G.L. Pease Sextant Pipe Tobacco Review
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Kevin Godbee - Sep 10, 2012
- 13 min read
Adam J. Smith
Tin Notes: A classic mixture harmoniously married to a Navy flake. Ripe Virginia tobaccos are first blended with Cypriot Latakia, fine Orientals, and a touch of dark-fired Kentucky leaf, then infused with a hint of dark rum before being gently pressed, matured, and sliced. The flavour is rich, bold and satisfying; the aroma an enchanting interweaving of traditions.
Gregory Pease has to say (excerpt from website): The fifth entry in the Old London Series, Sextant, defies categorization somewhat. While it has many similarities to a conventional, traditional mixture, the infusion of dark rum, and the addition of fire-cured Kentucky, especially when combined with the pressing and fermentation that occurs as a result, give it a unique sweetness and aroma. The rum offers a subtle but engaging contribution throughout the smoke, which is rich, deep and complex. It is not an aromatic, for those who are wondering, nor can it be considered the typical sort of "crossover" mixture. It truly is the seamless integration of a traditional mixture with what many think of as a Navy Flake.
The flakes are not firmly packed, but are kept looser than a conventional flake, and therefore easily broken. If pressed tightly for too long, the overall character, especially of the Latakia, would soften too much, and some of the liveliness would go missing. Holding it just long enough to integrate the flavours is the key, the result being a highly satisfying) and refreshing new mixture.
As I have noted in prior reviews, I attempt to ignore the opinions of others when it comes to tobacco blends. Unfortunately, that is often easier said than done – after all, we don’t tend to review many tobaccos that are not considered industry standards or are at least highly touted amongst the internet pipe-community. When Gregory Pease releases a new blend, however, this proves to be impossible – short of hiding under a rock (or completely ignoring many of my favourite websites and people), one is bound to read something about the newest creation to stem from his laboratory.
With the newest installment in the Old London series, Sextant, I must admit that I went even further than reading a thread or two. After reading the teaser penned by Kevin Godbee for PipesMagazine.com, I suspected that this blend would be right up my alley. I spoke with several people about the blend, and got very mixed reviews. Indeed, I must admit that I didn’t have to purchase this blend – I was able to trade for a little under 4oz from someone who was looking for a sweeter, more aromatic style of leaf; and again for another 5oz from someone who was seeking more of a classic ‘Balkan’ style (their wording, not mine).
In addition to discovering that this blend is somewhat polarizing in flavour profile, I heard several people note variations on the complaint that the ‘rum is just so random in an English blend’, or the queries ‘how can this be considered an English blend with rum flavouring applied?’ or ‘I thought a Navy Flake was a coin-cut rope’. I think I can shed some light on these matters for you.
In order to address the questions posed, however, we must look at the history of tobacco, namely the shipping and processing of the plant, but also on the impact it had on the European economy as it’s use became more widespread. We all know that tobacco use was fairly widespread amongst the natives of the Americas, with some cultures even going so far as to cultivate the potent nicotina rustica plant. The early European explorers, driven by insatiable curiosity, sampled this rudimentary form of what we know as tobacco and found the effects to be pleasurable (no surprise there!) and brought back both raw leaf and seed to Europe.
What many people don’t realize is that the Spanish and Portuguese were actually the original denizens of tobacco in ‘the Old World’. By the end of the 16th century, huge tracts of arable land on the Iberian peninsula had been dedicated to the cultivation of tobacco. In addition, it was the Spanish and Portuguese who cultivated the milder plant we so enjoy – Nicotina Tobaccum. In fact, it was only when John Rolfe "acquired" some Spanish seed that the product was introduced to North America (and even then a poor product). Prior to this, the Thirteen Colonies and portions of Upper and Lower Canada were planted with N. Rustica. Of course, the French influence on the plant – presented originally as a wonder-drug at the French court – is without redoubt; with Jean Nicot lending his name to the genus. The Dutch were also beginning their fabled history with the plant, cultivating tobacco throughout their Empire. Through the 17th century, tobacco cultivation reached the Near and Middle East, although it seems that the punishment for use of tobacco far outweighed the benefits in the Muslim nations.
