Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Embarcadero (Fog City Selection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The red Virginia offers tangy dried dark fruit, a pinch of spice, some bread, a floral note, and a lot of earth and wood. It is the lead component. The Izmir has some sour bitterness, and is earthy, woody, toasty, nutty, and slightly floral with a very mild spice hit. It is a supporting player. I didn't really notice any coffee, but I got a hint of cocoa here and there. I also taste a minute hit of cigar, more so after the half way point. Not quite as complex as some make it out to be, but it sure has enough variety of flavors to keep you continually interested. The contrasting tobaccos meld well to create a well balanced smoking experience. Near the finish, there are a very few cigarette notes, but I didn't find it distracting in any way. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does have a few rough edges. Burns slow and cool with a mostly consistent taste. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Requires some relights. The after taste is pleasant, but short lived. The room note is a tad more potent. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2013-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Every so often I'll run into a mixture that I absolutely love. However, it's infrequent that I smoke a blend that I initially think is "good," and months down the road find myself head over heels for it. For me Embarcadero is one such blend & it's positively worthy of at least a true two ounce try. I say this because it took me a bit of time to develop a palate for it.

Without a doubt Embarcadero is a wonderful tobacco. It's flavorful, nuanced, balanced and deceptively complex. The red Virginia is sweet, malty, a bit earthly and it's harmonized perfectly with the savory bitterness and slight astringency provided by the fragrant Izmir leaf. This tobacco is masterfully prepared and the broken flake cut provides an endless amount of complexities.

The most wonderful aspect of Embarcadero is the contrast in the flavors between the two leafs. The interplay is simply delightful. The Izmir distorts the Virginias, the Virginias respond correcting and at times over-correcting the balance. Altogether this sounds very simple but down the bowl these shifts in flavor back and forth between sweetness, bitterness, & rich earthiness happen in a multitude of varying degrees, creating a wide array of more finespun flavor nuances. Embarcadero also has a gentle spiciness that builds gradually adding another layer of enjoyment.

I wouldn't go so far as to call Embarcadero “pipe dependent,” but it's definitely worth experiencing it in more than one pipe. You will notice slight differences in how it tastes from pipe to pipe. I ran it through about five different pipes before settling on my one and only Dublin which features a gradually tapered conical bowl that is somewhat wider than average.

It pairs nicely with a dark porter style beer or a simple cold sparkling water. DGT seems to provide a bit more complexity but most important is that it tastes just as good to me as where I left off.

Ultimately this is an honest to goodness, unabashed top notch tobacco mixture

Highly Recommended

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-12-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Embarcadero is, without question, the best Virginia blend Pease has put together (IMO, of course)

This tobacco will be easy to review. For those of you who have had the pleasure of smoking the famous McCranie's 1983 Crop Red Ribbon, simply think of it with Izmir leaf added. Thus, a bit more spice and less "lemon" in taste.

I find Embarcadero to be much better when totally dried out. Otherwise, it is a bugger to keep lit and does bite if you are one of those pipers (and I am), who craves a little strength with every puff.

For those who enjoy stronger Virginia blends, this one may be just a wee bit light, but for those who do not crave the heavy nicotine hit, this bowl of oatmeal will be just right.

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Slow Triathlete (62)	2008-11-21		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I popped open my tin of Embarcadero on its one year birthday. I had really wanted to try this sooner but it just got lost in the cellar. I am a fan of only two other Pease blends. Filmore and Barbary Coast. I'm not much of a Latakia fan so that knocks out most of his blends for me right off of the bat. This one, however, was much different.

Man, this blend has a great aroma in the tin. It's kind of a sweet and sour smell. I assume the sweet is from the Virginias and the sour comes from the Izmir mixed in there.

The cut on the blend is like nothing I have seen so far. It's kind of a ribbon cut but the ribbons are really long and pretty wide. It makes packing the pipe interesting. Not hard, but interesting.

My blend came a bit wet so I laid all of it out on a paper towel and dried it for about an hour and a half. Now it is at the perfect moisture level for me. The first light was very easy. Did a few false lights to really get it going and then I was off to the races.

For those who know me, I am usually a VaPer smoker. This different spice tobacco really appealed to me. It was similar to Perique but also very different. The Izmir plays in and out with the Virginias and never takes over. The Red Virginias are very flavorful in a way similar to Rattray's Hal O The Wynd.

I have smoked about half of the tin so far and I really, really like this blend. I will definitely be buying more to smoke.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been looking forward to Embarcadaro since it was announced as I am quite partial towards GLP's products and especially his Virginia based blends.

Upon opening the tin, I was unimpressed by the aroma. Hey came to mind. Hey? Well, maybe my olfactory senses are going downhill, but that is what I sensed. Then I discovered the moisture level to be about as high as those cheap drug store blends I smoked until I learned what quality tobacco was all about.

This was not a good start. In all my years of smoking, I have never enjoyed a tobacco that did not have an inviting tin aroma, save one single exception. And to me, hey is not inviting. I really feared a scorched tongue as a result of the anticipated steam from burning such a moist tobacco. Never did I smoke a blend with both of those characteristics.

Had I an opportunity to sample this blend at a tobacco shop or at a pipe show I would have probably passed on to another blend without even giving this one a chance. With two strikes going against it, I packed an Ashton XXX chimney using whole flakes inserted lengthwise into the pipe and topping off with a bit of loose tobacco.

Remarkably, the tobacco lit easily with only two matches and burned cool down to the bottom of the bowl leaving only ash. The smoking process seemed to go on and on. I don't know if it was because of the tobacco itself or because I could not help but slowly savor the myriad of flavors.

While my first pipefull was quite enjoyable, what followed next was nothing short of magical. I dried out a few flakes and began anew. Everything about the process remained the same, except for the flavors which burst forth. The experience was positively overwhelming. I'm not even going to try to enumerate all of the flavors since I haven't even discovered them.

This is not a blend to smoke casually. It would be a waste of good money and good tobacco. I smoke this one as well as some other tobaccos only during the evening when I can relax and pay attention to the experience (usually) along with a cup or more of espresso.

So what makes this blend so good? Of course, there is in addition the quality tobacco one expects from GLP and the techniques he uses in production, the intrduction of the Izmir leaf. I find that the addition of most Turkish leaf today in many, but not all blends is more of a liability instead of an asset. Such was not the case twenty and more years ago when most blenders used either different Turkish leaves or in ways no longer done today.

Izmir is a leaf with which until today, I have been unfamiliar. I have no idea how it would smoke on its own. When blended with the Virginia's in Embarcadaro the results are truly amazing. Unlike a previous reviewer, I did not find substantial changes in the taste during the beginning, middle and end, but rather subtle changes from puff to puff.

I can't help but thinking of Wagner and how he introduces various lietmotifs in his music that continually evolve throughout the work. And then there is (genuine) Cajun food and great French Cuisine. The leitmotif in Embarcadaro is the spice that is both pronounced and yet subtle. Cajun food, when done well, will enable the diner to experience a different taste sensation with each bite due to the spices which are pronounced. French food on the other hand, provides a fine experience with its subtle use of spice. Embarcadaro gives us the best of both experiences.

Back to the moisture issue. I wrote to Greg and he provided a rather extensive reply. In short, it is his belief that the high moisture content is necessary for the flakes to hold together especially in transit and that he preferred the taste better. Well, I can't argue with the production or transit issues, but for me, drying this one out a bit adds immeasurably to the experience. To each his own, as they say.

I've been smoking a pipe for fifty years. On about a half dozen occasions, I come across a blend that is so extraordinary that it is destined to become a classic. Embarcadaro is added to that short list. I haven't been wrong yet, and I don't think I'm going to be wrong with this one.

Most highly recommended.

19 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

After a point it doesn't make any sense to make a blend for the sake of making a blend, and by the time Embarcadero came down the pike GL Pease seems to have lost his mojo. He's not any good at Va/Or.

McClelland makes several incredible Va/Or blends that can be used as a yardstick to measure anyone else's attempts - #24, Drama Reserve, Smyrna #1. Embarcadero never gets close.

It's sour, and surprisingly damp for a C&D tin. The VAs are obstructed by a cigarette flavor that must be coming from both the Izmir and whatever Virginias C&D chose for this. The room note is again cigarette, which is a pretty quick turn-off for a pipe blend. The strength is standard Pease - a good bit stronger than any other blend of the same kind would be.

As the Renaissance Reserve showed, Pease can make a good blend when he's playing to his strengths. Embarcadero is not where his strengths lie.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2014-05-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This puffed tin is from the spring of 2008.

A broken flake, reddish brown with darker brown strands mottled with the marvelously odd lightly greenish yellow of the Izmir. The colors darken as they mature in the tin.

Tin aroma: beautifully sweet, sour, lightly fermented, intriguing with teasingly subtle fruity elements: figs, dates, chocolate, citrus (orange flower water? Cointreau?), and, perhaps, cherry. Very distantly dessert-like. What is that? Like black forest cake... dough?

Moisture level upon opening 16-17%. Dries quickly to 13-14% and seems to profit from a bit of airing.

At the light an almost off-putting tannic spiciness dominates. As the smoke progresses the flavours modulate, becoming mellow, more complex as the tannic aspect subsides to an enjoyable level (becoming reminiscent of the tannins in espresso, a taste that recurs) giving way to toastiness and depth balanced by sweetness (subtle), spice (fascinating), and, at times, an herbal earthiness. Flavours emerge and withdraw, swirl and settle in a smoke rich with body and a satisfyingly smooth mouth-feel. A captivating caleidoscope always in slow movement ...

The aftertaste is clean and yet complex with a hint of Cointreau or Grand Marnier and a number of flavours that one can't put one's 'finger' on.

Give this one a charring light and get this one going for a few draws, a tamp and a couple of draws more and put it aside for a few minutes. This seems to bring out a mellow depth of flavour making the smoke 'bigger' upon relight and allowing one to skip a large portion of the tannic phase.

In "Embarcadero - A Point of Departure" posted (2007) in his "The Briar & Leaf Chronicles" (http://www.glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=40) Greg Pease's description is, as one would expect, hard to top. Who knows this tobacco better?

