Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Charing Cross (Classic Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Oriental/Turkish are very earthy, herbal, vegetative, woody, with some spice, and a hint of sourness. They often takes the lead. The Cyprian Latakia is smokey, earthy, musty and woodsy as a supporting player that adds depth and complexity to the blend. The Virginias are moderate, but important players. The bright Virginia offers light tart and tangy citrus with a touch of grass, floralness, sugar and earth. The woody, bready, earthy, tangy, sugary dark fruitiness from the stoved red Virginia plays well with the dry notes from the Orientals/Turkish, helping to create a sweet and savory mixture. I notice the Orientals and Turkish more after the half way point. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. The nic-hit is a couple of slots past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a moderate rate with a fairly consistent sweet, mildly spicy and savory flavor from start to finish. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. It's almost an all day smoke for the experienced smoker. Some liken it to the older Balkan Sobranie, but as a thirty year veteran Sobranie smoker, I do not share that opinion. On its own merits, it's a very tasty Balkan blend with a lot going for it. Deserves three and a half stars.

-JimInks

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-05-07		Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

May as well get this one in now while I'm thinking about it. I've thought of little else lately!

Mr Pease apparently feels his Odyssey is his "biggest" tobacco in this series. I've never smoked that one but if it's bigger than this one, it'll be too big for me! This one is gargantuan... humongous.... gigantic... elephantine...! That's to say it is a robust, hugely flavorful and intense smoke. It's almost to the point of "flavor overload", yet it's also nuanced if the smoker can draw his attention away from the obvious. The cut of this is all over the map and the moisture content was perfect upon opening the tin. Drying out further elicted no improvements. The orientals and latakia played nicely with the virginia, but this was no democracy. The Eastern leaf ruled! And it did so with a smoky, leathery, toasty SHOVE but of the friendly variety, like one among the best of buddies. A lover of latakia will certainly find this blend compatible but the oriental fan will not mourn the absence of his favorite condiment. The various components have been blended so harmoniously and yet it was like mixing my two favorite heavy taste indulgences.... like pouring single malt scotch into my high octane chili (and yeah, I'm gonna try that!). Is there really such a phenomenon as "too much of a good thing? I find the idea dubious at best.

Burley lovers, stay away! If you like a wisp of latakia with your golden VA, forget this one. But if you want a mouth-filling ZING that comes with every puff and you love to be excited by your tobacco (and you like middle-eastern leaf in large quantities), never eat another porterhouse steak with a Guiness Stout without following it up with this fantastic tobacco. There are many tobaccos that make the smoker say "Wow, this is an excellent tobacco!". There are few that demand a screaming response like "HO-LEEEEE CRAP, this is a good smoke!". This one fell... er... no, it POUNCED into the latter camp. :)

29 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-19		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My "go to" Balkan blend. Sets the standard by which I judge all others. The Latakia in this blend hits all the right spots for me. Can't recommend this any higher.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Trumpetboy (19)	2013-09-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is one of my very favorites when I feel like something substantial after a good meal in the evening. To me, the Latakia is balanced perfectly with the very present Orientals-- this one has a certain "old world" Balkan character that brings back memories of a certain old white tin. With anything this full though, you have to pay attention, pack well and smoke well to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. Not the sort of thing you stick in your face for cleaning the garage or yardwork. I think this blend is full of nuance, but you have to sit, relax and allow it to take you on it's journey.

17 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2014-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

To my mind, you can basically split English/Balkan blends into two camps: sweet or savory. Sweet blends include Maltese Falcon, Odyssey, Larry's Blend, Plum Pudding, and quite a few others. The savory ones include things like Westminster, Nightcap, Quiet Nights, Squadron Leader….and Charing Cross.

When I light up a bowl of this I think of olives, charcoal, eggplant, red wine, and any number of earthy flavors and aromas. Although latakia is one of the primary flavors, it never really dominates the smoke and the virginias barely even whisper. Instead, the focus seems to be on the orientals. This provides a tremendous amount of complexity, enough in fact to make it one of the most complex blends I've ever sampled. So complex, even, that it tastes somewhat off-balance to me, although I'm sure it turned out exactly as Pease wanted it. This is a very nice blend, but it's not my cup of tea -- I prefer my latakia mixtures to have a lot more sweetness.

Also, for what it's worth, Charing Cross is probably the closest thing on the market today to the original Balkan Sobranie White.

A couple of years ago, an acquaintance of mine on one of the many pipe-related internet sites sent out generous samples of Balkan Sobranie from the early 1970s. In return for this generous gift, he wanted us to also sample Charing Cross and then compare the two. He had concluded, after many years and many experiments, that CC was the closest thing to the original BS available. Although we recognized there would be difficulties making comparisons to a blend that had aged for nearly two generations, we all pretty much agreed that CC was almost eerily similar to the venerable BS. So, if you are wanting to get a sense of what that legendary product was like, then have a go at Charing Cross.

So, in light of that revelation, why don't I award this one four stars? As I said, it might well be a dead ringer for the old BS but that observation only serves to reinforce my belief that BS wasn't really all it's cracked up to be. I suppose that if I had been smoking in 1971 and BS was the only mixture of its type on the market, then I might well have considered it to be some kind of earthly nirvana. As it stands today, however, I greatly prefer Odyssey, Maltese Falcon, Magnum Opus, and several other mixtures to both Charing Cross and Balkan Sobranie (for the record, I've tried several other more recent vintages and have been even less impressed).

So, for me at least, this is a three star blend. The quality of the leaf and the skill that went into it probably warrant four stars if you are fond of this type of latakia blend, but it's not one I plan on ever buying again.

YMMV, of course!

Pipe Used: Meer

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Does anyone really care?

Similar Blends: Balkan Sobranie White (the original).

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2019-05-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Strong

Simply put: this has to be one of the best English/Balkan blends out there. It truly is outstanding. Richer and stronger than Westminster, not as complex but fuller than Maltese Falcon, it just stops short from reaching the sturdy headiness of Gaslight (and in my view, more enjoyable). Though present and solid, the Virginias tend to remain in the background, while the Latkia takes on the Orientals in an epic interplay of flavors. A true Game of Thrones which the Latakia most definitely wins.

For my palate this is an evening smoke, for that time when all business is over and one is peacefully left alone with a single malt and Vaughn William's The Lark Ascending. Chapeau indeed.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Chestnut

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Joshua Ward

Similar Blends: The bygone Sobranie 759; Black House.

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-02-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: 11/10/08

The word that comes to mind is toasty. I don't know if this is a different type of oriental leaf than Abingdon or Odyssey, or if it's just the way it's blended with the other leaf. It seems to have quite a lot of Oriental leaf, giving it a good Oriental zing. Normally I don't like Oriental overload, but this toasty thing is intriguing.

I'm looking forward to tasting this more later this week in a couple different pipes. Right now, I'd say that this blend holds lots of promise. It might even outrank Abingdon...

UPDATE: After exploring three of Pease's big English blends, I am coming to the conclusion that these first four are all quite similar. I have not yet reviewed Westminster, but I've smoked a tin of it last year, and I remember that it, like Charing Cross, Odyssey, and Abingdon are all quite Oriental-forward blends using quality weed. I like them all, but it seems choosing a favorite would be a finesse thing, the only real difference being the strength of the Oriental leaf on the blend. So far, if I had to choose a fave, it would be solely based on how much spice (Oriental leaf) am I in the mood for today? Looking forward to trying Charing Cross in a couple more pipes, especially a meer.

UPDATE: Just had all three - Abingdon, Odyssey and Charing Cross - back to back in a small pipe, about fifteen minutes each. That's the best way for me to remember exactly how each one compares. Same opinion as before: all three have a significant Oriental component and all three have quite a few similarities. The reason for this post is to set apart Odyssey as the richer more enjoyable blend of the three in my personal opinion.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-05-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is Blackpoint with some muscle and backbone. More Balkan in taste thanks to the marvelous Oriental components, and quite heavy on the Latakia.

I should think additional aging will make this one terrific. If you have smoked Balkan Sobranie, then that should give you an idea of what Charring Cross is like. I do find the Pease blend to be more refined, less sweet, and certainly more powerful.

My advice, purchase a tin to smoke now and an additional 5 or 10 to age a few years.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2018-08-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

G. L. Pease - Charing Cross.

It contains many different colours of ribbon, yellow, black, brown; the brown ones account for the majority of it. The unlit note suggests a blend that's potent with Latakia and Orientals. The moisture scores 10/10.

The Latakia and Orientals work wonderfully which one another, smoky, woody, hearty, and very flavoursome. The Virginia gives lesser flavour than these, but the smoke gets a poke of freshness from it. Charing Cross makes clouds of cool smoke, without a bite to be had. It burns well, requiring only the occasional tamp, and rarely a relight.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: I quite like it.

Charing Cross? Not a blend for the beginner, but a fairly heady one making it more suited to the seasoned smoker. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Ramazan Lee Van Cleef Rep'

Age When Smoked: 12/13/17

Purchased From: 4noggins

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-01-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

UPDATE: 11/20. This tobacco may be the best Balkan there is. Now I need to clarify this statement. I am not sure where a Balkan begins and an English ends. With that said, this is the best in some genre. I am smoking a 2016 tin and flavors just get better and better. Orientals age well, so do top shelf VA's. Latakia is supposed to dull, and maybe it does, but it is sure here in spades. The creamy sweetness is still here but the woody and spicy orientals on a bed of sweet, earthy Virginia's . I will say my updated review has an added note on the finish. The leathery, buttery qualities linger on the palate, making this a favorite after a great meal. This is a gold medal tobacco. Buy and cellar as much as you can. You will miss this if it disappears. This has one of the best tin notes in the Balkan world! Every time I reach for this tobacco I can hardly wait to stick my nose into the tin/jar. Latakia did you say? Upon opening you get hit with creosote, campfire, pine tar and some woody/sour notes. It is unrivaled. The smoke itself is a Balkan delight. I love the malty flavor of Balkan blends and this one is a Latakia powerhouse but that is not all it has to offer. The Orientals are first rate. When you start this smoke you are greeted with smokey and sweet Cyprian Latakia, This to me is a great way to start!. As you get to the 1/4 mark you get the Orientals, woody and spicy. The maltiness that I love starts around this point. This is where the Virginia's and Orientals tame the Latakia and provide the wonderful malted milk ball like flavor I love. This blend provides that but it is darker and richer than most other Balkan blends. The orientals also have a nice spicy flavor to them and the woodiness is really brought out on the retrohale. This is one of the best Balkan's I have smoked, definitely top 5.

