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 31 - 37 of 37 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 16, 2009 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Predominantly dark thinly sliced and broken strips of pressed tobacco. The tin nose is rounded and earthy with the tale-tell aroma of Orientals and an underlying syrupy-nutty sweetness. Tinned rather moist, the thin slices are easily rubbed to taste and take well to a variety of pipes.
In the bowl, Key Largo burns like a dream, producing voluminous clouds of billowy smoke which are fresh and inviting. A friendly blend, it possesses nothing in the way of the rough edges one might expect given its component parts. In fact, everything falls into line so well here that, for this reviewer at least, it takes some effort to identify where the Virginias stop and the Oriental begins, where the cigar leaf sits as opposed to the Latakia, and so forth and so on. While the tin label touts its complexity, to this reviewer Key Largo is not an overly contemplative blend but rather simply a nice no fuss smoking tobacco that does its job dependably in a myriad of different situations.
Possessing a satisfying richness, the mouthfeel is creamy. Flavor notes fall in the middle range: coffee and cocoa, whole wheat toast and dark chocolate. A stout blend, it takes well to a variety of pipes and is absolutely bite free. The long finish is smoky and a bit nutty, with just a touch of sourness and spice, presumably from the Izmir leaf or cigar leaf, or both. Key Largo is a natural for summer weekends: gently packed into a favorite briar while lounging on the porch after mowing the lawn, or stuffed into an oversized cob clenched tight while tending to the barbeque pit in the back yard. As versatile as it is dependable, it gets the job done, plain and simple. I like this blend precisely because I do not have to think about it too much, remaining quite content to let it happily smolder away while concentrating on the task at hand.
Being a relatively new creation the tin on which the review is based is, obviously, something of a youngster (tinned in Nov. 2008, and opened in May 2009), and one wonders what might happen to it with age? We will see, for a small cache will certainly be making its way into this reviewer's cellar.
In the bowl, Key Largo burns like a dream, producing voluminous clouds of billowy smoke which are fresh and inviting. A friendly blend, it possesses nothing in the way of the rough edges one might expect given its component parts. In fact, everything falls into line so well here that, for this reviewer at least, it takes some effort to identify where the Virginias stop and the Oriental begins, where the cigar leaf sits as opposed to the Latakia, and so forth and so on. While the tin label touts its complexity, to this reviewer Key Largo is not an overly contemplative blend but rather simply a nice no fuss smoking tobacco that does its job dependably in a myriad of different situations.
Possessing a satisfying richness, the mouthfeel is creamy. Flavor notes fall in the middle range: coffee and cocoa, whole wheat toast and dark chocolate. A stout blend, it takes well to a variety of pipes and is absolutely bite free. The long finish is smoky and a bit nutty, with just a touch of sourness and spice, presumably from the Izmir leaf or cigar leaf, or both. Key Largo is a natural for summer weekends: gently packed into a favorite briar while lounging on the porch after mowing the lawn, or stuffed into an oversized cob clenched tight while tending to the barbeque pit in the back yard. As versatile as it is dependable, it gets the job done, plain and simple. I like this blend precisely because I do not have to think about it too much, remaining quite content to let it happily smolder away while concentrating on the task at hand.
Being a relatively new creation the tin on which the review is based is, obviously, something of a youngster (tinned in Nov. 2008, and opened in May 2009), and one wonders what might happen to it with age? We will see, for a small cache will certainly be making its way into this reviewer's cellar.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 01, 2009 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Very nicely accomplished mixture. Similar blends are usually dominated by the cigar leaf strong presence, but this ones achieves a rarely found balance with Virginias and Orientals, with Latakia staying in the background, although being always noticeable.
I give it 3.5 stars, only because most of the times I end up with a rather bland 1/3 of the bowl.
I give it 3.5 stars, only because most of the times I end up with a rather bland 1/3 of the bowl.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 09, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
This is one of two Pease blends in particular that will age extremely well - the other being Union Square. There is no doubt that cellaring this for at about 5 years will bring it very close to being sublime.
