Bohemian Scandal Alternatives

[fitzy]

Ok so I've heard so many good things about the Syrian Latakia in GL Pease's Bohemian Scandal however I certainly can't afford to buy a tin of it on ebay. Does anyone have any good alternatives to try? I did some searching on the forums and saw a bunch of suggestions of 3 Oaks Syrian as well as MacBaren's Vintage Syrian.
Any comments on those and any other recommendations? I have smoked very little of Syrian Latakia other than the little bit that maybe in Yenidje Highlander.

 

[doctorthoss]

You're not going to find anything that is really a replacement for that blend (which I feel was overrated) but there are some that will give you an idea what it was like. 3 Oaks Syrian is definitely the first blend that pops to mind, as the concept is basically the same as Bohemian Scandal -- to showcase the Syrian leaf.

When it comes to the extinct GL Pease blends, however, I think that Renaissance was better than BS ever was. If you want an idea what that blend was like, I would try McClelland's Wilderness. It contains roughly a third Syrian lat, a smattering of Cyprian, and a complicated array of orientals and VAs.

Both are top-notch blends, and I doubt you'll be disappointed with either of them.

 

[glpease]

When it comes to the extinct GL Pease blends, however, I think that Renaissance was better than BS ever was.

.

I absolutely agree. I've often said that if I could bring one, and only one of my discontinued blends back from the dead, Renaissance would be the one. I've got a few tins left. It'll be a sad day when they're gone.

 

[fitzy]

I'll have to see if maybe I can get my hands on a tin of Renaissance via Ebay.
I'll have to give the other suggestions a try.
Thanks everyone.

 

[rmbittner]

fitzy:
While I loved Renaissance and Raven's Wing, for me, Bohemian Scandal was the pinnacle. I have never smoked anything else like it, and it was magical.
The problem with trying to replicate any of these blends is that the Syrian was truly unique and it was showcased. Other blends may dump a lot of Syrian latakia into their tins, but I have not tried anything -- and I've tried almost everything that claims to include Syrian latakia -- that compares to the Syrian that Greg put into these blends. It had a strength of Syrian flavor that nothing else has matched. And it was present in more than condimental quantities. These blends felt like they were built around that Syrian leaf; it wasn't simply the latakia element that was added to the mixture. Those blends felt like every other component was chosen for its ability to underscore and complement that particular Syrian leaf. I honestly don't believe that's how most blends are put together, and the attention to the overall flavor profile still amazes me.
All of that to say: Yes, you'll find other good English blends that contain Syrian latakia. But unless you invest in a tin of one of the original Pease Syrians, you won't find any that come close to matching those blends. And I sincerely believe you won't know what Syrian latakia can truly be until you try one of those Pease blends.
Bob

 

[doctorthoss]

I certainly don't believe that anyone today can match Pease's skills when it comes to blending with latakia, but I do want to point out that McClelland's Syrian blends presumably use the exact same leaf that Greg used in Bohemian Scandal....They all bought a bunch of that same leaf at the same time, only McClellands had theirs stored in their own warehouse, hence avoiding the fire. I also think that McClelland's uses as much of the Syrian as Greg did...Their Wilderness mixture is close to 1/3 Syrian, which is a LARGE quantity given the fact that it's much stronger than its Cyprian relative. Wilderness is close to being a Syrian "lat bomb." It does have a smattering (think 5 percent or so) of Cyprian, as well, but also contains a truly remarkable mix of other orientals. It's a very "busy" smoke, in other words, and it's hard to focus in on any one component specifically.
I certainly wouldn't argue that McClellands has anything that duplicates any of Greg's Syrian mixtures, but I think that's more due to Greg's blending skills than just a function of the Syrian.
In any case, everyone will have their own opinions on this topic. Some folks consider BS to be the holy grail, while I was decidedly underwhelmed by it and feel that 3 Oaks Syrian is almost -- not quite, but almost -- as good a presentation of Syrian as BS was.
Personally, Fitzy, I can't wait to hear what YOU think of these blends. It's always great to hear a fresh perspective!

 

[rmbittner]

I'll just note that I'm nearly finished with a tin of Wilderness right now -- just smoked a large bowl of it -- and the Syrian, despite its quantity, just doesn't come through that strongly. Either time has dramatically reduced its flavor or it wasn't that flavorful to begin with. But I've gotten far more of a "Syrian experience" from 3 Oaks with Syrian and even Frog Morton Across the Pond (when it contained Syrian, which no longer seems to be the case), as well as Brebbia's Preludio Mixture No. 60. Heck, I think it's even easier to detect the Syrian in Gordon Pym -- where it's only in condimental quantities -- than it is in Wilderness. HH Vintage Syrian is a better alternative, but even that doesn't exhibit the kind of exquisite floral spice that you get from the Pease blends.
I realize that GLP/C&D weren't the only ones to buy this particular crop, but for whatever reason they were the only blenders who allowed it to shine. (In C&D's line, the original, Syrian-based Longevity was a hit with me.)
In my opinion, of course. YMMV.
Bob

 

[fitzy]

Boy it sounds to me that I need to drop a few bucks and try to buy a tin of both Bohemian Scandal and Renaissance on ebay. Then I can properly compare them to the other's such as Wilderness, 3 Oaks and MacB's Vintage Syrian.
Seeing that I really have very little experience with Syrian Latakia(Just that small amount in Yenidje Highlander where I really barely can taste the latakia). I'm really curious to see the taste difference compared to latakia from Cyprus which I am intimately familiar with via my favorite blends such as Frogs, Magnum Opus, Black House, Squadron Leader(which for me has very little latakia at all), Larry's Blend, Blue Mountain Etc.
I will have to take notes and write up my opinion on here when I get to smoke all those Syrian blends. Sounds like my kind of fun. I can't wait.

 

[fitzy]

OH and I've got several tins of Greg's on the way with Cyprian or Cypriot(not sure which is correct) latakia. Specifically Westminster, Abingdon, Charing Cross. I've heard so many good things about them I can't wait to try them as well.

 

[rmbittner]

fitzy:
Not to hog the conversation, but I think you'll be very happy with those blends! I think they are all outstanding.
BTW, I've always said "Cyprian." But I finally caved and looked it up in my unabridged dictionary. "Cypriot" is actually the preferred word!
Bob

 

[doctorthoss]

I actually prefer Cyprian over Syrian, but I think I'm probably in the minority there!
mbittner -- I didn't mean to imply that Wilderness is a Syrian-forward smoke, and if I did then I misspoke. My point was that, despite the fact that Wilderness has a very large quantity of Syrian, it kind of gets lost in the midst of so many powerful orientals. Wilderness is more of an oriental blend than a lat blend, I think, although I DO taste the Syrian at times. A lot of this, of course, has to do with the different blending styles. Greg is damn near a magician at times, while McClelland seems to aim at different targets altogether. When Hannah came up with Wilderness, he wasn't trying to showcase any one leaf but rather to create an exceptionally complex Balkan. I think he succeeded on that score, but the end product is much closer to Renaissance than to BS (and he wasn't trying to emulate either of those anyhow).

 

[jayh]

Never had scandal, loved renaissance. Ultimately, I just miss the taller tins...silly, but I liked them.