Pipe Used: Briar's and cobs

Age When Smoked: 2 years +

Purchased From: B&M

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-10-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A good balkan (but on the rounder side), not very far from Odyssey. It has a sec, clean taste. If Greg modelled this on Balkan Sobranie 759 or Original Mixture, he failed: it hasn't the overwhelming and at times bitter taste of OM or the rich sweetness of 759. I have been smoking a lot of 759 lately, and it's clearly different (but of course it has much aging on its shoulders). But this doesn't mean that Charing Cross is a failure of a tobacco! It simply is a great mixture by itself, no comparisons needed.

I tend to prefer it to Odyssey because of the moderate sweetness and body increase that it develops during the bowl.

Highly recommended, only a notch inferior to Blackpoint.

2019 UPDATE: After may years and many tins, I can just add that this blend has incredible complexity and development. While Caravan (another favourite of mine) has a tangier edge, more Orientals-biased, Charing Cross surprises every time by how gradually it builds up in power and layers of flavour. It starts on a sweet Virginia note, relatively subdued, and then becomes more and more dominated by the Latakia, and it becomes drier and more austere, a powerhouse. A fantastic blend time and time again.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eric Cioe (37)	2007-04-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I bought Charing Cross from Iwan Ries a few months back on a whim, and am just finishing the tin now (my rotation is big). It is a very good full Balkan.

I spent a while trying to find the perfect full Balkan, with a good balance between the Orientals and the Latakia. So many blends are just too Latakia heavy, which I find to be much less interesting than a good interplay between Orientals and Latakia. To my taste, this blend has enough of both to be at the same time complex and somewhat powerful.

Like most Pease blends, this one was a bit wet when I bought it, but drying out has made lighting easy enough. It smokes down to a fine grey ash, and I imagine it'd be a great tobacco to break in pipes.

This is highly recommended for anyone who wants more to their Balkan than raw power.

EDIT I've now found that I prefer Blackpoint if I want something fuller from this collection, or Kensington if I want something a little lighter. Both are a little more complex than Charing Cross. But if you like really dry English mixtures, Charing Cross is a great option. Still very much recommended, but knocked down a star.

EDIT 2 Just checked in on a ten year old pinch of this. The latakia is fading a little, and the already-formidable oriental component has become a little more present as a result. A nice smoke. Still, I'm sticking with Blackpoint and Kensington as my go-tos from this range.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-08-17		Overwhelming	Extra Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Overwhelming

I would not recommend that anyone buy this blend. It will make you impotent, and your hair will fall out. A GLP delivery van ran over my mother. Greg Pease funnels money to the Taliban, and experiments on small animals. Charing Cross is high in carbohydrates. Let this blend languish on store shelves. I will collect them and see to their proper disposal.

It's a dog eat dog world, and every bad review for CC is another tin available for me. I may just buy them all.

An absolute home run.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2020-05-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Mr. Pease has single handedly renewed my interest in latakia blends.. After an almost 10 year hiatus I've gradually come back for the time being.. It all started with Key Largo.. Funny how that works.. bit by bit you grow back your tolerance to the beast.. I'm still a virginia/burley/perique guy.. but the mood has been striking more and more for the smoky, peaty, tar leaf.. The proportions in charing cross remind me of an old favorite.. not sobranie (although it isn't far off) but balkan sasieni.. This is a savory smoke.. at a certain level of oriental/latakia the whole character changes.. the sweet virginia character is given up a little, in exchange for a full on toasty, woody, floral, peaty more delicate smoke.. Each puff is a variation on this theme.. and you want to keep digging to discover more. The cut is also a similar ribbon.. it burns fast enough for a quick smoke, but I find it benefits from a slow cadence especially as you get past the halfway mark.. it can get warm.. but I like these thinner ribbons for a satisfying smoke that won't last all night. It comes much drier than quiet nights.. but maybe 10 min of dry time will still help.. From my perspective it is easily a 3 star blend for the moment.. as I continue to get more accustomed once again to latakia it could easily jump to 4.. as it stands, I gravitate a little more to the more Virginia forward quiet nights..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rod tp (2)	2019-01-15		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Something between Balkan Sasieni and GLP Odyssey.Cool smoke bold and tasteful. Good all through the end. Delicious, gentle on nicotine. Definitely I’ll add to my rotation. Another great blend by Mr. Pease. A Balkan lover should indeed try this wonderful tobacco.

Update: it can be a all day smoke, without hurting your tongue. If you’re going in an adventure outdoors this is the tobacco to take with you.

Pipe Used: Peterson Writers Shaw

Age When Smoked: New

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2018-05-08		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Overwhelming

This is a deep flavored Balkan mixture. Wild delightful to many, some will find this overwhelming. The smokiness is wonderful, but bordwrline overwhelming when smoked on the deck with my wife. Charing and full light were fine, with wonderful burnability. I nitial flavore reminds one of smoking Cajun ribs on the grill. Rather spicy to my palate, but everything plays well with the high quality Virginia leaf in the blend. A third of the way through, and with a properly warmed bowl, the marrying of the Virginia, Oriental, and Cyorian latakia fla ors are sublime. At mid bowl, I have detected a sweet rasin note that drifts in and out. Quite delightful. The blend seems to get sweeter as the smoke progresses. The oriental tobaccos are adding a teasing tanginess that seems to make bith the sweetness and amokiness of the blend that much more delightful. The nicotine hit is mire pronounced as the smike progresses. Quite a delightful smoke for balkan enthusiasts, I highly rexcomend.

Pipe Used: Chicom Specimen circa 1975

Age When Smoked: less tahn a year

Purchased From: Indian River Tobacco Traders,Grand Rapids, MI

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2009-02-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Charing Cross is yet another impressive Pease blend. Like most of his efforts, this is a tobacco of subtlety, refinement, and elegance. That's not to say this stuff doesn't have a forceful side--it does--but the tobacco's muscle and strength never stretch the seams of this beautiful blend.

The leaf is of high quality and this tin arrived with ideal moisture. The cut is broad enough that it can be a little challenging to pack into a small bowl, but it's great in bowls with squat, wide-mouthed shapes.

And the tin description? Most accurate I've yet come across.

Edit: Just a bump up on this one for the sake of honesty. I've come to respect Charing Cross' potent beauty more and more everyday. For my money (what little there is), this is the finest Balkan available today. A masterpiece.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldmanpipe (62)	2006-11-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

All trades admit of many jacks, but few masters. Greg Pease is unquestionably a master of tobacco blending (AND photography) and therefore deserves of our respect and gratitude. All one need do is smoke a few of his blends (I've been smoking them since his F&P days) to know that one word can never be aplied to any of his creations: "Generic."

I do not smoke all them regularly, but I understand them. There is a theme to each and all Pease blends are marvelously crafted, visually enticing, and will make one salivate upon opening the tin--the older, the better.

As a man of integrity, Greg uses the finest tobaccos available and does not release a blend until the tuning fork of taste rings true for him. As a man of experience and confidence, he does not kid himself and think (or demand) four stars for each of his blends from all reviewers.

Charing Cross is one of the "Classic Collection" tobaccos, each created as an homage to the best of days long gone. Blackpoint and Kensington are my personal favorites in this group. Charing Cross, though displaying the same craftsmanship and quality as all Pease blends, is not.

Not that there is anything wrong with Charing Cross, it is a simple matter of individual taste. And, for reasons I shall continue to explore, Charing Cross just misses the mark for me. I bought my first can of CC concurrent with a can of Blackpoint, which for the third time in my life kindled to flame "love at first sight...or tin aroma." Charing Cross did not, and, sorry to say, it still doesn't.

Charing Cross is a fine tobacco; it is, after all, a GL Pease product and as such is first-rate and impecably constructed. It simply, for me, does not resonate with somethig in my body chemistry. As you will note from other reviews, some find Nirvana in a bowl here. And, indeed the character deveolps as one makes way down the bowl.

Make no mistake, Charing Cross is a full Balkan, though, to my taste not an outstanding one IMHO. For Balkan blends, I would recommend Odyssey or Caravan from Greg's Original Mixtures, or Kensington, from the Classic Collection. Each is smoother and more complex than Charing Cross. For a full-bore Latakia dollop, Abingdon is the best choice among the Classic Collection.

Three out of four stars.

**After further evaluation I can say that the qualities I found less-than-satisfying in Charing Cross are mitigated in part, if not in whole, by pipe selection. My initial review was based upon smoking this weed in Sasieni 4-Dot pipes (the REAL DEAL from the "family-era"). Sasieni's are funny; they augment some blends while detracting from others.

Since the earlier review, I have tried this tobacco in a 1930s-era GBD and a meerschaum. The GBD, for whatever reason, eliminated the bitternes I found objectionable in earlier smokes. Both Sasieni and GBD are undervalued specimens of British pipemaking at its best; nevertheless, they smoke quite differently. GBDs are sweeter, while Sasienis are drier. Go figure!

A meerschaum likewise removes the bitterness, but, alas, much of the good things as well. Meerschaums are funny that way. In "the good old days" (hence, the "oldmanpipe") I could enjoy Rattray's Red Raparee and Dunhill's Nightcap ONLY in a meerschaum or calabash. Greg's blends are best-appreciated in a companionable briar.

The rating does not change, as I believe GL Pease has better to offer in this genre; the appreciation of Charing Cross, however, has been enhanced by exploration.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Oldguy (9)	2013-10-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this tobacco until now; maybe I was just too busy enjoying it. I love Balkan-style blends, and this is my desert island tobacco -- If I could only smoke one blend for the rest of my days, this would be it.

Tin aroma is extremely pleasing; leathery and woodsy. A note about the moisture content: it's tricky. If it seems about right then it smokes like it's a bit moist, so dry it a bit more than you think it needs. Then pack it evenly, breaking up the big chunks; if the moisture content is right it will burn all the way down on one light. Best in a larger bowl, due to the cut. The orientals constantly peek through the latakia smoke and there's just enough Virginias to lace it all together. A very well-balanced Balkan blend.

In a briar it's full enough to satisfy on a winter's night, and in a meerschaum it doesn't overwhelm on a hot, humid day outdoors. There are lighter balkan blends, and fuller ones but this strikes the best possible balance between the two extremes, and the flavor is rewarding any time.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2008-07-10		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

To me, Charing Cross is the epitome of Balkan mixtures (or is it Odyssey?). Anyway, CC is another outstanding offering from what is at the present day the best pipe tobacco maker in the world: GLPease. Charing Cross is a Latakia powerhouse, with rich Virginias and Orientals providing enough sweetness and depth to keep you in heaven throughout the bowl without being overly complex or sweet.

Don't expect a nicotine kick here: CC is full flavored, but not strong at all.

