That is my  Savinelli pipe story.  I’d love to hear some readers first pipe purchase story.

GL Pease has had a pasion for pipes and pipe smoking for over 25 years, this passion culminated in 1998 when him and a friend started their very own pipe tobacco company.  It was a great learning experience and this first company produced some fine blends, some of which are still known, and collected today.

After a great year and a wonderful time of gaining the knowledge of the business of blending and selling pipe tobacco Gregory Pease started GL Pease Tobaccos in early 2000.  Today GL Pease tobacco mixtures are among the most highly praised tinned tobacco avaliable on the market today.  GL Pease is not after trying to create a tobacco that does not taste like tobacco, he uses the finest tobacco available to bring out the wonderful natural tobacco flavors and aromas in each tin.  His blends tend to be enjoyed by “experianced” pipe smokers who can truly appreciate the nuances of the many different cuts and tobaccos used to create each GL Pease blend.

Each GL Pease is blended in small batches by the master tobacco blenders at Cornell & Diehl.  This is process is done all by hand with carful consideration to each step of the process, this masterful process allows for fresh tobacco each time, offering a high quality product.  I have smoked too many GL Pease blends to count and each one has not disappointed.  Not only is the tobacco a great smoke but in my opinion it’s one of the few tobacco companies that has entered into the twenty first as far as fin design and description.  I always want to smoke the new blend even before I have it in my hands.  Here are a few examples:

Triple Play — Ripe red and bright flue-cured tobaccos are joined by piquant Acadian perique, and a balanced measure of smoky, dark-fired Kentucky. The leaf is pressed and matured in cakes before being cut into 2oz bars, resulting in a bold blend for virginia and periqe fans. This all-American plug is a winning play, no matter how you slice it.

The first blend in the New World Collection from G.L. Pease, JackKnife Plug is an all natural blend of dark-fired Kentucky leaf, and ripe, red Virginia tobaccos, layered on a central core of golden flue-cured leaf, providing deep, earthy flavors with a hint of bright sweetness. The tobaccos are pressed and matured in cakes before being cut into 2oz blocks. JackKnife is a stout blend. The dark-fired leaf adds a subtle smokiness and a subtle finish reminiscent of dark chocolate, while the Virginia tobaccos provide a sturdy backbone.

While other producers would simply mix the leaf before pressing, my choice to separate the dark-fired and red virginias from the core of bright is not just an aesthetic one. I wanted the bright’s flavours to retain some of their clarity, mingling on the palate with the deeper tastes, not in the plug. Producing it this way is more difficult, but the result makes it worthwhile. The visual difference is not as obvious as it would be if the cakes were not given time to age, as the tobaccos all darken during the fermentation, but the subtle contribution to the overall taste profile remains.

Slice it thick and rub it out for a ribbon cut, thin for a shag, or chop it into cubes. The choice is yours.

A luxurious blend comprising generous portions of Cyprus latakia, ripe red virginias and fine oriental leaf with a bit of bright added for a hint of gentle sweetness. Pressing and aging in cakes integrates the flavours and partially ferments the tobaccos. The cakes are then sliced and tumbled into ribbons, ready for your enjoyment.

Just writting this makes me want to order a new tin, and I already have dozens sitting in my tobacco cellar ready to go.  This stuff is the real deal, if you have a taste for quality artinsal tobacco with bold, rich, and demanding flavors give GL Pease tobacco’s a try.

My personal goto retailer is smokingpipes.com

Orgionally the two brothers named their humble shop in Dublin ‘Kapp Brothers’, they soon garnered a name for themselves crafting and selling fine Meerschaum and Briar pipes.  Soon after they Kapp Brothers opened for business they were visited by a man that would change that small business forever.  His name was Charles Peterson, a Latvian immigrant, and he walked into Kapp Brothers Grafton Street premises armed with a new pipe design and ambitious plans for the future.

