G. L. Pease Renaissance

When I saw that Renaissance was rated higher than my favorite (Raven?s Wing) with roughly the same number of reviews, I got excited. Wow! Better than RW?!? I was really anxious to start smoking Renaissance.

Looking at it, the hand of Greg Pease is readily evident. He just doesn?t make unattractive tobacco. The colors range from bright to black, and everything in between. The mid-tones dominate. The aroma is definitely Latakia and Oriental.

Packing was pretty easy, and lighting went better than I expected ? the leaf seemed a tad bit damp to me. I needn?t have worried. It burned very well, even in a deep narrow Bjarne. The tapered bottom of the bowl didn?t even keep Renaissance from burning down to a fine ash. In other bowl shapes, the tobac performed even better.

Renaissance is a very complex tobacco. It took me a few days just to get a handle on it. Every time I thought I had it nailed, it threw me another curve. The Oriental used is first-rate, and has a nice well-rounded flavor. The Va component rounds out the blend with very interesting high notes, while the Latakia takes care of the lower end. But the main focus of Renaissance isn?t either of those, this one is all about the Oriental. You will find the full gamut of flavors here, from woodsy and leathery, to the sweet-tang of the Va. But at no time do the Va?s or the Latakia ever upstage the Oriental. I enjoyed the multi-layered complexity ? the Syrian and Cyprian, and Va?s intermingling amongst themselves while at the same time dancing with the Orientals.

Renaissance is a truly wonderful tobacco. If you haven?t tried it, you should. You won?t be sorry. For its ingenious complexity and outstanding flavor and quality, I have no choice but to give it 4 stars. I?ll have it in my rotation. Is it better than Raven's Wing? Nope.

I picked up my first tin of Renaissance more than a month ago -- stamped 01 13 04. Fantastic aroma in the can! After dumping it out on a tray to have a look at my first Pease blend, I was pleased to see some fine tobac in there. It's an attractive mixture for sure.

Dunhill 965 is my standby, so I tend to compare everything else to it by default. Renaissance has a more tangy scent and, in certain spots, a less homogenous cut. But that's no problem. I also found a bit more powdery tobacco settled in the bottom of the Pease can than I would have liked, but I discovered that adding a pinch or two of the powdery stuff to each bowl actually enhanced the overall burn. No big deal, really.

Renaisaance packs nicely, and after a few bowls I was able to adjust my technique to complement the blend. Some of my pipes wanted a slightly firmer pack toward the bottom.

Charring light is inviting. Really nice. After a tamp, I give a second charring light, tamp, then light up. This blend was picky about staying lit at first, but again, you can't expect every blend to behave the same. You either find that it's worth the trouble to learn how to treat it or you move on. I found Renaissance worth the wait.

The flavor is very nice, very even, and extremely balanced. I love Latakia, and while I'm used to blends with more of it, I found this one to have enough to still do the trick. Renaissance really lets you taste everything and keeps the Virginias in check. Great stuff. Earthy, leathery, nutty, spicy notes all over the place make for an exciting, satisfying smoke with a robust, dynamic aroma. This stuff smokes cool and doesn't want to bite. But if you do smoke fast/hot, the moisture level out of the can may send your tongue to the sandpaper sauna.

This is a top-notch blend, suitable for seasoned smokers, newcomers, and those who might just want to see what a nice English-style blend is about. I give it my highest praise and plan to try other blends from G.L. Pease. This blend is worth buying in quantity and aging for a special smoke.

I recently purchased five different blends from this company based on the reviews I read here. I saved this one for last and as it turns out, I saved the best for last. Not that I was dissapointed by the others but this one receives a wow from me. First of all there is a quality in the cut of the tobacco, it is consistent and very easy to pack and light.

I have always thought that a lot of my smoking pleasure comes from the little whifs of smoke I breath in through the nose. This tobacco gives me a great enjoyment this way and I find myself trying to catch the aroma off the top more than other tobaccos that I smoke, many of which are more Latakia.

This tobacco is rated medium to full by others, I find it to be very full in the taste side and somewhat mild so far as nicotine strength goes. I smoke a little wet and a high nicotine tobacco is usually hard going in the final inning, this one isn't. Just wish I could spell Renaissance without double checking. Oops ?

