Tobaccos G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon (Heirloom Collection)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2015-04-01		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

The Cyprian Latakia is smoky, earthy, woody, musty sweet, and the dominant ingredient, though this falls a little short of being a lat-bomb. The matured red Virginias are not as sweet or as tangy dark fruity as I expected, though they are earthy and woody. The Orientals are woody, earthy, herbal, vegetative with some floral dryness, and a few sour and spice notes. The “mysterious spice” is apparently ginger, though I would not have guessed that. It’s very mild, but lingers through most of the smoke. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is almost in the center of mild to medium. Burns slow, clean and cool with a fairly consistent mildly sweet and more savory flavor. No harsh spots, no bite, and just a slight bit of moisture at the finish. Requires a few relights. Has a short lived, pleasant after taste and stronger room note. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

50 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-12-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first smoked this in a briar and thought this was just a basic English blend. Rock solid English, but no better than 3 stars. Couldn't pick up on the "mysterious spice". I always have better luck picking up delicate nuances of flavor in a cob. I'm close to retiring my briars and going with only cobs for this reason. I stuffed one of my MM Generals reserved for English blends and put the match to it. As usual it made a world of difference. It wasn't until the Latakia went from sharp and rich to smooth and creamy (at about the halfway mark) that I was able to pick up on the "mysterious spice". My brain kept saying "cinnamon" over and over, but I'm not sure that's correct. It's just a bit to faint to positively identify, but it does add a nice complexity that captivates me. This is a wonderful blend that I could easily smoke all day and be completely satisfied.

Pipe Used: Nording freehand, MM General

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

45 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-10		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

The tin that I popped was absolutely perfect in moisture content. The tobacco was packed with appropriate density in the tin (not too loose and having settled).

Some time ago I purchased a new Purdy zulu (based on the that Sixten Will owns). I decided to dedicate this pipe to Maltese Falcon. So I gave the pipe its maiden bowl with the first load of tinned Maltese Falcon.

This tobacco begins with dark chocolate and citrus; the latakia presents itself with confidence but recedes almost immediately as good quality latakia will. The citrus likewise recedes as the Virginia sugars present more sweetness. It is as if the dark chocolate sweetens. The orientals present flavors that are not unlike roasted chestnuts; there is a slightly bitter undertone in counterpoint with the Virginias. These virginias are not quite lemony; they are more like a blood orange to my palate.

Though I took no time to let the tin breathe nor to let the tobacco dry out, I had no undue problem with the burn at all. I think I relit once after the charring light about two thirds through the bowl. I was surprised that I did not experience the taste of charring briar as I smoked this tobacco; this Purdy's bowl was uncoated. From examining the bowl after smoking, it appears that the tobacco burns at a fairly cool temperature, but I am a fairly slow, cool smoker. The bowl ? which is fairly small ? gave me a 45-minute smoke.

I have decided to cellar this tobacco in significant quantities. It is, surprisingly, fast becoming my favorite tobacco. This is surprising because I am primarily a smoker of Virginias. I do love this blend, however.

Full disclosure: I have worked with Greg on marketing and market research for G.L. Pease Artisanal Tobaccos, commencing with the Embarcadero blend. I was creative director and art director for Greg's new logo, and for this new label design that you see with Maltese Falcon. So, it would be disingenuine of me to claim no association or interest. That having been said, I've marketed a lot of products that are not for me. This one, however is one with which I am infatuated ? a happy circumstance.

37 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2013-12-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the first proper full on Latakia I've smoked from GL Pease and was looking forward to give it a go, in spite of the price.

The tin design was attractive as always with GL Pease's, I always find those wrappers around the drum well designed, the first smoke is with the eye as it were. The ribbons inside, too, were a nice colour, a rich mixture of lighter and darker browns. The smell was of a sweet smokiness, a nice change from the more creosote-like, if still pleasant, fare usually present with most latakia blends. The ribbons were a little dry but this made packing and lighting all the easier, this moisture also seems right as the burn is even and cool so this seems to be just right. The flavour continues much like the tin aroma, smoky yet sweet. It is a pleasure to smoke all the way down to the bottom and smooth with it, producing a nice, fine ash making clearing out the bowl as easy as the rest of the experience. There is a bit of a nic hit but it's not as strong as I would expect from Mr Pease.

This is a good, strongly flavoured latakia that provides a more than pleasant change from my usual lat blends and look forward to getting some more. A good solid smoke.

Pipe Used: Peterson Killarney 65

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: Gauntley's of Nottingham

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-06-06		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Hmm... well... after working on this tin and finally finishing it, what went through my head are comments I've heard about GLP tobaccos, such as "How many different blends can a blender produce with just latakia, orientals and virginias". This one, had it been GLP's most recent entry in this genre, would make me think Mr Pease had hit his limit. Whereas Meridian (which came out later) makes a bold statement, this one sort of fades into the woodwork for me.

Nothing wrong with this blend. It's a reasonably potent latakia mixture with decent sweetness, although not as sweet as the tin description made it out to be. I suppose like most smokers I delve into a new GLP tin with certain expectations of high complexity and/or unique flavors. This one seemed middle-of-the-road to me, and didn't distinguish itself the way Meridian, Quiet Nights, Charing Cross, Odyssey and some others do. Rather than "silky" on the tongue, I found this one to be dry and sort of "chalky". The components seemed all there but I was, quite frankly, bored. Keep in mind that these are just my perceptions but this one fell into the "ordinary" realm, along with Westminster and Union Square. None of those three distinguish themselves in their genres, and seem less fully realized than several competitive blends. I know of a few people that truly love those blends, so the issue is strictly that they don't produce any jump factor in me personally. But I also wonder if this one has fewer followers than most of the other GLP blends.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2015-06-20		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I finally got hold of Maltese Falcon. I very much enjoy G.L. Pease’s English blends (Renaissance and Westminster being my favourite), so I was looking forward to trying this one. It is definitely stronger than Renaissance and it’s richer and more complex than Westminster, but basically it is a blend along those lines. So if you are not into full-English blends steer clear of Maltese Falcon.

On opening the tin the Latakia is very dominant. However if you let it air a little bit, the luxurious Turkish leaf becomes apparent. Virginias, on the other hand, tend to stay behind, lending some structural support to the blend. This is no Balkan, but rather a stronger, fuller version of a classical English mixture.

It does come slightly dry in the tin and I believe this may taste somewhat harsh to some palates. Personally I believe this is how it is meant to be: strong, “manly”, yet lavishly solar and as Mediterranean as the Falcon it portrays.

Once you light up, it displays a wide variety of flavours: salty, fragrant and mineral all at once. If any “sweetness” is to be found in MF, I’d have to say it essentially comes from the Turkish leaf. What the secret spice GL Pease uses in here is truly a mystery, but it doesn’t hinder in anyway the basic interplay of Virginia/Latakia/Turkish mixture. It burns dry and easily, yet slowly. I can imagine someone like Rudyard Kipling, rather than Tolkien, writing stories whilst smoking this blend. It may be a full smoke, but is also soothing: a quiet yet persistent companion for the entire evening (or morning).

Should comparison to another tobacco be helpful, I would say this is closer to Rattray’s Black Mallory than to Gawith’s Commonwealth Mixture (to which other reviewer compared it). Gawith’s CM seems to me a very good smoke, but it tends to be one-dimensional and monochromatic on account of its composition: basically a lot of Cyprian Latakia and some Virginia. MF, as BM, on the other hand, also carry Turkish and/or other Orientals, which provide a richer and more diverse palate.

I highly recommend this to any pipe smoker familiar with Oriental blends, and who don’t mind a strong and rich tobacco. I’m glad I bought three tins!

Similar Blends: Rattray's Black Mallory ad the old version of Dunhill's London Mixture..

