G. L. Pease Samarra

Solid, complex rich blend that delivers what is advertised. Great when a medium-strong English is what you crave. Burns to a fine ash. Very well blended.

This is a well-balanced oriental blend. Its predominant flavor definitely comes from its latakia, sort of a charred meat thing. Along the edges are sweetness from the Virginias and just a hint of Perique spice. Stuff and puffs just fine, its bigger pieces don't require rubbing out or anything.

My tin needed some hydration upon opening as it was too dry. The date sticker was missing so I don't know how old it was.

Would I buy this again? Likely not as there are a million other English blends to try, and this one doesn't stick out in any particular way, it's just a solid blend.

This is a really good medium English/Balkan and I order it from time to time. I'm not much of a latakia hound, but when I want latakia, this is one that I reach for a lot of the time. Mr. Pease has a masterpiece on his hands with this one; it's creamy virginias, sweet and sour orientals, smoky latakia, with a little kick from the perique, it will satisfy anyone's craving for a good blend. It's not a latakia powerhouse, but it has the perfect amount when I want it. Nothing in this blend sticks out and each tobacco, while can be seperately detected, work within one another nicely. I do recommend this highly, but it's not one that I would smoke everyday, though it definitely could be, if Balkans are your preference. I give it a solid 3.5 stars.

EDIT 4/7/2016: I have to give this stuff four stars. Why didn't I do so before? I have no excuse, really. I've been smoking more of this stuff and it's been great. It's the bee's knees!

A remarkable and complex blending of multiple flavors! I have never tasted its equal. Pease's Virginias seem to have a pleasant citrus but unforunately acrid taste though.

Tin: mmddyy date on bottom: 092607. Definite rich herbal smell, mostly the smoky opulence of Latakia. Black to brown, from stringy to coarse ribbon, including small pieces of flake. Feels quite dry.

Taste & Aroma: Definite pungent and smoky Latakia. What contribution Perique makes to this is difficult to sort out.

Nicotine: Moderate

Room Note: Tolerable to strong

Overall: Latakia is the predominate experience. The Virginia and everything else have all married together into one, after almost 4 years of age.

This is by far the best English blend I've tried. As noted many times previously, this is a complicated blend--so much so that I feel it is very adaptable, lending itself to more occasions than other, simpler blends might.

At first light, and every time it gets hot, the Latakia comes to the front. After cooling to a more appropriate smoking ember, the Virginia and Oriental start to interact in very surprising and compelling ways. They weave in and out, each taking its appropriate place--sometimes the lead, other times the harmony, still others the perfect balance of counterpoint--like players in an orchestra. The Latakia remains softly in the background. At times the smoke is sweet and clean and at other times musty and mysterious; I haven't yet been able to ascertain whether this signals a change in the smoke or merely in my attention.

There is a quality to the interplay in Samarra that I feel is best described as musical. Perhaps only those who have smoked this blend will understand that I intend no pontification when I say that smoking a bowl of Samarra is something like listening to a symphony.

Samarra will seem like a sweet Virginia-Perique blend with only a bit of Latakia and oriental spice to those like myself who prefer heavier Balkans, and it will seem like a medium English-Balkan to those who normally smoke VaPers. I prefer Pease's oriental-forward Charing Cross which is heavier on the Latakia and less sweet, so Samarra is a significantly sweeter blend to me with a different oriental character than Charing Cross. There is a bit of sourness in this blend too (the Perique, or the orientals perhaps?) that sometimes seems to divert attention from the sweetness. Samarra is a really fine blend, but only an occasional change-of-pace blend for me at least.

Update: Having gotten around to smoking some of the new Dunhill blends, I must say that Pease's blends, including Samarra, are far superior in every way, better quality and better tasting all around. Samarra is still a sweet change-of-pace blend for me, but it is far better than the new Dunhill blends in my opinion, so four stars on this one too.

Pease's Samarra is a nicely complex, pleasant mix of Virginias with Cyprian Latakia, Orientals, and Perique. The blend has a mottled appearance, mostly of dark and light browns with occasional flecks of gold. The tin aroma is fairly typical of an English blend, with wafts of latakia predominating, and comes at just about an ideal moisture level. From the start, it is the Cyprian latakia that drives the blend, bringing the leathery, smoky flavor for which latakia is known. Mr. Pease, as always, has selected the finest components available, and that comes through the airway with each puff. The Orientals and perique play nicely as undertones, providing a nice sense of pepper and spice, and a slight hint of figs deeper into the bowl. The Virginia bouys the blending, adding a subtle and pleasant sweetness and character. The deeper into the bowl I smoked, the more complexity and flavor play I noticed. To me, Cyprian latakia has its own sweetness that I enjoy, and which brings me back to a blend time and again. Yet while the latakia is the primary flavor throughout the smoke, the flavors of the other components bring some nice treats. The spiciness of the flavor increases in the second half of the bowl, when both the Orientals and perique assert themselves more. Overall, the flavor becomes richer yet remains smooth and bite-free. I would recommend Samarra to any fan of English blends, but believe it would appeal almost as much to those who prefer Balkans. To me, this is a can't-miss blend.

I am a former cigar smoker and just started smoking a pipe about 6 months ago. I have tried several tobaccos and different pipes. I lean toward the cavendish tobaccos but I tried this one and liked it very much. I cannot give it a 4 star due to I have not yet smoked a 4 star tobacco but I recommend anyone to give this one a try as a change of pace.