Tobaccos Peterson - Hyde Park

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CriolloCorojo (18)	2013-10-16		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

OK, I finally had to write a review of this exquisite blend. I currently have a dozen tins of various types of blends (not including duplicates that are unopened and/or aging) and about fifteen other blends in stock. Hyde Park is in my top three of all those blends and in my top five of all time. The tin smell is magnificent with maple/honey and biscuit notes. There is also a little distant fresh soapy scent that comes through. Smoking it, however, is when the real greatness makes itself known. I am a long time smoker, and love cigars about as much as pipes. My favorite cigars mainly being those that Don Pepin Garcia had a hand in blending. There is a certain level of pepperiness to his blends. There is a similar peppery profile that makes its way in Hyde Park. There is absolutely no tongue bite. I think that some novice smokers to these types of blends may be mistaking the pepper quality for tongue bite. It is possible that they are sipping too hard, or some cases have not built up to pipe smoking in such a fashion as to where enjoying such a blend as Hyde Park is possible. I also believe that some smokers cannot handle the nicotine level. While it is not full strength, it does flirt right at the line between medium and full.

Alas, I do digress. The main flavor that makes this blend so great is the sweet, Golden Grahams-like goodness that marries with the perfect tobacco flavors in this blend. It is smoky, sweet and still much more complex than a typical aromatic. I only say aromatic because this blend does have a very agreeable room note. Smoking this blend around others leads to a positive olfaction experience to those in its presence – at least according to those individuals who have complemented on its contribution to a pleasing environment. This has been made known to me on multiple occasions from a plethora of individuals. This may be the only blend that seems to be as enjoyable to the smoker as it is to non-smokers in the space/room. In both cases, it is very pleasant. I hope that Peterson and/or the blender never to anything to change this blend. It is as perfect as it gets. I usually enjoy strong flakes or Latakia-heavy English blends. This one is neither, although the tobaccos appear to be of flake origin and are tinned after being broken and slightly rubbed out. This would be one of the only blends I would give five stars if that was an option.

I want to add that when smoking my last bowl, I was on my deck outside where it was 48 degrees Fahrenheit. I rested the bowl on a chair, headed back inside to do a few things. I left the bowl out there for just shy of five minutes. When I came back outside, I only needed to draw a couple of times, pack it down a little with my tamper, and it was blazing at a more than adequate level again with no need to relight. After a few more sips, it was prime again. It smokes great all the way down until it is just a ubiquitous mass of light-grey ashes. I usually don't know that it is almost all ash until it is just ash. It tastes great the whole way. What a wonderful smoking experience all the way around.

I have dedicated a pipe to this blend. It is a Peterson Shannon with a smaller bowl. I suggest that you also consider dedicating a pipe to this blend if it floats your fancy. Try allowing the cake in that bowl to be built exclusively by Hyde Park. I have another pipe, an old Bonnie Brier, that I used to utilize for smoking this blend. While I do still use that briar for Hyde Park from time to time, I mainly smoke it in the Shannon. It still smokes great when I do use the old Bonnie Brier "Highlands" to enjoy this blend from time to time.

37 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2015-04-22		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The maple and rum toppings are mild supporting players, and compete for attention with a mild soapy, floral Lakeland-like essence. They mildly sublimate the tobaccos. The burleys are boldly earthy, woody and a bit nutty. The dark fired Virginias are earthy, woody, mildly floral, with a slight grassiness, some tangy dark fruit, light citrus, bread, and a bare hint of spice. The burleys often dominates the Virginias, but the interplay is essential to this product, and while this is not a very complex broken flake, there’s enough variety of flavors to keep you interested. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is a step below the strength level, but a little more obvious in the last third of the bowl, eventually hitting the medium threshold. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a moderate rate with a mostly consistent, deeply rich sweet and savory, rugged, floral flavor that translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste and stronger room note. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Requires a couple more than an average number of relights. Not an all day smoke, but it is repeatable.

-JimInks

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-02-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a new favorite of mine in he Peterson's line-up. A quality aromatic with nutty burley flavor enhanced with predominantly maple. It burns cool and very dry for a cased aromatic. And what I really liked about Hyde Park is the fact that it had some strength which is not often found in aromatics.

Pipestud

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elm0 (5)	2013-08-27		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Purchased my first tin of this when it was a highly rated 4 star tobacco ,since then i have watched a handful of reviews drop it's position to 3 stars

How anyone can give this tobacco 1 star is beyond me it has replaced some of my favorites time & time again i find myself wake up in the middle of the night craving a bowl of this, it is sweet sometimes peppery never bites the tongue & has just the right amount of nic ,i find myself going into a dreamy state of contemplation with nearly ever bowl of this

It is the only non flake tobacco i smoke, my other regular tobacco's are irish flake, university flake, 1792, st james, Best brown, FVF, Firedance but to name a few in my rotation but my excitement grows every time i open the tin with this one

I have trusted this website for a lot of the choices i have made in trying new tobacco's & felt i had to defend this great smoke to new smokers or old smokers wanting to try something new ,i know everyone has different taste buds i personally think dunhill flake tasted like old socks but is highly rated ,but to all out there give it a try love it or hate it make your OWN mind up

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2013-06-29		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Original Review 6-29-2013

Not what I expected. Not to belabor the point of it being called an english amidst the most conventional understanding of that term, I was most expecting an Irish Whiskey (the Peterson blend, not the libation) type backdrop with the flavoring of the rum and maple as that was the topping indicated on the tin.

I was highly surprised to get blasted with Lakeland scents. It now makes sense that this would be made by GH as the plastic bag did throw me; it is not what one would suspect when opening a round tin from Peterson. I bought this tin last November as is customary for me to do at Ash tobacco in Gaylord for the opener of the Whitetail firearm season. They always have something new there, it's a great shop.

The surprise taste left me disenfranchised at first and I don't think I smoked any more of it until later when I returned home. I really don't get anything maple in this at all. My only experience with maple before was C & D's Autumn Evening where I found it too heavy (and which I now love.lol). This is not like that at all. I also don't really taste the rum. It is pretty much a Lakeland. If you don't like that type of thing, don't buy it.

Based on all of this, you may think I didn't like it. Well, five months later it started tasting pretty good to me. Granted I did not enjoy it as much as GW Best Brown #2, which leads me to believe this might be too heavy in Lakeland essence as the aforementioned is quite light. Nor did I enjoy it as much as Irish Whiskey as that has a little more of a burley taste that I enjoy.

I will add that the plastic bag, albeit crude and inelegant in comparison to other Pete offerings, did a fine job; in the 8 months I had this open, I never needed to transfer the contents to a jar as the leaf never got crunchy.

In terms of smoking properties, it burns well, smokes cool and provides a pretty good hit of the nicotine. It can be a bit monotone, but overall, it is a good tone. It will definitely ghost a pipe, so if you have some to spare, dedicate. Also, this can be smoked all day without a problem, I just did so at a golf outing yesterday and I enjoyed that so much,

Overall recommended to those who are intrigued by the idea of Lakeland aromas on Peterson Kentucky, Va base of tobacco.

Update 8/12/2019

I just finished a tin of this recently and my impressions and rating pretty much stick. The only thing I can add to this is that in the 6 years since I first reviewed this until now, I have finally had the opportunity to try both Rum Flake and Maple Twist by GH. I will say given the choice, I would reach for either of those before Hyde Park, but I still find Hyde Park to be a three-star blend.

Of the three aforementioned, I found Rum Flake to be the best; it is easily worth all 4 stars I have given it. I find it more Virginia forward than Hyde Park and that Virginia sweetness just melded well with the components in the topping (which I feel is pretty much the same for all three).

I have also rated the maple twist as a three star and would only prefer that to HP by a hair. It just comes down to the depth of body that all the twists inherently have, which surpasses what the burley in HP has to offer. All three are great, bite free and tasty.

Similar Blends: GH Rum Flake.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2012-11-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I love Peterson's, burley and Virginia's, rum and maple, broken flake, Lakeland taste and Gawith and Hoggart....this is all of these, this blend, without a doubt, is made for Peterson by GH or maybe even SG. It even comes in the same plastic bag inside the tin as GW use. As far as I know Petes other blends are made by K&k and Orlik, some by one, some by the latter. These are two of the greatest blenders in Europe today, they can do almost any blend...but not a Lakeland, only GWs distinctive flavor can be produced in their factory with their centuries old presses.

This is a GWs Rum Flake with more burley and more punch and it is total perfection, TOTAL. They have taken on one of my favorite No.1 blends and made it better...in case you haven't heard its all about outsourcing these days, like it or not there's no going back. Well done to two great giants in the pipe smoking world for putting this gem on the shelves. Top marks.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2014-09-09		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Peterson - Hyde Park.

The mixture itself gives off a beautiful/sweet Virginia aroma and is of a great moistness, that said you can begin smoking it right away as it requires zero drying time ... perfect. The broken flake pieces are quite uniform in shape and size, mostly about half to 3 quarters of a C.M long.

The moment I light this, which it does with ease, I instantly get a two word phrase come to mind .... "steady smoke". It seems to me that this would be the quintessential go-to smoke. The flavour is very much full Virginia with an underlying sweetness to it. If I retro-hale the smoke then the rum addition becomes slightly more apparent, not strong at all, only more available on my palate. The nicotine is brill', not strong, not weak but just enough to quench my desire! Throughout the entire bowl it burns splendidly with an evenness that is unequivocally steady. The temperature is great, a mid-temperature so not too warm nor cool. The room-note is, again, brilliant in the fact it gives a pleasing full Virginia aroma with a nice sweet touch but the fullness doesn't match the consistency as it appears quite light in the air. The final good point (for me) is I don't get any tongue bite at all!

A great smoke, well done Peterson!

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2013-08-04		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Hyde Park = HYPE Park, and I'm kicking myself for not paying attention to the ingredients, rather than focusing on the PR. What's so English about this blend besides its place of manufacture. Packaging is excellent, but the product is way too green-or maybe that's just my fantasy (as I bought 5 tins of this in June).

I state it extremely mild-from a taste perspective, but really that's because we don't have the option of "Extremely Harsh" from which to chose:(

As a 4 star admirer of all things G&H, this has no indication of any of that stellar brands' characteristics-plastic baggies are available world-wide.

It's solely on Peterson for this feeble attempt at mixing C Choice maple flavoring with immature Virginias and excessively strong Burleys. "Luxurious smoking experience..." In a pig's eye!

My only option-besides deep-sixing the entire lot, is to hope that my Lord & Saviour doesn't rapture me outta here before I can give this stuff 5 years to age- and then even that might not salvage this otherwise Epic Fail. Here's to being around many years from now for an update. Not recommended in any way, shape, or form!!!

Current Rotation: G&H Top Black Cherry, FMOTT, Bob's Chocolate Flake, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Esoterica Penzance

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philip Marc Assad (4)	2014-03-25		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well this is a pleasant surprise.

There's a wonderful texture upon opening the tin. It's a rough ribbon-like consistency with bits of broken flake here and there, which makes it easy to choose a texture that suits your smoking preferences. I rubbed it out minimally.

The balance of this blend is really striking, with enough nicotine to make it a nice evening blend, but a mild enough flavor not to overpower you in the afternoon. I dried out a bowl's worth when I first opened the tin--smoked it about two hours later, and the flavors were just magnificent. Woodiness and a slight must from the burley are balanced by a tiny hint of tang from the virginias, and the rum and maple sugars just barely evident on the finish, with a natural tasting sweetness on the front-middle of the tongue.

One year later, I reopened the tin and the aroma is far better than it was even the first day. Rustic, natural tobacco aroma with a remarkable sweetness, presumably from the combination of aged virginia leaf and rum. I'm smoking another bowl of this as I write, and not much has changed aside from the moisture content being much more smokable, and the burley taking a bit more of the spotlight. There is still a mild sweetness lingering on the finish, and the nicotine is hitting the back of the throat, and leaving me with a nice little buzz.

I have smoked about 8 bowls in total over the course of a year, and each time it was a pleasure.

Well done!

Pipe Used: Peterson System 305

Age When Smoked: New-1 Year

Purchased From: ThePipeGuys.com

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-05-30		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice looking sand colored broken flake with an inner baggie, a la G&H. Tin scent is reminiscent of G&H as well, with a malty, tobacco-y base and a slightly soapy undertone (no florals). I'm not sure if this is blended by G&H, as per the rumors I've heard, but it does share some characteristics. It's kind of a heavier Rum Flake but the flavor of this one is much cleaner and more focused. The rum and maple sugar taste is very much in the background on this one and the aroma of same even more so. That kind of maltiness lasts down the bowl. It's been years since I've smoked Sam Gawith's Kendal Creme Flake but this one reminded me of that. I should try that one again.

