G. L. Pease Quiet Nights

My new favorite Pease blend. I am blown away by the savory, smooth, dense, intricate layers of bright, incense-laden richness, perfectly accentuated and elevated by the significant, smoky, consistent latakia presence. The result is a lush, comforting "potpourri bouquet" of rich, billowy, intoxicating, salty-sweet smoke from the harmonius interplay, a collage of middle eastern delights. Oddly I detect no perique here. Close enough to Penzance for me in some ways, yet sweeter, a bit less complex, and much bigger, with a much healthier dose of latakia. This is perhaps what I imagine I'd bring back in a time machine, were I to go back 400 years for a sample of early latakia-heavy blends being smoked in various regions of the Persian empire.

In my mind, this offering represents Pease's most effective and flavorful current use of orientals to get a truly unique and special result that is quite unlike the vast majority of his other current offerings. It fills a significant slot in my rotation left by the absence of Penzance, not as a replacement but as an equally good or even better substitute that is quite different and desirabe on its own attributes. Greatly benefits from a careful rubbing out and some brief drying time, as well as a very light packing in the bowl. It will then light and burn quite easily and thoroughly, with no bite, no gurgle or dampness, and no relights needed so long as one applies a gentle occasional tamping.

Smoking this just prior to Abingdon or Dunhill's new Night Cap made those tobaccos almost seem dull, flat, monochromatic and even slightly stale, which they certainly are not on their own accord.

Quiet Nights is a very flavorful and appealing old world mixture you won't soon forget.

I guess I'm in a different crowd than many here who compare Quiet Nights to Penzance. While Penzance is mild in strength, this one will jump up and give you a Nic hit. Also, Penzance doesn't even come close to the Latakia flavor Quiet Nights projects. Both do have a very noticiable Oriental presence though.

Quiet Nights is not subtle in any way, shape or form. It's on the bold side and quite tasty as the layers of flavors are unrelenting. No real sweetness, just a bold "all tobacco" flavor that satisfied my palate in a big way. Another Pease bellringer right here, folks.

So far, all of the GLP blends I have smoked have benefitted from in-the-tin aging, and most have also improved with some "breathing" time in a jar after the tin is opened. Though my present smoking sample of QN aged 3 years before I got to it, another two months in a jar transformed it from an acceptable medium/full English to an excellent full Balkan, suitable for my largest pipes. Here's how it played out for me:

When the tin is first popped, and when smoked immediately thereafter, QN seems like a decent, subdued, Lat-forward medium/full English (like we need another one!), with hardly a trace of Perique. Within two hours, the tin note gets a good deal sharper, almost too rough, and my next few smokes followed suit. To cut to the chase, after a couple of weeks in a jar, QN starts to come into its own, developing a deep, pungent Balkan profile in the jar and when it's smoked. Now the rich and smooth Latakia is perfectly matched by the dominant Turkish and Orientals and a soft brush of Perique. The VAs used could not be better, stout, semi-sweet and flavorful, they easily hold their own in this heady, hearty blend, from beginning to end. Now the lot is a complex, interesting mix of smoky, sour, bitter, salty and sweet, with an array of exotic spices, resin-y incenses and (go figure...) tasty creosote, and clouds of telltale blue-gray smoke echo the tastes. Though there is not as much "interplay" as some other GLP blends feature, the primary and secondary tastes, textures and aromas are good enough that nobody is going to miss anything. Near the end of a bowl the VAs rise up just a little, and in the end the softer aftermath aftertaste fades too quickly. Strength is medium. Room note? Beware Turkish tobacco. I think the moisture level is fairly important with QN. IMO, it is best smoked a little bit drier than it comes in the tin; but don't let it dry out. The flakes break up easily, and before I even want them to. I like to load "ribbons" and smaller chunks very loosely into my largest pipes. At the "correct" moisture level, it takes some persistence to light QN, but it burns all right for me once it's well lit.

Over a couple of months, Quiet Nights has gone from a 2.8 to a 2.4 to a 4 in my book, and I guess I'll have to add it to my growing Favorites list now, as well. I highly recommend it first to full Balkan lovers, and next to full English lovers, provided they can handle stout VAs and substantial, zesty, tobacco-forward main themes and overtones. Again, do let it rest for at least a couple of weeks before you evaluate it. QN = Quite Nice.

