G. L. Pease Navigator
(2.96)
For centuries, men of the sea have known the pleaures of fine Virginia tobaccos, pressed and aged with a drop of rum. The addition of rich dark fired Kentucky leaf brings a new dimension to the flavour and aroma of this timeless combination. Chart your course for a new world of enjoyment, light a bowl, and set sail with Navigator.
Notes: From GL Pease: First, if you're expecting an "aromatic" tobacco because of the mention of rum in the description, and an aromatic is what you're seeking for, this ain't that. Second, if you're afraid of tobaccos with a little rum in them, don't be. It's an enhancement, not something overpowering. It brings out the natural fruitiness of the bright and red Virginias that comprise the backbone of the blend, and softens the edges and the earthiness of the dark fired Kentucky a bit. Think of it as a nice, stout and sturdy VA with a little something extra, and you won't be far off.
As far as strength is concerned, it doesn't warrant a skull and crossbones on the label, like some of the wickedly potent English death rattle flakes, but neither would I consider it a breakfast blend, except for those with iron constitutions. In other words, don't be afraid of it, but treat it with some respect. On the strength-o-meter, I'd say it's a little south of JackKnife Plug, but definitely fuller bodied and more heady than the other VA flakes in my catalogue.
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Old London Series |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Burley |
| Contents | Kentucky, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Flake |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin, 16 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Extremely Mild
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.96 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 41 - 48 of 48 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 07, 2023 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a review of a three-year old tin.
Navigator tastes like what a "navy flake" should taste like - Virginia and burley topped with some rum. However, the "burley" here is Dark Fired Kentucky and the rum is extremely subtle. So, it tastes more "correct" than what the ingredients suggest. No complaints, I love navy tobacco.
I get hay, spice, apricot/peach, a bit of perfume and vegetation. The spice and drop of perfume probably comes from the Kentucky but I would've believed that there are small amounts of Turkish leaves if I was told so. The rum is far in the background and only adds a tiny bit of boozy notes to round things out. However, it's not nearly as strong as in other G.L. Pease alcohol additions, such as Sixpence. The apricot/peach can be attributed either to the rum or to the Virginia's fruitiness. The spice is fairly muted and mostly comes out in the retro-hale.
I enjoyed it the most once it's sufficiently dried. It brings out the flavors the most and prevents extra relights and messing around. It's easy to rub out, pack, and smoke. The flavor doesn't change much during the smoke, but it does get stronger as you go. Smokes slow and cool. No tongue bite. Can be smoked any time of the day. However, best enjoyed when doing nothing else and sipping slowly to get all the flavors.
No harsh tones, extremely well balanced. This is ultimately a Virginia blend with some rounding up of Kentucky and rum, rather than an equal level sweet, spice, alcohol. Navigator is a little more complex than that and requires you to dig in for those hidden notes if you wish to.
Medium-full in body, medium strength.
I like G.L. Pease blends, but many of them don't sit super well with me, especially those containing high levels of Perique. Navigator, however, was excellent. If you love Virginias such as Capstan, but want a bit more of supplemental volume, body, and/or strength, try this one. Highly recommended.
Navigator tastes like what a "navy flake" should taste like - Virginia and burley topped with some rum. However, the "burley" here is Dark Fired Kentucky and the rum is extremely subtle. So, it tastes more "correct" than what the ingredients suggest. No complaints, I love navy tobacco.
I get hay, spice, apricot/peach, a bit of perfume and vegetation. The spice and drop of perfume probably comes from the Kentucky but I would've believed that there are small amounts of Turkish leaves if I was told so. The rum is far in the background and only adds a tiny bit of boozy notes to round things out. However, it's not nearly as strong as in other G.L. Pease alcohol additions, such as Sixpence. The apricot/peach can be attributed either to the rum or to the Virginia's fruitiness. The spice is fairly muted and mostly comes out in the retro-hale.
I enjoyed it the most once it's sufficiently dried. It brings out the flavors the most and prevents extra relights and messing around. It's easy to rub out, pack, and smoke. The flavor doesn't change much during the smoke, but it does get stronger as you go. Smokes slow and cool. No tongue bite. Can be smoked any time of the day. However, best enjoyed when doing nothing else and sipping slowly to get all the flavors.
No harsh tones, extremely well balanced. This is ultimately a Virginia blend with some rounding up of Kentucky and rum, rather than an equal level sweet, spice, alcohol. Navigator is a little more complex than that and requires you to dig in for those hidden notes if you wish to.
Medium-full in body, medium strength.
I like G.L. Pease blends, but many of them don't sit super well with me, especially those containing high levels of Perique. Navigator, however, was excellent. If you love Virginias such as Capstan, but want a bit more of supplemental volume, body, and/or strength, try this one. Highly recommended.
Age When Smoked:
3 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2023 | Strong | Very Mild | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
TIN NOTE
Nice full smoke. the yeast and bread from the Virginias, some fruitiness, and the nuts and bbq smoke of the DFK. the rum topping is noticeable.