The nicotine in this one is very sneaky. At first I was careful but noticed no issues, then I got caught up in the robust but slightly sweet flavor and let my guard down. The nic hit reminded me to pay attention. Overall, my experience with this one was very positive. It's far from the best "Lakeland" blend I've ever smoked, and it doesn't make my regular rotation, but it's definitely good enough to have around. Worth a try if you're an anti-Lakeland but just want to dip your toes in those waters.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2015-04-07		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The description that states "A traditional English Blend" is telling you its a Traditional Gawith Hoggarth Lakeland Flake, in this case the term "English Blend" is an analogy to lets say St Bruno Flake, not Dunhill's Nightcap. It's not a mistake or Peterson trying to fool you into thinking HP is a Balkan but I agree they should amend this description :-)

Wow Peterson is just blowing me away with the recent blends I have tried, 3P's, University Flake and Hyde Park. I had stayed away from Peterson since the early 2000's due to starting with Sweet Killarney and Sunset Breeze both of which are hot, bitey and nondescript aromatics. I think a lot of the one star reviews come from Newbies that see Caramel and Amaretto in the descriptions and think Peterson blends are like 1Q or BCA when in reality these are blends for mature pipe smokers as they can be volatile. The other end of the Peterson Spectrum like 3P's and University are strong and nicotine laden blends that are not for Neophytes either, so in essence if you are new to the pipe I would stay away from Peterson until you have mastered Prince Albert or Carter Hall (but that's just my honest opinion)...

HP is most definitely a Lakeland broken flake and does indeed have a mild soapy Lakeland topping, yes it has Maple and Rum but is not anything like RUM and Maple from Sutliff or vintage Lane. So before buying HP and giving it one star, please take my advice and trust that I have had Lakeland blends before (and love most) and can professionally say that if you do not like soapiness, do not purchase HP... I loved the chunky Gawith Hoggarth medium strength broken flakes. Their delicious and burn slowly at a low temp, a blend for mature smokers that can handle the slightly higher than medium nicotine and strongish Dark Fired Virginias. The Burley used is not the nutty Prince Albert type but a rich and heady Burley, I am loving the interplay between these rich tobacco's in a tall stack, by the last 1/4 this becomes spicier and will fool you into thinking its biting but its just the spicy tobacco's revving up, snorking (blowing out through ones nose) amplifies this, especially delightful on a cool spring morning or cold Autumn Evening. So to sum up, a stronger than average, cool smoking Lakeland type blend that will please the veteran as well as give a newbie a great benchmark to compare other English style flakes..

Purchased From: Tobacco Leaf , Las Vegas

Similar Blends: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Rum Flake.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2014-12-12		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

It's been a while since I've posted a review on here owing to factors outside of my control, so it's with some satisfaction that I post this.

I've recently taken to purchasing my tobacco from a B&M instead of the internet, partly because I've started appreciating the personal contact with the excellent staff there and partly due to it being a little more practical, even if the bus fare there and back is only a little cheaper than the postage. Anyway, that's only of import with regard to my selection of this as I went in to get to get a tin of tobacco without really being sure of what I wanted. Scanning over the tins on the shelves in front of me, I picked this one out at random, somehow getting the idea into my head that it was a VaP. On the way home, coffee in hand, I happened to check it out on here via my phone and found out it was an aromatic, and one blended by GH no less. I was a little disappointed with my own lack of research as I find aromatics can be a bit of a gamble, I find some are good, some are okay and some are insanely unpalatable, and the GH blending gave me some encouragement. Nevertheless, when I got home, I opened the tin to be greeted by a scent of nuts, dark chocolate and something woody, sounded ideal in the run up to Christmas. After packing in the pipe I usually put aside for aromatics, I found the smoke to be much the same and very enjoyable too. There are dim shades of the supposed rum and maple flavouring along the way but it's far from evident for most of the smoke. Absolutely lovely. The only thing that is missing from this smoke is an open log fire and a mug of Ovaltine. And it stayed fresh in that oh so strange plastic bag all the way down to the bottom.

This is a strange one to summarize as it doesn't pigeon-hole easily, I'm not convinced that it can be really held to be an aromatic as the casing rarely impinges on the smoke. Would I miss it if it wasn't there? I'm not altogether sure. Yet it's not like any other tobacco I've smoked, seeing as, as far as I'm aware, all the VaBur blends have been pretty heavily cased so I've no means of comparison. I'm not sure I'd say it was a GH floral with a Peterson badge on it, I've smoked quite a few GH tobaccos and this is unlike any of them, even with the casing. As for the nicotine levels, well, it's good a good dose of the stuff, certainly stronger than I'd expect in an aromatic and probably on a par with most GH stuff that I've had, but it's definitely not the N-Bomb of, say, Peterson's excellent Irish Flake or Mr Pease's Filmore or Haddo's Delight. Regardless of these factors though, this is an incredibly good smoke, and certainly suites the Christmas silly season. Whether I'd like at the height of summer, I don't know, but I will definitely be giving it a try. A most agreeable tobacco indeed.

Pipe Used: Finlay's Laureate Knobby

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: The Cuban Cigar Club

Similar Blends: Nothing that my palate can tell..

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jenskth (3)	2013-09-05		Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I bought this on the basis of the recommendations on here, as I was looking for another all-day non-latakia blend (I love my latakias, but enjoy some variety).

Opening the tin, the smell is fantastic; sweet, but not overly so and fragrant in a slightly flowery, plumlike fashion. It needed a little drying for me but some might take it as it comes.

Sadly, this just didn't work for me. The flavour was just not there at all for me and came across as extremely flat. I was expecting deeper, round notes but found none.

Contrary to what everyone else has said, I find this blend unbelievably harsh. I've had quite a few others, but this one is, to me, bitey like an old, mean bitey thing.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2014-01-16		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Have Peterson started packing their tobacco in plastic bags now instead of the crimped paper/card deal?

Hyde park come in a plastic bag and is quite moist, so needed 10 mins drying time. Its a ribbon cut with a few busted flakes here and there.

Aroma before lighting smelt just like Christmas cake to me. Definitely an aro then.

Upon lighting and a few slow draws, I was instantly reminded of Rum Flake by Gawith & Hogworts. It was a kind of watered down ready rubbed version of the a fore mentioned flake (of which happens to be one of my favorites).

I did try and sniff out the nuances, and thought for a nano second on a couple of occasions that there was a hint of latakia (?) There was zero bite, but I did find that the stuff burns quite hot even with slow smoking.

It was pleasant enough, and vaguely more complex than most aro's I've tried, but if I want something similar again, I'll stick to Rum Flake which is richer and sweeter. Hyde park really is to me, a weaker ready rubbed version of Rum Flake.

(Connoisseurs choice remains my aromatic of choice when required)

However YMMV....

2.5 out of 4

Pipe Used: No name basket

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Jobans Newsagents

Similar Blends: Rum Flake.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2012-11-15		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson's new offering, Hyde Park, greets the nose with a sweet, slightly soapy aroma. The blender chose to wisely use a plastic bag in the tin rather than the traditional paper lining. The tobacco itself is a blend of beautifully broken flakes, some of which are fairly long. Based on the strong tin aroma, my first thought was that Hyde Park would be a full on aromatic. The flakes are moist and will need some dry time, especially if you are not planning on rubbing it out. I generally rub out most blends and this one dried fairly quickly once I had done so. Upon lighting up, it is very apparent that Hyde Park leaves the majority of its tin aroma in the tin. The flavor is mainly of pure tobacco with the topping, somewhat Lakeland like flavor, in a supporting role. I associate the flavor with a light Lakeland more than a traditional (in today's terms) aromatic. It smokes very smoothly with no bite. It is easy to distinguish the Virginia and Burley. Unlike Rum Flake from GH, I find this to have less of a nic hit. HP is more medium in the strength department for my taste. It will be interesting to see what a few years in the cellar will do to the blend. I expect it to age wonderfully. Three and half stars.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2016-07-08		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Can the Irish do a Lakeland blend? Why yes, yes they can. Hyde Park emulates the genre perfectly.

We'll start with the tobacco. A healthy dose of high quality Virginia for sweetness? Yes. And some Burley for body? Check. And the topping? Rum and Maple, so it is said. Does this taste anything like Gawith and Hoggarth's Rum Flake? Yes it does. And it's fantastic.

Hyde Park will rival anything that Gawith and Hoggarth can put forth. It's full of body, it imparts a generous dose of sweetness and more than anything, it is something resembling an aromatic that doesn't gurgle or mask the true taste of what is an excellent blend of tobacco. It is a Lakeland style blend that delivers everything that aficionados of the genre have come to love.

In the tin, the tobacco unravels in what looks like a broken flake, dark brown and lighter strands. My sample, nearly three years old, affords what can be described as a chocolate raisin note emanating from the tin. Initial char presents a prominent Virginia note, the topping having faded over its time in the mason jar. The strength is significant for an aromatic, registering medium in scale, the burley affording a greater part of strength. One will find the scent predominates throughout, though never intruding on the leaf. Tasty.

Four of five.

Pipe Used: Parker Bent Apple

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Similar Blends: Rum Flake.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OakInOslo (1)	2014-05-28		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was curious when I found this tin at my local tobacco store and decided to give it a try, unfortunately. The smell is ok, but that`s it. The tobacco is stored in a plastic bag for some reason, but I won`t hold that against it. There`s good flavours here for sure, but they are overshadowed by a harsh, fume-like smoke. It`s not a tongue bite, but a thin and gas-like sensation that is all but nice. I`ve tried smoking it in three different pipes, but nothing can help this tobacco in my opinion.

Pipe Used: Chimney, bent apple

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke Nukum (16)	2015-12-07		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Soap!

Ok, let me elabotrate. Upon opening, I found a small plastic bag inside the round tin as other reviewers had noted, but what I also saw was that the block of product was actually square, crammed into a round tin. Immediately, this gave me the impression that this was made under 'license' by someone who normally only uses square or rectangular tins.

The tin aroma was not the sweet, maple and Virginia leaf aroma I expected but was very subdued.

The tobacco, being a mixture of broken / partly rubbed flake and ribbon-cut, came apart easily and had noticeable moisture but didn't appear excessive. It packed well but was quite hard to light.

Upon actually getting it alight the dominating aroma and flavour was, unexpectedly, soap. Floral soap.

It basically screams "I'm a lakeland blend in a Peterson tin!"

Room aroma was tolerable, flavour was dominated by the soapiness and body was full. Nicotine level was medium tending toward the higher side for less experienced smokers.

Overall it was a disappointment because it didn't in any way match what reviewers said nor my expectations from the description of the composition.

Does Maple sugar smell and taste like soap when burned? Anyone out there know? Otherwise this simply has to be just plain wrong!

Age When Smoked: New Tin

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop, Copenhagen

Similar Blends: Lakeland blends without Latakia.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sibeen (10)	2014-07-31		Mild	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

Oh. My. God.

The memory of the one and only pipe full of this horrid concoction is still seared onto my taste buds and into my brain. If ever I could give negative stars it would be to this travesty of a mix. I could smoke the dried droppings of a diseased elephant as long as it contained enough vitamin N, but not this.

I'm not one given to exaggeration nor hyperbole, but merely sighting a tin of Hyde Park induces sweating, hypertension, panic attacks and dropsy.

I bought a tin as I'm quite a fan of some of the Peterson range, 3P, Irish Flake, Old Dublin & Irish Whiskey in particular; and also as it was highly recommended on this site.

I'd never heard of, nor tried, anything with a lakeland scent before and thought to myself "how bad could it be". Well much to my detriment I found out. The equivalent of spraying a spectacularly awful perfume directly into your mouth and nasal passages; ruining your sense of taste and smell for days on end.

I enjoy trying new tobaccos, and generally try to fit a new tin in every week. To make my selection I avidly read the reviews on this site. If a tobacco has 200 reviews, all of them giving 3 or 4 stars, and just one of the reviews mentions in passing that the brew has a slight hint of lakeland floral - that's it. That tobacco is struck off. I t may be ambrosia, and the world's best ever blend, but I'll never be trying it; the scarring and the nightmares from my Hyde Park experience have seen to that.

Similar Blends: Nothing on this Earth...thankfully..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Little Steven (76)	2016-11-12		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

There are claims that this is made by Gawith Hoggarth. I think not. I think this is a Chinese copy. It smells right, out of the tin. It looks right, rough and moist. Indeed, it is reminiscent of Rum Flake, as others have mentioned.But it's a crap smoke.

It's shallow. It lacks tlhe depth, decency and delicacy of a genuine Gawith Hoggarth product.

Like others in the Peterson range, it tastes of wood. Like Irish Flake. Although Irish Flake is a better quality twig.

Hyde Park should be half the price. You don't mind cheap and cheerful at a cheap and cheerful price.

It's a Eurotobak - and that is pretty damming!

Pipe Used: Stanwell billard.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe shop (nice chaps).

Similar Blends: Most other Peterson Eurotobaks..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rosczich (10)	2016-02-06		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

well first: its named peterson but in fact its produced by gawith &hoggarth, that leads us second: to the fact that english here and this time means lakeland! third: its called aromatic but in fact there is more good plain tobacco flavour in here. overall three misleading announcements but what is real for me: if i can say so its simply the tobacco i have ever dreamed of! it is that fantastic...

