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G. L. Pease - Montgomery 2oz
Easy Calm Smoke
G.L. Pease Montgomery is a well made Virginia blend with a touch of Dark Fired Kentucky adding some earthy depth and a little backbone. The ribbon cut is easy to pack and burns nicely, delivering a clean, natural tobacco flavor with subtle sweetness. For my taste, Montgomery is simply a little too mild, as I generally prefer blends with more richness and depth. That said, I can certainly appreciate what it offers. For someone who enjoys a calm, easygoing Virginia with just enough Kentucky to keep things interesting, this could be an excellent everyday smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - From Beyond 2oz
An Exceptional English
I recently opened a tin of Cornell & Diehl’s From Beyond. This was the 2023 Small Batch release, and it has aged beautifully. The Latakia is rich, smoky, and leathery without becoming overpowering, while the Orientals bring a dry, woody character and the Virginias add just enough natural sweetness to keep everything balanced. This is everything I want in an English blend, deep, savory, and complex. It burns cool and develops nicely down the bowl, with smoke, wood, earth, subtle sweetness, and spice coming together beautifully. Looking forward to the next release!

G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 2oz
A Deep, Contemplative English Worth Cellaring
G.L. Pease Quiet Nights is exactly what the name suggests. A rich, deep and contemplative English blend. The ripe Red Virginias provide a dark natural sweetness, the Orientals bring an exotic spice and fragrance, and the smoky Cyprian Latakia gives the blend plenty of depth. That small touch of Acadian Perique adds another layer of spice and complexity without taking over. It’s full flavored, beautifully balanced, and the kind of tobacco I want to slow down and spend some time with. I also really enjoy the pressed flake presentation. There’s something satisfying about breaking it apart and preparing it exactly how I want it for the bowl, whether leaving it coarsely broken or rubbing it out more fully. It develops wonderfully as the bowl progresses and rewards a slow smoke. Quiet Nights is definitely another addition to my cellar, and I’m looking forward to seeing what some age does to it.

Drucquer & Sons - Red Lion 100g
A Mild English with Plenty of Character
Drucquer & Sons Red Lion is a good, mild English mixture that I found very easy to enjoy. For my palate, this sits comfortably on the lighter side. There’s enough Latakia to provide a pleasant smoky character without dominating, while the other tobaccos keep the mixture balanced, smooth and flavorful. This isn’t a blend I reach for when I want something big or particularly complex, but that’s not what Red Lion is trying to be. I enjoyed it for its restraint and easygoing character, and I could see this being a very nice morning or daytime English. A good change of pace when I want something lighter.

G. L. Pease - Kensington 2oz
The Perfect Middle Ground English
G.L. Pease Kensington is a beautifully balanced English mixture that gives me a little more of the richness I look for in this style. Compared with Piccadilly, I find the Latakia more noticeable here, bringing additional smoke and earthiness. While the Orientals bring a fragrant, slightly spicy and incense like character. The Virginias provide a touch of natural sweetness to hold everything together. It’s not a heavy Latakia mixture by any means, but for my tastes Kensington has a little more depth and character while remaining smooth and approachable. I enjoy it when I want something between a lighter morning English and one of the fuller English or Balkan blends I normally gravitate toward. Well balanced, satisfying for me.

G. L. Pease - Piccadilly 2oz
A Perfect Morning English
G.L. Pease Piccadilly is a very enjoyable lighter English mixture and, for me, fits nicely into that morning English style. The Virginias lead the way with a pleasant natural sweetness, while the Orientals add some dry, woody character and the Latakia provides just enough smoke in the background without taking over. Everything is nicely balanced and easygoing. I generally lean toward fuller English and Balkan mixtures, but I really appreciate Piccadilly for what it is. It’s flavorful without being heavy and makes a great first pipe of the day with a cup of coffee. When I want something lighter than blends like Kensington or Westminster, this fits the bill nicely.

Drucquer & Sons - Levant Mixture 100g
Old School Balkan Character Done Right
I’ve been smoking English and Balkan mixtures for many years, and Drucquer & Sons Levant Mixture is exactly the kind of blend that reminds me why I love this style of tobacco. The smoky, earthy Latakia is beautifully balanced by the dry, woody, slightly sour and incense like Orientals, with the Virginias adding just enough natural sweetness underneath. For me, the Orientals are what really make Levant shine, and I love how the different components move back and forth throughout the bowl. There’s a wonderful old school character here that takes me back to some of the great English and Balkan mixtures I enjoyed years ago. It’s rich and complex without being overwhelming, stays interesting from the first light to the bottom of the bowl, and really rewards a slow cadence. This has earned a place in my rotation, and I’ll definitely be putting more away in the cellar.

Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture 50g
Good, But I Remember Something More
Peterson Elizabethan Mixture is still a very enjoyable Virginia/Perique blend. The Virginias offer natural sweetness, bread, hay and hints of dark fruit, while the Perique contributes pepper, spice and depth. It burns well and delivers a pleasant smoke from beginning to end. But having smoked Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture back in the 1990s, I can't help feeling that something has been lost along the way. The Murray’s produced Dunhill version I remember seemed deeper, richer and more complex, particularly in the interplay between the Virginias and Perique. The current Peterson mixture feels a little lighter and doesn't quite have the same depth or integration I remember from those old tins. Perhaps it was the Virginia leaf, the processing, or the character and proportion of the Perique, but the old Murray’s blend had another dimension. Still a good VaPer and one I'll happily smoke, but it doesn't quite capture the magic of the Elizabethan Mixture I remember from the ’90s.