Despite its substandard origins, under the guidance and experimentation of farmers like John Rolfe in Virginia, the American tobaccos met and surpassed the quality offered by the Spanish varieties of the leaf. Naturally sweet, the crop produced by the Virginians was worth its weight in gold – in fact, it commanded such a high price that many land-owners had turned over all of their parcel to its production, ignoring the production of subsistence crop. It was due to this that the first British Laws governing the production of tobacco were passed, enforcing the percentage of land that one may devote to tobacco whilst at the same time standardizing cultivation methods across the North American colonies to ensure a high quality crop which would command the highest price at market (and the highest tariff for the government).
It should also be noted that this progression took place despite the best efforts of the British Government, led by the puritanical King James and Oliver Cromwell, to halt the use of tobacco in Britain and the Colonies. Indeed, as John Rolfe was forever changing the scale and method in which tobacco was cultivated in the Americas, the infamous ‘Counter Blaste to Tobacco’ was published. It is interesting to note that much like modern times, whilst the government appears to seek to stamp out the use of tobacco, the tax income earned is far too appealing to actually pay more than token lip-service. But I digress…
Now we must look at the early shipping of tobacco. In it’s raw state, tobacco is a rather large and bulky leaf, which doesn’t readily lend itself to the close confines of a ship. In addition, voyages were not counted in days, but rather months – and as any pipe- or cigar-smoker knows, dried tobacco simply doesn’t hold up for that long without some interference on our part. Enterprising sailors discovered that by soaking and spinning (rope) or pressing (plug) the raw leaf, they not only created a more stable and compact product for shipping, but imparted the flavour and aroma of what-ever liquid was used.
But herein lies the problem. Sailors would use whatever liquid they had on hand at the time. Certainly, water mixed with sugars and honeys, liquors, molasses and the sort would have been common, but likely so too would be creosote, pitch, fruit-juices and the sort.
Now, remember the controls put in place to ensure the cultivation of top quality product? Well, this document was simply refined, listing the additives which were allowed to be included for tobacco destined for the British markets – the British Commonwealth Tobacco Act.
Keeping the aforementioned in mind, most, if not all tobacco is flavoured to some degree. Anyone who has ever had the unfortunate experience of smoking ‘raw’ tobacco will tell you it is not pleasant. Sugars are added, processing methods impart characteristics, and of course casings and toppings are added. Amongst the additives allowed were sugars and molasses, honeys, the infamous ‘Lakelands’ floral essence, smoking (think Latakia) – and, the amber to dark liquid that kept the Royal Navy afloat for over three-hundred years, Rum (amongst other spirits). An English blend is not actually a blend of unadulterated tobaccos, as many seem to think, but rather a blend that adheres to the regulations outlined in the 16th and 17th centuries by the British Government; namely in the use of toppings and casings provided.
What follows is complete supposition on my part – I may be way off base, but it seems a rather convincing theory given the information at hand. That said, I expect the addition of Latakia, ‘Turkish’ and African varietals would come with sailors visiting ports of call in the Near and Middle East, while the addition of Perique, Kentucky, and other American varietals would be found in the creations of those in North America. Where Greg has strayed from the norm isn’t in the addition of rum to an English blend, but rather the addition of the atypical American tobaccos to a blend created in the Navy Style pertaining to the Near East; marrying the two concepts.
Note: Yes, I realize I am ignoring South American and European (ie: Spanish) tobacco varieties amongst others. The next time I am reviewing a ‘Escamas Marinas’ I’ll touch on those…
As to Sextant itself, as Greg notes, the presentation is a very loosely packed and rough-cut flake…and when he says loosely packed, he means it. Rubbing out the coppery brown, black, tan and gold mottled broken pieces requires very little effort, leaving one with an extremely rough-cut ribbon of varying dimensions. Fairly moist directly out of the tin, I find this blend actually behaves better if opened and allowed to breathe for a couple of days prior to smoking.