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-02-03		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcone greets the nose with Latakia and Orientals. I prefer my tobacco on the dry side so I let it dry out for a short while. The Latakia is forward at first light, but the blend quickly settles down as the other component tobaccos show themselves with a slightly sweet undercurrent. The burn is clean, and the body is medium to full. My issue is that the blend, while good, didn’t stand out in an already crowded field of English blends. I finished the tin, but didn’t seek open another new one. However, recently I opened a tin from late 2009 and the MF had turned into a wonderful English blend! To my taste, the Latakia maintained most, if not all of its smoky quality, but the Oriental and Virginia component had increased in sweet flavor. The balance was wonderful offering slightly spicy, sweet and smoky English that I found to my liking. There may be an extremely mild topping, but I am not sure. I am very pleased to have stashed away a few tins. It was good then, it is even better now and another year or two…well you get the idea.

Age When Smoked: new and six years

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-11		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

After taking some time to get to know this blend (I've just finished my first tin), this has become my favorite tobacco. My previous top three were Penzance, Odyssey and Westminster. This tobacco is better than all three. Its smoking characteristics are just as good as Penzance with a much more full and varied flavor. It burns better than Odyssey, rarely needing a relight, and its Virginias are sweeter and more prominent than Odyssey's. It is rich in Latakia like Westminster, but not as spicy, and it will not bite your tongue no matter what you do, unlike Westminster which can be a bit hard on the tongue sometimes.

Maltese Falcon is an amazing tobacco. I particularly like the interplay between the dark Latakia and the sweet Virginias and Orientals. It is the perfect combination of a tobacco that is easy to smoke and tastes great. Highly recommended.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2008-06-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The Cyprian leaf is leathery and the bright doesn't sweeten the presentation but adds character and body. The unique flavor made this interesting to me and the tobacco burns cool and is stronger than mild with a taste that sticks around for awhile.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2016-08-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon (Heirloom Collection).

I've had this in my stash for about six months now, saving it for a rainy day so to speak! But this morning curiosity got the better of me, so I popped it open.

The mixture's dark brown, with a traditional English smell, and mine's perfectly moist. Seeing as the name Ribbon can often be incorrect: chunky, coarse, broken flakes sometimes, it's nice to open one where the term's been applied correctly: the ribbons are about medium in size.

For the initial few puffs I struggle to identify what, if any, extra flavouring's been used. I get only a traditional, Lat-strong, English flavour. At first, the Latakia doesn't push only any extra tastes aside, it also fulminates any chance of the Virginia or Oriental having a piece of the action.

After about a third of the bowl the source of any extra taste still eludes me. I notice more of the other tobaccos, only a bit more, but they're easier to identify at this point. The additive however, still isn't present.

The difference between the first puff of a fresh bowl, and the final puff, doesn't concern any added flavour. The weight of the tobacco adjusts: the Lat definitely calms down, giving the others more room, but any added spice etc still avoids me.

The nicotine's above medium, and the room-note's good.

I couldn't decide the rating at first, three or four? But after a few bowls I've concluded it's a definite four star blend:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Mastro Cascia Freehand

Age When Smoked: Six Months

Purchased From: Gauntley's

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2010-10-31		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

UPDATE: Boy, has this stuff grown on me! Unlike my first impression, this IS a classic latakia mixture. The key is aging, as is so often the case with GLP mixtures. I just finished up a couple of aged tins and the experience was totally different than my initial run.... this is a delicious, complex, and spicy English that is a solid medium in strength and fullness. It's not going to replace Odyssey in my rotation, but this blend is a relatively easy-going feast for latakia lovers. Excellent.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: One might think that GL Pease would have run out of ideas for English mixtures by now. I mean, seriously -- how many variations on "latakia + virginias + orientals + maybe a little something extra" can one man develop without becoming redundant?

Obviously, that time has not yet arrived. Not that Maltese Falcon is any kind of radical departure from other Pease offerings. It is composed of really good leaf (as usual), the components are superbly balanced (again, as usual), and its burning characteristics are decent enough (no surprise there). What makes this one interesting to me is the addition of a what Pease describes as a "discreet and mysterious spice." Is it a topping? A casing? Some odd oriental discovered in a remote Tibetan valley while on a trek to discover fabled Shangri La? Pease doesn't tell us, and I've already given up trying to guess what it is. At times it reminds me of incense (myrh) or even cumin, for crying out loud! Whatever. I will say that there's just enough of this "spice" to cause this tobacco's flavor profile to deviate from that of a typical English mixture. I don't know that this spice is quite special enough to really elevate it above other blends in the crowded genre of Englishes, but hey -- it might just be your Holy Grail.

Is this a classic blend? No, although Pease has blended more than his share of those. Is it a worthwhile stop for English afficiandos? Most definitely. Do I recommend it? Sure -- your mileage may vary, even if I don't plan on adding any more of it to my cellar.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tacoeatingzebra (37)	2013-02-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've been away from the pipe since early 2008. I divorced around that time and living life in the fast lane for a while I dropped pipes aside from a bowl once every few months. The upside to this is my stash of tins and jarred bulks have gotten some quality age on them. A tin of Maltese Falcon was the last bit of pipe tobacco I bought at that point. My reintroduction was on a night in January 2013 when I popped a tin after my girlfriend quizzed me about my tobacco and pipe collection. I popped a tin of this superb blend and packed a very small Stanwell Legend acorn. Immediately, my adoration for this gentle hobby was rekindled literally and figuratively as the flame ignited the leaves. There is a swirling spiciness to this tobacco- a very curry like sweet spiciness like the Indian Korma or the Thai Panang. To my tastes, the Latakia is here in a supporting role. The tangy orientals and sweet Virginias dominate, switching back and forth at various times as the cardamom, cumin and nutmeg flavors intrigue and delight. My sole complaint is that it's a tad dry, as others report. I've been pouring a tiny amount of Evian in its cap and top of the tobacco in the tin and putting in a ziplock bag to moisten up a bit. Try this stuff!!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	twaksak (54)	2015-09-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Another winner from GL Pease. In the tin, apart from the typical Latakia-smokiness, I smelled a leathery musky flavour. After lighting the bowl, I was greeted with the smokiness from the Latakia and, for the first time in a tobacco, a berry-like sweetness accompanied by roasted chocolaty flavour. As I went down the bowl, the sweetness fainted but the berry / chocolaty flavours stayed, bringing in some spices and citrus. Pairs wonderful with Glenmorangie Lasanta which has also notes of chocolate, citrus, butterscotch and a nutty flavour.

Another winner for me - well-balanced with the Latakia constantly their to remind you of this English blend.

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: 4Noggins

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2021-02-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was expecting a lighter English for some reason but it is certainly at least a medium. The top of the bowl comes off strongly as a Lat bomb, with its smokiness, musty sweetness, bbq but as it moves forward, the orientals are more evident with spicy, floral, earthy, woody notes come into play.. More oriental play than you find in Chelsea Morning or EMP. The sweetness isn’t strong but the flu cured leaf gives a light sweet hay in the back seat. The Red viriginas seem to pick up more as the bowl continues with some darker fruit notes. It is forgiving if puffed too hard, which I'm guilty of if lost in reading a book. The "mysterious spice" peaks up at times and is apparently ginger. From the tickle in the nose I get in the retrohale, I would concur.

I have found few English blends that could be labeled "complex". This is one of them. It isnt a standard medium English mixture and that itself gives it bonus points. Definitely a recommended blend. 8.5/10

Age When Smoked: 2 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2019-10-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoked a tin of this a few months ago and with the fast approaching fall\winter season I knew this was a blend I had to restock, purchased 2 more tins and opened the one I had left dated 3/19. Just as I remembered it, a somewhat sweet ginger casing, with Latakia that is smoky but not as rich as other English blends, these components compliment each other perfectly and I can see why this always flies off the shelves. I will be buying more for the cellar as this is a top 5 blend.

100% an all day smoke. Buy it if you want a change of pace for English blends, if you don’t like it now let it sit for a bit.

Pipe Used: MM general cob

Age When Smoked: 7 months

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2019-01-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcon is another great English/Balkan blend from GLP. Tin note is mostly Latakia and a sweet difficult to identify element along with the base tobacco aroma. Really nice Like many Pease blends the moisture is on the drier side but perfect to smoke out of the tin. The smoke is really complex, another hallmark of GLP English blends...as a rule. The smoke is Latakia forward: sweet, smokey and slightly creamy from the Cyprian leaf. The Virginia's are what I really enjoy most in the blend and what I believe provide the complexity. The VA blend is earthy, sweet with both toasty and bready flavors. The Orientals are woody and slightly spicy and really support the other flavors. The topping, whatever it is is always present but in a very subtle but distinct way, the way a topping should be done. First class smoke.

