G. L. Pease Key Largo

One reason I don't post a review until I have smoked at least 2 oz. of a tobacco is that first impressions can be misleading. My first impression of KL was that it was wonderful. And so was the next impression and so on through every bowl of the initial tin. Loving every bowl is a rarity for me.

The tin appearance is of dark tobaccos in a broken flake. The tin aroma is of a mild English without the Cyprian Latakia standing out. KL benefits from a little drying out of the tin as do most tinned blends.

It is easy to rub out into a bowl that will burn with amazing consistency and coolness. As it progresses down the bowl, you get a dry, white ash.

The initial impression upon lighting is of an English that is not too dependent upon Latakia, that leans toward the Orientals but...with a difference. The cigar leaf, which I do think is noticable, adds a spicy element that ties the whole together harmoniously. The spice increases down the bowl to a satisfying conclusion for the English lover.

My only criticism is that the room note may not be for all. My wife, who likes the smell of Latakia, turns a mild thumbs down on KL. That being said, I like KL so much, I smoke it in the house anyway.

I don't generally do cartwheels for every Greg Please blend, but this one "got me" from the beginning. I'm loading up on it as it can only get better with aging as the cigar leaf continues to develop.

A strong coffee is a terrific companion for KL--it seems to bring out the spice. (I even got suckered into buying two Key Largo coffee mugs to enhance the experience! That's how much I like it.) In all, highly recommended and congratulations to the Dark Lord on hitting a home run with Key Largo.

I love this blend. The tin description is in complete agreement with my taste buds. Key Largo is an excellent blend that never bites and delivers a consistent taste. Since stumbling on is blend several months ago it has become my morning blend, goes great with coffee.

Do not let the Cigar leaf keep you from trying this blend. As others have commented, the cigar leaf does not dominate the tobacco but adds a rich creamy base.

Update 2012-12-25: I still smoke this blend daily. Every morning I pack up my old beat up Brebbia, grab my coffee mug and off to work I go. Great blend that is consistent from tin to tin and never fails to satisfy.

A friend of mine from the east coast sent me an ounce of Key Largo and said "have you tried this?" When I first loaded my pipe I had no idea what to expect because I am a true English lover and nothing else is in my tobacco rotation but English. I have always hated cigars and avoid them like the plague/

THIS STUFF IS FANTASTIC

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I can taste a hint of cigar leaf but only so far as to add a totally different feel. This was the alternative to the steady diet of english I was looking for. This will be an addition to the late evening smoke outside in the wild life viewing area this summer/ Creamy is the perfect word for describing this tobacco. PLEASE NOTE - THERE IS NO HINT OF TONGUE BITE IN THIS TOBACCO. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THE GENTLEMAN WHO SAID IT WAS SO BAD EITHER LOADED IT POORLY OR SMOKED IT TOO FAST.

THANKS MR PEASE FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC SMOKE/

I received a generous sample of this from one of the Smokers Forum members (thanks, Bruce!). I had wanted to try it but GLP blends are not usually among my absolute favorites. I do like Charing Cross and Maltese Falcon very much, however.

Anyway, I didn't have high expectations, so I was very pleasantly surprised with my first bowl. I expected a stronger cigar flavor but that was not what I experienced. Frankly, if the tin didn't say something about cigar leaf I wouldn't have guessed it. It does have something extra and different than a typical English blend and this must be what I am tasting. The flavor was very rich and yet creamy and smooth. It goes very well with a cup of coffee.

If you are like me and like mostly English blends and were hesitant to try it, I would recommend giving it a shot. Definitely one I will now order.

If you asked me to name some of my favorite blends, it probably wouldn’t even occur to me to include this one. Yet every time I reach for Key Largo I thoroughly enjoy it. Cigar leaf—sure. But it’s the orientals that lead the way for me. Herbal, sour, tangy. And from tin note to smoke I get something that resembles a rum flavor. Virginia for sweetness, Latakia for depth. KL checks all my boxes. I love the stuff. ???

One of my newest favorites.

Definitely reminds me of a good creamy cigar in a pipe. I can taste the fuller flavor and the creamy feel. If it were a cigar I’d say a medium flavor. Not overpowering. Not really spicy but a bit of spice.