The tin-note brings strong notes of rum and Latakia, leaving little doubt in ones mind as to the make-up of this blend. That said, the rum notes are not cloying or overly sweet, nor do they hold the reek of alcohol that one gets from the heavily topped and cased aromatic style blends. The poignant peaty note of the Latakia is underpinned by a dank, almost damp odour, reminiscent of a wet-campfire. This translates into a pre-light draw, as does the sweet-spiciness of rum.
Charring light releases a plethora of flavours, however most prominent is a surprising sugary sweetness interlaced with a deep, spicy rum note akin to a hot-toddy. Underpinning this wonderfully is the mild, almost creosote-smoke note of Cyprian Latakia and a rich, deep earthiness that can only be the Kentucky coming through. Nuances of Star Anise weave in and out, while an almost piquant note and mouth-feel develop after a draw or two.
True-light presents more of the highly sweet brown-sugar and spiced rum notes at the forefront of the flavour profile, however brings the addition of a rich dark cocoa note. Earthy, dark and leathery undertones support the sweet creosote smokiness of the Cyprian Latakia, while the piquant note which was so fleeting on charring light grows slightly more prominent. The mildest of floral nuances can be detected – not a Lakelands essence by any stretch of the imagination, more likely provided by the Oriental leaf.
As the bowl progresses through the mid-point, I find that the sugary sweetness undergoes a change, taking on a nuttier flavour. As this happens, the rum notes begin to dissipate, leaving a molasses like flavour in their stead. The dark earthy notes continue, beginning to take on a slight mustiness which compliments the smoky Latakia wonderfully. The piquant notes develop a marked earthy and peppery flavour along the lines of green-peppercorn. Extremely mild nuances of salt and anise can be found, but disappear rather quickly.
Through the heel of the bowl, the sugary sweetness persists, however the rum flavour all but dissipates allowing the rich, earthy notes to grow more prevalent. The Latakia remains in the midst of the flavour profile, with the smoky sweetness neither overpowering nor diminishing. The peppery notes remain strong, taking on a more marked spiciness.
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The room-note of this blend is not completely unpleasant with a wonderful sweet component, but it does feature the peaty, creosote note of Latakia fairly prominently. Both my wife and myself did note, however, that it seemed to dissipate very quickly, leaving my den with a neutral odour less than two hours after finishing a bowl (window open, fan on). This also seems to apply to the latent odour clinging to clothing and facial hair.
I found the nicotine level of this blend to be extremely satisfying. That said, I am a self-addicted nicotine fiend, and as such I would warn others to smoke slowly; dark-fired Kentucky has a way of making the world spin when you’re least expecting it. To quantify this statement, I would rate Sextant a solid 7/10 on the ‘Smith Scale of Nicotine’.
This blend burns wonderfully, leaving little dottle to contend with after few relights. I found the flavour profile was best highlighted when utilizing the ‘cannon-ball’ method of packing. The smoke remains fairly creamy throughout, and offers something of a dry mouth feel.
I don’t often disagree with others—but in reading the Sextant Teaser written by Kevin, he notes that he ‘wouldn`t have known <censored> was in there if you hadn’t told me’; then reveals in the comments that he was speaking of the Kentucky component. I have heard others say the same thing. I find this statement rather odd—Kentucky, while rather difficult to categorize, offers a very rich, deep earthy flavour and creamy, almost meaty mouth feel. With this in mind, I have to say that Sextant not only features the earthy rich notes prominently, but even goes so far as to highlight the dark leaf of the Americas.
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But this isn’t out of place by any stretch of the imagination. To anyone who has smoked the Samuel Gawith Navy Flake, you will recognize similarities in the flavour profiles. The depth of Kentucky is very reminiscent to the flavour of the African Burleys favoured by the English houses. But Greg has taken this traditional flavour a step further. Through blending mastery and outside the box thinking, he has added a layer of sweetness that seemingly bridges the gap between the traditional English and the so-called ‘Crossover Blend’.
With Sextant, Gregory Pease has created an excellent addition to the ‘Old London Series’, albeit a forward thinking and seemingly controversial one. As polarizing as this blend seems to be, one would be best served to grab a tin and try if for themselves, but for what it’s worth I highly recommend it.
