G. L. Pease Telegraph Hill
(3.40)
A sturdy foundation of Virginia tobaccos, each chosen for its particular character, is enhanced with fine flakes of perique for a refined smoking experience. Telegraph Hill is rich and flavorful, with a satisfying, lingering finish. Each sip builds upon the last, creating a marvelous edifice of taste and aroma. You won't worry about earthquakes if your pipe is filled with this wonderful blend.
Notes: Telegraph Hill was released in May, 2005.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Fog City Selection |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.40 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 60 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 24, 2005 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Very Pleasant |
I purchased two tins of Telegraph Hill as soon as it was released, intending to age them for several months before opening. To do otherwise, I thought, would not be fair to the tobacco or to my tongue. However, one Friday evening, while trying to relax from a long week and in the mood for something different, I threw caution to the wind and popped a open a tin (with a date on the bottom that was only two weeks prior). I'm glad I did! The tin aroma was wonderful, but I didn't linger to appreciate it as I was anxious to get it in the pipe and smoking. About two matches and 5 puffs later a smile must have spread across my face. Although I was bracing myself for a sharp zing on the tongue, what I experienced was luscious, rich and sweet Virginias. About the first forth of the bowl was all Virgina, then I noticed the Perique. About half way into the bowl the Perique really asserted itself, and seemed to take the lead by the end, leaving a spicy, peppery aftertaste. Each sip does build on the last, as the description claims, but it builds in the direction of Perique. Now, I love Perique and this was a welcome development to me, but I can see that some smokers might not enjoy such a Perique-laden finish. After smoking many more bowls in a variety of pipes, I think the Perique development can be lessened (if one wishes) by smoking this blend is a smaller bowl.
Overall, a rich, fragrant and nuanced blend that deserves to be smoked slowly and with one's full attention. No doubt it will improve with age, but I think it is very enjoyable now.
I liked Telegraph Hill so much that the next day I popped a tin of Montgomery that I was allowing to age. I though it too was wonderful, but that's for a different review. Lately I've been smoking mainly T.H. and Montgomery, and am one happy pipe smoker.
To put my impressions in context, I smoke mainly Virginia/Burley/Perique blends, and my requlars are Cumberland and Haddo's. If you have similar tastes, I would highly recommend Telegraph Hill (and Montgomery), and don't be deterred by it's youth.
Overall, a rich, fragrant and nuanced blend that deserves to be smoked slowly and with one's full attention. No doubt it will improve with age, but I think it is very enjoyable now.
I liked Telegraph Hill so much that the next day I popped a tin of Montgomery that I was allowing to age. I though it too was wonderful, but that's for a different review. Lately I've been smoking mainly T.H. and Montgomery, and am one happy pipe smoker.
To put my impressions in context, I smoke mainly Virginia/Burley/Perique blends, and my requlars are Cumberland and Haddo's. If you have similar tastes, I would highly recommend Telegraph Hill (and Montgomery), and don't be deterred by it's youth.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
If I should define this tobacco in two words, I'd say smooth and tasty. The perique is there in the right dose for me, not a lot as in Kajun Kake, nor nearly a fruit of imagination, as in Orlik Golden Slices. And the taste has something more than the normal VaPers, something dark and almost chocolatey, that enriches the experience. And finally, I like flakes, but now and then the good old ribbon, easy to manage and ready to go, makes me happy...
Age When Smoked:
nearly 1 year and a half
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 22, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Spicy Perique and tangy Virginias.... I get a bit of nuttiness to this as well...very good VaPer....just finished a couple of ounces of Louisiana Red and this is different but just as good.... I think I'm going to split this can and try aging half of it... mild in the nicotine department... I would agree with others that it definitely builds throughout the duration of the bowl...
Pipe Used:
Country Gentleman cob
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 30, 2018 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
So I have been searching for a ribbon cut va/per to smoke when I do not feel like an extended session of Escudo/Dunhill DLNR. I started with Stratford, which I enjoyed but found some harsh notes from the lighter Virginia leaf. When I purchased a tin of Telegraph Hill, I expected a similar blend but with a little more perique. But they are very different blends.
The tin note is smells of dark fermented tobacco from the perique. It took me back at first because of its intensity and the fact that I was not expecting such a rich smell—as I had just worked through a tin of Stratford, which has a very mellow tin note. I thought I picked up some smokey dark fired notes, but they seemed to dissipate after a few minutes of opening the tin.
