G. L. Pease Key Largo
(3.39)
Deep, earthy and creamy. A distinguished broken flake of red Virginia tobaccos, small leaf Orientals, and a measure of Cyprus latakia, spiced with velvety cigar wrapper leaf. Key Largo develops throughout the bowl, offering a satisfying and sturdy smoking experience, with beautifully balanced, richly textured layers of cocoa, dark roasted coffee, leather, and a lively, lingering finish.
Notes: Key Largo was introduced in July, 2008.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Heirloom Collection |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Cigar Leaf Based |
| Contents | Cigar Leaf, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Broken Flake |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.39 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 56 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
There are many loathed ‘cigar’ blends out there- where a bit of cigar leaf is shag-cut and added to the blend but no one pulls it off as successfully as G.L. Pease- the smoke is textured, exotic, with a bit of sweet earthy cocoa nibs.
The Cigar leaf itself does not come through but it laces throughout the smoke adding a background bass and dimension that makes Key Largo a real treat.
I should add-- this isn't a Jessica Rabbit smoke, all t-and-a out in the open from the beginning, this blend begs a little bit of time and patience to truly speak to you.
Also, i have noticed (Curious to see if anyone else has experienced this) it is quite temperamental to humidity, cadence, and pipe. Because of this it is a quiet reflective smoke needing care and attention as no doubt Greg intended.
RECCOMENDED: for the cigar lover purely out of novelty as the cigar leaf is barely noticeable but does add texture and depth. For those looking for something other than another version of an English-Oriental set against a bunch of Virginias.
Ubiquity is not in this blend's name.
(PS- this may benefit from some aging-- anyone has any experience with aging this stuff?)
*** UPDATE***
When i wrote the review above, I was not completely sold on this blend, in-fact, it sat in my cellar for almost a year before i picked up again and now... well, it's a different story...
... I suppose a lot of it has to do with the fact that it's a "cigar-blend" and as a Miami-raised once-intensive Cigar smoker I came into Pease's Key Largo blend with all the wrong expectations.
AS many (many) have noted Cigar-leaf in Pipe Tobacco rarely translates into actual 'cigar' flavor. Having worked on custom cigar blends for a former employee I became very aware and sensitive to how different leaves and grades (in cigar production) added not only depht-of-flavor but a 'texture' as well.
Part of Caribbean leaf's adulation (read: Cuban, Dominican, and even the US Dollar-handicapped Puerto Rican Tobacco leaf) has more to do with the aplomb it gives a mix more so (or in addition to) just 'flavor' or strength... this is the 'creaminess' that many cigar-smokers-turned-pipe-smokers sometimes miss.
I know I did... in the first few years I kept yearning for some texture and naturally found myself cozying up to heavy Englishes and considered Nightcap an "all-day blend" (reaching the texture and girth of Padron Anniversario, the darker Avo's and Gloria Cubana Serie R)-- what I was missing was that certain "creamy" smoke that comes with a great and well-made cigar.
Enter Cigar-Leaf Pipe Tobacco blends which are as old as the modern art of blending itself- Alfred Dunhill having a popular "cuban" blend in his line-up of Pipe-Tobacco (it helped, of course, that he was also importing custom cigars from Cuba) and modernly Stogie and Peretti's Cuban Mixture a throwback to that style.
The mistake, IMHO, is to approach them as though they are a cigar-flavor delivery system (outside of a cigar): it's not. Instead what a Cigar-leaf blend delivers (and where its charm lies) is in it's texture.
Creamy and almost exotically lactic- Cigar leaf brings in a textural experience that even the heaviest Latakia bomb cannot. Peretti's Cuban Mixture is heavy with this 'texture' aspect and Dunhill's Durbar, I would venture may have a bit of sneaked-in Cigar leaf giving the blend it's oft-commented creaminess.
It's a lovely addition-- and especially wonderful this time of year...
This realization was my lightbulb moment with Key Largo.
I loaded a bent apple, lit it (takes more than a few), and sipped it slowly... what a beautiful blend! This is, in my opinion, a true marker of excellence and kudos @glpease for erring on the sublime rather than on strength (for the winos around here I'd liken it to great Burgundy (Grand Cru Chambertin) versus a heady California Zinfandel) - making a powerhouse is relatively easy, making something that requires contemplation, a deft hand in execution, and a contentious "mindlessness" when enjoying it, is the mark of an craftsman with an artists understanding of their craft.