A note from the author: In the writing of this article, I turned to many resources both online and off. I should note that much of the information I was able to access was rather scant; and certainly contains conjecture. In creating my simple history of tobacco above, I looked for commonalities in my research materials. That said; there are very likely errors – I am not ashamed to admit that I took this to Gregory Pease himself, and found that we exchanging new ideas and information. If you are interested in the history of tobacco, I would highly recommend seeking some of the exceptional books penned on the subject, many of which are public domain. Amongst the more invaluable are: ‘Tobacco; It’s History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce’ by E.R. Billings pub. 1875; ‘Tobacco in Colonial Virginia, The Sovereign Remedy’ by Melvin Herndon pub. 1957; ‘Counter-Blaste to Tobacco’ by King James and Oliver Cromwell pub 1604, edited 1884; and ‘The Social History of Smoking’ by G.L. Aperton pub 1914.
SPONSORED LINK: G.L. Pease Sextant – Click Here to Order Now!
SPONSORED LINK: G.L. Pease Sextant – Click Here to Order Now!
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 636. Our featured interview on tonightâs show is with Barry Kane. Barry started smoking a pipe in 1961 when he was 14-years old. Back then it seemed like everybody smoked, and you could buy pipes and tobacco just about anywhere. Barry is a true old-school pipe smoker, sticking to just one blend. See if you can guess which one before listening. At the top of the show Brian will give his take on Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s purchase of Mac Baren and Sutliff Tobacco and their announcement that they will be shut down.
Thereâs a pipe in my collection that I cannot bring myself to smoke, though Iâve had it for more years than I care to recall. Itâs old, or shall I say, well experienced; that experience, that oldness came to it long before it was in my possession. The pipe is an old Comoyâs Grand Slam from the 1940s. The shape (#93), a slightly canted, stack billiard (sometimes referred to as a Belgian) is right up my alley, and itâs a beautiful example of it. It came to me with some wear and tear; nothing unusual for an old pipe, but more the signs of one that has been well loved, smoked a lot, treated as a favorite tool, cherished, in a sense, by frequent use. Itâs the pipe equivalent of a vintage car thatâs been driven a lot, enjoyed fully and maintained adequately, rather than one kept in a spotless garage, dusted and detailed weekly, brought out only for leisurely Sunday drives, or to be ogled behind the ropes at the next Concours dâElegance. When it arrived, those uncounted years ago, it wanted a little restoration. Nothing dramatic needed to be done to it, but the stem was oxidized, the finish a little dingy. The cake was even and fairly thin, and the airway was relatively clean, both signs that its previous owner cared for it, but the bowlâs surface was a little drab and dull. It took little effort to reveal its beauty, to show the lovely contrasted stain and interesting grain beneath the old wax. I often think I should do before and after photos of pipes that I work on, but those thoughts always come after the workâs been done. This one would have been a great illustration of how years of handling that can sometimes make a pipe more beautiful, can other times make it just look grungy. Once Iâd cleaned up the externals, it was time to address the inside bits. I approach this a little bassackwards, I realize. It would be more sensible to take care of the inside before addressing the outside, but itâs how I roll. If an old pipe isnât pretty to look at, itâs unlikely that Iâll care much about it, and cleaning is usually the hardest part, or at least the most boring part of any restoration for me. Alcohol and pipe cleaners. Lots of pipe cleaners. Thatâs why I leave it for last. Sometimes, Iâll even give a pipe a test smoke before a deep cleaning, just for a point of reference. I gave it a sniff to get an idea of what I was up against, and it stopped me cold. There in that bowl was an aroma that I had not smelled in decades. My head was instantly filled with memories of being in the back room of a fabled Berkeley tobacconistâs shop where I stumbled upon a few jars of long discontinued blends. One of them, a blend called Forty and Eight, had the most engaging and unusual scent of any tobacco Iâd stuck my schnoz into. It was sweet, but not in a candy store way. There were none of the usual vanilla, cherry, berry or anise notes of typical aromatics, nothing that could be compared to aftershave or deodorant soap, but something almost musky, a little earthy, something exotic. The shopâs owner couldnât tell me what was in it, how, or where it had been produced. The old blend had been retired before heâd bought the place. The printed catalogue gave no clues, either, other than being overprinted with the word âDISCONTINUEDâ in bold, rubber-stamp type. (And, I donât recall it as being âhighly aromaticâ as the description indicates.) There was still quite a bit in the jar. Being, at that point, an intrepid explorer of all kinds of tobaccos, whether I thought Iâd like them or not, I had to give it a try. It was burly based, but also