I have several tins cellared and I'll be buying a lot more, considering that this is my only everyday Balkan.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2016-12-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I recently smoked a tin of Abingdon and, although quite potent as a Balkan blend, really enjoyed it. I mistakenly thought that Charing Cross was the next step down in the Pease Classic series. Wrong about that, I had forgotten about Blackpointe; the blend Greg lists next in the series. I will correct this and smoke Blackpointe next. I refer to the review of Doctor Thoss 2014-09-10 and agree with him when he classifies Balkan English blends into two categories: sweet and savory. The only variation in my world is that I classify all English blends into categories of sweet and sour, rather that savory. I also agree that CC is a savory (sour) blend and I am with you, Doctor Thoss, in that it is also not my cup of tea - though enjoyable. I like my English blends a little sweeter and to possess a little more depth. I found CC to have a flattish nasal smoking aroma and found myself wishing for some component to be in there to pull the rather high register of the smoke back to a more comfortable level. Next I put together a spot blend that was 1/2 CC, 1/4 Cellar Reserve and 1/4 Wessex Tradition from a 15-20 year old tin. That did it. The Cellar Reserve's black cavendishes and the Tradition's soft Virginias really made for a fine smoke. I like blending with this tobacco and prefer that to smoking CC straight, which equals three stars.

Pipe Used: Ashton LX apple billiard (1998 NASPC pipe)

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: pipes and cigars

Similar Blends: some reviewers have likened CC to older Balkan Sobranie Mixture. I don't disagree, however, I feel it is more similar to an English blend available today - the current production John Cotton's #1&2..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2016-11-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Thick cut ribbon with dark and mahogany strands. The ''soda'' smell is stronger than the Latakia. Moisture level is perfect and does not change much in weeks.

Flavor wise, red Virginias dominate for the most part, a red wine like sweetness with some tangy tones. The Orientals are not very strong, especially the sour soda note and increase in flavor by mid bowl. The Cyprian Latakia has a lighter presence than advertised but contributes with a sweet, smoky and woodsy flavor.

As for old school, it reminds me of the pre K&K Black Mallory, I could swear that I taste this full Scottish with each puff.

Virginia lover

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2014-12-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

OK, I have rated a few English/Balkan style blend, and I thought I had found a masterpiece (Erinmore Balkan). But boy oh boy was I wrong.

This is the real deal. Gregory has created a fuller blend, rounder, and it delivers exactly as he promises.

Beautiful balance. The Virginias are there to support and enhance the perfumy spicy Orientals. The Latakia dominates with spice and smoke like a strong emperor in this wonderful tobacco blend empire.

Highly Recommended + Favourite

Pipe Used: St Claude Canadian

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Besson Tobaccos, Lausanne, Switzerland

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

Different than Abingdon...

More Latakia, smaller cut and somehow less sweet. The tin aroma reminds me of Balkan Sasieni.

For the room note, I am not as lucky as with Abingdon.

I have to downgrade. This tobacco, like Abingdon, keeps biting, which is unusual for such a dark tobacco.

It's kind of harsh too...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2006-12-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Appearance: Typical GLP cut, short ribbons of varying widths. Colors range from orange through black.

Aroma: Real Balkan aroma, mostly Latakia with Oriental support Packing: Packs easily into medium and large bowls. Probably will pack into a small bowl, but I prefer this type of blend in a larger pipe.

Lighting: Lights readily and without problem. Initial flavor: Mostly Oriental and Latakia flavor, very little (sometimes none) from the Virginias. Big, smoky, spicy and just a touch sharp.

Mid-bowl: Smooths out a bit as the Virginias step up, but they are always in the background. A bigger Balkan feeling than Caravan, but not as Latakia heavy as Odyssey or Abingdon. Nice dry smoke, cool when puffed at slow to normal rate.

Finish: Burns down to a nice clean ash, with little increase in strength

Summary: Definitely an evening smoke for me, way too full for any other time. An excellent choice for the Oriental lover.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-04-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Strong

An earlier reviewer raised the question as to where Mr. Pease had come up with the name ?Charing Cross?. Well, he didn?t invent it out of thin air, or even Latakia-laden air for that matter. Here?s the explanation:

The name Charing Cross comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I of England placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. It was one of twelve places where Eleanor's coffin rested overnight during the funeral procession from Harby, Lincolnshire to her final resting-place at Westminster Abbey in London in 1290 A.D. At each of these, Edward erected an "Eleanor cross?, of which only three now remain. The Eleanor crosses were stone monuments in the shape of a cross. The one which stands at Charing Cross, in front of the railway station, is a re-located Victorian "copy" of the original - the latter having stood where a statue of King Charles I of England is now to be found. "Charing Cross" is a corruption of "cher reine cross", that being French for "dear queen" and referring to the Eleanor Cross that was erected there.

Now, on to the tobacco.

Charing Cross is a stout Balkan blend. Very full flavor with very little in the way of sweetness. Very interesting flavor, covering the range from bittersweet to smoky. The Latakia and the Oriental are center stage, with the Virginia in a supporting role. You can catch a hint of the Virginia sweetness now and again, but the others are definitely the stars of this show.

In typical Pease fashion, this is a great smoking blend. Mr. Pease seems to follow the same school of thought as a chef. Not only does it have to taste good, it has to look good as well. Like the other Pease blends, Charing Cross is a visually appealing blend. The cut and coloring strike a balance that is just as pleasing to the eye as the smoke is to the palate. Highly recommended for the experienced smoker of English blends.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2021-07-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sweet, sour, smoky, and damn tasty. Excellent blend, have found few that satisfy my taste any more than Charing Cross. This blend is reserved for my wing back chair, and a good book. A very contemplating type blend. Mere words fail me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipelicidad (26)	2021-03-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Very interesting tobacco. It is very intense and even heavy. The latakia is very noticeable, specially at the first half of the bowl. Sweet-smoky, earthy, and somehow citrusy -i.e. citrusy as in earl grey tea-. The rest of the bowl is more oriental forward, but the latakia is there as well. The taste nuances are complex, but the overall feeling is very intense. This tobacco burns easily, and so it can get hot easily. In fact, this weed is very sensitive to humidity content. Usually, I prefer my tobacco on the dry side (i.e., slightly crispy), but this one is better when it feels fresh and slightly smoochy. It is better to smoke this one carefully. The nicotine content is noticeable, perhaps in the ballpark of Pease’s Westminster. Room note is strong. The feedback I gets is burnt brushwood and manure. I prefer “lighter” English blends, but I am happy to have bought this blend.

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Cupojoes

Similar Blends: GL Pease Westminster; Mac Baren Latakia Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-12-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Presentation: I love the labels on the Classic Series. All the labels have the same coloring and artstyle, being a drawing of a pipe but they each have a different pipe. That's so cool to me.

Cut: Ribbon cut, perfect moisture.

Tin note: Slightly smoky, woody, and a little sweet. If I had to identify something that resembles this smell, I'd say it smells, in the tin, like midly sweet cardboard.

Tasting notes: Tart, light smokiness, and I taste slightly burnt toast on light up. Smoky, the slightest bit sweet, solid spice and earthiness. I am tasting a lot of things I don't know how to describe. If thoughtlessly puffing, this would seem like just another english, but there is a lot here. It reminds me a lot of Skiff Mixture, although I'd say this is a bit more complex and Skiff is more mild.

Mechanics: Although the tobacco is not too moist, you might need to relight a few times.

Extra Remarks: This is is a great blend. Maybe not for everyone though, but I absoutely love it. There's something special about this blend to me but I can't put my finger on it. I can see myself smoking this blend years and years down the road. 4 stars.

Age When Smoked: 1 year and 4 months

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	leaftime (9)	2020-11-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

One of the NICEST English mixtures available. By 'nice' I mean that it can be easily enjoyed any time of the day, and repeatedly. The orientals must be special; their harmony with the Latakia is superb. I almost want to say refreshing, leaving you an appetite for some stronger variation latter in the day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2020-09-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

There is little doubt Mr. Pease is one of the most talented blender of our times. If Mr. Pease released a blend tomorrow titled "Dog Turd" I would quickly buy a tin to smoke and a couple to cellar. There is not a dud in his stable of expertly crafted blends.

I love this blend. I don't consider myself a huge English/Balkan smoker. I do smoke them, and I do enjoy them, I just seem to lean more heavily on the Vaper side of things. This however is a fantastic blend. It is rich and full, but so balanced. The latakia is warm and round, not sharp. the rest of the blend is a perfect pedestal for the latakia. There are Virginias in there, but for the most part, they play a background role, almost unnoticeable.

There is one interesting thing I cannot figure out about this blend though. People seem to feel that this is a humongous latakia bomb. Even the description on the tin makes it sound like the tin should have the name "enola gay" written somewhere on the side due to the cargo it holds. I don't get that. It is robust and full, but I wouldn't consider it a behemoth of a smoke. I find others like pirate cake or ten russians to be much more potent.

My guilty pleasure? A bowl full of charring cross and an iced tea with lemon. It sounds weird, but trust me. It works so well.

Here is the hard and fast rule when it comes to pipe smoking. If the tin has G.L Pease on it, buy it. No questions asked. This blend is definitely included. What a treat.

Age When Smoked: 12 Years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J. Ward (70)	2019-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Of all the Balkans I’ve had thus far, this one has impressed me the most. The Latakia is not overpowering, yet it is prominent, lending creamy notes of campfire smoke and wood. The fragrant orientals share the stage, and they are spicy, as described, I pick up green pepper and wood. The Virginia adds balance and the slightest bit of sweetness, hay and earth. Smoky, earthy, woody, spicy, creamy goodness, none crowding the other out, a delightful and well balanced smoke. The perfect ribbon cut guarantees it will be easy to pack, and an even burn. Charing Cross is pipe tobacco perfection. An instant favorite.

Pipe Used: Cobs and briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking_Strider (21)	2019-03-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Recently nabbed a tin and tried it for the first time and simply put, it's marvelous. Not very familiar with bulkans but I quite enjoyed this one. A very bold smoky flavor with sweet and salty undertones. Can bite a little if you are too aggressive with it, but otherwise it was a cool clean smoke. Needed just a little bit of drying time out of the tin and left little moisture in the bowl, very consistent flavor all the way through. Another great one from the Pease line up, as they all are....

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rade19 (7)	2015-08-18		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Perfect! Simple but complete, an English blend with a french touch. After an afternoon light meal. Fine black chocolate, leather, orientals tobacco with very fine latakia,very delicate , cool. You can feel the richness and the Mozart music of the 17s. A friend, high quality tobacco.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Capri

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Red Rapparee but more fine..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NoirPipes (6)	2014-06-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of my all time favorite blends. Always satisfying with it's rich, sharp and clear flavors, but some roundness. There is nothing thin about the flavor. It's balanced but with highs and lows. You could say it's a Lat bomb but on a different day, a different pipe you could say it's oriental forward. It seems to make a statement on all flavors; sour, bitter, savory, with pops of sweetness (a trick of Mr. Pease is the little birds eye shaped snips of Virginia flake-Union Square?) and on re-lights some hint of salt and a great oriental spiciness. I happen to like or love a lot of G.L.P. blends -Quiet Nights, Abingdon, Gas Light and Key Largo (once I figured out how to make it stop biting) in the love category and might go for a month before I get around to this blend (I like a large rotation), but every time I light up a bowl of this I wonder why I waited so long.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 620/ 320 Mark Tinsky pot

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aloysius McMurphy (1)	2014-05-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Balkan style tobacco, not sweet. A medium-bodied smoke with an almost barbecue flavor, hints of citrus and pepper and frankincense. The bacon of pipe tobacco.