Unfortunately, often times, the point is missed.
Not in Key Largo, not anymore-- at first, yes, I though "meh, what a waste" but after left open, let to breathe for a few weeks in a resealed tin, it's become one of my regular go-tos.
The Cigar leaf itself does not come through but it laces throughout the smoke adding a background bass and dimension that makes Key Largo a real treat.
I should add-- this isn't a Jessica Rabbit smoke, all t-and-a out in the open from the beginning, this blend begs a little bit of time and patience to truly speak to you.
Also, i have noticed (Curious to see if anyone else has experienced this) it is quite temperamental to humidity, cadence, and pipe. Because of this it is a quiet reflective smoke needing care and attention as no doubt Greg intended.
RECCOMENDED: for the cigar lover purely out of novelty as the cigar leaf is barely noticeable but does add texture and depth. For those looking for something other than another version of an English-Oriental set against a bunch of Virginias.
Ubiquity is not in this blend's name.
(PS- this may benefit from some aging-- anyone has any experience with aging this stuff?)
*** UPDATE***
When i wrote the review above, I was not completely sold on this blend, in-fact, it sat in my cellar for almost a year before i picked up again and now... well, it's a different story...
... I suppose a lot of it has to do with the fact that it's a "cigar-blend" and as a Miami-raised once-intensive Cigar smoker I came into Pease's Key Largo blend with all the wrong expectations.
AS many (many) have noted Cigar-leaf in Pipe Tobacco rarely translates into actual 'cigar' flavor. Having worked on custom cigar blends for a former employee I became very aware and sensitive to how different leaves and grades (in cigar production) added not only depht-of-flavor but a 'texture' as well.
Part of Caribbean leaf's adulation (read: Cuban, Dominican, and even the US Dollar-handicapped Puerto Rican Tobacco leaf) has more to do with the aplomb it gives a mix more so (or in addition to) just 'flavor' or strength... this is the 'creaminess' that many cigar-smokers-turned-pipe-smokers sometimes miss.
I know I did... in the first few years I kept yearning for some texture and naturally found myself cozying up to heavy Englishes and considered Nightcap an "all-day blend" (reaching the texture and girth of Padron Anniversario, the darker Avo's and Gloria Cubana Serie R)-- what I was missing was that certain "creamy" smoke that comes with a great and well-made cigar.
Enter Cigar-Leaf Pipe Tobacco blends which are as old as the modern art of blending itself- Alfred Dunhill having a popular "cuban" blend in his line-up of Pipe-Tobacco (it helped, of course, that he was also importing custom cigars from Cuba) and modernly Stogie and Peretti's Cuban Mixture a throwback to that style.
The mistake, IMHO, is to approach them as though they are a cigar-flavor delivery system (outside of a cigar): it's not. Instead what a Cigar-leaf blend delivers (and where its charm lies) is in it's texture.
Creamy and almost exotically lactic- Cigar leaf brings in a textural experience that even the heaviest Latakia bomb cannot. Peretti's Cuban Mixture is heavy with this 'texture' aspect and Dunhill's Durbar, I would venture may have a bit of sneaked-in Cigar leaf giving the blend it's oft-commented creaminess.
It's a lovely addition-- and especially wonderful this time of year...
This realization was my lightbulb moment with Key Largo.
I loaded a bent apple, lit it (takes more than a few), and sipped it slowly... what a beautiful blend! This is, in my opinion, a true marker of excellence and kudos @glpease for erring on the sublime rather than on strength (for the winos around here I'd liken it to great Burgundy (Grand Cru Chambertin) versus a heady California Zinfandel) - making a powerhouse is relatively easy, making something that requires contemplation, a deft hand in execution, and a contentious "mindlessness" when enjoying it, is the mark of an craftsman with an artists understanding of their craft.
Unfortunately, often times, the point is missed.
Not in Key Largo, not anymore-- at first, yes, I though "meh, what a waste" but after left open, let to breathe for a few weeks in a resealed tin, it's become one of my regular go-tos.
Pipe Used:
MM Various + LA Rocca + Var. Savinelli
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
New tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 02, 2011 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Wow! I love this mixture. It sings cigar leaf from the moment the tin is opened. Key Largo leads with the cigar and latakia with the Virginia's serving as base notes. For a flake its easily rubbed out and smokes very well. GL Pease description on this page is spot on!