comprised a good measure of virginia leaf, and maybe some other varieties; I didnât have enough experience at the time to really pick it apart. But, that aroma was unlike anything Iâd experienced before or since. It was something now completely lost to time. Until it wasnât. Memories are powerful things, and there is no sense more tightly bound to memory than our sense of smell. One whiff was all it took to carry me back in time, conjuring a vivid recollection of something long submerged in the inky depths of a subconscious mind. Look, I know as well as anyone that pipes are meant to be smoked, and that many feel it almost sacrilegious to have a pipe and not set it to its intended task. In this case, I simply canât. I wonât. Ever. Rationally, I am fairly certain this pipe would probably be a great smoke. It was too well loved by its previous caretaker to be anything less than that. My choice not to smoke it is an emotional one, not something rational. Of the thousands of pipes that have passed through my hands over the years, this is the only one to create such a singular and vivid, almost Proustian recollection of temps perdu, of lost time. It revivified a long dormant memory that is mine, and mine alone, and thatâs enough. I keep it in a drawer with other old English pipes. In some ways, itâs nothing special, just a nice old pipe. I donât lavish it with any particular care that arguably befits the hidden treasure that it holds. Itâs not in a special box, or displayed preciously in a glass cabinet. Every once in a while, I take it out, point my nose bowlwards, and every time, those memories return just as powerfully as they did the first time. I have no idea how long itâs been since its last owner smoked it, but in the years Iâve had it, there seems to have been very little degradation of the aroma, and thatâs […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 635. Our featured interview on tonightâs show is with James Ravenwood. James is the boutique tobacco blender of Ravenwood Blends. His blending started out as a fun hobby, and he now has professionally packaged commercially available products with some great tin art. Part of his interest in pipe smoking goes back to fond memories of a retired Navy Veteran that lived on his street while he was growing up that would sit in his driveway smoking a pipe all day. Later, in 2011 he began smoking pipes and soon after started experimenting with mixing different tobaccos. His other hobby, that he has been doing for 30 years, is photography. He takes wonderful photos of outdoor spaces, and still life pictures of pipes and tobacco. You can see them on his Instagram @thebriarfellowship. At the top of the show we’ll have an Ask the Pipemaker segment with renowned pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonightâs show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, letâs just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. Thatâs better, isnât it? Whatâs got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big oneâChristmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. Itâs in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. Itâs aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedomâs philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, âI believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.â Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Punditâs way of summing it up. You just donât go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. âI am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,â said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. Now, if you have read some of the great authors of the past and present, their pipes were always nearby. Reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be a three-pipe problem at times. S. Lewis and Jean-Paul Sartre require time with your pipes to reflect on the existential problems and solutions these authors provide in learned novels and other narratives. Or take Edwin Hubble and Bertrand Russell, philosophers of another world. Pipes are required for reading. The quantum lode of ideas Pundit is attempting to sort out is that our pipes are relaxing and stimulate our thoughts and creativity. Especially in these last months of the year. Many times Pundit has had that light bulb flick on while smoking my beloved pipes. And friends in Pipedom, it ainât easy to turn on the lights in Punditâs rock pit head. Now itâs time for a quote from a Pipe Smoker of the Past. Shelby Foote was born Nov. 17, 1916, in Greenville, Miss., and died June 27, 2005, in Memphis, Tenn. A fact is not a truth until you love itâShelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. Thatâs one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. Weâll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
A great review with the added benefit of some wonderful historical background. “The room-note of this blend is not completely unpleasant…” I particularly liked that part. đ (Ah! The smell of campfires, of sun-warmed leather seats in a classic British roadster, of deeply peated malt whisky, of Lapsang Souchong tea – I love the smell of latakia in the morning!)
Nice review. I was not going to try this one but now I will have to.
I have a tin of this just begging to be opened. Sounds delicious!