There seems to be much more red and dark Virginia's in this blend than in Stratford. The Virginia leaf in Telegraph Hill are richer and sweeter with less bright hay notes and absolutely no harshness. The perique is very prominent in the blend and gives off more earthy fruit flavors and less spice than Escudo. Together, the red Virginia leaf and the perique merge into a sweet and earthy va/per.
The ribbon cut is nice, but not perfect with quite a bit of smaller bits floating around the tin as with other C & D blends I have tried. That said, Telegraph Hill might fill the void in my rotation for a ribbon cut va/per.
The tin note is smells of dark fermented tobacco from the perique. It took me back at first because of its intensity and the fact that I was not expecting such a rich smell—as I had just worked through a tin of Stratford, which has a very mellow tin note. I thought I picked up some smokey dark fired notes, but they seemed to dissipate after a few minutes of opening the tin.
There seems to be much more red and dark Virginia's in this blend than in Stratford. The Virginia leaf in Telegraph Hill are richer and sweeter with less bright hay notes and absolutely no harshness. The perique is very prominent in the blend and gives off more earthy fruit flavors and less spice than Escudo. Together, the red Virginia leaf and the perique merge into a sweet and earthy va/per.
The ribbon cut is nice, but not perfect with quite a bit of smaller bits floating around the tin as with other C & D blends I have tried. That said, Telegraph Hill might fill the void in my rotation for a ribbon cut va/per.
Age When Smoked:
5 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 17, 2018 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This VaPer is like an absorbing mystery -- each additional puff reveals a little more absorbing complexity. The flavor sensations starts out slowly and build onward and upward. The Virginias reveal more flavor as the bowl warms up and the Perique percentage is just about right. My particular tin is somewhat young, which will clearly improve with age. For those who would like a slightly different take on a VaPer than say an Escudo, this blend gets a solid recommendation.
Pipe Used:
Cayuga Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Indian River Tobacco Traders Grand Rapids Michigan
Age When Smoked:
Estimated at 6 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 31, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
My 2oz tin came wet and needed some drying time. The cut is nice and uniform with big chunks of perique, which i’ll adress below. The tin note was very interesting upon opening, a slight sweet tang and, don’t be put off by this, a very intriguing smoked salmon aroma that dissipated quickly after opening. First light of this was hot and flavorless, but soon after i was delighted by elusive and fleeting delicious cinnamon roll sweetness that blew me away. The flavor danced wide across the flavor spectrum hanging on the edge of my smoking cadence, perhaps due to the large cut perique that waxes and wanes, a roller coaster ride for the palate! I find myself ever searching and nursing for that sweet cinnamon roll. Perique and nicotine content are both medium. This will not disappoint.
Pipe Used:
Various briars and a meer
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh with some drying time
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 09, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Very Pleasant |
After sampling dozens of Pease's blends, I learn the trick: at least one year of aging is essential to bring out the the great flavors that they are supposed to show us. Fortunately, the tin I got is dated in 2014 and I can get how great it is from the beginning. The tin note is so delicious and definitely the best in my experience: citrus floral with all kinds of fruits without any topping.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 09, 2015 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
I don't think it's finished yet! It tastes green to me. I think it needs more age. People complain about the McClelland tin note?! This one is more smokey. This one smells like BBQ sauce. It's a good smoke but I think it may be a little overrated. I wish it came in a flake or cake. It think pressing the tobacco would make it better. I'm going to jar it for a while. Hopefully it will come together and mellow out. Not in the class of Saint James Woods or Beacon to me. It's obviously quality leaf but feels like it was thrown together in haste.
7-2-17 Update... I was a bit hasty to be hard on GLP for this one. TH has grown on me a great deal. I'm frustrated in general that GLP/C&D blends seem to need aging to come up to McClelland levels for me. I am more of a McClelland fan but I can't help but enjoy C&D family straight forward honest tobacco approach. With some age on it my little stash of TH is coming into it's own. My smoking habits have turned to mellower nicotine blends. TH is simple but flavorful. I appreciate the great vaper flavors without pretense and nicotine jolt of most others. It's great any time. I'm going to build a stash of this to age. It's too bad you have to wait so long for it to smooth out, in my humble opinion of course. When my favorites Saint James Woods and bulk 2015 are too strong I go for this stuff. Though they're probably are not really that strong for most. Much better than all of the sugary frosting topped Euro flakes. If I want more sweetness I re-hydrate with a splash of rum or brandy. I may try pressing into a krumble kake for fun. Maybe tobacco has to have the cavendish treatment done to it to be more suitable for a kake (not ribbon cut). I should probably just enjoy and not fuss. Give this one a try and enjoy the simple, flavors of good tobacco.