Pipe Used: Briar’s and cob’s

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	orka (66)	2018-01-14		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the tin is a mix of dark, brown and bright tobaccos in what appears to be more or less equal proportions. Tobacco came in excellent moisture for smoking straight from the tin. Very nice, mildly topped tin note, which after a while gives way to leather, peat, a bit of earth and a hint of grass aromas.

Some sweet added topping here, no doubt. Some reviewers have suggested ginger as the mystery spice, so that's pretty much all I can think about now (but it does however seem quite plausible that that's the right answer). Honestly, had I known that when I pondered the purchase, I think I would have picked another tin instead - but it works! So I'm kind of glad I didn't know.

Surprisingly mild and sweet on the char. A bit of zest on the side stream. Herbal, smoky sweetness lingers on the tongue after a puff. For some reason I'm thinking (faint) orange/lemon peel on the exhale, but there is also something else that lends a sweet taste that doesn't appear to be just virginias, that together with a bit of dry mustiness forms an intriguing, albeit probably not all natural, mixture. I'm thinking this is where the mystery spice comes to the fore and mixes things up a little.

There is a slight oriental tanginess, and I wish there would be more where that came from, but other than that minor personal objection, this is a very nice mixture with lots of flavour, perhaps a bit too heavy handed with the latakias, as it seems to drown out the VA's a bit at about the 2/3 mark, and while I find this to be too bad, I'm sure it won't bother latakia fans all that much. It could of course be that my tastebuds are simply not astute enough to pick up on the nuances when the latakias kick into high gear, but whatever the case may be, it remains a quite robust and creamy smoke until the last embers go out with only a bit of increased spiciness.

In conclusion a tasty, smooth and satisfying smoke in the medium to full range. Never harsh and always well behaved in the pipe, but as noted above, perhaps a bit too heavy on the latakias at the expense of the virginias. Recommended for those who like lots of latakia, with a sweet edge to it.

Pipe Used: Peterson 150, Stanwell billiard.

Age When Smoked: < 1 year (tin date: 2-27-17).

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JasonH (4)	2017-11-27		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This site along with your reviews have really made this pipe smoking adventure so much more enjoyable. I have been a pipe smoker off and on for 10 years but it wasn’t until this last year that I really learned to smoke a pipe and with this site and your reviews, have made this a wonderful and pleasurable journey. Discovering all these tobaccos has been a revelation.

GL Pease – Maltese Falcon is an upper tier English blend in my experience. I found my tins to be nearly perfect moisture and ready to load and and smoke without any further maintenance needed.

While there is a Latakia fore note to this tobacco it’s not at all over powering. The Oriental/Turkish are also readily identifiable and add a really nice spice note to the creamy smoke that I have found the norm for this blend. What I really like about this blend is its sweetness. I have noticed, and I am not sure if its variation in the tobacco or “mouth chemistry” on a given day but the level of sweetness does seem to vary slightly. I REALLY like this as a filler in my rotation due to this sweetness.

While this could easily be an all-day smoke, that is not generally how I work this one into the rotation. But what I am finding is that I really crave this smoke and its sweetness regularly. What really strikes me is how well the component tobaccos seem to work together. The word “harmony” is fitting in my mind.

I have read that the “mystery spice” in this blend is ginger. I can’t say one way or the other that this is 100% accurate. My suspicions is that there is ginger in this blend. If you have ever eaten raw ginger (its great for an upset stomach) there is an after taste that is sweet/spicy and earthy all at the same time. I have hints of this in the after taste of this tobacco at the back of the tongue, if that makes sense. I find it rather pleasant and unique.

This is one of my go-to tobaccos and it has the distinction of being my recommendation to new smokers for a first English/Balkan. It has all the characteristics of a good English blend but it’s very well balanced and smooth. I can see a die hard English or Balkan fan wanting a more amped up blend and this is certainly not a Latakia bomb and overall I will say it very middle of the range strength and taste. But there is an incredible balance and subtlety to this blend that I just adore.

This is one of a handful of tobaccos that’s I keep in good supply. Were it available in bulk, it would most certainly have a more prominent place in my rotation and cellar.

Pipe Used: A little of everything

Age When Smoked: New up to 6months

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill 965, Westminster.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2019-10-13		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Deep and rich Latakia blend. It’s very well done. There are multiple types of tobacco in here, but they meld harmoniously into this blend. Taste is Latakia forward, and it’s meaty and buttery, like burnt steak gristle. There is some sweetness in there to balance out the savory. Also, in my opinion the “mystery spice” is fresh ginger. My tin was less than a year old and I have another tin I’m going to let rest. I think this could improve with some age. The Latakia could use some mellowing.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2018-11-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very interesting take on the English theme. Maltese Falcon is indeed a full bodied English with considerable amounts of Latakia yet it does not offer that classical in-your-face campfire taste. Here the smokiness is exceptionally smooth and round and sweet but in a natural way. The matured red Virginias of course help. There’s no hay-like Virginia taste here. The Orientals are also ample and add a nice saltiness. And though full bodied, the strength is not more than medium. As for the secret spice, I do not detect any added flavoring but overall Maltese Falcon has a taste reminiscent of coffee or bitter chocolate, so if I had to place my bets on what the secret spice was, I’d say either or both of the above mentioned. Or it could be that it contains some unflavored Black Cavendish which gives these tastes.

The cut is ribbon and the overall hue is quite dark. I found a few twigs in it and it can be smoked without any need for drying. Room note is almost pleasant and sweet for a Latakia blend.

Overall Maltese Falcon is n excellent modern English which can be smoked all day and also pairs well with coffee and for me it’s a nice first smoke of the day.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2018-04-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

My my! What a good smoke!

The description sums this blend up very well, which is somewhat rare in and of itself. I don't know what I can add. Let me just say this tobacco goes straight into my top 5, hell I'm tempted to say top 3.

If you like English blends you have to try this. Don't expect it to bowl you over, it isn't massively strong, doesn't have overwhelming Latakia, but thats what I love, this tobacco is remarkably well balanced. And this smokes fantastically through the bowl to the last dottle.

Pipe Used: Tsuge The Tasting 23

Age When Smoked: 032218 (on the tin)

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2017-01-05		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

GL Pease blends have a reputation of being heavy handed with the latakia. But fear not (or prepare for disappointment) Maltese Falcon is no Lat bomb. The latakia does overpower the other tobaccos (Virginias and orientals) to begin with, but have patience eventually a mild sweetness (from the Virginias) comes to the forefront with a nice spiciness in the background. If you like medium English blends then look no further this is the blend you've been looking for. Light it again Sam.

Age When Smoked: New

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-11-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pease Pilgrimage Reviews (a tasting journey through every GLPease blend) Tin date: Bought in bulk from the very friendly folks at Romeo's in Rogers, AR.

I believe this is my favorite Pease English blend to date!

Aroma: Quintessential medium to full english, but with a tad more sweetness than I'm used to in such a Latakia-heavy blend.

Appearance: Quite dark, looks like at least 50% Latakia by appearance, but I don't think the ratio is actually that high. There's the occasional bright yellow leaf here and there, and the rest is brown to golden leaf. There are several twigs (actually veins, I suppose) in the blend, along with some nickel-sized chunks of Latakia. But this just adds to the fun. I like opening up one of those big leaves and dreaming about growing my own tobacco this summer.

Pipe 1: Savinelli Bulldog Pipe 2: Peterson Dublin Pipe 3: Nording Signature Freehand Pipe 4: Stanwell Vario Billiard

Flavor: This tobacco shines in any and every pipe I've tried. The charring light is usually my favorite part of the pipe ceremony (same with cigars), where the flavors are toastiest and warmest, and this is no exception. The toasty orientals meld with the very mildly sweet Virginias, and it's all overlaid by the rich, slightly bitter smokiness of the Latakia. This is in my opinion the best balanced of the Pease heavy-Latakia blends, at least for my Latakia-lovin' palate.