Pipe Used: Neerup

Purchased From: Crescent City Cigar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hottgunn (19)	2013-03-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

If a Balkan tobacco is one with dominating orientals and a little Latakia, then this is the mixture you should try. Very, very complex aroma - delicate. You never know what taste is coming next. A toasty, rich smoke. A woodsy, barnyard smell out of the tin. Ribbon cut but there are some larger flakes in the mix. More of a rough chop. Was a bit hard to get a good light going but after that it was fine. Moisture seemed right. Reminded me of a rich French desert as opposed to a heavy main course. Another excellent Pease blend. Very nice and highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2013-01-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Another from Pease which I cannot recommend.

This one bites like a weasel, not really sure why possibly the cut and it's a tad dry. Certainly no orange zest and cocoa beans, nor green peppers (sounds like a bizarre pizza), campfire well of course Latakia which I really like and enjoy.

However, the way Pease seems to work with Latakia is not to my liking in most of his blends . . . I'll stick with Russ Ouellette I get along with his blends far better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2012-02-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

updated 2016-01-27 I've had a tin of H&H Mag Opus and GLP's Charing Cross down in the cellar for about three years and just tried them back to back. I believe these are similar Balkans , but I do like Charing Cross better. CC is smoother and I like the broken flake cut better. I believe it is the Perique in the "Mag O" that takes away from the smoothness.

Update 4/1/13- I really can't believe the turnaround in this tobacco with about a year and a half cellar time. I still don't get all the references to citrus but I also don't get the "green Peppers" , thank God!

(Original)My tin was tried about 3 months ago , cellared away, and just retried. Again this appears to be another Balkan blend by GLP in the same style as Odyssey and Black Point. I somewhat agree with reviewer ,"Zulujerk 10/16/2010", in that this is "muted and hard to classify. For me, I find it a disappointment in comparison to the other blends, Odyssey & BP. I tried to search for the cocoa and orange but couldn't find them , I unfortunately, did find the Green Pepper. Green pepper!!! , are you kidding, it really doesn't bring anything more than if I found them in my Jello ! I also find this blend somewhat harsh and spicy , with not much sweetness and a bitter aftertaste (green pepper?). As with many GLP blends, ageing does seem to change the blend, so If things change, I will update. Right now, I won't buy again and will stick with O & BP without the Green peppers.

Pipe Used: Cob/ Maple

Age When Smoked: new /3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2011-11-21		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

oh my. There is no tobacco like Charing Cross. This is the tobacco equivalent of overturning an old rotten log on a walk in the woods. Dark, fertile soil, rotting wood, wet leaves, squirming things and scrabbling beetles. I told my wife that and she said it sounded as bad as it smelled.

It's not. It's wonderful.

This is a Balkan with a plenty of Latakia, but the Orientals lead the way throughout. There are sour and tangy notes, but this is not a sour and tangy blend. There is that edge of bitterness that isn't really bitter, perhaps astringent is a better description. This blend is varying shades of darkness. What a great autumn mixture. This tobacco is all dying light and long shadows.

This is not a tobacco you will think is brilliant the first bowl. Your initial impressions will hold up, but your comprehension will improve. This is perhaps the most complex blend I've ever smoked. It doesn't give me that big, obvious, consistent sourness I love, but there is so much else here that that is ok. It's more than ok. Thank you Greg. If for Westminster and Charing Cross only, you have my sincere gratitude.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-11-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Ok, here is a "Classic Collection" tobacco I can really get behind. I think the oriental-forward character of this blend was more enjoyable to my palate than Abingdon or Blackpoint, which featured Latakia. The lat in this blend was subdued and played well with the other components. Also, I swear this had more nicotene in it than the other Classic blends. So I found it more satisfying. Strangely, this tobacco SEEMED very dry in the tin, but it smoked slightly wet. No clue why.

As a side note, this was an epiphany for me. I think it showed me how sweet orientals can be. This may explain why Embarcadero was so sweet. Anyway, I for one never knew that before. So this tobacco was an education as much as an enjoyment. And it means I disagree with the description above: I found this sweeter than Blackpoint.

Definitely shot into my top five lat blends.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

Small cut, almost dusty leaf.

Tongue biting, unrefined tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2010-05-07		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Just opened up a new tin of this and it was dry as a bone. Turned to dust between my fingers. Unsmokable. Right into the trash. Big quality control issue with this particular tin. What a waste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	al1 (58)	2009-05-05		Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

I really like this. Another strong but perfectly balanced balkan from the dark one. I would say this one is very close to caravan and abdingdon but in my opinion falls in between, in terms of strength and fullness. This is also true in relation to the latakia content.

One thing that I like about it is that it has that good classic balkan flavor. It is much more to my taste than blackpoint or kensington in that they are overly sweet for balkans.

Again if you like or in my case love abingdon and caravan you will no doubt enjoy this.

It has that great smoky taste but there are so many underlying hints that play in and out in a wonderful way. Some say hints of green pepper and chocolate, I don't know if thats how it tastes to me and I can't really describe it other than to say it's one of the best I've ever smoked.

I am addicted to pease balkans. If I could never smoke anything else but Caravan, Charing Cross, and Abingdon in that order of preference. I would be very satisfied. Althouh I would miss the occasional puff of mc christmas cheer.

For finally I have found tobaccos that smoke dry and cool to the final ash, taste as good, full, and biteless as possible, and leave me feeling quite a bit euphoric. What else could one ask for in a blend? It is what tobacco should and can be. Beyond highly reccomended, among what I consider a necessity to get through my days. If this became unavailable I would be VERY upset!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-07-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What a treat. I get to compare Charing Cross from 2005 and from a tin packaged a mere two days ago (7-21-08).

Tin Appearance: 2005 looks shorter and narrower in the cut. The 2008 is broader cut, and I was greeted with a huge chunk of Latakia to play with. Pretty cool. The older model has darkened somewhat and the colors are blending together.

Tin Aroma: 2005 has more cohesive aromas, the new tin is disjointed. No surprise there. The older blend is beginning to throw off some deep stewed dry fruit aromas, while the youngster is more vegetal and shallow.

Pack: I prefer the older tin overall. It is easier to gravity feed the layers. The young one needs to be pinched off and "shred fed".

Light: Both came dry enough out of the package for immediate firing, and took to the match without a hitch.

Smoke/Flavor: Both are cool burning. The old man is earthier and sweeter. The lad continues to carry forward the disjointed qualities reflected in the tin aroma. He's a gangly young chap, and a wee bit uncoordinated.

Room Note: Who cares?

Overall Impression: This is going to be fun. I have about 3 medium sized bowl's worth of the senior citizen and half a pound of junior to conduct side by side tastings. The boy will grow to a fine young man given time and proper environment. He will then mature into middle and old age with grace and charm...or was that gravy and chard? Dunno. Anyway, this mixture, in both stages of maturity, displays excellent breeding, good manners, and a positive outlook. Diplomacy, given the Latakia level, is a mute point. Or is that a Moo Point? The old man, alas, is not likely to survive this experiment. May he rest in pieces. Or is that Picses? Another moot point.

Good stuff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	final_id (37)	2004-03-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I really liked Samarra by G.L.Pease and am looking forward to trying Renaissance. So when I saw Charing Cross, Piccadilly, and Kensington available at my local meet-and-greet cigar store (habanasmokes.com in Jackson, Miss.) I booted up their free wireless internet and checked tobaccoreviews.com for some research. I figured that among my three choices, TR.com informed me that ChC was the closest to Samarra. But I find it almost intolerably neutral in presence. It's like a "non tobacco." I thought maybe I was smoking it with overpowering foods and drinks, for example, but I've given it a few days and I still get, mostly, all the pungency of dried styrofoam. Perhaps I got a bad tin. It was at least sealed -- laugh my first tin of Samarra was so old the metal lid (underneath the plastic top) didn't connect to the can any more! -- but it hasn't really grown on me in any manner. I categorize Charing Cross as, simply, Samarra light. There's a true Balkan air to it, but it doesn't have the zing or zesty tangy almost Darjeeling flavor of true Latakia, to me. Its room-note (haha, what a euphemism! I'd call it "second hand smoke" and admit the truth!) is reminiscent of the Frog Morton series by McClelland, actually, and for that reason I smell some of what I previously identified as Perique in the Balkan. Can says no, so it's just "natural pungency," but otherwise there's no oomph there. I could smoke it all the time, if I wanted something absent but present in my mouth, I guess, except for the fact that it gives me tongue bite, which is surprising. So, for me, it's the worst of both worlds -- nearly intolerable because of its harshness, and also almost entirely flavorless. Odd ...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (39)	2022-06-18		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is one of my favorite English blends. It is not Penzance. Nothing is Penzance. But if you like orientals and Latakia done right, this is it. More interesting than Odyssey, and the Latakia is not so overwhelming. I'm a big fan of orientals, and they are never represented better than they are here. It may be one of the greatest incensey and complex blends ever. This is what GLP is famous for. This blended is very flavorful but still easy to smoke. If you are an English lover you will feel right at home with the first bowl. Not as smooth and heavy as fusilier's ration, but equally comforting. Charring cross has a lot more going on though. This is not a tobacco that you can ignore while mowing the grass, or reading a book. The flavor is simply too good to be ignored. Your attention will continuously return to your pipe. It makes you smile when you don't realize you're smiling. And then you just feel thankful that you found it. Making blends this good is a real accomplishment. Definitely four stars.

Pipe Used: Bonez

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2021-07-05		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of the best tobacco blends that I have ever smoked. I love the earthy wine like depth that comes with the mixture of Latakia, red Virginias and Turkish leaf. It is sweet, smokey, tangy, and slightly floral. I have only ever experienced this depth with Spark Plug, though Charing Cross is a little less intense. The Latakia is at the front of the flavor profile of Charing Cross; however, it does not cross into super Lat bomb status like Gas Light or Westminster, which leave that powdery Latakia feeling on your palate.

Overall it is smooth smoking and perfection in a tin.

