Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Cairo (Original Mixtures)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-09-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Greg Pease has a way with tobacco blending that strikes my palate as most unusual. His tobaccos are never what they seem to be at first blush. The old saw of "You must smoke at least x ounces of a tobacco to get its true measure" was never truer than with GLP blends. This one gets a solid 3.5 stars, just short of 4 because while I do enjoy this one, it isn't one of my favorites. That said, I think it is extremely well done and deserving of my support in the form of more tins for my cellar.

Cairo and I didn't start out so well. When I first smoked it in late 2008, I found it rough and harsh and "cigarette-ish". Whether the last 1.5 years in the cellar smoothed it out or my own self smoothed out is not readily known. But when I reopened the tin and took a big snootful, I thought it smelled like an OTC tobacco. No sweat there, as I enjoy several OTC's. However, this blend has one thing most OTC's do not have in my opinion, and that is depth. Many OTC's have good flavor but don't progress beyond the flavor at the match. This one does. It develops layer upon layer of complexity as the various VA's and orientals play with one another. The perique is there, but just slightly... just to add a layer of depth without making its taste known too much.

Interestingly, the tin description of this one is very accurate. It's a good tasting tobacco and one that I'll return to on occasion. More than that, it's an exciting blend. GLP blends are hit or miss for me when it comes to my own personal enjoyment but I always get the feeling that the final product is exactly what Mr Pease had in mind when he envisioned it originally. I think of GLP blends as good art. Whether I get it or not doesn't diminish it's artistic merit. Cairo is truly amazing stuff. As with most GLP blends, it still has some secrets but it's worth the time to discover them.

34 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2003-02-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

An unusual offering, and a very refreshing one, showing G.L.'s originality and resource.

The Virginia here, very bright-looking indeed, is briskly herbal and not at all sugary. The orientals bring it a sec smoothness: this virginia blend does NOT bite. Périque gives a certain airborne edge. Mild but not bland, like chablis. I cannot think of anything else like it.

I have found this an outstanding outdoor smoke; nothing seems to make it burn too hot. A find.

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2/2003 Returning to this blend after a few months, I found it had dried out a bit, which made its flavour that little smidgeon more intense. The citrusy sweetness of the virginia was more to the fore, the orientals more in the background.

This was a wonderful experience, at 4 in the morning, in an Ashton Rhodesian. I decided to upgrade the rating.

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2015-03-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Virginias are a little grassy with a little tart and tangy citrus, and tangy dark fruitiness, and some earth, wood and bread, though I found the sweetness was more toned down than I had expected. Not much of the “vinegar” either. I barely notice the spice from the perique. It mainly has a plum and raisin character. The Oriental/Turkish is dry, sour, woody, earthy, herbal, floral, spicy and smoky, and often dominates the Virginias, especially after the half way point. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does have a few rough edges. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a shade below that mark. Burns at a reasonable pace, cool with an inconsistent taste, and a little sour dullness near the finish, though it’s fairly smooth until then. Has a decent amount of complexity, but again, not consistently. No moisture to speak of left in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering after taste and room note. Not an all day smoke. Two and half stars.

-JimInks

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2014-04-04		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'd like to make a little different style of review than I would normally make, I'd like to "Review the Review's"! I tried this blend, wrote my review in a "Word document" and was in the process of puting it into the site when I noticed my rating was way out of sync with most of the others ( 80% 4 star, 20% 2&1 star ). I stopped and asked myself what was I missing??? I'm sorry, but being an old Engineer, I started to try to analyze the "data". Here is what I thought was interesting:

1) People seemed to either love this blend or hate it ?( more love it now than years back)

2) People who loved the blend tended to rate the "flavoring" very low or none , where as people who didn't like the blend, rated the "flavoring" as stronger or in the aromatic camp. ( Was there a quality control issue, or just preferences?)

3) There were numerous references to the size of the pipe smoked, the larger size being the preference and seemed to be a factor in how people enjoyed this blend. ( I had been smoking this blend in a cob)

4) People who liked the blend seemed to use adjectives like :Virginia forward, sweet, cool burning, not bland, interesting, low Perique nice Orientals, good balance, develops through bowl, citrus notes, not harsh, no bite, good cellaring.

On the other hand, people who didn't like the blend used adjectives like: Harsh, cigarette-ish, spicy hot pepper, topped aromatic, sour, ashy, all high notes, Perique/ oriental forward, no taste, boring , bites.

MY CONCLUSIONS: Take the time to read some of the good & harsh reviews with an open mind, I did. Afterwards, I tried this blend in a heavy briar and it is much improved over the cob. I believe this is a blend that will greatly improve with airing and cellar time ( 6 months minimum , check your tin dates ). I'll be updating my review as my experiment continues. But for right now, how to rate this????, 2 or 4 ,OK it's a 3

Updated 2015-02-23- I keep trying this blend and now the tin has almost 10 months . I'm convinced that I'm totally in the later camp, that is to say , "People who didn't like the blend used adjectives like: Harsh, cigarette-ish, spicy hot pepper, topped aromatic, sour, ashy, all high notes, Perique/ oriental forward, no taste, boring , bites."

This blend ravishes my tongue, period . 1 star

Pipe Used: Cob & Briar

Age When Smoked: 3 weeks/ 10 months

Similar Blends: Haddos Delight.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2001-12-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: Mostly red and orange with a lesser amount of yellow/tan leaf, and a small quantity of dark. Medium ribbon cut with some short pieces.

Aroma: Rich somewhat sweet virginia aroma, with a spicy background, and a trace of mustiness. The blend is a bit sweeter smelling than I expected, possibly Greg processes his Virginias. Haddo?s also has a sweet tin aroma.

Packing: Very easy to pack using the gravity method. The cut works well in any size pipe from smallish to large bowls.

Lighting: Lights easily, but not too quickly. The medium ribbon ensures that it will not burn too quickly. Char, tamp, and relight gets a good cool burn going.

Initial flavor: The initial taste is sweeter than expected from the ingredients listed, the virginias predominate. There is a subtle spice, and a hint of the raisiny perique tingle. It does not seem to be fast burning, so it remains cool, while burning well.

Mid-bowl: Still beguiling in mid third, the turkish and perique contribute a bit more of their flavor to round out the smoke. When smoked slowly, the flavors vary constantly, revealing nuances of taste. No tendency to wetness detected.

Finish: Continues to be cool and tasty to the end, no real change in taste, and no harshness at all. Leaves a clean, dry ash in a dry pipe. When smoked slowly, even the pipe cleaner comes out clean.

Summary: Very tasty and gentle on the palate, definitely a blend I will come back to. This is a type that has always appealled to me as an eye opener, or in warmer weather. Could well be an all day smoke. The only blend in this general category (va-turkish-perique) that I like better is Butera Blended Flake, and only because it is a flake.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2002-06-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cairo is really a fine smoke, even for a fellow like me who doesn't normally drool over perique blends. What is so different about Cairo is the fact that the blender (Mr.Pease), found a way to combine virginia and oriental leaf in a manner that did not cause one's tongue to be fried.

I don't think I will ever smoke another bowl of this tobacco simply because of the perique, but I did not find this to be a bad smoke at all, and for a perique hater like myself, that is a true testament to the quality of this blend.

I took the tin to my pipe club meeting a couple of months ago, and the tobacco didn't stay in the tin long. The majority of the guys loved this stuff. I suppose you will too.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-04		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Most tobaccos IMHO improve with age and for me, this is especially true with Pease/ C&D Virginia blends. I have several that I struggled with that I am revisiting and Cairo (6/09) is the second one of the four of them. The others being Fillmore, Cumberland and Laurel Heights. Cairo’s tin scent is a little sour, slightly sweet, a little bit of plume and spirts like topping. I generally no longer subscribe to the notion that many bowls are required to get every nuance of every blend. However, Cairo did in fact require a long time for me to understand Cairo’s complex flavors. I think that DK’s comments on this blend are very similar to my own thoughts on Cairo and I don’t have much to add. I too found it “cigarettey” and rough when new. There are layers of flavor that seem to show themselves more depending on the cadence and bowl size. I sometimes get a little nuttier flavor, other times the Dark Virginia plays a greater role. I cannot think of many blends that compare to Cairo, although when aged, the closest blend I can think of is Japan Tobacco’s Momoyama, although Cairo is more complex. Cairo isn’t an everyday blend for me, but when aged four stars just the same.

Age When Smoked: 2009

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2009-10-18		Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable

Over the past few years, I've grown acquainted with most of the major tobacco types used in pipe blends. I can easily pick them out during a smoke. However, Orientals generally slip past my senses and remain a mystery. I hear people describe them as "buttery," and I admit, I just don't get it.

A while back I picked up some Oriental blending leaf (Turkish Smyrna) to isolate its taste profile. I mixed it in with blends on hand, did a bit of my own blending (I'm no Alfred Dunhill), and smoked it straight (better than expected). I still had problems, so I went in search of a showcase Oriental blend to show me the way.

I chose Cairo specifically because it lacked Latakia, which tastes so full that it tends to outshine anything else in a blend. After some experimentation, to tell you the truth, I'm still baffled. Maybe my palate is shot from all the English and this leather tongue can't pick up on the subtleties. Who knows?

Despite the failure of my mission, I'll say that Cairo is an excellent blend. On first opening, the tin will yield the unmistakable scent of a topping. I'm assuming this is some kind of liquor, but being a bit naive of the variety, I can't be more specific (the translation to combustion is restrained, however). Cairo is a blond beauty, full of brightly colored leaves. You can see a few flecks of Perique, but the leaf is used sparingly. One might think a mild smoke would be in hand, but this is a mistake. Cairo is rich and full. The first time I smoked this, I put it in a large sized Meerschaum and nearly overdosed on nicotine. That is rare for someone who craves heavy blends.

I value novelty in my tobacco, as I tend to tire easily of monotony, and this mixture is certainly unique. I can't pin another blend that tastes anything like this. I haven't yet decided how Cairo will fit into my long term rotation, but these 2 ounces will be a pleasure to explore.

My fixation with Orientals will continue until I'm satisfied with my knowledge of the leaf. Scouring tobacco reviews, I think I'll try Embarcadero next. I'm interested to see what Greg considers a super variety of Izmir, and its implementation in flake form.

Four of Five.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

(From a blind tobacco tasting review)

Appearance: An overall light tobacco, this blend seems to have at least five distinct tobaccos in it. I detected (in declining amounts) bright ribbon, yellow-orange irregular leaf fragments, red ribbon, red/brown leaf fragments with a greenish cast and black tobaccos (which appears to be stoved). The sample arrived at perfect smoking temperature. Easy to pack and keep lit.

Tin aroma: The tin aroma is delicate, and not associable with any blender (thus immediately ruling out McClelland, MacBaren, SG and GH!) I pick up hay, figs, a bright American Virginia toasty sweetness, a tanginess (but not the scent) of dried apricot, a suggestion of vinegar and something else that I can?t put my finger on. No perceptible casings, just high-quality Virginias.

The Smoke: On light up, the bright Virginia makes its presence felt with a warning sting. I diligently apply conscientious Virginia Technique for a few minutes, but because I?m driving I drift back into dangerous territory. The delicacy of the aroma is reflected in the flavor without being ?light.? The bowl finishes nicely, but only when the last ember dies out do I notice that my tongue is moderately cooked. My fault for angering the BPTT gods with inattention. A nice, bright Virginia blend.

Second smoke is in a Savinelli Classica, which loves American Virginias, on my screened in front porch on a perfect 72-degree F evening. While I rigorously try NOT to identify a tobacco, breath-smoking begins to bring out not just wonderfully sweet, complex and delicious Virginias, but also a seductive, mysterious and evolving element. The complexity of the blend suggest a GL Pease blend, and the mysterious element, which I believe to be Orientals, leads me to the conclusion that this is GL Pease Cairo, one of my very favorite tobaccos. This experience reminds me that a casual smoke of this tobacco misses the soul of this blend, and can leave the smoker with the impression of a light, somewhat hot, non-complex mixture. Such a waste!

If this ISN?T Cairo, I am VERY eager to see what it is.

(Post-logue: Cairo is unlike any other tobacco available - hence my ability to identify it. Non-Latakia Oriental blends (plus gorgeous Virginias here) are few and far between, but the intricacy, variation, complexity and development of Cairo leaves me breathless. It has gotten to the point where I refuse to smoke it unless I can focus all of my attention on the smoke, because a casual, non-conscious bowl of this will miss the majesty that lies just beneath the surface.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-01-17		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Among my favorite GLP blends. Excellent tin note of the expected figs and raisins, with something else I can't quite put my finger on - I imagine the influence of the Orientals, which add interesting herbal and salty notes to what might otherwise be a light VaPer. All of this is enveloped in a light brandy.

Cairo is a very complex blend, with flavors changing as the bowl is smoked. I often taste sweet, lemony Virginia's first, followed by a more Oriental-forward flavor profile mid-bowl, concluded by my perique fix towards the end. The Virginias are smoother here than in any Pease blend I've tried, framed by the Oriental which provides a salty, somewhat piney and herbal character to the blend. The pepper and spice from the Perique intertwines to provide a truly unique pipe tobacco experience which, in my opinion, improves dramatically by mid-bowl once the brandy flavor largely burns off and fades further into the background. It's tough to call this blend either Oriental or Virginia forward - when smoked slowly, it's a well put together balancing act. The Virginias assert if puffed, suggesting their higher concentration in Cairo vs a true Oriental. But then Cairo isn't really posing as an "Oriental": it's a unique Pease creation that, like Haddo's Delight, defies simple categorization.

Cairo burns dry and cool, like any good Oriental should, with the natural sharpness of the Virginias dulled out nicely by the Orientals. Copious amounts of fragrant white smoke and a minimal number of relights are highlights of this dry-smoking, flavorful and unique blend.

Highly recommended. Good enough that I dedicated a large-bowled billiard. The first GLP blend I tried and still among my top three favorites. There's nothing quite like it.

Similar Blends: Unique.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2018-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

G. L. Pease - Cairo.

If I'm honest I wasn't exactly impressed with my first bowl of Cairo. Boring. But it got a different reception this morning when time was against me! Any-hoo, let's go back to the start: a medium brown ribbon which could pass off as being a shag. The moisture of it's spot on and the tin smells sweet and sour.