Update: I need to add that the (minimum) 2 weeks "rest" period for this tobacco does not start until the flakes are broken up. Because of this I now rub out the flakes and then carefully re-blend them before jarring them, in order to get the entire blend in successive bowls. I then "visit" the resting tobacco every couple of days, shaking it up and taking the lid off the jar, sniffing, waiting for the primary incense/Latakia smell to abate compared to the Turkish and the sharper VAs. PITA? You might say so; but IMO the results are well worth the extra effort. Tripjoker did a great job of laying all of this out in generic terms at the top of his popular review of GLP's Fillmore (qv).

Very complex. At first light all four components are readily discernible. A little further in and the Orientals and Perique melded together to create a nice sour spice with the Latakia and Virginias still discernible. Still further in and the Latakia melded into the Orientals and Perique giving depth to the sour spiciness. At this point there is the deep sour spiciness with the Virginias the only other discernible flavor. At about the 3/4 point the Virginias melded into the others creating one delicious flavor. The melding of the Virginias muted the sourness by half and the spiciness only slightly. The bowl finished shortly after that. I know that's all a bit confusing, but that's how it smoked for me. Probably the most complex blend I ever put in a pipe. It also demanded all my attention. I was unable to concentrate on anything else. No book reading for me while smoking this. A very enjoyable blend. Rich and satisfying.

FUN WITH C&D SAMPLES, Vol III, No. 2

Ok, this is a Pease blend rather than a C&D blend, but I bought a 1 oz sample as part of a C&D sampler pack. This blend was probably aged all of about 5 days before I fired it up, including the shipping time.

To those who proclaim one oz insufficient to rate a tobacco, this one is a strong case for the defense. I found this to be as refined as anything I've ever smoked, and an exceptionally flavorful dark-colored pressed broken flake. Every tobacco in this blend played its part masterfully. The latakia was not of the "sharp" variety that I find in Sobranie or Dunhill 965 but it's far from subdued. The orientals play their dancing game and the virginias are around for sweetness and body. The perique isn't so much tasted as it is "felt"... which I found to be the perfect finish. It lends a mild tweak to the blend that elevates it to a higher plane. This is a smooth, bite-free blend that is spicy and sweet, and it's another similarly-styled blend that out-Nightcaps Nightcap for me. Last year, I became excited about Pipeworks & Wilke's #400 and I find this in a similar vein, but I prefer this one. I also waxed rhapsodasically over GLP's Meridian, and I think that at most times of day, I'd prefer this one to that! It appears to me that Greg Pease is improving his craft over time.

One weird anomaly with this one - the room note. I love the smell of burning latakia, virginia, perique and orientals. This one smelled obnoxiously bad. And it hung in the air in my "man-cave" like a cigar would. I don't plan to smoke this around people and, while I have no idea what causes this issue, it doesn't factor into the vast number of tins I intend to buy.

If you like your latakia prominent but not overpowering and you like a hugely complex blend that's like Thanksgiving dinner with all the different flavors, this one is for you. If you like this but want to dial everything down a bit, go with Meridian.

This is simply the best latakia blend I have tried thus far.

I find that quite a few latakia based blends can taste very much the same, even so within the great Pease's archives (Westminster, Maltese Falcon, Abingdon) yet this one stands so alone and tall. There is something in the back of this blend that keeps me wondering every single time I smoke it.. sort of like.. juniper berries..? It just so full and savory that it get's me thinking about the flavors every time I smoke it. And that's what a good tobacco should do, right?

A lot of latakia blends for me, seems to have something of a dry taste to it. I can get a dry feeling in my taste buds and in my mouth and especially in those I've mentioned above.

Quiet Nights doesn't have this. Quiet Nights is silky, seductively smooth and simply just a mouth watering blend. It's as full and rich as I could possibly want from a pipe tobacco, yet it doesn't overwhelm you with nicotine.

The name of this blend always reminds me of how you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but at the same time, of how the cover can inspire you to pick it up more often. Quiet Nights is just an amazingly inspiring name for a tobacco blend. A blend that wants you to reflect upon the day, the day to come or to just be in the moment.