As the bowl progresses, the light toastiness quickly gives way to a rich and hearty smoke that begs for a campfire and a calm, starry night. The room note is actually really nice, like burnt toast or steaks burning on the grill with a sweet, charred honey rub.

I have no trouble keeping it lit, but then this sample was quite dry. I believe the boys at Romeo's had opened an 8 oz. tin, and they bagged up two ounces of it for me. I'm sure it's a bit more moist when fresh from the tin, but this level of dryness works perfectly for me. I just stuff it in carelessly, one or two or three layers depending on the pipe, and put the fire to it. And the embers very obediently offer up a sacrifice of rich flavor that coerces you to just sit back and think about important things.

Four stars for this excellent Pease English, and it's on my "stock up" list.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wally Frank Collector (46)	2020-05-28		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

This was gifted to me by a pipe smoking friend who swore it is great. I couldnt wait to try it. Opening the Can I was greeted by a strong mixture of aromas that took me by surprise. This is supposed to be smooth? I found that hard to believe but took another whiff to find a rather earthy and woody blend that had rich musty smell with smoky overtones that were pleasant joined by a spicy smell, yet almost overpowering.

The tobacco seemed perfect in moisture and I did not dry it on paper towel as is my habit. This burned slow, steady, required minimal re-lights. The cut was ribbon and burned evenly. It is smooth, very smooth and it does not bite, I am a sipper but I did a few puffs just to test and it didn't heat up the bowl, it didn't increase in heat or even hint of a bite. Very pleased when it burnt to the bottom of the bowl with no unpleasant taste and left a darker gray ash with just a touch of moisture.

Upon lighting I was greeted by profusive smooth smoke.... then the flavor hit and I was pleasantly surprised for I was met with a pleasant smoky, earthy and woody taste that had a light spicy background with a subtle hint of orange and Ginger which I love... mmmmmmmmm..... The taste is nothing like the explosive aroma when you open the can. It is pleasant and the different flavors play excellently together. I was really relishing this bowl.

At around the halfway point in the bowl a pleasant very mild peppery taste appeared and it absolutely topped off the experience with this smoke. My mouth experienced a very nice sweet smoky aftertaste from the beginning of the bowl that 45 minutes after finishing the bowl is still there and I am enjoying.

For this bowl I used a Weber Squat Bulldog with saddle bit and a meerschaum lining. Sort of fitting for a English blend I thought.

This proved to be one excellent experience and Matlese Falcon is definitely a favorite that will go into my regular rotation. Don't be fooled by the overpowering aroma when opening the can. This is a wonderfully flavored tobacco that has a bit of complexity in its flavors but they play excellently together to produce a smooth, wonderfully pleasant experience. The only other thing approaching overpowering is the amount of smoke this produces and the strong smoky room note that is pleasant and was enjoyed by those around me.

This is not an all day smoke, it is perfect for after dinner to cap the day off with. Perhaps with a Stout or a Johnnie Walker or your favorite adult beverage.

This is a full blown 4 star and if there were five stars I'd give it to Maltese Falcon. The only reason it is not my absolute favorite blend is because I couldn't do multiple bowls of this, absolutely fills my tobacco needs in one bowl.

Pipe Used: Weber Squat Bulldog Saddle Bit Meerschaum Lined

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gift from friend

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Novaki (41)	2020-04-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

The flavor here isn't too strong. It's actually kind of weak for an English. It has a subtly sweet, sour and savory flavor. I always feel like I'm not getting enough flavor or smoke from this blend, so I tend to burn myself on it. This is probably operator error though as I'm not used to smoking this type of mixture. I tend to gravitate toward burley that has plumes of billowing smoke in every puff. Definitely not unpleasant. I managed to smoke two bowls in a row, despite this being a bit stronger than what I'm used to. I actually enjoyed the nic-hit here since it seems to be square in the middle for me - not too strong, not too weak. I don't like that the nicotine seems so much stronger than the flavor, almost like it doesn't fit the overall strength in a way. Regardless, I think this is a great introduction to GL Pease and a fantastic smoke. If this is what all Pease blends are like then I can't wait to try some more.

Pipe Used: MM Cobs

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	boc777 (39)	2020-03-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The falcon has a cult like following, and it should. This is an incredible blend, and in my opinion, the best GLP has to offer and that is saying a lot, as they have a very extensive lineup with outstanding products. Falcon for me has just the right amount of Latakia when I'm not reaching for something stronger. The spiciness of all the orientals tickles my nose and delights my pallet. I have struggled with some GLP blends that tend to need a ton of relights or ghost my pipes. Not so with the Falcon. This is a superb blend that I recommend to anyone, of any experience with pipes. I think its perfect for someone looking to just break out of aromatics and trying an English or Oriental blend for the first time. Or, for the more experienced, this is a brilliant break from overpowering, strong tobaccos. This, for me is the easiest and most enjoyable smoke from GLP. A classic tobacco with a great name to boot. (Which does not always guarantee a great product, see my Haunted Bookshop review LOL) You can't go wrong with this. If you don't like the falcon, well maybe your palette needs adjusted.

Pipe Used: Big fat Velanis

Age When Smoked: new

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2019-09-14		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sometimes I look at my reviews and think maybe I'm handing out 4 star reviews more than I should. Then I think to myself, "That's crazy talk! This is a great time to be a pipe smoker because of all the fantastic blends that are out there, plus the pipe community's massive collection of online reviews makes it easy to avoid clunkers!" Come to think of it I'm not sure if I said that last part in my head or out loud. It's ok, I'm home alone.

So anyway, how about that Maltese Falcon? I see some polarized thoughts on this one, and I have a message for those of you who think it's terrible:

You're crazy.

Not quite 'talk-to-yourself-about-your-online-tobacco-reviews' crazy, but at least partially unhinged.

I'm joking of course...different strokes and all that. I'm just trying to express how much I love this stuff. It's a very good, straight-up English blend on the merits of its tobaccos, but the lightly-applied topping (apparently ginger, but I think there's something else in there too) gives it a flavor dimension that sets it apart from the crowd.

I've joked that the secret ingredient in Maltese Falcon must be crack, judging from how difficult it is to remove the pipe from my mouth once I start smoking it. There's a not quite sweet, not quite savory flavor in there that I find mouth watering, like umami but not. I'm not even sure it's a flavor. Whatever it is, I'm a big fan.

The only other blend I've tried that has a similar mysteriously addictive flavor(?) is Samuel Gawith Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake.

I could smoke this all day, and it might even be my desert island choice. Even the name is great. The label looked bad-a** until it was shrunk to half its size by that stupid warning label. It's still cool though.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2019-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased several tins in Mid 2008 during the initial release of this blend, so my review is for an 11 year old version.

Tin appearance: Majority of dark brown leaf, along with the darkness of the Latakia. Very little bright Va makes up this blend. Aroma of intoxicating smoky Latakia, woody (cedar-like) and somewhat sweet smelling.

Packing/lighting/smoking:

Packs with ease, as you would expect with a fine ribbon cut. 2 charring lights are usually all that is required. Seemed to burn a bit uneven, no matter how I packed it. If there was any ginger spice added, it is all but gone from aging. I do not detect any spice whatsoever. I also do not detect much sweetness, especially after the description said there was. The Perique does leave a pleasant, almost menthol mouth feel, which I like, but it also leaves my mouth dry and "chalky" as DK said. Had it not been for the dry mouth feel, this would've been a solid 3.5 stars. Would make a great all-day English for those who enjoy it.

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: 11 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Preacher Pipes (12)	2019-09-02		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Tolerable

I didn’t like this blend. I got very little flavor from it other than what I assume was the ginger. The smoke seemed hot throughout the bowl, too.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Mega 320

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Gift

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	toddsmith7378 (41)	2018-04-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Finally, A Pease Blend that lives up to the Hype. This is a Balkan.