The cut makes loading a bowl a doddle, then lighting's easy, which is why it makes a great smoke when time isn't on your side. It burns a bit quick, not suiting the position of an evening smoke, but again, when time is of the essence that's no problem. Virginia (mainly the fruity red) and Orientals (sour yet fragrant) take responsibility for the primary flavour. The other Virginias and Perique sit further back. Especially the Perique; the description says a 'whisper' of Perique and I couldn't put it any better! I don't get any tongue bite but it can become a bit warm if puffed with too much vigour.

Nicotine: just above medium, at a push. Room-note: not great.

Cairo? Well, it wouldn't be my first choice when I have hours to relax with, but as a 'pushed for time' smoke it deserves three stars:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Freehand

Age When Smoked: Stamped 01/30/18

Purchased From: 4noggins

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-11-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: 01/21/10

Appearance: The typical Pease-esque "ribbon" with the very occasional chunk of dark stuff...the "whisper of Perique"??? I pack it quite firmly or the draw is far too light. For some reason I found myself constantly relighting (in all three pipes), probably because I'm attempting to keep a slow sipping-style smolder going.

Aroma: The strangest tin aroma I've ever experienced. Think contact cement. But in a good way . No, I'm not a glue sniffer, but this blend has an extremely unique aroma that must be coming from the "exotic oriental leaf." Somewhat reminiscent of an unripe mango, it also hints of an extremely overripe apple, one that has started to ferment. I think it might be a topping, but it actually smells really good! The room note is delicious with a toastiness that is quite close to the actual flavors, which is not that common, at least in my experience. I'm sure that interesting aroma will subside after the tin has been open for a couple weeks.

Pipe 1: Self-made Freehand Pipe 2: Meer Billiard Pipe 3: Sav Bulldog

Flavor: I normally think of Greg Pease as specializing in austere vapers and rich English blends. Cairo is unique in his lineup and showcases Greg's mad blending skills.

This is the toughest Pease blend yet for me to describe. The flavors are subtle, layered beneath and woven through the straight-ahead Virginia tobacco tastes. This is definitely a sipping tobacco. There are some similarities to the McClelland line of Grand Orientals, although I can't remember specifically which one as I've had several of them. I am typically not a fan of blends that are in-your-face oriental blends, but this one is an exception. It's unique, no doubt, and I like it a lot.

There is a flavor there that is simply unique and I can't really come up with an accurate descriptor. Maybe that fermenting apple I mentioned. It doesn't really come across to me as citrus like Pease describes it - more like the rich sweet fruits like plums, apples or figs. It has just the right amount of sweetness but I wouldn't call it a "sweet" tobacco.

There is an aftertaste of dried grass, the three-foot-high kind I used to chew on when I was a kid walking through the woods on a warm autumn day. It has a very clean finish, which means it does not leave a strong tobacco odor or taste in my mouth. If you're into oriental mixtures, I can see where this could be an all day smoke for you. Definitely the most interesting blend I have reviewed in the Pllgrimage, and one I'm looking forward to getting to know much better. Excellent!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is another outstanding example of GL Pease’s blending ability. This time, he takes on and conquers the Virginia bite that always seems to attack my tongue. This is a very good lighter Virginia tobacco, smooth without sacrificing any of the subtle goodness of the species. I highly recommend it to anyone who loved Virginia flavor but has a tender mouth. The smell in the tin is wonderful, but very hard to describe. There is a vinegar smell there, but it is no where near as harsh as with McClelland blends. It is a mild, tangy, "sharp" aroma that merges into the sweet, refreshing components also present. The aroma is strong enough that I wonder if the tobacco has been cased; I could just sit and smell the stuff for several minutes. The colors of the leaf are varied, mostly medium and lighter browns with an occasional dark brown piece mixed in. The cut is medium to longer, and packing a bowl is fairly easy. It lights easily and burns well, needing less than the average number of relights. In the first third of the bowl, the taste is light and sweet, actually pretty close to the aroma in the tin. There is no initial bite, and smoke is not at all harsh. The flavor, aside from the sweetness, is very subtle and interesting. I can taste one note in particular that I can’t place; it’s almost buttery(?) but not rich, if that makes any sense; one reviewer described it as “butterscotch”, which I can accept. All of the flavors are very well mixed and support each other perfectly. In the second third, the flavors are still rather subtle and muted. The sweetness has lessened somewhat, and that “buttery” taste has nearly vanished. The smoke is still bite-free, and there is no moisture that I notice. The taste has matured a bit, becoming darker; this is especially obvious in a deep, narrow pipe bowl. It is very complex and dynamic, but this is only noticeable if slow, careful puffing is used to bring it out properly. In the last third of the bowl, the flavor continues to mature and develop. The flavors never become really obvious; rather, they linger on the edge of recognition, teasing the taste buds. The smoke is fairly smooth and still lacking in bite. While not near as full and dark as a mature Virginia flake, the tobacco nevertheless is not weak or uninteresting. It smokes clean and dry right to the ashes. Overall, this is perhaps the finest lighter Virginia tobacco I’ve tried. The flavors are complex and support each other, and are well worth the effort needed to bring them out properly. I plan to stock this regularly, and I believe that this will age very nicely indeed. Add this to the long list of GLP successes; an excellent blend!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Cairo is a great, great blend. For me this is the perfect morning blend, I have a bowl every morning. The sweet citrus notes at the start are my OJ. After that the orientals take over and offer an interesting tasty smoke till the perique slides in (not too peppery)at the bottom third of the blowl. Cario finishes off truely singing in a grand finaly of all the ingrediants comming together in awsome smokeness.

I get no bite, it lights easily and stays lit through the entire bowl. Cairo is a blend that can be an all day smoke and one that can be enjoyably complex.

While this blend is great with a fresh tin, it ages exceptionally well. I find that in a fresh tin the citrus notes linger more through the first 2/3rds of the bowl and are less subtle than in an aged tin. I prefer the way they become more mellowed and refined with some age. But either way is good for me. It's hard to put some age on your tins when you like them so much. If you looking for a blend that tasts good, smokes well, offers loads complexity while not having to be babied,(and who isn't?) give Cairo a try.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2014-02-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cairo is a pleasantly intriguing tobacco. A mixture of several Virginias, a goodly amount of oriental,, and just a touch or perique make up the blend. Cairo is not prone to tongue bite. The herbal orientals are apparent in the tin aroma, not so much in the room note. The perique component is light; perique haters will nevertheless find it enough to cross this off their list. Smoked with full attention, Cairo has a surprising amount of complexity. This is totally lost when smoking while doing something else, such as working in the yard or shop. As with all GLPease tobaccos, this is much better with some age on it, at least several months.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-06-18		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought my first tin of the day it was introduced, I just happened to be at the B&M when they were stocking it. It came highly recommended from the proprietor and was my first "Boutique" blend.

This is one of those moments you remember, possibly even a holy grail moment, the smell, the sight of the blonde sprigs with flecks of... green? ...Really? This stuff was fresh! Lighting it the fragrance of the smoke was absolutely mind numbing. I went back to the store the next day and bought every tin they had and it was my daily smoke for a year... loved this stuff. I was one of those people that thought Greg had cut a deal with the devil... it was that good.

Financial hard times befell me and had to give up the luxuries in life for a while and expensive tins of tobacco were one of the first casualties to go.

Fast forward a year and I was back in the store for more Cairo. But this time it was different. It was much darker in color and not as fresh in the aroma department which was also apparent when smoked. Much more stout, almost harsh and nasty on the tongue, what the hell happened?

I don't know if it was my change in taste from smoking cheap tobacco and cigarettes or if it was the natural aging process of the blend itself but I was no longer smitten. I tried multiple times to rekindle that first experience but Cairo had morphed into something I no longer liked. The last of the most recent tin was reduced to a pile of dust after sitting so long untouched and finally ended up at the bottom of the round file this morning.

I appreciate it as something that defined my taste in tobacco in my early days of smoking. It still has desirable qualities and I'm not sayin it's a bad tobacco, just no longer something I lust for as I did when it was new.

If you like Vapers I still recommend you give it a try as most like it just fine with some age on it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-08-05		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I often find difficult to match my opinions about pipe tobaccos with their descriptions. In this case, I couldn't describe this mixture better than the words on the tin do. All I can add is the presence of a well conceiled Haddo's-like casing which provides lots of character to this sorta-VaPer. Thanks to orientals, Cairo behaves as a sweeter and milder version of Haddo's, suitable for earlier in the day. Outstanding.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

UPDATE 32 MONTHS ON After reviewing Cairo in September 2006, I jarred what I had and left it to age. Did nearly three years in a cool, dark closet help? Not much. Its Oriental flavor is ever so slightly more apparent, mostly in the nose; it has also acquired a very slight, not-unpleasant resiny taste. But it's still a dull, harsh blend. It's not that I can't appreciate Oriental blends -- I love those put out by McClelland, like Bombay Ct. and Yenidje Highlander. I just don't think Cairo is very good.

** Original Review, 09/2006

The description makes this blend sound delicious, but in fact it is hollow and dull. Words like "nutty" and "robust" certainly do not apply! On opening the tin you're greeted by a strong "ketchup" smell. Love it or hate it, the smell is irrelevant to the smoke. The tobacco is very dry in the tin and can go right into the pipe. On lighting, you get a flavor that is, um, subtle to say the least. It's vaguely reminiscent of Turkish cigarettes, vaguely reminscent of a cigar -- but the mere memory of Turkish cigarette or a cigar is better than the actual taste of Cairo. There's nothing to it -- "there's no 'there' there." The monotony lasts from the charring light right down to the bottom of the bowl; a trip that, fortunately, doesn't take too long given the dryness of the leaf. I smoked one bowl, jarred the rest and will revisit it in 2011, maybe. Age might bring something out; right now, Cairo has nothing going for it.

G.L. Pease is frustrating. When it's good, as in Haddo's or Odyssey, it's very, very good. When it's bad, as in Cairo or Abingdon, it's ... well, not very, very bad, just dullsville.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-12-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Presentation: Tin looks the same as all the others in the Pease Original Series. Black and white label with blue accent and pipes photographed in the background.

Cut: Chunky ribbon cut, on the dry side.

Tin note: Smells of sweet red wine.

Tasting notes: Mostly a grassy blend with some earth, cream. Tangy, a touch of pepper. A touch smoky here and there. Sometimes leathery later into the bowl, especially on the retrohale.

Mechanics: Smoke slowly or it could bite. I found myself having to tamp frequently, probably due to the dryness.

Extra Remarks: I have been smoking this blend for six months now and I thought there was an alcohol topping here like there is with Barbary Coast and Haddo's Delight. It feels like it when smoking. This blend is on the mild side with flavor but the complexity is there. And it's an interesting tasting blend. 3 stars.

Pipe Used: IMP Straight Billiard Meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin to 6 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2020-10-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the mixes that I have tried to date that has evolved most favorably in me since I smoked it the first time until the moment I write this review, to the point that it is one of the few mixes that have invited me to repeat and smoke two pipes in a row. To say that the first time I smoked it disappointed me and now I find it wonderful. Between time and time again only four pipes have passed.

Let's go there with the review. When I opened the tin I found a cut of the broken flake type mixed with a thin ribbon, throwing a shag. A type of hybrid cut where thicker tobacco chunks appear mixed with others so thin they look like confetti. This surprised me because I have seen tin from some smokers where what appeared was a Ribbon cut so fine it looked quite like a shag. The cold smell, very rich, is quite similar to that of a typical VaPer, of raisins, figs, ferment, vinegar, perhaps something citrus ... I do not detect orientals at this stage. Tobacco comes with a humidity level that allows the pipe to be loaded immediately, even when pulling on the dry side, and this causes it to burn quite quickly and the smoke tends to be short. When I turn on the tobacco and take the first puffs I am surprised that the aroma is not what I expected. The Orientals (where were they hidden?) Acquire the leading role to the detriment of the perique in a quite pronounced way, making the smoke have a fragrant, fresh, almost floral aroma. What kind of rare tobacco is this that shows up on the tin like a Telegraph Hill and on the pipe becomes Kentucky Bird's good brother? (sorry for the somewhat exaggerated comparison).

This discretion of the perique made, being a VaPers lover as I am, the first time I smoked this tobacco disappointed me in some way. Big mistake on my part because what sense would it have to try so many mixtures if they were not different from each other? As the smoke progresses, the perique will discreetly poke its head at times to hide again, always leaving the prominence to the Orientals but occasionally complementing it perfectly as the smoke progresses, also helped by a certain sweetness from Virginia.

Definitely, like almost all things that enjoy extraordinary quality, they cannot be fully appreciated the first time. That is why my recommendation to those who have been disappointed when trying Cairo for the first time is that they give it a second, third, fourth chance ... whatever is necessary. And hey, if after so much opportunity you still don't like it, let it go, you don't have to be a masochist either and there are thousands of mixes waiting for you somewhere. In my particular case and at the time of writing this review, I find this Cairo blend pleasantly surprising, tasty, fragrant and as far as I know (which isn't much either), unique.

Taking into account that in the last twenty-four hours I have tasted Artisan’s Blend for the first time and managed to appreciate this one from Cairo, I hope you understand me if I tell you that as a recent pipe smoker, today I consider myself a winner…

Age When Smoked: 5 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2020-04-15		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been waiting to review this tobacco, and I am glad I did. I have found that C&D tobacco's (GLP included) are ultra fresh when tinned and need some time to settle before I can enjoy them. I bought this tin and it was in the tin for about 3 months prior to me purchasing it. I opened it up and was surprised by a few things one it smelled strongly of rum or brandy, some kind of alcohol and I had not expected an aromatic. I loaded up a cob and lit 'er up. In addition to the topping I was also met by a decent smoke but it got harsh and the topping seemed too potent to my tastes. Not a bad smoke that first bowl but from experience I knew it wasn't ready for me yet. I jarred it up and came back to it about 2 years later. Now we are talking! An Oriental forward Virginia Blend that is complex lightly sweet, spicy and with a richness you don't find in too many blends of this genre. The base of Virginia's do not overpower the Turkish/Orientals but they create the stage on which they dance. The Orientals are spicy like a spice rack, not a hot pepper. I get sandal wood, a hint of cinnamon, clove and a bit of salt. The Virginia's provide a bit of earth, grass and sweetness...even some creaminess. I do not detect the Perique in this blend except just as the pipe is about to go out, then there is a bit of raisin. The topping settles with age and compliments the tobacco's and does not mask the flavors. I think it is brandy but I am not too sure I easily can confuse rum and brandy when it is mixed with tobacco. Great stuff and you should buy some as old as you can find and/or buy a tin or two and forget one for a year.

Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum and cobs

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-08-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

First whiffs have an orange/citrucy taste g even a floral note which confuses me whether it is natural or added. Very soon sour and tangy flavours of top Oriental highly aromatic leaf emerge. Perique is just a whisper but I think it adds backbone to the mixture and a whisper of black pepper spiciness and maybe a note of fruitiness. Virginias, hay-like and tangy, are very congruent to the Oriental flavor and while they add body they let the latter shine.

Overall Cairo is a nice combination of dry-tasting Orientals with mildly juicy citrucy, hay-like, Virginias and Perique. With no intension to diminish it – I really like Cairo – it belongs to a genre of tobacco mixtures I would call ‘cigaretty’.

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl's Sunday Picnic.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cat Jockey (21)	2017-03-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In a word, this is a fascinating tobacco. As well as wonderfully complex. Starting with the tin note (mine I have smoked are 3-4 years old). I simply do not know how to describe it, other than it is strong and it intrigues me. It defies my ability to describe it, to say, "It smells like, ____, and ____, and etc." I don't know what words to use in the blanks.

The best way I can describe it is to take Royal Yacht, and turn everything up. The tin note, the taste, etc. Every flavor and nuance present in RY comes out full force in Cairo. Including the nicotine, which I rate as above medium.

This one is in the rotation of about 13 tobaccos. It fascinates me far too much to not be, even though I smoke it less than most of the other tobaccos on the shelf. And it is a go to when I want a nice dose of Vitamin N.

A tobacco that is not my favorite, transcends my ability to describe it, is not reached for most often, but I must always have some on hand and I cannot fathom not having any, for it fascinates me so. Well played Mr. G.L. Pease, well played ...

Pipe Used: Nuttin' but Cobs for me ...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-04-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A short ribbon cut tobacco. Some of which is clumped rather like bud. Mostly medium to golden browns with a scattering of black leaf and green cast leaf.

Tin note is sweet and sour with predominantly dried fruit aromas.

Lights easily and burns without further attention.

Citrus notes predominate and the sourness on the tongue is very pronounced. The orientals provide a delicate aroma. As the bowl progresses this develops a Presbyterian-like complexity. The perique provides an effervescence that amplifies the lemon on the tongue. There is a faint whiff of ammonia from the bowl.

A little harsh for my tastes with regard to its acidity. My tin was less than 2 months old and I expect this tobacco needs a lot more than that to realise its proper potential.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-06-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This review is based on a small sample of vintage 2000 Cairo gifted to me by Chaplikc, who frequently posts reviews here, and though I have smoked a few bowls, I don't feel I have really gotten to know this blend and all it has to offer. I do know, however, that this is one winner of an Oriental/Virginia/Perique mixture, ages well, and thoroughly deserves my contribution of four more stars! Nice combo of quality Virginias. Spicy and exotic yet not overbearing Orientals (I don't know what Orientals, but no complaints). Just the right measure of Perique. This sample arrived in my mailbox quite dry. I imagine Chaplikc bought one of those old-style GLP "tall" tins on Ebay, and I know from experience that they don't retain much moisture in a blend. No matter with this one: though I once smoked an old tin of Cumberland that seemed to have suffered a little from those tall tins that The Dark Lord himself once admitted weren't exactly perfect for aging tobacco, this blend has probably gotten better with its dessication. If not, if the blend has actually suffered due to the drying out, I shudder (and salivate) to think of what it tasted like a couple years after tinning. I have smoked a lot of VAPERS. I have smoked also a few VAPERS with Orientals, and this might just be the best of those. While some have suffered from a lack of balance in their component leafs (though were good smokes nevertheless), Cairo seems perfectly blended. I can't really say much about appearance, since this old, dry stuff is pretty nondescript; varying shades of medium-brown, medium cut, but wow, it's one knockout smoke!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-04-07		Strong	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin: Sampled from a tin, date stamped on bottom 052504, or 25MAY04. Overall medium brown, consisting of slightly varied hues from light to dark brown; with a very infrequent black fleck, presuming to be perique. Not at all a standard VA aroma, but a rather definitive fruity chocolate essence; another reviewer mentioned mincemeat. Standard ribbon cut. Not moist at all, and only very slightly sticky.

Aroma & Taste: A dulled version of the tin aroma, reduced to about 1/5. I got scorched with tongue bite. My tongue was sore the next day. A lightly packed pipe seems to be the conditions that bring out a decided cigar quality, an aroma a few others have observed.

In a large bowl, tightly packed, a time or two I did get flavor approaching the tin aroma and a lessened amount of tongue bite.

Room Note: Like the aroma; not unpleasant, tolerable.

Nicotine: Strong

Overall: The tin aroma is enough alone to suggest to me why some have described Cairo as an aromatic. A major disappoint; like aromatics, Cairo has a nice tin aroma which is not matched by the aroma or flavor of the smoke, being greatly diminished. The tongue bite was overwhelming. Someone reviewed "...that the flavor never quite lives up to the rich...tin aroma." Maybe one or two stars.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Funny how different our tongues are. For example, my wife cannot taste Arby's sauce. Some can light up a bowl of tobacco and taste only hot flatness while another sips ambrosia from a briar goblet. Me, when I smoke Cairo - sometimes - I taste something I haven't read anyone else mention: ginger beer. The good strong spicy ginger beer imported from Jamaica. I noticed this the very first time I lit up Cairo in my Radice billiard. It is not always there, but especially in my Savinelli canadian, out of the proverbial blue, there is the veritable likeness of ginger beer on my palate. I really like that. I'm pretty sure it's not casing but a synergy of the sweetness of the VA and the spice of the Perique and Oriental leaf.

The tin aroma is delicious. It's that fruity, winey, fermented odor, almost exotic, that again I take to be the offspring of the blissful marriage of Perique and Oriental. In the words of a cigarette smoking friend who wished to smell the strange leaf in my jar: "Wow." Despite this tin aroma, the taste of the burning leaf can stray close to cigarette-ish if smoked too hot or inattentively in an inauspicious pipe. But in a good pipe dedicated to Virginias/VaPers, smoked slowly and with presence of mind, it is quite good - slightly sweet and spicy, per the billing. It seems to me, though, that the flavor never quite lives up to the rich piquant pungency suggested by the tin aroma - it sort of hovers around it, hints at it, and every now and then gives you a sip of ginger beer. Which is still pretty good. But, my tin was pretty much new. I bet if I had the patience to age a tin a few years it would be dynamite.

Speaking of dynamite, my love for Perique exceeds my tolerance for its nicotine content (but I'm working on that). It seems to me that Cairo's Perique is felt more than tasted. The first time I smoked Cairo was in the aforementioned Radice billiard, which is the largest bowl I have, and it just about shoved me down the porch stairs and kicked me in the ribs. But in a smaller to middling pipe it is just right. My Savinelli loves it, but my Radice still laughs at me when I take out the jar.

Recommended if you like Va/Pers, Oriental leaf, and ginger beer. Recommended for the tin aroma alone.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	K.E. Powell, III (15)	2022-03-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

G.L. Pease has always had an adventurous spirit with their blends, and that same spirit is imbued in their Virginia and Oriental blend, "Cairo." Blending Virginias and Orientals together well can be a tricky business, but Cairo is a rather good attempt at such a union.

The tin notes hit the nostrils with peppery spice and grassy sweetness. The tobacco itself is a typical ribbon cut with appropriate levels of moisture. Packing this tobacco is simple, and I found myself not having to relight it too often, though it can burn slightly hot if pushed recklessly.

But this is no blend to enjoy recklessly. At first, this blend reminded me other VaPers in Pease's lineup, particularly their "Stratford" blend. Like that blend, there are lot of bright and red Virginias and touches of Perique. What sets it apart are, naturally enough, the Orientals. In addition to the traditional bright and slightly citrusy lemon flavors of the Virginias and the peppery notes of the Perique, the Orientals add additional smokiness and a more seasoned sweetness; the taste of cloves are omnipresent, but cinnamon and nuts also leave their imprint on the palate. When all things work in unison, and by and large they do, this proves to be a very enjoyable and zesty blend with some punch. The first two-thirds of the bowl in particular shine, but I find the last third tends to give way to a more ashy and sometimes overwhelmingly peppery profile. Not always, but often enough.

Despite the flaws, Cairo is a blend very much worth trying, especially those who relish a spicy VaPer and are looking for a unique twist to an old favorite.

Pipe Used: Brebbia straight billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: G.L. Pease Stratford.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2021-12-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I generally like Oriental-forward blends... but Cairo just doesn't really do it for me. Tastes a bit like a crushed up Camel cigarette. It's harsh, it bites, and there just isn't much else to it. I'm genuinely surprised by all the 4-star reviews. There is almost no sweetness from the Virginias, very little of anything actually. The Orientals are the only reason I gave Cairo 2-stars instead of 1. They have a nice sourness... but without the sweetness that Virginias usually bring... it falls flat.

Bottom line: I really wanted to like this blend, there is potential with the tasty Orientals, but the rest is mostly just harsh and unpleasant.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Natural Burl

Age When Smoked: 6 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (152)	2021-11-30		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've been picking up this blend for a long time, but my store with the big tins of tobacco started missing blends of Pease that I wanted to purchase to taste. The risk that I would miss one that I liked to the point that I wanted to make a supply of it was enough for me to open a tin of Cairo without waiting until I ran out of my previous Oriental blend. The tin had a package date of "December 22, 2015."

The look is a mix of yellowish and orange Virginia with a slight splash of darker perique and wood-toned orientals. All of this is cut in an even ribbon and very well mixed, but the different varieties of tobacco are clearly distinguishable. No dust, drifts or uncut leaves. The consistency of the tobacco from the jar turned out to be somewhat dry, and the Virginia was very fluffy and therefore air-dried very quickly - literally in five minutes. Nevertheless, I dared to fill the pipe as soon as I recognized the bouquet of tobacco aroma.

The flavor is a powerful citrus note with a touch of blond raisins, tinged with a complex set of spices - nutmeg, coriander, badjan - and bitter chocolate. A slight salty note of perique is barely perceptible at first, but as the smell of Virginia opens up and a slight scent of hay and a faint nutty hint appear. There is clearly very little perique, it is present more as a spice than as an additive to the main dish. In general, the smell is not the most complex of those I have tried, but it took some time to break it down into its components.

The taste of the blend is a light bread note with a nice dense citrus flavor, which nevertheless does not dominate. Oriental is a full-fledged player in the ensemble of flavors, bringing spices and a slight peppery touch. Perique only slightly enhances them, almost without interfering with the overall bouquet. At the beginning the tobacco may be a little rough, but I put this down to its dryness. By about a third of the pipe the sense of slight disharmony in the flavor has disappeared, and there is a barely perceptible coffee and nut flavor. Despite the sufficiently large amount of Virginia and its age, the tobacco is not really sweet, though there is definitely some light sweetness in the taste. The aftertaste is slightly astringent, similar to the aftertaste of walnuts. The tobacco is not hot to smoke, even considering its consistency. The strength is medium, in a large pipe, a nicotine kick is possible. The blend burns through almost everything, leaving very little light ash - and no tar. There is only a drop of moisture left in the pipe, no moisture in the mouthpiece.

The smell of the smoke has a woody-nutty tinge, the smoke itself is quite light.

Before I summarize, I want to say that the brief description of the tobacco is very accurate with what I have experienced in practice. The blend itself is definitely worthy that I bought another jar and left it closed for my collection. I can't say that it's going to be an everyday mix - it's too good for that. But to dilute the usual virginia-peric blends I smoke daily during the spring and summer season with it, I certainly intend to. I like it very much.

Pipe Used: Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 2015

Purchased From: Online

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2020-03-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cairo is a very pleasant oriental forward blend.. a light and bright blend but with a lot of sour floral notes and a pleasant kick of pepper on the back end.. nice and subtle change of pace from the earthier embarcadero.. the Virginia offers a nice sweetness.. the izmir is very approachable for an oriental leaf.. I've never found izmir to be an overwhelming condiment.. the perique is subtle but definitely there adding a little spice.. this one doesn't wow me as much as embarcadero but is pleasant in it's own right..burns fairly quickly.. does not demand too much attention.. something to smoke perhaps while taking a walk in the spring..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ahmad Othman (51)	2017-11-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend caught my interest purely by name, as it is named after the city I live in and G.L. said he was inspired by the city when creating this blend. So, I tried it and I think that Pease created a masterpiece here. On opening the tin, you are welcome by a grassy, spicy aroma like an old spice market. It is yellow in colour like a bright sun and really fine cut to almost a shag. It packs stupendously easy and lights easier. It stays lit and burns cool though a little fast for my taste. The first puff is grassy, citrusy and spicy. Which was super annoying for me, as I prefer dark virginia with bread and yeast and I like more subtle perique that again is not available here. But the more I got into the bowl, the more I enjoyed it and the more it grew on me which put a smile on my face as this is basically my same opinion of Cairo, the city. It soon became a go-to blend for me, especially with morning coffee as it pairs well with it. It has a lovely, light room note and is perfectly fine to have all day long. And indeed it is such a spiritual inspiration of Cairo

Pipe Used: Savinelli St. Nicholas 2017 - 321

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The quintessence of how an Oriental tobacco must be. Spectacular in aroma and taste. Gorgeous Virginias and fabulous Orientals, mixed by Pease's genius. Fresh, fragrant, intriguing, fascinating tobacco. 4/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

Similar Blends: G. L. Pease Embarcadero.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mark Combs (2)	2016-08-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I went on a jag with this stuff a few years ago, and socked away a few tins. I remember being warned at the time by more than one person that it did not age well. I suppose that's the case if you're looking for a Virginia dominant blend, but if taken on it's own terms, this is a very fine blend. Age has pushed the oriental well into the front (I wish I knew the name of this particular tobacco, but if I ever knew, I've forgotten. It's not Drama, but other than that, I dunno.) giving the blend a taste that I would describe as sour, but think of that as "as opposed to sweet" not "gone bad". When combined with a little tongue-pricking from the perique, it reminds me of generic beer in a sense.

Later in the bowl, the virginias start coming through, both with sweetness (making an interesting dance with the oriental) and a lemony hint similar to that of Orlik Golden Flake. Towards the end of the bowl, the virginia pretty much takes over, providing a solid virginia finish.

While it's safe to say that this will never become one of my main blends, it's a fascinating change of pace for the virginia lover.

Pipe Used: Ser Jacapo bent Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: 4.5 years

Similar Blends: .