7-2-17 Update... I was a bit hasty to be hard on GLP for this one. TH has grown on me a great deal. I'm frustrated in general that GLP/C&D blends seem to need aging to come up to McClelland levels for me. I am more of a McClelland fan but I can't help but enjoy C&D family straight forward honest tobacco approach. With some age on it my little stash of TH is coming into it's own. My smoking habits have turned to mellower nicotine blends. TH is simple but flavorful. I appreciate the great vaper flavors without pretense and nicotine jolt of most others. It's great any time. I'm going to build a stash of this to age. It's too bad you have to wait so long for it to smooth out, in my humble opinion of course. When my favorites Saint James Woods and bulk 2015 are too strong I go for this stuff. Though they're probably are not really that strong for most. Much better than all of the sugary frosting topped Euro flakes. If I want more sweetness I re-hydrate with a splash of rum or brandy. I may try pressing into a krumble kake for fun. Maybe tobacco has to have the cavendish treatment done to it to be more suitable for a kake (not ribbon cut). I should probably just enjoy and not fuss. Give this one a try and enjoy the simple, flavors of good tobacco.
Pipe Used:
briars, meers
Age When Smoked:
new
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 28, 2015 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This blend has all the right stuff to become a favorite if your into VaPers. As soon as the tin lid is peeled back figs and raisins meld with bright Virginias. The smell is mouth-watering yummyness.
I see this brightly colored blend-interspersed with chocolate flecks of perique as being almost shag-like in texture. This tin, nearing a year on my shelf, presents with typical Pease precision, perfect moisture content, no stems nor woody bits.
For a Va blend it burns cool, starts out sweet, sugary, and slowly the perique starts it's tango, melding into a proper VaPer with pepper and heat by bowl's end. This blend really shines for me in a larger Meer, although it's very good in Nording I reserve only for VaPers.
Age would surely help TH become even more sweet. BTW, I didn't get the strong nic hit people write of, no racing of the ticker, more medium to me, I think from the light and bright Virginias. Sizable perique contevt, but not overwhelming
I'm giving it 4 stars, gonna look for 8 oz tins to age (have a Westminster going on 3 years) and I seem to get better flavors out of the larger tins.
I see this brightly colored blend-interspersed with chocolate flecks of perique as being almost shag-like in texture. This tin, nearing a year on my shelf, presents with typical Pease precision, perfect moisture content, no stems nor woody bits.
For a Va blend it burns cool, starts out sweet, sugary, and slowly the perique starts it's tango, melding into a proper VaPer with pepper and heat by bowl's end. This blend really shines for me in a larger Meer, although it's very good in Nording I reserve only for VaPers.
Age would surely help TH become even more sweet. BTW, I didn't get the strong nic hit people write of, no racing of the ticker, more medium to me, I think from the light and bright Virginias. Sizable perique contevt, but not overwhelming
I'm giving it 4 stars, gonna look for 8 oz tins to age (have a Westminster going on 3 years) and I seem to get better flavors out of the larger tins.
Pipe Used:
Meters and Dedicated Nording
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes&Cigars.com
Age When Smoked:
one year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 03, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Using a musical parallel, I consider the english mixtures as symphonic music and Virginia/Vapers as chamber music.
Well, finally i found a Vaper (Telegraph Hill, of course) that's absolutely symphonic in terms of taste and smoking experience. Yes, you've only virginia and perique... but what Gregory obtained is such a thick texture and depth of taste that astonished me...
Of course an orchestra requires a big hall... thus i use my generous ardors so that the experience can last long...
Highly Recommended (this is my absolute number 1 Vaper)
LK
Well, finally i found a Vaper (Telegraph Hill, of course) that's absolutely symphonic in terms of taste and smoking experience. Yes, you've only virginia and perique... but what Gregory obtained is such a thick texture and depth of taste that astonished me...
Of course an orchestra requires a big hall... thus i use my generous ardors so that the experience can last long...
Highly Recommended (this is my absolute number 1 Vaper)
LK
Pipe Used:
Ardor
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