There is much here that reminds me of smoking a cigar and it is more cigar-like than any pipe tobacco I can recall at the moment. See what you think. It is a unique blend.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Several, reserved for Va/Orientals w/out Latakia

Age When Smoked: 6 years old, tinned 2008

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2014-02-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I really wanted to like this blend: I like VA/Orientals in general; I particularly tend to like Red Va blends. And, in fact, I do like the taste of this; the Red Va is the main note and the others make it interesting. For whatever reason, however, for me the 'mouthfeel' of this blend is harsh and unyielding (no, not tongue burn or bite), despite trying several differently-shaped briars. Only a very well-used (perhaps even over-used) cob really tamed that harshness to the point where this was to a degree enjoyable.

If you like Red Va/Va/Orientals, give this a try; you may not experience that harshness and really enjoy the blend. However, I must rate it by how I experienced the totality.

Pipe Used: various briars and a cob

Age When Smoked: 2 years, 9 months

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-02		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It's a rare occasion that I completely agree with a blenders tin description. This is one of those occasions.

Once I got over some initial disappointment regarding the "too subdued" oriental flavor, I discovered what a nice tasty red VA this blend is. The oriental stayed firmly in the tin and room aroma and steadfastly refused to come out and play with the taste buds other than a swish here and a breath there. This is one of those GLP blends that I first smoked in 2008 and found severely lacking but that has come of age since. I don't enjoy playing into those old sayings such as "Pease blends need to age before they should be smoked" but it was quite accurate with this one. The tin I just finished was from early 2008.

The additional cellar time really opened up the flavor of this. The red VA's were toasty and lightly sweet with a hint of nuttiness... er... ok, I'll stop writing and tell you to simply read the tin description. It perfectly describes my experience. I would have liked more oriental flavor but this one was quite good as a (mainly) straight virginia. Not a steady rotation-maker but definitely a good smoke, supremely preferable to Union Square and well worth the time. Recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Yak (2)	2007-10-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I don't know how to describe this. But I take comfort in the fact that nobody else does either.

I think, on balance, that Weedmeister Pease should have named it Sheherezade.

For one reason, because the experience of it is as out-of-the-ordinary as the Sultan's encounter with her must have been. Because she's a figure from the Near East, where Izmir comes from. Because the diaphanous harem costume you visualise her in that (from the rest of the National Anthem that nobody learns) half reveals, half discloses is as close to an analogue with its flavor as weeks of pondering (and smoking) it can come up with.

Big deal, you say. Another tobacco. Big deal, the Sultan said. Another woman. But, in both cases, the range of expectations is transcended. It begins with Wow? ! How often does that happen ? And it isn't a tin-note assault on your senses Wow (like the patchouli oil the rest of the harem girls probably slathered themselves with) either. It's subtle. Intriguing.

Subtle, intriguing and . . . diaphanous. How else can you describe the flavor of Embarcadero ? It eludes being pinned down to similarity with anything you're used to from the world outside of fairy tales. It's comprised of Virginias and Izmir, but GLP's alchemy transforms them into shifting combinations (plural) that have no analogues in the world of experience with the Virginia and Oriental peasent girls from the village. Well, except that they do. And it's this back-and-forth, yes-but-no character that 's going (I suspect) to get to you. Smoke a tin of it with careful attention, and you're no closer to having a handle on its allure than when you set out. It may be a lifetime quest. Especially as a friend who is extremely well-versed in matters weedular estimates that, in light of its constituents, it will probably reach its full flavor potential after twenty years.

I began my acquaintance with Sheherezade properly. Princesses don't live in hovels, so George Dibos rolled back the odometers on two well-seasoned, classic billiards to zero for me. (NBB : heed Pipeline 's advice ! The Izmir in Embarcadero can really, really clash with the residues of some other tobaccos).

Suitably prepared, 1,001 nights await you. Each one a Revelation. (A term familiar to all from the Bible, where it is the English equivalent of the Greek apokalupsis : the removal of a veil).

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2020-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

So far every tobacco I've tried in the fog city series has been amazing (I've tried telegraph hill, Fillmore, union square).. Embarcadero is no exception.. Right from the tin note (similar to regent's flake) you are invited to something sweet and sour and fermented (my favorite quality and this tin had scarcely 1 year on it).. it smokes best a little dried out like many c&d manufacturered blends.. You get a nice companion here to telegraph hill.. this blend does the same subtle dance with 2 tobacco varietals.. it isn't strong but at the same time not too light.. a slight earthy, sweet, sour, slightly spicy/floral and very pleasant smoke.. This is one I would prefer in spring/summer.. a refreshing yet subtle and ever slightly complex blend.. I have a feeling this will age incredibly well.. highly recommended.. a smoke that fills that spot.. when you don't exactly want a straight virginia but you don't really want an English.. a genre that is among my favorites now (Sam's flake, regent's flake, and cairo are the only others I've tried in this spectrum).. I tend to really like red virginia blends that are complimented with condimental leaf or light flavoring.. izmir leaf is becoming a favorite of mine.. it has that Turkish zing but never seems to overpower.. kind of a perfect companion to a Virginia base..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChadwickGHurlburt (24)	2019-03-31		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an interesting smoke. It's a simple blend of Izmir and Red Virginia tobaccos. While I'm certain the base is mostly the Red Virginia, the Izmir leaf really shines through on this one. The Izmir provides a very spicy note to the blend and provides a very incense-like room note. To be clear, this is a straight tobacco blend with no perceivable topping I could detect. The taste is straight tobacco with a nice medium body and spicy quality. This needs to be smoked properly and slowly to preserve the delicate interplay between the two constituent tobaccos. Smoking too fast will result is a cigarette-like character that ruins the beauty of this blend. Take it slow, take your time, you will be rewarded.

I'd recommend this blend for anyone who loves straight English style blends but isn't in the mood for Latakia. Virginia lovers in the mood for something a little different would also enjoy this blend. Finally, anyone who loves spicy oriental blends will love this blend.

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

Purchased From: An Internet tobacco vendor

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-19		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Overwhelming

The fog has settled in for the night. The S.S Pease is about to embark on her maiden voyage. The "Embarcadero" is hauntingly on fire. The ship leaves speedily into the curious unknown. It sinks. No treasures on board.

The fog has lifted. No survivors to report. The "Embarcadero" has vanished. God Rest Her Evil Soul.

Comfortable Jeans my A**.

'

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2020-09-18		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Prep: Moisture is perfect. Flakes are rubbed out

Dark fruit from the red Virginia complemented well by the Turkish spice, which also delivers a nuttiness. I do taste a cigar note occasionally as well. Nic is med, not an all day smoke. Very well balanced. Pure Virginia blends simply arent for me but the combo of the Red V along with the Turkish still gives the simplicity yet with extra depth. I do prefer a bit more sweetness (think Bijou, which is a V/O as well) than this offers but as usual, a well put together blend by Pease. Not an all-day smoke. 7/10

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-02-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I just finished off a tin of this that I consider myself fortunate to land. I bought a tin of this about a year and a half ago after seeing how some of my friends overseas were singing its praises. I was anxious to try it, but since it was bought at a time after I ceased opening new containers to reduce the 200 plus open containers I had at the time, It would have to wait.

Someone in one of my forums decided he was quitting pipes and put all his tobacco up for sale. Included was a tin of Embarcadero that was already opened, but he hadn't smoked much of it, because he didn't care for it. I jumped on it and most everything else he was selling.

So with excitement I was able to try this without opening my tin. My thoughts on it were kind of "meh." It seems that in my time of smoking, I have started to actually identify Oriental grades I like and those I don't care for as much. Izmir or Smyrna, depending on what you prefer to call the same leaf, is one of the oriental grades, I am not too crazy about. I find it is a little sour/bitter for my tastes.

In the blends where I have liked its use, they are typically paired with a very sweet Virginia. The Virginia in Embarcadero does not have this type of sweetness. It is pretty bright and comes off as more earthy than sweet IMO. I don't think the pairing works well to my tastes in this blend. The good thing about the circumstances being what they are, is I can now let the unopened tin I have age out. I have a feeling this one could greatly improve with some age as it always seems to benefit Virginias by adding sweetness and that is the main thing this blend is lacking.

Two stars for now and I will revisit in 9 years.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Laudante (29)	2014-05-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Sour, harsh, boring and not easy to keep lit. It´s one of those good quality toacos that simply don´t have good taste (and I like strong tobaccos in general, it´s not only that). But for mixtures it can work fine.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2014-05-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Embarcadero was a surprise for me, moving quickly from off-the-radar to a comfortable spot on my Favorites List. For openers, it features the finest Izmir leaf I have smoked in over 40 years. The toothsome red VAs seem to be stoved, and they are a perfect pairing, and it's all processed and fermented just right. I know this because I can smell and taste the results, right from the match. The bloated, 7-year-old tin enjoyed for this review proved E ages very well, and I am buying more as you read this. The initial tin note was decidedly funky, soured peach schnapps over the sour Izmir moss and spices, over earthy, fermented VAs. There are undertones of fermented dates and apricots, as well, and it soon includes something like best-of-the-barnyard, lite. Original tin moisture is fine for smoking, or maybe dry it just a little. As others have mentioned, the "flakes" were actually re-cut into chunky "ribbons" before tinning. I like to loosely load a few of the ribbons vertically into a medium/small-ish pipe, since E is less complex from larger pipes. Wow! Again, it's been a very long time since I smoked Izmir like this, and, like I said, the earthy red VAs are the perfect underpinning for this Old School Turkish blend. Once the fragrant smoke billows up, it's hard not to sniff it all back in with each puff. Be warned, however, that despite the smoothness of the smoke, the spices are there, and your sinuses will be affected, depending on your tolerance for this spectacular weed. I find the taste and smell "envelope" to be fairly consistent, once a bowl is started, but it changes bowl to bowl, and there is also a "range" of tastes and scents that change delicately over the course of the smoke, from puff to puff, during each bowl. Complicated? Yes! And IMO, it never puts a foot wrong.