It was here that Peterson asked the Kapp brothers to partner with him in to see this wonderful design be make into a reality for the rest of the world.  They agreed and the company was renamed Kapp & Peterson. Peterson Pipes soon went on to become Dublin’s most fashionable and respected manufacturer of smoking pipes, pipe tobacco, and tobacco accessories.  Peterson pipes gained a reputation for affordability and quality, a brand and quality that would still define them today.

The most famous design from the Kapp and Peterson factory was Peterson’s famed ‘Dry System’ pipes, patented in 1894. THis pipe was famed for being a dry smoke all the way to the end. The system pipe featured a small reservoir intended to collect moisture before it reaches the smoker. Indeed, it is on this groundbreaking design that the worldwide reputation of Peterson grew.

Peterson is now one of the last of the true classic factory pipe makers still in private ownership. They have been making pipes since before the turn of the century; and while they have made a major push into the mass market, can still turn out first quality pipes from excellent briar.

On the charring light:
Flavor: I picked up on some nice tobacco flavor with some sweet and spicy notes and a very slight hint of some smokiness.

Aroma: I smelled a nice tobacco aroma with some spice, sweetness, and a hint of smokiness.
The smokiness that I detected during the charring light was different than the smokiness that I get from most Latakia blends. The only way that I can describe it in this blend is; a lighter, cleaner, natural smokiness. It was not as heavy as most blends with Latakia. I finished lighting up the pipe and settled in for the smoke.
Right at the start, the flavor is a nice tobacco flavor with a bit of spice to it and a nice backbone of sweetness. As the bowl progressed, the sweetness kept moving a little more forward to balance out the spice that I tasted. The very light smokiness is still present in the flavor and aroma. It does not remind me at all of the flavor and aroma of Latakia that I encounter in most blends that contain it. I really don’t know how to explain it, but it is very pleasant. The flavor doesn’t really change too much during the smoke. Sometimes it is a little more sweet than spicy and sometimes it is a little more spicy than sweet. The flavor profile stayed the same from start to finish.

This is a really good blend. It smoked cool, dry, and didn’t bite (although I felt that if pushed it could) and has a nice flavor profile. While this blend is called Early Morning Pipe and in the description it says “Great as the `first pipe` arousing the palate for the further pleasures of the day.”; I think that this blend has enough body that it could be an all day smoke for a lot of people. If you like Virginia/Oriental blends, I think that you will really enjoy this. I Highly Recommend it.

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Author John From Seven Bridges Road

While tending to some business in Morganton, NC I wanted to stop at a local store to pick up some pipe tobacco. It hit me that I was in the home town of Cornell & Diehl one of the major blenders in the world for pipe tobaccos. Some call them micro blenders regardless, there top of their game. I grabbed my smart phone and looked up the website and got their number. A very nice fella answered the phone and I stated that I was interested in his blends and could he recommend an outlet or do they sell out of the plant. He kindly stated they did not and asked what I was interested in. I stated I was wanting Haunted Book shop and to browse some of his others as well.

He told me to stop by and see him. I thought wow what an opportunity to visit a blender with such a reputation, I jumped on it and said I would be right there.

Upon arriving at the drive way to the plant I noticed one thing, it was modest place surrounded by farm land and several Ostrich that had an equal interest in me as I drove in. Upon entering the sweet aroma of blends was delightful. I was greeted by a beautiful (and protective) hound who went by the name of Con. An employee greeted me and took me to the gentleman who spoke to me. I was floored at what a small operation this was but it was nice, you felt an American quality about the place. No robots, no fancy conveyor belts and all that plant jazz, just simple hand run packaging, labeling and tons of tobacco. One thing that really stood out was how polite everyone was and how happy they appeared. I mean these guys looked like they loved their work, it was refreshing.

