G. L. Pease Telegraph Hill

It seems odd for me to award only 3 stars after so many gushing reviews of GLP tobacco, and it's not that this tobacco is bad - not by any stretch. I think it was just so highly recommended to me, by so many people, that it was impossible to live up to my expectations. Overall this is an excellent, straightforward, quality VaPer. No complaints. Given the choice, I would prefer Fillmore. But this is certainly another excellent VaPer from a true master blender.

Presentation: Lovely bright and red Virginias with some medium browns thrown in. Perique is applied moderately in this tin and you can tell the difference between the tobaccos easily. I can easily pick out all the different colors and variations. A gorgeous ribbon cut that is perfectly done.

Palate: Where to begin. This smells like a quality blend. Nothing obtrusive and certainly not lacking. The tin note is of day old bread, toasty oats and a little bit of unripe prune. The Virginias are beautiful in color and smoke wonderfully. They provide a semi-sweet grain, citrus and wheat. The reds are the backbone to this blend, provide a little earthy zest and bridge the gap between the brights and perique. The perique in this blend is more heavily handed than say Stratford, but is not overdone to the point of exhaustion. Slighty spicy, with a undertone of fig.

Performance: Ribbons always smoke a little fast for me, mainly because I have a fast cadence, but also that TH is a wonderful blend to smoke and I really enjoy its taste. Smokes to a nice ash, usually with no dottle and but can also leave a tad touch of moisture in the heel. Won't fatigue your mouth too much. Can be an all day smoke, multiple bowls in a row kind of deal. Nicotine hit is mild.

Conclusion: If someone was to ask you what a good baseline Va/Per is, you should hand them some Telegraph Hill. It's more full and rounded than Stratford but still offers the ability to taste the Virginia and perique separately and as a harmonious couple dancing. It provides the user with a simple, all day smoking pleasure that won't make you think, but also won't wow you to the point of hoarding it. It's a simple blend that does exactly what it should: make you happy. I prefer Stratford to this, as it's a bit sweeter on my palette, which I like. Still, an excellent blend that should be a staple in everyone's cellar as a quintessential Va/Per.

EDIT: I've downgraded this blend to 3 stars from 4. While it has all the pleasurable characteristics of a straightforward Va/Per, it is extremely picky in how you pack it. A normal pack requires multiple relights and a tight pack makes it burn effortlessly, but tends to restrict the draw. Also, I have been experiencing tongue fatigue with this. After smoking it as my only tobacco for a week it gets quite boring and mundane.

Though I am big fan of the Dark Lord, I was somewhat disappointed with Telegraph Hill. Like all Pease's products the tobacco quality and the craftmanship are superb. But the strength, density and flavour of Telegraph Hill are, in my opinion, so mild that they render the tobacco bland.

I was expecting somthing to taste like Escudo, the former Three Nuns or Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Rolls (taste, mind you, becuase TH comes in ribbon, not in flakes, coins or medallions), but this is so soft it's like a whisper of a traditional Va/Per. In fact it's even milder than Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake (and that's saying something).

Again, the tobacco is wonderfully presented in ribbon cut, with golden and reddish hues, plus some bits of black leaf here and there. The smell is very nice, albeit muted, and the moisture level is perfect. It's very easy to light and it burns beautifully. It won't bite you, but it won't deliver much flavour either.

So, in my opinion, this is the prefect tobacco for any smoker unfamiliar with the Virginia /Pèrique combination and who wants to venture into it for a test drive, without crashing against something like Esoterica's Dorchester (oozing with Pèrique). For the established smoker it may come as a mild change of pace, but without much backbone to it, and no thrill at all.

So here we have an excellent study in VaPer blends. GL Pease has kept things very simple and straight forward, and probably end up all the better for it.

The aroma in the tin is pretty standard for an untopped Virginia. Bright, pointed, clean, and with a bit of pepper from the Perique.

The tobacco packed well, charred and lit well. It burns fairly uniformly from beginning to end, with only the few standard relights necessary. No surprises here...it meets the expectations of a VaPer.

As far as taste is concerned, this is a great example of 'less is more.' There isn't anything too overwhelmingly complex. Just as advertised its a base of well blended (non flavored, cased, or topped) Virginias with just a bit of Perique to enhance things. The taste is fairly basic and nothing to write home about for about the first quarter bowl. Then things get fun. After about a quarter bowl, something magical happens--the flavors suddenly meld entirely together into a very rich, straightforward, slightly sweet base with little highlights of spice (for the perique)...this continues all the way through to the bottom of the bowl. In every sense, this embodies the standard of VaPers. There are certainly VaPers that are richer, more complex, more bold and more sophisticated than this, but TG hasn't ever left me unsatisfied--plus, fewer "bells and whistles" means fewer things to go awry.

The pipe burns evenly all the way to the bottom...the ash is more medium-to-dark grey that light grey/white for me. I have noticed that the pipes in which I smoke TG seem to build cake quicker than others...don't know if that's worth anything to anyone else, but I thought it was interesting.

On the whole, I'd give this 3-out-of-4. A very experienced, sophisticated smoker might prefer a slightly more complex VaPer blend, but this is great for those who want to enjoy a simple and straightfoward blend. Its also great for a beginning pipe smoker or a good transitional blend for those trying non-aromatics for the first time.

Prep: The moisture level was about perfect.

Notes: An even mixture of red and bright virginias form the base. Bright, citrusy, hay notes are evenly in play with fruity, earthy, notes from the reds. The Perique accentuates the red leaf further with dried fruity, plum-like notes though the "spiciness" isnt strong. It is quite consistent from top to bottom of the smoke. A solid choice for beginners, though I dont believe it delivers anything unique to the Va/Per field. For those reasons, I give it a 6/10.

https://youtu.be/l2OMrpmI220

3rdguy

Just finished my 1st full tin of this, quite enjoyable. I will say the overall flavor is that of caramel and it remained consistent throughout a smoke and in a variety of pipes. No bite. Light on the perique for my tastes but not in a bad way just glad there is not less. I had 18 months age on the tin when opened and will have to put some in the cellar. A great VaPer in a crowded field.

Nice blend. Tin note is slightly sweet and sour, hints of hay and a "pack of cigarettes" smell. Flavor profile is bready, peppery, with dark fruit notes. Get's deeper past the half way mark and considerably spicier. I liken this to Dunhill Elizabethan, Three Friars and other ribbon cut VaPer's with a medium dose of perique. This isn't as sweet as an Escudo or Dunhill Navy Rolls, which I prefer. I think a shag cut removes some of that sweetness, but that may just be my imagination.

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!

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.