G. L. Pease Raven's Wing
(3.63)
Raven's Wing is a dark mixture with a large measure of Latakia, both Cyprian and Syrian. The flavor is full and robust. The Latakia is assertive, but it doesn't overpower the Oriental and dark stoved Virginia tobaccos which add complexity and balance to the smoke. Because of the large percentage of Latakia, Raven's Wing burns slowly. We recommend a more gentle touch when packing the pipe than that used with other mixtures.
Notes: From Gregory Pease website: "In November, 2004, a warehouse fire consumed our supply of the exquisite vintage Syrian Latakia that was used in Renaissance, Raven's Wing and Mephisto, as well as Bohemian Scandal. These blends have been discontinued indefinitely"
Details
| Brand | G. L. Pease |
| Series | Original Mixtures |
| Blended By | Gregory Pease |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2oz Tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | No longer in production |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.63 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 21 - 30 of 40 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2001 | Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Strong |
Appearance - Full range of medium and dark tobaccos. Medium width ribbon, neither long nor short. A bit drier than most blends, but perfect for my taste in that area. I usually have to let most tobaccos dry out a bit before I can enjoy them.
Aroma ? Very smoky and rich, I wanted to just sniff at it for a while (almost chew it). There is a definite presence of Syrian Latakia, some sweeter Cyprian, good Turkish spiciness and a solid sweetness of Red Virginia. All the components seem to stand out, but none drowns out any other. Excellent balance promises a great smoke.
Packing: This blend needs a bit of a light touch when packing, especially at the bottom of the bowl. It is too easy to pack it just a bit too tight.
Lighting: Lights easily when properly packed. Typical "charring light, tamp, relight" sequence gets a good slow burn going.
Initial flavor and aroma: I noticed the Latakia first, followed immediately by the fullness of the Virginias and the nutty, spicy Turkish. Rich, cool and well balanced right from the beginning. Stays lit well even at a slow burn rate.
Mid-bowl: No perceptible change at the middle third of the bowl, continues to burn dry and even.
Finish: Like most tobaccos, gets a bit stronger in flavor at the end. Continues to burn to a clean gray ash. I sometimes had to dump a small amount of the ash to relight, as it forms a blanket which impedes relighting. Left me satisfied, with my tongue and palate unstressed. I didn?t get the "hit me again" feeling right away, owing to the richness of the smoke. Tried in the following pipes: Actually tried in too many to mention, medium to large bowls mostly (and a few small ones), both air-cured and oil-cured briars. For me it worked well in all sizes, but best in the larger bowls.
Particularly liked: Where to start? I liked everything about it, including the size (2 oz. Vs the usual 50 grams) although I wish it were available in 4 oz. size.
Particularly disliked: The only thing I disliked is the shape of the can. It?s too narrow for me, and I don?t have large hands. I can get the tobacco out for the first third of the can, then I have to pour it onto a sheet of paper.
Summary: For me, a great evening smoke in a good size pipe. It would probably be a good choice for outdoors on a cool day, as it does not burn hot unless really overpuffed or fanned by a stiff breeze. Definitely a smoke for anyone who enjoys Latakia, but does not like being overwhelmed by it. It is at the top of my list of Full English blends
Aroma ? Very smoky and rich, I wanted to just sniff at it for a while (almost chew it). There is a definite presence of Syrian Latakia, some sweeter Cyprian, good Turkish spiciness and a solid sweetness of Red Virginia. All the components seem to stand out, but none drowns out any other. Excellent balance promises a great smoke.
Packing: This blend needs a bit of a light touch when packing, especially at the bottom of the bowl. It is too easy to pack it just a bit too tight.
Lighting: Lights easily when properly packed. Typical "charring light, tamp, relight" sequence gets a good slow burn going.
Initial flavor and aroma: I noticed the Latakia first, followed immediately by the fullness of the Virginias and the nutty, spicy Turkish. Rich, cool and well balanced right from the beginning. Stays lit well even at a slow burn rate.
Mid-bowl: No perceptible change at the middle third of the bowl, continues to burn dry and even.
Finish: Like most tobaccos, gets a bit stronger in flavor at the end. Continues to burn to a clean gray ash. I sometimes had to dump a small amount of the ash to relight, as it forms a blanket which impedes relighting. Left me satisfied, with my tongue and palate unstressed. I didn?t get the "hit me again" feeling right away, owing to the richness of the smoke. Tried in the following pipes: Actually tried in too many to mention, medium to large bowls mostly (and a few small ones), both air-cured and oil-cured briars. For me it worked well in all sizes, but best in the larger bowls.