The fella asked me what I wanted and that they don’t sell directly but he would help me out. Wow these guys got some blends, there must have been several hundred. Now keep in mind these blends are organic and still blended by hand! He stepped away shortly and arrived back with two tins. After thanking him for letting me stop by I asked if I could take a picture or two of outside of the building, he stated sure no problem. On the way out I said good bye to Con and the delightful lady at the desk who I believe to be Mrs. Patty Tarler the owners wife now that I seen her on the website.

As I was almost out the door the gentleman yelled out to me and tossed me a can and said, “Here try this one too!” Sure I said feeling like the kid in the old Mean Joe Green Coke commercial. These guys are top notch stand up kinda guys. I liked what I seen, I liked how I was treated and I love their blends. I will return, here is their website, take a moment and read about them and if in the need, call them for a Tin or two. These guys should be supported and respected for keeping an American tradition alive!

http://www.cornellanddiehl.com/

The Photo Tour:

Marks’ was first introduced to pipe smoking early in life by his father who smoked a pipe, a Dunhill shell, one he owns and still smokes to this day. When Marks was 15 his father gifted him a Dunhill pipe of his own. Marks recalls his fathers advise: “If I was to smoke, it would be with a good pipe and at home.” From then on he was hooked.

As the years past Marks passion for pipes grew, and at the age of 26 he decided that pipe making would be his profession. From that point forward he traveled the world seeking out the wisdom of the the “old guard” master pipe carvers. During his early days he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Former Neilson, Poul Hansen, and Sixten Ivarsson. These men made a serious impact on his work and still do to this day.

One of the most unusual and yet spectacular things about Marks’ pipes is the fact that each black of briar in his studio is over 30 years old. While in Copenhagen in 1974 Marks purchased a large supply of Corsican and Greek briar that is still used to make his pipes today. This briar was from the same supply that the high grade Danish carvers were using at the time.

I have the privilege of owning a Andrew Marks pipe is I must say that it is one of the finest smokers I own. The attention to detail, the beautiful shape, and the lovely hand cut stem are all exceptional. There is something extraordinary about smoking a pipe that you know has been curing for over 30 years. Not only are Marks’ pipes great works of art, but he is a quality gentleman himself, down to earth and full of life. Please head on over to http://p-i-p-e.com to take a look at these beautiful pipes.

Enjoy:

Pipe Blog’s and Retailers:

A Passion for Pipes
SmokingPipes.com
PipesMagazine.com
The Briar & Leaf Chronicles

Notable Pipe Makers:

J Alan Pipes
Rad Davis Pipes
Steve Liskey Pipes
Eppers Pipes (A Shameless Plug I know)

Peterson Christmas Blend: Red and Golden Virginia tobaccos from the US and Africa are the basis of this wonderful mixture. They are blended with double fermented, broad cut Black Cavendish as well as a hint of roasted Burley, refined with a delicious aroma of cookies and cream and a touch of espresso. The result is an irresistible pleasure for both your palate as well as your environment.

Dunhill Early Morning Pipe: Sweet Oriental and a bit of Latakia carefully blended with Bright and Red Virginias, pressed and lightly stoved. Great as the `first pipe` arousing the palate for the further pleasures of the day.

Mcclelland’s Town Topic – Delightfully fragrant in the room, soft on the palate, this smooth blend has long-lasting good taste. Delicately maple flavored in a time-honored tradition for a smoke that’s the talk of the town.

G. L. Pease Haddo’s Delight – Haddo’s Delight is a stout blend of several Virginia tobaccos with a generous measure of long-cut Perique. Unflavored Black Cavendish and a little air-cured White Burley ribbon provide fullness, body, and a bit of extra strength. Finally, an exclusive process darkens and marries the mixture, and gives the blend a subtle tin aroma of cocoa and dried fruit. The flavor is full on the palate, earthy, slightly sweet and intriguingly piquant, with overtones of figs and raisins. A wonderful blend for the Perique lover!

I would love some new ideas for tobacco. Leave a comment and your list of favorite tobacco for the christmas season. Merry Christmas!