Age When Smoked: 3 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hobo Piper (8)	2021-03-15		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This used to be a 4 star balkan blend. It used to be a sharp zingy tantalizing wake up call to your taste buds with intense green pepper, earthy mushrooms, orange zest, mossy smokey earthy sweet boggy incense varieties of latakia and sudsy fizzy buttery oriental and sharp sweet and almost bitey virginias. I always figureded this was an approximation to the old balkan sobranie. But alas with many, many blends either the quality and richness of the leaves have dulled or maybe they even arent grown anymore. Charring Cross is still my favorite balkan blend but everything seems more flattened and toned down. What was once a sprint is now a jog. A delicious cake without the icing and a symphony with cello but no violin. There is still some cedar, pine and butter but no mushrooms no pepper no moss not rotting autumn trail through the forest. This is my loss of balkan sobranie and i wish i had appreciated balkan blends a few years ago enough to have stocked up on the old charring cross. Mild to medium strength and mild to medium nic. Why are all these once beautiful blends not as rich anymore?

Similar Blends: Germain's balkan sobranie but used to be better than that..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-23		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Another very complex G. L. Pease blend; it's a great tobacco, wonderful Virginias, the just amout of Latakia and Orientals (spicy and smoking but well balanced). But it's a little bit too strong in nicotine to my taste. If you need some 'powerful' EM, try it without hesitations! 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2016-06-08		Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

A typical English mixture. Basically a successful Latakia-forward blending. Sadly, far too faint. After lighting the pipe, all tobaccos in this blend start to deploy. Unfortunately they stop half way, making a good mixture weak and faint.

Pipe Used: Briar from Brebbia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-06-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Charing Cross is a rather dry and smoky Balkan blend without any sweetness whatsoever. Fuller than most of Pease's Balkan line, but not complicated or charming. Huge non-sweet oriental gives out lots of campfire smoke. Sometimes you just want a great hit of savoy Balkan without distraction of sweetness, and this is for that moment.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-12-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Charing Cross is an exceptional Balkan. This is more latakia laden than some, but not as much as say Odyssey. The flavors are smoked ham, semi-sweet hay, salty in general more so than sweet. This really is a good one if you like lots of good smoke enveloping your head and filling your senses. This Pease creation burns quite well, came perfectly humidified right out of the tin and the flavor and aroma we certainly top notch. Full bodied and middle of the road in strength...An excellent effort not to be ignored. KCIYH

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	twaksak (54)	2014-07-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In the tin, again rich Latakia with a hint of spiciness, orange zest. Lighting it, provides a well-balanced, smooth even creamy smoke with the same hints of orange zest and a hint of sweetness on the tongue. Halfway through the bowl, the roasted something (Greg Pease say’s its cocoa beans) was evident.

Pipe Used: Bari Wiking

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2013-06-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is the last of GLP's regular for sale blends that i have try and review. It's been great going through his entire collection and nearly all of them range from good to great. Unfortunately this blend doesnt really work for me. I find the Latakia taste in this a little overbearing which is unusual as it's a balkan style. Could be the combination of the lat and oriental that i dont really dig. Anyway, you may love it but he has numerous better English/Balkan's as far as i'm concerned. It's been a fun ride and i'm glad i bought two tins of all his blends so i can go around a second time and see if i have changed my mind on any. Tooroo

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2013-05-06		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin date: 3/14/2003

After several bowls I can tell you this Charing Cross is very smoooooooth, quite strong and has no bite. Cyprian Latakia overpowers the flue cured Virginias and Orientals to the point of not being able to tell what is what. It's a flame thrower of a blend, but straightforward as far as personality, like Odyssey. Very strong. Too strong.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2013-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I struggled through a tin of Charring Cross a couple of years ago. I put a second tin aside and now, more than two years later, I find Charring Cross to be slightly smoother, but overall the result for me was the same. It is rough around the edges. CC doesn't bite me, but I can easily see that it could if not careful. I have the same “rough” issues with Westminster as I do with Charring Cross. The flavors are full, but unlike Quiet Nights and Odyssey, both of which I find to burn cool and smooth and are full flavored, I find the effort for me with CC simply isn't worth the struggle. Charring Cross won't be making a return to my cellar as I find other Pease Latakia mixtures more to my liking.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-04-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Along with a pleasing cheesiness engendered by this particular tin's four years of age, the tin aroma of this predominately short-cut, medium ribbon leans strongly toward the acrid gaminess of turkish and the obligatory smokiness of latakia. Sweetly fermented notes, though present, are not strident.

Though titled toward the dryness of turkish leaf, the balance is admirably saved by a minimal, though effective, use of bright virginias which the four years of aging on this particular tin had mellowed. Latakia is ever present, though never so dominant as to tip the blend into murkiness. As with all the Classic Collection offerings, there seems to be no casing tricks employed, and so the tobaccos shine on their own merits.

A very deliberate blend, Charing Cross veers toward the spare and the austere yet retains just enough sweetness to liven the party and might even suffice for the constant puffer who appreciates blends of such pungent gravity. This did well in a chamber of any gauge.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cochon74 (29)	2011-03-07		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

Wow... this is my first Pease blend and I am impressed. I love this tobacco!

I've only smoked it once, but I had to log in and say something, because it smacked me in the head and said, "This is what you've been looking for!" Truly great - assertive, complex, punky and also dignified. A smoke for all seasons and occassions.

Right out of the tin, the smoky latakia is in your face. It's a nice cut, easy to load and light. And it smoked really evenly, if a bit fast (it seemed, but perhaps I was too eager?). The latakia is definitely present and the overall blend is pretty assertive. There's a lot going on here. Some initial impressions were the obvious campfire/woody aromas, but I was more struck by leathery notes that came to the front once I got a third into the bowl. Also I detected something I can only describe as "incense-like." But it wasn't sweet or floral. It was quite savory, but somehow still reminded me of incense. Maybe this is the "green peppercorn" they refer to. The smoke was cool and creamy, despite my eager puffing and it burned nicely in my Peterson Bulldog.

I smoke almost exclusively out-of-doors and this blend is the perfect companion to fresh air... I will definitely being trying more Pease blends in the future!

As of now, I give this a top-notch rating. If anything changes, I'll be sure to post.

Update 6.23.11 - I'm down to my last bowl of CC and a little sad. It has been a very consistent smoke and if I weren't eager to try other Pease Balkans, I'd be cracking open another tin immediately. I'm happy to say that as someone with a low tolerance for nicotine, this big, wonderful blend has, for all its flavor, never given me the slightest dizzy buzz which sometimes ruins my longer, larger smokes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2010-10-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

When I first received my tin of Charing Cross a couple weeks ago, I had just finished a tin of Odyssey. Mr. Pease comparatively puts out quite a few Balkans, and I've been interested in sampling their range, so I ordered these two, and also a tin of Abingdon.

My initial reaction was disappointment. Not nearly as sweet as Odyssey, almost a little bitter. The blend seems much less smokey, and I would say that the Oriental leaf, whatever percent in the tin, is the main player of Charing Cross. In my taste it comes out Oriental, Latakia, then Virginia, with the Latakia and Virginias competing for the background note--that's in presence, not leaf volume.

Charing Cross is at times difficult for one to appreciate if craving a hard shot of nicotine, a Latakia bomb, or English blends with a heavy base of sweet Virginias. It is none of these, but for me, a classic example of a modern Balkan. Where most seem monotonous, overdone, Latakia heavyweights, Charing Cross shifts the center of balance, demonstrating that there can be a definable standard in a notoriously murky genre.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-13		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This fantastic balkan has become one of my favorite Pease blends. The latakia is strong and ever-present, yet well-proportioned to the savory, assertive orientals for the first half of the bowl, along with a proper measure of virginias that are not overly sugary. This big, rich, complex smoke is one of the more harmonius heavier blends in the Pease line-up (I prefer its complexity over Westminster, Odyssey, Caravan) and I feel it may be one of his best balkans. There is nary a hint of anything even remotely bitter about this blend, and its lighting and burning characteristics are just about perfect right out of the tin. It has not the latakia hammer of Odyssey (which I find less dynamic and a bit too lat-heavy), but Charing Cross offers instead much more measured, varied, complex flavors throughout the bowl, as the orientals weave in and out of the experience brilliantly, dominating at mid-bowl. If you want the solid, smokey hit of cyprian latakia but wish it to be delicously rounded and tempered with the toasty, tangy seduction of a significant portion of high-grade, savory oriental leaf, look no further. A refined, complicated mixture I'd rather not do without. Did I say harmonious? A word of caution: Sip slowly, if you puff too fast, the significant amount of orientals can get hot and can dry the throat, especially as your open tin ages, and the leaf becomes a bit more dry.

Update: Infallible, unflappable stuff! I find myself mentally using it as a benchmark to compare other blends to, in the same category. It is more heavy, dense and harsh than McClelland's lat-heavy balkan blends, as it has somewhat more assertive, aggresive orientals that tend to dry and numb the throat a bit by mid-bowl when pushed. Regardless, still a fantastic, flavorful blend that tastes like no other. This has earned a high spot in my rotation and a good quantity has been cellared.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fofo (81)	2009-06-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Flavor: A little sweeter than Abingdon, may be due to a lower Latakia content. Although Latakia is still the main player the orientals are in a pretty high concentration. This blend is full and for the Latakia and Oriental lover.

Complexity: A hard point to review since, in my opinion, although there is definetely complexity the main theme are the Orientals. I'd say the Orientals develop throughout the bowl and, halfway down, the Virginias fully kick in rounding up the flavor of the Oriental and adding an extra sweetness that goes very well with the Latakia.

Aroma: Naturally sweet, mostly Latakia and Orientals with some earthy undertones.

Tin Aroma: I'm sorry for repeating myself so much but, again, pungent orientals.

Room note: To me it is pleasant but I have to admit it is strong. My wife complains that it stings her nosetrills.

Burning characteristics: Easy to light, burns evenly and leaves no gunk at the bottom of the bowl. Very cool burning even when tempted. No tongue bite to speak of.

Cut/Moisture content: The cut is somewhat broad and coarse. That, combined with the relatively low moisture content makes the tobacco a little hard to pack but not so bad. All in all, the cut and moisture content are perfect and, to my taste, ensure that the blend burns at the intended rate so the intended flavors can come out.

Overall: A true Balkan, probably one of the best offerings available today. Hard to say something that hasn't been said. Highly recommended to those who can appreciate the delicate complexity of high quality blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I am on my second tin of this now, and I must say, this is one of the greats! I have just finished smoking it in a vintage amber stemmed meerschaum which I recently broke in with, and devoted to Balkan blends. I have also smoked it in various other pipes, but this one seems to be the most gratifying for this particular tobacco. Upon the charing light I find the Orientals to be especially predominant while the Latakia is in the very distant background. At about half bowl the whole thing begins to become more balanced between the Oriental, Virginia, and Latakia. Perhaps my palate is not as sensitive as that of my fellow reviewers, but I fail to detect the Perique at any point. At the very bottom things really change and the Latakia takes over almost everything. The last few puffs are really some of the best ones, however they do run a bit strong. As far as Balkans go, this one is it! The quality of the tobacco outclasses even Dunhill in my opinion and the originality of smoking nuances is much greater than most of the other "by-the -numbers" Balkans.

