G. L. Pease Maltese Falcon

I've REALLY wanted to try Maltese Falcon ever since someone told me a few months ago that the 'secret spice' is ginger. I love ginger and smoking a tobacco containing it and made by Mr Pease had to be to die for. MF has been on the TAD order sheet any number of times, only to be trumped by cost or something more exciting, so I was overjoyed when the box containing this and other goodies arrived at my desk today. I even slipped out in the afternoon to pop the lid and give it a blast in a lat-preferred pipe I've been carrying in anticipation of the arrival.

Hmmmm - not sure, you know?

I like it. I do! The artwork is great and the tin-note is smoky and tangy without being too strong. The tobacco is beautiful, with a contrast of shades from light tobacco to almost black; it packed very easily and smoked all the way down to a fine grey ash after one true light. There was a negligible nicotine hit.

I can taste the restrained latakia - not too much spice - and the smudge of exotic Orientals. ZuluCollector is right; the citrus is definitely blood-orange (which is a great description) rather than lemon. It's not sharp, but rather a light bitter-sweet acid that is enjoyable and would be more so if it only had a fuller, sweeter counterpoint.

And that's my ever-so slight disappointment, at least from the bowls I've had so far. I hear and read about the sweetness and the cream, but I don't get them! I just want a teaspoonful more sweetness, a few pounds more body, an extra yard more breadth and depth to push this from a lovely, mildly different latakia-based blend to one I can float in every time I walk with a pipe of MF stuck in my gob. Maybe I'll get more ginger in my next tin. Maybe I'm missing something. Maltese Falcon is a hugely enjoyable smoke and I will persist with it, but still...

As some reviewers have pointed out, I too am in a quandary at all the English/ Balkan/ Latakia blends from GLP and others. It is hard trying to pick the fine points and nuances out. I can only say , "I like this one". I decided to air and dry this blend a little more than needed and to smoke it in a short nose-warmer CLAY! I feel that the clay, while it smokes hot, can give a pure tobacco taste test. (BTW, don't want to do advertising, but if you want a quality tobacco ,"Clay" go to "Dawnmist Studios", lovely people, quality product & they ship to the US.) Back to the review after this word from our sponsor.

I noticed a nice balance , a creaminess and most notable an exotic herbal incense scent from the Oriental in this blend, when " French inhaled", very nice. The search was on, I thought it was "Lagonda", this was similar but less pronounced, then Tudor Castle, yes, closer, it could be a touch of Yenidje that I was picking out of the Maltese Falcon. ( Reviewer, " Ehring(39) seemed to pick this out also) . I'm not sure, but I will say that MF is smoother than either of the previous listed blends and is interesting.

Will I give this 4 stars, Never , not until I've smoked this over a longer period of time, but it has a good chance of getting there.

Updated 2015-8-8, I've now smoked 3 tins of the blend and I like it more and more. It's a little stronger than I first indicated and a little richer. It has a great base note that is very creamy and dark . It's hard to describe , but it reminds me of when I'm drinking an espresso coffee or eating some 85% dark chocolate, creamy , dark, satisfying. Please don't take this comment as if this is a topped coffee or chocolate blend. I"m ready to make this a 4 star.

I have been smoking a pipe for about 7 years. All this time I have truly loved smoking a pipe. I love to look at pipes. I love reading about pipe manufacturers, tobaccos and pipe smoking. And I have enjoyed puffing on various blends. All this time I had not come across anything that would qualify as a “desert island” blend for me. There have been a couple of tobaccos that I fairly enjoyed, but nothing that really rang my bell. I read reviews describing delicious and creamy blends, but my experience was usually not as notable. But a few months ago I got around to opening up my tin of Maltese Falcon. The first bowl was FANTASTIC. I remember thinking that if every bowl was that good, then I had found my Arcadia.

The Falcon is smooth, creamy and just a little sweet. Not in any sort of cloying way. There is a flavor that you just can't put a finger on. Something different in this leaf jumps out at you from time to time. I have dedicated my meerschaum solely to this blend, and find that I am smoking that pipe more frequently than ever before. This smokes velvety smooth, and I think it has a great room note. This is one that is great to blow thru the nose. There is definitely nothing harsh about this English blend.

My 1st tin arrived VERY dry, but this did not seem to affect the smoking qualities. My next tin had a more typical moisture level, and seems to smoke even better for it. I play around with my packing methods with this one. I am finding some methods are so-so, while others make this one shine. I recently ordered a pound of this blend, and plan on ordering more.

If you are looking for something unique, give this one a try. If it doesn't float your boat, you can send what's left to me. Happy puffing!

Maltese Falcon is one of the most elegant English mixtures I've smoked. The overall flavor is not dominated by the Latakia addition, which have been added in this blend just to catch a distinctive English taste.

The sweetness of fine Virginia mixed up with a great spicy sweet oriental makes this blend very special for my taste. As I said, Latakia is present only for a cool delicious smoke, which does not mask the sweet exotic mixture of Virginia-Oriental.

The Orientals in this mixture are loaded with sugar and a silky, oily, spicy taste. I am not sure but they may be Yenidje or Izmir (or both) leaf. I don't remember when I've tasted last time this well some Orientals and Virginias in a English mixture. IMO the English mixtures of the market are generally loaded with much Latakia, again IMO, mainly for masking the unsuccesful Va-Oriental mixtures. Well Maltese Falcon is not one of those blends. It is sweet, exotic, flavorful and extremely nicely balanced. The Latakia power suits very well for a mild to medium strength Smokes cool and slow, leaving a long lasting delightful taste on my palat and tongue.

