G. L. Pease Meridian

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 Latikia right off the bat, it was nice and smokey/leathery and was the singular scent I smelled.

The flavor I tasted was the Latikia, but it was mild and not overwhelming with Virginias and Orientals in the background mixed in. To me, this is very similar to Maltese Falcon.

Out of the tin the tobacco was dry. Was able to light this without issue and few relights were needed. I did not have any tongue-bite with this blend.

Very nice English blend. Smokey, leathery, and a little spice/floral from the Orientals. Not overpowering with the latakia, but you'll definitely notice it's presence. Virginia gives it a hint of fruity/tangyness, but it's not an overly sweet blend (more savory as the description says).

No bite. I did have to relight a bit more than average, probably due to not giving it enough dry time.

Highly recommended for any pipe smoker.

Based on ~one year old tin.

The cut is a rubbed out flake, and doesn't pack the best if you pack it straight away, but who cares? You could rub it out further if you like, but the pieces will still be thicker than a European-produced blend.

The tin note is like dried fruits, barely sweet though, with a distinct green olive hint. You can also smell some leather, but to me it isn't really smokey.

The immediate taste has leathery hints, woody hints and this morphs into a combo of the two with a creamy sweetness and considerable spice on the tongue. The spice is like chili spice and cooking spices. It really reminds me of a tajine with a combination of creamy sweetness and spice. Think cinnamon, clove, cayenne, raisin, etc. At some points there is some woody tanginess that is both refreshing and a nice variation. There are also hints of smoke and meat, and grain sweet bread which get their isolated fame throughout the smoke. A bowl of Meridian is a somewhat constant changing back-and-forth of these flavors.

The strength is medium. The nicotine was unnoticeable. The taste is medium to full.

I would recommend this to people that like Orientals, as well as those that like Latakia and savory blends. This one is a winner for me, if I want that meaty and savory tobacco flavor. Four stars.

The cut is somewhere between a thick ribbon and a broken flake. Very attractive. Sweet Virginia’s and musty orientals lead the way, with a solid Latakia backbone. I’m a fan of Pease’s English blends, and this one is becoming a personal favorite. This reminds me of Westminster, only slower burning (due to the thick cut), and with a little less Latakia. I’m kind of glad that this one flies under the radar. I love it. I’m going to stock up. There are a lot of Latakia blends out there, but I think this one is mine!

Have I found an English blend that I like more than Samarra or Plantation Evening?! I think I very well may have. I'm smoking a bowl of this right now and am enjoying it immensely. I have to say, this is a bit of a sleeper hit for me. I have seen or read many reviews of Chelsea Morning and Quiet Nights on sites and on YouTube, but this blend is very neglected.

At initial the initial light, I'm hit with latakia and sour orientals. Once Meridian gets going, however, I can taste all components of this tobacco; the slightly sweet, but bready Virginias, the sweet, sour, and buttery orientals, and the smoky, pungent latakia in the rear. The constituents dance around in this mixture, but never meld so much that I can't tell what's in it. The latakia is always present, but never overwhelms and is supported by the orientals at all times. This is a sour blend, but it is well tempered by semi-sweetness and smokiness at all times. There is a hint of creosote/tar flavor from the oily latakia, but it's always pleasant. Is there a topping? It's very faint, but I think I might taste one.

Meridian is definitely a great all-day smoke and I have smoked three bowls almost back-to-back today. It's a welcome mid-range speaker that is a great change of pace from my usual woofers. I was a little reluctant to purchase it, due to it not getting much attention, but I am more than happy that I did. I swear fealty to the Dark Lord. I am ashamed of my doubt!

GL Pease Meridian is definitively a Balkan, as its main components are Latakia and Orientals. The cut is very similar to Chelsea Morning's but the leaf is much on the darker side; mostly dark, it contains some medium brown with very few strings of golden. As the moisture level is on the low side, but not quite enough for me, the tobacco was ready to smoke a few days after opening. The tin aroma is typical of a Latakia blend, with a slight sour note, but is not on the strong side. A. Strength: Strength refers to the intensity of the nicotine. It's mild to medium throughout, without any significant differences. B. Flavoring: I detect absolutely no added flavouring. C. Taste: Meridian is full in taste, very rich and stout. There is a lot of earth, spiciness, smokiness and barely any sweetness. I am confident there is not a lot of Virginias in this mixture; most likely, no more than a pinch. It really tastes like a Balkan should; it does not develop that much complexity while never lacking any. "Savory", in accordance with the tin description, is absolutely what Meridian is. Very much so! D. Room Note: Considering the components, it cannot be a crowd pleaser, unless you are in the company of fire camp fans. Still, the room note is surprisingly remote for such a stout mixture. E. Rating: I do agree with most reviewers that Meridian is under the radar and does deserve a better following. It is, truly, a very fine Balkan mixture that superbly pleases your taste buds while not knocking you out with too much nicotine. The lack of sweetness does not constitute a deficiency, quite the contrary. For those chaps who prefer more nicotine (like myself), Meridian offers, as a compensation, a marvelous smoking experience. I will purchase again with great pleasure! 3.25 stars.

The 4 year old tin of GLP Meridian I am rating smelled wonderful when I popped it open, with savory, loamy Orientals melded with partly fermented, wheat-y VAs over the soft, smoky Latakia. Tin moisture is fine for smoking, and the darkish, variegated broken flakes/ribbons handle, light and smoke like a dream, straightaway, with a combusted version of the tin note pretty much continuing through the smoke, as well. The VAs are fairly smooth, especially for GLP, and the Orientals are just mildly spicy, and they sour against the VA sugar as the lot concentrates, down the bowl. Overall, the effect is refined and quite civilized, perhaps even somewhat muted, but it is never blunt. Strength is more mild than medium. Tastes run more medium than mild. Room note is rather pleasant. Aftertaste is noteworthy, with the Lat finally rising, then trailing off very slowly, with just a hint of anise; very nice, indeed.

Although I like Meridian OK, and it handles, lights and smokes well straight from the tin, it does not rise to the top of the English genre, IMO. I agree with GLP, who state that Meridian is a milder version of Westminster. FWIW, even my aged tin of Merdian benefitted from rest in a jar, and I get the most from it when I “smoke it like a VA”, slowly, in a narrow-ish, group 3 – 4 pipe, pretty much the opposite of how I approach most Balkans.

NOTE: The tin I'm smoking is about 2 years old. I will update it accordingly when/if I smoke a new tin.

This is currently my favorite English blend which I reserve for very special moments and even tho Mr. Pease himself recommends it for midday/afternoon, I prefer it at night, in quiet reflection.

Personally I think this blend just is just compatible with me chemically. It is very complex and I wouldn't really recommend it as an all-day smoke. I think 'balanced, poised and sophisticated' as stated on the tin is really the best description for it.

It burns well and no bite at all. I don't think a very deep bowl will do well with this blend unless you're someone who just likes to smoke for a long session. For me, a medium sized bowl hitting the 50 mins mark gives me the biggest satisfaction.

Another good medium English by GLP. Not different enough from his many other English mix's to really stand out. First class tobac though. Easy to smoke.