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 - 29 of 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 09, 2001 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Very Full | Tolerable to Strong |
This is by far the fullest GLP tobacco I have tried. In fact, it's the richest, fullest tobacco I've tried by ANY blender! This one's a definite treat for us Latakia fans. The tin aroma is subdued, like most Pease tobaccos. I can smell heavy Latakia as well as a hint of spice, a subtle sweetness, and a "brighter" tobacco odor which I can't place. The leaf itself is highly variable in color: deep blacks, dark and medium browns, and some lighter yellow/tans make up the visually pleasant mix inside the tin. The moisture level is a bit low, normal for GLP, and the cut is medium in length and fairly wide. It packs easily and lights easily, burning with an average number of relights. In the first third of the bowl, the primary flavor is Latakia: strong, full, and not at all subtle. This is quite obviously more Latakia than I am used to seeing in a blend. Despite the heavy nutty, woodsy taste, other flavors are also contributing. I can taste a light sweetness, a smooth Oriental flavor and a complexity that is far from one-dimensional. Into the second third, I am finding this a surprisingly smooth smoke for such a full taste. The complexity has developed nicely, as it does with every GLP blend I've ever tried. This is a very rich, full, satisfying blend; it is perhaps the fullest English I've ever tried. It is remarkable how such a good level of subtlety can be maintained in this type of tobacco. The room aroma is very full as well; non-smokers may object! Into the final third of the bowl, I noticed a bit of a gurgle, easily taken care of with a pipe cleaner. There is no bite, just a smooth, full, rich, and very dark flavor that is complex yet satisfying. The complexity and darkness have increases since the first part of the bowl, maturing nicely into a lovely finish. Overall, this is a very satisfying, very full English blend, best smoked at the end of the day. It is fuller than both Frog Morton and Dunhill 965, and yet is more complex than FM as well. If you are looking for a very full but smooth English blend, or a blend with heavy Latakia, you should try this one. It will find a regular place in my rotation, and possibly even a dedicated pipe. Excellent!
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 11, 2001 | Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a great blend for Latakia lovers. The tobacco appears dark with a smattering of lighter pieces thrown in. The pouch aroma leaves no doubt that this is an English blend. The tin's humidity seems about right and the tobacco packs well, if not a bit heavy. The charring light delivers a blast of smokey, leathery taste that never quits throughout the whole bowl. It is not a sweet smoke, but more of a woodsy-smokey experience. Do heed the advice on the label and pack a little more loosely than you normally would as too tight a pack will be hard to keep lit. My previous Latakia blend had been Dunhill 965, but I found that it would tend to bite if I didn't pay attention, which Raven's Wing seems less likely to do. This blend, in my opinion offers a richer smoke with less bite. A great outdoors smoke with a pleasant room aroma.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 25, 2015 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This is less a review than a recollection. I bought a 2004 tin of this at the 2009 Chicago Pipe Show and burned through the tin during my last month of college before graduation at the University of Chicago. At the time, I was deeply into full latakia blends, and loved the several tins of Bohemian Scandal I had smoked. I sat on a bench on the quad betweens classes and made my way through this tin. I recall it being quite full, with more of the Cyprian smokiness than the winey Syrian coming through. I miss this blend, and the replacement it inspired, Maltese Falcon, just didn't hit those notes for me. But then it may be my tastes and preferences that have changed. I won't know unless this miraculously goes back into production.
Pipe Used:
Lots of them, but especially a Genod dublin
Age When Smoked:
5 years
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