It's a near perfect cut and moisture. This one has a lot of the oriental flavor I've come to recognize in the top blends I relish. I do taste the Virginia and Latakia and not much casing of this special flavor at all. It really is one of the smoothest Balkans I've tried. It's really oriental forward and I know the other stuff is there, but it's rounded and only embellishes the oriental to my taste. Reminds me of something between Blackhouse and White Knight which are both two of my favorite blends based of old Balkan Sobranie's.

It's nice to finally get something truly Balkan from Pease. Wish I'd hit this one sooner. And it is a good one. Plum Pudding, Magnum Opus, Blackhouse, Balkan Sasieni are all the best blends which are just so good calling any better than the rest is a superfluous gesture. This Pease offering is in that company.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hunter (54)	2016-06-07		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A full-bodied, solid Latakia blend. Very smoky, rich and surprisingly complex. Skillfully blended orientals. Not for the faint of heart.. Definitely blended for the English smoker. I would not recommend this for the beginning smoker.

Pairs well with port.

Pipe Used: Meer, briar

Age When Smoked: New tin

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TnRooster (15)	2014-06-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wow! Super flavor! Like another member said, my can was so full, I could barely get a pinch without the tobacco spilling over the side; packed!! Perfect moisture content. Initial light was a "whoah" moment for me, as the latakia immediately jumped forward. A couple puffs later, and it died down to the background, while a myriad of flavors began dancing around. I'm not experienced enough to positively identify much, but there was sweetness, some light acidity on the tongue, subtle hints of dark chocolate maybe, sometimes a floral hint and I swear, a ginger-type flavor danced in and out. Maltese Falcon is definitely interesting. I doubt I will get bored of trying to nail down the flavor profile any time soon. Grab a tin! You won't regret it!

P.S.- I'm new to latakias and would highly recommend this blend to someone curious about English blends, like me.

Pipe Used: MM Mark Twain pipe

Age When Smoked: 4 months

Purchased From: PipesAndCigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Andy Stewart (2)	2014-05-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've REALLY wanted to try Maltese Falcon ever since someone told me a few months ago that the 'secret spice' is ginger. I love ginger and smoking a tobacco containing it and made by Mr Pease had to be to die for. MF has been on the TAD order sheet any number of times, only to be trumped by cost or something more exciting, so I was overjoyed when the box containing this and other goodies arrived at my desk today. I even slipped out in the afternoon to pop the lid and give it a blast in a lat-preferred pipe I've been carrying in anticipation of the arrival.

Hmmmm - not sure, you know?

I like it. I do! The artwork is great and the tin-note is smoky and tangy without being too strong. The tobacco is beautiful, with a contrast of shades from light tobacco to almost black; it packed very easily and smoked all the way down to a fine grey ash after one true light. There was a negligible nicotine hit.

I can taste the restrained latakia - not too much spice - and the smudge of exotic Orientals. ZuluCollector is right; the citrus is definitely blood-orange (which is a great description) rather than lemon. It's not sharp, but rather a light bitter-sweet acid that is enjoyable and would be more so if it only had a fuller, sweeter counterpoint.

And that's my ever-so slight disappointment, at least from the bowls I've had so far. I hear and read about the sweetness and the cream, but I don't get them! I just want a teaspoonful more sweetness, a few pounds more body, an extra yard more breadth and depth to push this from a lovely, mildly different latakia-based blend to one I can float in every time I walk with a pipe of MF stuck in my gob. Maybe I'll get more ginger in my next tin. Maybe I'm missing something. Maltese Falcon is a hugely enjoyable smoke and I will persist with it, but still...

Pipe Used: Stanwell Featherweight Smooth 302

Age When Smoked: 2014

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

Similar Blends: Westminster; MM965.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2013-12-14		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

As some reviewers have pointed out, I too am in a quandary at all the English/ Balkan/ Latakia blends from GLP and others. It is hard trying to pick the fine points and nuances out. I can only say , "I like this one". I decided to air and dry this blend a little more than needed and to smoke it in a short nose-warmer CLAY! I feel that the clay, while it smokes hot, can give a pure tobacco taste test. (BTW, don't want to do advertising, but if you want a quality tobacco ,"Clay" go to "Dawnmist Studios", lovely people, quality product & they ship to the US.) Back to the review after this word from our sponsor.

I noticed a nice balance , a creaminess and most notable an exotic herbal incense scent from the Oriental in this blend, when " French inhaled", very nice. The search was on, I thought it was "Lagonda", this was similar but less pronounced, then Tudor Castle, yes, closer, it could be a touch of Yenidje that I was picking out of the Maltese Falcon. ( Reviewer, " Ehring(39) seemed to pick this out also) . I'm not sure, but I will say that MF is smoother than either of the previous listed blends and is interesting.

Will I give this 4 stars, Never , not until I've smoked this over a longer period of time, but it has a good chance of getting there.

Updated 2015-8-8, I've now smoked 3 tins of the blend and I like it more and more. It's a little stronger than I first indicated and a little richer. It has a great base note that is very creamy and dark . It's hard to describe , but it reminds me of when I'm drinking an espresso coffee or eating some 85% dark chocolate, creamy , dark, satisfying. Please don't take this comment as if this is a topped coffee or chocolate blend. I"m ready to make this a 4 star.

Pipe Used: Clay, cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month/ 1 1/2 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-06-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I have been smoking a pipe for about 7 years. All this time I have truly loved smoking a pipe. I love to look at pipes. I love reading about pipe manufacturers, tobaccos and pipe smoking. And I have enjoyed puffing on various blends. All this time I had not come across anything that would qualify as a “desert island” blend for me. There have been a couple of tobaccos that I fairly enjoyed, but nothing that really rang my bell. I read reviews describing delicious and creamy blends, but my experience was usually not as notable. But a few months ago I got around to opening up my tin of Maltese Falcon. The first bowl was FANTASTIC. I remember thinking that if every bowl was that good, then I had found my Arcadia.

The Falcon is smooth, creamy and just a little sweet. Not in any sort of cloying way. There is a flavor that you just can't put a finger on. Something different in this leaf jumps out at you from time to time. I have dedicated my meerschaum solely to this blend, and find that I am smoking that pipe more frequently than ever before. This smokes velvety smooth, and I think it has a great room note. This is one that is great to blow thru the nose. There is definitely nothing harsh about this English blend.

My 1st tin arrived VERY dry, but this did not seem to affect the smoking qualities. My next tin had a more typical moisture level, and seems to smoke even better for it. I play around with my packing methods with this one. I am finding some methods are so-so, while others make this one shine. I recently ordered a pound of this blend, and plan on ordering more.

If you are looking for something unique, give this one a try. If it doesn't float your boat, you can send what's left to me. Happy puffing!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcon is one of the most elegant English mixtures I've smoked. The overall flavor is not dominated by the Latakia addition, which have been added in this blend just to catch a distinctive English taste.

The sweetness of fine Virginia mixed up with a great spicy sweet oriental makes this blend very special for my taste. As I said, Latakia is present only for a cool delicious smoke, which does not mask the sweet exotic mixture of Virginia-Oriental.

The Orientals in this mixture are loaded with sugar and a silky, oily, spicy taste. I am not sure but they may be Yenidje or Izmir (or both) leaf. I don't remember when I've tasted last time this well some Orientals and Virginias in a English mixture. IMO the English mixtures of the market are generally loaded with much Latakia, again IMO, mainly for masking the unsuccesful Va-Oriental mixtures. Well Maltese Falcon is not one of those blends. It is sweet, exotic, flavorful and extremely nicely balanced. The Latakia power suits very well for a mild to medium strength Smokes cool and slow, leaving a long lasting delightful taste on my palat and tongue.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Very Pleasant

This deep blend goes great for breakfast. The full taste is better than a cup of coffee.

I typically smoke it on the way to work each day and at night.

Pease has really done it with this one.

-The wife loves it. -The leaves are not balanced. They support in varying degrees. -It's relaxing as hell.

I endorse this one and always have cans in stock.

**

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I have recently returned to smoking a pipe after about a twenty-five year hiatus. Quite a lot of changes have occurred in the meantime, I must say, and not all to the good.