Wonderful review!
I have flat-out fallen in love with this blend. I’ve long been a fan of Pease’s latakia mixtures as well as Filmore, with my favorites prior to Sextant being Odyssey and Maltese Falcon. But I’ve also always had a love of American-English mixtures — you know, burleys with latakia and maybe a pinch or two of other components, usually with a mild flavoring added. Sextant strikes me as being a top-shelf, “boutique” version of these blends. The flavor profile is not too different from blends like Countryside and Epiphany, only far more intense and smooth. Also, there is more complexity here than in those mixtures. In fact, I’m kind of surprised that more people haven’t commented upon this complexity. It’s no Renaissance or Charing Cross, of course, but there is a delightful metamorphosis of flavors as the bowl progresses.
Top-notch stuff!
This is a wonderful blend. This is one I can see going into the regular rotation.
Dear Mr. Smith, Thank You for the extraordinary review. This will be another blend that I will have to acquire.
Well, I took a link to a blend review and ended up getting a history lesson to boot! Thanks for the background research and excellent writing. It’s such a pleasure to read a piece when the author invests something of himself in the work. Nice of you to include the bibliography too! I also want to acknowledge the artwork that accompanies the article. I like pictures as much, or more, than the text. đ
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That said, I think your review steered me clear of a $10 mistake. Well, that’s often more valuable than turning me on to something I would probably buy anyway. I guess I’ll continue to help Greg make his yacht payments, just with Haddo’s and Cairo instead. đ
Great review!
Outstanding review Adam and an OUTSTANDING tobacco Mr. Pease. This hits every one of my tobacco nails right on the head. Like smoking an old leather bound book full of earth and leather and peat and spice and a splash of rum to lightly sweeten the whole thing. You are a true tobacco sorcerer Greg. Both review and tobacco knocked it right out of the park fellas.
When I started doing this, I figured that one day, the newness would wear off, that I’d reach the point where the little tingle that runs down my spine when I read that people are enjoying my blends would fade. I knew I’d always appreciate the kind words, but they’d eventually stop making me a little giddy. A dozen years later, it hasn’t happened yet.
Thank you, gents, for the wonderful props. And, once again, to Adam for a wonderful and INTERESTING review!
You guys are the real stars. I’m just the Tobacco Sorcerer to the Stars. (With a tip-o-the-tam to ohin3! ;))
-glp
After reading this review, I bought a tin of this as a surprise for hubby. He absolutely loves this blend.
I just canât contain myself any longer! First, THANK YOU Adam J. Smith for a magnificent, comprehensive, informative, entertaining, and delightful exposition, analysis, and review of a truly GREAT blend! And THANK YOU G.L. Pease for doing it again!! My entre into Pease-World was Lagonda, truly ecstatically brilliant in its own right. For one entire tin of that ambrosial mixture, EVERY TIME I light it up, I was blessed and baptized with first, byzantine liturgical incense(which aroma I love) and, almost simultaneously, dark expensive ultra-fine Belgian gourmet chocolate⌠No, no, no! Nothing icky and sweet but the very unsugared, undiluted essence of primeval wonderful chocolate. As my head would spin in delight of these these spirits, distinctly Greek pine resins would waft to and fro like the scent of beautiful Mediterranean women passing me on the narrow streets of Santorini. And then, the old leather of huge and throne-like Victorian menâs club smoking room chairs. Sigh. YES! And this is about Sextant! Sextant brought me all this, as if this were not happily enough, AND MORE! I canât stop superlatives from spilling off my brain! I could tangibly experience the rum-annointed braided ropes and plugs below decks of a great sailing ship. Exotic woods and several different species of resinous incenses danced their own liturgies. And the light blessing of dark, mysterious, and rich rum, unsweetened pure cocoa, and my favorite cabernet sauvignon with a perfectly executed fillet would join the symphony! This is entirely too much for me! Time for another bowl immediately!! When may we get Sextant in 8 and 16 oz tins??? And thank you most sincerely again Mssrs Smith and Pease!
Excellent review, Adam! And an enjoyable history lesson. Greg Pease should thank you. You have convicted me to try it.