G. L. Pease Union Square

This is a clean natural tasting tobacco the way VAs are meant to be. If you are looking for a pure virginia tobacco this is one that you need to try. Very pleasant aroma.

I take frequent trips to Virginia City looking for gold. Union Square is almost golden.

Like a lot of G.L. Pease tobaccos, it is not always predictable. Some tins are wet, some are dry. Some have a wonderful aroma, some have almost no smell at all. Some tins are sweeter than others.

Union Square always smokes a bit wet and a bit hot, and it is always very, very strong. This is one of the strongest doses of nicotine out there.

Respect this tobacco. Smoke it slow, and you get more Virginia flavors and sweetness, and a truly orgasmic smoke. Puff fast and hard, and you will end up sick from the huge dose of nicotine and miss out on all the flavor.

Excellent with dark chocolate and/or port wine.

Best if rubbed out. Only three stars because you have to baby it and coax it and you can't just load it and go, and it is somewhat variable from tin to tin.

This blend marks my third tin on a summer long foray into the world of Virginias. So far, I'd say I'm having fun.

Upon opening my tin of Union Square, I smelled alfalfa with a bit of citrus and saw a beautiful dark brown flake. This tobacco felt very wet to the touch when I first handled it, making it really tough to light and keep lit. I let the first bowl sit over night and then tried again in the morning. By then, it had dried out enough to light easily and enjoy. From there on out, I dried this blend out for about half an hour before smoking and found great success with that method.

Over the course of the tin and having smoked the blend in about 6 different pipes consistently, I can safely say that I like this blend. It is light and sweet with a lot of citrus on the palate and some light spice through the nose.

Simple and straight forward, this blend is tasty without being overcomplicated. Blended with some great leaf, this is definitely a good Virginia blend to try.

I totally agree with the tin description written up-there. try it!

nice sliced cake-- i am always intimitated by tobacco i must rub out not really understanding the proper method to do this but this pulled nicely into ribbon shreds that fit the bowl seemed to be moist enough to get a light sponge but but to loose to make it hot. I have been smapling VA tobacco as a mid day smoke and find they are sarisfying. Not having smoked a lot of other pure VA i don't have a real basis for comparison but i enjoy this and will have it as part of my inventory. The smoke is clean is natural doesn't try to do to much or be overly complex i like that in a tobacco i just want to smoke it - not a chemist or a gourmet

After some years spent exploring Vapers, Balkans, and--I hesitate to admit--some aromatics...but very few, eh....I landed on FVF with a sense that it would become my daily smoke. What can one say about it that hasn't already been said many times: it's just a very fine smoke. So, it was with some interest that I ordered a tin of Union Square, just to expand my experience of straightforward Virginias. Bottom-line: it's a good tobacco, but it isn't FVF. After smoking most of the tin, I went back to FVF and was reminded why I have pounds of it on my shelves. Union Sq. is good enough that I will keep it on hand as a change of pace, but it has a kind of uppity, almost a vaper nip, to it that doesn't make me want to settle in with it. On the other hand, I am gaining a deepening appreciation for what Greg Pease is about, and his Westminster is also my go-to Balkan that I wouldn't want to be without.

Yes this is pure virginia...After the smoke taste still there...

When i open the tin; smels great, flakes are broken piece by piece and its very mostiure, it needs to dry like 1 hour...

When its dry easy to fill and easy lit too...

Ofcourse no bite, rich and sweet smokes waiting for you...Finish is dry and very pleasure...

I like this stuff, but this tobacco have a problem a lot of smilar taste there...If you like FVF, this is good alternative...

A predominantly light orangey-brown and tan thinly sliced cake which smells of oatmeal, raisins, hay, and fresh whole wheat bread, Union Square comes ready to smoke straight out of the tin.

It packs well and takes to the flame with ease, offering a classic straight Virginia flavor profile which is initially zesty and just a bit sweet. Over the course of the bowl, the zest decreased and very subtle notes of wood and leather began to emerge, with the sweetness deepening. At the start, Union Square reminded me of McClelland's 5100 - McCraine's Red Ribbon/Flake, although seems to possess more depth as well as bit more body. In the middle it called to mind Rattray's Old Gowrie. At the end, however, it told me that it was a classic American flue-cured Virginia. Quite bite-free, the finish is dry and very satisfying.

It should be said that the sample on which this first impression is based was from one of the first runs and tinned just weeks before opening, but there is every indication that Union Square will be winner. Substantial cellaring is highly recommended.

Just me Initial thoughts & will update later. It is a sight to behold looking into the tin with a nice aroma, smokes well & sure will improve wit aging. So for now a good 3 star tobacco.

Update: 24 Nov. 2010

I just love this stuff and went through a pound in less than 8 weeks, so had to order more. Hands down my favorite from GL Pease and a favorite straight virginia flake.