G. L. Pease Cairo
(3.11)
Cairo is a wonderfully complex mixture of red, orange and bright Virginia tobaccos, exotic Oriental leaf, and just a whisper of perique. The flavor is naturally sweet, slightly nutty, delicately spicy and rich. Subtle citrus-like notes harmoniously support the more robust flavors of the darker Virginias. A medium bodied tobacco with a delicate aroma, Cairo will satisfy Virginia lovers and the connoisseur of Oriental mixtures alike.
Notes: From GL Pease: Cairo is one of my favorite cities in the near-East, perhaps even the world. When I was there, the energy of the place inspired me in ways I'd never imagined. This tobacco has a distinctly Oriental character, reminiscent of the spice markets in the bazaar. What else could I call it?
Cairo was introduced in March, 2000
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Original Mixtures |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Oriental |
| Contents | Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.11 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 04, 2014 | 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
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
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 19, 2006 | 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.
**** 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 07, 2009 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 25, 2007 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 02, 2010 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 10, 2006 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 17, 2005 | 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
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
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 19, 2003 | 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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 03, 2003 | 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 17, 2004 | 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.
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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