Particularly liked: Where to start? I liked everything about it, including the size (2 oz. Vs the usual 50 grams) although I wish it were available in 4 oz. size.
Particularly disliked: The only thing I disliked is the shape of the can. It?s too narrow for me, and I don?t have large hands. I can get the tobacco out for the first third of the can, then I have to pour it onto a sheet of paper.
Summary: For me, a great evening smoke in a good size pipe. It would probably be a good choice for outdoors on a cool day, as it does not burn hot unless really overpuffed or fanned by a stiff breeze. Definitely a smoke for anyone who enjoys Latakia, but does not like being overwhelmed by it. It is at the top of my list of Full English blends
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 15, 2021 | Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant |
I smoked this blend as soon as it became available and bought tins to stash away. Two of those tins are still in my stash and this is the subject of this review. I really liked Raven's Wing back then and would have given it four stars on our scale, had our scale existed back then. I still feel just as strongly about the blend today and am going to give it four stars again. Sadly, this rating is not based on the current tin I opened. My pre-opening examination showed everything to be okay with all seals tight. When I opened the tin I discovered that the tobacco inside was dry; bone dry. The tin aroma was weak from the loss of all moisture and about half of the essential oils and other compounds that made this one of the best full English smokes around - then and now. My first bowl revealed a much weakened smoking aroma. The interesting thing was that, deep down inside, you could detect the former aroma profile in it's new weakened form. I always considered Raven's Wing to be Gregg Pease's "759" and I miss the full and fragrant English profile of old. Now, either there was a a breach of some sort in this tin's construction, or, this "vegetable can" style of tin is not capable of twenty years preservation. I have tins of a sibling blend called Mephisto that are of the same age and I intend to open one in the near future to try to get some indication of what went wrong.
Pipe Used:
Cooke small sandblasted Dublin
PurchasedFrom:
local brick and mortar
Age When Smoked:
tinned July 11, 2000
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 05, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Dark blend, very dark, has a wonderful Latakia aroma as I pack up a bowl. The first light is definitely cyprian Latakia, but the Syrian comes through at different points throughout the smoke like a ghost fading in and out. The dark va's are the other most detected flavor and really bring a wonderful balancing sweetness to this blend! Very well contrived, I don't think I will miss it as much as some have said, I prefer Picadilly and Chelsea Morning, but this is very nice!
Pipe Used:
Dunhill Red Bark - Canadian
PurchasedFrom:
eBay
Age When Smoked:
10 years old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 03, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
A strong Latakia mixture, with a high percentage of dark leaf. Alternatively bitter and sweet (thanks to the Virginias), it is a very good smoke. I won't spend much time into details for a simple reason: for me it tastes like a cross between the delicate fullness of Renaissance, and the darker tones of Odyssey: I like its leathery smokiness! Burning qualities and all other considerations (including the very unintrusive tin smell) are similar to the ones I wrote for those two other tobaccos. Another fine offering from the Dark Lord, with the typical distinctive taste of his Latakia mixture: not a departure from his usual style, but a welcome slightly different nuance. Major complaint: the extremely fine cut of the tobacco (most of it is almost dust-like, although there are some huger bits), which makes me blow unburnt tobacco at the first puff, and can clog the airhole!
2008 Update: I am smoking a 5 year old tin of this blend (only 2 more left in my cellar!!!), and it is extremely smooth now. Not as sweet as I remembered, and more oriented on flavours of dark (like stoved) virginia with some vague lemony hints, a big but not particularly spicy smokiness, very woody. Very good, but on the long run I still see why I have always preferred Caravan, Odyssey, Charing Cross, Blackpoint or Abingdon, which taste more lively, nutty, spicy and dynamic. Now I can't wait to taste Maltese Falcon which is meant to be an update (probably improved) of this classic and sadly departed blend...