Complexity notwithstanding, Embarcadero is no-nonsense, and it is indeed an easy and "comfortable" smoke, a tasty, interesting blend of well selected, treated, matched and aged tobaccos, and I can't imagine it being any better. Strength is mild to medium; taste is medium (or full, depending on how you take to the Turkish leaf...); room note is... Turkish, albeit a most pleasant iteration of the genre. It's a little sweet and fairly sour, and the fragrance is (fragrances are)... singular, in an "up-dated, bygone" way, if that makes any sense. The enduring aftertaste is the best of the smoke, and if you are like me, you will have trouble not smoking it. I recommend Embarcadero to VA/Per and Turkish lovers, alike, and anyone who enjoys complex, natural VAs might give it a go. 4 Stars and a spot on my Favorites List, for sure. BTW, IMO, Embarcadero is an interesting counterpoint to GLP's Telegraph Hill.

Pipe Used: various Briars; small-to-medium preferred

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Purchased From: private party

Similar Blends: Compares/contrasts to Telegraph Hill.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-12-23		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have just finished my 3rd tin of Embacadero and it has earned a 92 point score. As predomintaly a virginia/vaper smoker the Izmir leaf was a question mark. In fact if I did not know I was smoking virginia/izmir, I would have guessed I was smoking an excellent virginia with a bit of perique. This is a beautiful full bodied smoke. Mildly sweet, quite rich and complex. I have a dozen tins in the cellar and plan to add many more to my stash believing this will age nicely for years to come. I just finished a bowl after several single malts and prime aged fillet.....what a treat! Greg Pease sure makes some wonderful tobacco..... right up there with Filmore!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2007-12-02		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The first thing I noticed with this flake was its softness - it was tender to the touch, easily rubbed out. This is a mark of quality indicating a lack of glycerin or humeectants and sugar additives. If one looks in the bottom of the tin you do not find broken leaf, tobacco dust or other "drek", another sign of absolute quality.

The aroma on opening the tin is what I would expect from a Virginia/Turkish blend. The description on the label described my smoking experience to a 'T', another rare experience in tobaccodom and comment on the care taken to produce this flake. Embarcadero is "top shelf".

1 December 08 update: Smoked a bowl in a favorite canadian last night. This tobacco has a subtle sweetness and what I call the "high notes" (taste) of Turkish leaf. It is smooth, but agree with the reviews after mine that it can heat the bowl if puffed too vigorously. It does not bite. However I prefer a flake with some "deeper notes" - tates in the nutty range. Still, this will be in my rotation.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2021-10-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was imagining well before I ordered this blend that I would fall in love with it. It sounded so simple and delicious on paper. There was a pungent fruity vinegar aroma that poked my nostrils upon cracking the tin.

As an aside, this was the most vinegary smelling blend ( that wears it well anyway) I have smoked since McClelland. I don’t know if the strong vinegar scent is unique to this blend or a response to mold issues; whether this has been done for years or if it is a new technique.

After the tin breathes for a few days, the acetic note gives way to raisins, chocolate, and the scent of dried hay. This is a loose flake mixture of red Virginia and Izmir, I’m guessing at a 70/30 ratio. The Izmir is drab but varied in coloration. Colors ranged from yellow tan, olive green, to gold. The first several bowls really fried my tongue, and after 10 to 15 bowls of progressively slower smoking, this tobacco and I finally agreed. Even when I smoked this so painfully slow that innumerable relights were needed, the smoke retained a sort of astringency on the palate. If I slipped up and puffed unwittingly hard, this can and did bite.

The smoke gives faint notes of briny green olive early on in the bowl. Coffee bean richness gives way to toasted tobacco. I didn’t find quite the range or depth of nuance that Mr Pease indicated on the label, and not for lack of trying. Despite the visual suggestion of a decent amount oriental leaf, I didn’t note nearly the amount of spiciness and aromaticity (not in a cased or topped sense…think fragrant) that I would have expected. I do think the Izmir may have contributed an unusual but pleasant mild nuttiness to the smoke. There was certainly more of a learning curve with this tobacco than anything else I have ever smoked. That being said, it’s worth the effort.

Age When Smoked: 1/19/21

Purchased From: SP

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	M. Commini (2)	2021-01-23		Mild	None Detected	Very Full	Very Pleasant

The perfect Oriental/Virginia blend. This is my smoke when I've just gotten home from work and don't have to immediately run back out and can sit and ponder over my smoking experience. The Virginias are readily apparent upon lighting, with an orange taste predominating the initial smoke. As the smoke progresses, the Izmir takes hold, and one can taste hot chocolate with spiced rum with a generous dollop of marshmallow on the top.

On the practical side, take some of the loose tobacco and lay it out on a saucer as kindling. As is, the tobacco is moist and might take several relights if one rubs it out or practices the "fold and stuff" method. I prefer "fold and stuff" to fill 3/4 of a bowl with the loose tobacco let out to dry a day before sprinkled on the top. It loses none of the flavor and ensures that any halfway decent cadence keeps the bowl smoking from light until the bottom of the bowl.

Don't smoke this blend as an all day tobacco. Don't smoke this blend when riding around in a car. Don't smoke this blend while distracted by the cares of the world.

Smoke this blend when you have ample time to sit and appreciate the changing complexities. Pair it with some good classical music, a favorite drink, and a much read book that one enjoys but doesn't take all one's mental load.

In short- a great smoke when you have time focus entirely on the smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Comoy's Vintage Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: Newish

Purchased From: Stag Tobacconist, Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The tobacco is presented in a broken flake cut, and not Flake as they say. And it is not due to the transport of the tobacco but it is appreciated that it is its original presentation. The low degree of humidity allows immediate loading from the tin, shredding it or folding the tobacco and packing without shredding. Either way it works very well, but I think that folding it preserves its organoleptic properties better.

Good taste of Virginia with some caramelized touch at times. Izmir is added as a condiment, which gives it a pleasant and naturally aromatic nuance. As the smoke progresses, the smoke produces at times a certain kidney smell, very typical of some Virginias, which is appreciated in the room note and that some companions may not like. Burns very well, leaving a light gray ash.

This tobacco entered my daily rotation to replace the last virginia I tried. I smoke it daily and with pleasure, sometimes repeating a second pipe during the day. The truth is that I have not yet tried a mixture of G.L. Pease I don't like it. I hope the streak continues ...

Pipe Used: Croci Fiammata Argento

Age When Smoked: 1 year

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1tonyk (1)	2019-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

DrumsAndBeer’s review of this incredibly enjoyable blend is uncommonly spot-on and satisfying, just like this baccy. My recommendation is to just try it. If you have an “open” palate and are looking for something new and enjoyable then this will not disappoint.

Pipe Used: Dion Powell poker

Age When Smoked: 2years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2018-08-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was expecting a rather mild (flavored) and "thin" (bodied) Virginia/Turkish blend, but Embarcadero is much more, it's a superb blend for me! It's rich body, delicately tasty nuances that shine, when you really take your time and mind for this tobacco, and lovely broken flake appearance make it an outstandingly good blend of this sort!

The Virginias lend surprisingly much of a body to the blend, maybe it's also the Izmir helping with it? I don't know, but what I know is I love the earthy, floral, and pleasantly nutty, sometimes even smoky, and always slightly sour flavor profile it offers! It has so much depth and nuances to it.. it's a joy to explore them or just puff along enjoying this artful piece as a whole

The Virginias aren't overly sweet and offer a rich earthiness as well as a hay-ish quality. The Izmir is sublime with its very unique aroma. Somewhat floral, maybe a bit like Jasemine Tea? But it also has this pleasantly sharp, dry and ethereal side it, which makes it most interesting on the palate. I'm strugglin' to find words for its beauty!

The proclaimed notes of nuts and roasted coffee are indeed to be found, yet they're very subtle and mainly around when the bowl is puffed with a most leisureful cadence. I do belive they sport from a expectionally mild flavoring, as well as from the wonderful Izmir leaf which is said to be a bit nutty as well. Those notes are delicious and you'll find yourself hunting for them! ;-)

Here's Mr. Pease's very own word on his creation: http://www.glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=40

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2018-08-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note is quite intense. All natural tobacco tanginess with a sweet and sour note like orange or Bergamot rind. It comes in broken flakes neatly packaged where one can pick a few slices and either rub out more or squeeze directly into the bowl depending on taste. It could use a few minutes of drying time but can be smoked directly as well without producing excessive moisture.

In either case it lights easily and from the start you are greeted by a smooth, flavorful and naturally aromatic smoke. Red Virginia forms the base and it is tangy but also sweet. The Izmir leaf adds a distinct sourness and spicy notes. To my experience Izmir is one of the smoothest and sweetest Oriental varieties quite congruent with Virginia but it still lends the characteristic Oriental flavor to Embarcadero without being overwhelming. Overall Embarcadero is a rather dry tasting mixture with lots of pure all natural tobacco flavor with enough body and a satisfying medium strength. It burns well to a white ash but might become a little acrid towards the end - a small complaint to an otherwise excellent blend.

There aren’t many Va/Or blends on the market, or not as many as I would have wished. Most contain some Perique or another leaf while I seem to enjoy pure Va/Or mixtures more, especially as a first smoke of the day. Living in Greece I am fortunate enough to have plain Oriental varieties ready at hand so I can make my own blends with Virginias, but Embarcadero is to me a very interesting find as it combines top quality Virginias with excellent Izmir in an artful combination.

Comparing Embarcadero with the late McClelland’s Grand Oriental series, I have to note that, much as I enjoy the latter, Embarcadero produces a purer tobacco experience since the Virginias in the Grand Oriental’s have undergone the McClellands treatment which adds a significant component to the tobaccos natural flavor.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-09-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

G. L. Pease - Embarcadero.

This one's from a trade with my tobacco compadre Gentleman Zombie and it's one fine blend!

First thing first, it's not just a flake, mine's actually fairly well broken; it's not ribbons, but neither is it a solid flake, it's similar to C+D Burley Flake in build. The moistness is good, and as it doesn't need much breaking up I can just stuff a bowl straight from the tin and get on with a smoke.

I can't taste nuts or coffee (as per description), but the flavour I do get is sublime! The Oriental/Turkish have a rustic feel, they're not as buttery as I often find; as it says on the tin: spicy. I'd expected to get nothing from the Virginia, I thought it would be pushed out by the Oriental/Turkish but I get quite a clear note of hay which brightens the picture up a bit. The nicotine's on the mild side (to me), I wouldn't say it's emphatically mild, but I would say mild to medium. The temperature's good so long as it's not puffed too hard; that causes it to climb a bit too high, but I guess that's quite normal! The room note's alright, but in all fairness I don't get much character from it. I find the first half of the bowl seems a little more alive, after that point the flavour becomes more subdued; calmer.

