G. L. Pease Lombard

After the excellent Montgomery, the good Telegraph Hill and the intriguing Ashbury, I had only Lombard left to try in the Fog City Selection.

So far, I think it's the most undistinguished of the four. It's not bad at all, but it has little to make it stand out. I am smoking it pleasantly, but it doesn't scream from the tin begging me to smoke it, it doesn't fill a particular hole in my rotation.

If you have smoked Montgomery, you know what to expect: the base Virginias are similar, but there is a pinch of perique and Latakia. Well, that pinch is so light that you might almost think someone forgot it... just a minuscule speck here and there. It's truly even LESS than a hint of condimental leaf! You can probably say that their presence is not felt, but if they were absent you would probably feel the lack of them: I guess that a couple of years of aging will take care of this, melding the flavor from these little perique+latakia speck into a cohesive whole, adding subliminally to the experience.

So far, from a relatively fresh tin, the effect is a bit underwhelming. Even waiting the ordinary 10 minutes from the charring light for the blend to kick in (a trademark of this series), I never felt the same stunning evolution of Montgomery: yes, I compare it only to Montgomery as it's the most similar to Lombard of the four. Montgomery had that wonderful Kentucky in it, Lombard does not. Whatever the reason, the taste of Lombard stays very delicate, with some chocolate, some grassy notes... but never evolves into anything truly mouthwatering. It's not bad, either (nothing is actually wrong in the taste), so if you want something probably even subtler than Montgomery you will love it.

One note about packing: the cut is very irregular but stringy, so take care not to overpack and clog the airhole. Moisture content in the tin was also a bit higher than usual, so take EXTRA care. A medium bowl is recommended: not a little one, as flavor won't have enough time to develop, nor a big one because it can become a little boring (while Montgomery shined in big bowls).

But, as I said, I am curious to see what aging will bring to Lombard: I have four tins in my cellar, and I have a suspicion that in 2007 or 2008 I will have to upgrade the rating, given the nature of the blend and the aging potential.

2008 Update: almost three years have passed, and I am smoking one of the tins I had cellared when released. The blend has actually improved: very smooth, with a very pleasant sweetness. It burns much better (go figure...), it has no green herbal notes... Very pleasant and "low maintenance". Perhaps it tends to burn a little fast now, but it's a minor issue. Rating upgraded accordingly...

Brights and browns that give off a healthy tin aroma that belies the mild taste. Yet, this has a fair bit of strength even while the flavors are subtle. This strikes me as GL Pease's take on the American English. VA and burley in the forefront (burley riding shotgon) with the condiments riding in the rear seat. It had a hint of Middleton's Walnut in the taste but with more depth.

Comparing this to C&D's Epiphany, therefore, seemed appropriate to me, as they appear to be geared toward the same smokers as well as blended in the same kitchen. But where Epiphany had bolder flavor and a higher level of complexity... and was more, well, epiphanous, Lombard just sort of eased onto the scene with a more nuanced presentation. The perique and latakia were noticeable and added their own spice and the VA's were sweet but not overly so. It was a mellow smoke but not wimpy. Developed more body down the bowl if not more complexity. I agree that it has probably succeeded with its intent at a target audience. However, I find it interesting, but nothing I feel the need to stock, or even necessarily smoke again. I prefer Epiphany, hands down.

I like this blend. I was gifted a tin that has some age on it, and found the ribbon cut a unique balance of width and length, that made loading and lighting very easy in a large Autograph. The moisture content was perfect.

This blend under promises and over delivers...a very good thing in this day and age. Understated and elegant in the delivery of Perique and Latakia...very nicely done as condiments/seasonings to the main entree of outstanding Virginias.

I like it very much as a mid-morning smoke with a cup of strong Ceylon tea with milk and sugar. It is also very nice in the late afternoon with a glass of (gasp!) blended Scots Whisky; water, no ice.

Enthusiastically Recommeded.

As others have noted, this is a mild smoke, but it's a delicious one. To my tastebuds it's a vaper, I got nothing out of the latakia. I smoked it after a year, and haven't had it fresh. The virginia base is delicious with a sort of nutty flavor like McClelland's 5100 red virginia, to me, and the perique is more present than what I'd assumed an "angel's share" to be. I rate it as a 3, but it's a solid three, a good blend made of quality leaf, just not necessarily as powerful as one I'd keep in a very regular rotation. No doubt it will be fantastic after a few more years.

The Virginia’s vibrant grassiness and slightly tart dried fruit take front and center while the burleys are supportive with layers of wood, earth and nuts. Spicy, figgy Perique gently makes it’s presence known. Cyprian Latakia is in the background with a malted smokiness as this blend takes easy twists and turns much like the San Fransico street Lombard. Burns clean without bite to a white ash with few relight needed, and leaves no dottle behind. Not quite an all day smoke, but a repeatable one

This is a very tasty blend. It is a VaBur on the red Virginia end of the spectrum. There is a depth and fullness to the Virginias that I find very satisfying. The perique and the latakia are a subtle touch - the perique less so.

The perique adds enough pepper to make the flavor profile interesting. I find it comes and goes as I smoke and it works well for me at the "Angel Share" level. The latakia is really condimental, It adds a few bass notes, but it is hard for me to really pick out.

This is a solid 3+ on the rating scale. It is not a flavor bomb. It is a somewhat mild smoke and satisfies with a nicely balanced combination of flavors. Were the pricing on this a little more attractive, I would probably smoke a lot of it.

This tobacco kind of fooled me at first. It seemed dry when I opened the can. So dry I added some mists of distilled water. Then I had to let it dry back out get it just right. It is a pleasure to smoke. It smells better burning than it did in the can. It lights up the room it is so pleasant. Of course, I enjoy the scent of virginia tobaccos burning. The latakia presence is just right, just a subtle touch. It is now added to my regular line of cans that I smoke 2-3 times a week. Try it then try it again.

For me, the dominant flavor was the Latakia. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was the primary flavor over the burley. Any Va or Per may have added to the slight complexity, but very much under the other other two. A nice standard American-English. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is no.

Lombard is just what it says, a gentle introduction to Latakia.

As a VA smoker I find this blend to be very pleasant. The red Virginia being the dominate leaf would be a plus for someone that's delving into the Latakia world for the first time.

The amount of Latakia and Perique are little more then a whisper. My tin was extremely moist and required quite a bit of dry time.

The ribbon cut packs well and stays lit.This is a gentle blend and will probably even stay that way with age.

Like everything Pease touches it's quality. Recommended