but I think the finish can improve with more aging. It is too young to be a holy grail yet, but who knows, later on? I still have some tins for aging.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-20		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

How can I tactfully say this? No offense Mr. Pease, but there are blends in your current high-end tobacco line up that are not 1/3 the smoke that Bohemian Scandal is. Next, after smoking 1 can of this I will go out on a limb and say that this tobacco may be the ellusive "holy grail" of Balkan blends past and present. Yes, that should also include Sobranie, and I never even smoked the stuff, but bowl for bowl there is no way in hell that it was any better than this weed straight out of the tin. Finally, this is NOT going to be one of those over blown - under developed blends that require a dunhill group 3 or whatever group # to achieve the total complexity and savory fullness of the blend...blab blab blab. I mean really ..give me a damn break. This is the real deal no excuses tobacco you've been dreaming of. Bohemian Scandal is RICH, Smokey, CREAMY, Spicy and incredibly delicious .This tobacco gives and gives and the smoker is rewarded time after time. If I'm not mistaken, that is the original pursuit and purpose of our gentle art. The rest is dottle.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't even know where to begin with this review so pardon its unfocused nature. First, let it be known that I'm not typically a big fan of Latakia. The few such blends I do enjoy are typically those containing a small Latakia component. Having said that, I was completely unprepared for how good this blend is.

Opening the tin, I was greeted by a lovely earthy smell with complex, spicy overtones. The tobacco is surprisingly less moist relative to other GLP blends but certainly not "dry". However, it could also be enjoyed immediately without the usual pause to allow the tin to breathe. Virtually the only downside to this tobacco appears at this point; it seems to have a lot of stems. Other than this minor annoyance, it packs and lites easily and immediately begins weaving it's spell over the smoker.

To my senses, Syrian Latakia is a world apart from its Cyprian counterpart. The leaf Greg chose for this blend, however, is other-worldly. Another reviewer used the term "creamy" and that is an excellent descriptor but doesn't begin to do justice. Calling it "delicate" does it a similar disservice. Scandal opens up a direct neural connection with the pleasure centers of the brain: It's that good!

The room note is mild and seems to constantly hint at an ever-changing kaleidoscope of ephemeral qualities. If you choose to focus on one, you find that another aspect has already replaced it. The label's "wine-like" prose is accurate insofar as it suggests such complexity.

The smoking experience remains consistent throughout the bowl and leaves the smoker approaching the end of a pipe with apprehension. Despite being a relatively light 2-3 bowl a day smoker, I found myself smoking full back-to-back pipes charged with this excellent blend.

There is no hint of bitterness toward the bottom and no amount of overdrawing the pipe will cause it to bite; another sign that this tobacco isn't acting entirely on the physical level.

An aptly named blend, Bohemian Scandal is too exceptional to pass up, regardless of preconceived notions on what type of tobacco you typically enjoy. Order some immediately, while the leaf that forms the basis for this remarkable blend is still available.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

So many vendors offered samples of Bohemian Scandal at the 2004 NASPC show that I ended up snagging at least two ounces of the stuff by the time I left the venue. I blew my loot on pipes and other must-have tobaccos at the show, despite my urge to buy an 8-oz. can. Thanks for the new bulk format, Greg. Big cans are great, and they work really well for tobacco too!

Anyway, I ran this weed through every pipe in my collection. I also finished off a bowl of the Scandal before writing this review.

The Scandal gives Syrian Latakia the limelight, and it really shows just how luxurious the Syrian Latakia is. Now that I've come to know this blend, I can't say enough good things about it.

LEAF: Great color. Deep, rich, earthy tones.

NOSE: Exotic, fragrant, and spicy. All natural.

QUALITY: As is expected from Greg Pease, the leaf is top quality. I did notice some stems, or perhaps stiff mid-rib materials, but I'm told that stems really carry over the Latakia essence. In any case, they can be sliced with scissors and smoked with no problem.

PACK: I tend to approach Pease blends with a lighter hand, and I think this one sings a bit more if packed with little pressure.

BURN: Good light, great burn. I prefer smoking G.L. Pease blends on the dry side.

TASTING NOTES: The Syrian Latakia lends great spice and a creamy body to the mixture. Its presence is evident throughout the smoke, but the Scandal is deep. Marvelous room note!! Some great Virginias come out of hiding quite frequently and keep the conversation interesting (though I could smoke a bowl of straight Syrian Latakia and love it). At times the Virginias give away the youth of the blend, which is not to say that the Scandal necessarily suffers from any rough edges. There's no bite. The Orientals lend their sweet/sour character to the smoke, and everything just clicks.

This stuff is as complex as Renaissance and, dare I say it, can sometimes rival it. The mouthfeel is silky overall, but some spicy spots can come through. Greg says he spent a year refining this mixture. His efforts are obvious. This is a fantastic smoke young, and I can't begin to imagine how superb it'll be after six months or a year of aging. I hope I can let some rest that long!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A good tobacco if you want to try how Syrian Latakia tastes like. I must say there's something into this blend that never convinced me. I've bought 3 tins: one I smoked at once, one after some months and the last is still in my cellar. The first tin was good, but quite astringent in taste, probably too young. The second was almost the same, just a little rounder and smoother. I have great expectations about the third, so I may integrate my review in some months.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-03-30		Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Very Strong

Even if it were available I wouldn't get any more of this horrid stuff! I did however realize why so many enjoy Pease's boring and tasteless blends -- they taste just like Dunhill.

If you want a tasty, high quality Syrian Blend, get yourself some Solani 763 or FMAP.

Stay away from this stuff -- Bleck!

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