G. L. Pease Key Largo

Another excellent tobacco from Mr Pease. A perfect blend to start the morning off right with a cup of joe. I went through a tin before posting to let my palette adjust. This blend is creamy, spicy, and sweet. The nicotene blast is strong at first. But, after a few bowls, I became imune to it.

I load this straight out of the tin in a jumbo bowl Savinelli Baronet I have dedicated to this and Robusto. The large flakes in these tobaccos burn nice and even in this bowl for a nice long session of "sipping".

It's a quality leaf, but too young. The cigar leaf is distinctly noticeable and lends an intriguing spice to the flavor, but it doesn't dominate, which is good. You can taste all the nuances, it's tangy, smooth but not quite creamy, and feels good going out my nostrils; but though the elements that comprise the flavor are very nice, the whole is not greater than the parts. (Plus it's one of those blends that dries out my throat.)

There are definitely things I like about this blend. It's a nice english blend with cigar leaf added, perfect for the right palate, I suppose, but though it's nice it's not great. Only two stars for now -- I expect some aging will help make this really come alive.

Key Largo is a smooth and satisfying smoke. It does develop quite well and the ingredients are mixed very well. The cigar leaf seems to take the back seat to the smoke but I can tell it's there. The cigar and orientals go very well together while the latakia and virginia add a nice balance. The little added flavor from the cigar leaf is a welcome change to most of my smokes and is very nice.

I don't normally like cigar leaf in my pipe tobacco. I don't normally like anything in my pipe tobacco with the exception of pipe tobacco.

I like this.

I hate giving tobaccos 1 star just on GP. That being said, I'll give this one 2 stars. Another over priced BUST from Pease-

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AGAIN! There is nothing special or intriguing about this blend at all. A medium English with some cigar leaf added. Actually reminds me of McClelland's Dominican Glory Maduro with some Latakia thrown in. It isn't bad, it just isn't great. The original Bankers Mixture or 123 are great cigar blends. I actually love Abingdon and Mephisto, but this just did not make the grade. 2 stars for effort.

OK! Let's get to it. Was super excited about popping the tin, as I never had an English blend with any cigar tobacco components.

[TIN NOTE]
Wood, smoke, earth, flowers, incense, stewed fruit, and a little bit of cocoa.
Basically, you can pretty much smell every component listed on the tin in one way or another.

[TASTING NOTES]
In two words - Creamy and Smokey. The components are really good. Latakia leads the way, followed by the Orientals, and supported by the tangy Red Virginia. The Maduro leaf pops in from time to time, but not really as a forefront flavor, but rather a condiment.

[MECHANICS]
This is where stuff gets really interesting. The cigar leaf in this blend adds a whole new level to the smoke's creaminess and texture. As I was putting down my pipe from time to time, I noticed how the smoke rolled down from my Peterson's P-lip, how thick and white it was.
No issues with lighting or relights. No drying time was required.

[OVERALL THOUGHTS]
If you like English blends and want to spice things up with some cigar leaf - this is the tobacco for you.
If you like cigars and would like to venture into the pipe-smoking territory... well, I don't think this would be a good tobacco to start with. This is a proper English blend. Latakia is on the front. The cigar component with add a certain umami taste, and help with the smoke consistency.
If you'd like something closer to a cigar experience, I recommend Warped - Cloud Hopper or Until The End.
Either Way - a must-have for any English Blend lover !

[THREE SOLID STARS]

Oh my. This is one darn good English. So full flavored, but not nearly as complex as the best English blends. Yes, it absolutely does taste like a cigar if you want it to. The cigar wrapper makes this blend seem dry, but in a good way. The Latakia is ever present, but not overly potent. The orientals, at times are not even noticeable. But this brand is very tasty indeed. It puts me in mind of Sexton, but less incensey. It also won't burn your tongue the way Sexton will. This blend is very well behaved, considering it's strength and large flavor profile. This is a classy, yet manly blend. It is very grown up. I love it.

I received a sample of this from a friend. Definitely a strong smokey flavor throughout from the Latakia. A lat bomb? No. Strong English? More like. The cigar wrapping adds the smoothness and cocoa qualities, which support the smokiness. I don’t get much from the orientals, but the red virginias do add some soft sweetness. Overall, a strong but easy going enjoyable smoke full of tobacco flavor, perhaps too full for some.

I spent a great deal of time trying to discern the specific cigar leaf used in the blend. While I suspect jalopa, I cannot be sure. The only reason I would spend that much time trying to discern this, is that I have found the marriage of the tobacco's ( Virginia, orientals,Cigar leaf, Cyprian latakia, etc) to be intriguing and delightful. I modified my cadence somewhat to pull out all of the flavors. This is an exquisite blend that is best smoked slowly to release all of the complexity and sophistication present. My tin is 6 months old. Given the quality of the virgina base and the added continental tobacco's, I would anticipate that this blend will age very well I have no delights with this blend and I routinely go down to nothing but ash. A very fine blend, I look forward with a marked anticipation to the impact of age on it. This is a highly recommended blend which I joyously give it four stars.