G. L. Pease Ashbury

Another Pease that deserves the fourth star. Maybe I am biased but as a lover of va and latakia/orientals this one is an instant hit.

Mildly sweet, slightly smoky, and moderatley spicy from the orientals, and there is this citrus undercurrent that plays in and out in the background. This one is so easy to enjoy.

I think this may be an excellent all day smoke for me. It runs all the bases and is well balanced and rounded.

If there is such a thing as a VA balkan this is it.

This is one of the best tobacco's I have had the pleasure of smoking.

How Mr. Pease gets the flavors to come out in the smoking is magic. How they smell to others is a different story.

Don't pass this one without a try.

Having already tried Montgomery and Telegraph Hill in this Fog City selection, I already knew what to expect. I knew that I shouldn't judge this new blend from the first minute, as both previous entries had a slow, gradual development and taste buildup. And I was right, as Ashbury behaves exactly the same way: the first 5-10 minutes are very subtle, slightly grassy, very delicate. Even a bit boring, if I may say so. Then the great crescendo starts... As expected, the Virginias slowly build to a nice milky sweetness, a pleasant "toasted" nuttiness, while still remaining very delicate. Delicate, but tastier and tastier. The Latakia provides an interesting complement, not as wonderful as the earthy, nutty and cocoa-like Kentucky in Montgomery, but definitely worthwhile. Less Latakia, and it would have been quite a boring experience. More Latakia and it would have been another mild English. As it is, it strikes the perfect balance between the excellent base of Virginias and the dry smokiness of the condiment leaf. Sure, it remains a "middle of the road" experience (in the good sense) as sometimes you'd like more of the Virginia sweetness of Montgomery and at times you wish it'd take flight and become a stouter English/Balkan blend, but if you understand this blend and hit the spot (not rushing it) it is very good and rewarding. My only complaint is that, contrarily to Montgomery, this blend can go a bit downhill after the great crescendo. Yes, after 45-60 minutes there is no more evolution, and it can actually become a bit unidimensional again, a bit uninteresting and bland. But this doesn't happen if you limit to a medium-sized pipe (or even a medium-large one). I'd definitely avoid very huge pipes for Ashbury, while Montgomery was very fine to my tastebuds in all bowl sizes, and especially in big ones. I am curious to see if aging will solve this minor nitpick, too. Now I can't wait to find a good moment and open one of the tins of Lombard I have recently bought, to see how it compares and if the even lighter touch on Latakia will manage to intrigue me (a diehard Latakia fan)...

G. L. Pease - Ashbury.

This was my morning smoke today, a bit by chance, though. Sometimes what I do is a 'lucky dip': I'll reach into the non-aromatic area of my cellar and pick a tin with my eyes shut; it's not everyone's idea of excitement but it does it for me...... sadly!! So what are my thoughts on Ashbury?

Quite a coarse mixture of mostly brown and golden pieces, there's a far lesser amount of black. Yes, it's quite rugged on the eye, but it doesn't include any twiggy pieces. The moisture's good.

I normally expect the name Balkan to be indicative of a lat-bomb, like Sam' G's Balkan Flake, but that's not the case here. The Latakia's easily the lightest of the bunch, it gives a smokiness, but isn't anywhere near as strong as a lot of Balkans. It 'seasons' the smoke, but definitely isn't a leading taste. The Orientals are easily in charge here, by being fragrant and sour, with the Virginia giving a support of sweetness. To be fair the fragrant side of the Orientals begins fade after the initial quarter. It burns at a medium speed giving a cool smoke.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not the best.

Ashbury? Not horrendous, but nothing spectacular. Somewhat recommended:

Two Stars.

This one contains some really fragrant, spicy orientals! The citrusy Virginias and smoky latakia play second and third fiddle respectively to the orientals in this blend, but they're there and taste/smell good too. With a few years of age on it Ashbury becomes a bit more sweet (red Virginia-wise) and has more of an incense-like (cinnamon-clove) quality to it. It does contain some rather large pieces of tobacco and some stems/veins which I typically just break up before packing. Smoked slowly, this blend is sublime, and I can detect individual tobacco flavors. Smoked fast, this blend is still a great mild-medium English breakfast blend, though it tends to get a bit ashy/harsh by bowl's end.

Update: Having gotten around to smoking some of the new Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, I must say that Pease's Ashbury and Chelsea Morning are far superior in every way, better quality and better tasting orientals and Virginias all round, and perfectly spiced with latakia.

