G. L. Pease Montgomery

A Tale of Two Smokes . . . (or maybe three) . . .

I was very encouraged by this smoke when I opened the tin. I had been looking for a Virginia blend that was not in the flake format (which I dislike). This smelled good, and the first bowl was good -- very close to what I was looking for. Not as strong a Virginia taste as, say, Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, but pleasant nonetheless.

About three days later I went to pack my second bowl of this blend. In between the time I packed the first bowl and the time I packed the second bowl, the tobacco had dried out to a crisp! Think leaves on your yard in the fall. At this point, the smoke was harsh and the taste very bitter. Hot too.

I went to my tobacconist and he suggested I mix a house blend with it to add moisture and flavor. So I blended one part of a black vanilla cavendish to three parts of the Montgomery. After 24 hours, the Pease blend was less crispy, and the addition of a little flavored tobacco made for a good smoke -- much more depth than originally. However, there is still a slight bitter aftertaste deriving from the Montgomery.

I would not buy this blend again. Maybe there is another non-flake Virginia out there, but don't buy this one unless it's deeply discounted or you are really desperate.

Smoking this conjures up images of a homeless person, packing his bowl under the illusion that he is living it up with an expensive tobacco. The corncob pipe he smokes gets hot and smells of popcorn as he puffs this crackly product. But, the tobacco soothes his mind and helps him forget about the cold night soon approaching.