Thursday, December 30, 2021

GL Pease Pipe Tobacco Charing Cross (Classic Collection) in Review

lo-fi & lovely

GL Pease Pipe Tobacco Charing Cross (Classic Collection) in Review

CATEGORY: Balkan blend
BLEND: Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
FLAVORING: no

BLENDER: GL Pease
MANUFACTURER: Cornell & Diehl
CUT: Ribbon

PIPE: Old German Clay no. 3
INTENSITY: Medium-full/Full

NOTES:
Figs | Dark chocolate | Black licorice

Stout. Portly. Muscular even, but presenting as such in the particular unbalanced manner of "Palumboism." The distended gut of a bodybuilder. Latakia to its creosote zenith. Inky, tarry, and friggin' delicious. Unless you don't like that--in which case steer clear of this. Oriental leaf adds a touch of spice; Virginia a hint of sweetness. Each only after the smoke clears. An issue is that the only focus and/or chicory structure is in the Latakia. The rest somewhat stir-together into a pleasing enough supportive melange. Black licorice.

There are finer "Latakia bomb" offerings to be had, but there is some swarthy if not swashbuckling character within this one. Seedy. Dark chocolate, figs, dates, a bit of a mash bill. Smoky almost like a cigarette, patent leather gives a stripper's stilettos vibe. Molasses. Spices are nice if you're patient and perceive... they mix with aforementioned VAs to create a sweet and sour sauce, reduced then sat out in a cast iron pan. Some heavy floral notes are well-under and back behind. Tropical and somewhat drying on their foliage. 

The aroma will be an olfactory beacon for lat-lovers alone. Anyone else will find it a bit pungently overwhelming. The mechanics are a half-tick lacking here, a too cool burn and slight smoke to smoke-hole. Kinda forces itself to be sipped and nurtured along--a thing out-of-keeping with its seemingly dastardly intentions. Leaves a good dose of dottle in the heel of the bowl. That said, it packs well and seems by feel to be ready to smoke. It does clump a good deal upon lighting into a dark mass akin to its tick limited profile. 

TASTE: A-
AROMA: B+
BURN: B

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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