Pipe Used: baff pot, stiegler pear

Age When Smoked: fresh out of the tin

Purchased From: hu tobacco

Similar Blends: none similar on the market.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GenericusernameYOB (6)	2014-02-21		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I suppose I tried this blend on the back of the body of favourable reviews on this site. I couldn't say I was best served by them however. As an aside, there are very few tobaccos that I dislike. Apart from Lakelands. More on that follows.

The tin notes were of stewed dark fruits, plum, blackcurrant and a rum high note; reminiscent of Christmas pudding. Packing was fairly straightforward, though required a half hour of drying - it probably could have done with more.

Upon lighting I was immediately taken by a scent I had missed in the tin, what I can now define as a rose incense quality, and, what is that? Toilet water. It appears that Lakeland floral is there to a degree, and being more sensitive than others to its depredations, I immediately doubted my ability to enjoy the tin. I was also getting bitten in earnest. By mid-bowl, the incense was still there, I got a few of the deeper notes of dark fruit, very little tobacco flavour plus I couldn't get away from the florals. Nicotine strength was low, though the smoke was fairly rough and astringent. I also found it very difficult to maintain, and by this point, every relight was an exercise in bite limitation. I tried over the week to have at least a bowl a day to see whether it was my technique that was wanting, but to no avail.

I couldn't persevere and consigned the tin to the back of the cupboard. I revisited it with 8 months of age in a Kilner jar, and the initial moistness was no longer an issue. It had also lost some of the high notes, but was how I remembered it - perhaps a little more spicyness. Unfortunately, the next bowlful was a revisitation of the first, albeit without as much bite and the florals, not as forthright. Staying lit was less of a problem, but the incense remained.

I really wanted to like this blend, but at this stage I abandoned the experiment, and binned the remainder; a first for me. At a guess, room note was probably delicious, but I received no satisfaction from this, my first Peterson's foray. All in all, too much effort, and a flavour profile that doesn't suit my tastes. Vive la difference!

Pipe Used: Dr Plumb billiard

Age When Smoked: 0-8 months

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Weisenheimer (19)	2013-02-12		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Seems like Peterson have opened one new play corner within their already wide range of tobacco blends. Hyde Park presents itself as a broken flake, the way of packing (cellophane bag instead the usual paper) and the pouch smell indicates this blend obviously being manufactured by Gawith & Hoggarth. On the first opening, rum flavour dominates, but evaporates soon, remaining with a clear “Lakeland” scent.

Smoking confirms first impressions… what a wonderful smoke ! Strong, slightly nutty flavour and somewhat sweetish, but never gooey, just the fine hint from maple syrup added. Further down the bowl, the Dark Fired takes the leading role, presenting an opulent, but not over-powering smoke, however the nicotine dose should not be underestimated. To my taste memory, Hyde Park carries both, elements from G&H's ‘Rum Flake' and ‘Coniston Cut Plug'.

In conclusion I think “Peterson” (tinned by Kohlhase&Kopp) achieved great success with this quite unique blend ! An impressively tasteful and satisfying tobacco, with significant hints of “Lakeland” aroma, however standing for its own by not being just a copy of something already known. Highly recommended !

I have smoked a whole tin, and conclude that this tobacco might have potential for aging, consequently, several tins went to the “cellar”… Meanwhile cracked another tin… can't stay away from this stuff... !

Rem.: The tin description is a perfect example how confusing "English Blend" oftentimes can be. For those blends commonly understood as being "English", hence containing Oriental and Latakia tobaccos, I personally prefer the expression "Latakia Blend". This might avoid misperceptions.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2012-12-07		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

This is a burley-virgina, lakeland style, broken flake. It cool, steady burning, and quite sweet, to my taste. It is similar to Kendal Cream Flake (creamy but sweeter) and Rum Flake (essences but not as dark tasting), and has that rum essence recently favored by Master Pease. However, it is the maple that I believe gives it that lasting sweetness. Unlike most American style aromatics -- not wet, etc. -- but you do need a sweet tooth to favor this baby. It is excellent in its delivery of flavor a plenty.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Slender (9)	2019-10-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was quite keen to try Hyde Park given the rumors that it is actually a closeted Lakeland, with experts Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. themselves secretly behind its production, at least at one time. Certainly, it appears very much like what I’d imagine the familiar thick GH flakes would look like after a quick run through the STG shredder and, as with many GH offerings, it is definitely chock-full of unusual flavors that you are absolutely going to love –or hate.

If Hyde Park isn’t officially a Lakeland decendent, the family resemblance is striking. Whereas some have compared Lakeland essence to nana’s perfume, here it manifests more as granddad’s aftershave –less floral, but spicier and slightly alcoholic, but in a way that’s more… Aqua Velva than liquor. And this is the aspect of Hyde Park that might be a deal-breaker for some. I’d never encountered this flavor in a tobacco before, Lakeland or otherwise, but once I got over the initial shock, I sort-of warmed to it and eventually I got to like it. Your enjoyment requires you do the same, as this flavor is present in varying degrees throughout the entire smoke.

Then there is a prominent maple syrup flavor, though it is more complex than overtly sweet, and possesses a certain musty depth, as real maple syrup will (we are not talking about Mrs. Butterworth’s here), and it does well to offset the slight bitterness of the burley. That you can even TASTE the burley is part of the true magic of this blend as, despite all these flavorings, a full tobacco taste still shines through.

Which brings us to the third aspect of Hyde Park that may or may not appeal to you: the tobacco itself. This mixture has a definite cigar note from the first puff to the last. Indeed, this is the most cigar-like blend I have ever smoked, even among those described as cigar-leaf blends specifically. If that’s not your bag, then this is not your mix. Either way, what you will appreciate is its fantastic burn characteristics: slow, very cool, bite-free, and all the while producing voluminous smoke until disappearing completely into pure white ash, like it was never there.

I approached this blend with some trepidation given the many reviews that mention its strength. However, it turned out my fears were unfounded. I like enough nicotine to know I’m smoking something, but not so much that I have to be too mindful of my cadence or need to take a break. While it is quite a full-bodied blend, it always stayed perfectly mellow for me and I’d even consider it somewhat gentle. It’s really no stronger than, say, London Mixture in this regard.

So it this really a 4-star blend? Well… When I first tried Hyde Park, I thought it was reasonably good, but that it probably wouldn’t make it into my regular rotation. That was in summer. But as time went on and the weather cooled, it was a flavor that I thought about more and more. Now that autumn has arrived and latakia-heavy english mixtures should be the order of the day, I find that it’s been Hyde Park that I’ve instead been reaching for. That, perhaps more than anything else, is very high praise indeed. Call me an Aqua Velva man.

Pipe Used: Dunhill County 3103

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MusicteacherLee (3)	2018-02-20		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I’m an intermediate Pipe Smoker at best and am no way an expert. I started on aromatics and switched to Virginia’s and am trying to get into English Blends. I was suggested this by a friend and thought I would give it a try. The pipe I used was a Peterson 2017 Christmas Pipe.

Packaging was great and I found the Tobacco is a ribbon cut, and had a nice moisture level and burns well and even.

The tin note is great, you defiantly get the sweet smell that does remind you of rum and maple sugars. However, I find that smoking it, it does have a “soapy/floral” aftertaste that does turn me off. I have had this blend again and made sure to smoke it slow which I enjoyed more than the first time.

Would I buy this again? No. Being from Canada, the average tin is $45.00 can and would rather try something new at that price.

Pipe Used: Peterson 2017 Christmas Pipe

Age When Smoked: 1 year

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-10-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was gifted a half tin by a friend. It came at a good level of moisture. Baggie note was a little rum and stewed fruit. The broken flake was somewhat rubbed out. I rubbed it out some more to smoke.

I get a medium VaBur with a slightly floral note and a little rum if I am thinking about it. It is slightly sweet. One of the odd qualities for me is that I picked up a little caraway seed taste from time to time. It is very smooth in terms of flavor and "mouth feel."

I don't have any reservations recommending this. It is more of a 2.5 for me in that I am not likely to ever buy any, but I can believe it would suit someone else and it won't be a problem for me to smoke it up.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2014-07-31		Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have never smoked anything that is close to this one. The smell reminds me of African tobacco sold in jars and plastic pouches. Being someone that has never consumed alcohol, i now know it to be Rum

Leaf quality is excellent as one expects from Peterson.

The taste is where this one gets away from me. I really do not care for the topping at all. It is cloying and very strong. I have had this tin for a little over 2 months now and it has spent about a week of that time airing out and still that topping is ever present to the point that when i handle the tobacco i can feel it to be sticky. Tongue bite was not an issue once the tobacco aired out for a bit.

I knew it was an aromatic when i bought it so i should not complain, my gripe is that i am searching high and low for a tobacco that is exactly this MINUS the topping. My, what a blend THAT will be.

For what its worth, i can see how some folk enjoy this blend.

Pipe Used: DBs, Petes and Meers

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Curiosity Hut

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-31		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

6 Years ago I decided I would take my pipe smoking in as a hobby not just a relaxing evening ender. Over these 6 years I have tried to smoke as many different brands and varieties of tobacco as I can. I operate a "don't knock it till you've tried it" policy. This means occasionally I'll buy a tobacco with strong preconceptions about how it will perform.

I expected this tobacco to burn hot, it did not. I expected this tobacco to have a weak almost bran flavour, it did not.

I could not have been more wrong. This tobacco has a rich flavour and is beautiful on the nose out of the tin. This has replaced heavier and latikia based blends as my favourite and go to tobacco.

It's relatively new so I have a few in storage hoping they will become even more beautiful with age.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2021-04-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow.. I think I really missed the boat on this one.. I was really looking forward to an under the radar lakeland produced by Gawith Hoggarth for Peterson.. This is clearly now an STG blend through and through.. No hints of lakeland at all.. Looking at older reviews that mention a broken flake with all the hallmarks of Gawith really just put salt in my wounds.. A day late and a dollar short.. Disappointment aside.. This is actually one of the better STG blends I have tried.. It is barely topped but does have something subtle going on.. I don't really taste rum at all.. but maple maybe a tad.. it tastes well rather like a plain virginia/burley.. A lot more red virginia leading than I anticipated.. It has a little strength but not nearly as much as I had hoped for.. I was hoping for something close to rum flake.. That is what I had heard this was similar to.. I imagine when g&h were producing this it was just that.. Oh well.. Everything does change.. and this blend is not bad.. just a lot more straightforward and bland than I had anticipated.. I actually wish they had gone a bit heavier on the topping somehow.. I did notice a touch of toastiness which either comes from the burley or dark fired virginia.. if that were amped up a little more and more rum came through it may have distinguished the blend a little more.. This just tastes like a lot of other STG ribbons.. better than most because of that little extra strength.. 2 stars accounting for my disappointment.. but I will say it would be a 3 for a more fair assessment as I think this is still a pretty good blend especially for Peterson.. I guess I just need to wait for Rum Flake to come back into stock to get what I really want.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smokollector (1)	2018-07-30		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Expect, at least, four flavors to play off each other in this blend: Central, and from first-light to the finish, is the flowery essence of Lakeland Virginia. Second, and complimentary to this, is the sweetness of the Rum Sugars. These lend a bit of extra sweetness to the sugars already present in the Lakeland, without saturating the leaf—indeed, it burns rather well, whether dried out or not. Burly adds the third, and remains throughout, while providing body and fullness. But beware of this fullness, because unless the smoker is used to the ruggedness of Burly, it can be overpowering—others have described it as "harsh". Harshness is neither inaccurate or unfair; rather it remains subjective. Lastly, Maple, which dances in and out with an evanescence that's...well, beautiful.

Now that STG will be taking over the production of Peterson tobaccos, it shall be interesting to see if this rather "controversial" blend will survive. Love it, or hate it, the blend is unapologetic but worth a try. And if it's worth a try, it might be worthy of a slot in a piper's rotation.

As for Peterson's claim that this is a "traditional English blend", they also would not be incorrect. The modern concept of what makes an "English Blend" has gotten off the mark. I shall leave the great G.L. Pease to shed some light on this. Please follow this link to his essay on the matter. http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=90

Age When Smoked: Apx 1 year

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-11-22		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

An excellent mild Lakeland with a dose of an American flavor: maple. The aromatic component is a lightly floral, herbaceous scent that oddly enough complements the maple flavoring, to my palate. Those familiar with GH products will recognize and appreciate the Virginia present here. It also tastes like there are some of the African burlies present in Peterson's Perfect Plug present. All in all this is a lovely broken flake where the underlying quality tobaccos are deftly blended for a satisfying base flavor that is augmented by a disting of Lakeland scent and maple. I personally love it, though i feel ive inadequately tried to describe it. If you like PPP or GH best brown, and aren't averse to scented flakes, then you would greatly enjoy this. Its a perfect choice for when you fancy some added sweetness with a stout tobacco flavor.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com, smokers haven, virgil avenue tobacconists

Similar Blends: PPP, Best brown flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2017-05-28		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The rum & especially the maple are lightly applied, and the tobaccos are by far the major players. The N really pops up in the last third of the bowl or so (at least in larger pipes). The tobaccos are nicely balanced and kept it an interesting smoke. To me, this combination is a bit 'rustic' -- no bite but you will remembering you aren't smoking a regular aromatic. The aftertaste strikes me as rather cigar-like -- not a bad thing, but I wasn't expecting it the first time, but I appreciated it as I got used to it.

