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 1 - 8 of 8 Reviews
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 03, 2003 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
When my local tobacconist ran out of Old Ironsides (I do like heavy Latakia blends), I was almost in a near panic. He calmed me down with some G.L. Pease "Raven's Wing" For those who don't know, G.L. Pease is a new comer to pipe tobacco blending, and has already developed a large following of pipe smokers who swear by his abilities. I don't know if I would go that far in my opinion of Mr. Pease, but he does know how to blend a Latakia based tobacco. This is not a true English. He spikes it with Syrian Latakia. Syrian Latakia is very differnt from Cyprian Latakia. Less smokey, and more sweet. I don't know if I like that. Which is where I break from my fellow pipe smokers who worship at the alter of Pease. Raven's Wing is a Good Tobacco blend, as are most of the other blends Pease has developed over the years. But something is missing from Raven's Wing. I should like it. It has a great cut, good flavor, and stays lit well, but it just does not hit the spot. Try it for yourself, and you too may become a worshiper of Pease. I'll just settle for being a non-believer for the moment.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 23, 2001 | Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Tolerable to Strong |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 18, 2003 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 13, 2002 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
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.
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.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 29, 2001 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
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.
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.
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