Smoke is creamy to almost a salty/beefy (latakia) flavor to it. Key Largo has little in the way of nicotine, which is fine by me, either that or I'm so used to smoking full flavored cigars I'm immune to the nicotine emanating from KL.
I use this as my summer time smoke but I can and will smoke KL around the calendar when I want a beefier tasting blend.
I've tried other cigar leaf blends (Billy Budd, 123 Mixture) and nothing comes close to touching KL, truly a cigar blend.
Smoke is creamy to almost a salty/beefy (latakia) flavor to it. Key Largo has little in the way of nicotine, which is fine by me, either that or I'm so used to smoking full flavored cigars I'm immune to the nicotine emanating from KL.
I use this as my summer time smoke but I can and will smoke KL around the calendar when I want a beefier tasting blend.
I've tried other cigar leaf blends (Billy Budd, 123 Mixture) and nothing comes close to touching KL, truly a cigar blend.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2023 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
If you are looking for a robusto cigar in a pipe bowl, this is the wrong blend for you. The cigar leaf is used sparingly and adds some richness to the outer edges of the smoke. The red Virginias come boldly forward with a spoonful of sweetness, the Orientals bring an exotic touch, with the latakia adding a little smokiness, then the cigar leaf comes last leaving your tastebuds satisfied and ready for the next puff. This is a well-rounded blend with distinct complexity.
4/4 unique, intriguing, and delightful
4/4 unique, intriguing, and delightful
Age When Smoked:
10 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2022 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
Another masterpiece from arguably one of the best tobacco blenders out there. Seriously, Mr. Pease just can't seem to miss.
A nice broken flake in the tin. Mostly medium to lighter tobaccos with some dark smattered about. It is hard for me to discern which is the cigar leaf in the blend, but it is there. This rubs out easy, packs easy, and burns very well. I even put it to the burn test. I have a Peterson St. Patricks day 2008 XL02 that can often time give me great consternation. I love the look of the pipe, but it does not always smoke cooperatively (we all have them). If I can get a good bowl out of this pipe, the tobacco burns like a dream.
Starts out easy with a medium latakia/oriental forward taste. Nicely balanced and very enjoyable. About mid bowl, the latakia takes a backseat for me and the red virginias start to shine through, eventually toward the bottom of the bowl the latakia becomes more evident once again, ending with a fuller spicier finish. This blend never really reaches full/strong for me.
This is a fantastic blend, but let me warn you about the cigar leaf. It will not jump right out at you. In fact, it took me multiple bowls to start to recognize its contribution. Don't be perplexed with the first couple smokes, or think you got a tin without it. It is there, it is just shy and has to get to know you before it comes out to play. The more you smoke this, the more identifiable it will be.
Highly recommended
A nice broken flake in the tin. Mostly medium to lighter tobaccos with some dark smattered about. It is hard for me to discern which is the cigar leaf in the blend, but it is there. This rubs out easy, packs easy, and burns very well. I even put it to the burn test. I have a Peterson St. Patricks day 2008 XL02 that can often time give me great consternation. I love the look of the pipe, but it does not always smoke cooperatively (we all have them). If I can get a good bowl out of this pipe, the tobacco burns like a dream.
Starts out easy with a medium latakia/oriental forward taste. Nicely balanced and very enjoyable. About mid bowl, the latakia takes a backseat for me and the red virginias start to shine through, eventually toward the bottom of the bowl the latakia becomes more evident once again, ending with a fuller spicier finish. This blend never really reaches full/strong for me.
This is a fantastic blend, but let me warn you about the cigar leaf. It will not jump right out at you. In fact, it took me multiple bowls to start to recognize its contribution. Don't be perplexed with the first couple smokes, or think you got a tin without it. It is there, it is just shy and has to get to know you before it comes out to play. The more you smoke this, the more identifiable it will be.
Highly recommended
Pipe Used:
Peterson St. Patricks 2008 XL02
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 30, 2021 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This just knocked out my previous favorite cigar blend. The tin description is spot on. Perfect flakes ready to be broken and stuffed in a large pipe. A cigar aficionados dream blend. A perfect after dinner smoke.
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 03, 2021 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
The 8 oz jar had a release date of January 14, 2016. So the tobacco had also been fermenting in the jar for about 5 years. Like most of this manufacturer's blends, it was factory sealed tightly in the jar. I opened it - inside were 4 packages of tobacco for smaller jars, stacked one on top of the other and wrapped in heavy paper. Very convenient - you don't have to over-pack the tobacco, and you can just take the package and put it in the smaller jar, and pack the rest hermetically until the next time. By the way, a little hint - the vinyl and rubber wristbands from those worn by zoomers are great as an airtight clamp.