Pipe Used: meers, cobs, & a yellow-bole

Age When Smoked: 15 months after purchase

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2016-07-03		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

So far, Peterson’s Hyde Park has been a Jekyll and Hyde sort of smoke for me. Though it’s proffered as an aro, and the toppings are ever present, the sum is yet a codger blend that can only be tempered with the right pipe and a very slow pace. In any case, the VA/Bur tobaccos are to the fore, top to bottom, and too much heat can throw off the delicate balance that rewards a patient, almost cautious smoker. The ad/blurb says this is topped with rum and maple. OK. Whatever it is, it smells like white raisin bread in the tin, also the chunky, gold-to-brown and dark brown ribbons look a little gloppy, as though they were dry before sticky syrup was added. Soldier past appearances, however, and get everything “right”, and you are in for a treat. For all the feisty, forward, flue cured VAs, this stuff can be delicious and fragrant off the match, including the well-melded tobaccos. Stuff loosely and take it slow, tamping lightly, to tap the rewards. As for pipe selection, I found out the hard way not to put HP in a pipe used for Kentucky, cigar leaf, or anything that might overshadow Hyde Park, as nuances are important here, and “smoke” and pungency work effectively against this blend. The tobaccos themselves are not the best I’ve smoked, but they are quite nice and – most important – the blend entire is “synergistic”, IF it’s smoked “right”, in which case the VAs taste like buttered oatmeal with honey; the Burleys are full, round, and nutty, and the lot is never bitter. The topping is vaguely maple, I suppose, but it’s in no way cloying, and the rum serves only to smooth and meld the blend and deliver the maple. You might want to dry HP out some at first, until you figure out how to avoid problems from burnt additives. Once this is mastered, Hyde Park comes into its own as one of the best “aromatics” I’ve tried. Strength is medium. Tastes are medium, though at their best they are so smooth that they almost seem mild. Room note is pleasant. When it’s smoked “correctly”, aftertaste is more end-of-the-smoke tobacco than residue from toppings, featuring lingering, sweet VAs and light, buttery tannins as it slowly trails off.

I highly recommend Hyde Park to experienced smokers who get curious reading this review, despite the caveats, as long as they like VA/Burs. Basically, Hyde Park is a 3.51, with the listed reservations.

Pipe Used: various briars; note exceptions

Age When Smoked: new-ish

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brandr ODS (15)	2015-11-18		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

This Peterson’s offering has always left me bewildered. Basically because it’s inconsistent in some important aspects, aroma in the first place. Nevertheless, it has quite some interesting traits to show that eventually convinced me to finish the whole 50g tin.

Upon opening, a gentle scent of liquor caresses you nostrils, alongside with the smooth, syrupy sweetness of the maple casing, which is nothing more than faint.

I had to take all the tobacco out of the plastic pouch, rub and spread it out a little and let it sit for an entire afternoon due to combustion problems I faced at the first smokes. I got rid of the plastic envelope and stuffed it in a very tiny glass jar and forgot about it for a year. On purpose, that is…

Twelve months passed, better see if time did some magic. And it did! The smell of the casing was there in all its integrity. The taste has become sweeter, but the flat indolence of the Burley popped out from time to time. The surprise came as the aftertaste : a fragrant, subtle and, I’d say shy, sweetness of bread crust.

The combustion was no more a problem : I can safely say this is one of the blend that I smoked an entire bowl of straight to the bottom by using just four matches. Besides, it was demanding in matter of attention, lest a bitter, flat, inconsistent smoke.

All in all it’s a quality blend, and gets better over time, and even thought I can see how many may like it, it left me as much disappointed as needed to prevent me from buying anymore. Peterson got way better blends to offer.

Cheers Everyone, Brandr ODS

Age When Smoked: Fresh, 1yo and 17mo

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2015-05-14		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is a Lakeland style tobacco but isn't the same as G&H Rum Flake. The strength is less and the flavoring a tad more on the "soapy/floral" side than Rum Flake, to my tastebuds.

As always, I prepare my tobacco and let it room dry for 10 to 20 minutes before filling the bowl. Hyde Park is easy to prepare (with a brisk rub) and burns well into a clean, grey ash. A nice, thick smoke is produced and the dominant flavor for me is a floral-maple essence. Smooth with no bite.

Either you're a fan of Lakeland styles or not. If you are then Hyde Park is worth your time. Quality tobacco, easy to prepare and fill on the go.

Pipe Used: Barbi

Age When Smoked: 4 months old - current production

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The good Rev. Rizzo (36)	2014-04-30		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Strong

Edit 30JULY15: After leaving the tin sit for a year I resdicovered it. Thinking it would be terribly dry and nasty I had a strange curiousity about this. I tried it in a Peterson X220 and found it to be actually fairly decent. Decent enough that I'm raising the rating I gave this. And ordering tins to cellar.

Original review: I can usually find something good about any tobacco I've tried. This simply wasn't the case with this. The tin note reminded me of Redman Silver. Not exactly what I was expecting. It was a nice quality leaf and packed easily. No stems or such pollutants. The floral soapiness is very strong to me. Not something enjoyable which is strange because I like Lakeland tobaccos. The taste never built or changed. Just the same over powering taste all the way through. Simply not my cup of tea here. I encourage everybody to try this. I hope your experience differs from mine.

Pipe Used: Peterson X220

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-06-22		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The name of this tobacco couldn't have been better. Much like Kensington, every smoke is a different walk through the park.

The note on the tin is what you would expect from the label- sugary and rich with a background of rum/ raisin that doesn't carry through to the smoke, especially. On first light the blend is smooth, sweet and floral. Much like stepping into an old Kensington mews house in the early 1900s. Soapy is the wrong word, but certainly hints of perfume and "poshness".

Perhaps this would be a good introduction to the "Lakeland" taste for those curious.

I would not have said the rum accounts for the sweetness, this is very much a background note. In fact I wouldn't have even considered rum were it not for the label. The sweetness seems to come from the tobacco itself and the feeling of the smoke in the mouth. The smoke is cool, rich and dense; very fulfilling, if a little acidic.

The strange thing about this tobacco is that, at least for me, the taste was not pleasant. I have to put it down several times and come back to it because it's quite sickening. Yet still I find myself reaching for it because it's such a curious smoke.

As has been mentioned, the ghostly touch of Lady N waltzes in about 10 minutes into the bowl and grief does she give you a fright. Smoke slowly and with lots of sugary drinks/ snacks.

Speaking of ghosts, Hyde Park has left an odd buttery, nutty taste in the pipe I've been smoking it in. In fact I can smell it across the room right now. This blend could do with an assigned pipe.

Overall, very curious. I don't know whether I would say it was enjoyable for me; the lakeland taste isn't really my cup of tea. But it's an experience. I would recommend trying a sample rather than a full tin.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novaki (41)	2022-09-07		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the first blends that I can say has an identity crisis. The tin says it's a "traditional English" and this site says it's a Va/Bur. Some people call it a lakeland and I could see a strong argument for a Scottish, given that it reminded me of Sail - Regular and that's what it's listed as. As is established in pipe smoking long before I was born, none of the agreed upon definitions seem to mean anything anyway and smokers and blenders alike just seem to make stuff up as they please.

I suppose if I wanted to be granular about it, I'd say it seems like it is primarily a Virginia and Burley blend with some lighter dark fired leaf (as opposed to dark fired Kentucky) and condimental oriental. I'll further complicate things by saying how the flavoring is stated to be "rum and maple sugars to pressed mahogany tobacco" which makes sounds kind of like it was topped and pressed virginia and not cased which I believe most cavendish's are (but I'm not sure as there is such a thing as unsweetened cavendish). So it sounds like the flavor is achieved via the pressing before it is presumably cut into flakes and then made into a nice ready rubbed, a cut of which I'm growing more fond of. I tend to really enjoy lakelands, and I don't perceive any floral notes (some say soapy to their nose) which I tend to associate with lakelands, so I'm thinking this is just a nice flavoring of rum and maple as far as I can tell. Either way, it's a light enough topping that you still get a full tobacco flavor but strong enough to hold up to the bolder tobaccos.

So with all that preamble out of the way, how the heck does it smoke? Well, I'd say this is a beautiful and sophisticated smoke that has some backbone to it. It's a bit of a mélange with a great range of depth and flavor. The main player seems to be the bright and dark virginia's while the burley gives it some good amount of body and the oriental weaves in and out with bright woody notes. The sweetness from the rum and maple deepens as the bowl progresses and makes for an enjoyable and complex aromatic that plays well with the other tobaccos. After trying SG - Hansom Flake and Sutliff - Eastfarthing, I've started to grow very fond of crossover and non-traditional aromatics and this fits in with that group for me. I feel like this would be a decent but boring tobacco without the sweetness from the rum and maple, and the flavorings add to the experience rather than take away. I feel like the rum and maple would make this a great fall blend that would stand up well to the cooler weather and work as a transition into the colder months.

I would say that if you're the type of pipe smoker that knows what they like and how they like it (thank you very much!) then possibly stay away from this one, but if you consider yourself and adventurous pipe smoker that likes to see what the more diverse and interesting offerings are, then this should be right up your alley. I was a bit worried about the strength when I purchased this, because I don't tend to seek out stronger tobaccos on purpose, and orientals can sometimes add a bit of nic-hit IMO, but I didn't get that from this blend. I think the top note helped sublimate everything and make it a bit more uniform of an experience even though I'd say this is a fairly complex and varied smoke.

Note: Hyde Park is in a category of its own, but I wanted to include Sail Regular and Irish Dew as being similar in presentation and overall experience. Sail and Irish Dew are very different in flavor, but I was reminded of them while smoking. I've never had the aromatic version of Sail but it might also fit into this category.

Edit: I've bounced around from recommended to highly recommended and so I'd say it's more of a 3.5/4 than a solid 3 or 4.

Pipe Used: Savinelli - Tortuga 127 (Smooth)

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SP

Similar Blends: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Sail Regular, Peterson - Irish Dew.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rylandbrown (9)	2022-01-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

As much as I've tried to like dark fired tobaccos, I can't. This review isn't about the quality of the leaf or blending but my preference against dark fired leaf.

If you like dark fired VA, this one might be worth your time. The dark fired taste overpowers any sort of flavor I can taste in the smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Optimist (6)	2017-11-26		Medium	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I love Peterson blends (some of them) but this one - quite controversial, if you look at the mixture of reviews below - is the most disgusting thing I've ever smoked. It looks like grated cow-dung or dead spiders in the tin, smells vile, and tastes even worse - a dark, miserable mulch with a horrible chemical note in it that makes you think you're going to throw up. Forget letting the tobacco speak to you, giving it time to work its magic etc. etc. - the taste in the mouth is so unpleasant you don't even want to start liking it.

The reason why one's so venomous at smoking a Peterson blend like this isn't because one's anti-Peterson. It's that some of the blends (Luxury Blend or Deluxe Mixture, for example) are so divine, complex and comforting that you completely trust Peterson's sense of taste, and then find the rug pulled after spending £14 on a tin like this (the contents of which are bound for my toilet in approx. 5 minutes, as I do not even want to pass this one on to a friend who has offered to smoke anything I cast off). Do not believe there are flavours of rum or maple in this, with all the sweetness and complexity that description seems to hint at. I have heard Hyde Park described as faintly Lakelandy - in fact, it tastes more like what you'd scrape off the bottom of a pond. Avoid, and save your money: this one's a stinker. And what's more, I think it's already ghosted my pipe.

Please read sibeen's review below for confirmation - every word is true.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Roma 9mm

Age When Smoked: Straight out of tin, dried for ten minutes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-06-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Revised June, 2020

Lately a rather rich and full blend made by GH, it struck me as being not unlike their Rich Dark Honeydew.

Well, that's no more.

STG is now making it in Denmark. Whether one is speaking of appearance, flavour, or strength it is now lighter. Pity.

I imagine the two tins I got without knowing of the change of blenders will constitute a lifetime supply for me.

Pipe Used: Falcon, amongst others...

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kermit Dorman (5)	2015-01-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Not worth writing to much on this tobacco I found little flavour or taste also little to say on the tobacco being an aromatic. I have smoked cheaper cigars which have given me more pleasure. Being pleased with Peterson's Old Dublin I thought the tobacco worth a try, opening the tin was disappointing as there was little aroma and when smoking was more disappointed. I would say it is a good stater tobacco as it dose not burn the tongue and would not put the new comer to pipe smoking to give up and maybe move up to find some other tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson "K" Briar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	H Gillman (39)	2014-03-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was a little taken aback by some of the reviews of this tobacco. So I bought a tin. Opening the tin, I was impressed with the aroma held within. It smelled of dried fuits and berries as well as a hint of some woodiness. The tabacco was both a combination of ribbons and large chunks of flake and felt a wee bit on the dry side, which may be from spending a couple years in the can. It was easy to light and held on right to the bottom of the bowl. I was a bit off-put initially because of a likeness to incense, which thankfully was deemed to be "pepperiness" as described by a previous reviewer, which I turned from being off-put to intrigued. As well a pepper, I tasted mahogany, a touch of highand single malt and maybe a bit of dried prune. The room note was nice, and certainly added another level to the enjoyment of this tobacco. I would gladly recommend this blend and would caution, this is a blend that really stands on its own so try before dismissing.

