G. L. Pease Samarra

I usually don't like to read other reviews before I make my own, but in this case, I did "cheat ". My problem was I was having trouble lighting and keeping lit this blend; it appeared to be very non-uniform in the cut and I was forced to smoke at a faster pace and with more relights than was pleasant. Consequently, the flavors became very muddled, hot spice and gave a very middle of the road blend. I tried this both from a "cob" and a bulldog briar and the results were better from the briar. I also tried drying the tobacco for 6 seconds in a microwave and then rubbing it out; this also improved the burn.

Most all of the previous reviews were very positive , but hidden within these reviews were indications that all was not "glowing":

DK , 11/25/12 " Quite frankly, a year of additional aging does quite a lot to this blend"

Darth Vader-10/24/12 " Its got good body but this is not an imposing tobacco"

derlict311-8/30/12 " on the heavy side of mild. I didn't find it "big" at all"

SirLoirn 4/19/11 " from stringy to coarse ribbon, including small pieces of flake."

John Offerdahl 1/8/11 " The spiciness of the flavor increases in the second half of the bowl,when both the Orientals and perique assert themselves more."

I don't mean to take reviewer comments out of context , but the above statements I agree with, and find this blend as a middle of the road ,mild Balkan , without bold flavor. I won't buy again, not that it is real bad it's just not for me.

Less full than the other GLPease Latakia mixtures. Both slightly smoky and slightly fruity in tin aroma, probably due to the inclusion of Perique, and very smooth when smoked: it is like velvet, especially if (like me) you are used to the stronger Caravan, Odyssey and Raven's Wing. Of all of Greg's latakia offerings, this is among the ones I like less: it's not bad at all (hey, it's very refined, and if you are looking for a lighter blend than Renaissance it's perfect), but it's something lighter and more on the lines of Celebrated Sovereign (as intensity, not as taste: CS is sweeter, as the Syrian latakia has a different flavour, and less tasty - and it bites a bit) than the kind of mixtures I prefer. Nonetheless, a good quality tobacco with the typical style of Greg's mixtures: for notes on burning qualities of all of his fine offerings, cut and general considerations, take a look at my other reviews.

Samarra has what I would call 'Old-Timey' flavors - clearly quality leaf and subtle flavors that evoke thoughts of leather chairs in an old library. It also has a pleasant mid-range nicotine level, at least with a large bowl. Although there is pleasant interplay between the components giving some malty, salty leather, wood, and butter sensation and an occasional floral note, to me it is all very light and muted (I suppose a fan would say nuanced). As a result I find that I have to really go hunting for those flavors, which then leads me to draw harder, and the resulting heat and irritation spoil the fun. I let this one age a few years in my cellar to see if it improved and I have come to the same conclusion that I did when it was fresh: to my taste flavors too light and muted for the effort, almost cigarette-like. This one's just not for me.

Simply put is a mild English that is tailor made, I think, for all day smoking. Seems a bit oriental forward and that’s not a bad thing. Great change of pace. Would I buy it again? Absolutely though it wouldn’t be my first choice but a fine tobacco nonetheless.

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.

I am new to Perique blends and although the taste intrigues me, most of the stuff I have tried was too strong and I had to blend down. This one delivers an amount that I feel can be handled by someone who has some taste buds left. Still, quite spicy though. It contains tobaccos of obvious quality: the flakes are beautiful and the aroma subtle and natural.

Update Mar/10: I tried this 1 year later, still find it too spicy to smoke by itself, but it's quite good to add spice to other tobaccos.

I would like to be able to rate this higher, but something just seems to be missing. I find it tasted best in a mid-size Ser Jacopo. It was lacking in my other pipes. it burned a little goopy in my CAO Meerschaum.

In all fairness, the tin was only four months old and the tobacco was fairly moist in the tin. I have a two-year old tin, and I will give it another whirl

Update: I recently opened my last aged tin of this blend and unfortunately, I won't be purchasing anymore. The blend is high quality in every respect, the problem is that my taste has moved to a different direction. This blend reminds me of a meeting I recently had with one of my High School buddies. We had great times together in High School, but we are now in totally different worlds. So, too, with this blend. I much prefer Ashbury, Charing Cross, and Blackpointe at this stage of my pipesmoking journey...

While this blend doesn't have the distinct flavor that syrian latakia adds, it is still a delicious tobac. Upon opening, you are greeted with the typical short, broad ribbon-cut typical of the Pease offerrings. Mostly dark with some lighter browns and an occassion golden leaf visible. Moisture is perfect, packing is easy, lighting is a breeze as well.Upon first light, the flavor is light but after about a few solid puffs, the flavor begins to come out nicely. It has a medium complexity and fullness which makes it an all-day smoke. There is a little increase of strength toward the bottom of the bowl and I had no moisture issues or bitterness to complain about. I was not able to detect the perique in this, but that is fine by me. Highly recomended. I rate it 4.5 points out of 5, Richard Baxter would have probably enjoyed this blend...Enjoy...

For all the complexity I see in the can this looks and smells like gangbusters. It does not come through. It is not as rich as 965 and not as smooth as other Oriental/Latakia blends.

It is a medium tobacco at an exemplary price. Not worth all the trouble. Odyssey is better and has the same price.