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 31 - 40 of 103 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2010 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I have been meaning to post a review on this stuff all summer. Also, my BPD has dropped a great deal due to some work issues and the silly heat we had in the region over the summer. A normally delightful pipefull becomes burdensome when the temperature is 103* and the heat index is 115*.....but I digress.
Telegraph Hill is NOT as close a cousin to Fillmore as I thought it might be. For one, it is a very soft ribbon cut and not a broken flake. Not a big deal to me, but I find it requires a good deal more attention when loading your pipe as the very soft nature of the leaf can lead to over packing and a poor draw. That poor draw is a one way ticket to bites-ville baby. But, keep it loose, and tamp sparingly to allow an easy loose draw and you will find success.
The tin aroma is kind of buttery, caramel, pastry, and almost a hint of some other flavor/scent that makes me want to say "MALT". No sour, vinegar, or fermentation like my Fillmore experience. The smell makes me want to smoke it, the feel makes me want to dig around in the tin to see what I can find.
It lights fairly easily, with a minimum of fuss and is easy to keep lit. The flavors I am getting are a SLIGHT reminder of past experiences, but the layers are in a different order. The nuttyness, the bakery and pastry, and the fruityness all hit in different phases than what I was expecting, and with less pepper and spice as well. The Perique doesn't seem to be a huge player for me.....but that musty, earthy, raisiny quality is in fact in there.
Telegraph responds really well to changes of pace. Let it almost go out if you grow tired of the flavors you are pulling, and PRESTO!......all together different. It also DGTs rather well.
While I enjoy it a good deal, I am not sure how much of it I would feel a need to keep on the shelf. Due to the need to pack light and loose, my tin will last a good long time. Not to mention the fact that more than one bowl of this a day can leave my tongue with a sort of dull ache....who knows, can't explain that one.
GLP did a good job here. If Fillmore was overwhelming to you, the milder nature of Telegraph may be what you are looking for........have fun!
Telegraph Hill is NOT as close a cousin to Fillmore as I thought it might be. For one, it is a very soft ribbon cut and not a broken flake. Not a big deal to me, but I find it requires a good deal more attention when loading your pipe as the very soft nature of the leaf can lead to over packing and a poor draw. That poor draw is a one way ticket to bites-ville baby. But, keep it loose, and tamp sparingly to allow an easy loose draw and you will find success.
The tin aroma is kind of buttery, caramel, pastry, and almost a hint of some other flavor/scent that makes me want to say "MALT". No sour, vinegar, or fermentation like my Fillmore experience. The smell makes me want to smoke it, the feel makes me want to dig around in the tin to see what I can find.
It lights fairly easily, with a minimum of fuss and is easy to keep lit. The flavors I am getting are a SLIGHT reminder of past experiences, but the layers are in a different order. The nuttyness, the bakery and pastry, and the fruityness all hit in different phases than what I was expecting, and with less pepper and spice as well. The Perique doesn't seem to be a huge player for me.....but that musty, earthy, raisiny quality is in fact in there.
Telegraph responds really well to changes of pace. Let it almost go out if you grow tired of the flavors you are pulling, and PRESTO!......all together different. It also DGTs rather well.
While I enjoy it a good deal, I am not sure how much of it I would feel a need to keep on the shelf. Due to the need to pack light and loose, my tin will last a good long time. Not to mention the fact that more than one bowl of this a day can leave my tongue with a sort of dull ache....who knows, can't explain that one.
GLP did a good job here. If Fillmore was overwhelming to you, the milder nature of Telegraph may be what you are looking for........have fun!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 16, 2006 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
Quality tobacco, with a surprisingly potent contribution of Perique. Develops through the bowl to achieve its peak. No question, this is a fine presentation of perique amongst some high quality ribbon cut virgia. It truly develops different nuances through even a small bowl, right to the end. Satisfying and whole, this is top notch. Worth keeping a few tins in the cellar if you like this sort of blend. My tin was only a few months old and smoked just perfectly.
After about 20 pipefuls, I can conclude this is a world class blend that is going to age very well. There is a certain verdant sharpness compared to other VaPer caked blends, but this is more than acceptable and satisfying for my incresingly robust taste preferences. Interestingly I smoked this a medium German Radford 1/4 bent with a filter and was pleasantly surprised by the mellowness imparted without losing the spirit and progressive flavour of the blend. I know that American smokers don't use the 9mm filters much, but if you have a filtered briar around, give it a shot. I'd be interested in the thoughts of others...
--- update 2010-11-26 Having opened a 5 year old tin out of necessity (puffed up- evidence of internal fermentation), I have now tasted the effect of aging. This batch from '05 was obviously packed a little too moist, so the microbes were gracefully aging this tobacco. Very nice, rich, spicy, peppery and uniform taste with the VA having aged and mellowed. Nicotine is there to satisfy. Nice stewed fruit flavour in the zone and happy to be smoking this tin.
After about 20 pipefuls, I can conclude this is a world class blend that is going to age very well. There is a certain verdant sharpness compared to other VaPer caked blends, but this is more than acceptable and satisfying for my incresingly robust taste preferences. Interestingly I smoked this a medium German Radford 1/4 bent with a filter and was pleasantly surprised by the mellowness imparted without losing the spirit and progressive flavour of the blend. I know that American smokers don't use the 9mm filters much, but if you have a filtered briar around, give it a shot. I'd be interested in the thoughts of others...