=2015-08-09 Update==

One year sealed in a mason jar and this blend has not gotten any better. It now tastes as though it has has woman's perfume sprayed on it. Disappointing

Pipe Used: Peterson P-tip 313

Age When Smoked: two years unsealed

Purchased From: Jade Smokers Corner Regina

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-01-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Hyde Park is as unique as the clear plastic bag you see when you open this tin. The blend is rich brown and sticky and reminds me of the texture and smell of a pouch of chewing tobacco. I have yet let some see drying time as it didnt strike me so much as being wet but purposely moist and sticky as if Peterson intended it should be.

So in the bowl it went.

This was an unsual experince and not what I was expecting at all. Peterson threw me a change up after all the burning hot ribbon fastballs. Hyde Park is a thick broken flake sticky slow burning experience with a unique flavor.

I have smoked five bowls and honestly I'm still trying to figure out what is going on with this tobacco and what I'm smelling and experiencing. I CAN say I like it but so far HP hasn't wowed me. It's rich, deep, warm, pleasent with a dash of spice (not pepper) and conjures up visions of fine deep red mahogany furniture in a London townhome. I find I must press on with this uniquely tasting blend and see what else happens.

Review Addition: I let the tobacco dry and it brought out the individual flavors letting me distinguish the Rum and the Molasses. This is a delicious and unique flavored tobacco. To me, the taste can be described leather. Though I've now determined it's not a personal favorite or possibly a future purchase. It's a decent blend from Peterson and I do recommend everyone try it at least once.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars

Similar Blends: Nothing I've yet experienced..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Malus Rex (9)	2013-11-21		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As for my initial thoughts on this blend, I'd have to say that I'd call it Jekyll & Hyde Park. Admittedly that may bring some to think ill of this blend as they would too closely associate it with the sinister Mr. Hyde; but, perhaps that's not such a bad thing. It is indeed the duality of this blend that I rather came to enjoy. Never quite the same from bowl to bowl. There were times that I'd find myself scoffing at Peterson calling it an English blend only to re-light & find the soapy, sugar smack aromatic side of it's nature had subsided & left behind the subdued English gentleman of impeccable taste. Strange as that may sound it is truly the aromatic traits that can snarl from the blackened bottom of the bowl. The sweetness combines with a nicotine sucker punch to trigger the same unease Robert Louis Stevenson wrote of when peering at the leering face of his Edward Hyde. The burn characteristics & overall quality of this blend are second to none. Take your time in preparing the broken flake as this is not a blend that can or should be rushed. Mind that, do not rush this. This blend will carry you along the gaslit streets of London if you let it. Will it be the bright open avenues of the park? Or will you find yourself in the slums of Whitechapel?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-06-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening the tin, I really loved how the tobacco is presented. Broken flakes very handsomely packed.

One could see how heavily cased this tobacco is. The smell is of strong sugary/molasses/maple syrup.

However, once it is in the pipe, there is no real aroma out of the smoke, one can feel the sweetness of the tobacco. Not a very strong tobacco. I don't understand why it is marketed as an English blend.

Anyhow, this tobacco is nice, albeit a bit flat in taste and N content. I don' think I will be buying this again, but it is a nice all day tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cgar (37)	2012-11-30		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a change up to say the least. The baccy in the tin has a perfect moisture level which I was suprised to find especially because of the different casings in this mixture. I was a little put off by the plastic wrapper in the tin because historically peterson provides a top notch tin presentation. The smell right out of the tin is sweet with some hints of a nutty, hay thrown in here and there. However thats where that ends, I got alot of a buttery incense taste. Not bad just not what I was expecting. The leaf burned perfect and strait down with 0 relights so like I mentioned the moisture level and baccy are well balanced. HP is is a fine cross breed baccy, I would recommend a try but its quite clear it will either be something you enjoy or it will be so far from what you were expecting that you might be a bit put off.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WalrusMustachePiper (7)	2021-12-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Virtually almost the same as Gawith & Hoggarth Rum Flake , Same tobacco component , same aroma but different cut . absolutely delightful blend , one of my favorite Peterson Offering with 3P's .

Pipe Used: Meerschaum pipe

Age When Smoked: 3 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rhonn (4)	2020-12-11		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I am a 965 latakia smoker, and was looking for an occasional non-latakia blend to smoke, but not one with sprayed-on syrup, like rum or cherry, etc. (ugh -- you may as well say hold the tobacco.) On a whim I decided to try this. The first impression on opening the tin was it smelled like cut grass. While a newly mowed lawn is a nice smell, I thought, great, when lighted, it will taste like celery from the refrigerator bin. Boy, was I surprised. It's terrific! Not sweet in a sugary sense, but sweet nonetheless, a cool smoke, and smells heavenly. If you want an occasional break from an English latakia blend, be sure to give this one a try. It's simply amazing.

Pipe Used: peterson

Age When Smoked: 72

Purchased From: smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PKT (30)	2019-12-29		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Although I try not to review frequently reviewed blends because I normally find I have little to add to the discussion, the disparity among the reviews provokes my comments. I find this blend intriguing and well worth smoking. I smoked it fresh from the tin. It clearly displays both the lakeland essence and light aromatic touch of G&H while allowing the tobacco to predominate. I particularly enjoyed the burley flavors that stayed throughout the blend and smoked best in mid-sized morta.

It burned a little fast for me and perhaps because it was fresh was a tad to steamy. It would benefit from more drying time and aging than I allowed it. It is worth buying more to age and I will do so. For now it is a 3 star blend for me. I will bring the tin to my pipe club to see how others react to it.

Pipe Used: Mid-sized briar billiard and morta

Age When Smoked: ,fresh

Purchased From: Story Tellers

Similar Blends: G&H Rum and G&H Maple.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2019-09-01		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Excellent blend for Peterson by GH! Toasty Burley, sweet Virginia with a minimal topping, and let us not forget the Lakeland essence. When I popped the lid on this tin which had been in the cabinet for 3 plus years I thought this may be a decent smoke, I was wrong, this is top drawer tobacco! It tends to be more Lakeland forward at the onset with the sweet topping becoming present mid bowl, there on out to the bottom these two taste meld into what for me is a very pleasurable smoking experience. Everyday smoke, possibly, all day smoke, not for me. I do believe it will become a regular smoke for me.

Age When Smoked: New tin, at least 3 years old

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LtCdrStabbington (11)	2019-07-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Neither an aromatic nor a straight smoking tobacco, this is difficult to pigeonhole as it doesn't do either job particularly well.

Positives, the casing is pleasent when it's detectable, the room note is consistently good. It lights well and requires very few relights. The nic-hit is good and it burns cool and clean.

Negatives, it's very damp when first opened, I can only describe the tin note as reminiscent of HP Brown sauce, the rum seems to have left entirely. It leaves a fair to middling amount of moisture in the bowl.

In all honesty this is a blend I probably won't buy again, it's not unpleasant but it's not as good as some other blends by Peterson.

Pipe Used: Albion Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Black Swan Shoppe

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-06-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is based on the Gawith & Hoggarth-produced Hyde Park.

Presentation is rustic and nice, broken flakes with some stringy pieces. It looks old school. My tin, as many GH produced products do, had plume and crystals all over. I think they pre-age their tobaccos. There is that Lakeland, sweet smell. Reminds me of peonies. You get it in GH Rum Flake as well. Again, I think the Lakeland scent is due to cross-contamination.

The taste starts off mild and mellow and sweet. Tea notes, sugar notes, some bread. It evolves into a creamy, nutty, sweetness (which is slightly floral) similar to GH Rum Flake. The burleys in Hyde Park remind me of Irish Flake and University Flake, and even Bosun Cut Plug. To me, Hyde Park is not an aromatic. The tobacco flavors are forward. You just taste something enhancing the flavors.

Strength is maybe medium, yet mellow and refined and suave. Nicotine is medium. Taste is medium.

I would recommend this to the Lakeland smoker, the Virginia smoker, and even the burley smoker. There is something there of great interest. This tobacco has some lovely flavor nuances, and it really surprised me. It has mixed reviews on TRs. I would say don't deny yourself the opportunity to try the Lakeland blends. They are interesting, unique experiences. This blend also hasn't seemed to ghost my briars.

Pipe Used: Bent brandy,bent apple

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Rum Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-10-29		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Break seal, open tin, sniff tin... smell sweet rum/maple topping aroma mixed with tobacco... so far, so good & no plastic bag in this tin. Rub out partially broken flake tobacco, dry tobacco, stoke pipe, smoke pipe. A light taste of rum & maple & a slight aromatic essence in the smoke. There are only two basic types of blends... English & aromatic. The writing on the Hyde Park lid states "A traditional English blend". I wouldn't call this a cased aromatic blend with the usual PG humectant infusion, but a topping which was only very lightly applied... enough to create a captivating tin aroma, tame the bitterness of the Burley, detract from the tobacco smell in the room & help take some bite out of the Virginia while adding an extra taste dimension to help make the blend more alluring so one could savor the flavor, buy more, smoke more, cellar more, etc.

This blend bit a little upon the charring light & the initial taste was that of a slightly bitter Burley flavor... nothing unusual. The flavoring was pretty much non-existent initially. I perceived very little aromatic essence in the smoke but there was no strong tobacco smell either. So, if you're preference is for aromatic blends with an alluring or appealing room note, you won't find it in this blend. The topping/casing, whatever, is almost enough to detract from a strong tobacco odor. After about a half dozen good tokes to get a good even burn, I let the pipe sit and cool. I always use this DGT method whenever I smoke. I continued about twenty minutes later & relit after picking & tamping to ensure an even burn. After a few more tokes I could taste a little VA & a little of the sweet flavoring. The bite & most of the initial bitter flavor subsided as the varied leaf & flavoring melded & then I heard a knock on the door. I yelled, "come in"... thought it was one of my friends. It was a lady... Nicotiana Tabacum who said she was from a field on another continent far, far away. She strolled on over, made herself right at home & sat down on my new hat... while it was still on my head.

The Burley flavor remained up front but was tamed down by the other leaf &/or topping in the mixture... but most probably the Virginia infusion. Then, more of a detectable flavor from the rum/maple sugar infusion about half way through the bowl. I liked this blend because it is not overly cased & only slightly infused with a flavoring that helped to make this strong tobacco taste milder & smell better & one will notice the nicotine blast early on... it's a fairly strong blend. I don't inhale pipe tobacco whether it be strong, mild or especially if it is cased with a Propylene Glycol humectant. I tend to stay away from those blends but enjoy a good flavored tobacco... like this one & others like Stonehenge Flake with its tasty cocoa flavor, St. Bruno Flake with its alluring floral/fruit flavor or Marlin Flake, University Flake with its plum flavor, etc. This is another fine offering of Peterson blends & I would purchase this one again. If you like good, strong fairly sweet VA/Burs with a mild, tasty flavoring, this will not be $$ down the drain. Four stars without reservation.

Pipe Used: Large Cavicchi Dublin & Meerschaum Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: A Unique Mixture for me & I have not sampled enough similar blends to make a comparison. Some have noted G & H Co. Rum Flake & other Lakeland blends..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pseudo Nim (129)	2018-10-23		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sorry not one of my favourites by a long chalk, the tin aroma was quite strong and the cut was good, humidity fine but the topping got me, the Virginia's are barely noticeable but the burley comes through to help as best it can, I think my tin must have been drenched in the rum and maple flavouring and possibly something else, had a somewhat sour note and cloying sweetness which I didn't find pleasant, I think I will finish the tin, but I'll be in no hurry to. I've taken the label off to fool myself at a later date into thinking it might be an OK smoke. Modest vitamin N and relatively dry finish.

Pipe Used: Peterson 150

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2018-08-27		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

These is the first of two tins, bought in Mannheim DE during May this year. One first tin (bought in Italy at EUR. 23.50 !) I did smoke one year ago, and that was – in my rememberings – a bit more scented that this new, and the inner packing was a nylon bag (now it’s the usual paper lining with carton lid).

This is a good VaBur blend, having just the mild application of a Lakeland scent.

For this product, said to be produced by Gawith & Hoggarth on behalf of Peterson, I fully subscribe the esteemed JimInks’ review, go reading that. I just add a slight different opinion on the strenght which I place at the medium-to-strong mark.

Not an all day smoke, but pleasant and to be repeated. Three full stars.