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bob&sam (1)	2015-04-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

Sometimes we are successful in finding what we are looking for. In my case I wanted to enjoy the captivating and soothing tastes and aromas of certain oriental blends I enjoyed in my youth that did not contain Latikia. Almost a year now, and well into this...First impression in my nose was, and still is, very wine like. A lush, sweet and tart aroma like Chardonay. The cut is fine and texture is a little fluffy. A gentle char and tamp is all that is needed and you have ignition. The first few minutes are an explosion of oriental goodness. A large volume of delicate smoke. Those same tin notes are in there as well as a new array of floral scents and tea like spices. The Virginias follow along and very soon provide an excellent salt-water taffy like contribution. Depending on my cadence, sometime at or just after mid-bowl, the smoke takes on a toasty, salty sweet nut like taste that lasts until the end. Leaves a small amount of talc like ash. Certainly appealing for slow smoking. I enjoy a tobacco which can stand up to some strong puffing from time to time and this performed well for me with no bite. A great selection of orientals on a quality Virginia base. Notably smoother after only one year old, I was surprised by a nine year old example, all the same flavors remained but were more like a syrup or an intensified reduction. Highly recommended.

Age When Smoked: fresh, 1 year, 9 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2013-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Date: 7/10/00

On par with all Pease's blends as far as quality and flavor. The smell was fruity reminding me of Haddo's some (Pease wrote somewhere that this smell is the aging of the tobacco). Cairo tastes light at first but then it goes to work on you. It's soft like angel food cake, sweet and has a sneaky nic kick. It gains in flavor quick, spreading its wings into a medium Va/Or/Per that is nice in the AM. The next thing you know your eyes are wide open. I think this is very good and the more I smoke it the more I appreciate it. Like Picadilly, which I also smoked recently, Cairo is not fully realized until you're about out and wondering how fast you can get another tin. One man in a pipe forum called Cairo "subtle". I like that description so much I'm stealing it. Very subtle, very good for a light virginia/oriental/perique blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	al1 (58)	2009-05-05		Extremely Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is not as bad as some say it is in my opinion. I can see how someone with a less seasoned tongue could interpret the spice as bite.

It is very simillar to montgomery just with a little perique in place of the fired kentucky.

However the nicotine is ultra potent. Cairo will kick you in the back of the knees. Like drinking a whole pot of coffee if you ask me.

I will smoke the tin up but might not order again as I prefer balkans and straight va's. This does not make it bad at all. Jut not what I call my favorite pease blend.

I really don't like perique but it is tollerable in this and present in a minimal quantity, in the smoking- the tin has its putrid odor sadly. I can look past the tin aroma. Perique almost gags me I hate its foul smell. Funny how we are different as I know many love its smell.

This is more of an occasional blend for me. If you like va and a strong oriental presence and don't like latakia at all you will enjoy this. However I find myself saying where's the latakia? So it goes. I reccomend montgomery over this. It is more smokable to me.

A well blended tobacco, just not my thing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

WARNING: This Product Contains/Produces Effects Known to the State of Euphoria to Cause Comfort and Joy or Other Pleasurable Sensations.

Chef no function Cairo well without.

My first thought was "Where's the Perique?" It started off as a very tasty Virginia/Oriental. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I like Va/Or blends. I really like Perique. A lot. After things warmed up a bit the Bayou Voodoo began, in a very subtle way. Unlike any Cajun I know or am related to, this was a very quiet, shy and retiring sort of Perique presence. Very elegant, and a nice surprise.

Yumbo!

=Saturday August 23, 2008= Having gone through several ounces (okay, okay...half a pound) of this marvelous combustible concoction I feel I must add to my previous review.

This tobacco is very much like a fine malt whisky. Meant to be savored in sips, not quaffed like a lager. Move it along too quickly and you lose the nuance, elegant structure and interplay of the simple, yet excellent, ingredients. It is flexible in its ability to work well in all kinds of weather, any time of day, any size/shape briar and smoker's mood. I cannot recommend this tobacco highly enough.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Don't get it. Stings a good bit and flavors don't seem to work. As with all of Pease's tobaccos the leaf is first rate. The cut it is nice and the pouch aroma is wonderful, but for reasons I don't understand I can't get this blend to smoke well. I have no doubt that this is probably my fault. Nevertheless, this is one of those rare Pease blends that I cannot get. Que syrah... One of the few blends by G.L. Pease I would hesitate to recommend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mongo (10)	2007-03-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Cairo was the first of Greg's tobaccos that I tried, and from that day until this it's been a favorite.

When a fresh can is opened, the odor of high quality tobacco is the main aroma, although there is some nuttiness and a bit of a raisin/fig note as well. I find the moisture level fine from the tin. The tobaccos are lightly colored, with varying hues of beige throughout.

Packing is easy, and I tend to pack this in a medium-to-large bowl (Dunhill group 3 to 5). Once packed, it takes two matches to get this blend burning, and relights are few.

For the first third of the bowl, the Virginias are dominant. Early on they can bite with hard puffing, but with gentle treatment there are no problems. The Orientals are in the background at this stage, and the Perique wields a small voice.

About one third of the way into the bowl, the Orientals begin to come forward in the taste profile. The Perique strengthens as well, but only as a spice behind a wonderfully balanced Virginia and Oriental mix. I find that I can smoke a bit harder here if I want to, but generally I smoke Cairo slowly to extend the bowl as far as possible.

In the last third of the bowl the sweetness of the Virginias fades quite a bit, becoming a foundation upon which the Orientals appear at their most bold. Although they never become overwhelming, at this point the Orientals are carrying the majority of the flavor. The Perique strengthens a bit as well, although again it's simply a spice in the blend.

At the bottom of the bowl, the tastes once more blend, and the smoke finishes much as it began, but with a more intense flavor.

I've tried Cairo in small bowled pipes and have not had nearly the success as I've had in average or large bowls.

I recently plucked one of my gray-labeled tins from the cellar, with six years of age behind it. What a dramatic change! The tobacco is a mahogany color, the aromas that arise from the tin are much more complex and remind me of a fine red wine. The aromas of cherries, plums, leather, nuts, and a touch of citrus are all present. Smoking the blend after all of this time was an amazing experience. The bite of the Virginias is gone, the sweetness is deeper and no longer as much of a high note, the Orientals have smoothed without losing character...Cairo after six years is almost miraculous. I was fortunate to have lost a few tins at the bottom of an old wooden chest. I only wish I'd lost many more. My cellar is fully stocked with tobaccos that I intend to leave untouched for another half-decade.

Cairo remains one of my favorite GL Pease blends. I've flirted with many of the other tobaccos that Greg's created, but Cairo is one that I always return to.

(7/2010 - Edited to fix spelling mistakes.)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldmanpipe (62)	2006-12-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

"You're a night in the streets of Cairo...You're a flight in an auto-gyro...." So wrote the ultimate insider, Cole Porter, six decades ago. His lyrics still hold true with this elegant, exotic blend from GL Pease.

This blend has consistently rated lower than Odyssey, and I cannot understand why; Cairo, to my palate, is far more intriguing. No one should compare any current blend with the classics of yesteryear, but Cairo reminds me so much of one of my favorites, State Express's "London Mixture." Some of you might remember it. When one parted the gold foil wrapping, a small Oriental leaf greeted the buyer with an invitation to the other side of the world. A leaf of Virginia or Burley would require a shoe-box to display itself intact.

One would be remiss to call this blend either a Balkan or an English. It is both, and eloquently-so....Just like its progenitor, London Mixture. I do not believe that was a blend Greg was seeking to replicate...but he came pretty close.

For anyone seeking a Latakia fix, perhaps Odyssey is the better choice; but if one is seeking complexity, subtlety, and excitement, this is the blend to pick...the older, the better. Three-years-on...the Virginias begin to sing.

Forget the "inconvenient" old-style Pease can. The results are worth the effort! Get a LARGE favorite and relax!

One of the best there is. Four out of four stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-03-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

To me Cairo tastes like... a great car stereo system without any woofers.

The treble is great.

Hints of screeming banshees piercing the night with their seductive voices.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-03-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Pease Cairo is another masterful blend in this increasingly astounding line of tobaccos. The tin I'm currently smoking was two years old when opened. The Virginia tobaccos glistened with tiny sugar crystals. This blend has rewarded me handsomely every time I've called on it.

I rated this as an "occassional" smoke not because of quality - which is excellent. I rate it as such because it requires one's full attention to truly enjoy. It demands a moment where one puts down the book, turns off the PC monitor, isn't in the car, isn't doing yard work, where one just sits quietly and smokes. Thus, it is a luxury best sampled infrequently like a vintage champagne.

The tin aroma of this tobacco is unusual, and initially one might think it cased with something. On opening, one becomes aware of an intensely citrusy, fruity, bubble-gummy aroma. Let the tin sit open for a bit, and the aroma becomes more subtle - you discern that it comes not from fruit flavoring but from prime, bright, lemony Virginia tobacco combined with the sweet spiciness of Oriental and Perique.

The tobacco packs well, and on lighting is nothing like bubble-gum. It is bright in flavor, and ever so slightly spicy. Never overwhelming or bite-y, it settles into a flavor profile not unlike a good, buttery, oaky Chardonnay. It's fruity and sweet due to the Virginias, the Perique adds a bit of tingle to the tongue, and the Oriental tobaccos provide a sweet spice flavor and aroma that melds perfectly. It's simultaneously sweet, tart, toasty, and spicy. Room aroma is tolerable to non-smokers.

Cairo is a pleasant change in that it offers the combination of Virigina and Oriental tobaccos without the usual addition of Latakia. I recommend that any pipe smokers should try this blend at least once, giving it the attention it deserves, if only for the experience.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2021-10-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Prep: Moisture is perfect Notes: Hints of cinnamon from the oriental, citrus from the Virginias as well some darker fruit notes. The Perique’s pepperiness isn’t always evident but the raisin character that Perique is known for, does keep around. Flavorful yet light. Worth trying for the Virginia lover. It may be simply due to trying this blend in the Fall but it does come off as a “Fall” blend for me, possibly in light to the cinnamon notes.

Smokes wonderfully in a poker, like my Ashton 220. Has a lot of similarity to We Three Kings without the topping of that blend. And I think it speaks of the natural flavors of WTK. The Virginas and Orientals are well balanced. 8.8/10

Similar Blends: We Three Kings.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bushleagueosu (20)	2021-09-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Fragrant and spicy. All the classic oriental flavors ranging from spicy to sour. Can burn hot if you are not careful. My only criticism is I wish it had a touch more sweetness. A pinch more red or dark virginia would make this an easy 5 star for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-04-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I bought this blend after reading some of the reviews and I have to say its an interesting one. The most experience I have with Orientals is in English and Balkan blends so I thought that a Virginia base might give me a different take on the flavors it can offer.

The tin is really plain, and to be honest, it's the kind of one I tend to skip by in my local. Opening up there is a nice yellow-light brown ribbon. The tin smells like citrus, hay, fermented Red Virginia, and tangy sour Orientals. It comes at a reasonable dryness, and is easy to pack and light.

When you light up, you taste citrusy, hay like bright Virginias. Bready, fermented Red Virginias. The Orientals here are tangy, herbal, and woody. There is Perique in this blend and it offers a little spice and fruit. Overall it has a mellow flavor.

The taste I give a mild-medium. It's not overpowering in any sense of the word but it just fails sort of a standard medium body. The strength is a mild-medium. Good for working in the yard on a hot day. For me this doesn't hold much to keep me interested, but for Oriental/ Turkish smokers this might be ideal.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Azirish (18)	2020-11-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is all Virginia. Hay, fresh grass and a slight sour from the orientals. The smoke is Sweet hay, a bit of nuttiness, some earth. Just a very faint pepper. Fresh tin, orientals are not really a showcase. Moisture level on tin opening is dry. Almost too dry which results in a fast, hot burn rate. Needed rehydrated to be enjoyable. After a year of age in the tin, the orientals have come forward a lot and Virginia’s have mellowed. Again some rehydration benefits the smoking mechanics greatly. In fact the dry condition is why I couldn’t fully recommend.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 1 year

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jt100 (8)	2020-04-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

5 month pipe smoker coming from cigars. I tried this 2 months ago and thought meh. First had a bowl of Pirate Kake tonight and thought, why not? Let’s give it another shot. A great antithesis. Whereas Pirate Kake is smoky, savory, salty and tangy, this is quite the opposite. Apples vs Oranges. This is pleasantly sweet, with tiny bit of tang, and delicious. I get honey and hay, with a bit of Oriental. Perique, i struggle with other than the peppery tinge. I’m still developing my palate, but starting to get it. Very nice.

Pipe Used: Peterson 999

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jan Teeter (5)	2019-06-30		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

G.L Pease Cairo

The smoke starts very light. Plumb and raisin flavors are initially detectable from the Virginia and perique. There is a clean white pepper sting on the retro-hale. Sweetness from the Virginia’s mixed with a little baking spice from the orientals come through for a very mellow first half of the bowl.

Onto the second half , the flavors become more complex and the strength increases from mild to medium plus. Orientals really start to own the show, turning the smoke into a woody and spicy experience. Now flavors of graham cracker and orange peel come to the forefront.

After this point , the flavor all of a sudden became very ashy. I was worried thinking that Cairo was bottoming out. So I removed the full ash cap and re lit - luckily this completely solved the problem and I continued on with this wonderful smoke.

The finish is reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch , or if you haven’t had it , cinnamon sugar graham crackers and is definitely the highlight of Cairo! If I could skip the whole process and go right to the finish on this blend , I would every time. A solid 3.5 - I’ll need a couple more bowls to decide if I can bump it up to 4 stars.

- Jan

Pipe Used: Ser Jacapo maxima maxima freehand

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2019-01-26		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Cairo is a smashing success for my tastebuds. It is well balanced and has some nuance. Tin note is sort of a combo of light Virginia (hay, citrus) and dates/raisins that have been steeping in a little booze...although I don't think there is any alcohol topping in this tobacco. It has a sweetness, a sourness, and a touch of peppery fruit..or something like that! It is kind of hard to describe, but it sure smells and smokes great.

I smoked some from an older tin at one of the Chicago pipe shows (courtesy of the gents at Smoking Pipes...The late Chip Kushner helped me select a new Cavicci pipe and this tobacco...a fine memory for me.) Then I smoked a new tin, and now put a few away in my "cellar." I really enjoy the orientals used in this blend and how they interplay with the Virginia and perique.

Quality of tobacco is top-notch. I don't see sticks and twigs, but rather a lush tobacco blend packed nicely into a tin. Stays lit and burns better than average.

Very Highly Recommended.