Update: It has been about one year since that review, and though I still believe Charing Cross to be amongst the "greats" of recent tobacco history, I have begun an affair with another great, that is; Penzance and/or Margate, by Esoterica. I still think highly of Charing Cross, but it is just not as interesting as these two tobaccos.

Update: I grow increasingly bored with Greg's offering as they all seem to include lemon yellow bright ribbon and many of them with stoved red virginias in a loose ribbon form that seems as if it is not as pressed together or integrated with itself as other blenders offerings. This may be in order to achieve more diversity in the bowl, but I feel that a tobacco need not be like a three ring circus in the bowl in order to avoid being monochrome in it's pallet. it seems as if G.L. almost blends by the number, every blend being a variant of the previous one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-17		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Strong

Notes: Smoked in various pipes, I found this best in my old Charatan billiard.

Appearance: Rough cut short ribbon of light and brown ribbon with dark brown and black ribbons as well composing 30% of the blend.

Aroma: Sweet raisin, leather, green peppercorn, date, stewed prunes, smoke, and a hint of bergamot. The sour-sweet aroma of perique is clearly present.

Taste: As with most of Mr. Pease's blends, this one is full of flavor. The taste is dominated by the flavor of smoke and sweet stewed fruit, with charcoal and barbeque smoke -- all this imparted by the Latakia and other Oriental leaves in the mix. As far as "Balkan" blends go, this one is on the lighter side, being somewhat tempered by the Virginia leaf to teetering on the edge between heavy English and light Balkan in its complexion. The leaf used is top grade as always and the composition of the blend is rigorously calculated. I believe it will also mellow with age.

The sticking point for me continues to be (as with all GLP blends) that it is a "big" performer one can compare to a "big" California Cabernet scoring in the high 90's on some reviewer's charts, and not like a more subtle Burgundy or Brodeaux red. GLP blends are akin to a prize-winning show dog, ready to point and posture for the judges, but ultimately not a very good housepet. For my money, give me my old dog Chips sitting at my feet as I smoke my pipe any day. Sometimes you just want a plain old good smoke, and this is not it. If you want a performance in your mouth, well, have at it.

Comparisons: In the same range as Dunhill My Mixture No. 965, Dunhill Nightcap, and Peter Stokkebye's Proper English.

Bottom Line: A superb and finely crafted light Balkan blend, though heavy on the palate. If you find Penzance and other uber-Latakia blends a bit much, but don't want more complexity or subtlety, this may be a good blend for you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-04-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Revised 04-14-2005

This is a traditional "Balkan" blend in every respect of the genre. Greg has done a spectacular job of paying tribute to the classics with this one. It has all the proper leaf ingredientss common to this genre and the "cocoa" notes from the orientals are sublime. I prefer to put this blend in big pipes to get the most wonderful journey I can. It is a full blend and is not sweet flavored, but not as bitter as Caravan or Oddysey. This blend does not let you smoke it if it is too dry, it will bite. But with proper moisture, is sublime. I always have a tin open of this blend and smoke at least a bowl or two a week, along with other Balkans. Lastly, it ages marvellously.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-08-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong

Charing Cross, what kind of name is that for a tobacco? Anyways, I am always open to try a blend with Latakia. Balkan, English, Scottish, even the occasional aromatic, spiked with Latakia. So when I found this tobacco, in a sample tin at my local smoke shop, I gave it a go. It was almost gone, when I opened the can (good sign), and it sure did smell like Latakia was in there. Well, I packed my pipe, being somwhat suspicious, of how light the blend looked. For me, the lighter the blend in color, the more Virgina was being used. Virgina tobacco in large amounts, at least for me, equals tounge bite. But, I liked the aroma, which was very promising, and continued to pack the pipe. Once that was completed, I applied fire, and began to smoke. At first I was pleased with the taste. Smokey, rich, and full, everything you could ask for in a Latakia blend. However, my original suspicions were about to come true. About one quarter down the bowl, the bite began. I liked the flavor, so I backed off a bit, but the bite just got worse. I smoked about three quarters of the bowl, and had to stop. I was bitten. I have found with most of Mr. Pease tobaccos, he is a fan of Virgina. Maybe to much. I was disapointed once again with Mr. Pease, and I just was not able to be converted. Many pipe smokers swear by the blending arts of Mr. Pease. I think I just might nail my Thesis to a tobacco shop's door, as to why one should not worship, only one blender. There just are to many other fine tobaccos out there, to limit yourself. So I'll go fourth and spread the news. Variety is King!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Oh Boy! I get to be first.

Charing Cross is billed as a "Traditional Balkan Mixture" and that is certainly true. It is a much more traditional Balkan than Pease's other offerings of Caravan and Odyssey. I never warmed up to Caravan, but I do smoke Odyssey occasionally.

Like all Pease blends, Charing Cross is perfect right out of the can. No need to dry it or break it out. It comes as a rather short ribbon cut that packs easily, lights well and burns cool.

My current reference Balkan is Balkan Sasieni, but Charing Cross is likely to take that role. My initial impression is that Charing Cross is an outstanding Balkan with no real drawbacks. It does not have the initial bitterness that I sometimes get from Balkan Sasieni and does not have the mineral overtones I found objectionable in Caravan.

As I have written before, Balkan Sobranie 759 was my standard for many years. Is Charing Cross as good as 759? Maybe. It is certainly closer to 759 in taste, tin aroma and room note than anything else I have tried. The one difference I note between Charing Cross and my memories of 759 is the lack of what was often referred to as a "plum pudding" flavor in 759.

In summary, GLPease has another winner that will satisfy those searching for a traditional Balkan blend.

ADDENDUM- Having settled in a little more with Charing Cross I will update my review. Charing Cross is more overtly "Balkan" than any other blend I have tried. I am now noticing a little harshness in the smoke that makes it difficult to smoke this more than once a day. This may be because the tin was only two weeks old and that some age would take the edge off it. I have mixed up several outstanding bowls of tobacco by various ratios of Charing Cross and either VegasSmokes Babylonia or Schurch's Torina. Maybe around a 1/3 mixture of either of those smooths out Charing Cross nicely. I tried a 50/50 mixture of Charing Cross and Butera's Latakia #1 and it was unsmokeable.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-04-21		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I am posting this review after smoking one tin of Charing Cross. I have smoked it in most of my pipes I dedicate to Latakia mixtures. My experience with this blend is as follows. For this review I chose a Poul Ilsted Danish bulldog with a faux amber stem. This is my maiden smoke in this pipe. The tin aroma is definitely Latakia and a tangy citrus undertone that is very pleasing to the sense. Unlike Cumberland this has something extra that brings more to this tobacco in a Balkan style. I am not sure what it is maybe different VA?s or a different Oriental. The cut of this blend as with the other Classic Collection is a smaller ribbon cut which is ideal for packing. When I first opened this tin a couple of weeks ago I thought it was a little moist like most of GLP blends are for me. I always set out enough for a smoke and let it air out for about 20 minutes. The tobacco color is a very bright yellow to medium to dark browns in a pretty even ratio. Upon lighting this tobacco I would expect a heavier Latakia taste then I receive. The Virginia announces itself right away with a very semi sweet taste like a raisin not quite room temperature. You can taste it but not a full raisin taste like it has been in your pocket for a while. The Latakia smokiness is in the background at the beginning of every bowl until you get about a third of the way in. The smoky campfire smell and rich full taste is perfect in this blend not so over powering that it takes the other tobaccos out of the picture. The Orientals are well balanced and mix well with the VA?s in this blend. I would say you could smoke this all day. IMHO it needs a little age. In the cellar for about six months and this will be one of Greg?s finest. Another winner from Mr. Pease, thank you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (558)	2022-11-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note of tart fruit, smoky, and mildly sour. Tobacco is dark brown, black and a little tan. Cut is a mix of fat ribbon and course cut. Tobacco moisture is good, no prep or drying needed. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with complex notes of very spicy, very musty dry earth, herbal spice, very woody, sour citrus, smokey, floral, bread, tangy dark fruit, a sweet grassy background note, and a peppery retro. Oriental/Turkish is leading with Virginias supporting a little more than Latakia. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 1981 Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 10 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2022-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I found this blend in my local smoke shop, read the back of the tin and it sounded interesting. The "smoky and earthy with just a hint of underlying sweetness" is what piqued my interest. I don't have a massive experience with English blends and I really haven't smoked any in two years but as the cooler weather hits I'm getting a bit of a Latakia craving.

The tin has a more simplistic design, but so do a lot of G.L. Pease blends. Opening up I found a nice mottled ribbon. The smell is rich in Latakia, with hints of nuttiness, herbs, and wood. Reminds me of walking in a damp forest with that deep earthy kind of smell. The ribbon came at a reasonable dryness and I've just smoked it straight out of the tin. It lights well and holds a light well.

After a light what hits me is the Latakia. It's a deep smoke and very earthy at first. As I smoke it gets a touch nutty, and there is a little of that Oriental I love so much, but this is really well blended and I'm not complaining. As smokey as this is I wouldn't call it a Latakia Bomb, but it's no wallflower either. It's very smooth for smoking while you're doing something else and it burns marvelously cool. The smoke is typical of a Balkan Blend, and the strength is right in the middle of medium for me. As the dregs of my tin will attest, this is a good blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Original

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: B&M

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (151)	2022-04-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The half-pound (227 gram) tin I opened had a production date of "January 22, 2016." The appearance of the tobacco: a mixture of ribbons of various varieties from medium brown to almost black with occasional flecks of lighter Virginia. Latakia about a third, lots of dark Virginia. The humidity of the tobacco is ideal. The tobacco is light and goes well into any pipe.

Flavor: An excellent dry stout dominates, tinged with a smoky, leather and oak note, a noticeable complex spicy oriental note. The usual notes of bread, fruit and hay typical of Virginia are little noticeable. The blend is quite simple in flavor.

Taste: distinctive creamy, peaty, smoky note, but much lighter than the Abingdon, as there is significantly less latakia here. The woody and earthy note is also present, but in addition to it, my wife and I, independently of each other, noted a distinctly oily taste of sunflower press. Fruity and herbal notes were barely noticeable, with a bit of black tea with ginger and thyme also present in the flavor. As I smoked, the latakia smoothed out, the woody note increased slightly, the sunflower and spices gave this base support. The strength of the tobacco is below average. The tobacco smokes smoothly and coolly, the pipe hardly warms up. At the same time, the flavor does not change much depending on the shape and size of the pipe. The blend burns completely into a dusty light gray ash with barely noticeable yellowish hue. No moisture has been left in the tube. The aftertaste is smoky and woody, slightly sweet.

