G. L. Pease Fillmore
(3.20)
A thick sliced, broken flake in the Scottish tradition. Ripe red Virginia tobaccos are combined with a generous measure of fine Louisiana perique and then pressed to marry the components and deepen the flavors. The cakes are sliced and gently broken before tinning. Fillmore presents an elegant sweetness and delightful piquancy, enhanced by a creamy richness that develops throughout the bowl. Sit back, and enjoy a lovely, leisurely smoke!
Notes: Fillmore was released in June 2006.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Fog City Selection |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Latakia, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 2 oz and 8 oz tins |
| 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
|
3.20 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 24, 2009 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
UPDATE 11/8/10
Still no love for this one. The excessive "periquey-ness" toned down a bit with the additional aging but I find this one harsh and monotone. I stated "flat and boring" below but I was referring to the other blends mentioned. This one was harsh. Additional aging tones that down a hair but I still cannot smoke this one. I'm donating what's left of this 2nd tin and my unopened 3rd tin, as I don't see this improving to the point where it is smokable. Too bad, as GLP blends are starting to come together for me. Not this one, however.
ORIGINAL REVIEW 3/24/09
After smoking a tin of several GLP blends, I'm going to do one simple review of all of them... Fillmore, Haddo's, Telegraph Hill, Embarcadero and a few others... because they all share the same issues. They all appear to be promising blends whose time has not yet come. With all the hype surrounding these blends and all the positive reviews, I couldn't help but try a bunch of them. But they all seem unrealized... flat and boring, without the complexity of taste and aroma that blends from McClellands uniformly have. There's not the balance of Dunhill Elizabethan or the pure explosion of flavor that Escudo or Davidoff Flake Medallions or some of the Rattrays blends have. There are many others too numerous to mention that seem to have in spades what these GLP blends claim to have but sorely lack.
I've decided that perhaps the tins of these I've smoked are too youthful, too insipid due to a lack of aging. Indeed, the ingredients, the cut and the color among other things make them appear to be of high quality. I'm going to cellar the rest of what I have for a couple of years and try again. GLP blends have largely let me down so far but we'll see what happens after a maturation process. Rather than write a bunch of less than flattering reviews, I'm going to wait these out and try again.
Still no love for this one. The excessive "periquey-ness" toned down a bit with the additional aging but I find this one harsh and monotone. I stated "flat and boring" below but I was referring to the other blends mentioned. This one was harsh. Additional aging tones that down a hair but I still cannot smoke this one. I'm donating what's left of this 2nd tin and my unopened 3rd tin, as I don't see this improving to the point where it is smokable. Too bad, as GLP blends are starting to come together for me. Not this one, however.
ORIGINAL REVIEW 3/24/09
After smoking a tin of several GLP blends, I'm going to do one simple review of all of them... Fillmore, Haddo's, Telegraph Hill, Embarcadero and a few others... because they all share the same issues. They all appear to be promising blends whose time has not yet come. With all the hype surrounding these blends and all the positive reviews, I couldn't help but try a bunch of them. But they all seem unrealized... flat and boring, without the complexity of taste and aroma that blends from McClellands uniformly have. There's not the balance of Dunhill Elizabethan or the pure explosion of flavor that Escudo or Davidoff Flake Medallions or some of the Rattrays blends have. There are many others too numerous to mention that seem to have in spades what these GLP blends claim to have but sorely lack.
I've decided that perhaps the tins of these I've smoked are too youthful, too insipid due to a lack of aging. Indeed, the ingredients, the cut and the color among other things make them appear to be of high quality. I'm going to cellar the rest of what I have for a couple of years and try again. GLP blends have largely let me down so far but we'll see what happens after a maturation process. Rather than write a bunch of less than flattering reviews, I'm going to wait these out and try again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2014 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Another Pease blend with considerable bite (pH out of whack).
The Good: burns well and packs well.
The Bad: insipid flavour, bland, and tends to shut-down as it combusts.
The Ugly: pH out of whack.
The Better-Half: rarely does my beloved commented on the post combustion room note and I especially enjoy the heaviest of Latakia/Oriental blends. The comments were alluding to excrement from sheep and the like. Dare I say somewhat accurate, not a pleasant room-note and the briar afterwards is quite infused a stubborn nasty ghost.
There are far better blends in this genre, Samuel Gawith St. James flake comes to mind.
The Good: burns well and packs well.
The Bad: insipid flavour, bland, and tends to shut-down as it combusts.
The Ugly: pH out of whack.
The Better-Half: rarely does my beloved commented on the post combustion room note and I especially enjoy the heaviest of Latakia/Oriental blends. The comments were alluding to excrement from sheep and the like. Dare I say somewhat accurate, not a pleasant room-note and the briar afterwards is quite infused a stubborn nasty ghost.
There are far better blends in this genre, Samuel Gawith St. James flake comes to mind.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 18, 2017 | Medium | Extra Strong | Overwhelming | Tolerable |
Well, after reading carefully the reviews here I bit the bullet and got two 8oz. tins. The reviewers are just over the moon about this blend. After a couple of bowls my lips, mouth, tongue and upper palate are still burning from the pepper heat. Just way over the top. The worst smoke I've ever had.
Pipe Used:
Cob and Tobago
PurchasedFrom:
CupOJoes
Age When Smoked:
Out of the bag
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 23, 2007 | Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable to Strong |
Fillmore seemed to be very well balanced, so much so, that nothing really jumped out at me. It reminded me of a wine I once enjoyed with friends where when asked what I thought of the wine, I replied: "It's so well balanced it tastes like nothing." Of course, I am exagerating in order to make a point, please read-on....