Pipe Used: Scorpius (from Portugal), Cavicci

Age When Smoked: 3 years old and fresh tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arpie55 (77)	2018-05-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

We always have high hope on everything we try from such a well known blender but I must admit this was a bit of a disappointment for me. It is without question a blend of excellent tobaccos and I can see where it would be a hit for some but for some reason the taste and the effect left me wanting more from the Virginias. The description said it was on the medium side which I agree with but for me it leaned more toward heavy, either the nic hit was heavy or a component gave me a bit of lightheadedness. I did however find that when I paired it with French Vanilla coffee it was a good match. I would call it more of an after dinner blend as opposed to an early morning or all day blend.

Pipe Used: Briar (Ascorti, Savinelli, Il Ceppo, Randy Wiley)

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2017-03-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Cairo was the blend that everyone at the last Furniture City Pipe Society meeting wanted to smell the tin note. Delightfully citrus like, Orientals were a perfect foil for the Virginia's. Some perique was present and just added an elusive presence.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Impero 920 smooth

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-08-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Much has been said already about this wonderful VA/OR. The tin aroma is really pleasant, yes, like wine, as some pointed out; with fruits (plum, raisin, fig) and some spices in the background. Smoking reveals exactly that, with the spiceness becoming more present as the smoke progresses and the fruit notes never dissipating. The fruit taste is never sweet and is refreshing; it's like the fruits notes in a dry red wine that are lingering afterward. The nicotine is just right for me, which is medium to strong. It burns even and well, never bites and is never harsh. Really, Cairo is a fantastic discovery for me. Combining VAs and ORs with some unfermented périque makes a great blend for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	raybrown55 (46)	2015-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I like Cairo, but I find it so strange... Opening the tin there is a strong smell of red wine (or maybe vinegar), which translates somewhat in the bowl. Maybe this is due to the marriage between Orientals and Perique, the fact is that I can't taste Orientals in the usual way and sometimes the vinegar aroma is just too strong for me. However a fine blend of quality tobaccos.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Dubini (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Marc Ruby (3)	2014-01-31		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Unnoticeable

I been experimenting with Pease tobaccos. In the course of which I picked up a tin of Cairo. Most of what people say here to the positive is true. But it seemed to that Cairo has a subtle harshness that never kept me from smoking the tin, but put me off a bit. This faded into the backgound about halfway through the pipe. Not a repeater, I decided.

Fate intervened, and in an auction I won an 8 oz can about 6 years old. After a bit of trepidation, I smoked a pipeful and was amazed. Gone was the harshness and in its place was a delicious flavor that was everything I could desire in a smoke. I'm now having trouble not smoking all of it. If you don't mind waiting this is a blend to have on hand.

Pipe Used: Dunhill dublin, Jorgensen

Age When Smoked: Two: 1 month, and 6 years.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CoolPilot (69)	2013-06-22		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sour is the better term I can find to describe this tobacco. Someone else did a better review of it, and I second it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2013-05-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I usually like what's offered by GLP, especially Samarra, Haddo's Delight, and Key Largo. And I also usually like Oriental blends, but this one is a bit of an enigma to me. I can tell that it's made of some top quality leaf, but it just seems too sour for my tastes. Maybe it's the addition of Perique to a blend of mainly orientals or maybe it's the type of orientals used. I'm not sure. I'll put it in a mason jar and revisit it later, but it just doesn't do anything for me right now. I have a lot of respect for Greg Pease and I know that he knows what he is doing, so I'm torn; I'm having a difficult time rating this, as I couldn't decide on two stars or three. I'll leave it at two for now and come back to it at another time. Don't let me put you off, though you may love it. It's just not one for me right now.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-15		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is the first GL Pease blend that I have tried. I held off my review until I smoked Cairo five times in five different pipes.

First it is a very subtle, carefully blended tobacco that slowly unfolds as it is sipped and enjoyed. The tin aroma is a tad orange-like but I agree with a reviewer who detected a contact cement under tone (not at all unpleasant and I conjecture if it may be the orientals). I discovered that it's best to pack the pipe and let Cairo get used to the bowl for an an hour or so. Then the tobacco rewards your patience. The Virginia is sweet and spicy with the orientals delivering a genuinely tasty backbeat of flavor. The perique is in perfect, understated proportion.

I ordered Union Square and Haddos Delight with my Cairo. If they are as complex and delicious as Cairo, I tip my briar to Mr. Pease for being a true craftsman of the blender's art !

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-02		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

When I first lite up Cairo I thought I was in for a treat. After smoking 2oz in every size bowl I could I found that after the first few minutes the wonderful taste burns off. Leaving behind a wet ashtray smell and mild tobacco taste that was disappointing. The bottom of the bowl was putrid to say the least, every time. Haddo's Delight is still by far my favorite GLP tobacco. Sorry to say I would not even take a free can of this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

GL Pease made a nice combination of Virginia and Oriental in this can. Its moisture level is perfect for immediately packing. Lights easily. The Perique addition in this blend may overwhelm you if you are not a fan of it. From my point of view it is delicious. It adds to this blend a great dimension. The smoke is tasty with sweet Virginia and authentic oriental leaf flavor. If you pack it loose it will smoke fast and with rich smoke and won't bite. A tight load will burn longer with less smoke letting you enjoying the nice flavors of this blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeadMensPipes (38)	2010-01-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

If this review was only based upon the quality of the tobacco leaf, Cairo would get four stars. This blend reminded me very much of Cornell & Diehl's 068:Epiphany (minus latakia) in the color of the tobacco in the tin, flavor and burning qualities, and in the creeper kick at the end. If you like Epiphany, you will love Cairo.

The GOOD: Upon opening the tin, the aroma of the tobacco is quite pleasing. A slight hint of that "ketchupy" note associated with MacBaren's blends, but very slight. I believe that note is common with all fine, unadulterated Virginias. The appearance of the tobacco is nothing like the photo above. The first thing you'll say when you first see the tobacco in the tin and pinch it between your fingers is "Whoa! There are some big honkin' pieces of leaf in there." It looks like they broke off pieces of leaf hanging in the barn to dry, and crammed them in the tin.

A reviewer below suggested using a small-bowled pipe. No way. This stuff is just too big. And it is beautiful. Mostly large, light golden blond pieces with some darker golden browns. It seems to be overly dry, but that is an illusion. It packs very nicely into a larger diameter bowl, and lights and smokes better than any tobacco I have tried. (But I do recommend only loading your bowl no more than one-third full, and not attempt to smoke a whole bowl, as I will explain below.) The first few puffs are pleasurable, and the flavor stays consistent to the end - no bite - although about halfway through it gets spicier and starts tasting and smelling more and more like a cigar rather than a pipe.

The BAD: After the first few initial puffs, you realize that this stuff starts tasting like a cheap, robust strength cigar. But the stuff burns so well, and bite-free, you keep smoking it. Towards the end, you notice things getting stronger, and then it hits you unexpectedly - WHAM! A powerful nicotene kick. Queasiness. Nausea. Luckily, I had not eaten for a few hours, otherwise I'd have puked for sure. Whatever you do, don't smoke this stuff indoors.

If you smoke in your car, make sure the windows are rolled down. The second-hand smoke only adds to the queasiness and nicotene intoxication. And, your clothes, your hair, your hands, and your pipe will smell strongly of a nasty cigar ashtray, which will just make you get the dry heaves when you smell them until the effects of the N poisoning start to wear off over a couple of hours. I wished I had taken the advice of the reviewer below and used a small pipe, or just loaded mine no more than a third full.

So, try this unique and interesting blend if you must. But you've been warned.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-26		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Calling this a virginia/oriental blend is very misleading. That would make one expect a blend in the style of Red Rapparee or Presbyterian mixture.

This is a virginia mixture which is difficult to place in a category. There is perique in it and it's as noticeable as the oriental tobaccos. It seems also to have a slight flavoring.

It's wonderful! It is artful blending and very unique and delicious. I am smoking my way through an 8 ounce tin that had 2 years age when opened. It doesn't need aging, though.

This is a master blend, and if you can dry your tobacco successfully this will not scorch your tongue.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-11-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A superb blend showcasing beautifully sweet Virginias and Turkish leaf. A perfect choice for a beginner, or anyone else who is sick of tasting propylene glycol and various flavoring agents and wants a tobacco that is naturally sweet, aromatic and pleasing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Perhaps one of my favorite blends I have ever smoked, and just about perfect, I occasionally add some Latakia (often GLP's falcon) for a little more bottom on it. Even straight, it's unbeliebaly good balance of virginias and orientals. Dried it's absolutely a dream. Of course, like all good darker virginias it has the aroma of catchup in the tin (think about the SUGAR in the virginias and you can quickly guess why) which is not exactly my favorite odor. On the other hand, who cared when you smoke it and you get that kind of satisfaction.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2008-02-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This blend has come as a pleasant surprise to me. As one who smokes largely English and Balkan blends, Cairo provides an agreeable change of pace. The Virginias predominate over the orientals, which add spice. There is a distinct citrus note which I find very refreshing. The perique is there but faint.

I've not noticed the bite issue raised by reviewers; I smoke it slowly in a small bowl vintage GBD.

I've been smoking from a May 2007 tin. I will lay some away as I would expect it to benefit from a few years in the cellar. Cairo will stay in my rotation as an interesting change for the palate.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-01-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE, 12 January 2008: I left most of the tin opened with the plastic lid on since I first reviewed this and didn't smoke it again until about a couple of weeks ago. It is now drier than I remember it being. Whatever the reason, whether it dried, aired or aged or whether my tastes have just changed, this has become one of my favorites.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have not had much experience with mostly-VA blends because of too much bite in my past forays, but I do not dislike the flavor of VA and I like Perique. Good flavor overall, but a bit too mild until mid-bowl or so. This went from lemony with a dash of sweet, spice and other flavors to somewhat nutty/woody towards the bottom--not at all bad anywhere in the bowl. Not my favorite bowl of tobacco, but good though. I will finish this tin, smoking occasionally, but probably will only buy this every so often.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2007-11-24		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Update: The last few tins of Cairo I have bought have been too dry, with no moisture (and thus none of the tasty tobacco oils). I could have gotten a bad run (they are the new tins) or there could be a rat in Denmark. I will investigate further.

A very refreshing and unique offering from Mr. Pease, who always comes up with top quality blends. This is, in essence, Presbyterian Mixture with better tobacco and a little more oomph. The smell upon opening is fruity, with a hint of must. The Virginias are of a finer, less cloying taste, and the Orientals have less bite with a spicy/earthy aromatic quality. The perique did not make itself felt to me melding, I am sure, with the Virginia portion of the palate. This is my favorite of the non-Balkan Pease blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2007-05-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is one of the most unique tobaccos I've ever had the pleasure of coming across. Exotic, tangy, sweet, ephemeral -- the flavor and room note are hard to describe, but singularly intoxicating. It puts me in mind of incense. Really, I can't emphasize enough how very special this mixture is -- one of Pease's most creative moments! Unfortunately, I can't enjoy thanks to some kind of reaction I have to one of the constituents (it pretty much burns holes in my tongue after only a few draws). But don't let that deter you, in all seriousness -- I believe it to be an individual reaction, not an indictment of the tobacco itself. If you'd like to see what an oriental blend sans latakia can be, this is the one to try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fumeur (6)	2007-05-16		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Unnoticeable

It's interesting to me how differently people can experience a tobacco. Unlike other reviewers, I find this to be quite strong, almost overwhelming. It's a rich, complex, intense smoke quite unlike other Virginias I've tried, far darker, deeper and richer. The Orientals are not consciously detectable to me, though I have no doubt that they account for a good part of the depth of the flavor, which is ultimately indescribable, though words like toasty and peppery come to mind.

Anyway, I find this irresistible, and I'm sure I'll come back to it often. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-04-18		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of the best Oriental blends,in my opinion.Without any Latakia the Orientals are free to lead this blend.The perique and virginia intermingle with the Orientals making a burst of flavor,each coming in and out with their on taste and contribution.

Burns well with a relight here and there,but its worth it.Highly Recommended

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Every time I open my jar of Cairo, I smile. It has the most beautiful aroma, citrus-y and aged fruit, an almost "mincemeat" scent. And the flavor of the smoke follows. As others have noted this is a blend of high-notes, but while some may find that a minus, I find it an absolute pleasure. This is consistently one of my favorite blends, a sort of benchmark for VA blends in general, and the tobacco I most return to when I am suffering from latakia burn out. It's puzzling why Cairo seems to get so little fanfare among the GLP blends when, to me, it is such a sublime creation (and aged Cairo even more so).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-01-13		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I bought an 8oz tin last year. The first few pipefuls were rather indifferent. Perhaps even harsh. But as I returned to it, it improved beyond any expectation. As a VaPer mainliner, I'm amazed at the complexity that came through - nuts & citrus even. It is a remarkable blend that clearly needs to sit a bit & probably shouldn't be commented on before a few months of jar time. In terms of practicalities, it lit easily, tended to dryness & burnt down to a clean white ash. The smoke was fairly uniform throughout. Lovely stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I am slowly working my way through the Dark Lords blends- and finding more than I bargined for.... I discovered that I have developed a Latakia intolerance- or its intolerant of me.....While I enjoy it in very small percentages, I will never pass the test for the Drip club... So I was looking for interesting blends out side of that area- Cairo is the answer... A wonderful exotic smoke- Reminds me of the Buffett song "Sitting in a bar in Cairo"- The Orientals spice the virginas in a wonderful way, with the perique supporting the whole- yet it is a subtle, gentlemenly smoke. I love it for contemplation.....Not a putter in your yard smoke IMHO......I love it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-10		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I originally reviewed Cairo on 15 February 2005. This update removes that original review for various reasons. While G. L. Pease is a master blender using quality tobacco, this particular blend is not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-08-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Unfortunately I don?t have as much experience with the Dark Lord?s blends as I?d like. It was only recently that (we?re talking within the past 8 months) that I could get it at the only decent tobacco shop in Albuquerque.