The smell from the can left no doubt - I had a great cigar leaf based blend in front of me. It gave off a dense and complex aroma of walnut, wood smoke, dry earth, dark roasted coffee, allspice, and somewhere in the distance there was a slightly sour note with a slight milky undertone. Latakia didn't clog up the cigar leaf, but complemented it.
The tobacco turned out to be a well broken flake, I would even call it rubbed. The color was an even brown, with occasional slightly lighter flecks. The moisture content is moderate, you can't feel it on your fingers when kneading it.
I filled half of the pipe with cigar blends (wide bowl), just in case, and smoked it easily. The tobacco flavor is a great non-strength cigar: deep, dense. Earthiness, nuttiness, strong dark coffee, a little bit of cream, a little bit of pepper, a little bit bitter, and at the same time - in the background Virginia gives a slightly sweet fruit note, which disappears in the middle of smoking. Unlike the Robusto, there is much less latakia flavor and the cigar part is more pronounced. As I smoked, the tobacco became more and more like a cigar.
The tobacco is quite strong, stronger than the Robusto. The nicotine kick caught up with me about halfway through. While completing the resemblance to a cigar, the strength of the tobacco increases as you smoke. It burns quite slowly in the pipe, burns cool and burns into loose ash, leaving some moisture in the bowl.
The smoke from tobacco has the same persistent cigar note, but it is much less dense and light. In addition, orientals dilute it with a spice flavor, and the smell in the room is more pleasant to others if they are not used to the smell of a clean cigar. Despite this, if you smoke in a room, be prepared that if you do not air the room, the smell will remain for a long time.
Bottom line: an absolutely flawless blend for an afternoon pipe for me personally. I'm thrilled. My only regret is that I should have taken more. I guess I will.
The smell from the can left no doubt - I had a great cigar leaf based blend in front of me. It gave off a dense and complex aroma of walnut, wood smoke, dry earth, dark roasted coffee, allspice, and somewhere in the distance there was a slightly sour note with a slight milky undertone. Latakia didn't clog up the cigar leaf, but complemented it.
The tobacco turned out to be a well broken flake, I would even call it rubbed. The color was an even brown, with occasional slightly lighter flecks. The moisture content is moderate, you can't feel it on your fingers when kneading it.
I filled half of the pipe with cigar blends (wide bowl), just in case, and smoked it easily. The tobacco flavor is a great non-strength cigar: deep, dense. Earthiness, nuttiness, strong dark coffee, a little bit of cream, a little bit of pepper, a little bit bitter, and at the same time - in the background Virginia gives a slightly sweet fruit note, which disappears in the middle of smoking. Unlike the Robusto, there is much less latakia flavor and the cigar part is more pronounced. As I smoked, the tobacco became more and more like a cigar.
The tobacco is quite strong, stronger than the Robusto. The nicotine kick caught up with me about halfway through. While completing the resemblance to a cigar, the strength of the tobacco increases as you smoke. It burns quite slowly in the pipe, burns cool and burns into loose ash, leaving some moisture in the bowl.
The smoke from tobacco has the same persistent cigar note, but it is much less dense and light. In addition, orientals dilute it with a spice flavor, and the smell in the room is more pleasant to others if they are not used to the smell of a clean cigar. Despite this, if you smoke in a room, be prepared that if you do not air the room, the smell will remain for a long time.
Bottom line: an absolutely flawless blend for an afternoon pipe for me personally. I'm thrilled. My only regret is that I should have taken more. I guess I will.
Pipe Used:
Peterson 150
Age When Smoked:
2016
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 24, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Based on tin date age of ~one year.
Tin note smelled like some dried fruit you get with red Virginia, some incense and smoke and woody notes. To me, there was no detectable cigar tobacco smell. The flakes were the standard Cornell and Diehl broken flakes, which I like. They're what I would call 'rustic'. It's kind fo moist, but smokeable. I've had the tin open for weeks and it's still not dry dry. It has been getting better and better (flavor-wise), the longer it has been open and the drier it gets.