This is a brilliant blend, thanks Franck!

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Deluxe #3s

Age When Smoked: Two Months

Purchased From: Traded with Gentleman Zombie

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TXBulldog (74)	2015-09-23		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

I found this tobacco difficult to stay with. Initial smoke seemed like it would be uniquely different. But, as I continued onward the wheels fell off this one and I didn't even finish the bowl. Tried it again several weeks later in a different pipe with the same result. This tobacco is truly a unique experience. Unfortunately, it did not jive with my palate. I've tried about sixty or so tobaccos of all varieties thus far and unfortunately this is the only one to be tossed and not finished. You may find it to your liking. It just wasn't a fit for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ruffinogold (112)	2010-09-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I realy think Mr. Pease should tone down on the number of blends he makes . Surely this one was made just to have another blend down his long list I guess .This is run of the mill period .The tobacco is of good quality and it's not a bad blend , but why bother ... maybe so someone can come up with a flowery discription like the one listed for this blend .I'm getting a little burnt on all the hoorah about these " artisian " blenders when in fact they havent done anything better than whats been done except the flowery discriptions are more flowery. Anyway , it's a boring blend and if your wanting to get excited about a blend .. look elsewhere . Nothing exciting here

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Embarcadero's tin note is nice - that of quality Orientals, sour and very mildly floral. There's also a slightly fruity sweetness as well. The cut is a broken flake, which I usually rub out into finer bits, but I left this one mostly as-is. Moisture level is perfect, maybe even slightly dry.

Lighting up and the first few puffs: pleasant Oriental flavors. Fragrant, a bit floral, and tangy/spicy... in fact, the tang made me worry it might be a bitey blend, but it turns out it isn't. Smokes cool with very little bite. There's a good amount of Virginia sweetness too, which matches really well with the quality Izmir's sourness. It gets surprisingly complex. However, there are times, especially during the second half of the bowl, when it can get a little harsh... maybe a little too spicy or peppery. I'm guessing this blend would really benefit from a few years in the cellar to smooth things out.

Bottom line: Embarcadero is a really nice sweet and sour Oriental-forward blend. Pleasant and enjoyable, solid 3 stars. But I bet that even just 1-2 years of aging would bump it up to 4 stars. I'll update this review when I try it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2021-01-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Presentation: All labels in the Fog City Selection look the same. A gold stripe across the bottom, a white background, with a gray sketching of the streets of San Francisco.

Cut: Comes in a small flake or maybe broken flake, moisture is just right and it rubs out like a dream.

Tin note: Moderate fruity sweetness with maybe a little bread.

Tasting notes: Smoky, toasty, earthy, with a slight tangy sweetness on light up. Once it gets going, it's delicious. Full of these deep and dark flavors up front of earth, smoke, figs, and spice with nice undertones of bread, grassy and fruity sweetness, a tangy zing, with a spicy, woody finish. Sometimes I taste leather, mostly on retrohales.

Mechanics: N/A -- A well behaved blend.

Extra Remarks: This is an awesome blend. No super unique flavors, but how they present themselves is very well done. This is booming with flavor and throws all the flavors at you at once, throughout the bowl. If you are a person who does not like when blends are too sweet or rich, assuming you have no other qualms with the leaves in here, I think you will like this one very much. The way the Virginias present themselves is gentle but still very present. I'd say this blend is mostly earthy and smoky but how the Virginias subtly shine through is the highlight of the blend for me. Overall an excellent blend, 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Altinok Bent Bulldog Meer

Age When Smoked: 9 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	swb118 (3)	2020-02-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

One (large) Bowl review. Was in the mood for something I'd never tried, so digging thru my bin found a tin of Embarcadero dated 01/24/2011. Cracked that puppy open and loaded up a Radice Bark, with a rather largish bowl.

Tin note was dominated by the lemony Va's. Now, I've got a small problem with Red Virginia's. The bugger just doesn't agree with me. I don't dislike Red Va's, my mouth chemistry just doesn't gee haw with them.

The tobacco was dominated by the bright, citrus tasting Red Va. The Turkish orientals just came off one dimensional, and kind of cigarette like. Not being a cigarette smoker, this wasn't really pleasant for me.

The moisture from this old tin was perfect, and the broken flake was wonderful. Only used 2 matches for an entire bowl.

This tobacco left an unpleasant(to me) aftertaste. If you rock a beard or mustache, the smell will be with you all day.

Another reviewer stated that he thought the blend was pipe sensative, so I will be trying some of my smaller bowls as I finish out this tin(waste not want not).

Pipe Used: Radice Bark, Oil Cured twin bore

Age When Smoked: 9 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Goose55 (33)	2018-04-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Here in April, 2018, grieving the loss of McClelland I decided to revisit the Fog City Selection of G. L. Pease which I initially experimented with about 18 months ago in the Fall of 2016. My first reintroduction was with Union Square, a straight Virginia blend from the Fog City Selection that I had not tried before. Tonight I finally smoked a big bowl full of Embarcadero. I will of course return to Union Square as I have 2 tins of it. But I have to say, on my initial re-visit, Embarcadero is stellar. DrumsAndBeer's review is very accurate. It's everything and more that's described on the tin label. Clean & slow burning, sweet yet with a depth and thick richness of flavor that expands to even greater enjoyment as one progresses through the bowl. Goodbye, McClelland, hello G.L. Pease!

Pipe Used: American Artisan JAG Scoop

Age When Smoked: Fermenting but decanted

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

Similar Blends: McClelland Aurora. McClelland Tudor Castle..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-01-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very well done blend, but one I have to be in the mood for. I have a bias to Latakia based blends. I love straight Virginia's and VaPer's. When it comes to VA/Oriental blends I am a bit finicky, the good ones are really good and are fantastic smokes, ones you remember. Others are bland and leave me wishing I packed another blend in my pipe. Even with the ones I really like, if I am not in the mood (and often I don't know what mood I am in..hence my problem) I do not appreciate them. This is a good one, well I guess that is redundant since it is a GLP blend. The tin note is sweet Virginia, malty and old hay loft like. There is a sour note from the Oriental and a slight spice. I detect a topping, smells like chocolate that seems to mask the Orientals, maybe it is just me but I taste it in the smoke too, albeit very subtly. This is a brooding, interesting smoke. I get sour notes from the Izmir and spice right up front that give way to malty, sweet Red Virginia's. Some grassiness to the Virginia's but malty sweetness and spice are there throughout the smoke. I get a light chocolate taste, kind of like coco puffs or some other powdered chocolate note in the aftertaste and a hint in the smoke. Dry time is key, 5-10 minutes. I have had this bite me a few times. Interesting (to me) observation: this smokes exceptionally well in Savenelli pipes with the balsa filter in. I do not know what it is but this tobacco is cooler and drier and the flavor seems more subued and complex when smoked with a balsa filter. I am NOT usually a filter smoker but with tobacco's I find erratic (or my palate being erratic) I try it with the filter in and of all the tobacco's I have done this with this one went from a 2 to a 3 on my scale (maybe even higher). I mention it only for those that feel the need to experiment. Good smoke.

Pipe Used: Briar's and cobs

Age When Smoked: 1 year +

Purchased From: B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigFatBloke (4)	2017-03-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Nowt special.

I really don't get why anyone would get excited about this blend. Or should I say 'this bland'.

It's very one-dimensional.

Rubbed out, it packs well. And it stays lit like a trooper. So if that's your thing. A tobacco that isn't too much hard work, then go for it.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnLawitzke (3)	2016-11-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

After having tried too many GLP blends too young, I left my tin of Embarcadero to get a year of age on it before I opened it. I was very pleased with the result. This was a very pleasant tin to smoke through. Although just a simple blend of red Virginia and Izmir, there is subtle complexity in the tin and room notes. The tin note is of good red Virginia tobacco with a note of dates and a hint of spicy raisins. The room note is of good red Virginia tobacco with notes of Oriental incense. Interestingly, for as noticeable as the Izmir contribution to the tin and room notes is, it does not stand out as much in the taste. With just a year of aging, the red Virginia and Izmir flavors have blended very nicely. The taste is a rich, yet mild, red Va with just a hint of background spice. For fans of VaOri blends, Embarcadero is a must try which is going to just keep getting better with age.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 1 years

Similar Blends: McClelland #24.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gestalt (20)	2016-08-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I found this tobacco was unlike anything I have smoked previously and very enjoyable. Subdued sweetness and a bread-like note from the Red Virginia and a subtle spicy taste from the Izmir makes this blend very easy to smoke but not lacking in complexity.

I am sad to have just one bowls worth left of this stuff. Particularly sad because I am unlikely to smoke it again due to the rising costs involved in having tobacco sent to the UK from overseas. Otherwise it would have easily earned a place in my regular rotation.

The following piece on packing this tobacco is written by the Greg himself and taken from his website. I found it helped me to get the best out of this tobacco:

'In finding the best way to smoke this one, I’ve tried rubbing it right out to a fine ribbon, folding the bits of flake, rolling it into a loose ball, and every other method I could think of for packing it. For me, it seems to work best to keep the tobacco chunky, gathering enough to loosely fill the bowl with vertically aligned pieces, then giving it just enough of a press with the thumb to settle it, and go. Once under way, it smolders effortlessly, and slowly, delivering a long, lingering, leisurely smoke.'

Enjoy.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Tortuga

Age When Smoked: 8 months-ish

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2013-10-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't have much to add to the review DrumsAndBeer wrote except that I liked this from the first bowl. It is sweet and full with a savory edge. This one is a 3 tending to 4 on my scale. I am finding I like this more and more as I smoke through a sample.

This blend benefits from a dedicated pipe, and I got consistently better results in a pipe with a tapered bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (251)	2011-06-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

A fellow smoker with more experience than me said Izmir can have some burning issues: it likes either the slow sip (smoulder) or a nuclear meltdown. Moderate smoking rates can cause it to burn unevenly. This was hard to believe at first, but I have found it to be true of this blend, and it also explains some things about my experiences with C&D Sunday Picnic, which just might contain the same Izmir! Given the choice between a slow sip and a nuclear meltdown, I choose the slow sip, and after a few bowls from a small sample I was sent, I think I have achieved this. I like it, and can't give it less than three stars, and would not argue with four, since it is quality weed. The care needed in smoking it and a certain "heady mouthfeel" (which is just a personal observation) mean I will not buy a lot of it. Still, nice, winey Virginias, exotic Izmir, the usual GLP quality, so: recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2011-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

My 2 oz. tin had about six months on it before breaking the seal, and I smoked all but 5 grams over several months. This never really burned well for me an array of chamber width, depths and shapes.