SMOKING NOTES
Not a complex smoke, but it has depth. DFK and Virginias are on par. You get both in equal measures. The Virginias offer nice sweetness with some bread and fruit notes. The DFK gives nuttiness and charcoal fire. Both components play well with each other. The topping adds a little bit of sweetness. While this blend may lack the depth of having oriental tobaccos or perique ... but it provides a solid consistent flavor profile that leans to the richer side.
MECHANICS
Minimal drying time is needed. Took to flame well. Minimal relights were necessary. flavor is consistent throughout the bowl. Burns at a reasonable cool rate from start to finish. No bite.
SUMMARY
Good take on a Navy blend by Mr. Pease. I wouldn't recommend this for beginners. This isn't your typical Virginia-forward Navy blade. This is a bold, full-flavored man's tobacco that will smack the unwary. Pair well with ale and red wine.
THREE STARS
Pipe Used:
Ashton pebble grain
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes
Age When Smoked:
1
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 04, 2023 | Medium to Strong | Mild | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The deeper I go into my pipe smoking journey, the more I’ve come to appreciate dark fired leaf as a condiment and less as main player. My introduction to it was Old Dark Fired, which is a very bold tobacco with a lot of rough edges that has a pretty big nic hit. I don’t necessarily like it by itself because of this, but I’ve found I really enjoy it as an addition to a blend to deepen and enhance flavors.
Navigator is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. You’ve got a deep, rich, bold tobacco but there’s a bit more nuance and fewer rough edges. It’s oily and flavorful and still packs a punch but won’t knock you down the way a straight Dark Fired tobacco might. The rum really helps pull everything together into a cohesive experience while also sublimating things just a tad.
I’ve smoked a lot of rum and navy flakes and it’s a favorite of mine, and this is just another expression of that style. Some are pure Virginia and some have additions like Latakia or perique, so there’s a lot of wiggle room for play and experimentation when it comes to this category. If you’re looking to see what lies on the bolder end of this type of tobacco blend then this is a good one to try. If you’re looking for something more typical I might suggest C&D - Blockade Runner or it’s sister blend that has Latakia, Black Frigate.
Navigator is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. You’ve got a deep, rich, bold tobacco but there’s a bit more nuance and fewer rough edges. It’s oily and flavorful and still packs a punch but won’t knock you down the way a straight Dark Fired tobacco might. The rum really helps pull everything together into a cohesive experience while also sublimating things just a tad.
I’ve smoked a lot of rum and navy flakes and it’s a favorite of mine, and this is just another expression of that style. Some are pure Virginia and some have additions like Latakia or perique, so there’s a lot of wiggle room for play and experimentation when it comes to this category. If you’re looking to see what lies on the bolder end of this type of tobacco blend then this is a good one to try. If you’re looking for something more typical I might suggest C&D - Blockade Runner or it’s sister blend that has Latakia, Black Frigate.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 23, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin note of sour stewed fruit, spices, and mild smoke. Tobacco is red-brown broken flake. Tobacco is mostly dry and rubs out fairly easy. Burns is slow with a few extra relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is not detected despite description. Taste is medium and inconsistent, with notes of very earthy, very woody, very mild sweet fruit, bread, roasted bitter nuts, dry herbs, lemon grass background note, and a spicy retro. Virginias is leading with Kentucky supporting. Rum is missing in action. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used:
Wally Frank Limited White Bar Sandblast 128
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
4 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 08, 2020 | Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Well, here a great navy flake. Wonderful tin notes, little casting, almost right humidity straight out of the box, easy to rub, easy to burn. Sweet but to the right point, not too complex (which is good) still not boring . An excellent VA with some other tobaccos added for complexity. a good all day smoke, perhaps to be rotated with some other VAs on the lighter side. Perhaps not for the morning coffee but who knows? 3-4 stars for a traditional natural english flake. other Pease I enjoy are Laurel Heights, Cairo, Picadilly, Westminster and the great Maltese. Try it in older small pipes.
Pipe Used:
dunhill author 4 tanshell
PurchasedFrom:
A very good navy flake
Age When Smoked:
2019
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jun 14, 2020 | Strong | Medium | Medium to Full | Very Pleasant |
Очень интересный табак. Нарезан флейк "соломкой", как спички. Удобно забивать. Курится легко, сгорает полностью.
Вкус.. вкус с нотками очень жёсткого табака, но при этом очень пряный и яркий, сильно пьянит.
Однозначно понравится всем, кто любит крепкий, но вкусный табак.
Вкус.. вкус с нотками очень жёсткого табака, но при этом очень пряный и яркий, сильно пьянит.
Однозначно понравится всем, кто любит крепкий, но вкусный табак.
Pipe Used:
?????
PurchasedFrom:
??????? ??????
Age When Smoked:
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| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 21, 2015 | Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Very broken flakes, and my tin was on the dry side. The underlying tobaccos seemed like an ok blend, the touch of rum making it a nice smoke. I didn't find that rum to be too much, or even always present; just enough to make it interesting. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is probably not.
Pipe Used:
various briars and a cob
PurchasedFrom:
4 Noggins
Age When Smoked:
19 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2013 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Previous poster read my mind. After half a tin the best description i can give is Jack knife plug light. Rum? Barely there. Still i love JKP so this smokes well. A little wetter than usual from the tin.
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