G. L. Pease Chelsea Morning

My first tin contained much more than just a "bit" of Latakia, with the Latakia dominating the scent at the opening of the tin and running the show throughout the pipes. Although this may be a bit milder than some, it is still a Latakia/English blend and nothing else.

My second tin had an overwhelming flowery scent to the smoke. The smoke actually tasted like it was laced with baby powder, you know, the scent of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder, sometimes called a "Lakeland essence." Whether this is some weird topping or the subtle fruitiness and fragrant Orientals of the tin description, I can not tell. But it is a real turn-off. I only kept smoking it because my wife loves the room note, and the sweet perfume scents lessen as the tin is exposed to air.

Tried it with my morning coffee, but I think it is also fine with port wine or beer in the evening.

Mr. Pease's accomplishment is that at least four different tobaccos are evident during the smoke. It is one of his typical blends where there is something for everyone, complex and multiple flavors throughout the pipe.

I recommend it without reservation for those who love English blends and Latakia, and a good mild English blend for the Virginia or burley smoker.

Update, Fall, 2010:

After 3 months of mellowing in an opened and then shut tin, just the plastic lid on it, this tobacco is a totally different experience.

3 months after exposure to the air, the Latakia recedes into the background, the supersweet Virginias come to the forefront, and the whole experience is less harsh. The Perique and Orientals are barely there. It has become an easy smoke. The disparity in taste from tin to tin is what keeps me from giving a fourth star.

I have been smoking "Good Morning" by C&D (which I think was also blended by Greg Pease. I find the Chelsea Morning a little stronger with a great taste. It does work well with a cup of coffee for me! First portion of the bowl was not as flavorful as I expected, but it seems to mature as you go down the bowl. About 1/2 way through - I don't want it to end. Very smooth creamy smoke. I have not smoked EMP so don't know how it compares to this, but I really like this smoke. You could certainly smoke this one all day, but I will stick with this as my morning smoke.

This tobacco packs easily and lights easliy as well. Most of the time I can smoke a bowl without having to re-light. I still like the C&D Good Morning a little better, but plan to keep some of each in my rotation. I did not experience any bite with this tobacco, but do take my time and smoke slowly. I think this one goes down as another great tobacco! I love the room note...so much that with my finished pipe sitting by me - I am motivated to load her up again.

(I purchased a tin of this yesterday afternoon. I have had one bowl from a new cob, and I was driving at 70 mph at the time, so you slow smokers might find some different notes. I'm always doing something when I smoke, though, so my experience was normal.)

The Virginias were very nice -- not too bright or sweet, although I experienced a bit of tongue bite. The Latakia is very lightly applied, but it is noticeable. You can tell that he threw it in just to give the blend some depth, and it performs that task masterfully. I've never been good at pinpointing Oriental tobaccos, but I believe they rounded out the tobacco nicely with a fullness of sorts. I would classify the perique as playing a role similar to a bagpipe's drone -- necessary to the composition.

The cut is a ribbon/broken flake hybrid. It packed into a cob rather evenly, but it was difficult to initially light with a book-style matches. Take the lighting slowly, and you'll be rewarded with extraordinary flavor from the beginning (although what I believe I know about Oriental tobacco reinforced itself in pungency).

The note was great. As I said, I smoked it in my car on the interstate, so the smoke didn't linger, but what I could smell was great -- a nice, man cave scent that says, "I smoke high-quality tobacco, and I enjoy smelling like it." My wife hates Latakia, which she was able to distinguish.

Chelsea Morning had nice punch to it, although I hadn't eaten in six hours, and I'm a relative lightweight.

I would rate it 3.75 stars out of 4 stars, with the caveat that my experience wasn't optimal.

I tried this blend as a result of the reviews on this site. It did not dissapoint. I do have to say the first two bowls I had almost turned me away from this blend. They were lacking anything I look for in a good smoke. Being a fan of other G.L. Pease blends, I set it aside for a few days and finally gave it another try. I"m not sure what had change (maybe just my mood), but it surely became an enjoyable smoke. Delicate and smooth is how I would describe this blend. To me it delivers more at the midpoint and end of the bowl. A blend I will recommend and continue to enjoy in the future.

i am very pleased with this blend, although i am a newbie with perique. this blend does complement a good cup of coffee.

I love this stuff. I bought it after trying several other GL Pease products. It is a nice flavorful blend. Don't puff to hard or it will bite you, but all do and normally it is my fault. On the can it says it is good with coffee, but I have found it is good with just about everything. I do get a lot of the flavors, the sweetness, and just enough spice to keep it interesting. I normally smoke it in a middle sized Peterson dedicated to English blends. When my can runs out I will be buying more.

Give it a try! Enjoy, Z

I have smoke my 2oz tin of this and I am not liking it as well as all of those that have given it 4 stars. I didn't get any of the creamy, sweet, or other things mentioned in other reviews or description. For me this blend is dark, bitter, and heavy in the mouth and actually makes me sick to my stomach.

I recently purchased my first tin of this due to the high volume of recommendations. I smoked it out of a pipe that I used with my Captain Black Cherry flavored tobacco. It was absolutely horrible. I smoked it twice and continued to have the same outlook. I then bought a new pipe after reading that the tobacco you smoke out of it stays, so to speak. After I smoked Chelsea morning in the new pipe, I fell in love. I absolutely adore it. Excellent taste, superb smell and an after taste that isn't too harsh on the pallet. Highly recommended.

Edit April 13, 2010:

I know, "smoke it slow for better flavor", but it is a MUST for CM. The flavor is totally different. If a large amount of smoke is a must for you when smoking, I think you'll miss out on a great one of a kind tobacco. I have also found lighter packing to help also bring out the oriental nuances of CM.

original review March 5, 2010:

Complex is an understatement!

This has a beautiful flavor throughout. I can not tell you that the first third is this and the middle is that...it seems way to complex for that, to me. I sense, what I believe, as a blend playing together as well as anyone could hope for in a blend. The individual components could not be moved one little bit or the whole sum would be "off". This is what I believe makes this a true artisan blend.

Complexity. Does that mean that the parts must weave in and out and say “I'm virgina and oriental leaf or I'm Latakia” and then move away in mystery; components singing alone and switching back-and-forth throughout the smoke? Or does it mean that each of the parts make a perfect combination that gives you a wonderful smoke from start to finish that cannot be described? This blend is the latter.

Smokiness is always deep in the background, but always present and the “rest” meld so wonderfully that I have no idea which component I taste! It took me a while to accept this as fact but now that I have, I understand truly how complex a blend may be.

What is going to be in the coming years as this ages? What I can tell you is that it will probably be an almost magical transformation from deeply complex to deeply complex and…I have no idea what can become of Chelsea Morning.

Complexity has a price. It takes much longer to “find” the blend. We could miss out on a gem if not given the right time. Some of us don't want to devote a lot of effort to a tobacco, and there is nothing wrong there. But please, if it's not easily accepted at first, try again and you will probably find a blend that will be in your pipe for years to come. This is a masterpiece. And, thanks Mr. Pease for helping me find another level in pipe tobacco.