Questions for GL Pease

[hauntedmyst]

Greg, Thanks much for letting us ask questions!
The first one I have is, how did you become a tobacco blender? How did you get your start and where did you get all of your knowledge on different types of tobaccos? Did you order a bunch of base tobaccos and just experimenting or have you worked in the tobacco industry prior to your own blends?
How do you keep on coming up with blends? You have something in the area of 30+ on your site, where does the inspiration come from?
Clearly your blends have become very popular, some even legendary. It's one thing to hit a home run, its another to become the babe ruth of blending, which it seems, you have. That has to be fun and yet at the same time a bit weird and add a lot of pressure when creating new blends. Does it?
We all seem to have a few go to blends...blends we like at the end of the night with some consistency. What are your favorites? What are your favorites that aren't yours?

 

[cortezattic]

If, and when you wear sandals, do you put socks on?

 

[igloo]

How long in your opinion should tobacco be aged before blending . Thanks

 

[glpease]

The first one I have is, how did you become a tobacco blender? How did you get your start and where did you get all of your knowledge on different types of tobaccos? Did you order a bunch of base tobaccos and just experimenting or have you worked in the tobacco industry prior to your own blends?

A lot of that is covered in the interview I did with Bob a while back.

How do you keep on coming up with blends? You have something in the area of 30+ on your site, where does the inspiration come from?

I'm always afraid there might be an end to the madness somewhere along the way, like I'll do a blend, and that'll be the end of it. But, I've been cooking for most of my life, and haven't run out of new things to do with food, yet, so I suspect that last tobacco blend is still a very long way off.
I can't stop messing. In some ways, I'm always searching for the ultimate blend of a certain type. Intellectually, I know there can be no such thing as THE blend, but it's like a spiritual quest. The destination isn't as important as the journey.

Clearly your blends have become very popular, some even legendary. It's one thing to hit a home run, its another to become the babe ruth of blending, which it seems, you have. That has to be fun and yet at the same time a bit weird and add a lot of pressure when creating new blends. Does it?

Thank you for the kind words. The "celebrity" that's come with this is a little puzzling, sometimes. It's just my job. It's a really FUN job, but the "rock star" thing just isn't me. This is just a chapter in a sometimes wild and crazy life. As far as pressure goes, sure. Every blend might be the one that I like, and no one else does. Each new release brings some of that home for me. And then, when a blend like Chelsea Morning comes along, which took off almost instantly, it's a tough act to follow. One of these days, I'll get used to it.

We all seem to have a few go to blends...blends we like at the end of the night with some consistency. What are your favorites? What are your favorites that aren't yours?

I'm fickle. Truly and deeply so. There's one blend that has remained at the top of my charts since I first smoked it, and that's Garfinkel's Orient Express #11, which was made by Sobranie House for the Garfinkel's shop in Washington, D.C. I have a few pounds of it left, and enjoy it immensely every time I smoke it. One day, I'll run out. I'm sure I'll find its replacement by then. Did I mention I was fickle?
Of my own, right now it's Quiet Nights, Chelsea Morning and Key Largo. Ask me again in a month or so, and I'll probably say something different.
-glp

 

[glpease]

How long in your opinion should tobacco be aged before blending . Thanks

It really depends on the leaf. A couple years can make a huge difference, and most of what we get is two to three years old. But, after it's cured and aged, it's stored dry, so very little change takes place. I've got leaf that's ten years old that doesn't taste much different from similar leaf from a couple years ago. But, once it's conditioned, blended, cut, tinned - then the real magic begins. How long it's aged in the tin is a much more interesting question, and one that I've addressed often.

 

[glpease]

The first one I have is, how did you become a tobacco blender? How did you get your start and where did you get all of your knowledge on different types of tobaccos? Did you order a bunch of base tobaccos and just experimenting or have you worked in the tobacco industry prior to your own blends?

A lot of that is covered in the interview I did with Bob a while back.

