G. L. Pease Sixpence

Deelicious! Tin note is a fantastic tobacco and dark fruit. Smoking this blend is an experience every VaPer lover should pursue. Crumbling and loading is a breeze and produces a long smoke with rich plumes. the perique occasionally stands out, so bare that in mind, but not nearly as pronounced as Viprati. Gonna keep a tin handy at all times. If the perique, for my taste, was barely held back, I'd give it a 5 out of 4 stars. Right now I'm at about a 3.75 on this one. Very Good

I bought several tins of Six Pence when it first came out with the idea of aging them. Well, this morning was as long as I could put off trying this wonderful blend. I opened the tin and was met with a wonderful VaPer smell with a wee bit of brandy in the mix. It was easy to rub out and pack. Six Pence is the perfect humidification right out of the tin for my tastes...it fired up very willingly, with very little work. I was expecting a big shot of VaPer flavor right out of the gate, but instead, Six Pence gave me balanced creamy goodness. The structure behind the flake was never lacking, however. I could taste the tobaccos used to make this blend, but none of them overwhelmed the experience. It's like you get the best of the Viriginias, the Perique and the Kentucky, without any of the potential negatives from any of them. The first bowl was smoked down to a fine white ash, leaving me wishing that I had time to light up a second pipe with this wonderful flake. I will definitely have something good waiting for me when I get back home tonight. Bravo Greg. Six Pence is terrific.

These nicely prepared flakes have an ideal moisture content and are pliable enough for my fold and stuff packing technique. The tin aroma is quite enticing although I'm not sure if it's the tobacco or the topping. Lights easily and burns smoothly without the need for relights. Smokes cool without condensation, bite or harshness. Once underway, the Perique and KY are prominent and yield a rich taste without the VA sweetness. Give it a try.

The complexity and balance in this blend is amazing! The Virginia's sweetness with the Perique's spiciness is perfectly balanced and noteworthy. The flakes are some of the nicest I have seen and takes very little to rub out. I enjoy the subtle casing (is it licorice?) that mellows everything nicely. This blend will be a favorite GLP product for a long time, I am sure. I'm planning on loading up the cellar with it!

I really like this blend, deep rich flavor, smokes wonderfully. I left the tin open for a day to dry out and rubbed it out. good smoke.

Just when I thought I was kind of settled into a routine, Greg does it to me again. At first I was a bit put off by the nose of the newly opened can. There was a bit of mystery here. Is that a sour smell? Is that booze? Yup. So I set it aside and waited a day. First light I was not sure. About half through the bowl of the Parker Canadian I got a sense of it. Yup, this might be good even great. A week later I was just taking a chance. How will it be with Scotch so I poured a dram of Glenmorangie and gave it the test. Heaven, it is heaven. If you like Virginias with a touch of other elements this is perfect. Complex and not hot. Definitely a great tobacco and it may become a favorite.

Still getting used to this one, so I am likely to update this review.

And more. 2/5/2014 - This is now one of my favorites. The subtle richness haunts me from time to time, making it a must have. I plan on getting more to age over time. I still give this 3 stars as a recommendation only because this is not a blend for everyone. Hell, it took me awhile to warm up to it.

Another update: I like it more each time I try it. It's a good after dinner/evening smoke for me. Subtle, yet a nice richness. I bumped it up to 3 stars......By the time I finish the tin, it might be 4 stars.

Update: I am starting to get this blend and can see why some of you really like it. I detect a slight richness as I smoke it more, however, for me it is still missing something. Not sure if I will buy this again, but I do plan on finishing the tin. Some blends take awhile for me to truly appreciate.

It has a mild, yet earthy tin note Some slight dark fruit aroma. The flavor is Virginia tobacco, but I keep getting a slight metallic flavor. At this point, that is the only negative I am getting. Otherwise, it seems balanced. I suppose this blend has me realizing how much I like a touch of Latakia, which this blend does not have. I don't hate this, I am just not enamored so far. Kind of reminds me of Dunhill Royal Yacht.

Update - 3/16 - Now 4 stars. This blend does well with age. It becomes more complex. Buy and cellar this one.

A masterpiece from G. L. Pease. Virginia forward sweet blend with Perique and Kentucky playing their roles in the background. No tongue bite even when pushed. It turns a little hursh though if pushed. The topping used makes it's presence known but to only compliment the tobaccos used in it. Very well rounded flavor overall. Loads of flavor makes it interesting all the way to the end of the bowl. Nicotine level is medium for me. I suggest to smoke it slowly to appreciate all the flavors. I will definitely stock up highly on this. Hands down Mr. Pease. A true all day smoke for me.

Tin note is sweet fruits and alcohol. Possibly a bit of wood from the Dark Fired Kentucky. But overall I could've mistaken this for an aromatic blend from the tin note.

Smoking notes: Alcohol, mild spice, and a little fermented fruit and sweetness. The three main leaves are well balanced so none of them pops out too much, but the Perique and Dark Fired Kentucky are further in the background, although the Kentucky does come forward towards the last third of the bowl. The Virginia maintains fermented sweetness throughout the bowl.

Broken flake is easily rubbed out. Could use a few minutes of drying time. Required a few relights. No tongue bite whatsoever. Flavor remains fairly similar throughout the bowl, with a bit of smokiness, Black Pepper, and spiciness developing towards the end. Smokes a bit slow and cool. Can be an all-day smoke.

Medium in body, mild-medium in strength.

While I like this blend very much on its own, I once accidentally stuffed it in my bowl instead of another G.L. Pease Virginia-Perique. Obviously, it tasted differently than what I've expected. But it also tasted somewhat "off", like the one that I meant to smoke went a bit bad. I definitely preferred the blend that I expected to smoke much more. For that reason, I meant to rate Sixpence three stars. Needless to say, if I would've been pleasantly surprised, this would've been a perfect rating and I would've possibly relegated one of my favorite Virginia-Perique blends to the sidelines.

However, as I write these reviews over several bowls and over some time, I can't avoid some of the better smokes I get from it. In the end of the day it's a great blend which deserves four stars. Finishing my last bowl of the tin, that early sweet Virginia is still with me, accompanied by some spice and smoke and even a mild hint of that alcohol. Glad I got an 8oz tin waiting to be opened.