Quietly.

I could not obtain any Penzance but decided to try this blend upon reading many reviews saying it was very similar. I find it to be a delicious and very tasty smoke. I first tried it in a good smoking Barling pre-transition so I am confident of the pipe in the smoking equation. It has a tin aroma unlike any English style tobaccos, rather sweet and smokey. Pleasant. After the first third of a bowl, it has a nice nutty, toasty wood like aroma. It tastes a lot like Virginia/Perique blend. A bit more Latakia than penzance and a bit rougher. I like it a great deal and am looking forward to comparing it to Penzance if I can ever find some. Highly recommended.

I finally obtained some Penzance and I do prefer Quiet Nights to Penzance. Both are very good smokes - just a personal preference.

Quiet Nights is one of the first blends I tried after picking up the pipe. I remember thinking the first time I tried it: “Quiet Nights? They should have named this stuff AK-47 -- there is nothing ‘quiet’ about it.” As my palate fast matured, Quiet Nights soon became part of my regular rotation.

I’ve been grazing on Quiet Nights for some six years now, so for help with this review, I singled out the most demonstrative descriptions of Quiet Nights from previous reviews that best mirrored my own.

From Greg Pease himself: “Rich, deep, contemplative . . . Ripe red Virginias, fine Orientals, smokey Cyprus latakia, and a pinch of acadian perique”. Other estimations that rang true for me: “smokey sweet”; “savory, smooth, dense, intricate layers of bright, incense-laden richness”; “as refined as anything I've ever smoked”; “rich and satisfying”; “silky, seductively smooth”; “sweetness and dark fruit flavors”; “In the tin . . . a spicy, smokey incense-like aroma”; “I only have praise for this tobacco”, and “Very, very good”.

Finally (and perhaps most tellingly) there was this: “I am not sure why some are knocking this. I guess tastes are different.”

With a rotund two-thirds majority ranking Quiet Nights a 4-star success, a sizable 6% minority considered it a 1-star failure. I pondered what could possibly account for such notable disparities.

Our collective view of reality (as we think and/or believe we understand it) is that our eyes, ears, nose, and fingertips all detect what we feel to be, in fact, objective reality. However (when you actually, really think about it) nothing could be further from the truth. Smells, sounds, and colors do not actually exist in the outside world. The interaction between what’s “out there” and our sensory organs isn’t the whole picture, either. Our brains do not have direct access to the outside world, as they have always and forever been sheltered inside the relatively safe and silent confines of our especially thick skulls. While none of our brains have ever left their cranial confines to “see” the outside world, they all yet somehow have managed to experience it nonetheless. So, who among us can say that your (or my) perceived perception of reality is actually going to be the same as that of a different brain, ensconced inside the pate of another, that is experiencing the same things – smells, tastes, textures -- the exact same way your (or my) brain is and/or does?

Hence, a rating system, such as the one we see and utilize on this forum, indeed helps us (in a sense) to determine our own reality when it comes to evaluating different types and blends of pipe tobacco. We take calming comfort in the crowd’s consensus on any particular blend, while at the same time subconsciously overlooking the crowd’s ability to exert its collective influence over our own perception of any particular blend.

Consider the 4-star ratings for Dunhill Flake, which outnumber the 3-star ratings by 2-1 (116-58), and yet I could only muster a meagerly 2-star recommend for DF. I was mystified with my (only just) 2-star rating, as the rave reviews for DF were along the lines of “My favorite pipe tobacco of all time” and “The one from which all others should be measured.” For me however, I only found DF to be boring, “generic”, uninspiring. I barely wanted to assign DF a single star, but the collective wisdom of the crowd exerted its influence over me, in that I felt more or less coerced (by the crowd) into assigning a 2-star rating for DF.

