G. L. Pease Embarcadero

Had my first bowl of this in my KW Sterling POY 07. It?s a pipe devoted to Virginias, so it seemed fitting.

On opening the tin, a smell wafted out I was familiar with. The sweet spicy taste of Red Virginias, a Malty kind of smell, with a grassy spice that made me think of curry?

The flakes were quite damp, and barely holding together, so I grabbed a pipe full and left it to dry for about an hour. This put it at malleable, but not crisp. Tearing the strips in half and straight loading with kindling on top was the setup.

It must have been still damp on the inside, because it did take several relights to get it rolling. On first light a spicy blast hit. Not unpleasant, as the Virginias kept it manageable. I may attribute this to my packing too-So I move on.

Once it gets rolling, this takes a very interesting turn. I have it.

Ever have a Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale? It?s Malty, with tones of Citrus, Cinnamon, Ginger and Orange peal?.

I am smoking it. Slow cadence brings more sweet and citrus flavors, while stronger puffing brings the kind of spicy taste bud play I associate with cinnamon or Ginger. Very tasty and fun.

Mid-bowl now and the flavors are playing together more harmoniously. A unified flavor.

Smelling my own slip stream is a mildly sweet Virginia smoke?..Draw a few times to get the fire stoked?.There?s that spice?.Ready and waiting?.Let it calm down and more Malty and caramelized sweet?..

No bite. Let me tell you I have over smoked a lot today, and the tongue bite monster is ready to pounce?.Not here though?.

Overall I like this. It?s not a mowing the yard blend. It?s a sitting on your porch, or Zen Blend. It?s a trip or journey on its own. Like getting lost in a good book, you want to pay it attention.

It Finished clean, and you know it's over when you hit bottom. This and Fillmore would be my top two of the Fog City blends (Technically Westminster is a foggy city too, so top three- But in San Fran?.It?s the two)

Top marks to Greg for this blend.

Two last notes. I like this the best as is vs fully rubbed out. I get more flavor play that way- But hey thats just me. #2 A flake should be enjoyed. If yours comes a bit broken, don't cry in your pipe-just smoke it. It's about taste.

Tin note of Rasins, spices, and hay. The reddish-brown broken flakes have a small amount of tan. It's not moist enough to need drying, larger chunks rub out easily. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and somewhat consistent, with notes of strong earth, strong wood, strong herbal spices, dried tart fruit, roasted nuts, bread, floral, mild bitter burnt toast, mild lemon grass, mild cigarette, and a slight peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Izmir supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

I think of this like the wise old uncle to Sunday Picnic, if you're familiar with that, and the younger cousin to Fillmore. (As a side note, I get the feeling that for every good C&D blend, there is a GL Pease blend just like it but much more sophisticated. Master/apprentice situation under that roof for sure.)

Anyway, this is a gift to Virginia lovers who like to ponder the more earthy, savory qualities of pipe tobacco, yet without having to go Latakia land. As everyone remarks, complex red Virginias are in the foreground - darker, matured, etc. - and the Izmir gives that spice we like, and also a good degree of mustiness that really melds well with the red Virginias. The sourness is great, like what a touch of vinegar does to something fried (and salty). The blend is also ripe for fermentation, does not take long to transform.

The blend is still medium bodied, and very well balanced at any age. As noted, this has more worldly experience than Sunday Picnic, which is green in comparison, and but it's not as mature and complex as Fillmore, for which the touch of Latakia opens all kinds of terrifyingly delightful doors.

One (large) Bowl review. Was in the mood for something I'd never tried, so digging thru my bin found a tin of Embarcadero dated 01/24/2011. Cracked that puppy open and loaded up a Radice Bark, with a rather largish bowl.

Tin note was dominated by the lemony Va's. Now, I've got a small problem with Red Virginia's. The bugger just doesn't agree with me. I don't dislike Red Va's, my mouth chemistry just doesn't gee haw with them.

The tobacco was dominated by the bright, citrus tasting Red Va. The Turkish orientals just came off one dimensional, and kind of cigarette like. Not being a cigarette smoker, this wasn't really pleasant for me.

The moisture from this old tin was perfect, and the broken flake was wonderful. Only used 2 matches for an entire bowl.

This tobacco left an unpleasant(to me) aftertaste. If you rock a beard or mustache, the smell will be with you all day.

Another reviewer stated that he thought the blend was pipe sensative, so I will be trying some of my smaller bowls as I finish out this tin(waste not want not).

The tin is a nice mix of plums and dry apricot smells.

The taste is moving from honey and floral fruity during the first third. Then you go for an incense and woody taste. The last third is about cigars and cocoa (not chocolate)

I was a bit struck by the Nic-hit the first time. Pack it and sip it lightly.

Embarcadero is a delightful Virginia Oriental blend with a distinct spiciness. The flake presentation in the can is very nice, although some may find the tobacco somewhat moist. The room note is quite nice out of the tin. My wife commented on how nice it it smelled in the tin. The room note is pleasant , with an overall nice medium flavor. It lights very easily for me. It pairs wonderfully with a nice cup of Ethiopian Harrar coffee in the morning. The sweetness of the Virginia's is somewhat subdued, but all in all, a nice blend.

You know how smells can instantly transport you back in time? I had that olfactory trip when I opened a tin of this delightful blend. It took me back to the seventies when I started smoking a pipe and was buying drug-store Amphora in the green pouch. Don't get me wrong, Embarcadero is an infinitely finer tobacco than that, but the tin note is indeed similar: lots of grass and hay, with a spicy top note. (And that old Amphora was better than most stuff on the shelves at that time.)

This has the perfect moisture content right out of the tin. The broken flakes fall into shreds that I think are best gathered together in a pinch and stuffed in the bowl lengthwise in a somewhat loose pack, perhaps with a bit of tinder on top, leaving room for expansion. The result is a cool and slow burn with no relights, and despite the tendency of all my pipes to gurgle I found it to be a dry smoke as well.

I like pure Virginias as part of my rotation, but like a VaPer, this blend is a good way to enjoy my favorite leaf with a bit of added interest, here provided by the Izmir. It lends an incense-like, spicy fragrance and also its own floral sweetness to the blend. This relationship between the two leaves evolves down the bowl in a give-and-take that keeps things interesting. It took me a few bowls to appreciate these subtleties, but now I find this is an excellent change of pace from a pure Virginia or VaPer. It also leaves a mildly sweet, pure tobacco aftertaste.

This blend starts off with what I would describe as a touch of cedar and a yeasty taste. As it progresses, one may detect dark toast and light roast coffee. This blend is average on heat, and should not be pushed with puffing as it may get bitter. This seems to be common to many high Burley or Oriental blends. If this happens all you need to do is drastically slow the puffing for a minute or two. Maybe even let it go out, then tamp, and knock much of the ash out, then relight. Taste is consistent, with the exception of the very bottom of the bowl. I'm glad I bought this, even if it's not one of my go tos. It is a good blend to change things up.

When first I smoked this blend I was not really very impressed, but it has improved with age. I first smoked it upon receipt and put it up. As I smoke it now I find it to be sweet with spicy hints in the flavor. It smokes cool to the tongue, but this may be due to the fact that it has dried since I first opened the tin. I remember it to have been somewhat hotter when I first smoked it, maybe I've slowed down so as to better enjoy the experience. I usually smoke aromatics but I find this blend to be a very welcome change. I am thinking now that I will buy more in the future and age it before smoking.