Gone is my local Pipe Shop, where one could try a bowl of many of the proprietors hand blends, or have one's own tastes met by a custom blend. Gone is Balkan Sobranie, and nearly all the Dunhill line, including my favorite tinned tobacco - Nightcap. My jaw dropped when I saw what a tin of the venerable Nightcap goes for on E-bay!

Enter the internet, and shopping by tobacco review. I purchased a smorgasbord of English-Balkan - Virginias based blends, with a couple others which included some burley for an alternative universe.

I must say that the only tobacco I ordered in any bulk was 4 ounces of Squadron Leader, based in no small part the recommendations of this forum. I regret to say it has been the most disappointing of all the selections I am trying out.

To my palate, Squadron leader is is too bitter, doesn't have enough Latakia smokiness, and the Orientals are too forward, leading to a flavor which is too arid. The flavors don't 'dance' for me, and after several bowls under different conditions, I just can't recommend this blend.

However, in contrast, I find GLP's Maltese Falcon to be extremely satisfying. Smoky, sweet, complex - now this blend 'dances' for me, with flavors developing intriguingly throughout the bowl. And very mild compared to S.L., despite arriving too dry in the tin.

Twenty-five years ago I spent a lot of time trying to find the 'perfect' English blend, and I think I have stumbled upon it here with Maltese Falcon. Rich, sweet, smoky and complex yet smokes like velvet.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-10-22		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Listen Up Fellow Citizens!!

This one should NOT be missed!

I have never really liked Latakia much. In most blends it strikes me like a burning gunpowder taste. (Like all those cheap fireworks we used to set off as kids...)

On my last large order from Cornell & Deihl, they were kind enough to send me a small sample of Maltese Falcon. (1oz. I think.)

I can't rave enough about this tobacco, and the smoking experience you will no doubt enjoy. Yes, some reviewers who like their English strong, (bordering on industrial paint stripper,) will find this one not as strong as they are used to.

The blend just sings from 1st to last light. The Latakia is always present, but weaves in and out with a symphony of other flavors and notes. It stays interesting throughout the bowl, and one flavor never takes over. The Virginia and Orientals are top notch. Truly another example where the sum of the parts creates a whole new entity, eclipsing what you thought the sum would be.

It lights well, smokes clean, burns down to a fine ash with little dottle. It gets a tad stronger past mid-bowl.

I can't stress enough that, as I have tried many different blends, and making a true study of blends, this one is tops. So many Latakia blends to me are just monotone. Full-on smokey, burnt flavor.

This blend has me actually craving that unique Latakia flavor. Probably because it is not overwhelming.

If you are already a Latakia fan, this one could be a great lighter smoke. If you have hesitated on trying an English, this one is a great starter.

Best of luck, and happy smoking!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Strong

The stuff that dreams are made of? Well, I dunno, but definitely a delicious medium English. GLP is, to me, hit-or-miss -- but this one is definitely a hit. Previous reviewers have described the taste very accurately: perfectly balanced, with a wonderful latakia at once softened by Orientals and complicated by Virginias. It reminds me of some of the best Buteras, like Latakia #2 and Pelican (it falls somewhere between the two). Definitely a ketchup/BBQ tin aroma, recalling McClelland. The "mysterious spice," however, is very mild, running through it all like a fine thread. I wish someone could figure out what it is! The main effect is to add a hint of molasses-like sweetness in the background.

Congratulations to Pease for the blend -- clearly, "a man of nice judgment and many resources" -- and ZuluCollector for the excellent label design.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-03-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The latest GLPease offering is very Dunhill-ish in style. Not the crappy Dunhill blends of nowadays, but the good ones of old! Personally I don't find it very similar to Raven's Wing... but it sure is an excellent tobacco, very nutty, with a bold Virginia base and a huge leathery smokiness. Not a simple Latakia-feast, and that's why I said that it reminded me of some good Dunhills of old like Standard Mixture or London Mixture, perhaps even more than Westminster (which was MEANT to be a replica of London Mixture).

What else to say to avoid repeating myself? It is a great tobacco, with a perfect cut and moisture, which packs and smokes great, with loads of flavour, easy to enjoy casually or contemplatively. A great medium-full English mixtures with no frills: simply great respect for tradition, and for a truly classic style.

Personally I enjoy Westminster a bit better (it is even more consistent, and more "unique" in my rotation)... but you really can't go wrong with such a tobacco. Its main asset is that it already tastes aged and timeless straight from a fresh tin... and that alone is a huge feat!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-25		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Wowsers! I have just gone through my first tin of this and it is a thoroughly satisfying tobacco. I love English blends and this has all that I love in an English blend. I prefer to smoke these types of blends in large-size bowls, at least a large group 4 or, even better, group 5. I have smoked Maltese Falcon in at least seven large pipes, including a couple of Dunhills, a couple of large Cavicchi's, a large Ser Jacopo and a Mastro de Paja "poker". I've even had a couple of smokes of this in a meerschaum. Each and every smoke has been exceptional. I believe a "clean" pipe lends itself best to this blend - by "clean" I mean a pipe that is well aired, well dried and receives a good swabbing out with pipe cleaners after each smoke and a couple days of rest between smokes. I initially ordered three tins in order to try the tobacco out while allowing the second tins to gain some age; immediately after trying the first few pipe bowls I ordered another three tins for further aging and continued smoking... I should have ordered at least six more tins as my favorite etailer, Smoking Pipes (Low Country Tobaccos - and no affiliation on my part) is sold out. I am now awaiting this becoming available in the 8 oz. tins so that I can stockpile as much of this as possible. While I love GLP Westminster, Caravan, Abdingdon and Charing Cross and have substantial amounts of those (particularly Westminster and Charing Cross) stockpiled, Maltese Falcon has, at least in this first tin, met my complete desire in what I look for in a fully satisfying English blend. I'll continue to enjoy my Sam Gawith blends, my occasional Dunhill (Night Cap and 965), C&D's Byzantium as well as a few VaPers of various brands, but I can see already that Maltese Falcon will remain at the top... unless Greg Pease comes up with something that exceeds even this. (I can't wait to see what Maltese Falcon will be like with about 3 - 6 months aging.) Just an all-around fantastic blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Rich, yet not overpowering. Full, yet delicate. This is excellent tobacco. I wish I had a better tobacco vocabulary, because I just can't describe how tasty and smooth this tobacco is.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-03		Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Strong

The tin aroma is smoky and as jakeolsen mentioned it does remind me of Kansas City Style BBQ sauce! I rubbed it out a bit and noticed a rather strange piece of tobacco that looked suspiciously like a wood chip.

The Latakia in this stands out wonderfully against the Virginias. This smoke burns very cool producing a well rounded, medium taste. Mild floral notes in the nose and somewhat exotic flavor that's very mild on the center of the tongue.

Halfway through the bowl the nicotine was more noticeable after some heavy puffing but the burn remained cool with no bite. Impressive!

The room note was very unpleasant to the girlfriend, she asked me to return to the office(where I am frequently sent under these circumstances).

This new blend from G.L. Pease is something he should be well pleased with. I believe it is a perfect blend for both the neophyte as well as the experienced smoker. It has enough flavor to satisfy and burns remarkably well while staying cool the whole while. I will be buying more of this to age.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-01-31		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Upon popping the tin I was hit with what I can only describe as a barbecue essence(?) This stuff was definitely smoky, but had a very slight Virginia tang to it. (Maybe this is why the thoughts of barbecue?) The presentation to me was much like Westminster. In fact, I'd say this is around one shade darker than Westminster(comparing the two side by side).

Upon first light I was blasted with that intense latakia flavor. I quickly learned that, like Red Rapparee, to smoke this blend too quickly would be a huge error on my part. Once I settled down, I began to really feel the interaction between the components of this blend. Just when the latakia would start to seem to cover all, there would be a little spice from the orientals, and then a touch of tang from the Virginias, begging to be noticed. It was a symphony of flavors, with the latakia often stealing the spotlight. All of the components are quality, and I'm sure this will be obvious with a little patience in smoking.