Pipe Used: Castello's

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Wolsdorff Tobacco, Mannheim DE

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-10-21		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Hyde Park is an aromatic, yes, but it has character that is typical of G & H's Kendal offerings: strength. The tobacco is a long Ribbon-Cut with some long Flakes. Leaf composition mixes shades of medium and dark brown. The tin aroma confirms a Lakeland tobacco that releases a defined maple aroma that is not too pronounced. As it came fairly moist, I let it be for about a week after opening, before considering smoking it. Even if still rather moist, it dries quickly to an appropriate level once out of the tin. Lighting up is very easy and it does not require numerous relightings afterwards. What we have in HP is a solid and pleasant mixture of Virginias and Burleys completed with a nice maple flavouring that is quite present but does not overtake the tobacco taste. In fact, it smooths out the strong character of the Dark Fired leaf. Because of its composition, HP is not a complex smoke that develops a myriad of flavours throughout the pipeful: the Dark Fired leaf leads and has a slight smoky edge. There are no surprises, if for the maple casing that mellows down and brings a beautiful twist to a mixture that would be, otherwise, prone to potentially become a bit harsh because of its strength. Recommended for the smoker enjoying strength and nicotine that is seeking a quality aromatic.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2015-04-04		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

In light of what my thoughts of Peterson aromatics are, I was surprised that this offering is quite good. Everything comes together nicely to form a very good blend. It lights easily enough and stays lit with hardly any work at all. It burns down to a nice ash at the bottom of the bowl. It has a middle of the road nicotine content that satisfies without going overboard. The moisture content on the popping of the tin is just right for me, YMMV. All in all, a very good blend. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to make steps towards more English blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-03-28		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Hyde Park is a surprising blend in many ways. The plastic bag instead of paper, the tightly packed mid brown ready rubbed with one of the most genuine rum and maple scents out of the tin. Then, with char- and true light, I get a floral (Lakeland?), soapy aroma, remotely sweet and very different from first impressions. I do not like those floral/soapy notes in general, but here it appears in rather supporting, pleasing and very subtle intensity.

High quality tobaccos dominate at all times. There is a slight reminiscence to a mild cigar that I get sporadically and that may be linked to smoking temperature. The Burley in this provides considerable backbone to the mix, makes it robust, satisfying and full. Potent stuff indeed, especially when you're expecting an aromatic.

In my opinion Hyde Park is a love or hate blend that is interesting, unique and refreshingly different from the mainstream. At the same time a must try for (experienced) Burley lovers. I will enjoy the rest of my tin, although it is actually not my cup of tea.

Pipe Used: Various

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipenick (28)	2015-01-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

YES....got new Meer today and filled the bowl with Hyde Park.The smell was little to sweet not too much...so rum and maple sugar and some pepper aroma too..you can taste all these in the a rich thick smoke.Just a hour ago smoked this time with Briar actually with a Falcon and the taste was perhaps even more full of pepper and you could easily taste the maple sugar and not so much rum...quality smoke with enough character as aromatic to deserve a place in my cellar.Absolutely one of best blend by Peterson.

Pipe Used: Meer and Falcon

Age When Smoked: Straight from tin

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falcon Fan (22)	2014-10-26		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

As a relative newbie to pipe smoking, and becoming aware of the vast array of potential tobacco styles, never mind individual blends, available, I have been in exploratory mode. Hyde Park piqued my interest. First off, I am born and bred a Londoner and worked in Victoria not far from Hyde Park for many years before emigrating to Toronto, so the name evoked a good feeling in me. Secondly, the description seemed fairly unique (it seemed to be a bit of everything), and third, it got stellar reviews on this site. Unfortunately, it has not been good to me so far. A complex, solid, heavy and very pleasant pouch aroma could be tasted in the first few puffs after lighting but then, for me, the developing niceness was obliterated by what I can only describe as a chemical wave right across my mouth, in the back of my throat and throughout my nasal passages. I understand this may be caused by the smoke becoming "alkaline", and that this can be the result of either a tobacco being low in sugar or burning too hot - and now I think of it, this tobacco can be a struggle to stay lit which requires me to puff hard and that gets it going too hot? Aand the puffing would also cause the generation of hot steam, exacerbating the issue. So A solution may be to use the biggest bowl I can find and take real care to sip the smoke. I will try that and repost if it works but for now, this one gets a thumbs down from me.

Pipe Used: Brigham Heritage Straight Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-06-30		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A quality, slow and cooler burning tobacco that grew on me by the third or fourth bowl, but not enough to win me over.

The Virginia leaf is nuanced and complemented nicely by the burley. It makes for a good combo, for experienced smokers. The maple and rum sugars are hard to notice. It's a pretty straight forward tobacco. Not deep or complex, it disappoints after the first third of the bowl in that it becomes bitter, bitey and harsh, and ashy quicker than most "English blends." (I still don't know what constitutes an English blend, but I'll trust marketing on this one.)

It's worth trying but it won't make my starting rotation and I likely won't buy a second tin. I wanted to like this blend given the apparent quality of the cut of the tobacco. It looks as good as any tinned leaf I've seen.

For reference, my current rotation consists of Comptons York Full, Dunhill Flake, Dunhill EMP, Dunhill 965, GLP Odyssey, GLP Hados Delight, Lane 1Q/BCA 50/50.

The room note received a thumbs up from my wife.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wellpipe (66)	2013-05-15		Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Wow - what a pleasant experience. Room note should please just about anyone. The surprise here is the full tobacco flavor and an unexpected nicotine kick - definitely in the strong category - right up there with Irish Flake. I love the format - broken flake packs nicely and solidly. Quite a combination of flavors. 3 stars for now - to be continued.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmileyOrb (17)	2013-04-21		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Updated review 13/07/2019.

This is quite a difficult tobacco to find as not all well known London based tobacconists stock it.

Since my last review generated over 6 years ago I still think this is a fine tobacco. It has a floral sweet taste, and a smashing aroma. I'm not keen on aromatic tobacco as many are quite chemically tasting. But this is wonderful! Need to sip rather than to draw deeply. Like other reviewers they mention a peppery taste, and I concur. However, this does not detract from an enjoyable smoking experience. The tobacco has a rather unique but superior taste, and would go well with a cup of earl grey tea! The taste notes deepens as you go to the end of the smoke, but it's interesting and goes more rum honey like. When finished the tobacco ash is powdery fine and makes pipe cleaning easy.

Thoroughly recommend for Summer afternoon or evening smoke.

My previous review below (dated 21/04/2013).

This stuff is perhaps the most enjoyable pipe tobacco from Peterson and has become a firm favourite. It has a distinctive, almost hops tasting, flavour. This is splendid and unlike most pipe tobaccos Ive tried. Because of its distinctive aroma and flavour its takes a while to adapt. However this is a quality smoke. You can see from the other reviews how well liked this is. Enjoy!

Pipe Used: Peterson's 305

Purchased From: Local newsagents

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-04-13		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After reading all the excellent reviews I had to try this for myself. I called my favorite tobacconist in Toronto(Paul at XCENTRIX)to order a tin. Surprisingly, it arrived in only two days and I picked it up this morning. It was a little wet on first light, but still good. I let it sit for a few hours and relit. The taste is very smooth. My first encounter with the Lakeland scent and very agreeable. The rum and maple are in the background but ever present. Cool smoking and very tasty. This is definitely an aromatic in my book, but of the highest order. For me, I prefer to rub it out completely. I also add a pinch of perique for a little spice. Those who say that G&H produced this wonderful blend are probably correct. Besides the great taste and excellent smoking qualities, there is very little after-taste on my tongue. This is a real gem.

Update: I'm lowering my rating to three stars as this blend has not stood the test of time. Still good but not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	manno (50)	2013-04-04		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Pretty unique smoke. English? I missed the boat on that one. I'm surprised not to see more reviews mention the unmistakeable Lakelands floral characteristics that predominate far more than the tin's own description of the flavoring/scent. In any event, after a couple of tins the initial "wow factor" has subsided and it's now more of a tobacco that I enjoy from time to time just like some similar G & H offerings. I enjoy the shaggy cut and the quality and mix of tobaccos but I'm glad I didn't propose marriage at the early stages of courtship. A bit too floral for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli KS Billiard

Age When Smoked: close to a year

Purchased From: smokingpipes;pipesandcigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	o3Ho3 (28)	2013-01-29		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

After a week of pure V, I tried for the first time...second time...etc this one.I must say I'm kind of Peterson fan (only kind of) and I was delighted. Till now (after a week of smoking HP) I didn't change my opinion. Anyway I must say burley is not very present here but in a good way; and the rum flavor is wonderful but in the beginning of the bowl. But that doesn't change the feeling and somewhat joy it brings. I recommend this one still...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-12-23		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hyde Park is a unique offering from Peterson. It is nothing, by far, close to anything this blender offers. I can't say I detect the maple and rum toppings. The Lakeland soapy aroma dominates the tin note and the smoke but, yes, something sweet emerges here and there.

I did not notice, either, any significant complexification of the smoke as it burned dowm the bowl.

If you like nicotine, Hyde Park is for you. It is almost equal to Irish Flake.

HP burns very well if packed properly. The cut - long and large broken flakes combined with ribbon - is probably what I find most interesting.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Käpt`n Cook (17)	2012-12-07		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Hyde Park is a very special tobacco. If I opened the tin the first smell was like an after shave. I thought this tobacco would be a heavy english scented tobacco. I like a soapy smoke but it should be not too heavy. So before start smoking I was a bit sceptical. The first bowl I smoked the scented character was really present. But a few days after opening the tin the taste has changed into a very special flavor without an overwhelming scented character. Just made for me. The tobacco base is wonderfull and strong enough for a great smoke. In the meantime I smoke the Hyde Park everyday . This tobacco is a borderliner between aromatic and non aromatic blends. For me an highly recommended mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-12-03		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

A very strange blend. Claims to be an English, yet not only advertises the use of casings and flavors other than the tobacco itself but also seems to lack components common to English blends. Very strange indeed. Very moist in the tin, so I'd recommend letting it dry out in the open for a few hours. A hearty smoke. Very full taste and decent nicotine content. Flavor is subtle, yet unmistakable. A very slight sweetness is present in each puff, but overall not the tastiest tobacco I've ever had. Hyde Park can be a bit overwhelming if you forget yourself. Room note will be tolerable to those who are used to the scent of tobacco, but don't expect the wife or girlfriend to take too kindly to this one gents... I recommend this to those of you who are looking to diversify your rotation. However, I cannot in good taste recommend this as a steady blend or go-to tobacco. Cheers!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	radioisotope (17)	2012-11-07		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

To me the tin note reminds me more of Christmas smells in the home. Pine mixed with fireplace. Upon first light it smells a bit of incense. I smoked this the first time in my Beckler meer. As the bowl progressed the maple started kicking in but with a sweet smokiness. The maple isn't overpowering and there is still a good tobacco flavor. I loved The aroma but surprisingly my wife said it was the stinkiest stuff I ever smoked. She said she would rather me be smoking star of The east, which is saying a lot. I would say nic content was medium. I would recommend letting it dry for awhile before smoking. Packaging was different for a Peterson, it was in plastic instead of the standard paper. I really like this stuff, definitely different than anything I've ever smoked. I highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2012-11-01		Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant

I agree with much of what the previous two reviewers have said. Toothpaste is a very accurate description of the initial tin note, but I might add that it is very Gawith Hoggarth-like in this respect, as is with the taste. To me, this is very similar to G&H's Rum Flake in terms of taste; and wrapped in a G&H-type plastic bag within the tin as well. It is very Lakeland but without the florals. I believe the maple sugars used are responsible for this smell/taste. Tin note is more soapy than Rum Flake, but Rum Flake has that subtle vanilla hint that Hyde Park does not have. Similar to Rum Flake, if puffed on too hard, there was no real bite, just a sharpness to the tongue. Also, while Rum Flake is by no means strong, this one packs a punch in nicotene (less than Irish Flake but more than Rum Flake). There is a tendency to puff quickly as the flavor is very agreeable, but I advise against it. If I didn't know what this offering was, I would certainly say it was a G&H product - their Rum Flake in particular, but stronger overall. Control your puffing as it can be harsh if pushed. Just as Mac Baren has produced their fine HH Old Dark Fired, a true English blend, so has Peterson's blender, Kolhasse and Kopp (or is it really G&H?). Both are fine examples of blending in the English tradition.

On another note, I taste no Latakia whatsoever, nor was their any evidence of it to me with deep sniffing of the tobacco while in its tin. On Peterson's website, this is no longer listed under Latakia blends, but under traditional blends - that must have been an error that was fortunately corrected. Very smokeable right out of the tin, Peterson has hit a home run with this one. A true smoking delight that is sure to please a wide range of pipe smokers. I solidly recommend Hyde Park without reservation. Its inherent harshness levels out after a while. With age I suspect it will mellow even further. However, all things considered, a very good blend.

UPDATE 1-17-23: Started with this again with a recently purchased tin. Not quite the same to my palate, but less harshness from when this was first released and produced by GH. Perhaps, now produced by STG might have something to do with this. The initial experience from first release is now a more refined and tolerable one with the newer incarnation. Nice taste throughout the bowl, and still a good smoke; although I do miss the Gawith Hoggarth influence.

