G. L. Pease Quiet Nights

I am a fan of this blend. I found this tobacco to be a complex creation - a multifaceted mixture of a tobacco. I lack a tobacconist's vocabulary, and fear that I cannot adequately describe the blend. I would recommend the gentleman's description that precedes my own, he voices many of my own observations and opinions. Suffice it to say, that this blend is relaxing and pairs well with a late night drink.

I had originally intended to wait till I was smoking this one to write a review simultaneously, but alas I keep forgetting, so while I'm writing reviews, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls will have to suffice. This was an interesting one to me. The first time I tried it was last summer while taking a tour of the C&D warehouse. I was smoking on an empty stomach and puffing away like a chimney, so it kicked my butt and I didn't get a very solid grasp of the flavor profile. But I have since acquired a tin and smoked about half of it. My opinions have changed a bit from what they were this summer. I find this English/Balkan flake to be quite interesting, especially in contrast with Chelsea Morning. From what I had read I was expecting them to be a bit more similar then I found these two first blends from the Old London Series. Focusing on Quiet Nights I found it to be a blend much more Latakia influenced than Chelsea Morning. While I found the VA to be dominant in Chelsea Morning, it was much more subdued in this blend, I mostly find that it complements the perique which for me seems to be making a much bolder appearance on the palate. I find this to be a dark and spicy provocative flake with a smoky heavy latakia flavor complemented by the peppery perique with a touch of sweetness from the VA and Orientals. I must confess it did not remind me of Chelsea Morning at all, but rather of another balkan blend of the Pease collection, it's one of my favorites, but I'll leave that for you to experiment with, I highly recommend this one though and I think that it is worth smoking in comparison with other Balkans from Pease!

So recently I picked up a tin of G.L. Pease's new blend from his Old London Series: Quiet Nights. I love the first blend in this series (Chelsea Morning), so I figured I would give this one a go even though I have had trouble with flake tobaccos and also blends containing perique.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with the scent of leather and campfire - with a bit of sweetness in the mix - and an array of dark browns mottled with the occasional bright tan streak. The flakes were already starting to fall apart, yet the tin humidity was at a good level and the flakes were not crumbling as dry flakes do. My only guess as to why they were falling apart so easily is that the cakes were not pressed for an extended period of time before being cut into flakes. Anywhoo....

As I have had trouble with flakes (as many pipe smokers do), I decided to rub some flakes out. This proved to be exceptionally easy to do - even with one hand rubbing the tobacco out into a pouch. The consistency of the rubbed out flake was quite similar to that of Chelsea Morning: wide strips not unlike a ribbon cut. These strips loaded easily into my meerschaum and, once packed, also lit easily.

The first things noticed in this blend are the Latakia and the Perique: very smoky and very spicy. Neither are overpowering, though, thanks to the interplay of the Orientals and the Red Virginias. These help refine the blend and mellow out what would otherwise be a ridiculously strong smoke. The end result is a bold new blend that is both smoky and spicy, yet smooth and mellow. And on top of everything else it burns easily to the bottom of the bowl, leaving nothing but fine ash.

Greg Pease recently posted on his blog how creating a new blend is a lot like a balancing act between different tobaccos, and in The Old London Series I really get that feeling. The actual differences between Chelsea Morning and Quiet Nights are small - they are both composed of Virginias, Latakia, Orientals, and Perique - and yet in as many ways as they are similar they are also vastly different. Chelsea Morning goes best with black coffee whereas Quiet Nights seems to be complimented best by an evening cup of tea. Still, Quiet Nights is a superb blend that will in no way stand in the shadow of its predecessor.

Reviews seem scattered. Some get flavoring (added I presume) where there is none. Others call it a Balkan because of some small elements of Orientals. It is not a Balkan. People get perfume — well that’s Latakia.

What I love here is that QN is a mild to medium, pensive (balanced) English that fits well for the end of a long day. Well this assumes I am not retired. So I smoke in the morning before the day overheats.

Flavor is excellent. Calming. Great room note. Not a Lat bomb. Really well done. Another miracle of modern, nuanced, curated blending.

Tried a different packing method tonight with this one; rubbed out pretty well and gravity fed. I have a hard time putting it into words but I seemed to be tasting a sweetness I hadn’t been identified in my previous few bowls as full flakes.

Tin note of smoky, spices, and mild tart fruit. Tobacco flake is more of a broken flake. The dark brown flakes rub out nicely, and though moist, I don't think it needs any drying. Burns slow with many relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and consistent, with complex notes of dry earth, wood, bread, smoky, musty sweet grass, lemon zest, spice, mildly sour herbs, floral, mildly spicy, mildly sweet raisin background note and a peppery retro. Virginia is leading slightly, with Latakia, Perique and Oriental/Turkish supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Tin note: steak sauce, leather, incense. Smoke smells and tastes of campfire, incense, pine and spice. Cool sweet smoke. Reminds me of Christmas (Cool dry air and woodsmoke). Medium-low nicotine. You get a little of the steak sauce and leather towards the end of the bowl. Aptly named as it is great for single slow evening smoke.

Outstanding stuff. Has a wonderful depth and complexity that comes together so nicely. Nice sweetness from the Virginias, buttery creamy mouthfeel, the Latakia almost makes it chocolatey. Pairs well with coffee. Quiet Nights is one of GLP's best offerings. Stock up!

To give you a hint from where my below impressions are coming from; I favor aromatic blends (vanilla being my favorite), although I am finding I enjoy English/Scottish blends more frequently, which I could not stand when I first started smoking a pipe. I have been trying more of the English/Aromatic combo blends, which I have found being more and more of that I am reaching for for my everyday smoke

Opening the tin I smelled the Latakia right off the bat, it was not overwhelming but the strongest note.

The flavor I tasted was the Latakia with pepper notes from the Perique, it was a nice strength surprisingly mild after smelling the tin note.

It arrived semi-dry, so no drying time was needed. Was able to light this without issue and hardly any relights. I did not have any tongue-bite with this blend.