G. L. Pease Telegraph Hill

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.

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.

Believe it or not this is my first GLP blend years behind everyone else. I smoke primarily McClelland with the occasional Rattrays, Sam Gawith & G&H blend. Telegraph Hill is quality tobacco but I find it very green. It's lacking the harmony of my usual standard VA/Per Saint James Woods. TH is a very good blend and perhaps after some aging it will improve. The flavor is great but like most C&D blends I find it a little rough around the edges and in need of age. I know that GLP blends are made to age but why not start with a blend that comes with some age to it? This I find in most blends from other brands. I wish TH came in flake or cake form. I think pressing it might help the components meld better. Just my opinion. I might be wrong. Very good stuff but I'm happier with my McClelland flakes. I wonder if the relative newness of GLP blends is part of the reason for all of the attention. The tobacco is no doubt top quality and as natural as you can get. The cut is very weird but good stuff.

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.

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

Don't be put off by my low rating, it just means I like other Vapers better and not that this is bad. To me this isn't real interesting and kind of bland. It basically tastes like Union Square ( a fairly nice Virginia) with some perique . This results in more of a bitter aftertaste than a sour raisin taste, more base tones than the high notes.

I kind of agree with reviewers,"Perique 01/17/2013" and "Noorrmm 07/27/2006 "

Updated 2014-11-09 I've had the same tin resealed ( hot glue gun) for a year and upon retrying, it was still hot and spicy . Fast forward about 4 more months of opening and drying and a wonderful change has happened. This blend has smoothed out, remained very flavorful and doesn't burn hot and spicy?, I am going to add a star and some advice, ALLOW THIS TO DRY before smoking, I think you will see great improvement.. Keeps my interest, moved to 3 stars.

I mostly agree with " quantumboy" 2010-11-24. I think this blend needs some ageing and some experimenting with the moisture content and pipe used ( I like a cob for Vapers)

I feel I should have let this tin age before I cracked it. If I read the date stamp correctly, it was tinned weeks before I got it. First few bowls tasted very lemony, sharp but seemed to have potential. I jarred the rest for 2 months.

It didn't seem to change much with a little jar time, goes best in a cob. It's spicy, but sorta reminds me of smoking an old parchment, like a musty scroll from centuries ago, in a good way.

I bet if I put some away for a year it would be magic, as it stands, the jury is out. 2 stars until I try some of this with age on it.

The GL Pease group of tobaccos has got me. This T. Hill is just as enjoyable as the Stratford and the Lombard. Don't like it better it is just a little different. The room note is not as pleasant as Stratford or Lombard, but it is still quite nice. Will be in my cycle of regular tobaccos for a good while.

Don't just sit there try a can of this one too. Update 1/7/2009 This is still just great! Pairing suggestion: Actually this one goes well with a moderate Syrah, blended Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey.

Out of the classic VaPers that I've smoked from GLPease, this is the one I enjoy the most. Perique content is on the high side, and the variety of Virginias provide a balance and depth that I haven't found in Stratford or Fillmore.

As with all Pease tobaccos, tongue bite is nil. Recommended.