This deep blend goes great for breakfast. The full taste is better than a cup of coffee.

I typically smoke it on the way to work each day and at night.

Pease has really done it with this one.

-The wife loves it. -The leaves are not balanced. They support in varying degrees. -It's relaxing as hell.

I endorse this one and always have cans in stock.

****

I have recently returned to smoking a pipe after about a twenty-five year hiatus. Quite a lot of changes have occurred in the meantime, I must say, and not all to the good.

Gone is my local Pipe Shop, where one could try a bowl of many of the proprietors hand blends, or have one's own tastes met by a custom blend. Gone is Balkan Sobranie, and nearly all the Dunhill line, including my favorite tinned tobacco - Nightcap. My jaw dropped when I saw what a tin of the venerable Nightcap goes for on E-bay!

Enter the internet, and shopping by tobacco review. I purchased a smorgasbord of English-Balkan - Virginias based blends, with a couple others which included some burley for an alternative universe.

I must say that the only tobacco I ordered in any bulk was 4 ounces of Squadron Leader, based in no small part the recommendations of this forum. I regret to say it has been the most disappointing of all the selections I am trying out.

To my palate, Squadron leader is is too bitter, doesn't have enough Latakia smokiness, and the Orientals are too forward, leading to a flavor which is too arid. The flavors don't 'dance' for me, and after several bowls under different conditions, I just can't recommend this blend.

However, in contrast, I find GLP's Maltese Falcon to be extremely satisfying. Smoky, sweet, complex - now this blend 'dances' for me, with flavors developing intriguingly throughout the bowl. And very mild compared to S.L., despite arriving too dry in the tin.

Twenty-five years ago I spent a lot of time trying to find the 'perfect' English blend, and I think I have stumbled upon it here with Maltese Falcon. Rich, sweet, smoky and complex yet smokes like velvet.

Listen Up Fellow Citizens!!

This one should NOT be missed!

I have never really liked Latakia much. In most blends it strikes me like a burning gunpowder taste. (Like all those cheap fireworks we used to set off as kids...)

On my last large order from Cornell & Deihl, they were kind enough to send me a small sample of Maltese Falcon. (1oz. I think.)

I can't rave enough about this tobacco, and the smoking experience you will no doubt enjoy. Yes, some reviewers who like their English strong, (bordering on industrial paint stripper,) will find this one not as strong as they are used to.

The blend just sings from 1st to last light. The Latakia is always present, but weaves in and out with a symphony of other flavors and notes. It stays interesting throughout the bowl, and one flavor never takes over. The Virginia and Orientals are top notch. Truly another example where the sum of the parts creates a whole new entity, eclipsing what you thought the sum would be.

It lights well, smokes clean, burns down to a fine ash with little dottle. It gets a tad stronger past mid-bowl.

I can't stress enough that, as I have tried many different blends, and making a true study of blends, this one is tops. So many Latakia blends to me are just monotone. Full-on smokey, burnt flavor.

This blend has me actually craving that unique Latakia flavor. Probably because it is not overwhelming.

If you are already a Latakia fan, this one could be a great lighter smoke. If you have hesitated on trying an English, this one is a great starter.

Best of luck, and happy smoking!

The stuff that dreams are made of? Well, I dunno, but definitely a delicious medium English. GLP is, to me, hit-or-miss -- but this one is definitely a hit. Previous reviewers have described the taste very accurately: perfectly balanced, with a wonderful latakia at once softened by Orientals and complicated by Virginias. It reminds me of some of the best Buteras, like Latakia #2 and Pelican (it falls somewhere between the two). Definitely a ketchup/BBQ tin aroma, recalling McClelland. The "mysterious spice," however, is very mild, running through it all like a fine thread. I wish someone could figure out what it is! The main effect is to add a hint of molasses-like sweetness in the background.

Congratulations to Pease for the blend -- clearly, "a man of nice judgment and many resources" -- and ZuluCollector for the excellent label design.

Sometimes I look at my reviews and think maybe I'm handing out 4 star reviews more than I should. Then I think to myself, "That's crazy talk! This is a great time to be a pipe smoker because of all the fantastic blends that are out there, plus the pipe community's massive collection of online reviews makes it easy to avoid clunkers!" Come to think of it I'm not sure if I said that last part in my head or out loud. It's ok, I'm home alone.

So anyway, how about that Maltese Falcon? I see some polarized thoughts on this one, and I have a message for those of you who think it's terrible:

You're crazy.

Not quite 'talk-to-yourself-about-your-online-tobacco-reviews' crazy, but at least partially unhinged.

I'm joking of course...different strokes and all that. I'm just trying to express how much I love this stuff. It's a very good, straight-up English blend on the merits of its tobaccos, but the lightly-applied topping (apparently ginger, but I think there's something else in there too) gives it a flavor dimension that sets it apart from the crowd.

I've joked that the secret ingredient in Maltese Falcon must be crack, judging from how difficult it is to remove the pipe from my mouth once I start smoking it. There's a not quite sweet, not quite savory flavor in there that I find mouth watering, like umami but not. I'm not even sure it's a flavor. Whatever it is, I'm a big fan.

The only other blend I've tried that has a similar mysteriously addictive flavor(?) is Samuel Gawith Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake.

I could smoke this all day, and it might even be my desert island choice. Even the name is great. The label looked bad-a** until it was shrunk to half its size by that stupid warning label. It's still cool though.