Similar Blends: GH's Rumflake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wdsmith (11)	2012-11-01		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Strong

The new offering from Peterson is a "who's who" of component ingredients that appeal most to me. Granted, I was a bit skeptical of the rum and maple flavoring and, when I opened the tin, I felt that I had surely made an error of the utmost gravity. But, as I was into this one for two tins, I loaded up a an old GBD billiard that tends to do well with tobaccos of this type, and set match to the leaf. What a splendid surprise! Nowhere to be found was the rum and maple, save for a faint trace. What was there, however, was a wonderful symphony of deep, musty dark-fired flavor. I immediately thought of my favorite Peterson blend, Irish Flake. But, almost as quickly as the dark- fired flavor had emerged, it disappeared thus allowing a sweeter, Virginia flavor to pop in for a brief chat. This back and forth seemed to be the norm throughout the bowl. Perhaps due to the salmagundi of tobacco cuts. There seems to be everything from broken flake to cubed cut and ribbon. While both visually appealing and, conducive to a complexity of flavor, the cut may seem vexing to some. Do not let this stop you from enjoying the blend. One can simply stuff the pipe straight from the tin or, fully rub out the leaf. Both methods will leave you completely satisfied. A word of warning, though; the nicotine in this one, while not as profound as Irish Flake, will sneak up on you if you puff mindlessly, caught up in the pleasure of the moment. In short buy this one. You will be glad you did.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smoking-rob (79)	2012-10-04		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a coarse cut ready rubbed, more like wild cut half flakes and when I opened the tin I found them to be too damp. Initially, I was a little put off by a faint toothpaste-like smell but now that my recently opened tin has been aired, this is gone. Smell deeply for a lovely potpouri of fire-cured tobacco's, maple, a little rum, a little chocolate but most of all, pure tobacco. Because not all the ready rubbed flakes seem of consistent composition, sometimes the sweetness of Virginia prevails, sometimes the sheer bruteness and strength of Burley but to me, I find this very appealing. There is a nice saltiness from the fire-cured tobacco's, a very good overall body, a slight sweetness from the maple (and rum) and a very decent level of nicotine. This will appeal to smokers of English flakes or ready rubbed. A very satisfying smoke! Rob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (556)	2023-03-04		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of mild sweet rum, vegetation, and sugar. Tobacco is a Ready Rubbed of light brown, brown and dark brown. Moisture content is great. Larger pieces may need a little attention. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. Flavoring is mild, with notes of Maple, Rum. Both flavors are short lived. Taste is medium to full and very consistent, with notes of maple, mild rum, brown sugar, nutty, spices, toasted bread, savory, sweet tangy fruit, floral, dry, cocoa, wood, zesty, spicy cigar, mildly sour, mildly bitter, earthy, a semi-sweet grassy/vegetation background note, and a very peppery retro. Burley is leading with Virginia, Sun Cured Indian and Flavoring supporting. Dark Fired Virginia is lost somewhere. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stonewolf Treehawk (2)	2022-01-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've tried Hyde Park for the first time tonight, and I found it to be an enjoyable experience. The aroma from the tin was pretty unique, in my opinion. Initially, I could smell a small hint of rum and a somewhat tea-like scent in the background. Upon first lighting the bowl, I could taste a similar flavor that matched the aroma. The Virginia in this blend seemed to be more sweet rather than tart, as some more mature Virginias taste. The Burley added a nice nuttiness to balance the sweetness of the Virginia. In regards to the flavoring, I did pick up the maple midway through the smoke. I sipped the pipe very gently, and the subtleties of the added flavorings began to reveal themselves. As I concentrated immensely on the flavor, I thought of the sweetness of maple syrup as if it was on a piece of bacon. There is a slight smoky flavor, but you have to really focus on it. I also detected the rum as well, but not as much as I tasted the maple. I used a cob to smoke this blend, so I'm sure that influenced some of the flavors I was picking up. The tobacco itself seemed to be in longer cut ribbons. I rubbed it slightly to pack the bowl. It's burns quite nicely if you puff on it correctly. I didn't get any bite whatsoever, and the tobacco burned cool in the pipe. I smoked it all the way down to ashes, and it tasted pretty good the whole way down. I do recommend this blend, and I'd easily give it a 3 out of 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	getyur@sstomars (26)	2021-11-07		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Ok, many of us were a bit drooled by the moniker "English blend" but it is indeed English. Many have stated that it's Lakeland style, but I find it more flowery fragrant than cloyingly soapy( I do like lakelands though)

The initial tin not isn't to boozey, or mapley. It's fragrant and plesent, but rely hard for me to place.

The tin description says it's "mahogany" colored and they are spot on!. Moisture content is just a touch wetter than I like it, but it's not sticky, goopey, or overly sweet

My tobacconist says a lot of that sweet flowery smell comes from the Thai burleys, the same as used in Sherlock Holmes. I definitely could smell a common denominator between these 2 blends.

Loads well and is pretty effortless to smoke. Burns clean, and completely to ash. It's so well behaved that I got to relight my pipe and nothing happens. So I go to get rid of some ash and surprise, it's all gone up in smoke!!!

Solid 2.9 stars out of 4. Would recommend to any one. Even if they don't like lakelands.

UP DATE ON NOTES.

After it's been jarred up for a few months, and had a bit of time to decant, breath, and shake it's hair out has really made a positive difference to an already nice smoke.

The aroma is less sweet and and more ethereal and flowery perfumes. Burns a touch better and smokes a bit cooler as well.

I'd love to pop a 5 to 10 year old tin.

Up the score to 3.3 stars!!

Pipe Used: Lots. Pete 312 current fave

Age When Smoked: Young

Similar Blends: Peterson's SHERLOCK HOLMES has similar aroma.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chojin (17)	2021-09-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

English tea! Is what comes to mind when you smell and smoke this. Nice mid strength English blend with subtle flavours coming through. Maybe just a hint of sweet, but definitely not a heavy English like nightcap or squadron leader. Nice smoke and better than usual English room notes.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: TobaccoBlends

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-03-14		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Preparation & Burn: 8/10 It packs easily like ribbon cut. No drying required. Burns cool and at a nice pace.

Taste: 8/20 Slightly lakeland but loses that topping with age. Becomes a bit harsh.

Mildness: 6/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not too much nicotine.

Total: 22/40

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nick73 (6)	2020-03-08		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Fantastic blend, depending on who you talk to it's a Peterson Aromatic and to others it's a Virginia blend. Either way you describe it, it's one of the best Peterson blend out there.

When you open the tin there is this really noticeable mix of fragrances, from nutty to sweet to slight whisky to fruity... it is really a nice mixture. The tobacco is just the right moisture out of the tin and can be packed and smoked as is. The strength is just right, not too mild or strong, give a nice hit of nicotine without being overpowering.

The flavor and taste are mellow and enjoyable, giving a very tasteful and thick smoke. As for room note, it is tolerable most folks around me say.

Found this tobacco to be easy smoking and requiring only 1 relight in most bowlful. Sometimes 2 when engaged in discussion with friends.

This is a blend I love to smoke as it burns cool all the way to the bottom of the bowl, no dottle left, just a nice grayish white ash and a relaxed feeling of satisfaction.

A favorite among Peterson blends, nicely blended by Hoggarth.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 305

Age When Smoked: a few weeks old

Purchased From: Ottawa Cigar Emporium

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gig (15)	2019-11-30		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

Sitting here outside reading the reviews of this tobacco as I smoke it, I'm wondering if some people have been smoking the same tobacco as I am. Where is the maple taste they talk about? Yes I get a rum flavour, a cheap one at that, bitterness and earthiness from the Burley, but at no time do I taste any sweetness and yes there is a peppery tingle to this. This tin just opened has about two years of age to it and its perfect to smoke, and its burning nicely with one light to a fine grey ash.

Am I enjoying it, well I'm finding it a little harsh and acidic at the moment but will continue to smoke the tin as costs of tobacco in Australia are ridiculous. Would I buy it again, I think not but taste is subjective and what I like someone else would hate and vice and versa. To those out there trying different tobaccos have fun and make your own mind up.

Pipe Used: Peterson 314 System Standard

Age When Smoked: 2-3 years plus

Purchased From: Tobacco Blends Melbourne

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2019-09-14		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update: 03/27/2023 Sadly speaking the formula and the cut changed. This blend was very similar to gawith rum flake but ready rubbed. Now its a ribbon cut and share none of the similarites, it is a creature on its on now and it is enjoyable but it lacks the lakeland effect and that enjoyable rum maple taste.

Broken flake is the cut, traditional gawith and hogarth presentation in plastic bag inside the metal tins, however the new batch comes in normal paper wrapping. It has that floral essence but nothing like erndale or other heavy lakeland blends. The components are very similar to rum flake by G&H, but its not identical, neither in aroma nor in taste. This seem to be less sweet and slightly stronger. Although you can dry it but it can smoke right from the tin. Room note is not very offensive but not an aromatic quality either. Taste like rum coockies that has been charred. Love the stuff but its not for every one. Its one of those love or hate kinda blends but if you like G&H offerings you will appreciate this one.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Rum flake by Gawith and hogarth.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FlatCapMatt (59)	2019-07-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

As someone who prefers aromatics to English style blends, I was very surprised to find how much I liked Hyde Park. It has a pleasant, clean, comforting taste to it. It makes me think of being a kid, and going to visit your grandfather, and smelling his cologne or aftershave when you gave him a hug. Bit of a soapy flavour in there too, but not overwhelming or off-putting. No BBQ sauce taste at all, which is a huge plus for me. Just enough nicotine to make me feel it. Not one to impress the Mrs or non-pipe smokers with the room note though. I only had a 10 gram sample of it, which was probably only about 3 bowls. If pipe tobacco in Australia wasn't $85-96 for a tin, I could easily see myself buying a whole tin of it. Unfortunately because of the nanny-state and the ridiculous cost, I'm going to probably end up buying an aromatic I like more instead. It might make it into a regular rotation of <$20 samplers though.

Definitely recommend it.

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: tobaccoblends.com.au

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-04-17		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Break seal, open tin, sniff tin... smell sweet rum/maple topping aroma mixed with tobacco... so far, so good & no plastic bag in this tin. Rub out partially broken flake mixed with regular broad cut tobacco, dry tobacco, stoke pipe, smoke pipe. A very slight taste of rum & maple flavoring & a very light, ever so slight aromatic essence in the smoke. There are only two basic types of blends... English & aromatic. The writing on the Hyde Park lid states "A traditional English blend". This is not a heavily cased aromatic blend & has a topping which was only very lightly applied... enough to create a captivating tin aroma, tame the bitterness of the Burley, detract a little from the tobacco smell in the room while adding an extra taste dimension to help make the blend more alluring so one could savor the flavor, buy more, smoke more, cellar more, etc.

This blend doesn't bite if dried properly & the initial taste was that of a slightly bitter, nutty Burley flavor... nothing unusual. Actually the flavoring was so lightly applied, the taste is almost non-existent. I perceived very little aromatic essence in the smoke but there was no strong tobacco smell either. So, if you're preference is for aromatic blends with an alluring or appealing room note, you won't find it in this blend. The topping is just enough to detract from a strong tobacco aroma only. After about a half dozen good tokes to get a good even burn, I let the pipe sit and cool. After a few more tokes I could taste a little VA & a little of the flavoring.

Most of the initial bitter flavor from the Burley subsided as the varied leaf & flavoring melded & then I heard a knock on the door. I yelled, "come in"... thought it was one of my friends. It was Lady Nicotiana who said she was from a tobacco field on the Indian continent far, far away. She strolled on over, made herself right at home & sat down on my new hat... while it was still on my head. My meaning by this is that this mixture is a pretty potent blend with some species of Indian tobacco mixed in with the Burley & Virginia. I have no idea what it might be. Whatever, makes no difference as I liked this blend really well & it will remain in my rotation along with other Peterson favorites.

The Burley is the predominant player in this mixture but is tamed down somewhat by the Virginia & a little by the flavor additive. Then, slightly more of a detectable flavor from the rum/maple sugar infusion about 1/3 down into the bowl. I favor this blend because it is not overly cased & only slightly topped with a flavoring that helped to make this strong tobacco taste & smell better & one will notice the nicotine blast early on. I don't inhale pipe tobacco whether it be strong, mild or especially if it is cased with a Propylene Glycol humectant. I tend to stay away from those blends but enjoy a good flavored tobacco... like a few Erik Stokkeybye's & especially their Family Reserve which is my favorite aromatic, St. Bruno Flake with its alluring floral/citrus flavor, Brunello Flake, University Flake with its plum flavor, etc.