The smoke is dense, with a characteristic smell of latakia and a hint of sandalwood. Remains in the room for a long time.

Bottom line: a very distinctive blend in taste and smell, where the latakia plays along with the other tobaccos. It's very good with a morning cup of coffee or an evening pint of Guinness. However, it is also quite pleasant on its own.

Pipe Used: Peterson D20, 69, B32, POTY 2017

Age When Smoked: 2016

Purchased From: Online

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2021-10-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This review is based on a tin younger than six months. The tin note is beautiful. It's quite barbecue-like, sweet, tangy, and smokey. A little more of herbal and spice rack smells come in as the tin has been open, or it has spent time in a jar. The cut is a nice ribbon.

The smoke is a delight. Hints of wood smoke, pepper, tangy and bready, and a touch of an herbal note. This starts of zesty and evolves with all of the other flavors creeping in and out of the smoke. I was surprised at the sweetness but it is so refreshing and deep with the smoke and herbal notes providing intrigue. This blend is less musty, and salty, and more about the sweetness and the smokey flavors. I think this has less of the Turkish influence.

The blend burns well and I have no complaints there. The taste is medium and the strength is mild to medium. In my opinion, Blackpoint is fuller and I think Blackpoint has a higher Turkish component. The nicotine in this blend is unnoticeable for me, but I'm not looking for that.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes smokey Latakia blends. If you enjoy that musty, even salty, heavier Turkish component in English blends, this isn't that kind of English blend, in my opinion (like Meridian maybe, or even Gaslight). This is a fine fine blend. I give it three and a half stars. It's a delicious and AVAILABLE English blend. If you like this blend category you will like this blend.

Pipe Used: Various briars.

Age When Smoked: Four months

Purchased From: 4noggins

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sim40 (8)	2018-07-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Strong

To me this tobacco has an overwhelming flavour, and no rough edges whatsoever. The extent to which it is more than the sum of its parts is inexplicable. It demands to be treated like a tobacco for special occasions, so whenever I'm in a latakia phase I alternate it with a less complex English automatically. It's a blend for sundays. Only one thing you could possibly call a downside: it didn't seem very special when I first opened the tin. I smoked it a couple of times and I forgot about it for a couple of months. When I revisited it, it instantly became one of my favorites. It could have been me, or maybe it just isn't as good when freshly opened. I haven't tested this with a second tin, because living in the EU it's hard to get your hands on GLP tobaccos.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tschenyinkoh (51)	2017-10-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extra Full	Pleasant

Deep and complex; full and robust; a little bit cocoa charing taste. If the “deepness” of Gaslight is 5, this may be 4.

My favorite, but some will consider it as "overload" blend.

Enjoy + Require buying + An all-day smoke → Four Stars Rating

Pipe Used: churchwarden

Age When Smoked: six months

Purchased From: 50g tin from smokingpipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-01-25		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Miracle,my first smokeable Pease´s blend!I can feel good cyprian Latakia,sweet orientals and...the typical crude virginias.Well al least I´ll burn this stuff in my pipes instead into the wood stove that is one pretty thing.Two stars for charity,it would be decent tobacco sold cheap in bulk,not as a premium one.I forgot one point,very coarse cut,every blade can be sharpened,though C&D blades.

Pipe Used: peterson system

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Planet Scott (66)	2015-02-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This reminds me so much of his Blackpoint. I am having trouble distinguishing the two apart. I think this one is a little bigger in Lat flavor. Regardless, as I really like both. I love Lat blends in the morning it a nice dark roast coffee.

If you enjoy Blackpoint, you should enjoy this blend.

Pipe Used: Stanwell bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: Unknown.....Sample from a friend

Similar Blends: Pease Blackpoint.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steve Robinett (4)	2015-01-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a fairly new (9 mo) pipe smoker, I don't have the depth to make terribly insightful observations, but this blend is at the top of my list. I'm really into the Balkan blends right now and Charring Cross never gets old. Full, smoky and always interesting!

Pipe Used: Radice Poker

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Charing Cross is a very nice and complex change of pace for me. It packs and burns great. I have tasted everything from mushrooms, butter and peppers to tree bark, dirt and leather. ( not that i eat weird stuff )I would compare this blend to walking through the woods on a crisp fall afternoon.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I personally do not think this is as "full" as the tin description may suggest. A clean, cool burning Balkan, definitely in my top 5 of Balkan blends. Although I have a wife that loves the room note of Latikia, this is also a great blend of those who enjoy being outside in the fall. Perfect for upland hunting adventures, but just as well suited to sitting on the porch looking at the glorious fall color change.

Pairs well with a variety of beverages, including dark roast coffee, scotch, and port.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-05-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I really hesitated on the recommendation with this one. I want to be fair to it. Maybe I should have given it three stars. It's obviously quality leaf, it's put together well and there's certainly nothing wrong with it, but for some reason it just didn't move me. Nothing popped or seemed too special. I think the problem may be that I smoked a young tin. I'd warrant that a couple of years of aging would do marvels for this stuff. As it was, it just seemed like a regular old Latakia mixture to me. To my buds, the Latakia is the lead actor and the orientals are supporting. Maybe after a few years the Latakia would relax into the background and the orientals would bloom. All I know is that my fresh tin elicited only a resounding 'meh' from me. If you're a balkan connoisseur then maybe this should be on your list of things to try, but give it some time to mature first. Take my review with a grain of salt as it's based on only one young tin, but my experience was that this isn't bad, just not one of the best.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend is simply brilliant. This one is my favorite all-day smoke at the moment. Plenty of buttery oriental action here but not over-the-top spicy or sour or musty. The Latakia doesn't overpower the other tobaccos but makes a nice smoky presence throughout, and the Virginias are of the toasty variety rather than sweet or citrusy. Half way down the bowl the toasty, now slightly sweet Virginias make their presence known a bit more as the Latakia and orientals soften and marry a bit, and the end of the bowl is pure heaven as all of the flavors become one toasted, creamy goodness. Not all tobaccos get better as you reach the end, but that's been my experience with this one. A good smoke all day long and very, very easy on the tongue. Charing Cross is better than any current Dunhill blend to my taste buds. No aging or drying is necessary. Charing Cross is my favorite English-Balkan blend.

Update: Been smoking this one side by side with the reissued Orlik Dunhill blends (My Mixture 965, Standard Mixture, and London Mixture), and Charing Cross beats them all for flavor and overall satisfaction in my book. I had similar experiences with Chelsea Morning and Ashbury being far better than the Orlik Early Morning Pipe. Pease's blends just taste better and smell better overall.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-04-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Quick observations: I smoked this today immediately after smoking a bowl of Caravan, in the same pipe. This blend is more harmonious, and even though there's more latakia than Caravan, for some reason the other elements in the blend come through fairly well and the latakia is not overpowering. Definitely lively flavors, with spice and tang, while being stout and earthy too. This has the potential for a four star upgrade once I get to know it better.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-01-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I was a little disappointed with this one. It is really a Balkan, not an English, but still I feel I do not have really understood it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2009-12-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Another fine English from GL Pease. A wonderful "campfire" room note, a balance of Orientals and Virginas with some orange notes, not over-shadowed by the Latakia. A very pleasant Balkan.

My only criticism is that I find the rather broad ribbon cut to be difficult to keep lit.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-12-09		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Tin: Varied cut ranging from light brown to black; similar to other GLP offerings. Not moist but not dry, closer to dry. Smells smoky just like Latakia, with spicy, buttery oriental being noticed from time to time. Tin date: 02 15 07 (15FEB07).

Taste & Aroma: Really smooth, like other GLP blends. Not harsh, bitter, or sharp, having a year age. Inhaling is allowed. Mellow oriental until mid-bowl when a mild cocoa and roasted poblano chiles comes to the fore. Fairly rich and comlex. A dry, clean smoke; no gurgle or dottle.

The above was experienced indoors. Outdoors, it has quite a cigar quality.

Nicotine: Medium to strong, just enough to mellow me out, but not get that sickly buzz. The effect, though, does tend to persist for quite awhile.

Room Note: Mildly cigarish

Overall: Really smooth blend with a strong oriental character, but not as much as Robert McConnell's Oriental. For my preferences, CC is a little too strong like a cigar. 3 stars.

Other GLP Balkans blends include Abingdon, Odyssey, Kensington, Caravan, and Ashbury.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find Charing Cross to be a richer version of Kensington (see my review) and Piccadilly. It has a substantial amount of latakia without dominating the subtleties of the virginias and orientals. It is dry and smells delicious out of the tin. Even though it is a coarse cut tobacco it is easy to pack in a larger pipe. It is truly rich and complex.

When I want a rich latakia blend this is what I reach for. I've tried Abingdon, Blackpoint and Odyssey; but the latakia in these blends overpower everything else. They are good but Charing Cross surpasses them all, in my humble opinion. It is the epitome of richness and balance. When you wish to tip the scales toward richness try the blends mentioned above (especially Odyssey, if you can keep it lit or Caravan). When you desire more balance: Kensington, Piccadilly or maybe Westminster should satisfy.

I'm in the process of trying all of the Pease blends; after which I shall update this and other reviews accordingly.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

I don't have much to add to the positive reviews of Charing Cross except to say that, although Oriental different, I put it up with Penzance, and that's the greatest compliment I can pay. Greg Pease recently developed the blend Westminster (excellent!!) as a tribute to the original Dunhill's London Mixture of cherished memory. To my taste and memory, though, I think he had already achieved that more completely in Charing Cross. If I was forced to smoke only three tobacco blends for the rest of my life, one of them would certainly be Charing Cross.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-10-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was a great latakia powerhouse. Really liked it. A good test of mine is when I have a few tins open and I constantly go back to the same tin, it's good. The latakia is heavy but the Virginaian and Oriental make it more. Not sweet and if one wants a good latakia blend...a real Balkan blend...then this is for you. It will be a regular on my list.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I am nearly finished two ounces of this, and I agree that this is a very nice, multidemensional, flavourful blend. Certainly a good standard for "Balkan". I find this a bit on the heavy side, so I reserve it for an evening smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Warrants a category higher than "highly recommended".

Between Charing Cross, Blackpoint and most of all Abingdon, I don't miss my old long lost favorite 759 quite so much. As for the specifics of the smoking experience, the tin description pretty much sums it up. Compliments from other reviews pretty much fill in the blanks.

Any reports of this blend as a "tongue biter" are in my opinion entirely unwarranted. Steam and tongue bite are more a result of new tin moisture and smoking technique than anything else.