To me, the cigar leaf is very noticable - and that is a good thing. Its presence adds a completely new dimension to Pease tobaccos. Apparently this is Mr. Pease's only foray into cigar leaf blends, and I must say, the result is quite interesting.
Key Largo smokes easily, stays fairly dry in the bowl, and requires only slight attention. There is simply nothing to offend. I do feel however that this blend is rather light and "whispy" which is not a negative at all. In fact, its light mouth feel and subtlety would make this a great after breakfast smoke. The smell in the tin is like heaven, and the broken flake is just fabulous. My goodness, you almost want to eat it with your grits and dunk it in your coffee ( yeah, I'm Southern ).
The latakia content is much too light, and I only wish Mr. Pease had added more of it. On the other hand, if the latakia were "ramped up" it would probably overpower the cocoa notes of the cigar leaf; which in retrospect is the star attraction as far as condiments go.
You may want to consider dedicating a pipe to this blend in order to realize the nuances of Key Largo. I would also suggest trying it first in a tester pipe or a corn cob, as I feel it may leave a slight ghost in your everday pipes.
If you are searching for a light blend, or a morning smoke that would replace Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe, then I would recommend this blend without reservation. A solid 3 stars.
* Note *
Early Morning Pipe and Key Largo have little in common and DO NOT have the same flavor profile. I only compare the two as a means of finding an "after breakfast" style smoke.
I hope that you have enjoyed my review.
To me, the cigar leaf is very noticable - and that is a good thing. Its presence adds a completely new dimension to Pease tobaccos. Apparently this is Mr. Pease's only foray into cigar leaf blends, and I must say, the result is quite interesting.
Key Largo smokes easily, stays fairly dry in the bowl, and requires only slight attention. There is simply nothing to offend. I do feel however that this blend is rather light and "whispy" which is not a negative at all. In fact, its light mouth feel and subtlety would make this a great after breakfast smoke. The smell in the tin is like heaven, and the broken flake is just fabulous. My goodness, you almost want to eat it with your grits and dunk it in your coffee ( yeah, I'm Southern ).
The latakia content is much too light, and I only wish Mr. Pease had added more of it. On the other hand, if the latakia were "ramped up" it would probably overpower the cocoa notes of the cigar leaf; which in retrospect is the star attraction as far as condiments go.
You may want to consider dedicating a pipe to this blend in order to realize the nuances of Key Largo. I would also suggest trying it first in a tester pipe or a corn cob, as I feel it may leave a slight ghost in your everday pipes.
If you are searching for a light blend, or a morning smoke that would replace Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe, then I would recommend this blend without reservation. A solid 3 stars.
* Note *
Early Morning Pipe and Key Largo have little in common and DO NOT have the same flavor profile. I only compare the two as a means of finding an "after breakfast" style smoke.
I hope that you have enjoyed my review.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 13, 2009 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Full | Pleasant |
Ok... I'm sure you've all been wondering whether the heartburn issue was resolved by aging. I'm pleased to announce that it has; yesterday (23 January 2011) I opened a tin that was sealed 18 July 2008. I am currently smoking my second bowl of Key Largo from this tin; I am enjoying it thoroughly and have experienced absolutely no heartburn whatsoever... I have no doubt that most of you are happy, if not downright ecstatic, to learn this. If you're not, I at least I'm ecstatic that I had enough foresight to cellar a second tin of Key Largo, also dated 18 July 2008. And so the tin I am currently smoking had two years, six months and five days "age" on it when I opened it yesterday. If it is this good with two and a half years aging, I wonder how good it will be with five to seven years... probably phenomenal. Mr. Pease remains my favorite blender; every blend of his that I've smoked has been just about exactly as he describes.
