Peterson Hyde Park

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.