Another for instance: I consider Penzance, Old Dark Fired, JC Smyrna, Mac Baren Vintage Syrian and Quiet Nights all to be 4-star blends. Each is a distinctly unique blend in its own right, but not all 4-star ratings are quite the same (are they)? While I might rate one blend a 4.1, I might regard another to be a 4.2, or even a 4.4 (based on my personal taste preference alone, as only interpreted/determined by my brain) but, at the end of the day, they are all still “4-star” tobaccos to me. For me personally, that holds true for all tobaccos, regardless of how many stars they are assigned, with the sole exception being that of a single tobacco: McClelland Anniversary (1977 – 2017). For me, compared to all of the other 4-star tobaccos I’ve enjoyed, McClelland’s Anniversary (Virginia/Latakia) ranks 7-stars in my book. (I am being completely sober and honest in making such a bold statement). There is no other tobacco that I deem worthy of a 5-star rating (none – zero -- zilch), but – and again, I say this in all sincerity – if I could, I would unequivocally give this McClelland blend all 7-stars, and do so with a straight face. In terms of the utility, happiness, satisfaction, pleasure and enjoyment I derive from this heavenly, astral blend, I consider it head-and-shoulders above all others – and yet the McClelland I’m talking about has a mere 6 reviews to its name on TR (and I’m responsible for one of those reviews). How in the world can this possibly be?

These two very disorienting discrepancies, based on my own personal experience, help illustrate and/or explain why we see such perplexing incongruities regarding a range of tobacco ratings.

I quite fancy Penzance (in general); I consider it a 4-star creation. While I count my 2018 Penzance worthy of a 4.1 rating, I might consider my 2012 Penzance worthy of a 4.25 – while a fresh tin of Plum Pudding Special Reserve clocks in at 4.3. As for the 21-year-old Penzance I was recently gifted, I would assign a score of 4.85, and without any qualms.

So when I see people comparing Quiet Nights to Nightcap or Penzance, for example, instead of giving in to my initial, knee-jerk reaction -- “Nightcap? Penzance? You can’t be serious” -- I have to embrace the very real possibility that, for those people making such comparisons, the reality of that comparison -- for them -- was indeed genuinely legitimate, appropriate, and very real. (One of the comments from a single-star review for Quiet Nights was this: “For those seeking something similar to Penzance, you certainly won't find it here. Plum Pudding is far closer, by a county mile” – to which I would wholeheartedly agree, even though I gave Quiet Nights a 4-star rating, not a 1-star rating). In a blind test, I feel reasonably confident I would not confuse Quiet Nights with Penzance (or Nightcap); nor would it be easy for me to mistake Quiet Nights with Plum Pudding (or vice versa).

All of that being said, Quiet Nights is an exceptional, brilliantly blended creation, for which I am comfortable copying the crowd and conferring 4-stars.

Sometimes you find a blend that makes you say, "Wow...why didn't I try this sooner?" This was one of those blends for me. It actually took 4 or 5 bowls for me to figure out that I wasn't dreaming - this tobacco is really THAT good. It comes in sweet and smokey slices of heaven that rub out nicely without fuss. It is rather moist, so I let mine dry for a little while before packing it in a meer. A charring light or two is a must for this blend because once you start smoking, you don't want your pipe to go out! It is deep, complex, and rich. You'll get those sweet VA's leading the way, followed by the orientals. Thankfully, they aren't musty and instead add some spice. The Latakia plays a supporting role and doesn't dominate. At times, I lost it completely to the Perique. You'll taste a variety of flavors in this one: peat, herbs, malted grains, brown sugar, spices. It changes throughout the bowl and demands that you pay it the attention that it deserves. It has enough nicotine to make you feel it but it isn't a heavyweight. It is, however, unbelievably smooth. This is what I thought Penzance should have been, and I don't have to resort to illegal activities to get it. It is certainly a good way to end the day and I highly recommend all smokers to try a tin.

G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights (Old London Series).

I got this on a trade with my pipe-pal Franck (Gentleman Zombie), and I'm firmly in the four star camp.

Okay, it's clearly a very well broken flake, either that or it's had one hell of an arduous journey across the Atlantic. But, as it's broken a lot more than any of the other flake blends he's sent me, I'd say it was a broken flake prior to its crossing. I don't rub any out, it's loadable in the condition it's in straight from the fresh tin.