The flavor of this blend is beautiful. You get bready notes, slight smokey notes, mechanic shop, sweet and spicy woody notes, a touch of dried fruit. Sometimes a beautifully aromatic sweet floral note develops that reminds me of Gaslight. I could go on a journey with tasting notes, but that's not always helpful. This is a pretty full-flavored blend, but there is an important balance that contributes to a truly wonderful experience. All of the taste sensations are engaged when smoking Key Largo.
Combustion was pretty good. No complaints about it. It's a broken flake, so there is some flexibility with pipe choice and packing method. You could smoke this in a fold and twist or rubbed out. It takes a few lights to get going, but any issues you may or may not have with combustion could be down to the moisture. To me, experimenting with packing methods and using different pipes is part of the fun in smoking this blend. You get different experiences.
Nicotine was noticeable but may jus shy of medium.
I highly recommend this blend to anyone that likes blends containing Latakia and Turkish, and the intrigue they bring to blends. If you like the standard Latakia blend components (Virginia, Turkish, Latakia) I think you will also enjoy this blend. I think if you like complex blends you can't go wrong here.
The only downside to this blend could maybe be if a person is really looking for that cigar flavor, or they're looking for a similar body to that of a cigar, they may be disappointed here. But, then again, I think a cigar smoker would be disappointed with any pipe tobacco blend. They're just different.
Tin note smelled like some dried fruit you get with red Virginia, some incense and smoke and woody notes. To me, there was no detectable cigar tobacco smell. The flakes were the standard Cornell and Diehl broken flakes, which I like. They're what I would call 'rustic'. It's kind fo moist, but smokeable. I've had the tin open for weeks and it's still not dry dry. It has been getting better and better (flavor-wise), the longer it has been open and the drier it gets.
The flavor of this blend is beautiful. You get bready notes, slight smokey notes, mechanic shop, sweet and spicy woody notes, a touch of dried fruit. Sometimes a beautifully aromatic sweet floral note develops that reminds me of Gaslight. I could go on a journey with tasting notes, but that's not always helpful. This is a pretty full-flavored blend, but there is an important balance that contributes to a truly wonderful experience. All of the taste sensations are engaged when smoking Key Largo.
Combustion was pretty good. No complaints about it. It's a broken flake, so there is some flexibility with pipe choice and packing method. You could smoke this in a fold and twist or rubbed out. It takes a few lights to get going, but any issues you may or may not have with combustion could be down to the moisture. To me, experimenting with packing methods and using different pipes is part of the fun in smoking this blend. You get different experiences.
Nicotine was noticeable but may jus shy of medium.
I highly recommend this blend to anyone that likes blends containing Latakia and Turkish, and the intrigue they bring to blends. If you like the standard Latakia blend components (Virginia, Turkish, Latakia) I think you will also enjoy this blend. I think if you like complex blends you can't go wrong here.
The only downside to this blend could maybe be if a person is really looking for that cigar flavor, or they're looking for a similar body to that of a cigar, they may be disappointed here. But, then again, I think a cigar smoker would be disappointed with any pipe tobacco blend. They're just different.
Pipe Used:
bent apple,bent pot,lovat
Age When Smoked:
~one year
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Presentation: Like most of Greg's broken flakes, Key Largo comes in at the consistency I expected. Nice dark browns and lighter browns and reds. A few streaks of oily black which I assume is the latakia or the cigar leaf. Two layers of broken, lightly packed flakes that easily are rubbed out. Came in at a lovely moisture level and a little on the dry side, but effortlessly was packed. Tin art is nothing to revel about, but it's what inside that counts. Tin date of 09/20.
Palette: Musty and fragrant. Opening the tin the orientals take the cake. A little herbal, somewhat tangy, woodsy and incense like. The cigar leaf is noticeable, and partly because this differs from most blends, it's easy to distinguish where the smell is. I found it easily in the bouquet. The red Va's are there and provide a delicate sweetness. Latakia lurks in the background. Upon light up, the orientals and Va's are the most apparent, while the cigar leaf is playing with Legos. The orientals are quite herbal and a dry wood. On the side of a chardonnay wine. The Va's are prominent. They deliver the sweetness that keeps the blend from being too bitter and provide a good solid base to compliment the orientals. The cigar leaf creeps in from time to time and is more noticeable on the retrohale and in the mouth feel. The retrohale initially starts with a blast of a Turkish coffee or good espresso bean, followed by a chocolate that is having an identity crisis of wanting to be labelled as milk or dark. Either way, it wafts the flavor over and over and is super creamy in the mouth feel as well. It contains some spice, but not like perique or the ever so popular peppercorn. More along the lines of a spiced or mulled wine. It's there but doesn't linger that long. The latakia is IMO, the best supporting player here. It really ties in all the flavors together and has just a bump of campfire smokiness you find in a good English blend, but in no way does it detract from the other components. It's purely there for a condiment. Kind of like how you get a curly fry in your regular fries from time to time. You don't expect it but it's always a welcome surprise. I don't find this blend to be heavy or bold, but it is certainly rich in flavor. I felt perfectly satiated.