I’m new enough that I can’t dazzle you with all the Tobacco types, (I wonder when I’m reading the reviews where they do that)…

What I can tell you is if you enjoy a medium body creamy Maduro in a good cigar, personally reminds me of an Oliva O or V Maduro.

Okay so not your average pipe Tabacco review. I just call it as I smoke it. I’d also say a very “English” type of tobacco. I had to relight a few times. Very full white heavy smoke.

I’ll smoke this 2 oz can and buy me an 8 oz can soon as it will always be on my shelf. I’m betting if I mason jar the 8 oz up and leave it on my shelf sealed for a few months or a year it will be even better. I’m feeling/hearing a little wetness in the pipe.

You know you got a good one when you’re looking forward to the next bowl. It’s got a good solid nicotine feel also.

If you like a good Maduro cigar I’ll be shocked you would not like this. Especially when you’re not wasting the last few inches of a great cigar.

Finally I like the cut, I guess they call it a Broken Flake cut. I don’t break it up much and just roll it a bit and pack it in. (I’ve seen this done in a couple of videos for this type of flake)

If you look at the ratings 90 out of 102 gave it high marks. That’s a good sign. I bought this looking for my cigar fix in a bowl, and was not disappointed.

Get 2 oz and give it a shot.

Key Largo epitomizes truth in advertising. I found the tin description to be spot on. The freshly opened tin smelled of dark chocolate with some fruity notes in the background. I detected zero Latakia in the fresh tin, but did notice some smokiness after allowing the flakes to breathe a bit. The brittle and fragile flakes rub out to red, brown, and blond ribbons. There are nice dark black swaths of Latakia that traverse some of the flakes.

With regards to performance, this tobacco burns slowly, dry, and cool. The smoke is pure honest tobacco flavor. There are indeed dark cocoa, black coffee, and leathery notes that rotate over the course of the smoke. I didn’t much notice the oriental leaf or the Latakia as independent actors, they are used skillfully as condiments.

Recent reviews have differed sharply as to how much cigar leaf is noted. Per my palate, this tastes more like a cigar than any other Laudisi produced cigar blend I have tried. I found that the cigar leaf dominated the flavor profile, the room note, and the aftertaste.

I don't have the palate of the more refined pipers on this site, but I primarily get cigar leaf with just a wisp of latakia. It tastes very much like a cigar to me, and certainly leaves a cigar after taste. I wouldn't want to kiss anyone for at least a couple of days after smoking this! The tobacco is certainly of excellent quality, but as for me if I want the taste of a cigar I'd rather just smoke a cigar.

I like a good cigar, especially since it was the pathway that lead me to this hobby. I'm always interested to see how cigar leaf can be incorporated into a blend. I have tried the Warped lineup and while there were a few blends that stood out, a few did not. It was my friend, who introduced me to both cigars and pipes, who sent me this blend to try and I have to say it doesn't disappoint.

When I opened my tin for the first time I saw the nice compact, semi-broken flakes that are typical in the GLP lineup such as Quiet Nights. The flakes themselves are a light and dark mottled brown color. Soft to the touch. The smell is very inviting. It's sweet, raisiny, smokey, hay, and a very slight hint of barnyard. More or less it smells like a well rounded English to me. The flakes are a little wet, but not wet enough to make a gurgle in my pipe if smoked undried. They do pack very well, I tend to grab a pinch and stuff until my pipe is full, they don't need much rubbing out in my opinion. It takes a light really well.

Upon lighting I notice the Latakia which is delightfully smokey, woody and creamy but it isn't the main flavour. There is a deep earthiness which I think comes from the Cigar Leaf but its not full bodied as cigars often are. The Orientals are tasteable and add a little backdrop. The Virginia Leaf in this blend is bready and more of a support for everything else. The slower I smoke the more a floral character comes out.

The taste is a medium. Nothing in this is going to bowl you over, but it is a very relaxing, smooth smoke. The nicotine/ strength is also a medium. You won't feel any sort of light headed when smoking this blend. Burns relatively cool, and slowly. An ideal smoke for me in the cooler weather. I give this 4 stars. A repeatable smoke to be sure.