G. L. Pease Westminster

Not bad, but there are English blends I find much more enjoyable. As an example, I find Old Dublin to be a much more interesting and enjoyable smoke. I tend to think of Westminster as 'flat' (although I'm not sure any Latakia based mixture could be flat).

This was my first sampling of the G.L. Pease line and I had high hopes for this blend based on the reviews here. The Tin aroma was smokey and pleasant and it packed well and burned reasonably well, but unfortunately I did not fully appreciate the comments made on the need of aging.

My sample indeed seemed to be tinned last Tuesday....it was very "green" and "rough around the edges" with little taste. I will been sending this to the back of my "cellar" in a mason jar labeled "Do Not Open until 2014!" and I hope to have better things to say about this blend at that time.

Even if this improves with age as some suggest, there are many better selections available that don't require lengthy aging and are ready to smoke now!

Westminster has a nice, smokey aroma in the jar but I find it 'rough around the edges' in the pipe as another reviewer has said. It lacks the finesse and nuance that I find in some other blends of these same three tobaccos such as Three Oaks Syrian. Westminster leaves me with a hot, ashy impression. I thought it might smooth out with some age, but after 18+ months in the cellar it has not changed. Only somewhat recommended.

My tin is eleven months old. The Latakia dominates the first half of the bowl, then the Orientals begin to flower. But Mr. Pease is too heavy-handed with the smoky Cyprus stuff. And it burns very hot.

Some Virginia lovers would call this a Latakia bomb. Compared to other English blends, it is bland and somewhat flat, really of interest only to Latakiaphiles. May not really deserve a second star, but I must acknowledge that it is OK for its style...

Update, 4 May 2012: given additional time to age, and smoked a little more dry, the Latakia is not quite as overwhelming, and the Orientals are more prominent. Goes well with a Scotch Ale. A solid two stars; I can see how some would acquire a taste for it...

Updated Final : 12/14/11 : I've gone back and forth on this tobacco, different pipes , different times of day, different tin aging and the final results are as follows; BLAH ! This tobacco is middle of the road, medium light in all categories; "N", flavor , latakia , Oriental, Virginia, packing, spice. It's not terrible, but why bother. 2 stars And I agree with reviewer above, "DARTH VADER",11/19/11, there is a bitterness and a slight vanilla background ( deertongue ?), I will not buy again.

Original reviews:

A nice tobacco, but not a great tobacco. The Orientals play a significant roll along with the latakia. The Virginia adds some sweetness but IMO it adds to much spicy heat. I think there may even be a touch of clove and vanilla. I'm trying to find some reason I would need to add this to my rotation and I can't. I'll finish the tin and won't buy more not because it's bad , it's just not great.

Updated 10/19/11- Wow, What 7 months of cellaring will due.Spicy heat is calmed, orientals play , Smokie . I really should give GLP Blends at least 6 months before evaluating. I have to bump this up to 2 1/2 stars . This reminds me of a heavier Balkin Sasieni ( I like Meridian, Blackpoint and Odyssey better), the flavors are somewhat muted from a cob. Again, good but not great.11/3/11, just finishing the tin, the final smoke was best seems like the dryer this got and the more it breathed the better it got.

I agree with the prior reviewer. I found absolutely nothing admirable about this blend. Tin aroma is of mostly a smoky Latakia presence. I let the tin air out ocassionally for a year and stored it in a zip-lock, freezer bag. It was a good moisture content when sampled a second time. Upon first light, I received a bitter, rather harsh invasion upon my palate. I persevered however, determined to finish the entire bowl in order to give a definitive, objective review.

Flavor/taste was one dimensional after the initial bitterness & harshness subsided. The smoke becomes more tolerable & milder but carries with it little flavor other than Latakia dominance. I was disapointed that this stuff really didn't deliver the palate pleaser that I was anticipating... but that's just me. Many seem to like it rather well although many had rated it an objectional (1) complaining of variable reasons of taste, quality & burn rate. Were they all wrong? I was waiting in anticipation for developing flavor but nothing really noteworthy ever transpired. It certainly wasn't to my liking and didn't agree with my palate. For those who enjoy this stuff, wonderful!

It is definitely not for everyone & especially me. If you are looking for a blend that offers litte more than a Latakia flavored tobacco taste, here you go. This GLP offering prompted me to ponder...should I try another GLP Eng/Balkan mixture? With so many other quality English/Balkans available, why take the risk of wasting more $$. Just an average blend IMHO, of course... maybe due to a conflict with my palate chemistry, as it were.

NOTE: 2018 Addendum: I have read about a few of G. L. Pease's quality, "Champagne" blends that have received rave reviews but unfortunately, command a premium and remain out of reach for the average piper... Bohemian Scandal for instance. Maybe his most famous but how is the average piper ever going to know this positively... like so many other world famous blends that are "Gone With The Wind". How would many of these Latakia ratings turn out if people who don't favor Latakia were to voice their opinion? I think pipers that are "hung up" enough on Latakia blends to pay $50.00 + for a tin of the newer BS or $200.00 for a can of "wimpy" Penzance should move on & leave their palate cravings behind. There is so much more out there to be enjoyed & the future seems to be looking brighter. There are blends available today that still tastes like "real" tobacco. I'm through ranting... next!

This is one of the tobaccos that I found to be better rated on this web page so I made the incredible mistake of ordering 3 tins!! yes,you might call it elegant,I call it dull.It is like smoking a cigar,actually. I smoke pipe for it´s sweetness,the smell and taste and this has none of this. There might be some people that like plain tobaccos,then this might be for you. Myself, I was left with an earthy taste in the mouth that still dosen´t go away.Dry is the word that comes to mind,but then,some people like their martinis without any vermouth too.

I love English blends and this is a good one. On taste alone, I would give 3-4 stars. Unfortunately, after two tins of Westminster, I have a problem with bite. It starts out with a mild bite but gets worse as you move through the bowl. Kind of like a good pepper. Even when I concentrate on smoking extremely slowly, it bites. In all 11 pipes I've tried it in, it bites. Other English blends don't do this to me, but it may just be body chemistry. If you like English blends, try this one. Its just not for me.

I do not know what all the hubbub is all about this blend. It is a good english blend that is blended with a strong latakia note. I have tried quite a few times to see if there was any chance my taste buds were having a senior moment but no luck. If I have learned anything from pipe smoking after 45 years it is that tastes are subjective.So,go smoke a bowl of your favorite tobac and enjoy!!