Overall, I found this blend to be delightfully intriguing and complex. I have only had one bowl thus far, and so I almost feel as if I am doing a disservice by reviewing it on first impression alone. This blend did have a little nicotine kick for me. I would really recommend purchasing several blends to cellar away. I can only imagine the greatness of this blend when the latakia mellows a tad, and all of the components really sing a wonderful song together.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2021-05-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

The tin aroma is mainly leather and smoked, already pointing to the predominance of latakia in the organoleptic qualities of the mixture. This is something that is verified when lighting the tobacco and taking the first puffs, although it must be said that it is a very good quality latakia, with a very rich flavor.

Despite what has been said and resorting to the topic, it cannot be said that it is a "latakia bomb", since the orientals and the virginia are there to soften the intensity of the dark ingredient a bit and give it a bittersweet touch that is appreciated, but always leaving him the leading role. Of course, it will delight those smokers who are on the "dark side."

In the pipe it behaves really well, burning without difficulty with few re-ignitions, although if it is smoked too quickly it tends to produce humidity.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2021-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one tastes like it could be an old classic dunhill blend or something like that .. just a lovely smooth sweet smoke.. I like to smoke it at night for some reason.. could be the power of suggestion.. the film 'maltese falcon' makes me think of the dark of night.. The blend has quite a bit of latakia but somehow it never gets overpowering or harsh.. it is toned down somewhat by the sweetness from what I'm assuming is the virgina.. could be some added sweetness too.. that i can't tell... the orientals are there too, but not in full out balkan kind of way.. this blend sits right in the middle in the way the components interact.. the spice that is mentioned seems to come out more as an aftertaste.. somehow people have decided it's ginger.. if it is ginger it is incredibly subtle. This is a very pleasant blend.. it doesn't have quite the depth of some of my favorite pease blends but it could become a favorite as time goes by.. it leaves you with a nice taste.. I think that spice element kicks in a little more towards the end of the bowl.. it is is rare for me to smoke an English that doesn't feel boggy and somewhat off putting at the end of the bowl..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2021-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nothing more than a good EM. I couldn’t be abele to detect the mysterious spice mentioned in the description, maybe my smoking technique isn’t so good. Anyway a good everyday tobacco

Pipe Used: Peterson silver sterling

Purchased From: Dubiti

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Azirish (18)	2020-11-19		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Tin note for me is a smokey, almost faint coal. But with added sweetness and rich earth. Think a hearth in a farmhouse with some oatmeal raisin cookies cooling on the table. Moisture level required maybe 10 minutes dry time. Packs beautiful and smokes wonderfully. This has a gentle creamy smokiness to it which allows the red Virginia to make a delicious mark. The orientals are there in a strong supporting role and there is a nice sweetness throughout the bowl along with a gentle spice. This is, in my opinion close to perfection in blending techniques in that all the components can be smelled and tasted in harmony. Very good.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rturrubi (6)	2020-10-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

One of the cigars that are in my daily rotation, from the very first time I smoked it. The balance between acidity, sweetness and smokiness made this tobacco one of my favorites.

I have always opted for English blends from the extinct Dunhill house and those of Hearth & Home of which I take Daybreak and London Mixture as a standard as far as English works are concerned. I always liked that bittersweet flavor with that smoky touch that they gave me to the aftertaste.

Maltese Falcon showed up in my search for English works, when I began to inquire more about works whose content (latakia, oriental / turkish, virginia) was the same as London Mixture and Daybreak; Let's say that I set out to find a match to these blends, discovering a very, very pleasant surprise.

From the tin:

The strongest smell that reaches the nose when opening the tin, is a kind of mixture between firewood, raisins and plum. It reminds me of the smell of firewood when used on a stove while cooking something; the woody aroma is somewhat sweet and at times it seems to me to smell of raisins but, in others, it reminds me of the smell of plums. After a few minutes of smelling the tobacco from the tin, the smell of leather reaches the nose and an aroma that reminds me of, the smell of the newspaper or old books, the kind that have already turned yellow in their pages. This mixture of aromas of books, newspaper, firewood and raisins is very intense and can be a little spicy in the nostrils.

First fire (lit):

Bittersweet flavors accompanied by a not very intense woody flavor are immediately perceived on lighting. The bittersweet flavor completely dominates the ignition, leaning more, to a sour taste with light sweet notes. As the smoke progresses, the tobacco loses acidity and the balance between acidity and sweetness combine in a very pleasant bittersweet flavor with a smoky touch.

Latakia is perceived without any problem but it is not the protagonist in the smoke when it is smoked at a slow pace. Smoking at a medium to slow pace, you feel a smoky flavor that intensifies in the aftertaste and pairs very well with that sweet and sour taste. If the pace drops to very slow, the bittersweet flavor completely dominates the smoke. On the other hand, if the pace increases between medium and fast, the flavor of the latakia intensifies, presenting itself with that characteristic smokiness and a sweetness different from that of that bittersweet flavor. If it is smoked quickly, the smoked flavor intensifies greatly but along with it, that acidity returns, which although it is not annoying or unpleasant, causes the sweetness to be lost and the smoke becomes somewhat acidic or vinegary.

Subsequent (lit) fires:

Two things happen with this tobacco. The first: if it is smoked quickly in which the smoke becomes acidic, this acidity is combined with the humidity generated during the smoke, causing the re-ignition to be very bitter and somewhat unpleasant. If this happens, you have to let the pipe rest for a few minutes so that the humidity decreases and the temperature of the bowl decreases too. The second: in all cases, even when smoking at a slow to medium pace, the re-ignition is a bit acidic accompanied by a slight sweetness and a very faint smoky flavor that will intensify as the smoke progresses.

If the pace is lowered to very slow, the bittersweet flavor is present again, always, accompanied by a smoky flavor that does not dominate. The bittersweet flavor is always the protagonist when it is smoked at this rate; if it goes even lower (such as when practicing for a slow smoking contest) the bittersweet taste can scald the tongue. While tobacco does not burn my tongue and does not bite, smoking it at too slow a rate has irritated my tongue a couple of times.

When it is smoked at a medium pace with variations towards a fast pace, or slow from time to time, it is possible to create very interesting nuances between the bittersweet flavor and the smoked flavor, reaching the point where neither of these is the protagonist and they converge in a very pleasant flavor both on the palate and aftertaste.

Conclusions:

This is definitely a tobacco to enjoy with a good cup of coffee or a lager beer (if it is smoked in the afternoon after lunch). It is a blend that the rookie would be captivated by its smoky and bittersweet flavor and, definitely, the smoker used to English blends, will find it very interesting since it can offer a wide range of nuances.

As I mentioned in the Odyssey tasting, this tobacco would be the first to taste in the Maltese Falcon-Samarra-Odyssey trilogy. It is a highly recommended trilogy for all lovers of Latakia. I have always been a fan of G.L. Pease and, without a doubt, this tobacco has become one of my favorite ones.

Good smoke and happy drinks!

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Mastro di Paja

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: tobacopipes.com

Similar Blends: Daybreak, London Mixture.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2020-04-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Maltese Falcon has a little secret, Dashiell Hammett himself would be pleased with the intrigue. This gorgeous smokey English blend has a secret ingredient. Very smokey.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phillip Ellis (14)	2020-04-23		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a solid English blend with a decent portion of latakia. But do not get me wrong this is not a LAT Bomb. the blend is complex and balanced for a good all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Havana Port Cigars

Similar Blends: Westminster.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ramo (14)	2020-02-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcon is an interesting blend. It's hard to put my finger on it. It's rather mild, and for the quantity of red Virginias in the blend, you would expect to be able to taste them more. Really all you get is a mild mustiness like in used book shop. It's appealing actually.

After half of the bowl, it turns into a more rich, woody mustiness. Think softwood that has been left out a while, and is starting to split. Again, quite appealing, and I wish it had more flavor.