When it did smolder, there were some sweet notes from the Virginia, and no tang associated sometimes with similar Virginia leaf. The Izmir provided a sour wine finish that was not pleasant. The description on the tin and my scorecard tally to a different number.

Embarcadero is neither here nor there in my estimation. It is not a captivating Virginia flake, nor satisfying when I crave the subtleties and intrigue of Oriental tobaccos.

So far, I'm groping in the Fog City Selection. Only Ashbury and Lombard remain, having thus tried Union Square, Fillmore, Telegraph Hill and Montgomery. Lombard is in the cellar still. Might have to seek a sample of Ashbury before committing my lovely hours to smoking a tin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-11-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one was a great pleasure for me. It has all the fine sweet Va flavors enhanched with a wonderful addition of orientals. The orientals in this blend are spicy and oily sweet. With "just to fit my needs" proportions of this blend I've had the sweetness, spicy flavors of true tobacco tastes. I strongly recommend you to dry this weed before you pack. It will stay lit for a long time offering you a long lasting smoke, and will offer also the best flavors it can.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-11-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: 12/10/09

Appearance: The slicing of the flakes produces long, thin strips of tobacco which rub out easily. I like this cut because it has some of the density of a flake but is more easy to handle, like a pseudo-ribbon. The tobacco is darkish with lighter striations.

Aroma: The tin aroma is delicious, somewhat hay-like but sweeter in the nose, almost like a casing but I don't think so. I don't detect any toppings in the flavor, so I'm assuming the sweetness in the aroma comes mostly from the weed itself.

Pipe 1: Meer Billiard Pipe 2: Sav Chubby Author Pipe 3: Stanwell Vario Billiard

Flavor: Embarcadero has some similarities to the Pease vapers, insofar as the Virginias require a lot of coaxing to get the flavors to shine. Flavor profiles also have some similarities to the vapers, but certainly different due to the Izmir. I like this blend better than Stratford, Telegraph Hill and Fillmore, even though it starts off quite austere like those blends. It certainly likes to hide its secrets, so patience and concentration can make a world of difference in your enjoyment of this blend.

The first half of the bowl begins much like those blends just mentioned above, but some patience really brings out some richness during the second half. I actually found that I prefer this blend at a temperature a bit higher than sipping which brings out some deep flavors and toastiness from the Izmir.

It's also one of those blends where you ought to strive to find the right pipe. When you get the right combination, it's a solid tasty blend made for those who enjoy an interesting and slightly complex tobacco sans Latakia.

I like it! Three stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-02-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Excellent Oriental mixture, rich and complex due to a great choice of Virginias. Sweet, spicy, everything you would expect from high a quality Oriental leaf, but I have missed the coffee and nuttiness hints from the tin description.

3 out of 4 stars just because I've found it a bit cloying at the end of the bowl, but this is probably too personal and might be reviewed in the future.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Had my first bowl of this in my KW Sterling POY 07. It?s a pipe devoted to Virginias, so it seemed fitting.

On opening the tin, a smell wafted out I was familiar with. The sweet spicy taste of Red Virginias, a Malty kind of smell, with a grassy spice that made me think of curry?

The flakes were quite damp, and barely holding together, so I grabbed a pipe full and left it to dry for about an hour. This put it at malleable, but not crisp. Tearing the strips in half and straight loading with kindling on top was the setup.

It must have been still damp on the inside, because it did take several relights to get it rolling. On first light a spicy blast hit. Not unpleasant, as the Virginias kept it manageable. I may attribute this to my packing too-So I move on.

Once it gets rolling, this takes a very interesting turn. I have it.

Ever have a Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale? It?s Malty, with tones of Citrus, Cinnamon, Ginger and Orange peal?.

I am smoking it. Slow cadence brings more sweet and citrus flavors, while stronger puffing brings the kind of spicy taste bud play I associate with cinnamon or Ginger. Very tasty and fun.

Mid-bowl now and the flavors are playing together more harmoniously. A unified flavor.

Smelling my own slip stream is a mildly sweet Virginia smoke?..Draw a few times to get the fire stoked?.There?s that spice?.Ready and waiting?.Let it calm down and more Malty and caramelized sweet?..

No bite. Let me tell you I have over smoked a lot today, and the tongue bite monster is ready to pounce?.Not here though?.

Overall I like this. It?s not a mowing the yard blend. It?s a sitting on your porch, or Zen Blend. It?s a trip or journey on its own. Like getting lost in a good book, you want to pay it attention.

It Finished clean, and you know it's over when you hit bottom. This and Fillmore would be my top two of the Fog City blends (Technically Westminster is a foggy city too, so top three- But in San Fran?.It?s the two)

Top marks to Greg for this blend.

Two last notes. I like this the best as is vs fully rubbed out. I get more flavor play that way- But hey thats just me. #2 A flake should be enjoyed. If yours comes a bit broken, don't cry in your pipe-just smoke it. It's about taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (558)	2022-11-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of Rasins, spices, and hay. The reddish-brown broken flakes have a small amount of tan. It's not moist enough to need drying, larger chunks rub out easily. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and somewhat consistent, with notes of strong earth, strong wood, strong herbal spices, dried tart fruit, roasted nuts, bread, floral, mild bitter burnt toast, mild lemon grass, mild cigarette, and a slight peppery retro. Virginia is leading with Izmir supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Pipe Used: Peterson Bard Rusticated 221 Fishtail

Age When Smoked: 10 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipesINpairs (19)	2021-07-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I think of this like the wise old uncle to Sunday Picnic, if you're familiar with that, and the younger cousin to Fillmore. (As a side note, I get the feeling that for every good C&D blend, there is a GL Pease blend just like it but much more sophisticated. Master/apprentice situation under that roof for sure.)

Anyway, this is a gift to Virginia lovers who like to ponder the more earthy, savory qualities of pipe tobacco, yet without having to go Latakia land. As everyone remarks, complex red Virginias are in the foreground - darker, matured, etc. - and the Izmir gives that spice we like, and also a good degree of mustiness that really melds well with the red Virginias. The sourness is great, like what a touch of vinegar does to something fried (and salty). The blend is also ripe for fermentation, does not take long to transform.

The blend is still medium bodied, and very well balanced at any age. As noted, this has more worldly experience than Sunday Picnic, which is green in comparison, and but it's not as mature and complex as Fillmore, for which the touch of Latakia opens all kinds of terrifyingly delightful doors.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Faberdei (11)	2019-12-23		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin is a nice mix of plums and dry apricot smells.

The taste is moving from honey and floral fruity during the first third. Then you go for an incense and woody taste. The last third is about cigars and cocoa (not chocolate)

I was a bit struck by the Nic-hit the first time. Pack it and sip it lightly.

Pipe Used: meerschaum, briar, morta

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Indian River Tobacco, Wyoming, MI, https://www.indianrivertobacco.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2018-04-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Embarcadero is a delightful Virginia Oriental blend with a distinct spiciness. The flake presentation in the can is very nice, although some may find the tobacco somewhat moist. The room note is quite nice out of the tin. My wife commented on how nice it it smelled in the tin. The room note is pleasant , with an overall nice medium flavor. It lights very easily for me. It pairs wonderfully with a nice cup of Ethiopian Harrar coffee in the morning. The sweetness of the Virginia's is somewhat subdued, but all in all, a nice blend.

Purchased From: Indian River Tobacco Traders outpost 2 Grand Rapids MI

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DCD (8)	2017-09-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

You know how smells can instantly transport you back in time? I had that olfactory trip when I opened a tin of this delightful blend. It took me back to the seventies when I started smoking a pipe and was buying drug-store Amphora in the green pouch. Don't get me wrong, Embarcadero is an infinitely finer tobacco than that, but the tin note is indeed similar: lots of grass and hay, with a spicy top note. (And that old Amphora was better than most stuff on the shelves at that time.)

This has the perfect moisture content right out of the tin. The broken flakes fall into shreds that I think are best gathered together in a pinch and stuffed in the bowl lengthwise in a somewhat loose pack, perhaps with a bit of tinder on top, leaving room for expansion. The result is a cool and slow burn with no relights, and despite the tendency of all my pipes to gurgle I found it to be a dry smoke as well.

I like pure Virginias as part of my rotation, but like a VaPer, this blend is a good way to enjoy my favorite leaf with a bit of added interest, here provided by the Izmir. It lends an incense-like, spicy fragrance and also its own floral sweetness to the blend. This relationship between the two leaves evolves down the bowl in a give-and-take that keeps things interesting. It took me a few bowls to appreciate these subtleties, but now I find this is an excellent change of pace from a pure Virginia or VaPer. It also leaves a mildly sweet, pure tobacco aftertaste.

Pipe Used: billiards, dublins and pots

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piper in the Pines (5)	2017-05-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend starts off with what I would describe as a touch of cedar and a yeasty taste. As it progresses, one may detect dark toast and light roast coffee. This blend is average on heat, and should not be pushed with puffing as it may get bitter. This seems to be common to many high Burley or Oriental blends. If this happens all you need to do is drastically slow the puffing for a minute or two. Maybe even let it go out, then tamp, and knock much of the ash out, then relight. Taste is consistent, with the exception of the very bottom of the bowl. I'm glad I bought this, even if it's not one of my go tos. It is a good blend to change things up.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	michaelc (40)	2016-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

When first I smoked this blend I was not really very impressed, but it has improved with age. I first smoked it upon receipt and put it up. As I smoke it now I find it to be sweet with spicy hints in the flavor. It smokes cool to the tongue, but this may be due to the fact that it has dried since I first opened the tin. I remember it to have been somewhat hotter when I first smoked it, maybe I've slowed down so as to better enjoy the experience. I usually smoke aromatics but I find this blend to be a very welcome change. I am thinking now that I will buy more in the future and age it before smoking.