It lights simply, and gives a smoke that I'd qualify as being unequivocally full. The imminent flavour to burst through is a steadfast Perique one: very spicy and sharp. After five or so minutes I begin to get a relaxed Virginia quality: it's not as zesty and lively as is often the case, it's more laid back hay as opposed to sharp citrus. I find the Oriental accounts for a lot of the smoke: the sourness develops the further down the bowl I get. The Latakia's not too bitter, smoky or acrid, instead there's a strong sort of woody character which works in a harmonious way with the hay from the Virginia.

To me, the nicotine's a touch above medium; I won't tick 'Medium to Strong', as I don't feel it quite justifies the second half of the title, so I'll stick with Medium. And the room-note's very classic smelling: the word Antique springs to mind!

Easy rating:

Highly recommended.

Many thanks Franck!

As with all G.L. Pease offerings so far, I only have praise for this tobacco. A full bodied, intense and leathery experience, an old school mixture and then some. The smoky and incense like Latakia is deliciously mingling with the peppery Perique, the Red Virginia bread accents are also there and an intriguing sourness from the Orientals complete the whole smoke. The description on the tin is exactly what to expect from this elixir. I just love it when a pipe tobacco matches the expectations it describes and creates.

Virginia lover

I loved this pipe tobacco especially for those quit moments in the evening or at night with a good cup of coffee and an alcohol of your choice. The flavor for me was great and it saddens me that not a lot of people reviewed this tobacco because it is just sooooooo damn good. Seriously Pease has really out done himself with this tobacco that makes me want more of it.

Those who know me are aware that I smoke mainly Virginia flakes and VaPers . I did , however , smoke latakia blends , albeit many years ago . I have avoided them for the past 30 years or more . Recently , I decided to begin smoking them again , I'm not sure why . The old English blends that I formally smoked are now all gone , I am referring to Dunhill , John Cotton , Balkin Sobranie and the like . I was now in a position to try the new blends as a novice The only ones I have liked so far were those from Mc CLelland until I came upon Greg's Quiet Nights . This had a fantastic tin note that took me back to the days when one could be blown away by the smell alone of a true British blend . The flakes were at a proper moisture level , soft and easy to pack . The smoke took me back to the 1960's when smoking fantastic English blends was our birth right . Deep and creamy with a velvet smooth draw . Later smokes from that can were even better having been exposed to the elements which brought even more subtle tastes . Though I have never been a fan of anything made by C & D I must remark on this one . By far the best one that I have smoked by Greg , I am going to order his whole British line and try them one at a time . Many times I have heard brothers refer to tobacco back in the day as legend . This one is back in the day . Good show .

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: April 2010.

Tin Aroma: Leather for sure. Grilled meat. Faint barbeque. Burning stuff. Excellent! ?Flavor: This is the most audacious blend yet from the brilliant mind of Greg Pease. Everything about this blend shouts out loud. It reminds me of a huge, unruly cabernet sauvignon that needs ten years in the bottle before it's allowed to come out and play. There is no way you'll forget that there's a pipe in your pie hole if you're burning Quiet Nights. And like our big tannic cab, I'm convinced that time in the tin (or jar) will turn this excellent weed into something magnificent.

On the lat-bomb scale, this one is up there with SG Commonwealth which is 50% Latakia. Don't know how much is in Quiet Nights, but judging from flavor alone there's plenty of the Cyprian weed present. But not too much. Therein lies the magic.

The Orientals and Virginias are noticeably there, playing their own parts admirably. The flavor progresses continuously as the bowl progresses, getting stronger and richer. I recommend swabbing out the moisture fastidiously with pipe cleaners during the smoke, as the muck can add unfavorable flavors to an already strongly flavored blend.

If I have any complaint at all about this blend, it's the name. This does not make me want to spend a quiet night at home. These are the kinds of flavors that seem well suited for a night in the pub with a single malt scotch and loud, laughing conversation. And some live blues. Heavy on the Keeley Mod Tube Screamer. An easy four stars in the opinion of this Lat hound.

If there's a quintessential Latakia blend Quiet Nights is that and much more. Although this is a Latakia forward blend, it is so masterfully done that the sum of its parts is much greater than its components. Even a component as dominant as Cyprian Latakia.

Wave after wave of refined tastes assaulted my entire being the first time I smoked this. Smokey soft Latakia, wood like notes (almost incense quality) from the Turkish, Fig hints from the Perique, and sweetness that whisper its presence throughout the bowl from the bright Virginias.