Performance: What to say. It lights up super easy and partly because it was a little on the dry side. Requires a few relights throughout the bowl but I had quite a deep bowl. Smokes at the perfect pace and I detected no moisture on the bottom, which is always a testament to my pro smoking skills. /s. No bite whatsoever even when pushed. Didn't smoke hot, but I do recommend a slower cadence to really take in the flavors, but even with a more aggressive approach, it didn't make my experience any worse or less tasty. Nicotine for me was on the dot medium. I even smoked another half bowl after my first and didn't feel at all sick or nauseous. I could easily smoke 2 if I wanted to. Not an all day blend but certainly repeatable.
Conclusion: This is my first cigar blend and I think Pease knocked it out of the park grand slam World Series Game 7 walk off at home stadium. There are a lot of cigar blends out there that I was looking at, but after this, I don't really care. This blend just hit all the right spots for me in a type of blend that is few and far between. I seldom smoke cigars (maybe 5-6 a year) and while I do enjoy them, I don't ever find the time to want to smoke them more than that. Key Largo fills the need and keeps my wallet full. Why pay close to $10 for a stick when I can pay for the tin and have that cigar-like smoke every day for a fraction? I will definitely be adding some 8oz tins to my cellar. As most have said already, the tin description is 100% true.
Palette: Musty and fragrant. Opening the tin the orientals take the cake. A little herbal, somewhat tangy, woodsy and incense like. The cigar leaf is noticeable, and partly because this differs from most blends, it's easy to distinguish where the smell is. I found it easily in the bouquet. The red Va's are there and provide a delicate sweetness. Latakia lurks in the background. Upon light up, the orientals and Va's are the most apparent, while the cigar leaf is playing with Legos. The orientals are quite herbal and a dry wood. On the side of a chardonnay wine. The Va's are prominent. They deliver the sweetness that keeps the blend from being too bitter and provide a good solid base to compliment the orientals. The cigar leaf creeps in from time to time and is more noticeable on the retrohale and in the mouth feel. The retrohale initially starts with a blast of a Turkish coffee or good espresso bean, followed by a chocolate that is having an identity crisis of wanting to be labelled as milk or dark. Either way, it wafts the flavor over and over and is super creamy in the mouth feel as well. It contains some spice, but not like perique or the ever so popular peppercorn. More along the lines of a spiced or mulled wine. It's there but doesn't linger that long. The latakia is IMO, the best supporting player here. It really ties in all the flavors together and has just a bump of campfire smokiness you find in a good English blend, but in no way does it detract from the other components. It's purely there for a condiment. Kind of like how you get a curly fry in your regular fries from time to time. You don't expect it but it's always a welcome surprise. I don't find this blend to be heavy or bold, but it is certainly rich in flavor. I felt perfectly satiated.
Performance: What to say. It lights up super easy and partly because it was a little on the dry side. Requires a few relights throughout the bowl but I had quite a deep bowl. Smokes at the perfect pace and I detected no moisture on the bottom, which is always a testament to my pro smoking skills. /s. No bite whatsoever even when pushed. Didn't smoke hot, but I do recommend a slower cadence to really take in the flavors, but even with a more aggressive approach, it didn't make my experience any worse or less tasty. Nicotine for me was on the dot medium. I even smoked another half bowl after my first and didn't feel at all sick or nauseous. I could easily smoke 2 if I wanted to. Not an all day blend but certainly repeatable.
Conclusion: This is my first cigar blend and I think Pease knocked it out of the park grand slam World Series Game 7 walk off at home stadium. There are a lot of cigar blends out there that I was looking at, but after this, I don't really care. This blend just hit all the right spots for me in a type of blend that is few and far between. I seldom smoke cigars (maybe 5-6 a year) and while I do enjoy them, I don't ever find the time to want to smoke them more than that. Key Largo fills the need and keeps my wallet full. Why pay close to $10 for a stick when I can pay for the tin and have that cigar-like smoke every day for a fraction? I will definitely be adding some 8oz tins to my cellar. As most have said already, the tin description is 100% true.
