As noted in my previous post, I resolved at the beginning of 2014 to smoke my way through the G.L. Pease line of tobaccos. My original plan to complete this project within the year went up in smoke — literally — but not frequently enough it seems, as I now find myself in a new year with several blends yet to smoke and a journal full of notes that have yet to take form.

I began this leg of my journey with Pease with an unjust preconceived notion: there are too many blends in the Classic Collection that rely upon the same basic constituents of Virginia, Latakia, and Orientals. Surely, these blends would prove redundant. That assumption was incorrect. While five of the six blends in the series do rely upon the same components, the results are strikingly varied.

ABINGDON

Abingdon is the fullest Balkan blend in the series, and I'd be willing to wager is probably the Pease blend with the highest Latakia content among those that I've smoked so far. As such, it invites comparisons to some of Pease's other heavy Latakia blends, particularly Odyssey. Greg has written that he'd rank Abingdon as a fuller blend than Odyssey, but I think my own assessment would differ. While both blends are very full bodied, Abingdon actually feels a bit lighter to me than Odyssey. I think that is probably owing to the fact that I find Abingdon to have a somewhat brighter flavor profile. Palates differ, and fullness, as Pease notes himself, is subjective. Either way Abingdon is a lovely blend that strikes just the right balance between the high and low notes. While the smoky Latakia takes center stage, the best feature of the blend is the citrusy interplay brought about by the Orientals and what I believe is bright Virginia. Although I find it a bit less distinctive than some of the other blends in the series, I liked Abingdon enough to add an eight ounce tin to my cellar. I'm looking forward to seeing how it matures over the next three to five years.

The rich tin note — earthy, smoky, and sweet — always lived up to the tin description, 'reminiscent of raisins and stewed figs, fireplaces in the fall, walks in the forest...' What's not to love about the imagery?

BLACKPOINT

I smoked my tin of Blackpoint in the early to mid fall, when cool evenings were still a welcome novelty here in South Carolina. Every evening I'd come home, open the tin, and take a greedy sniff before loading my pipe. The rich tin note — earthy, smoky, and sweet — always lived up to the tin description, "Reminiscent of raisins and stewed figs, fireplaces in the fall, walks in the forest...." What's not to love about the imagery? I'd light my pipe and grab a good book, cozy as a hobbit in his hole. I found the smoke to be rich, creamy, and sweet. While there is an Oriental presence, it's quite a bit more subdued than in the other blends in the series. The Perique brings a welcome earthiness and complexity that always made the blend intriguing as well as satisfying.

CHARING CROSS

The biggest surprise in the Classic Collection was Charing Cross. I expected that the blend would be another heavy Latakia mixture in the vein of Abingdon or Odyssey, as I had read various reviews comparing the three blends. The charring light suggested that these comparisons were correct, but as the blend developed, I was surprised to find that it was actually the Orientals that I found most prominent. The Latakia was quite distinct, but I found that to be more true of the room note than in the flavor of the smoke. The blend reminded me a bit of good cinnamon. There was a spicy warmth that fell just short of heat. Charing Cross was an especially welcome companion in a clay pipe on cold winter nights.

KENSINGTON

Kensington is my favorite blend in the Classic Collection. A traditional medium Balkan, the blend is sweet, smoky, and tangy. The room note is like incense. Smoking this blend was such a treat, that I was tempted to abandon my journey entirely. Surely after finding a blend this good, there was no need to move on. And then the tobacco gods intervened. When I had smoked almost the entire tin and only a few bowls remained, I lost my tin of Kensington. In ten years of pipe smoking, I have never lost a tin of tobacco. I searched high and low for my precious tin, all to no avail. Taking this as a sign, I moved on to another blend.

In his study of comparative mythology The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell outlines a common trait of all mythic tales. He calls this universal theme the monomyth and describes it thusly, "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." Should I return from this journey through the Pease blends with any magical elixir, any gift to bestow upon my fellow pipe smokers, I'm pretty sure that it will be a tin of Kensington. It is exactly like every other medium Balkan that you've ever smoked, only better.

PICCADILLY

The first time I ever smoked Piccadilly, I had the chance to sample an older tin. It was fantastic. The Latakia was subdued, the Virginias were sweet, and the orientals imparted a pleasant spice. I eagerly purchased a fresh tin expecting the same experience. The young tin of Piccadilly paled a bit by comparison. As I worked my way through the tin, I came to enjoy the interplay between the Virginias and the Orientals. While I understand that the Latakia is among the lowest among the Pease Balkan/English blends, I still found that it interacted with the other components in a way that made the smoky stuff a little more prominent than I wanted. Age tames the Latakia a bit, so I'm adding some tins to the cellar with high expectations. It is a nice breakfast mixture, but there are other blends (many from the Pease line) that fill that spot in my rotation already.

STRATFORD

Stratford is the lone non-Latakia blend in the series, and incidentally, the only blend that I didn't particularly enjoy. The tin note was promising. I detected a pretty significant presence of Perique that smelled of plums and spice along with some honey and hay notes from the Virginias. The charring light released some excellent aromas. In fact, the room note was particularly nice throughout the smoke. But I found that the flavors never quite measured up to the aroma. I detected very little Perique, beyond some pepperiness. And while the Virginias were obviously of high quality, I thought that they lacked the kind of sweetness that I enjoy in a blend like this. Much of that sweetness will probably develop with time. While I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the blend, it's hard to be too critical of the blender when Stratford represents the ethos of the Classic Collection: traditional, pure tobaccos.

On the whole, the Classic Collection is a particular treat for Latakia lovers. These blends in the series, for me, set the standard for what a Balkan blend, especially, should be. The series, moreover, lays much of the groundwork that Pease expands upon in future lines, like the Old London series. More on those to come.