Very nice. I bought a tin as a result of recommendations from Greg and others that it came close to a blend I smoked in the 70's called London Express. I hadn't smoked LE since 1973 when I bought a tin at Georgetown Pipe Shop. At the time, I found it interesting but really didn't like but I didn't like latakia back then in any great quantities and now I love it so I decided to try to find LE. Was told it was out of prodduction but a few inclding Greg himself, recommended Ashbury.

After 30 plus years, I remembered the taste immediately. Orientals dominate this blend. The little bit of latakia gives it the right amount of smokiness. I would have given this a 4 star aside from the fact that I had a hard time keep it lit. I will keep smoking it and update this review.

Ashbury is great for warm weather when a strong latakia might be too heavy. Kind of remeinds me of nuts and berrys and a spring or fall day in New England. Feel the blend is perfect for the Jamaican climate where I am now. This would be awsome if it could come in flake form.

While this is not my ideal Balkan -- to my mind, a proper Balkan has significantly more latakia than Ashbury -- it is a very good, Oriental-focused English and I recommend it if you have a fondness for Orientals (or want to see if you do).

The Orientals here are of the acrid, not rich-and-sweet, variety. Because of that -- and the fact that Ashbury moves the latakia so much to the background -- this blend is much more in the Charing Cross family than the Caravan/Odyssey family of Pease Balkan(ish) blends. I enjoy them all, but just be aware that there are distinct differences.

And lest anyone be misled by the sly wording on the older labels or the description above (which, I believe, has been changed on the latest tins), this is *not* somehow a Syrian-free version of the late, lamented Bohemian Scandal. To my mind, the Pease Syrians were distinct and unique from any currently produced Pease blend; Ashbury shouldn't be sampled with the expectation that it will echo the Scandal. You'll be disappointed.

And you shouldn't be. . . because Ashbury is a fine blend that can stand quite capabaly on its own two feet.

EDIT - I'm bumping this down a star because I've found one light latakia blend that I like better, Kensington. Still very good and very much recommended.

That I registered on this site yesterday so that I could give Ashbury my first review should say something about the blend.

I've been smoking for two years now. I only smoke aromatics if someone gives me some (bless their effort), and my favorite blend style is Balkan. I like the taste of orientals above latakia.

This blend is the perfect light-medium Balkan. I was nervous about this blend smoking too hot when I first got it, based on my experiences with the Virginia-heavy Lombard. This blend, however, seems to be much more balanced. It was wet when I bought it, and I've been working out of the same tin for a few months now (I smoke about once a day and have a large rotation), and it's getting easier to light and keep lit.

I find this blend perfect for driving to work or walking to class in the morning. Just enough kick to wake you up, but overall, a very balanced blend. Highly, highly recommended for Balkan lovers who aren't latakia hounds.

Judging by the description and the existing reviews, I thought I?d really like this blend. I smoked it in a large Comoy?s Freehand that has been ?Blueprinted? by Ronnie B. My sample was made up of mostly red to gold ribbons with just a little dark brown to black leaf which all appeared to be of fine quality. The pouch aroma was that of a mild and pleasant Balkan blend. It packed easily and had an appropriate amount of moisture. After the initial charring light and tamp, it burned perfectly and produced good smoke volume, leaving a light grey ash at the end of the bowl without relights. I found my sample to have very little flavor and to be very hot on my tongue. It wasn?t an unpleasant smoke, but just never really developed past a mild, almost cigar-like flavor that was hot and stingy all the way through. I plan on trying it in a few different pipes and will update if there is any reason to. For now, my first experience with GL Pease left me wanting a little more (flavor, that is).

I'm a big fan of Greg Pease. I enjoy every one of his blends save those that contain burley (to which I have an aversion), cigar leaf, and those with too much latakia for my tastes. So I was sure that I would enjoy this blend.

I was unimpressed with my first few smokes of Ashbury. Aha! So Mr. Pease can take all of those fine tobaccos that I do enjoy and create something I don't like after all. I was kind of happy that I wouldn't have to fit one more blend in my rotation.

Six months of aging changed all that. While I do enjoy Balkan blends,they take second chair to Virginias. Well, at least they did. Ashbury is an extaordinary and complex blend. I'm reminded of Dunhill's Durbar of years past, at least so far as I can remember its nut like flavor. The tobacco burns perfectly with only on re-light (unless DGT is employed) down to the bottom of the bowl leaving a clean grey ash without a hint of bite.

Highly recommended to anyone who can appreciate what a fine alchemist has to offer.