I?ve enjoyed all of what I?ve smoked so far of Greg?s Fog City Collection and his other blends have been good too. But, Cairo is, I think, my favorite. I?m a huge fan of VA-Perique blends and the Oriental leaf really elevates a classic blend to new heights.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a fancier of both Virginas and Orientals, I can't beleive I overlooked this spectacular blend for as long as I did. What a treat! I love every aspect of Cairo - the color and presentation of the leaf, the mild and natural tin aroma, and the smooth, slightly sweet flavor. While the aforementioned VA's and Orientals are the stars of the show, the Perique seems to add texture and additional dimension to the blend. With its abundance of smoothness and balance, Cairo is as about as good an all day smoke as one can get. Its astonishingly biteless and yet never boring, a welcome combination indeed. Perhaps it isnt the most complex GLP blend, but its easily one of the most inherently enjoyable. Cairo has found its place in my top 10 and is a regular in my rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2005-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco has a slightly nutty tin aroma which is similar to Cumberland (but much subdued), and everyone says wonders of it. Well, in spite of this I guess it is my least favorite of all of Greg's offerings so far (I haven't tried Stonehenge, sadly). What's the problem? Nothing really with the tobacco, just a matter of personal taste. The golden colored ribbons are very attractive and natural-looking, and while moisture in the tin seems a bit too high, it only takes a few hours before the humidity level is perfect. Packing is easy and not so critical, and relightings are infrequent. My problem is that I can't seem to get enough taste of it (well, not even SOME taste at times!), a problem I have with many virginia-based blends but especially with this one, which at times seems a cross between a cigarette and the most recent (and rather bland) incarnation of Three Nuns. I find Cairo rather boring: smooth, not unplesant, doesn't bite a bit (but tickles the throat), smokes very dry, it's over before you can realize it. But still, the smoke is too light and delicate (in taste, because strength is actually not weak and can give you some buzz). Ok, as a smoker of stuff like Pirate Kake I may not be entitled to give an opinion on such a different tobacco, but hey, I won't buy this again! As Eulenburg pointed out, the Virginia base is almost completely lacking in sweetness and the orientals complement it nicely: the only time I found some more taste/sweetness was when I smoked it in a Tinsky that I had dedicated to Hal O'The Wynd and Marlin Flake. Yes, Cairo stands in a league of its own, but I don't want to be in that league. Don't take these words as a negative review, anyway: this blend is clearly a quality one for those who like this genre, and you could easily be among them.

UPDATE May 2005: Well, I have opened a tin which was aged for 3 years.. and it's a completely different music! The taste has intensified, the tobacco is a darker orange, and it's much better than my previous experience. A nutty, slightly earthy taste, with a subdued sweetness and a solid sour presence due to the Perique. I don't find it exceedingly strong anymore: no more stomach ache, no more spins. It still tickles the mouth a bit, but overall it's quite pleasant, though still heavier in body than tasty. Not bad at all... I'll keep for the other aged tin I have in my possession for future enjoyment, and I have uprated the blend to two stars. Hey, I might even be tempted to give it three stars, although it's not one of my favorite blends yet. IMHO more enjoyable and balanced than Haddo's Delight, to which these three years of aging made it somewhat comparable in taste (although more delicate).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2005-05-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's been awhile since I popped a new tin from G L Pease, so I thought I'd give Cairo a try. I've had a couple tins sitting around for a few years, and decided the moment was right. And boy, it is right! A delicious, mouthwatering smell combining sweet, spicey and earthy aromas. Perfect golden tobacco with darker shades sprinkled throughout, and a right out of the tin for smoking moisture level. The tin description says it all, no need to add other than to say this is a wonderful change of pace from the Virginias I usually smoke (Marlin Flake, Blackwoods Flake, SG Flakes).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I tried Cairo first time (in the pear pipe), it was bit overwhelming and biten me slightly. I had a "few beers" experience.

Next time I used briar pipe and puffed much slower. It rewarded me with sweet and bit spicy taste. No overwhelming anymore. I quickly went through a tin and ordered next one (maybe should I order a 1 lb pack, but where??).

Now, it's my favorite tobacco. No one are even close to this one.

Nice, light colours and wetness just enough. No rubbing or drying needed.

The only thing I didn't liked is a tin cap. It's loose and doesn't prevent drying of tobacco.

Highly recommended!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-01-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

01-17-2005 An Enigma!

Appearance and Tin Aroma: My two year old tin was opened with much expectation since I love many of Greg's fine blends, but this is another one that was beyond me. The leaf appearance was exemplary as usual with light brown to medium brown being the majority view. The tin aroma was fascinating. It smelled slightly like spiced rum and perfume, very floral.

Packing and Lighting: Moisture was perfect, no fuss from the medium ribbon cut. Two to three lights max.

Initial Flavor: Very much the oriental component with the Perique close behind. The VA is here only for support.

Mid-Bowl: Due to my Perique allergy, I began to cough and sneeze. The tartness of the Perique was not overbearing though.

Bottom of Bowl: This blend was a chore to finish. I know there is something great here, but my allergy would not let me explore.

Overall: This is definitely a unique blend that I could not enjoy due to my physical limitations. I will leave to others to explore and enjoy. After 5 bowls, I gave the rest to a dear friend who does not have the allergy problem.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 points

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-02		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are interested in this blend, I can only refer you to Inquisitor's excellent review, which I cannot begin to match. I will say, though, that I absolutely agree with Inquisitor's view of this tobacco. This blend is simply one of the best tobaccos I have ever smoked, a tobacco whose complexity, subtleties, elegance, and quality really are just about breathtaking. I spent months smoking Cairo and never got to the end to the tastes it could offer, and never got tired of its wonderful tangy-nutty-sweet flavors. It smokes well in every pipe I own, and despite the preponderance of light Virginias it smokes remarkably cool. This tobacco is simply delicious and excellent in every respect. In my estimation, it is a benchmark of the blender's art, and a tobacco that deserves the highest accolades. Bravo!

Update 8/02/04:

I hate to say that I don't like the way this blend changes as it ages. In my opinion, the wonderful balance of the blend when newer tilts drastically toward Perique and top dressing with a few year's age, and I don't much like the change. No disrespect to Greg Pease, who is truly a master blender, but this one simply changes in ways I don't care for. I'll try it again in a few years, and we'll see if it has changed again, more to my taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-06-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I've been smoking this regularly now for about a week, after letting it settle for about 3 weeks. I can only say that it is a truly unique and remarkable blend. Time to stock up!

--

What would Haddo's be like with some Oriental influence? How about a hopped up version of Samarra with more perique and denser flavors? Try Cairo and find out.

I found this blend to be quite unique and very luxurious tasting. Not quite a Balkan, not quite a proper English, not quite a VA/Perique. Elements of all three are rolled into one. This was by far one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a long time.

Reminiscient of the chaotic, dry yet dense and complex city of it's namesake...but also having distinctly woodsy, grassy notes and flavors. But don't be fooled...beneath the light exterior is a solid nicotine kick.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2004-06-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I felt this blend fell into the same category as 3 Year Matured by Dunhill. It is supposed to be just Va's and oriental, but i could swear there was a berry topping somewhere. That said I felt this blend was somewhat mundane. The flavoring gets old and the weed burns quite hot. It seems to do well in warm weather, but there are other blends that fit this niche better. Although Mr. Pease has made some great blends, I felt this one fell short. I have to give him an A for effort however as this blend is quite different than his usual fare. I will finish the tin easy enough, but I won't buy more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-02-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Cairo is one of my favorite blends. I like the complexities and subtleties that this blend offers. It is lightly sweet in a natural way and the perique component is a perfect addition to the virginias. This is one of the few blends that are a regular smoke to me and I never get bored or tire of it. Be sure to smoke it in a clean pipe and have a clean palate when you smoke this, if you do not you may miss the subtle complexities in this blend. I have smoked many tins of this and the only complaint I have is that every once in a while I need to leave the tin open for a few hours or so for the optimum moisture. Also, cellar up on this as it gets even better with age! Highly recommended for the virginia or perique lover or those who would like to try a wonderful and complex blend.

I feel like I need to come back to this one and change one thing. I still love this as much as before but must say that the nic. is a little stronger than when I first reviewed this. Still very, very good and in my regular rotation!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CapnStuby (33)	2003-09-19		Very Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Very Strong

I can't do a full review on this one because I couldn't get to the bottom of the bowl. Blame my neophyte experience level or the pipe or Lady Luck, but I just couldn't get through even half a bowl. My Savinelli had a thick wall of wood and a balsa filter to help out, but it was like the French versus Any Army At All. No resistance, no results!

The tobacco has a beautiful golden color, a crumbly rough cut, packs like a dream and smells like 5 kinds of Heaven in the tin...but smokes like Satan holding a flaming bag of doggie doo.

There was a harsh and peppery taste that overwhelmed my taste buds, nose and sense of balance, sending me spinning. The smoke it produced sent my loved ones scrambling for duct tape and Tom Ridge's phone number.

Pepper is good in food, but not in my pipe. I can't honestly recommend this one. Maybe it was my body chemistry? In any case, I have to give this one a thumbs-down rating because of that overpowering pepper taste. I ran inside and immediately fished out my rested Brookfield apple bowl and packed it full of British Woods and managed to save the night with a nice smoke from that. I DO like some Pease blends (Barbary Coast is dreamy!) though, so I'll continue to sample them.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flint (30)	2003-09-03		Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Cairo just didn't work for me. I have found that I just don't like turkish tobacco no matter how little of it is in a blend. Also this one torched my tongue and I smoke virginia flakes regurally. Not much else to say but on to the next one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-03		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find that I always enjoy the tobaccos of GL Pease and this one is up there with the best. I tend to prefer a latakia mixture, but switch to others regularly to even out my experiences. When I do, this is often the one I choose.

Notes on this are consistent. A very nice smoke, smooth, almost light. As I smoke I notice that whenever it starts to become routine, the perique steps forward and provides a tickle to bring it back in line. It offers different treats in each smoking and I find it to be a very "peaceful" smoke, especially for a quiet, thoughtful time alone. It also brings enjoyment when with others without distracting or displeasing my friends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-02-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When tasting fine wines, one should neutralize the pallet so that you can experience all of the subtle nuances and not be predisposed to the taste. I would recommend doing the same when first trying this incredible blend. Having experienced GLPease blends before, I knew that this was an experience to savor.

Nothing could prepare me for the complexity of this blend. I have tried other blends that were strong in orientals and left them behind, but this is a keeper. I won't try to expand on the previous descriptions since this blend has obviously inspired many to stretch their vocabulary to do this blend justice.

Take your time, use a well rested pipe and concentrate on the smoke. This is a rare blend that deserves high praise.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-10-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Myself - I think this is top grade smoke, resinous & sweet virginias , spicy orientals & a splash of perique- Outstanding!. No two bowls are ever quite the same. The taste is malty & burnt caramel-ish(common to high grade Va's in my humble opinion) kinda soft ,subtle, mild yet rich. Both sweet & spicy- works well. generally hard to describe but I think those who smoke it would understand what I mean. No chance of bite with this. Just finished my first tin & endeavouring to buy more. very impressed.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-04-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I preface by stating that this is one of the only VA based tobaccos that I can comfortably smoke, and that is due, no doubt, to the wonderous blending abilities of Mr. G L Pease. Upon opening the tin and popping the top, one is greeted by what must be the most beautifully colored tobacco blend known to man. The oranges and yellows and reds mix together yet retain their color enough to look almost like an orchard in mid autumn. In short, the colors are simply wonderous. Packing the tobacco is an absolute joy. The feel of the tobac is almost like handling a fresh rose-petal. Yes, it feels that silky and delicate. The small-cut peices allow for easy packing, and then the true joy begins. As flame dances over this mixture, you will almost notice the tobacco and the fire meet each other in a gorgeous display of colors.. then, of course, the tobacco burns and white ash is left. The initial drink of the flavor is not very strong at all--in fact, its downright subtle. It serves no other purpose than to make you want to smoke it some more to see what other flavors lie beneath. The flavors of the sweet, bright virginias and the nutty orientals mix and dance across the palate as the pipe burns down, and when the bowl is finished, the smoker is left with quite an inviting aftertaste in his/her mouth. If you have any desire to experience the most complex of tobaccos, or to sit and truly savor a smoke, by all means, give Cairo a shot!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	awt (20)	2023-02-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

An exceptional tobacco in terms of aroma strength and body. Basically a blend of Orientals and Virginias with the addition of Perique. All seem to me to be of excellent quality. It is lit with a match, burns regularly. Perhaps a little fast for small pipes, I recommend a group 4 at least for a smoke of half an hour or so. Only flaw, or virtue, it gives withdrawal symptoms after a short time.

Pipe Used: Any classical briar pipe

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Dubini

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (559)	2022-12-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of sour, Rasins and spices. Tobacco is a yellowish tan, brown and dark brown very thin ribbon. moisture content is on the dry side, no prep needed. Burns normal with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and moderately consistent, with notes of wood, dry earthy, raisin, herbal spices, floral, spicy, mild smoky, musty grass, mild sour lemon, a sweet bread background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Oriental/Turkish is leading with Virginias supporting. Perique comes and goes as it wishes. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	seafox7 (2)	2020-03-31		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

G. L. Pease – Cairo – 5/5 – Very nice Virginia/Mediterranean Upon opening the tin, the smell of this tobacco reminded me of opening a fresh pack of cigarettes. Stop right there! Let me explain; I mean that in the best possible way. As if you were a kid again, and you smelled a freshly opened pack of an older aunt or grandpa, and there is no association yet with the taste of cigarette smoke. Floral, nutty, a little musty and delightfully alien and exotic.

The tobacco is a thin ribbon cut, and the moisture from my tin was almost perfect right from the tin. Perhaps air dry for 5 minutes or so. The tobacco took to the flame very readily for me, and doesn’t require much re-lighting. The taste of the smoke brought more parallels with cigarettes, but again, in the best possible way. Have you ever tried to smoke a cigarette after recently smoking a good pipe, and it was a little gross and ‘thin’ tasting? Cairo tastes like the opposite of that. To me, it tastes like a really fancy cigarette without the acrid nasty of the paper and the strange taste-distancing of a cellulose filter.

It’s sweet like any high-quality Virginia, with more than a hint of pepper and spice market that comes with a good Izmir. In fact, it tastes like there’s quite a bit of Izmir or Samsun in the mix. The dash of perique gives the blend a certain twang to it, that sets off the Virginia and the Mediterranean. Had it not been on the label, I might not have realized there was perique in the mix at all. This is not a strong tobacco, in terms of nicotine. You will not get dizzy (probably). It has no bite, unless you try to freebase it or something. It smells very nice, like proper tobacco, but I wouldn’t smoke this inside; this isn’t Grandpa’s incense. It’s tobacco, and makes no attempt to disguise itself.

I really enjoy it, and find myself smoking it just about daily.