Rattray's - Marlin Flake 100g
One for the Cellar
Rattray’s Marlin Flake is a tobacco that makes me want to buy a few tins simply to forget about them for a while. There’s a wonderful depth to the smoke dark fruit, plum and fig, along with an earthy sweetness and a subtle spice that develops as the bowl progresses. It has plenty of character now, yet you can already sense the potential for those flavors to become even richer and more integrated with time. I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. It’s rich without being heavy, naturally sweet without becoming cloying, and rewards a slow, relaxed cadence. Marlin Flake is excellent today, but I have a feeling patience will make it something truly special. Definitely a blend worth cellaring.

Rattray's - 3 Noggins 100g
A Beautifully Aged Classic
I recently opened a tin of Rattray’s 3 Noggins that had been resting in my cellar since the 1990s, and this was a real treat. Decades of age have transformed the tobacco. The Virginias have developed a deep, mellow sweetness with notes of dried fruit, old wood, earth and a touch of natural caramelized sweetness, while the smoky components have softened and integrated beautifully. Nothing jumps out of the bowl; instead, everything seems to have melted together into a wonderfully mature smoke. What impressed me most was the elegance. The years have taken away any rough edges, leaving a smooth, cool and remarkably harmonious tobacco from beginning to end. There's something special about opening a tin that's been quietly aging for nearly three decades and discovering how gracefully the tobacco has evolved. A wonderful old Rattray’s blend and an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rattray's - Brown Clunee 100g
Rich, Dark and Made for the Cellar
One of my favorite things about Rattray’s Brown Clunee begins before I even pack the pipe. I recently opened an older tin dated March 2023, and the tin aroma was wonderful! Ripe plum, figs and dark dried fruit. Once lit, those flavors carry beautifully into the smoke, joined by natural Virginia sweetness, earthiness and a gentle touch of spice. The few years of age seem to have rounded everything out nicely. Brown Clunee is thoroughly enjoyable from the first light to the bottom of the bowl, gradually becoming deeper, richer and more integrated while retaining that dark fruit character that I love. Smoking this 2023 tin also convinced me that Brown Clunee is a great candidate for the cellar. I can only imagine how beautifully those Virginias will continue to develop with additional age. I'll definitely be putting some tins away.

G. L. Pease - Westminster 2oz
Quietly Excellent
G.L. Pease Westminster doesn't need to beat you over the head with Latakia to prove it's an English blend. What struck me is how naturally everything comes together. There's smoke and leather from the Latakia, a nice underlying Virginia sweetness, and that dry, fragrant Oriental spice weaving its way through the bowl. The flavors seem to trade places as you smoke, but nothing ever gets out of balance. This is the kind of tobacco I appreciate more with every bowl. It isn't a special occasion blend that demands your complete attention, it's the pipe you pack when you simply want a really good English mixture. Comfortable, familiar, flavorful and exceptionally well put together. Westminster proves that balance can be more satisfying than sheer strength. I could smoke this one every day.

Rattray's - Red Rapparee 100g
A Dependable Classic That Never Disappoints
I've been smoking Rattray's Red Rapparee for a long time, and it's one of those blends I can always count on. Rich, earthy, smoky and wonderfully spicy, it delivers a beautiful interplay between the Virginias, Orientals and Latakia. I particularly enjoy the Oriental character. The woody, slightly dry, incense like spice gives Red Rapparee a distinctive personality and keeps the smoke interesting throughout the bowl. What I appreciate most is its consistency. It has enough complexity to make me pay attention when I want to, yet it's equally enjoyable when I simply want to relax with a good pipe. I've returned to Red Rapparee many times over the years, and it never disappoints. A classic, satisfying mixture that will always have a place in my rotation.

Peterson - My Mixture 965 50g
Good, But not the Dunhill Era 965
Peterson My Mixture 965 is good English mixture. The Latakia provides plenty of smoky, woody character, the Orientals add spice, and the brown Cavendish gives 965 its distinctive creamy, slightly sweet and nutty quality. It's smooth, satisfying and unmistakably 965, but for my palate it doesn't quite have the depth, richness and complexity I remember from the Dunhill labeled version. For those who remember 965 in the 1990s, those Dunhill tins were actually manufactured by Murray, Sons & Co. in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Dunhill itself produced 965 until 1981, when production transferred to Murray's; Murray's continued making it through 2004 before production moved to Orlik in Denmark. I enjoyed the current Peterson version. A good blend today.

Peterson - Standard Mixture 50g
Everyday English Mixture
Everyday English Mixture Peterson Standard Mixture is a traditional English blend. The Virginias provide a pleasant natural sweetness, while the Latakia brings just the right amount of smoke, wood, leather, and earth without dominating. The Orientals add a wonderful dry spice and subtle incense character. Everything works together beautifully—balanced, medium-bodied, flavorful, and never overwhelming. It burns cool and consistently, developing more richness and earthiness as the bowl progresses without becoming harsh or tiring. I've smoked many English and Balkan mixtures over the years, and Standard Mixture is simply a dependable, satisfying, classic English blend that I always want to have on hand. 4 stars.

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