The flakes are gorgeous in colour and the tin note is sublime. They easily crumble when rubbed.

Towards the end of the bowl, the Orientals take front seat producing a Latakia laden woody woody smoke that meanders between sweetness and saltiness.

Even if you don't like Latakia - give this a try. You might change your mind. Highly recommended.

A fine tobacco, smoky campfire Latakia takes the show but it is well balanced by the Orientals. Some "wine like " Virginia sweetness and Perique is a no show. Creamy with some spicy heat (I believe this would mellow with some age and drying). Not a real sweet smoke but sweeter than Odyssey ,more earthy maybe a touch of fruit. I find this in the same mode as Odyssey, heavy Latakia but creamier and more Orientals. This blend is kind of caught in the middle, not real sweet not too dry, but a full latakia blast and very flavorful. Another thought:

A very a strange burning tobacco, first, it took 4 charring lights to get it going, then it just smoldered, never going out for an hour, which is fine. I believe you have to smoke this slow to releases all the great flavor and so it doesn't get bitter. When I mean slow, I mean where you can't see the smoke, you can only taste it. I wouldn't want to smoke this in a big bowl as my teeth wouldn't take holding the pipe for 3 hours ! Do allow some "Quiet" time for enjoying this smoke. A solid 4 stars , quality tobacco , I think I like this better than Odyssey as the orientals play more.

updated 12/6/12Just a quick comparison of Pease Blends: Haddo's Delight- whiskey topped , light smokey, fruity (2), Chelsea Morning- Light latakia, fruity (4), Meridian- Medium Latakia, creamy bacon Oriental flavor (4), Lagonda-Medium Latakia- Campfire flavor, light Oriental (2), Quite Nights- Heavy Latakia- Campfire flavor with Creamy Orientals (4), Odyssey- Heavy Latakia- Campfire flavor dominates , light orientals(3), I would say all of these are 3 & 4 star blends, the numbers (#"s)after the blend indicate my personal preferences when compared to each other and "only" these 6 blends

Updated 5/7/13 I wanted to revisit my review because of a few thoughts and I noticed the two reviews just above mine. Coincidently the reviewers were addressing the very issues I wanted to address. First , I've found that you have to further rub out and allow some drying/breathing time with QN or else it is hard to light and keep lit. Consequently you would have to stoke this tobacco and it turns bitter. Secondly, I wanted to say that this tobacco is very similar in flavor to Penzanze. But unlike Penzanze, that requires very little drying or rubbing ( or it will turn to dust) this does. Also, after trying this blend back to back with Hermits " Stimulus Package" , I find the two very similar.

Conclusion: Really enjoy this, rich in flavour with no hassle. Complex enough to keep the smoker interested all the way, straight enough to allow the mind to stray at times. I think this would age really well.

Mechanics: Burns well, no bite, rich in smoke. Medium strength I'd say.

Taste: At first it is sweet and smooth, the latakia is discreet but present with the virginia being in charge. Round and full with some pepper in the nose. The perique enters more through the half way mark and adds a stronger pepper and spice note, that lasts through the entire smoke. Full bodied.

In the tin, Quiet Nights presented you with a spicy, smokey incense-like aroma within the wonderful full Latakia flavours. Quiet Nights

Taste: Immediately after charring the bowl, you are greeted with a silky, creamy smoke, layered in that Latakia smokiness. The incense / orientalness are also prominent, but so delightfully balanced, no one component strikes you in the face. Pepper from the Perique faintly in the background to counter the sweet notes from the Virginia. Again, that feeling of sitting at a campfire on a real Quiet Night. A wonderful tobacco!!

Mr. Pease’s tin descriptions always draw me in.

I’m not a heavy smoker, so a 2oz tin can last awhile, considering my rediculously large rotation. I bought an 8oz tin of this due to availability, and haven’t regretteted that decision.

This is a fantastic oriental-forward English/Latakia blend. The tin note is the perfect combination of sweet Virginia’s, smoky Latakia, and sour/woody orientals. The Perique shows up in the smoke, providing a mild spice mid-bowl.