Pipe Used: Lorenzo Matera Studio 824

Age When Smoked: 11 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Warcross (3)	2015-03-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I am a Pease fan but don't love everything he makes, and wasn't too sure what to expect with Embarcadero. Lately I've been trying blends showcasing Izmir, so of course I had to give this one a shot. Fortunately I wasn't disappointed. What I feared most was that the Izmir would be overshadowed by too much Virginia, but this was far from the case.

The cut is very interesting. It looks like long, thick (as opposed to wide) ribbons each comprising a few leaves pressed together. After a moment's contemplation I decided not to rub them out and to just stuff 'em in the bowl. This ended up working out fine. The leaf lit readily and quickly, and in a rare instance-- for me-- required not a single relight, ending up in a tidy little pile of perfectly fine ash at the finish. As far as the smoking, there were three chapters: 1. The first dozen or so puffs had me fearing that this was a bland blend. I simply got very little flavor at the outset. Fortunately this lasted only a minute or so. 2. The smoke quickly but sneakily developed a ton of flavor and complexity. The official description is startlingly accurate: there is a definite bready flavor, like the sweet yeasty undertones in a good French bread. Again similar to the official description, it immediately had me thinking of a fine "bready" champagne. The Izmir dances tantalizing upon this toasty-sweet floor. At times the oriental tang is bold, at times subtle, but embracing and exotic throughout. 3. The last third or so of the smoke is a bracing, robust flourish of Izmir. It presents more kick but in a mouthwatering, roundly satisfying, defiantly pleasing way. A delicious climax.

Overall, this was a deeply pleasing smoke, fascinating on the palate, that I can't wait to revisit. One caveat is that I am a fairly consistent puffer, and I suspect that had I not smoked this in a churchwarden, on a cool day, I may have put myself in danger of some major tongue-bite. I attribute this to my own recalcitrance about sipping, not to the blend. I recently tried McClelland's Smyrna and found this not only ketchup-free but less bitey, more Izmir-y, and much, much tastier in every regard. Highly recommended!

Pipe Used: Peterson Churchwarden Prince

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: McClelland's Smyrna No. 1 (but IMHO, clearly superior).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tumbaki (9)	2013-02-25		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

A great disappointment. In my HMO doesn't match up to reviews. Will not order more but happy to have tried. Nothing more to be said.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-05-22		Extremely Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

A punch in the stomach. This is the second blend, after TEN RUSIANS that messed up my stomach. A nice blend for sure. I smoked it in the morning with my coffee, without having eaten something first…. PUNCH. I smoked it at noon before lunch……..PUNCH. I smoked it in the afternoon with my coffee………PUNCH. But I smoked it in the evening, after dinner, and it was pure pleasure. Very strong in nicotine, but also in taste. It contains Virginia and Oriental tobacco from Izmir. The red color of the Virginia is very clear once you open the tin. But even the room note is nice. If it was a little friendlier with my stomach, I would classify it in one of the top spots on my preferences.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-03-17		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin: Pease dates his tins on the bottom with a stamp labelled mmddyy. Mine is 101608. A cake that has been sliced, then broken into flakes, which are extremely soft and delicate. Mildly moist and soft. Very light scent of sweet clover hay and raisins. Mostly dark brown with a few flecks of dark tan Izmir oriental. Comes in a unique cardboard package, with double-eared flaps, the same shape as the tin.

Packing and Burning: It is the easiest flake to pack because it is so soft and supple; it was just stuffed into the pipe with moderate force. Takes a lot of puffing to keep it lit.

Taste & Aroma: I can understand many of the mentioned nuances, albeit to a subdued extent: sweet and sour, wine-like, cigaresque, nutty cacao. Perhaps mostly cigaresque, overall, contrasting darkly with the expectaions from the tin aroma. Smooth, soft, and biteless.

Nicotine: Strongly contrasting with the dainty tin aroma, far from being subtle, it is a whale; like nicotine had to be added, to give something with such a pleasant tin scent, so much strength.

Overall: I am going to have to pass on this, as far as giving it the highest rating. I am partly in agreeement with the overdone artisanal tobacco aura. The flapped package is a hassle. The nicotine versus tin aroma is like a wine drunk, when what you really expected was a champagne buzz. A strong 3.2 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mskywalker2000 (11)	2011-01-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Not so sure about this one. Perhaps it's the 'Izmir leaf'? For lack of a better word, it tastes a bit bitter. Almost cigarette like. And it is on the wet side.

Sliced flakes including this one generally annoy me. They create a mess, rolling them out and stuffing the pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Between this and Fillmore, I've found my basic couple of tobaccos. I love this stuff. Upon opening the tin, the aroma of ripe figs and raisins is quite wonderful. I notice the aroma of the oriental tobacco, but it doesn't mute the Virginias or take center stage. Upon lighting the pipe, the oriental leaf immediately subdues the sweetness of the Virginias, but that sweetness is still there. About half way through the bowl I get a hint of a flavor and aroma kind of like roasting chestnuts. Although the tobacco was a little moist for my taste when I first opened the tin, it still lights easily and burns cool all the way to the end of the bowl. I'm going to Columbus Wednesday and plan to buy many tins of this and Fillmore to cellar. I think these will both be spectacular with a little age on them.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-06-18		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Nothing special here. Just the Trademark taste of crap! I cant believe I fell for the GL Pease line. Have not found one variety I would buy twice!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2009-05-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like most Pease blends though some do not burn so well. Not a problem with Embarcadero:It stays lit, has an outstanding tin aroma and the taste is exquisite. Of the last 4 or 5 tins of Pease tobacco that I have purchased, this is easily my favorite over Lombard, Piccadilly, Cairo and Blackpoint (though Blackpoint shows a lot of promise).

Does it measure up to Haddos Delight, Cumberland, Montgomery and Stratford as my favorite blends in this genre? Only time will tell. But I believe this to be a very enjoyable and well-balanced blend in a variety of pipe styles and sizes. I can't ask for much more than that: Well done!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-22		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Sweet and sour chicken is right. Out of the tin, the aroma is similar to SG's Bracken Flake, minus the chocolate/coffee smell. But when you light it, these two tobaccos, oriental and virginia, create a strange mixture that tastes like sweet and sour sauce at a chinese restaurant. Not my thing. It's blended very well, obviously there was a lot of work put into it, but it's quite disappointing to have the sweet virginias muted by the orientals. I love orientals, but they're better suited center stage, such as in Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-11-10		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

The tin I'm smoking from as we speak is about a year old and, as I recall, I realy didn't want a second pipe out of it when it was new. However, I now think I might put a few tins on the shelf for next year...or the year after. Tin aroma after a year is still somewhat cardboardie but I assume that's because of that silly little circle of cardboard with two overlapping flaps that make it difficult to get down to the tobacco. I wonder, though, does that packaging technique help to maintain the moisture level? It was perfect a year ago and it still is! Packs right, lites right, burns cool and tastes very smooth. My palate is not educated enough to go into detail on the flavors,(I enjoy every thing from Prince Albert to Plum Cake) but flavor is very.....pleasant. If your playing around with various Virginia's and might enjoy something with character, give it a go.

Update: 10/10/08 while reviewing the reviews I noticed that I was the only smoker that considered this blend to be 'mild'. The only thing I can figure is that I need to recalibrate my notion of strength. We all know that six million Frenchmen can't be wrong.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-10-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have yet to find a Pease blend I didn't like. Embarcadero is no exception. It's a very unique blend and does take some care to smoke but when smoked thoughtfully will reward you with a sweet, smoky, and spicy heaven that few can rival. Obviously tobacco reviews will vary and reviewers have their own tastes but it's hard for me to think there isn't something everyone should like. In the tin it has a very sweet grassy smell, but when you light up is when the bliss begins. This is not for me an everyday smoke rather one that needs to be visited once a week or so.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tomobedlam (16)	2008-09-12		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant

I recently moved away from the SF Bay Area, and after reading some of the reviews of this tobacco, I couldnt resist it, as I am a very big fan of Pease blends, and his Cumberland is at the top of my top ten I think. This tobacco is similar in some ways, it has the richness and complexity of the virginias, complimented by spicy orientals. It is a beautiful appearing tobacco in the tin as well. I smoked this stuff in my clay pipe and it is so full of various flavors and sensations that it is a truly contemplative smoke, if that means anything. I highly recommend this tobacco, try it for yourself, but give yourself some time and smoke it mindfully. If you want to absentmindedly puff away on something, smoke something else because this one deserves your attention.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

That is an interesting title. At first, I didn't find this an interesting tobacco. I think that is the fault of the pipe I chose for its maiden voyage. I recently purchased a Peterson 120 and tried Virginia Gentleman out of it. Then I tried Montgomery. Then I tried Pegasus. Still unsure where I was going with this pipe, I contemplated the flavors that were most prominent in it thus far, and what tobaccos created them. Looking at the collection, I recollected the ingredients of this blend at thought it was well suited to the present variation scheme. I must have laid the perfect foundation for this flake to perform on. The red virginias got things off to a tasty start, with a mere suggestion of turkish at the beginning. The turkish and virginia were in harmony for the first third, after which, the turkish momentarily outshined the red Va. Simplistic, but it hints at the science behind the proper measuring of components and trade secrets closely guarded by the pros. I love the way this session is going. I've set it down to cool several times, and it tastes just as good or better with each re-light. The last third is subtle and woodsy. The flakes are invitingly moist and easy to crumble between my thumb and fingers, making the loading process easy on the fly. It burns hot for my style of puffing, so the ol' sip and set method works like a charm. I was just playing with my new 120, killing time while waiting for some deertoungue blends I intended to sample out of it. It looks like "Crooner" will be singing elsewhere. Very promising, indeed.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaybee (77)	2008-04-25		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was reently gifted a tin of this by a friend of mine and opened it with great anticipation. The great part about pipesmoking is that after years of trying different blends you can read the label description and guess what it tastes like; only to find out you were totally wrong. This blend tastes nothing like what I would have expected. The Red virginia is stout and full and the turkish influence weaves in and out of the blend as to remind you that it has something to say about the matter. What surprised me, is that the blend is much less sweet than I would have expected given the red virginia. The flavor is very warm and full, with a slight smokiness. A bowl lasts a long time. Given the wonderful taste of this tobacco, a long time may not be long enough......

