Peterson Hyde Park

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!!

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.

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.

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.

---

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!

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...

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.

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.

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...meaning no Lakelands/Florals with this incarnation.