[qupte]How do you keep on coming up with blends? You have something in the area of 30+ on your site, where does the inspiration come from?[/quote]

I'm always afraid there might be an end to the madness somewhere along the way, like I'll do a blend, and that'll be the end of it. But, I've been cooking for most of my life, and haven't run out of new things to do with food, yet, so I suspect that last tobacco blend is still a very long way off.

I can't stop messing. In some ways, I'm always searching for the ultimate blend of a certain type. Intellectually, I know there can be no such thing as THE blend, but it's like a spiritual quest. The destination isn't as important as the journey.

Clearly your blends have become very popular, some even legendary. It's one thing to hit a home run, its another to become the babe ruth of blending, which it seems, you have. That has to be fun and yet at the same time a bit weird and add a lot of pressure when creating new blends. Does it?

Thank you for the kind words. The "celebrity" that's come with this is a little puzzling, sometimes. It's just my job. It's a really FUN job, but the "rock star" thing just isn't me. This is just a chapter in a sometimes wild and crazy life. As far as pressure goes, sure. Every blend might be the one that I like, and no one else does. Each new release brings some of that home for me. And then, when a blend like Chelsea Morning comes along, which took off almost instantly, it's a tough act to follow. One of these days, I'll get used to it.

We all seem to have a few go to blends...blends we like at the end of the night with some consistency. What are your favorites? What are your favorites that aren't yours?

I'm fickle. Truly and deeply so. There's one blend that has remained at the top of my charts since I first smoked it, and that's Garfinkel's Orient Express #11, which was made by Sobranie House for the Garfinkel's shop in Washington, D.C. I have a few pounds of it left, and enjoy it immensely every time I smoke it. One day, I'll run out. I'm sure I'll find its replacement by then. Did I mention I was fickle?

Of my own, right now it's Quiet Nights, Chelsea Morning and Key Largo. Ask me again in a month or so, and I'll probably say something different.

-glp

 

[glpease]

Haunted, I'm not ignoring your questions. In fact, I've posted a response twice, and it's evidently found its way through unknown machinations, into a bit bucket of epic scale. I've alerted the president, asking if he can fish it out of the bucket and throw it back into the stream. If his response, "Yes, we can," is to be taken at face value, my answers should appear just after we've landed a man on mars.

 

[hobie1dog]

socks(white or black) and sandles? You've got to be kidding me. The epitome of Dork.
I hope he talks only about tobacco, but my question is: what are your other interests in life?

 

[glpease]

Other interests? We're supposed to have other interests? Damn. Nobody told me.
Not meaning to be glib, but the answer is probably just about everything interesting, which is just about everything, and will no doubt ultimately prove to be my downfall. And, I suppose my interests can be as fickle as my tobacco preferences. (Funny thing, that.) My most long-lived passions outside of the pipe/tobacco world are probably food, wine and spirits, but it certainly doesn't stop there, even though I sometimes wish it would.
Oh, and I'm generally not disposed to answer questions about my socks.

 

[admin]

My most long-lived passions outside of the pipe/tobacco world are probably food, wine and spirits

Same here! I cook 4 - 5 nights a week, every week!
The only other things missing are sex, music, and reading. ;-)

 

[jayh]

Mr. Pease, do you have any more photo essays of pipes in your collection? I liked your article on your castello pipes and I'm interested to hear about your other pipes if you're willing and able to discuss.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Same here! I cook 4 - 5 nights a week, every week!

I'm the same way Kevin, except in summer. One really nice outcomes with the onset of the recession is the number of dinner parties we've had vs. going out to dinner. The fellowship is closer and there is good pressure to push your cooking skills.
Hi Greg,
Where are the aromatics? Barbary Coast is the closest you have from what I can see. Will you be developing some or are they out of the scope of your interest?