Perhaps this is due to the "pressing" process, as I understand this causes flavors to marry. The broken flake resulted in a cool smoke that lasted longer than a fully rubbed blend and this was appreciated.
Earlier reviewers commented on the earthy tones and creaminess of the smoke as one works through the bowl, I'm in agreement with these observations. Nonetheless I found this to be rather monotonic in nature (uncomplicated, of a consistent tone).
I liked the room note, leathery, earthy, but found that it remained in the room through the next day with a noticeable presence.
It's a good smoke when one is looking for these characteristics, and I believe it to be a good choice when the moment calls for a change of pace. Aside from the room note Fillmore is easy to forget.
Perhaps this is due to the "pressing" process, as I understand this causes flavors to marry. The broken flake resulted in a cool smoke that lasted longer than a fully rubbed blend and this was appreciated.
Earlier reviewers commented on the earthy tones and creaminess of the smoke as one works through the bowl, I'm in agreement with these observations. Nonetheless I found this to be rather monotonic in nature (uncomplicated, of a consistent tone).
I liked the room note, leathery, earthy, but found that it remained in the room through the next day with a noticeable presence.
It's a good smoke when one is looking for these characteristics, and I believe it to be a good choice when the moment calls for a change of pace. Aside from the room note Fillmore is easy to forget.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 11, 2009 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Mild | Unnoticeable |
Where's the perique? Very flat aroma. It started off spicy and changed to just another dark virginia blend with no depth and little character. Honestly, where's the perique? Just the right amount of it does magical things to virginia, but it is just barely present here. With more age and more perique this might be a good one, but with so many blends and so little time, I won't finish this tin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 10, 2009 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I didn't find this to be any better than numerous other VA/Per blends out there that cost less. The more I smoke of this particular series, the more I'm convinced that the main ingredient in GLP blends is hype in large portions and not much else.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 14, 2007 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Update: Latakia Lover was correct about the errant batch, and about Mr Pease wanting to make it right when he learned of the mistake.
I may have been a little harsh in my origional review due to frustration so I will summarise it here with less grump in it. My Fillmore dated late May of 2007 were nothing like my origional experience with fillmore tins from several months earlier.
My origional "normal" tins of Fillmore were awesome. My favorite VaPer I have experienced so far. It reminds me in flavor of Bjarne Flake De Luxe, but fuller flavor, less sweet (more natural) while still maintaining a delicate buttery sweetness especialy towards the last half of the bowl. Superb.
The new "mistake" tins of fillmore smelled of latakia and were very dark. Turns out, acording to Pease's site, some fillmore had been over processed and not like it was suposed to be. This "messed up" fillmore, in my opinion, was yucky and tasted like a light english blend to me and had latakia in the room note.
So my recomendation of Fillmore for now will be 1 star because of my personal experience so far. If my replacement tins are like my first delicious tins, then I'll raise my recomendations a couple stars. And if later purchases prove to be consistant than Fillmore will easily move back to the top of my VaPer list. I'll update later.
I may have been a little harsh in my origional review due to frustration so I will summarise it here with less grump in it. My Fillmore dated late May of 2007 were nothing like my origional experience with fillmore tins from several months earlier.
My origional "normal" tins of Fillmore were awesome. My favorite VaPer I have experienced so far. It reminds me in flavor of Bjarne Flake De Luxe, but fuller flavor, less sweet (more natural) while still maintaining a delicate buttery sweetness especialy towards the last half of the bowl. Superb.
The new "mistake" tins of fillmore smelled of latakia and were very dark. Turns out, acording to Pease's site, some fillmore had been over processed and not like it was suposed to be. This "messed up" fillmore, in my opinion, was yucky and tasted like a light english blend to me and had latakia in the room note.
So my recomendation of Fillmore for now will be 1 star because of my personal experience so far. If my replacement tins are like my first delicious tins, then I'll raise my recomendations a couple stars. And if later purchases prove to be consistant than Fillmore will easily move back to the top of my VaPer list. I'll update later.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2024 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
On 03162024, I purchased a 2oz tin of Fog City Selection Fillmore from Smoking Pipes. Tin date is 062723. Upon arrival, I opened the tin and was greeted with medium brown to dark brown broken flakes. Aroma notes of chewy spice, mildly ripe dark fruit, brown sugar, and composting grasses. Moisture levels were perfect for this broken flake to be rubbed out and placed into a bowl. I smoked this blend twice in an Apple bowl and Dublin bowl. Unfortunately, both bowls of this blend were disappointing experiences. I don’t know how a simple Va/Per blend can be butchered, but this batch apparently was just that. Mr. Pease created this blend in 2006 and possibly different Virginia’s and Perique were available at that time. This blend from 062723 is simply hands down awful. The first quarter inch in each pipe had hopes, but turned into a woody, cigarette, rotting vegetable, and ashy taste. Yes, I smoked each bowl down about three-quarters before chucking the contents.
I love Va/Per and Virginia blends, but Fillmore did not cut it. I also enjoy some of Greg’s other blends. Regents Flakes, Temple Bar, and Union Square come to mind. However, Fillmore will not be smoked any longer by myself, and that’s too bad.
I love Va/Per and Virginia blends, but Fillmore did not cut it. I also enjoy some of Greg’s other blends. Regents Flakes, Temple Bar, and Union Square come to mind. However, Fillmore will not be smoked any longer by myself, and that’s too bad.
Pipe Used:
Piersel Dublin; Stokkebye 1931.
PurchasedFrom:
Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked:
06272023
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