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update: The McClelland Grand Oriental series is getting more of my attention. Embarcadero is a bit more sour than some like blends. I probably won't stock-up.

Original: Just when I thought I had to smoke blends with burley for cool, serene, all-day smoking, Embarcadero comes along!

Seriously, what is not to like here? The Virginia leaf is well-aged, sweet, succulent and heady. There are none of the grassy/hay notes of Bright VA?s. The Izmir is really an under-flavor adding a touch of spice and complexity, making this a Virginia blend, rather than a blend intended for those seeking a "big" Oriental leaf experience. This should also find acceptance by both "nic wimps" and "nic hounds."

This is cool, clean and easy to smoke with a 5 minute "dry time" before loading. E has a very nice aroma burning. I do not rub this out except for a little layer of "dust" on the top to get things going. I prefer this in a straight-sided chamber over tapered ones, as I find the intensity with a tapered bowl a bit too much for my preferences at bowl's end. One caveat, smoke this in a clean pipe, or a temporary, sour note can come through initially upon lighting (probably due to the Izmir). The room note after the smoke clears leaves something akin to that of a cigarette. I did not taste bitter notes as can be expected with some Oriental varietals.

I plan on trying McConnell's Oriental mixture, CAO's Patriot Flake and McClelland's No. 24 and making comparisons with E, if warranted, in the future. Also, something in the leaf processing reminds me of Telegraph Hill, though Embarcadero is much smoother and more rounded. This is really quite different from Butera's RV Blended Flake or the discontinued Ashton's Pebblecut, both being Virginia blends seasoned with Macedonian and perique.

As a side note, the description on the tin I purchased is different copy than the TR description, but materially the same. FYI

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2008-03-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I echo the positive comments of all below, and am loath to give it less than four stars, but feel I must. Taste and room note are great, it smokes well I love the taste (more of a Virginia with a little Oriental than a true VA/Oriental tobacco), and HIGHLY respect the creator. HOWEVER with every bowl smoke I wind out about halfway through with a sore throat which continues for some time. I can smoke other tobaccos all day with no problem, switch to this and boom. It is one of the most peculiar smoking experiences I have ever had and really am at loss as to why it happens. It is so good though that I continue to smoke it, thought it is far and away not an all dayer for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2008-01-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one was a puzzle for me.

I loved the tactile presence of the flake; it's like velvet to the touch. And, in some ways, it's like velvet in the bowl as well -- very soft and smooth. Which is extraordinary to me in a blend based on red Virginia, which has always struck me as a harsher or rougher smoke in the past.

There were individual puffs that were revelatory. But, most times, the Orientals merged so well with the Virginias that they disappeared altogether. I didn't expect them to be showcased here -- I realize Embarcadero is not an Oriental blend, per se -- but I really expected them to at least be perceptible over the course of a bowl.

Maybe the emphasis on Orientals in the tin description raised my expectations too high; maybe I made it through an entire tin without finding the pipe that would help this blend really shine. Whatever the case, it was somewhat of a disappointment to me.

But, as a fan of Greg Pease's blends in general, I bought a lot of this when it was first released, so I may well come back and revise this review after making my way through another tin or two.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2007-12-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The virginias in this mix are impeccable, but I've learned that I simply can't tolerate Izmir. The flavor is sweet and the room note -- for a Va - is remarkable, and there's just enough nicotine to be noticed. It smokes cool, but bites more than I'm willing to accept for a Va (unlike Filmore, which seems to be mostly the same tobacco with perique instead of Izmir). I can understand why some people like this, but it just didn't ring my bell. As others have pointed out, though, there may be some serious aging potential here, so I've cellared some more tins.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-10-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

More than anything else, Embarcadero reminds of well-aged GLP Fillmore. I get the same caramel taste, though not as "dark" and rich as well-aged Fillmore, and I get the same hint of spice, much like the perique lends Fillmore, but in this case it is coming from the Izmir. Come to think of it, what I am enjoying is pretty much exactly what the tin description says. Is this a good tobacco blend? Without a doubt; it is outstanding... even better, it is in fact a comforting smoke and one I have been enjoying immensely at the end of snake-bit day. My wife doesn't complain about the room note (like she does with some of my English or Balkan smokes) and I enjoy returning to a room where I've been smoking it so that I can smell it afresh. I'm going to buy a couple more tins of this for aging and revisit this blend, Lord willing, in a year's time. In the interim, I'll try to smoke up some of the massive amounts of SG BBF that I stockpiled a year ago.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eric Cioe (37)	2007-10-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The perfect companion on bird hunting trips in the Fall. In fact, I won't leave the house for that purpose now without a few things - our German Shorthaired Pointer, a great 16 gauge side by side, and a tin of Embarcadero. It tastes like Fall to me, with the deep, mellow undertones.

This blend did not stand out to me at all right away. Give it a tin before you form too much of an opinion about it.

And for what it's worth, this blend to me is the flavor inverse of another one of my seasonal favorites from Pease - my summer stand-by, Stratford. Stratford is hay- like, with all kinds of high notes; Embarcadero is like fallen leaves, with lots of red rather than Stratford's yellow.

Highly recommended for the Fall. Probably very good most other times of the year as well. Take some time to get to know it.

EDIT - I've been smoking through a recent tin of this and it just doesn't quite have the real standout qualities it did before. I've got a couple ounces aging in the cellar that I'll let sit for a while. It's still very good, and occasionally I'll have a great smoke with it, but its consistency isn't what it once was for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-31		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I was excited to finally receive this tobacco after much anticipation. It was well worth the wait. I have tried and wanted to like many Va-based blends, but usually found them lacking. Embarcadero is a notable exception. This is a wonderful tobacco - complex and bold, creamy, well behaved and easy to smoke - just a pleasure in every way. The Turkish complement to the Virginia base is inspired. I am usually an English/Balkan smoker but Embarcadero has finally given me a Va-based blend alternative that is well entrenched in my short list of favorite blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One tin down, many more to come. In due respect to Mr. Webber who reviewed it below, his remarks are simply mystifying. I must agree that the initial notes of Embarcadero when you crack the tin, are not quite as luscious as I thought they'd be. Not to worry, though. I don't sniff pipe tobacco, I smoke it. I've smoked this in many different VA pipes - Eltangs, a Former, an S. Bang, a Chonowitsch, two Ruthenbergs, an Ashton Prince, even a 1964 Sixten Ivarsson that I rarely use. I've smoked this in numerous sized pipes, from a size 2 through 6. I'm impressed that this blend seems to perform about as well regardless of pipe size. Unlike many of Greg's blends, this one doesn't unfold in layers of complexity, to me. It's still complex in its own way, but it's puff by puff rather than in varying layers. I agree that it needs a good drying, at least a full hour; but even the first bowl - which was from a tin that had come in on the first shipment of it that very morning - was ready to enjoy after about an hour of drying.

I break this up some, and pack it rather gently. A bit of kindling on top is all that's needed, and I rarely needed to relight. And never did I scorch my tongue despite the moisture content, which I had honestly expected.

All in all, a very, very good blend that most likely will gain a lot from aging. The Virginias are simply wonderful, smooth and of obvious quality. They have almost a caramel character. And the Turkish Izmir...! Man, what a deft touch was utilized in determining the proper blend of them. No latakia here, which intrigued me. All the way through, I kept waiting for some of the glorious weed to kick in and make its presence known. It's like smoking a grand English blend after all of the latakia was removed!

Another round-tripper for Greg, imho. Like Westminster and Fillmore, it's exceptional now, and will only be better with a year or two of age to mellow it a bit and marry the tobaccos. I bought 5 tins, and will be getting more. A superb, smooth and extremely flavorful blend, this. My 4-star rating is really a 3-1/2 for now. The 4 stars represents what it will be in a year or even less. I have enough experience with Greg's blendings that I'm confident that by '08 or '09, Embarcadero will easily get an average 4-star rating. Yep...it is that good.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-08-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Finishing up my 1st tin of Embarcadero I can safely say I believe this to be a winner. The same Red Va`s in broken flake form that as seen in Fillmore are used with the addition of Turkish leaf. On take-off it starts slow but, the Va`s kick in and give it some punch. Once airborne, the Va`s seem to control with the Turkish trying to become a player but, with little success. This makes it somewhat unstable thru out the flight but, time spent together these tabaks will be as one and will IMHO be a real treat. Found fully rubbed out and dried thoroughly worked best for me. Enjoy the flight!!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I found this blend remarkably smooth - almost creamy - which surprised me given the blend's spicy top notes and lingering ginger and white peppercorn flavors.

I fired this up right from the tin with no time whatsoever for drying. The feel of the broken flake presentation led me to believe that I might have to re-light periodically through the bowl, but I had no trouble smoking through the bowl to a fine white ash.

This is quite a complex tobacco. It presents dimensions of flavor that I'm not really accustomed to. The Virginias present a base of sweetness upon which the Izmir leaf just dances. This is a magical experience. I can taste the caramels in the Virginias as the sugars heat and burn.

The flavors change pretty dramatically based on smoking rhythm. I found the best flavor with a slightly faster sip than I use with Marlin Flake or Old Gowrie. I like the peppery hit that the smoke presents.

I loaded my pipe with a simple fold of two flakes with a portion of a third rubbed out for kindling. I packed quite loose keeping the moisture content of the flake in mind.

The pipe I used is a 4-knuckle bamboo Todd Johnson peewit with a large group 4 or group 5 capacity, due to depth.

Altogether one of my best first-bowl experiences with a new tobacco.

Kudos to G.L. Pease for another superb blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2021-09-02		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Very natural taste with sweet Virginia leading at the beginning and spicy orientals rising up little by little. As the description says there’s something that reminds to a brut, maybe a trento doc.

Pipe Used: Bbb minerva

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Dubini

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jpiper33 (9)	2018-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The red Virginias are predominately earthy with a bit of tang for the majority of the bowl. The Izmir is floral, with hints of spice and an occasional sour note. The last third of the bowl is always the best, as the tanginess of the reds comes to the forefront in a special way.

The tin I smoked was only a year old but all things point to this one aging wonderfully. As a result, I would say this one is definitely cellar worthy.

