G. L. Pease Bohemian Scandal

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!!

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 ****

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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 🙂