Pipe Used: Rattray's Eldritch Series

Age When Smoked: ~4 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	David70 (6)	2019-05-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Una miscela a dir poco portentosa. Gli equilibri sono perfetti, i tabacchi presenti si alternano piacevolmente con aromi liquorosi, speziati mai banali. Miscela non eccessivamente complessa, uno splendido tutto giorno che non stanca mai, ed ogni puff è una sorpresa. Da acquistare assolutamente. Facile caricamento e altrettanto facile combustione.

Pipe Used: Pascucci/Mastro de Paja

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2016-11-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nabbed a 2 oz tin from 2013, and seeing as Pease's blends require advanced aging thought 3 years would be plenty. Problem was that when opened tin had no vacuum, was crinkly-dry, and had a strong alcohol scent, very strong. It took two weeks to rehydrate, going through two sets of disc soaking in a 8 oz jar, periodically exposing to air. Smoked it recently, and... it's good.

Still much alcohol, whiskey -like, good taste from the lemony orange Vas, reduced interaction from orientals, but a decent recovery of a potentially abysmal experience.

Pipe Used: Briar better than Meer

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Tinder Box

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rade19 (7)	2015-08-18		Medium	Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Cairo is my choose when arrive home. An straight pipe, little bowl and the talk with the family. Very strong flavor of orientals and perique, but must be smoke in a little bowl, because it decrease the pleasure after the first half. But very few blends can compare the pleasure that Cairo gives you in the first half of the bowl.

Pipe Used: Dunhill

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2015-06-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Fantastic showing by Mr. Pease. The tin aroma is awesome. Sweet and figgy. This tobacco was somewhat reminiscent of Bayou morning. However, I like Bayou Morning better because it's stronger. It's my one minus on this otherwise wonderful blend. It should be stronger,

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2013-05-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Light easy smoke that can tend to get a little hot at times. Easy all day smoke (which i'm doing with the present tin) but not hearty enough for me personally to be bothered buying more. I didnt find this particularly complex either. People who dont like heavy tobac will probably like this. As always, very good quality tobacco is used. Give it a try.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Strong

I like this. It's a bit much for an every day type of smoke, but it's nice. In the tin it's very light, bright amber colored. It came a bit dry. The taste is like a light Virginia with very little bite while still retaining the flavor. I had two tins of this but I moved both to ball jars to avoid over drying. one of them went to the cellar and the other went into the long rotation. I can't see myself smoking this too often but at least two or three times a month. I smoke about a bowl and a half a day. Don't judge me; that leftover half bowl can taste pretty great the next morning! Oh, room note: pretty rough. It's close to smell of burning grass. My gf is usually pretty tolerant of my hobby and puts up with Nightcap a few times a week. But this time she asked me to take the dog for a walk. When we got back a few sticks of incense were lit.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-04-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The tin that I smoked was from 2004. I have had this in the cellar hidden behind some other Pease tins and had forgotten it was there. That being said, I did buy two tins originally and had the first one 3 years ago. I took some notes on it then and compared them with the more aged tin I smoked this week.

More of a fine ribbon cut than is usual with Pease, and I have to thank him for that. I find that alot of the tobacco blends are in too rough a cut or too thick a ribbon to produce the best burn. I like to smoke slowly, and a finer ribbon seems to give me more flavor and a more even burn. Dunhill seems to get this.

The color of the tobacco had darkened somewhat from the more caramel fresh appearance. It was more of a mahogany. The tin scent was a bit more rich and developed with the perique being a bit more tame in the nose than before. There is very little perique in this one, but a fresh tin will present one with a tad more of it's aggresiveness.

The packing is easy. The char light was a presentation of oriental spice and a hint of the virginia grassiness. After the true light, the blend starts to develope quickly in the bowl. As the orientals start to settle in the virginia and perique components marry. The sturdy background they provide are matched well to the orientals chosen here. The strength is on the light side of medium and the body is a full medium. Flavor is medium to full.

At midbowl, after smoking slowly, you get hints of sweet India spices in caramel, with a yeasty, grassy high note. Very little fruitiness from the perique although dark, low notes are apparent. The strength has not picked up at all...still a light medium.

The blend smoked beautifully from top to bottom. No moisture issues and no bite noted. My only complaint is the strength. It would be a much more relaxing smoke if it had a bit more nicotine. As it is, I will not be adding any for long term storage as it just doesn't satisfy me as much as I would like.

For lighter blend smokers that have a slower cadence, I would recommend this without hesitation. Cheers!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-04-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Like any good tobacco, Cairo needs to be given a fair hearing before judgment is passed on it.

Upon opening the tin I was met with a wonderful aroma that makes me think of grapefruit and raisins. I recognized this as the influence of the Oriental and Perique tobaccos, but there is still some sort of casing in there. This blend has a wonderful range of light to medium colors, and the cut resembles thick cigarette tobacco. A wonderful tobacco, but the trick to smoking it is to find the right pipe, right pairing, and right time of day.

It took me a few smokes, but this Sunday morning I hit gold. Early morning, with a cup of plain black coffee, in a briar pipe I picked up at an estate shop. (A simple pot shaped pipe with a deep walnut finish. It says "Seal's," and I suspect that it is a private label pipe made by Kaywoodie).

The sweet Virginia tobacco takes center stage, and the Oriental and Perique is applied just the way I like - as condiments. Whatever casing they used is also present and it serves to further shade this wonderful blend, which has a nice mellow quality. Care must be used when puffing away, however, because anything other than a moderate sip caused this blend to bite me just a bit.

My normal morning blends are Stokkebye's Natural and Peterson's Sherlock Holmes, both of which I think are mild and sweet. This blend has a bit more spine to it, and is not as sweet. The room note is not as pleasant as the Natural or Sherlock Holmes, but it is still nice. All-in-all, Cairo will make a very nice addition to my morning rotation when I'm in the mood for something just a bit more stout to go with my morning cup of java.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Denevei (58)	2011-01-08		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pease tobaccos take a bit of care to smoke, but when that care is taken the smoker is rewarded with some of the most pleasurable smokes available. The tobaccos are interestingly nuanced. They do not smoke as well in some pipes as in others, and so require, in my opinion, some amount of smoking skill to really appreciate. I personally prefer a light hand when packing these tobaccos. Further, I prefer to sip them like a fine whiskey rather than puff hard on them. The Dark Lord crafts his blends of the finest base tobaccos available, and he uses no water or humectants in them. Cairo is a blend of red, orange, and bright Virginias, Orientals, and just a hint of perique. The tin aroma is quite pleasant, with the sweet Virginias coming through and the nose being tickled by the musty sweetness of the Orientals. The appearance of somewhat rough ribbons, golden and golden brown in color. The tobacco packs nicely into the bowl. On the charring light the Orientals seemingly blasted through my pipes. However, once the bowl was lit the Virginias took more control, with the Orientals providing exciting highlights of spice. There is a nice, perfumed taste to the blend, coming through as an allure, sort of like a beautiful woman's hint of a delicate, fine fragrance (not a PC descriptor, but the best I can come up with). Though the perique is there, it doesn't seem to show early in the smoke. By mid-bowl, the oriental tang was a bit more pronounced, and remained extremely pleasant. The Virginias remain smooth, providing the sweet overtone that makes me a Virginia smoker. By this point I noticed the perique more. As I got to the end of the bowl the Orientals remain pronounced but not overpowering. The sweet Virginia highlights and nuances continue to drive the smoke, while the perique finally lets its presence be known, providing a nice, sharp accent to the other tobaccos. I suppose Cairo could be considered a Balkan blend of sorts. However, Virginia lovers may shy away from a blend with that categorization and that would be unfortunate. I am, first and foremost, a Virginia lover, but believe that Cairo should be an essential part of the tobacco rotation of any smoker who is a fan of the blends from G. L. Pease.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-21		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first began smoking this blend I was wowed by the awesome taste and citrus note. However, as I have journeyed with it over the past month my elation has quickly dissipated. I find that it has lost much of its punch. If you smoke it very gently you can find the endearing qualities, but for me they were to far and few between. There are some good aspects that keep it from being a loss, but overall I will not be buying this blend again.

Additional Note: In the area of room note I recently received a comment from a friend. When I first lit the pipe he was generally pleased and commented that he liked it. About 30 minutes later he asked me what had happened, for what he was enjoying had changed and he now felt it was much more of a cigar/cigarette realm of room note. Just additional information for you to keep in mind.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-03-24		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a bewitching mix of scents, flavors, and tones. Fairly light in body, but rich in character. Really lovely stuff. Smoke it in a VA pipe, not one that is used for latakia, as otherwise the orientals are washed out by the latakia cake in the pipe...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I recently bought a two-ounce tin of every Pease tobacco I could get my hands on and decided to go through them in the order they appear on his Web site. This is the second one. The first was Barbary Coast and I was pleasantly surprised by it since I have never gotten along with Burley blends. I even put up a review of it.

I have been a friend of English and Oriental blends. My favorite of all time was Balkan Sobranie. I figured Cairo would be one I would like, but it goes beyond my expectations. I thought I would really miss the latakia and perique. But I don't and this is really good stuff. I still suspect I have some delicious surprises waiting for me when I get to his oriental blends, but I'm enjoying this one for what it is while I work on this tin.

Everytime I open the tin, the aroma reaches out and touches me. From the aroma, I suspect there is some very mild flavoring in it but I can't put my finger on it and I can't taste it at all. When I first light the pipe, the sweetness of the Virginias is pronounced. As the smoke proceeds, the savoriness of the Orientals becomes more and more noticeable. This is a great blend that I know I will return to even when I have found a replacement for my Balkan Sobranie.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipe_organist (14)	2009-07-14		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is another tin that I resurrected out of a storage bin of tinned tobaccos I sampled and then put up when I went into a non-smoking dormancy. Since I've recently taken up the pipe again, I pulled out the tin and carefully spread the tobacco on a sheet of waxed paper, misted it with distilled water and put it back into a tightly-sealed jar. This tin was about 4 years old when I put it away (opened).

Since returning to pipe smoking, I've found that my taste for oriental mixtures has waned and my taste for Balkan and English blends has dominated. However, I found this to be a nice change of pace.

For those who have shied away from Virgina blends because of experiences with the "hot ketchup" flavor some find objectionable in other popular Virginia blends, this is a pleasant surprise. The orientals tame the Virginias and the Perique comes as a nice balance to foil the bite of a straight Virginia.

The room note was an equally interesting surprise. I left the room and re-entered several minutes later to find that there was a lingering aroma of caramel and toasted pecans. Odd, but certainly pleasant.

As this was an older tin, subjected to rather rough treatment, I'd have to sample a newer tin of it to determine if the qualities of the tobacco were negatively impacted. Nonetheless, I'd keep a tin of this on hand when I don't know what else to smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased a tin of Cairo when I began searching for a "bright" blend to provide counterpoint to the darker tobaccos in my daily rotation. I must say I have been pleasantly surprised by this interesting offering from GLP.

The tin smells of citrus, spices, and tobacco. The virginias and orientals dominate the aroma, and the perique is barely noticable. The tobacco is packaged slightly drier than I prefer, but it requires no preparation for smoking.

The smoke is both sweet and tangy, with the perique building as the bowl progresses. As one reviewer put it, this blend will tickle your nose just as a strong ginger ale will. While I'm not sure I willenjoy it as much in the einter as I do during this hot summer days, I will definately continue to smoke it. A solid three star tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A natural, bright looking mixture Cairo is comprised of sandy blonde and tan broken ribbons and chopped leaf mixed with light and chestnut browns, the whole peppered with a smattering of darker leaf. The tin nose is bright, nutty and just a bit salty with a light and clean aroma of spice and newly stewed fruit.

Coming a bit on the dry side, Cairo requires little in the way of preparation and packs and takes to the match with little complaint. A refreshing Virginia-Oriental flavored with a touch of Perique, in the bowl it offers bright Virginia notes which mingle with flavors reminiscent of citrus and Chinese mustard. Possessing a subdued sweetness, the tang of the Orientals and the sourness of the Perique grows stronger as the bowl progresses. Mild in body, it has a short, dry finish best likened to the delightful snap of a crisp ginger ale which tickles the nose as it refreshes the palate. Not an overly complex affair, it is nevertheless an excellent example of how nicely Virginias and Orientals can be brought together in a way which accentuates the unique qualities of both in pursuit of something which all can enjoy.

A wonderful hot weather blend, Cairo pays due homage to the bustling and vibrant city after which it is named, and will no doubt amuse devotees of Virginia leaf and lovers of Orientals alike. The sample on which this review is based is quite young, having had about a year's rest in the tin prior to opening, and as such the reviewer wonders what time might do the blend, in particular in regards to its brightness? While its exuberance may well not persist with Nile-like regularity over the long haul, I chance to believe that something nice will nonetheless emerge when a few dusty tins squirreled away happen to be chanced upon, Howard Cater like, years down the road.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-03-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Of the 4 Blends from GL Pease that I have tried thus far this is one I don't like much. The tin aroma is very nice and at times I get a little good sweetness, but overall the blend is just too mild for my taste.

I won't be buying this one again I'm afraid

Edit: Since I have run out of my other blends for the time being I have returned to this can which sat in the back of my tobacco shelf for the last 6-8 months. I must add a star to this blend, after smoking many bowls the sweetness of this blend has grown on me.

This is still not my favorite blend from GL Pease, but I think it is better than my first review implied.

3 stars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2008-12-22		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I like this blend. It smells delightful in the tin and I love the taste. However, it doesn't burn very well even when dried out. It also has a tendency to bite. That could be agressive smoking on my part.

This tin had 20 months age and I expected a little more from it. I have not given up on it and have another four tin in the cellar.

I rate it at 2.75 stars at this point.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-03		Medium	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

My original review of Cairo was September 2006. Since that time I've gone through a couple more tins and somewhere this lost its original magic. Due to my enjoyment of my first tin I ordered several more and have been slowly going through them. I'm currently working on a tin that was sealed in November 2006, so it had well in excess of a year's aging when I opened it. I can barely tolerate the tongue bite and stinging this blend delivers. A lengthy DLT does not help in that respect. The flavor and nuances are diminished because of the sting. I'm loathe to throw away any tobacco; I have made my way through half of the current tin and have tried it in a large variety of pipes with a wide variety of packing and smoking methods. No matter - it still stings. I regret this happening, especially based on my experiences with my very first tin... I've got one unsealed tin remaining and it will remain unsealed. Lord willing, perhaps in five years or so I'll open it and see what time has done. In the meantime I doubt I'll buy any more Cairo.