1. If the tobacco is too damp, you'll have a hot smoke.

2. If you pack it too tight, the last half of the bowl will likely smoke damp, rank and hot.

3. Balkan blends should be packed _slightly_ more loosely.

4. Many GLP blends are tinned a bit on the moist side. Let the tobacco air out for a bit before smoking.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2008-08-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

One word: EXCELLENT

A classic balkan. Possibly the best balkan available on the market today. What else is there to say? Highest rating.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a great tobacco with a lot of flavor. The blend is not just a Latakia power house but also has some other great flavors as well. The oriental leaf comes and goes throughout and adds a decidedly spicy note. I did notice a good portion of cocoa and maybe some citrus flavors as well. Green pepper taste was absent (thankfully). The Latakia was always present, but never overpowering. The tobacco burns very cool, and smelled awful to my wife. Overall this may be a favorite with a few years of age on it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2008-08-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

During my college years I smoked Balkan Sobrannie in the white tin. This reminds me of that experience. This is a very nice Balkan type tobacco. The tin of Charing Cross that I have is a year old. This is not a Latakia dump but a complex interplay between Latakia and oriental leaf, with the emphasis on oriental.

Since my Balkan Sobrannie days my tastes have changed. However when I need to reconnect with that experience I will grab a tin of Charing Cross.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-02		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Simply delightful. Fresh out of the tin there is true body and taste here! Acrid and smoky. Like a pinon fire on a fall New Mexico night, this blend is accentuated by a massive Oriental hit about 2/3rd through the bowl. What a paradox. G L Pease, you are a genius.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-06-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I wanted to like this blend. Maybe eventually I might. Right now, however, it just isn't for me. Actually, up to this point, I haven't really enjoyed anything I've tried that is considered balkan. I think I'm more of a spicy, tangy, virginia and perique with a few orientals kind of guy.

I have no doubt this is a quality blend, but all I get out of it is a hot, faintly bitter smoke and a big dose of cotton mouth.

One thing that bugs me about these GLP blends is that almost everyone seems to agree that they have to age considerably before being able to really enjoy. If this hangs around long enough to 'get better' I'll update.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If you were being exiled to a desert island with only one tobacco, this blend would be a wise choice. It's a medium-full Balkan with a voluptuous mouthfeel. Not overly rich, but well balanced - the key concept is restraint; not a single one of the components hijacks the smoke, but all the main players co-operate. It is a symphony, rather than a samba.

I think there is some toasted Cavendish in here. If so, it unites the Turkish and the Latakia rather than adding a third stream of flavour.

This is enjoyable all the way down. It burns evenly to a fine ash. But some rubbing of larger pieces of tobacco is advisable before loading the pipe, to prevent the top surface not lighting evenly, or slow embers from occurring at the end of the bowl.

Ceylon tea. Gin and tonic. A good solid Burgundy.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

I had originally gone through a 2 oz. tin of Charing Cross approximately a year ago; it was a relatively new tin and I enjoyed the tobacco but it did not seem all it could be. I followed Pipestud's advise and cellared a few tins and finally opened one of those when it had one year and one month's age. What a huge difference this one year's aging made on Charing Cross. It went from an enjoyable smoke to a sublime smoking experience... I have now completed three quarters of that tin and realized I should write up a review before completely finishing the tin. (I should say as well that as soon as I opened this one-year-old tin and smelled the exquisite aroma I immediately ordered another two tins to add to my cellar.) This is a good "full" Balkan blend; it is smooth and creamy as a Balkan should be and it has, for me, a slight tendency to give me a "dry" mouth. The flavors are rich and Balkan "buttery", with definite sweet tangy fruitiness mixed within. I love to walk back into a room where I've been smoking this; I find the room note superb and my wife, bless her, does not comment on it at all, as she does when I'm smoking Penzance or Haddo's Delight (she hates Haddo's). I've smoke most of this tin in a meerschaum (mainly because I'm trying to gets some color on the meer) but have also smoked this in large size 4 and size 5 "clean" briars. In the briars Charing Cross really comes through; the seasoned briar (in which I smoke mostly English or Balkan blends) really add to this blend's character. Follow Pipestud's sage advise; if you like solid Balkan blends, buy a few tins of Charing Cross and let them cellar for at least a year. Next year, Lord willing, I will open a tin with two year's age and see what time has done.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2007-12-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Ah, if only this burned a little better. I used this to break in a Sara Eltang. So, the pipe was new and the tobacco was only four months old. I may update later, but for now its three stars and no more.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

A stronger Latikia blend reminding me of Dunhill's Nightcap only better balanced by the Orientals. This blend is full throughout the bowl. Easily smoked, does not bite and caries the flavors of the three tobaccos so very skillfully.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	caddad (53)	2006-11-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Picked up a tin of this at the shop as it had been awhile since I savoured a Pease blend. I had thoughts of Odessey streaming through my mind as I drove home with it and wonderd how rich this experiance was going to be. opeing the tin I was rewarded with a wonderful smell and texture of tobacco that only Pease and C&D seem to offer. I spent several visits just peeling the lid back and inhaling the contents. Wonderfull! Upon lighting this for the first time I was not supprised to find myself relaxing and melting into pipe smoking nirvana. This is not as heavy in latikia as Odessey or Ravens wing I don't think, however it is extreamly smooth. I think this is the smoothest Balkan I have ever smoked! Did I mention that this was smooth. Nothing to complain about here at all. It is quite an experiance and I am glad that I did not miss out on it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dualkarnain (75)	2006-08-26		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Strong

This is an amazing full-punch, complex blend that accents Latakia with an Oriental onslaught. Virginias keep this outside of the bitter realm and, honestly, I can say that this is one of my favorite tobaccos on our humble planet.

It ages well and it complements a good Scandanavian Vodka.

Images evoked while smoking include a demon horde successfully conquesting a medium-sized demoncracy in the middle of the week.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2006-02-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wonderful and complex, I did not know that one blend could have this much going on at once. Multiple layers of orientals and latakias. This has instantly found it's way into my rotation, when I am in the mood for bold flavor, this is what I turn to. Not a tobacco to just puff and forget, this is to be savored. I have found this especially good in a churchwarden.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-12-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Charing Cross is a well-blended, traditional Balkan mixture which I find to be a very satisfying smoke. The quality of the leaf is excellent, confirming the G.L. Pease reputation for being very selective about the tobaccos used in their blends. It retains an even level of moisture for a long time, just moist enough to be able to pack and light easily, yet never becoming dry and crumbly. The tin aroma is pleasant, with hints of chocolate and smoke. The flavor is well-balanced and consistent throughout the bowl, with a slight sweetness from the Virginas evident, and the Latakia always detectable but never overwhelming. It's strong enough to satisfy, but without an aggressive nicotine punch, and the room note isn't terribly aggressive either. It's supposedly reminiscent of, but not a duplicate of, the venerable Balkan Sobranie. It's been too many years since my last pipeful of Sobranie, but the description seems to fit Charing Cross-- not quite the same, but every bit as enjoyable to smoke. This is, and will likely remain, one of my favorite Balkan mixtures. Anyone who enjoys Balkans should certainly give Charing Cross a try.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This one is full of flavor! It is a superb balkan mixture. It would be a great all day smoke if it was just a bit lighter but with everything going on here it is just a bit too much for all day! ( I tried!) Nonetheless, it is a fabulous blend to be enjoyed here and there. Smokes great in anything and dry pipe when you're done! Great stuff!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-10-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Charing Cross is just a superb Balkan. The balance of tobaccos in this blend is very well executed. The Virginias and Orientals provide rich undertones of chocolate and spice that would be all but hidden in a less skillful Balkan blend. Like nearly all of Mr. Pease's blends, it is smokes very well. I smoked it in a fairly new Savinelli bent dublin and didn't find nearly as much bite as I expected by some of the above reviews. Its almost as smooth as a medium English blend such Squadron Leader or London Mixture but packs quite a bit more flavor and complexity. If it were a little lighter, it could be an all day smoke, such is the enjoyable nature of this blend. Charing Cross is the most refined Balkan I've tried, an impeccable example of just how Oriental tobaccos can really add dimension to a Latakia blend. Charing Cross has become one of my favorites, earning a spot in my regular rotation.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-08-12		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

For those who love Latakia in large doses. Too much for me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-11-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

Update 09/11/04 This is still an excellent tobacco but alas, I am a fickle partner. It has not dethroned any of my long standing favorites and in fact, I believe Odyssey still holds a level of supremacy above Charing Cross. The blend still deserves 4 stars but simply - at least for me - has become less enthralling over the months.

Could it really be that good? I've read raves about Charing Cross for well over a year now. I am a big fan of Raven's Wing, Samarra, and most recently Odyssey. Also of Margate and Nightcap when I am feeling a little more traditionally "English".

I've only smoked a few bowls of Charing Cross to date - some from an aged and very dry sample, and fresh from a tin about a year old. The dried sample was good but...

The fresher store is exquisite.

Perhaps the love affair will go sour and I shall return to more comfortable, familiar partners. But for now, I'm enamoured. Atop the musky cigar like turkish there are hints of autumn fireplaces, cocoa, and sharp spices. Warm and deep yet refreshing. This tobacco carries a level of complexity and richness I have not tasted in almost any other blend. Margate still being the sole exception. And this leaf is actually a bit earthier, sweeter and piquant than that noble old English weed. While Odyssey may be the "King" of latakia based balkans, there is a balance and complexity in Charing Cross that is incomparable. While full flavored, it has not yet tired my palate (unlike Night Cap and Odyssey, which MUST be the last things I smoke in a day). I can only compare it to Balkan Sasieni (the newest version) with some additional depth and richness.

This could become my favorite blend. It is just that good.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

September 2004

This is the first Pease blend that I have not been abe to rate at four stars. I have no doubt that lovers of Oriental-heavy Balkan blends will really like this stuff, but the Latakia and Virginias were simply not pronounced enough for me. I really like the sweetness of the other Pease blends that I've tried, but when Charing Cross' sweet note finally comes through--about half-way through the bowl in my Bjarne freehands--it is not full enough to satisfy. All in all, the blend is too dry for my tastes; this may well be a function of the use of Cyprian as opposed to Syrian Latakia. I will say, though, that like other Pease blends, Charing Cross seems (to my relatively inexperienced palate) to be superbly crafted.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-09-01		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This would'nt have been something I would have purchased for myself.I won a tin of it at a raffle at the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of which I'm a member.However I must say it was a welcome change of pace.It's lively, spicy and delicious,with just the right amount of perique.For the balkan lover I would say this is nirvana... Recommended! prep ====Update Sept. 1st "04"=== The second tin I purchased of Blackpoint was much less enjoyable than the 1st.I found that the high perique content made it smoke quite hot and it was unforgiving to my mouth and throat.I do'nt plan on purchasing more of this...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2003-11-03		Strong	Strong	Full	Strong

I tried this blend because I enjoy Raven's wing so much. This is a nice latakia blend, and if I had not tried Raven's wing I would be rating this higher. It is a quality smoke, but in my humble opinion it does not hold up in comparison. However, compared to many other blends that call themselves latakia blends, this one tops that list.

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