G. L. Pease Raven's Wing

great tobacco, but what else would you expect from greg pease? as the can says, there is a lot of latakia here, but the oriental and virginia tobaccos also add flavor. in other words, it's not quite as stout on the latakia as something like C&D pirate kake. nice slow burn that doesn't require a lot of re-packing or re-lights. i would agree with some of the other posts and would like to see greg use a wider, flatter container with 4 oz. ones also available. that may be the only thing that keeps it out of my regular rotation of tobaccos. i just don't like to have a lot of smaller cans around and would prefer to buy this in larger quantities(and save a little money). this one still gets 4 stars for taste.

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!

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.

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.

This is another good offering from Mr. Pease. The fullest of his blends that I have tried so far, it's still not as rich in Latakia as penzance or Pirate's Kake for instance. Instead this blend lends itself to superior blending and comes out a winner. While there is plenty of Latakia, there is also a Virginia base that gives a nice sweetness to the mix. Sort of like My Mixture 965 but without the cavendish. The blend is not as complex as Caravan or Odyssey but is still more so than other high latakia content blends. I can appreciate this when I have time to just smoke.

My least favorite of Greg's initial four Latakia blends; to me, the closest to a middle-of-the-road English (while the other three each have their own distinctive element that make them truly unique). The latakia is a bit too overwhelming, thus reducing the overall complexity and robbing the blend of the input of the other high-quality components. All in all, good, just not in the same league as the others.

This is the first of the Pease blends that I have tried and boy did I have high hopes. It is my belief that in Mr. Pease pipesmoking has reached a new level in that he is not a pipemaker producing tobacco as a sideline. This is "designer" tobacco if you will and as it is blended by an enthuisast on a small scale then in these small tins lie the hopes of many of us who have seen the big brand tobaccos go downhill over the years.

The cut of this one was broader than any most and as a result my usual pipes being of average size and oil cured seemed to not suit ravens wing it was only when i tried it in a big Italian pipe the charateristics of which or light and airy that this mixture really started to shine and shine it did. A rich complex blend posing a almost flinty quailty that I have only experienced with Cuban cigars. A great smoke ideally suited to big bowls. The only downside being a little lacking in body in the middle range for me.

Unfortunately this review comes after I have fallen head over heels for Mr. Pease's Caravan and Renaissance, respectively. I'll try to remain fair and reasonably objective, but if you've tried the aforementioned Pease blends, I'm sure you'll understand my dilemma. On cracking open the tin, it's apparent there are some serious goodies shredded up inside. A full, deep English is at hand (never a bad thing). I had no problem packing and keeping lit, the medium cut ribbon. It stayed lit throughout without a problem. This is a nice, smooth smoke, but my palate kept picking up a bit of a salty taste which seemed difficult to forget during the smoke. I guess where it's lacking from my standpoint is the well-roundedness, depth of flavor and complexity infused by the addition of the Orientals and Matured VAs everpresent in it's G.L. Pease cousin's, Caravan and Renaissance. Good stuff, recommended for an English lover to try, but not a personal favorite. Sorry boys. I guess I failed the objectivity test.

A nice contrast to my beloved 5110, the blending of the Syrian and Cyprian Latikias is nicely achieved by this great blender of tobaccos.

As expected, it arrived a bit moist, I aired it and packed it lightly. It was a bit of a problem keeping it lit, but the flavor of this full English style tobacco was worth the effort.

I will continue smoking Raven's Wing from time-to-time, but I feel that it's missing some depth and since I'm not a blender, I have no idea what I'm looking for -- maybe a touch of Perique?

It's good. If you like Latikia's, this may be your perfect smoke.