//Update above//

This is a marvelous tobacco and a wonderfully complex smoke. The complexity is not revealed, at least for me, on first light up, but comes into play once I'm through the first third of the bowl. I've been smoking this in an Ardor Ninfea smoothgrain bent as well as a Stanwell Danish I purchased back in 1979. It seems to do better in the larger-bowled Ardor, complexity-wise. On light up, I immediately taste the bright virginia and it can nip the tongue (especially if it is my third or fourth pipe of the day); however, once I have it burning smoothly, the nip disappears and it slowly enters into its complex stage. Once Cairo is evenly lit, it burns smoothly with few re-lights. I don't taste figs or prunes but good sweet high-quality tobaccos with hints of spice. The deeper into the bowl, the more flavorful and rich the taste becomes. The perique makes its presence known sporadically throughout the bowl and acts as a condiment. Cairo burns down to a dry gray ash. I've enjoyed this tobacco so much that I recently ordered from The Briary (no connections) another large-bowled pipe, a Cavicchi 1C (rough), in which to enjoy it more fully. My other Cavicchi is dedicated to GLP Laurel Heights and Blackpoint. My wife enjoys the room note of Cairo and has commented on it having a "lighter" aroma than Blackpoint or Haddoes Delight. This baccy should do extremely well with a couple of years aging and that will be my next endeavor, to put down about 5 - 6 tins to enjoy, Lord willing, in two to three years from now. This is the fifth GLP blend I've purchased and have thoroughly enjoyed (the other four were Laurel Heights, Odyssey, Blackpoint and Haddoes Delight). I currently have extra tins of each of those "cellaring" (as well as a bodacious amount of S. Gawith's Perfection, Full Brown Flake, Full Virginia Flake, Balkan Flake, and Astleys 109). I highly recommend Cairo, especially in a large-bowled pipe, smoked slowly and at leisure. If you smoke it too fast, you'll miss out.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-12-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I suppose I can put the blame on a new tin but I don't care for this blend. It is bitey and the tobaccos do not compliment or support each other. This review is of neccesity only about one tin because I'll never get another. I suppose there are smokers who will think this is an alright blend or I would have rated it as not recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-03-03		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a nice smoke. Upon first lite the introduction was inviting, both the taste, as well the aroma, the generated smoke dissipates quickly and does not overcome the room.

Definitely a high note, to echo other reviewers, citrus is present, but I would offer (for comment) a flection of "tea".

When I opened the tin the aroma seemed to remind me of tea, and the flavor was characteristic of drinking tea, whereby, the slight after-taste dissipated quickly rather than riding on through the evening, night, and next day.

I packed this loosely in the bottom of the bowl, then created a wad in the upper portion, this intensified the flavor and helped to sustain the smoke. Smoking this tabacco in a Tankard style pipe, little bite if any at all. Having been jar'd for only 2 months, it will be interesting to see how the flavor and aroma changes with continued aging.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I would take a pass and buy "RICH'S" OLD PERTH. This one is a little hot and not very interesting. Might be for some folks though,just not me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-04-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

In Cairo I found what I did not find in Haddos Delight-- a balanced Virginia blend with the added complexity of oriental tobacco. Lots of attractive light leaf in the mix. The presence of Perique is apparent and if it is "... a whisper of Perique", then it is more like a stage whisper. The tin aroma has a compelling sweet-sour quality that I very much like.

There aren't a lot of Virginia-Oriental blends out there that don't have the dominating influence of latakia as part of their makeup (Campanile comes to mind as a non-perique comparison). Cairo is certainly one to try.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

No Rubbish here, just pure straight foward tobacco flavor! I have just about finished a 2oz tin of this and will buy more for sure!

This has a nice virginia sweetness with a little spice to it. I did find that it had a pretty fair nicotine kick IMO. It could easily be smoked all day. Fantastic stuff!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried GLPease?s Cairo and found it to be a very nice Virginia / Perique / Oriental blend. The Virginia with its natural sweetness was very pronounced with the slightly sour notes of the perique shinning through. The Orientals lent its spicy/earthy quality admirably to the blend with the peppery taste to the tongue that I like so well.

I found this blend to pack well and relightings are infrequent.

In all I find this tobacco to be integrated into an extremely well mannered blend that I highly recommend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

An interesting blend when I am in the mood for somthing very mild. It's a good blend for breaking in a new pipe with as well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-04-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Greg Pease is, at first glance of the Brand listing here, a master of 3 star tobaccos. It isn't for lack of quality or talent; he just creates 'focused' blends that, taken individually, many will adore and many will dislike. I applaud his obvious efforts at trying to please a few of us at a time, eventually reaching us all, rather than trying to please everybody each time. I despise Abingdon and adore Mephisto and would probably find most of his creations not to my liking. Yet we would be much poorer without his talents.

I don't share Greg's adoration of perique, with which he sprinkles or pours into almost everything he blends. Like Greg, my grandmother invariably added black walnut essence to everything she baked. Bless her support hose, her cookies won awards and acclaim from family and neighbors: it was her signature tweak that brought out many flavor nuances. So I'm told. I never ate them. I hate black walnuts. I don't exactly hate perique, it just has a habanero juice effect in my mouth. Wish it weren't so.

Having said all that, I still like Cairo. There's a spectrum of flavors here, and it goes well with hot sauce, whisper to you or perique-shriek to me. It's that good. But not for everybody.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-04-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nicely even short strips of medium brown tobacco.

Incredible tin aroma. Nutty, figgy, delicious.

Moistness is just right. Maybe more moist than dry, but very close to ideal, and could easily be dried to perfection.

Packs evenly and easily; lights easily and burns evenly.

Medium strength, full body. Delightful "creamy" mouth feel. Taste gracefully modulates through notes of figs, nuts, chocolate, and rum. Requires careful pacing, both to avoid bite and to savor the delicate play of flavor notes. Quite complex, and extremely well mannered. All that being said, the taste of the smoke doesn't quite deliver on the incredible promise of the tin aroma.

A long, clean, peppery aftertaste.

Room note is mild and pleasant.

Misc: The plastic lid on the tin was loose, worryingly so. Had to store the tin in a Ziploc.

Overall: Smooth, complex, pleasant, interesting.

Rating: =/==

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-10-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I'm surprised this blend gets only three stars on these pages. Far more interesting than "traditional" Virginia blends, this tobacco is should be tried by anyone who enjoys Virgina blends. Unlike many Virginia's, there is no tongue bite. A real treat!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JB (44)	2004-08-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I now know why this blend is called "Cairo". For those of you who haven't been there, in many parts of that city, there is a slight burning citrus scent evident from all the hookahs being smoked. I'm far from certain what is in all those pipes in Cairo, but it does end up smelling much like this blend. My compliments to Greg on capturing that memory so perfectly.

There is clearly some topping or essence in this blend, but it doesn't put me off in the least. It's a delicious blend that ages wonderfully.

Oddly enough, the perique in this blend only adds support and background for the overall taste. So if perique isn't your thing, don't sweat it...

This blend defies convenient categorization. It isn't an English blend, it isn't a Virginia and it isn't an aromatic. So what is it? A pretty darn yummy tobacco blend that ages extremely well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-05-17		Medium	None Detected	Overwhelming	Strong

It had to happen. As I worked my way through all of the currently available GL Pease blends, odds were that I would find one that I utterly detest. And I did ? Cairo.

Cairo is the only GLP blend that just looks boring. The cut is nice, but the coloration is mundane, just all medium brown.

At first it seemed OK. There was a well-rounded taste of some savory Oriental. But by the 1/3 mark it had degenerated into what tasted like a cheap cigar. The room note was quite unpleasant, again with the cheap cigar. By the middle of the fourth bowl, I knew I wouldn?t be smoking this blend again Even after I had finished it, for several hours I could ?smell? this stuff if I inhaled deeply. I thought it was lingering in the room, but it did it outside too. The smell was stuck in my nose!

I?m sorry Mr. Pease, I have been able to find something good to say about all of your other blends, but this stuff is just rank.

For what it?s worth, it burned well, was smooth, and it didn?t bite.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-09-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Beautiful tobacco, very bright and blonde. Little or no tin aroma. Allowing it to dry out helps it. And about a fourth of the way down the bowl, it moves into the Perique zone which for me is delightful. And it is both mellow and zingy in the nose. However, while I enjoy asian red pepper in my stir fry, I do not enjoy it in my Perique. It has a pleasant Virginia and oriental flavor, but in the mouth it is Thai Perique. Paddy.

2-25-2016 As it happens, I must change my assessment of this tobacco. At the insistence of friends, I have given this offering a second look. I have been smoking it for the past six or seven months on a regular basis and either I was completely off-base in my original review, or this is a very different tobacco from that which I originally smoked. In the first place, the current offering has a subtle tin aroma, a light chocolaty, berry essence. It is the same in appearance, but I pick up very little perique in the smoke. The mouth feel is mellow, and the flavor is of oriental spice with a nice, pleasant zing in the nose. It is not hot, nor does it bite. It has moved into my weekly rotation, and I just purchased an 8 oz. tin, good stuff. Paddy

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-07-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I think I may have gotten a bad tin. The tin aroma was very nice and the tobacco was really beautiful to the eyes and touch. There was, however, absolutely no taste. It was like smoking hay as opposed to tobacco.

After smoking half the bowl with no noticeable flavour I tried puffing a bit faster only to get blasted with a horrible peppery taste and scorched the hell out of my tongue.

Other GLP blends make up a substantial part of my rotation, but this was just awful. I think I'll stick to Haddo's.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-06-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the Tin: Beautiful distribution of colors averaging a deep tan. Aroma is mild and of Virginia. I can't smell any of the orientals.

Packing and Lighting: I think this needs to be packed fairly tightly as I have to relight about 3 times on average. No difficulties getting it started.

Taste: Initial impression is sweet in that wonderful Virginia way with just a bit of tingle from the perique. Later, towards the last half of the bowl the flavor becomes stronger, rich Virginia, smooth Oriental, tangy Perique.

If you like Virginia/Perique blends you will want to try this.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-02-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'll just add tuppence to the reviews already here and say that I agree w/the majority of you that Cairo is another fine blend from the House of Pease. I've come to find that this blend is a joy to smoke inside or outside (barring windy or extremely cold days of course) because the taste is bold enough to be discernible but still stays delicate and smoker-friendly. As others have stated though, this is best when you have time to relax and enjoy the flavor. Hints of apricot, a wee bit of perique pepperiness, a faint note of chocolate(?) and VA sweetness as well as light oriental spiciness all combine together to make a really enjoyable smoke that's nutty, mildly citrusy and rich w/no individual player trying to steal the show. No problems w/gurgles, I used one cleaner about 1/2way. Virtually no bite and burns to a clean dry ash. I have a Grp. 5 BBB smooth Canadian that fits nicely w/this blend, but have tried a coupla larger, deeper bowls w/good results. Looks like Greg has done it again. Works for me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-02-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

GL Pease-Cairo 4 stars Cairo is my absolute favorite non-Latakia blend. And when I'm not smoking Dunhill 965 or Odyssey, this is the one I turn to. Cairo has the most remarkable warm, rich, camel color and sweet, complex, aroma. I often find myself just opening the tin just to marvel at it. As indicated by others thus far, Cairo is unique, and comparing it to anything else would be both difficult and senseless. It is perfectly behaved and very tasty; bright, rich, and spicy. The key to the blend is the hint of Perique, peeking out every so often, keeping things interesting. This is one that everyone should at least try. My highest praises!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-01-06		Very Strong	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is unique in my experience and needs to be approached with an open mind in order to be fully appreciated. The body and smoking character is good throughout the bowl, but the flavor is at times light, almost thin, and requires care in order to bring out the best character of this complex tobacco. Flavor is improved by airing the tin; bowls immediately upon opening are too thin in flavor to be enjoyed by this reviewer.

The tin nose for this is fruity and may be a bit offsetting for those who dislike aromatic tobaccos.

Initial light brings good body, fruity essence, but little flavor. Coconut, mango, and chocolate are some of the brief taste sensations delivered early in the bowl. While there are a number of interesting non-tobacco flavors in the blend, I cannot specifically identify them as added flavors rather than natural.

The middle of the bowl is where I think this tobacco really shines and where its complexity comes through. Light puffs with added air brought into the mouth aside the bit brings varying spiciness, pepper, fruity flavor, as well as a floral sensation that is not soapy. Careful and slow attention are mandatory if the blend is to be allowed to express its full appeal.

The late part of the bowl grows in body and depth, although I find the complexity to be reduced at this point. Nicotine strength grows to become very strong to overwhelming at this point and has required setting down the pipe for periods of time. The last third of the bowl is largely without the fruity tastes and coconut that the early bowl brings.

This is not a particularly sweet blend, and does not display the strong nuttiness that I have seen at times from other oriental blends.

All and all, this is a unique blend that is worth the effort of experiencing in its own merits, but is difficult to evaluate in comparison to other tobacco blends.

January, 2003

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2002-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

For me this is a very light tobacco . I tend to smoke fast and hot , so it takes concentration on my part to keep this tobacco smoking cool . The point of it going out is where the flavors are most enjoyable for me , so I smoke it extra slow . I also find that I need to pack it a little tighter than most . An excellent tobacco for the VA smoker .

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-01-16		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Since I only transfer bulk tobacco purchases to a pouch, I found the narrow, cylindrical can problematic for packing large bowled pipes by my usual technique. However, the tobacco is what really counts and this one is a winner. The mositure content is perfect right from the can. No bite and a mild, sweet taste dominated by the VAs but with hints of orientals. Great to the last puff. Pack this blend loosely in a large bowl pipe or expect many relights. Enjoy a wonderful smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2001-08-11		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

G.L. Pease Cairo

The first thing that hit me when I opened the can was how light in color this tobacco is. A wonderful mix of tan and light brown ribbon cut tobacco sets the mood for its name-sake. Don't let the color fool you, the tin note is full and natural. As I pinched a bit out and onto my palm, I found it to be as ready to smoke right out of the can as any I have tried thus far (not to wet, not to dry). It packed nicely and now I was ready for my first Pease blend experience. It burned well through the charring light and settled into a nice even burn on the second flame. The first tastes were subtle, slightly tangy, slightly nutty. It remained smooth and nutty through the first half of the bowl as the perique slowly and gradualy introduced itself in the background without becoming promonent. The last half of the bowl was my favorate part of this smoke as the taste became richer and sweeter and all the flavors began hitting me at once. I found Cairo to be a very pleasent and mild smoke. Each flavor introduced itself at different points during the smoke and none of them tried to dominate the experience. I would not hesitate to recomend Cairo to anyone that is looking for a mild smoke.

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