Pipe Used: Various briars and meerschaums

Age When Smoked: 1 year old

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-05-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I like almost all of Pease's blends. Embarcadero is a medium strength virginia and Oriental leaf blend. Its not really unlike Regent's Flake. And might be compared with Gawith's Sam's Flake or McClellands Pebblecut. But this one is perhaps not as complex as the others I just listed. it certainly has its fans, though. I like oriental non latakia blends. I love Pebblecut in fact, and McC's #24, but this one just felt a bit 'meh' to me. There is nothing wrong, just not enough that is right. I prefer Pebblecut for instance because (after a bit of drying out) the taste is genuinely complex....an overused word in these reviews. But it is exactly that. Embarcadero is very nice and the main thrust is Virginia. The form is broken flake....as many of Pease's blends are, and C&Ds blends. The form is exactly like Exhausted Rooster for example. Maybe I wanted more of Izmer or whatever exactly the oriental leaf is, but maybe thats not it, either. I dont know. This is subjective this pipe smoking thing....and this blend has a huge fan base. I know it sells better than other Pease Virginia blends, so maybe its just me. I liked it, the taste is subtle with Virginia in front. The nic hit is approaching medium...maybe reaching it actually. The room note is OK. Smoke it in a smaller bowl as it does tend to get a wee bit monotonous toward the end. Good... maybe very good...tasty.... but perhaps not great.

Purchased From: 4noggins

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jackinthegreen (6)	2015-08-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tangy and slightly winey with some lighter VAs that tone down the C&D red VAs a bit. Very similar in profile to Red Carpet by C&D except it lacks the perique that I find brings Red Carpet to a slightly more sublime level. That said, this is an amazingly good and complex blend. Not as complex as Cairo but I find it more delicious. I never get tired of it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2014-12-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Revised 1/1/2017- Sitting over in my stash of "misfit tobaccos", I decided to retry this blend from my original open tin (2 years old). It was bone dry ( I mouth breathed on it a few times for packing ) and I couldn't remember why I didn't like this ? Upon lighting , I immediately remembered the blend , but this time I felt like there was more to this than just "spicy heat". Reading the tin I realized I was dealing with just a Virginia and Izmir blend. There was no burley or Latakia to tame this. However, I don't know if it was a my new "Mental outlook", tin age, or drying, but this blend was improved. I was now getting a very Sweet and Sour smoke, without the heat, almost like I was dealing with a VaPer. I think I finally realized what Greg was trying to accomplish. The only other blend that I remember smoking with Izmir is C&d's "Sunday Picnic" and it has a similar flavor profile and had similar spicy heat.

Embarcadero, comes ready to smoke,is a full 2ozs. and will satisfy those "N" cravings ( I'm very surprised at so many "Medium" ratings). Just don't expect to fire away on this one, as it could get harsh and blister your tongue. I do recommend letting this rest for 6 months (1 star fresh /3star aged

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month/2years

Similar Blends: Sunday Picnic.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-12-29		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Tolerable

Embarka is a pretty good broken flake, smokes slow, easy to pack and pretty darn tasty. Full Bodied in my thinking, not for the weak of heart, I wish they had left out the izmir leaf, not a great fan of that, or lightened up on the perique. But it is a tasty smoke. Recommended for vaper fans.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2012-07-09		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this blend satisfying every time I smoke it. In the same family as a couple of C&D beauties: Sunday Picnic and Red Carpet, which are both stronger in nicotine. Not sure which of the three I like best but they are all quite good when in the right mood.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2011-11-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Very easy to smoke. Not a fussy tobac. Reminds me a bit of Dunhill standard mixture. Good not great.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-09-10		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sweet at the start with the high frequency of the Virginian coming through mid-bowl. A pleasurable experience, the blend is flavorful and satisfying from beginning to end. Sweetness and fruit are not too strong and coffee notes remain throughout the burn.

I cellar-ed this product in January 2011 and at this writing have smoked half the tin in the past 90 days. It stored well and retained just enough moisture to hold a broader range of flavors during this period.

Even burning, seemingly well cured and smooth smoking. From the three others I have tried, I estimate that most of this brand's blends are not hurried to market or overly topped.

It was bought from a shop in Arizona, where the retail price of $15.00 was on the high end, but I will choose this particular brand and consider another blend first. Acceptable quality, the third product in G.L. Pease line that I have tasted.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-08-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Unnoticeable

Another unique and complex witches brew by wunderkind Greg Pease.

Sweet dark and creamy rich virginias developes with deftly blended izmer. I'm thinking there might be a bit of cigar leaf here as well.

Folks, there is a complex myriad of flavors here far beyond my descriptive abilities. I believe every smoker will percieve this quite differently.

Setting : Wintry evening with a snifter of brandy watching Independence Day or really any good adventure film where the good guys win.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-02-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My 50th Review

I have not reviewed for a long time, in part because I was too busy, and in part because I just haven't been excited by anything lately, tobacco wise.

First, this is a nice, earthy, spicy, slightly sweet weed. Smells very sweet in the tin, almost aromatic. But in the pipe it is just a refined, natural taste. This is what I was hoping to get from Peterson's Irish Whiskey and other similar things I have smoked in the last year or two. Quite strong, really. After smoking this, Westminster (by the same blender) really seemed tame in the nicotine department.

Also, I found this much better in the presentation and mechanics department than Filmore. Maybe I just got a bum tin of Filmore; will try that one again later.

Don't know about the Izmir; didn't really taste anything I would describe as turkish. But the overall effect was nice, and I don't doubt that leaf added to this, however covertly in my case.

A solid smoke, well worth the try.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2010-10-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I would say this blend comes under the heading of all day blends. Why? Well, it is very mild, easy on the tongue, has a good flavor and aroma, and it can be smoked without sitting and giving it you all attention to get the little nuances out of it. It is what it is, a nice VA with touches of Oriental mingling through it. It smells like a sweet VA in the pouch and is composed of a semi rubbed out medium to dark brown leaf, and it was of the right moisture content to smoke out of the tin. It loaded easy after a little more rubbing out and it stayed lit almost all the way down in a lazy, slow, creamyness that is very enjoyable. It never has a high point nor does it have a low point, it stays coonsistant all through the smoke. It could not bite you if you wanted it too. At the very bottom it does taste a bit ashy, but that is at the very bottom and it smokes down to a powdery ash with no dottle left in the pipe. I liked this blend, wished it was just a little sweeter but it pleases with the smoothness of the smoke. The room note is all pipe, not one tht will gather people but not one to chase them away either. All in all, a good smoke and I would recommned trying it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hufflepuff (8)	2010-03-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

That is a very pleasant smoke. The tin note is of musty dates and figs. It comes relatively moist in the tin so some drying time is necessary before smoking. Properly dry, it smokes easily and emits a full yet mellow creaminess. Not sweet, not sour. The turkish adds a nice spiciness and melds with the viginias perfectly. This is a great blend but is very subtle in it's gifts. Don't expect to be dazzled by any one particular characteristic or you will miss the point of this blend. It took me awhile to "get it" so don't rush your opinion of it. Much like the tin description says it's meant to be subdued and satisfying but also comforting like a familiar old sweater. Good stuff. 3.5 Stars

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipenGuitar (15)	2009-01-17		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first GLPease tobacco. It was my tobacconist's favorite blend when I had inquired of his top choice. Once I smoked the first 1/3 of the bowl, I experienced a "bright" coffee/nutty aroma. Surprisingly more aromatic than I expected. Smoking through the rest of the bowl, it became more of a dark coffee aroma but not too strong. I will definitely try more GLPease blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

What more could you want to start the day than excellent sweet Virginia perfectly seasoned with tart and toasty Turkish? A bit dry on the mouth feel, but nothing an iced Assam tea with a tad of lemon can't cure.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-08-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like this tobacco very much and it has won a spot on my rotation. I bought it in the first place because I couldn't resist the wonderful smell of the tobacco from the tin, but the flavor is delicious. I bought 2oz. of this tobacco to try and I'll be going back to buy a few tins more.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-03-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sweet and sour chicken, anyone?

This is a striking, original mixture that makes you sit up and go, whoa, now that's something different. The sweet and sour taste is most unusual, and may be one of a kind.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want sweet and sour chicken for every meal, and I find it hard to imagine making this a regular part of my rotation.

It's an interesting change of pace, and the quality is indisputable, but I probably won't be buying this one again any time soon.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-01-25		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A tobacco that looks and smokes very similar to Fillmore. The difference is that it tastes slightly less spicy (of course much less citrusy, since Fillmore had Perique and Embarcadero has orientals), it is smoother and slightly lighter in nicotine (thus more tolerable to my taste).

Like Fillmore, it smokes dry, regular and with absolutely no bite. It is quite a "quiet" tobacco, with no particular highs but pleasant and refined. To me, like its brother, it is still a bit underwhelming and with some slightly troubling (but almost undetectable) bitter notes. I can see myself smoking it with pleasure, savoring its subtleties, but not craving for it. It will certainly appeal to those who like a Camel cigarette once in a while and seek something similar in a pipe tobacco but with more body, complexity and refinement.

Nice, but unspectacular: again, for me, orientals without Latakia do not strike a particular impression. Certainly better anyway IMHO than, let's say, Presbyterian Mixture (a similar blend that comes to my mind).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2008-01-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really like the recent flakes from Pease. After a little drying out, the burn is excellent and leaves very little grey ash at the bottom. For me, the taste is somewhat spicier that other Pease blends. Not overpowering, but a definate presence with the Virginias. I also found it to be stronger in nicotine than some have reviewed. It smokes best for me in a smaller to medium size bowl. Three stars for the quality, taste, burn and uniqueness of the blend. Not my favorite Pease by a long shot, but worth trying.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2007-12-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

My first Pease blend. I am happy to say that I enjoyed this very much. I was not expecting much and this surprised me, kudos. The reason I will not be awarding 4 stars is because I think of it as more of and occasional or change of pace blend. A very good one at that. I find the spice delicious and interesting.

Mo, South Africa

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As the name states-Embark-on-A-Redo. this stuff is simply overdone and you will need to puff slowly as well. Quality leaf (that is Fillmore) but the Izmir comes across as a topping which i ,as a purist do not like.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-10		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Sorry, this not my cup of tea. I can see that it is high quality tobacco, but it is too dry and strong for me. Nice tin aroma though.

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