//Original Review 05/13/2009// Well, I loved this tobacco... unfortunately it did not reciprocate. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich Red Virginia, the hint of latakia and the occasional subtle taste of cigar wrapper leaf. However, each time I smoked it I developed horrendous heartburn. Some blends do this to me and I've never been able to pin down that specific element that brings the heartburn on. I can and occasionally do enjoy cigars on their own; my favorite pipe blends are the heavier English / Balkan mixtures (I can smoke C & D's Pirate Kake all day) and I very much enjoy the various manifestations of Virginia/Perique as well as straight Virginias such as Sam Gawith's FVF or BBF. None of my favorite blends give me heartburn and I was very much looking forward to establishing a deep and abiding relationship with Key Largo. Indeed, my first bowl started out fantastic - I thought "Oh man, this is gonna be great!" After about five minutes the heartburn started... however I stubbornly finished the bowl (after chewing down several Tums). Next day the same story and the day after that, etc. and each time it seemed as if the heartburn began quicker and became more painful. So I gave the rest of the tin to a friend who is not experiencing any problems at all... he loves it, as well he should, for it is an excellent blend. I have three tins of Key Largo that I've cellared; Lord willing I'll open a tin once it's got a year on it and see if a bit of age has destroyed or at least diminished the heartburn element.
//Original Review 05/13/2009// Well, I loved this tobacco... unfortunately it did not reciprocate. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich Red Virginia, the hint of latakia and the occasional subtle taste of cigar wrapper leaf. However, each time I smoked it I developed horrendous heartburn. Some blends do this to me and I've never been able to pin down that specific element that brings the heartburn on. I can and occasionally do enjoy cigars on their own; my favorite pipe blends are the heavier English / Balkan mixtures (I can smoke C & D's Pirate Kake all day) and I very much enjoy the various manifestations of Virginia/Perique as well as straight Virginias such as Sam Gawith's FVF or BBF. None of my favorite blends give me heartburn and I was very much looking forward to establishing a deep and abiding relationship with Key Largo. Indeed, my first bowl started out fantastic - I thought "Oh man, this is gonna be great!" After about five minutes the heartburn started... however I stubbornly finished the bowl (after chewing down several Tums). Next day the same story and the day after that, etc. and each time it seemed as if the heartburn began quicker and became more painful. So I gave the rest of the tin to a friend who is not experiencing any problems at all... he loves it, as well he should, for it is an excellent blend. I have three tins of Key Largo that I've cellared; Lord willing I'll open a tin once it's got a year on it and see if a bit of age has destroyed or at least diminished the heartburn element.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 27, 2009 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
It's good - I just prefer PipeWorks & Wilke's Churchill
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2008 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
It is surprisingly dry tobacco, so it tastes so ? probably because of cigar leaf. Key Largo has intentions to be serious blend, without any surprises in flavouring, so it is good for evening pipe after fine dinner.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 02, 2008 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I am not normally a Latakia smoker but I thought I would try peases blend because i enjoy what they do with virginas! The tobacco stays lit with no bite. I am normally a aromatic smoker or i smoke Virginias and wanted to give a english type smoke a try! I didn't like the flavor much when I lit it because it was smokey(tasted like firewood) So I added some Rumcake from pipeworks in it to add a rum sweet flavor and now this tobacco is great! So if you are a aromatic smoker add some of your favorite aromatics to it and smoke it you might like it! The smokey flavor is good now!
*as i continue smoking this blend I see I like it alot! The spiciness kicks in and the sweetness of the Virgina! I did not mix the blend with the Rumcake I only put it on top! My wife said it smelled like smores. After the rumcake burnt off i got the blend pure again and found that it only has a touch of Latakia, not bad at all!
*as i continue smoking this blend I see I like it alot! The spiciness kicks in and the sweetness of the Virgina! I did not mix the blend with the Rumcake I only put it on top! My wife said it smelled like smores. After the rumcake burnt off i got the blend pure again and found that it only has a touch of Latakia, not bad at all!
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