 

[glpease]

First, let's dispense with the "Mr." Assuming we're amongst friends, "Greg" is a little more comfortable.
I haven't done any real photo essays on my pipes, though I've photographed quite a few of them. Here are some of them from the "In Celebration of Briar" project, which is an ongoing thing. Many of these images have found their way to the calendar with the same name. I've done it for four years, now, and am working on the 2011 edition.

 

[glpease]

I'm the same way Kevin, except in summer. One really nice outcomes with the onset of the recession is the number of dinner parties we've had vs. going out to dinner. The fellowship is closer and there is good pressure to push your cooking skills.
Hi Greg,
Where are the aromatics? Barbary Coast is the closest you have from what I can see. Will you be developing some or are they out of the scope of your interest?

I'm a big believer in getting people back into their kitchens, which is part of the impetus for "The Epicure's Asylum," which is a fairly recent project, and an offshoot of another venture I'm starting. I think cooking has been mystified too much, especially by the "celebrity chefs." Cooking at home, cooking with friends and family, and sharing the meal is one of the most amazing forms of fellowship there can be. It brings us closer to our food, and closer together, and it's healthier. When people take time to prepare and cook their own food, they tend to value it more, and enjoy it as more than just sustenance, but as something to really celebrate. Great ingredients, prepared with some care. What can be better?
As for aromatics, I'm not against them, but I'm not into them either, and it's probably impossible for me to do them well because of that. My own preference is for the voices of the tobaccos to be heard, and I have yet to taste any real aromatic that does that. Of course, this is just my own prejudice coming through. One day, I may transcend that little personal shortcoming. I've certainly thought about it.

 

[glpease]

...oh, and the images from the last two years' calendars can be seen here.

 

[cortezattic]

Greg,

I wasn't really interested in your socks. That question was a thinly veiled attempt to discover whether you wore sandals
BTW, how did Two Friends' Valle Crucis come about? By incremental tweaking, revelation, serendipity? What's the story behind one of the most complex and interesting blends I've ever tasted? It has, what, five or six components?

 

[hauntedmyst]

...oh, and the images from the last two years' calendars can be seen here.

Wonderful stuff! While they are all good, the ones with sandblasting really sing. You've done a marvelous job capturing their warmth. I can't see who did the 2010 cover pipe but that pipe is simply spectacular. Thats a pipe that could tempt a dedicated billiard man like myself way. BTW, as a former B&W shooter, I'd love to see more of your work in that if you have a link. Ever done any hand coloring?

 

[glpease]

Valle Crucis came together very synergistically. In that case, I did the blend, and Craig said he "had something in mind" for the flavouring. When I got the sample, I was floored. It was all there, and everything played well together. Serendipity? I suppose, perhaps just a little.

 

[glpease]

Wonderful stuff! While they are all good, the ones with sandblasting really sing. You've done a marvelous job capturing their warmth. I can't see who did the 2010 cover pipe but that pipe is simply spectacular. Thats a pipe that could tempt a dedicated billiard man like myself way. BTW, as a former B&W shooter, I'd love to see more of your work in that if you have a link. Ever done any hand coloring?

Thank you.
The pipe in question is by Adam Davidson, a very talented young pipe maker. He calls it the "Serendipitous Gastropod." It was a fascinating piece to shoot. Sadly, I had to return it to its owner when I was done.
The first two years were done in B&W. Having been a monochrome film addict since I was a kid, it seemed to be the best sandbox for me to play in. They were also more abstract, for the most part. When I did 2009, I went more literal, and also went to colour. At first, it felt a little like doing commercial work, which was the only thing I'd ever done in colour before, but the needle fell into the groove pretty quickly, and I started really enjoying it.
I'm not sure if 2011 will be all colour, all B&W, or a combination of the two, but I'm suspecting the latter. I've got quite a few images to choose from, and it's just a matter of seeing how they go together. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

 

[fhb2532]

Greg, any comment on this product http://www.epuffer.com/eshop/mini-electronic-pipe-walnut.html

Also any "liquid flavors" coming from GLPease