--- update 2010-11-26 Having opened a 5 year old tin out of necessity (puffed up- evidence of internal fermentation), I have now tasted the effect of aging. This batch from '05 was obviously packed a little too moist, so the microbes were gracefully aging this tobacco. Very nice, rich, spicy, peppery and uniform taste with the VA having aged and mellowed. Nicotine is there to satisfy. Nice stewed fruit flavour in the zone and happy to be smoking this tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 26, 2005 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
After Stan's terrible plight over Montgomery with the terrible genie of the mirror, let's see what's going on:
Stan: Where am I?
St. Peter (at the Pearly Gate): Welcome my son. What's that? A pipe!
Stan: That's my new Telegraph Hill smoke, sir.
St. Peter: Sorry my son, but there is no smoking here.
Stan: Where am I?
But this stuff is heavenly, sir. Full long strips of perique comprising maybe 10% of the blend and laying on a soft bed of golden and red virginias. Deep but not too strong. Heavier than my beloved Montgomery that a mean genie stole. What a way to enjoy perique. Natrual and straight. Cool, Leathery, dry, easy packing and puffing, biteless ....
St.Peter: Stop! Don't be glutonous. Who make this wicked weed?
Stan: Not wicked; delightful. Pease, the Dark Lord....
St.Peter: Dark Lord!? Who? What? You are cast out!
Stan: ZAP!!!!
Later after Stan's decent:
Stan: Where am I now?
Devil 1: Guess. I see you like smoke.
Stan: Hark. This smoke is heaven sent. I enjoy the taste of perique in a milder way than I though possible. Even without aging, Pease's special process jumps starts the blend and the flavor flows.
Devil 2: Let me try some. After all, we can smoke here.... Hey, this is great!
Devil 1: ... Me too. Ahhhhh. Joy.
Devils 1 and 2: Praise the Lord, this stuff is the greatest.
Enters St. Peter:
St. Peter: Devils praising the Lord. Stan, you must have found something there. From now on, pipe smoking is allowed in Heaven. Gabriel. Gabriel, who took my Ashton?
Stan: Heaven? I'm dead! That dam genie!
St. Peter: No, we're sending you back, Stan, to convert the masses to Telegraph Hill and be saved. Now where's my Ashton?
Stan: Hey gang. I'm back. Telegraph Hill. I smoke it. (Pointing up.) HE smokes it. Try telegraph Hill and I know all will be forgiven. A tobacco that is now allowed in Heaven.
Stan: Where am I?
St. Peter (at the Pearly Gate): Welcome my son. What's that? A pipe!
Stan: That's my new Telegraph Hill smoke, sir.
St. Peter: Sorry my son, but there is no smoking here.
Stan: Where am I?
But this stuff is heavenly, sir. Full long strips of perique comprising maybe 10% of the blend and laying on a soft bed of golden and red virginias. Deep but not too strong. Heavier than my beloved Montgomery that a mean genie stole. What a way to enjoy perique. Natrual and straight. Cool, Leathery, dry, easy packing and puffing, biteless ....
St.Peter: Stop! Don't be glutonous. Who make this wicked weed?
Stan: Not wicked; delightful. Pease, the Dark Lord....
St.Peter: Dark Lord!? Who? What? You are cast out!
Stan: ZAP!!!!
Later after Stan's decent:
Stan: Where am I now?
Devil 1: Guess. I see you like smoke.
Stan: Hark. This smoke is heaven sent. I enjoy the taste of perique in a milder way than I though possible. Even without aging, Pease's special process jumps starts the blend and the flavor flows.
Devil 2: Let me try some. After all, we can smoke here.... Hey, this is great!
Devil 1: ... Me too. Ahhhhh. Joy.
Devils 1 and 2: Praise the Lord, this stuff is the greatest.
Enters St. Peter:
St. Peter: Devils praising the Lord. Stan, you must have found something there. From now on, pipe smoking is allowed in Heaven. Gabriel. Gabriel, who took my Ashton?
Stan: Heaven? I'm dead! That dam genie!
St. Peter: No, we're sending you back, Stan, to convert the masses to Telegraph Hill and be saved. Now where's my Ashton?
Stan: Hey gang. I'm back. Telegraph Hill. I smoke it. (Pointing up.) HE smokes it. Try telegraph Hill and I know all will be forgiven. A tobacco that is now allowed in Heaven.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2018 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
With only a moderately large cellar of McClelland bulk and tins, I have been exploring Pease's Fog City Selection of Virginias and enjoying them. This is a VA/Per I could enjoy smoking on a regular basis. Is it as good as McClelland's St. James Woods? No, it isn't but there isn't anything I can do about that now. Will my palate come to really relish Telegraph Hill as much as I have enjoyed McClelland's VA/per? That is possible for I find that it is very very good tobacco. Maybe closest to the McClelland VA/Per there is. Time and necessity will tell.
Pipe Used:
Upshall Tilshead Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
4Noggins
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| 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
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