I have been primarily a smoker of full English blends since the start of my pipe smoking career, many moons ago. For years I smoked primarily Esoterica blends after chugging through endless tins of Dunhill and many others.
About a year or more ago, our own esteemed Ouch got me started on GL Pease blends. Greg is a talented blender, no doubt. I like Abingdon, Charing Cross, Blackpoint (despite the Perique) and others. But...
I hadn't opened a tin of Margate, my preferred English blend, in quite some time, so I popped one the other day, and let me tell you, the gents in Jersey (England, not NJ ) have a thing or two to show Mr. Pease. In my opinion, nothing holds a candle to Margate. Penzance is nice enough, but it drys out faster than Robert Downey Jr. in rehab. The quality and treatment of the latakia is the best out there. It is up front in its smoky, briny goodness. In the Pease blends it is too integrated in the structure of the blend, IMO, and its unique flavor is lost among the other elements. Not so in Margate. It is a powerful, rich, smooth, smoky masterpiece. A perfect blend for outside. If you haven't tried it, you are missing something special.
Any other thoughts from other pipe smokers?
About a year or more ago, our own esteemed Ouch got me started on GL Pease blends. Greg is a talented blender, no doubt. I like Abingdon, Charing Cross, Blackpoint (despite the Perique) and others. But...
I hadn't opened a tin of Margate, my preferred English blend, in quite some time, so I popped one the other day, and let me tell you, the gents in Jersey (England, not NJ ) have a thing or two to show Mr. Pease. In my opinion, nothing holds a candle to Margate. Penzance is nice enough, but it drys out faster than Robert Downey Jr. in rehab. The quality and treatment of the latakia is the best out there. It is up front in its smoky, briny goodness. In the Pease blends it is too integrated in the structure of the blend, IMO, and its unique flavor is lost among the other elements. Not so in Margate. It is a powerful, rich, smooth, smoky masterpiece. A perfect blend for outside. If you haven't tried it, you are missing something special.
Any other thoughts from other pipe smokers?