Pipe Used:
Peterson Aran X105
PurchasedFrom:
SP
Age When Smoked:
1 Month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 05, 2020 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
When I smoked my first KL bowl I was certain this was going to be among the best tobacco I ever had. I love the cigar leaf in here, and the oriental and latakia dashes are great.
When you lit it the most you get is virginia sweetness backed by the cigar leaf body. Sometimes overtly sweet which can be kinda annoying. By the Mid of the bowl the latakias and oriental become richer, perfectly balancing the sweetness of the beginning. A very good tobacco indeed but it gets me in the nerves when I sense only virginias and the cigar leaf.
But then, with just a few days of aging, the virginias get quiet and this becomes awesome. If I was Mr. Pease I woud just put a little bit more of latakia and orientals.
When you lit it the most you get is virginia sweetness backed by the cigar leaf body. Sometimes overtly sweet which can be kinda annoying. By the Mid of the bowl the latakias and oriental become richer, perfectly balancing the sweetness of the beginning. A very good tobacco indeed but it gets me in the nerves when I sense only virginias and the cigar leaf.
But then, with just a few days of aging, the virginias get quiet and this becomes awesome. If I was Mr. Pease I woud just put a little bit more of latakia and orientals.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 07, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
As its namesake hints at, Key Largo is truly lovely. It’s very much a cigar forward smoke, yet a masterful pipe blend, with the sweet Virginias and tart Orientals enriching the creamy cigar wrapper. I find it full bodied enough to settle my pipe cravings for days. On opening my first tin, I was met with a blast of air that rolled out smelling faintly of manure and strongly of fermented vegetation… that brought a smile to my face, the smell of an exceptional blend? After the initial waft, the tin note settled into a mild vinegary red Virginia (McClelland like) riding over a Cigar note. The Oriental and Latakia distant hazy and faint. The flakes were intact but delicate, with a goldilocks moisture content, easily rubbed out and very much ready to smoke. Key Largo tends to light up on the first match, produces voluminous smoke, but will easily go out if left to sit. It smokes a bit dry and pairs well with coffee, expresso, whiskeys and rum.
In the pipe, the cigar is the lead of the show. Creamy, velvety, woodsy, earthy, full bodied and plenty of nicotine. The Virginia, bready, yeasty and sweet, plays as the lead supporting actress, complementing the rich earthy, espresso note of cigar. The Oriental and Latakia work primarily in a small supporting role, rarely coming to the forefront but enhancing to the flavor profile of the leads. I find this blend to be an extremely satisfying digestif. Other blends like Nightcap and Billy Budd fall in that category as well, but where those blends can be unbridled and rough around the edges, Key Largo is well balanced, reminding me of the smooth steady cigar note in Habana Daydream but slightly more dark and a level heavier. I’ve added this to my cellar list and bucket list. I need to get myself down to the Florida Keys if for no other reason than to enjoy the luxury of a beach and bowl at sunset.
The room note and aftertaste are lingering and may dampen social interaction yet I'm absolutely positive there are many a bachelor who will be inclined to choose this absolutely superb pipe tobacco as an all-day smoke!
In the pipe, the cigar is the lead of the show. Creamy, velvety, woodsy, earthy, full bodied and plenty of nicotine. The Virginia, bready, yeasty and sweet, plays as the lead supporting actress, complementing the rich earthy, espresso note of cigar. The Oriental and Latakia work primarily in a small supporting role, rarely coming to the forefront but enhancing to the flavor profile of the leads. I find this blend to be an extremely satisfying digestif. Other blends like Nightcap and Billy Budd fall in that category as well, but where those blends can be unbridled and rough around the edges, Key Largo is well balanced, reminding me of the smooth steady cigar note in Habana Daydream but slightly more dark and a level heavier. I’ve added this to my cellar list and bucket list. I need to get myself down to the Florida Keys if for no other reason than to enjoy the luxury of a beach and bowl at sunset.
The room note and aftertaste are lingering and may dampen social interaction yet I'm absolutely positive there are many a bachelor who will be inclined to choose this absolutely superb pipe tobacco as an all-day smoke!
Pipe Used:
Large Bjarne
PurchasedFrom:
82nd Ave Tobacco & Pipe
Age When Smoked:
Tinned on 7/27/18
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