G. L. Pease Quiet Nights

I was gifted two tins of Quiet Nights for Christmas and have just finished a tin. The tin had four months of "age" when I opened it. My first couple of pipe bowls did not overly impress me and I was somewhat disappointed that the taste and mouth feel were not as full on my palate as I had anticipated. However, as the mixture "breathed" for a few days, the fullness began to manifest and only got better each day. Mr. Pease is exactly right in that the blend provides a wonderful backdrop to a good book and quiet moments of reflection. I've been reading "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" by Alfred Edersheim; the author published this very lengthy study in the late 19th century and it is quite a complicated read. The one drawback to smoking Quiet Nights while reading this book is that often I found myself drifting into the flavor and nuances of the smoke rather than focusing on Mr. Edersheim's study. The room note is pretty strong and lingered in my study for hours... fortunately I'm about the only person that enters my study and I happen to love the aroma of "strong" tobacco (my wife does not much care for the aroma but has not commented, bless her). I have found Quiet Nights to be exactly as Mr. Pease describes: "rich, deep, contemplative" and I definitely hope to purchase a few tins of this to cellar. I would note as well that those pipes that gave Quiet Nights the fullest flavor were those with deep wide bowls, of about a large size four or small five; in none of these did I experience a bitter ending. The pipe it was most flavorful in was an ancient Peterson "system" 314; for some reason all of Quiet Nights' attributes really manifested themselves in that pipe.

Simply put; this is a great full flavored, elegant, incense like blend that burns cool, easily stays lit and tastes wonderful. Seriously gives Penzance a run for its money. It's not identical but for the first time I can honestly say I wouldn't need Penzance if I had this on hand. I wouldn't miss it that much. It's a great blend all on its own merits. Feels sort of disrespectful to compare it to Penzance because I think it needs to be appreciated for what it is, but I compare it because of the respect that I have for both blends. I can't imagine you'd be disappointed in this blend of you enjoy Latakia in any capacity. Give it a try.

Garage note is almost good enough to keep old woman out. She really hates Gaslight. I find this to taste more rounded myself. It,s maybe the best latakia mix i,ve had so far. Silky smooth fairly strong nic nice presentation stuff and smoke. Shame it,s not in stock at the moment. Hope it returns soon.I may try it with Gaslight to keep old woman guessing. Come July we can smoke weed up here in Canada Old woman will not approve.(She needs it more than anyone I know of)

I just can't seem to choose between this, Lancer Slices, and Nightcap as my #1 tobacco.

With Quiet Nights, Mr Pease has concocted the most full bodied, complex, delicious tobacco I have ever tried. After blazing through two full tins I can say with assurance that this product is a bar setter in the world of English blends.

Smoky apricots, grapes, meat, and sweet earth mingle in rich, thick smoke from alpha to omega.

This is a smoke you can puff like a freight train with no ill effects to the tongue.

Not as strong as Nightcap, but fuller in flavor.

I absolutely adore this tobacco. I might order enough to fill up my garden tub so I may frolic about in it like a giddy simpleton.

Outstanding.

First, let me say that I am new to pipe smoking (about 3 months at the time of this review). I have been smoking cigars regularly prior to this for over one year and had developed a taste for medium-to-full complex cigars. I have smoked at least 1-2 bowls of about 40 non-aromatic tobaccos and a handful of aromatics at this point. So far, Quiet Nights is my favorite tobacco as evidenced by it being the first full tin I have finished.

Early on, Nightcap became a quick favorite for me and I researched blends that might be similar. I was seeking a fuller bodied tobacco with captivating flavor if not complex. My search led me to Quiet Nights and since finding it, I have only smoked a handful of bowls of Nightcap. I find myself constantly reaching for my jar of Quiet Nights but balanced by my desire to try as many tobaccos as possible to hone in on my favorites and a nice rotation.

I find it difficult to translate the flavors I taste into specific words. I hope with time I am better able to do this. I find QN to be robust but not overpowering, savory, and spicy. The room note has some incense characteristics and even outdoors, people have mentioned this to me. I detect this quality in the flavor as well.

I have smoked QN at various times of the day and always like it although I generally seem to prefer heavier Latakia and English blends in the late afternoon or evening. Sometimes I detect more of a nic hit than others but have not identified correlation to time of day or food effect.

I had read one review suggesting to follow a bowl of QN with Westminster, which I did find to be a nice combination. Previously I had followed a bowl of QN with Nightcap and was shocked at how lacking of flavor NC seemed in that sequence.

Overall, more than any other tobacco I have tried so far, QN provides me with an enjoyable experience, allowing me to relax and contemplate with every puff. I am anxious to try all blends that people say are similar to QN. I have not come across Penzance yet but have been fortunate to find other Esoterica blends including Margate, which I look forward to trying. I will be trying Star of the East soon.

Despite a novice's breadth of tobaccos, I highly recommend this blend to anyone seeking a full, savory experience.

There is not much I can say about this blend that hasn't already been said, but I'm going to say it anyway.

Quiet Nights has been on my radar for about a year now, but my cellar had become crowded and I needed to clear some space before adding any more blends to my rotation. But I really wanted to try this blend as I had heard such great things about it. My favorite English blend at the time was Ashton's Artisan's Blend, so I liked full-flavored, Latakia forward styles, but I was intrigued by the reviews that stated that it was the Orientals in Quiet Nights that set it apart from the rest.