2008 Update: I am smoking a 5 year old tin of this blend (only 2 more left in my cellar!!!), and it is extremely smooth now. Not as sweet as I remembered, and more oriented on flavours of dark (like stoved) virginia with some vague lemony hints, a big but not particularly spicy smokiness, very woody. Very good, but on the long run I still see why I have always preferred Caravan, Odyssey, Charing Cross, Blackpoint or Abingdon, which taste more lively, nutty, spicy and dynamic. Now I can't wait to taste Maltese Falcon which is meant to be an update (probably improved) of this classic and sadly departed blend...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 22, 2006 | Strong | Strong | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I tried this because I wanted to try a blend with Syrian Latakia and I knew this had it and Pease has never let me down. It is a very good blend if you are someone who likes a very strong latakia flavor. I do, but only at special times. I can't always smoke something this rich in latakia but when I crave something of this nature this is right up there with Odessey, Frog Morton,or Durbar. This and Odessey being the top of course. I imagine this is rather hard to come by now and my supply just ran out. Would surely keep it on hand though if I had the chance.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 14, 2005 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
I'm sorry, but I just don't see what the fuss is about this blend.
Upon opening the tin, I found this blend to be 'raw'. Aging it for several months has brought the flavors together, rounded out the harsh unevenness, but all in all, I find the overall experience rather unimpressive.
Tin aroma promises a strong experience akin to Nightcap, but in the bowl it fails to produce that. The orientals are evident, but not pronounced enough, imho. The VA component is rather lost in the background. I was also surprised to find that this tended to smoke hot for me.
As I am not generally a fan of stoved VAs (I find them flat and boring), it may be that this component is affecting the overall flavor in a way that just doesn't work for me.
Clearly, I am in the minority on this blend. This is also my first and only GLP experience to date. But so far, I'd much prefer Nightcap for robustness, or British Woods or London Blend for an English.
Upon opening the tin, I found this blend to be 'raw'. Aging it for several months has brought the flavors together, rounded out the harsh unevenness, but all in all, I find the overall experience rather unimpressive.
Tin aroma promises a strong experience akin to Nightcap, but in the bowl it fails to produce that. The orientals are evident, but not pronounced enough, imho. The VA component is rather lost in the background. I was also surprised to find that this tended to smoke hot for me.
As I am not generally a fan of stoved VAs (I find them flat and boring), it may be that this component is affecting the overall flavor in a way that just doesn't work for me.
Clearly, I am in the minority on this blend. This is also my first and only GLP experience to date. But so far, I'd much prefer Nightcap for robustness, or British Woods or London Blend for an English.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 22, 2005 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
What more can be said about this one!! I had been saving a tin and broke it open the other day. Wonderful stuff! To bad its not available anymore. (I did stumble across 4 tins dated 9/11/03 the other day when I was looking for something else at my local shop!!) They will sit in the cellar for a while!!! This is a complex blend and it would be one to devote your time and attention to and enjoy it without distraction.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 18, 2005 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Full | Strong |
Once I learned that I have to let (most) Pease tobaccos stew in their cans for a year, I've come to appreciate them more. My initial reactions to RW were not favorable: I found it biting and astringent and bitter like boiled 3 day old espresso. What a difference a year makes! A better-than-decent English blend where the latakia, though pronounced, fails to overpower the other components. This is what I had hoped Dunhill would have perfected. The orientals are nicely sweet.. or is it the Virginias? Nice overlap of tastes and the flavor is roundly full. I smoke this outside due to its non-social aroma and I don't need to send it through my nose to determine whether the pipe is still lit. Nice taste, good blend, worth the wait.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 19, 2005 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Pleasant |
Raven?s Wing and Renaissance are in an ongoing battle for the title of ?My favorite Pease blend.? I had expected a paradigm shift with the recent entrance of Bohemian Scandal into the ring, but Raven and Renaissance continue to dominate. I love both Syrian and Cyprian Latakia, and here you get the best of both worlds. And with both kinds of Latakia working together in perfect harmony, I fail to see how any lover of English blends wouldn?t be enchanted by this beautiful mixture. If any blend deserves the accolade ?complex,? it?s Raven?s Wing. I only hope it survives the great Syrian shortage of ?04. The world of pipesmoking will surely be a bleaker place if it doesn?t.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 15, 2003 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I have yet to try all the Pease blends but Rw is my favorite to date. This blend has a rich, full latakia flavor melded with sweet and mellow virginias which makes for a truly delicious smoke. It just amazes me that a tobacco blender can take vegetation mix it together set it on fire and come up with something that tstes so good.Raven's Wing has that somethin'somethin'.I prefer it at the end of the day though I often do a little dgt thing with it and start off the day with the remnants of my evening smoke. RW has a full flavor not a strong flavor that makes it suitable any time of the day.
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