This is another fine offering of Peterson blends especially if you're into more of a strong, Burley forward blend. I would purchase this one again but have many other blends cellared for sampling before I replenish this one. If you like good, fairly strong VA/Burs with a mild, slightly sweet, aromatic topping that is barely noticeable, you might be interested in giving this one a try. For me, this one turned out better than anticipated & the strength will get your head right. This probably won't be an all day smoke for everyone but one that can be smoked on a daily basis or relaxing on a day off, an after supper treat or before beddy-bye. I smoke it any time of the day or night & I'm used to strong blends & prefer them over the milder, wimpy stuff.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (C) Dublin & a D. S. Huber Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Nothing else I've sampled although some have compared it to Gawith Hoggarth Rum Flake. I haven't tried that one & unable to opine...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (44)	2019-04-13		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's been a few years since I've smoked a Peterson blend, but I remember them for their high quality tobaccos that left a lasting impression on me. After picking up pipe smoking again following a pretty lengthy hiatus, I was pretty anxious to try out a new Peterson blend once again. And the one that really caught my attention was this one, for two reasons. The first one is the rum flavoring, which is one of my favorite flavorings in a pipe tobacco if added properly, despite the fact that I don't drink alcohol. Second, because this one is blended by Gawith Hoggarth, unlike most other Peterson blends. I have yet to sample a true GH blend, so this is the closest I've got to that so far.

The tobacco presents itself mostly in dark, brown shades, completed by lighter, golden nuances from the bright Virginias. The tin note is a savory mix of that identifiable Virginia flagrance and a pretty strong smell of rum, honey and a hint of maple. The cut is a broken flake, but a pretty rough and coarse one. Some extra rubbing is recommended to make the tobacco much easier to work with. Comes pretty moist in the tin, so a bit of drying time is required.

Because of the cut, it may be a bit more difficult to pack the pipe, get it lit and under control. But once that's settled, then it shouldn't pose any problems. Burns well, pretty cool, dry, doesn't leave moisture of any kind and requires a small to average number of relights.

As far as the smoke itself is concerned, this blend is a real delight. My own senses detect more Burley than Virginia, at least through roughly the first half of the bowl. And that chocolaty, nutty, earthy Burley flavor complements the rum flavoring very well. Speaking of the flavoring, the rum is there and I mostly taste rum. There is a hint of maple to sweeten the taste, but the rum is the star of the show. Being a GH blend, I was looking for that famous Lakeland essence. Sometimes it's there in brief episodes, but very subdued and coming as a faint perfume, almost aftershave-ish taste. Once through to the second half of the bowl, the tobacco moves towards the stronger side of the spectrum and more of that dark fired Virginias come to the front, sometimes in a pretty smokey, almost barbecue-like taste. The rum is tempered a bit and the smoke becomes a much more balanced mix between the Virginias and the Burley that's maintained all the way down to the heel.

While it has a rum and maple flavoring, I wouldn't consider this one an aromatic. It has more strength and much more natural tobacco taste than most aromatics. If I'm to place Hyde Park in a particular type of blend, then I would say that it's the closest Peterson has come to crafting a Navy blend.

In the end, Hyde Park is a worthy member of Peterson's catalog of high quality tobaccos and it's obvious that this one was put together by skilled blenders. From start to finish it was a true delight and relish. I wouldn't consider this one an all-day smoke, but a very enjoyable one whenever I have the opportunity. It's an amazing blend and a new, welcomed member of my favorites list. Highly recommended, without a doubt.

Pipe Used: Szabo Bruyere Mixed

Age When Smoked: Few days

Purchased From: Online tobacco shop

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2019-02-26		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Break seal, open tin, take a whiff... smell sweet rum/maple topping aroma mixed with tobacco. So far, so good & no plastic bag in this tin. Rub out partially broken flake tobacco, dry tobacco, stoke pipe, smoke pipe. A very slight taste of rum & maple & a light aromatic essence in the smoke. There are only two basic types of blends... English & aromatic. The writing on the Hyde Park lid states "A traditional English blend." I wouldn't call this a cased aromatic blend with the usual PG humectant infusion, but a topping which was only very lightly applied... enough to create a captivating tin aroma, tame the bitterness of the Burley & detract from the tobacco smell in the room while adding an extra taste dimension to help make the blend more alluring so one could savor the flavor, buy more, smoke more, cellar more, etc.

This blend bit a little upon the charring light... not to worry as it tamed down & developed a nutty flavor which melded perfectly with the Virginia. The flavoring was pretty much non-existent initially. I perceived very little aromatic essence in the smoke but there was no strong tobacco smell either. So, if you're preference is for aromatic blends with an alluring or appealing room note, you won't find it in this blend. The casing & topping is just enough to detract from a strong tobacco odor. The Burley is the predominant leader in this mixture but is tamed down somewhat by the Virginia & a little by the flavor additive. I favor this blend because it's only lightly infused with a flavoring that helped to make this strong tobacco taste milder & smell better & one will notice the nicotine blast early on.

If you like good, fairly strong VA/Burs with a mild, slightly sweet, aromatic topping that is not overwhelming, you might be interested in giving this one a try. For me, this one turned out better than anticipated & the strength will get your head right. I'll purchase a few more down the road.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi Dublin & D. S. Huber Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2018-12-14		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Break seal, open tin, sniff tin... smell sweet rum/maple topping aroma mixed with tobacco... so far, so good & no plastic bag in this tin. Rub out partially broken flake mixed with regular, broad cut tobacco, dry tobacco, stoke pipe, smoke pipe. A very slight taste of rum & maple flavoring & a very light, ever so slight aromatic essence in the smoke. There are only two basic types of blends... English & aromatic. The writing on the Hyde Park lid states "A traditional English blend". This is not a heavily cased aromatic blend & has a topping which was only very lightly applied... enough to create a captivating tin aroma, tame the bitterness of the Burley, detract a little from the tobacco smell in the room while adding an extra taste dimension to help make the blend more alluring so one could savor the flavor, buy more, smoke more, cellar more, etc.

This blend doesn't bite if dried properly & the initial taste was that of a slightly bitter, nutty Burley flavor... nothing unusual. Actually the flavoring was so lightly applied, the taste is almost non-existent. I perceived very little aromatic essence in the smoke but there was no strong tobacco smell either. So, if you're preference is for aromatic blends with an alluring or appealing room note, you won't find it in this blend. The topping is just enough to detract from a strong tobacco odor only. After about a half dozen good tokes to get a good even burn, I let the pipe sit and cool. After a few more tokes I could taste a little VA & a little of the flavoring.

Most of the initial bitter flavor from the Burley subsided as the varied leaf & flavoring melded & then I heard a knock on the door. I yelled, "come in"... thought it was one of my friends. It was Lady Nicotiana who said she was from a tobacco field on the Indian continent far, far away. She strolled on over, made herself right at home & sat down on my new hat... while it was still on my head. My meaning by this is that this mixture is a pretty potent blend with some species of Indian tobacco mixed in with the Burley & Virginia. I have no idea what it might be. Whatever, makes no difference as I liked this blend really well & it will remain in my rotation along with other Peterson favorites.

The Burley is the predominant player in this mixture but is tamed down somewhat by the Virginia & a little by the flavor additive. Then, slightly more of a detectable flavor from the rum/maple sugar infusion about 1/3 down into the bowl. I favor this blend because it is not overly cased & only slightly topped with a flavoring that helped to make this strong tobacco taste & smell better & one will notice the nicotine blast early on. I don't inhale pipe tobacco whether it be strong, mild or especially if it is cased with a Propylene Glycol humectant. I tend to stay away from those blends but enjoy a good flavored tobacco... like a few Erik Stokkeybye's & especially their Family Reserve which is my favorite aromatic, St. Bruno Flake with its alluring floral/citrus flavor, Brunello Flake, University Flake with its plum flavor, etc.

This is another fine offering of Peterson blends especially if you're into more of a strong, Burley forward blend. I would purchase this one again but have many other blends cellared for sampling before I replenish this one. If you like good, fairly strong VA/Burs with a mild, slightly sweet, aromatic topping that is barely noticeable, you might be interested in giving this one a try. For me, this one turned out better than anticipated & the strength will get your head right. This probably won't be an all day smoke for everyone but one that can be smoked on a daily basis or relaxing on a day off, an after supper treat or before beddy-bye. I smoke it any time of the day or night & I'm used to strong blends & prefer them over the milder, wimpy stuff.

Pipe Used: Cavicchi (C) Dublin & a D. S. Huber Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Nothing else I've sampled although some have compared it to Gawith Hoggarth Rum Flake. I haven't tried that one & unable to opine..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ii31al (5)	2017-08-29		Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

My first Burley/Virginia neither good nor bad.Tin smells nice . Find it quiet strong Cool burn no tongue bite I don't think I will smoke it anytime soon . I guess it's not my cup of tea !

Pipe Used: Peterson B65

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-08-09		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I wanted to like this one more than I do. Its developed with Gawith Hogarth so I was expecting high quality and it IS high quality. Its just that even though its a pleasant smoke, I think there are better versions of this (half the G&H line to start with). Its just not very distinctive, IMHO. The taste is good, and reminds me of St Bruno flake, but is just a tad anonymous. The maple is vaguely there and while there is a fair amount of casing you do still taste the tobacco. Nic hit is pretty mild....somewhere just above mild I guess. Its fine. I can see why many people like it, and I like it, but there are just better tobaccos of this type out there.

Similar Blends: St Bruno flake in terms of taste, and actually several other Macbaren blends are comparable. Dark Roll Twist Cake tastes very much like this actually but is better, even if milder. Macbaren's Virginia #1 also is similiar..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoolPilot (69)	2014-11-14		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Ok, finally an aromatic with some body. It is a sort of Captain Black, with added strength, quite good in taste, beautiful room note. However it is too sweat, yet. I mean, a Danish is pure sugar, this one is half way between a danish and a VaPer like Del Luxe Navy Rolls! If you need some nicotine, this hasn't got enough though. You are warned.

I must add an important note: Gawith and Hoggard use a tonquin bean flavour (I guess) which is typical in scottish blends. This one does no exception, so you may not like this particular flavour which is always present.

Pipe Used: Brebbia

Similar Blends: Captain Black.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Der Pfeifenraucher (71)	2014-10-19		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Stopped in at the tobacconist while on my way back from a clients place. I was looking for Nutty Cut but they were out so I settled on Hyde Park based on the tin description of Virginias, Indians, and Burleys topped with rum and maple sugars. WRONG ANSWER. This is a Lakeland blend through and through. In the tin, once you get past the plastic bag, you get a little burley and a big fistful of Lakeland soapy rose note. I believe this is excellent tobacco presented in huge pieces of very roughly broken flake, almost whole flakes really. I found the Lakeland flavor interesting and not off-putting but not really all that great either. good moisture and nicotine, burn pretty good with a couple extra matches. I'm probably not going to finish the tin of this stuff, or anything else in this style of weed.

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Timothy's Fine Cigars, Bay City MI

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sha-moke Anna Pancake (1)	2014-01-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Not bad. Pretty good actually. Grabbed it out of a "$5 Tin With Any Pipe Purchase" box on the counter. Allow me to warn you however that this is my very first review as I am new to pipe smoking. For me, considering the miniscule yet growing portfolio of tobaccos I've tried thus far, this blend has been rather enjoyable; went through then entire tin in less than a week, in fact. I won't ruin this report by delving into mindless attempts at impressing the readers with poorly delivered pipe lingo. Let me just say simply: Not too shabby at all.

Pipe Used: Savinelli - Roma

Age When Smoked: Fresh off the shelf

Purchased From: Cigar Chateau

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Strichetto (21)	2014-01-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Bought in Switzerland in 2013, at average price for good quality tobaccoes. It comes in an usual round tin and an unusual plastic inside, at opening is a broken flake (a bit too thin) with correct moisture, but flavour (good) is not as you expect about a declared english blend, even if corrected with rum.

Flavour: maple and rum, surely, and something else I cannot recognize... a bit sweet, yes, but quite good

Taste: not english, surely not aromatic in the danish way, but elegant (maybe a little on the flat side...); it's not enough strong, by me.

Room note: no problem, really.

Burning: easy lighting, a little bit fast, but OK.

I tryed several Peterson's tobaccoes, and it's amazing discover that all of them are very well manufactured and good enough, but none I experienced is really impressive. Somewhat recommended...

Age When Smoked: not seasoned

Purchased From: Dubini, Switzerland

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesillyoldbear (4)	2014-01-05		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Hyde Park is a weird one, as it’s very close to a “Lakeland” style tobacco in it’s aroma, but lacks the heavy topping that usually comes with that style. Personally I love it, the base tobaccos are all excellent and the cut is gorgeous, although the plastic bag was a little off putting and I think it keeps the moisture in a little too well. Hyde Park really does benefit from being decanted into a mason jar and being left for at least month.

The smoke itself starts off very sweet, akin to it’s tin note, but the sweetness melds in with a buttery nuttiness and a slight pepper undertone.

The maple and rum sugars can be a little cloying but if sipped slowly in a pipe with a smaller bowl, which will also help with the tremendous nicotine hit this blend provides (although my favoured pipe is an MM Diplomat) it makes a really nice short, sweet smoke, especially with black coffee. My last tin lasted around four months, so it’s not an everyday smoke but when I do pull it out I always enjoy it.

Pipe Used: MM Diplomat, Falcon, 'Imperial' sandgrain bulldog

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-01-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

30can in my storage~! The 1 n only peterson i like~!

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