I thoroughly enjoy the Balkan range from G.L. Pease. Charing Cross has always struck me as the most oriental-forward blend in that range.
When I first tried this one -- in 2006, smoking a fresh tin -- I wrote: "A medium-strength Balkan blend that was enjoyable while lacking some of the rich latakia flavor/aroma I prefer. Acrid with orientals -- although that is not necessarily a bad thing -- it simply felt a bit out of balance. It did tend toward sharpness, so very careful puffing was in order. Definitely rich in GLP 'pedigree,' though!"
You might think that write-up meant I didn't really like it. But I did, even with all of the qualifiers. I ended up cellaring just over 2.5 lbs.
In the interest of seeing how some of my older blends are faring in the cellar, earlier this month I opened one of those 2006 tins. With eight years in the tin, Charing Cross has grown a bit richer, with a faint touch of Virginia sweetness that now helps to balance the still-dominant orientals. If anything, it's developed a bit more Balkan character over time -- by which I mean forward and balanced orientals and latakia, with Virginias in the background. I still prefer orientals that aren't quite so pungent and acrid, but I'm finding that I'm enjoying the aged version of Charing Cross even more than the fresh version that led me to stock up in the first place.
It's worth mentioning that I have not noticed any fading of the latakia in this blend. But once that does start to happen -- unless the Virginias really come to the fore -- then this is going to be an even more oriental-forward blend after, say, 5-10 more years in the cellar. But if the Virginias do become more prominent with time, then this might turn out to be something quite different from what it was in 2006. . . and something really special.
Of course, all of this is just my personal take on this blend! YMMV.
Bob
When I first tried this one -- in 2006, smoking a fresh tin -- I wrote: "A medium-strength Balkan blend that was enjoyable while lacking some of the rich latakia flavor/aroma I prefer. Acrid with orientals -- although that is not necessarily a bad thing -- it simply felt a bit out of balance. It did tend toward sharpness, so very careful puffing was in order. Definitely rich in GLP 'pedigree,' though!"
You might think that write-up meant I didn't really like it. But I did, even with all of the qualifiers. I ended up cellaring just over 2.5 lbs.
In the interest of seeing how some of my older blends are faring in the cellar, earlier this month I opened one of those 2006 tins. With eight years in the tin, Charing Cross has grown a bit richer, with a faint touch of Virginia sweetness that now helps to balance the still-dominant orientals. If anything, it's developed a bit more Balkan character over time -- by which I mean forward and balanced orientals and latakia, with Virginias in the background. I still prefer orientals that aren't quite so pungent and acrid, but I'm finding that I'm enjoying the aged version of Charing Cross even more than the fresh version that led me to stock up in the first place.
It's worth mentioning that I have not noticed any fading of the latakia in this blend. But once that does start to happen -- unless the Virginias really come to the fore -- then this is going to be an even more oriental-forward blend after, say, 5-10 more years in the cellar. But if the Virginias do become more prominent with time, then this might turn out to be something quite different from what it was in 2006. . . and something really special.
Of course, all of this is just my personal take on this blend! YMMV.
Bob