This is another of Greg's masterpieces. It burns well, smokes well, has a wonderful complexity,but

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Yes, there is a but. I found this blend a little too bland,there I said it. I much prefer the flavor of Oddysey or Charing Cross, and IMO nothing has surpassed the greatness of Raven's Wing.(trust me, I have been searching since it went out of production). If given a choice between other blenders of English or this, of course this one would be the one. This review was given after 3 tins in various pipes to give me as much experience with it as possible, but with other great ones in the Pease line, I have to pass this one for now........ Update: 7-10-03 The new batch of this blend is truly delicious, IMO this is the best "English" blend that I have ever tasted. If it were not for the other delicious blends by Greg, this would be my favorite. As Greg stated, the Syrian Latakia that is in this blend is truly tastier than the last batch. Enjoy...

This is my favorite Pease blend, and is as good an English blend as I ever expect to find. As a general rule, I don't care too much for really heavy latakia blends, and this this mixture seems just right. What makes it a winner is how beautifully harmonized all the different parts are. The Virginias, orientals, the latakia - you can taste it all, with everything working together. If you like English blends, you must try this.

Firstly, I must again compliment Mr. Pease on producing a product that is perfect right out of the can. All of the Pease blends I have tried are perfectly cut and are at the right moisture level right out of the can. Now if we can just get him to use cans with a wider opening.

Renaissance is an outstanding English. It starts off tasting like most other English blends for the first third of the bowl, but quickly builds to heights of good flavor. This is a very complex taste, not dominated by the latakia and the latakia that is there is sweeter than most and not as smokey. I understand that this is due to the Syrian latakia used, which unfortunately is Renaissance's downfall as Syrian latakia is, once again, unavailable. The Pease website indicates that Renaissance has been discontinued until further notice.

It took me a while to warm up to Renaissance. Frankly, my first can was good, but I did not feel it was exceptional. As I am now into my third can, I have warmed up to it. This may be one of those blends that is so complex, it takes some time for your tongue to understand it. It may just be that Renaissance needs to be smoked at the right temperature to bring out its best qualities. Now that my taste buds understand it, I love it.

i almost hate to keep posting these GLP reviews, because it probably seems as though i'm on greg's payroll. great english mixtures have always been my favorite type of tobac, and this one DEFINITELY qualifies! the thing that sets renaissance apart from the pack for me is the brilliant mixture of the virginias, orientals, and two types of latakias. all are definitely present, yet one never overwhelms the others. think "virginias" and your taste buds can easily discern their sweetness. the same with the nutty orientals and creamy latakias. it's all there, an orchestra playing a beautiful concerto. to top it off, packing and lighting are well above average. renaissance also requires minimal re-lights, although i think that's because you almost have to hold yourself back when puffing on this blend. i've smoked most of greg's blends, and this may very well be his best work. four BIG stars!

What can I say that has not already been said about this wonderful blend? It has everything one can want in a traditional English blend. Great aroma. The finest of tobacco ingediants. Expertly blended to give the orientals freedom to lead the parade. The latakia is in just the right amount. The Virginias brighten it all up for a perfectly rounded flavor. It is such a wonderful blend that it makes English blends new and old and familiar all at the same time. If Alfred Dunhill were alive today Renaissance would be one of his favorites. It is definatly one of mine.

The label states that this is a classic English Style mixture. And that it is a perfect balance of its ingredients. That is exactly what this blend is. It is not marketing hype. My tin is one year old, and has been opened for the full year. Every few months, I smoked a bowl and adjusted the moisture level. It was very difficult to do this, and not devour the tin in a day or two. The wait was worth the effort. With a year of age, I find this to be one of the very best English, Oriental, Latakia blends that I have ever tasted. It is not a classic. It beats the classics of this genre. Although the ingredients have melded into a more uniform taste, all the ingredients are still noticeable. It has a wonderful deep rich creamy mahogany flavor that has the Virginia high notes offset by the Latakias, but all pulled together by the consistency of the Orientals. Along with its excellent flavor, it has a remarkable burning quality that leaves nothing but a light gray powdery ash. It is not an all day smoke for me. It is too good for that. I will save this for those occasions when I can concentrate on the smoke and not be distracted from its pleasure. This is a must try for those that enjoy Oriental, Latakia blends. Try and give it some age if you can. Highly recommended. One final word???.Excellence.