So just the other day a good friend of mine and a fellow piper, gave me a tin of SPC Plum Pudding and a tin of Quiet Nights for my birthday. That night I quickly got my kids in bed and got busy preparing a small amount of the broken flakes for my evening smoke. This is how it went:

Tin Note: Smokey, earthy, tangy, spicey with some dried fruit to round it out. But there is a floral, herbal note that is very evident. The smell permeates the room.

Cut: The tin came full with what I would call "broken flakes", but they could have started out as full flakes and shipping took care of the rest. Not a negative, just noteworthy. The different tobaccos are somewhat identifiable within the flakes. They rub out easily and pack nicely after just a bit of drying time (30 minutes in this case).

Flavor: Upon the initial light, the flavor almost explodes through the pipe. The Latakia makes itself known right off the bat while the Virginias, Orientals and Perique try to catch up. After the true light, everything settles down and the different leaves start to intertwine and weave in and out on the palate. The Orientals pick up after the first quarter and really shine all the way through and offer a perfumy, incensey flavor. The Virginias offer a nice, sweet backdrop and the Latakia comes and goes as the bowl progresses. Towards the end of the bowl, something strange happens as the smoke starts to have a cooling effect similar to menthol. Not the taste of menthol, mind you, but just that cooling, tingling effect after smoking a menthol cigarette. I assume this is due to the concentration of the Orientals and Perique (which is apparent in the body and tingly retrohale, with only the occasional figgy spiciness) at the bottom of the bowl. Again, not a negative as I found this effect quite enjoyable as opposed to the harsh acridness you normally get at the bottom of a bowl. I would put the Vitamin-N on the Med/Low to Medium. I didn't get whoozy from it, but it was present.

Mechanics: The blend lights and smokes very well with little to no relights. Very cool and flavorful.

Summary: By far one of the best English blends I've ever smoked and could very well have knocked Artisan's Blend from the top spot in my rotation. This was also my first GL Pease blend and now I know why everyone raves about his skill. I love Russ Ouellette's Magnum Opus as well as White Knight, and I've always been a fan of Nightcap, but Quiet Nights is in a category all to its own. It ticks all of the boxes for an English Blend for me. So much so that the next day I ordered two more tins to put away and I'll probably order some on every payday to make sure that I never run out. Overcrowded Cellar be damned!

I have never had the privilege of smoking Esoterica's Penzance, but it is common knowledge that Quiet Nights is frequently compared to that elusive blend. After smoking Quiet Nights, I don't really feel the need to seek out Penzance. Quiet Nights is not only one of the best blends I've ever had, but it is readily available and remarkably affordable for the quality that you get.

Get this blend! You will not be disappointed. If you are, contact me and I'll find a way to dispose of it for you.

ChocolateyLeatheryDuskySaltySweetSmokeyRichDarkContemplative and AptlyNamed. Nothing to add to the detailed reviews here except to concur that this is fabulous. Gently rub, gently dry, gently pack, gently tamp. I prefer flake format and this is my favorite Pease blend by a mile.

Quiet Nights is a broken flake type tobacco. The color is dark brown mottled with yellows and tans. The texture is very pliable and easily rubbed.

I would describe the tin note as rotten apples or the sweet smell of fermented foliage, indicative of some type of aging process. It’s a gentle pleasant aroma not at all offensive.

The smoking flavor is slightly sweet and slightly smokey. All of the tobaccos are very well balanced, nothing really jumps out as dominant or overpowering. The tin note floats in and out of the smoking flavor as a ghostly nuance.

Quiet Nights is quite an appropriate name. The tobacco flavors are so well balanced that they translate into a very relaxed and harmonious smoking experience, all the way from the first light to the last puff.

I didn’t experience any tongue bite or pipe gurgle, I didn’t have to do any relights, and it all smoked down to a fine ash. This is a remarkable tobacco and Mr. Pease did an outstanding job in creating this blend.

U P D A T E: >>> Please see my review on Esoterica's Penzance for a comparison review between Quiet Nights and Penzance...

Quiet Nights starts... quietly, after lighting up. The various tobaccos are taking their time to marry together. Latakia is definitively forward with the virginias, I believe. Spiciness, smokiness and some sweetnes. Then the Périque jumps in, rather quickly, and is on the peppery side. The Orientals are harder to identify than in Chelsea Morning and Meridian, so they play more of a supporting role in QN. QN's taste was kind of subdued the first week and a half following the opening of the tin. But it was still Latakia forward for the most part, completed by the virginias, while the Périque would bring a discreet, peppery note. Now, it seems the Latakia and Périque are the main players while the virginia plays a secondary role. This gives QN an interesting twist. I've also observed that the aroma of the burning tobacco is spicy and a tad sweet, pleasant for this type of blend; and the room note is very discreet. Nicotine wise, it's there, at a medium to strong level. The only downside I find to it is I had frequent relights despite the tobacco being a tad dry; but I think that's due to the fact that the proportion of Latakia is probably high. QN is a different beast in the English department, not bursting with "nuances" and "complexities", but rather bold flavour from the latakia and Périque. If you're seeking a change of pace in this type of tobacco, give it a try. But I don't think it's for all the Latakia lovers, or for me, as the flavours are monotonous and something seems to be missing.