I thought I was really missing something with this blend, but I think it needs some age on it. I will have to revisit.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	IAShop (2)	2020-01-26		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Maltese is a top quality blend but I have experienced the same results as the 1 and 2 star reviews, the flavor fades after a minute or two. Only a few 3 and 4 stars mentioned lack of flavor. At the very beginning it has one of the most outstand flavors I have experienced. Some days tobacco tastes better than others and some blends we like better than others because of our individualized pallets. To have a good experience all the way to the bottom of the pipe with this tobacco I have blended 8oz each of the following Abingdon, Kensington and Maltese Falcon and moisturized a little, this works for me. Try blending tobaccos that give you flavor all the way through and give Maltese another try. For me I will not buy more but will enjoy the blend I made. I like Lagonda and Proper English. best

Pipe Used: Stanwell, Vauen

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ChadwickGHurlburt (24)	2019-06-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm a cheerleader for G.L. Pease most of the time. However, there are occasions when one of his blends doesn't hit the mark for me. This is one of those occasions.

I don't care for that Oriental sour taste that some varieties of Orientals have. Many pipe smokers applaud this taste as a nice contribution to a smoke, but it has never been something to ring my bell. Maltese Falcon has this component and I find it distracting and unpleasant. The spiciness of the topping, while very faint, seems to make this smoke feel very drying. Even with a glass of iced tea by my side, this tobacco feels like it is drying out and burning my mouth. This is in spite of it burning cool in my pipe. Maybe its a body chemistry thing, that could be possible. Another reviewer noted that ginger may be part of the topping. If this is true, it would go a long way to explain why this blend doesn't agree with me.

I much prefer several of Pease's other English blends to this one. However, I can see it's appeal to other pipe smokers. Those who relish that Oriental sourness will find this one to be quite enjoyable. For that reason, I'm rating this as a somewhat recommended blend with two stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2019-04-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

With this blend, I will complete my reviews of GL Pease blends available as of this date. This is a a standard English bend that could use a little age from the tin I am smoking from. Nevertheless, one must review what is, not what is yet to come. The Cyprian Latakia is very pronounced, with the orientals in the background, The virginias add some sweetness. This blend does have some thing going for it, as its tastefulness is good. The burn quality is good. The flavor though is not as distinct as I would hope, being what I would consider kind of ho-hum for its genre. The orientals are a good fit, with the proportions being good. As of today, I will give it 2 stars, rather generously. I will smoke after another 6 months of age as I do see some promise

Pipe Used: Beulay number 93

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Indian River Tobacco Traders Grand Rapids Michigan

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2019-01-02		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon lighting up a bowl of the Falcon, the first thing that hit my senses is the creaminess of the smoke. It is smooth and a little sweet. Next, the Latakia makes itself known—being a notch below a full-English in my book. There is a little sweetness coming from the Virginia leaf but not much depth. The oriental varieties offer a little sour note to the smoke. The secret spice in the topping is noticeable as something used in baking, but it does not overwhelm any of the tobacco components; it dances on the tip of the tongue mostly in the beginning of the smoke.

Maltese Falcon is a good smoke. There is a little tongue bite when smoked fresh (a few weeks from the date of manufacture). Is it a four star blend? Maybe. I give it 3.5 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PA Piper (2)	2018-09-04		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is fast becoming one of my go-to's! Not sure what to compare it to since I have been only smoking a pipe for just over a year. Moisture content was perfect and could smoke it upon opening the tin (which I did).

Pipe Used: Devonshire Bent

Age When Smoked: 50

Purchased From: pipesandCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2017-04-26		Medium	None Detected	Full	Strong

Conclusion: A fine blend, full and savoury. I just miss a hint of spice or grass, something to mix it up along the ride. If you are looking for a full flavoured English that maintains it's character all the way, you should really try this.

Taste: Sweet from the start, the smokey latakia on the tongue and the nougat of in in the nose. This is salty and savoury all the same, really creamy, filling my mouth to the brim with flavour. Succulent, juicy and sweet yet salty it reminds me of barbecue. A consistent flavour, not much happening throughout the bowl. Not a bad thing though, since it's all good, unless you find it one dimensional.

Mechanics: Fine moisture level out of the tin, no bite, burns fine. A ribbon cut of medium nicotine level.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chr1st0sm1t (4)	2016-11-07		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

sigh I almost don't want to write this review. Maltese falcon was one of the highest tobaccos on my wish list, so I guess the disappointment is just so much bigger that it was indeed...a disappointment. I don't know, everyone's mentioning sweetness and flavour and spice...I almost got nothing of that. Definitely no sweetness whatsoever, while a slight spiciness made it's presence known, but not in the captivating oriental way, more a bitter bite of a clove that's lost its flavour. And more than anything, that's the problem, an immense lack of flavour. Lighting it is fairly pleasant enough, but almost right on the back of the proper light taste just disappears. It doesn't become rank or disgusting or anything, just...boring. Which is probably the biggest sin of all. Even the latakia is reserved like a freckled schoolboy at a prom dance, none of the usual testosterone slapping you in your face. I will probably give this another go sometime, just to make sure I didn't get a bad batch, but this is a Dunhill MM965 level disappointment for me.

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: +/- 6 months

Purchased From: Friend

Similar Blends: Dunhill My Mixture 965.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2016-10-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

The tin note is a pungent, smokey sweet mash up of latakia and orientals. This english is a medium english. The initial light gives that punch of sweeter latakia flavors with the orientals contributing to the bouquet, but as you smoke down through the bowl this blend tends to get very sharp like a strong cheddar. The sweetness comes and goes through the bowl, this is one of few english blends that tend to bite for me. Overall enjoyable though not an absolute favorite for me.

Pipe Used: Astas Meerschaum Bulldog

Age When Smoked: 5 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: GLP Meridian, Dunhill 965.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I don't know why I expected a Latakia bomb; instead, Maltese Falcon has really some great, sweet Virginias and a very good balance. But it lacks in personality, compared to other G. L. Pease's EMs. It's a little bit less mysterious. Anyway, 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2016-06-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This probably has to be one of the most well balanced mixtures from mr pease the Latakia runs smoothly with all the other components instead of being the main attraction, packs easily and lights better, granted my tin had 7 years of aging I think that this is probably well behaved even at young age, solid blending all around and a good introduction to the world of Pease´s blends, would I buy this blend again...absolutely but not enough to hoard

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Purchased From: Cornell & Diehl, the way it should be done.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhulsey (36)	2015-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Maltese Falcon is a creamy, full bodied English smoke that I truly enjoy. This is a full flavored, in your face Latakia blend that is sure to delight any fan of Latakia. Upon opening the tin, I am greeted by thin to medium sized uniform ribbons of mostly dark colored tobaccos. The smell is truly amazing in the tin, and the tobacco has a rich earthy smokiness that reminds me of a campfire. There are hints of sweetness from the Virginia, but that rich smoky aroma is definitely in the forefront and make it hard to find any other aromas in the tin. The moisture content of the tobacco was as expected with most GLP blends spot on perfect and ready to smoke upon delivery. Due to the cut and moisture level, it was easy enough to load the pipe and the tobacco took a light with little to no fuss. The first flavor that I taste once the pipe is up and going is the creamy, and smoky Latakia, which should be expected with the amount of Latakia that this blend contains. Like the tin description reads, this tobacco is silky smooth, and it reminds me of a dark beer like a Guinness, kind of like a milkshake, it’s so thick and creamy. As for the Virginias and Orientals in this blend, there is a slight sweetness and crispness that can be found if one searches and ponders long and hard over what they are tasting. As for the “discreet and mysterious spice” that the blend is supposed to contain, I just simply can’t find it, due to the Latakia stealing the show. Burn Characteristics of the tobacco were alright, although I find myself tamping and relighting this blend more frequently than I like, but again that should be expected with this much slow burning Latakia. The room note, according to those around me was strong but tolerable, but I would suggest smoking this one outside or away from those that don’t tolerate the smell of a strong English blend. I am lucky enough to have a loving wife that will just simply go in the other room if she doesn’t like the smell of the tobacco. Overall, I am very pleased with this tobacco and will keep a tin or two around for evenings when I want a Latakia forward blend. I would recommend this to any fan of heavy Latakia forward blends or lovers of thick, dark, dessert beers.

Pipe Used: Various Dunhills

Age When Smoked: fresh from tin

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kunsan (76)	2015-03-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

As I enjoy some other GL Pease blends, I was intrigued to try Maltese Falcon, perhaps because of the name, perhaps because of the suggestion that it has a secret spicey ingredient.

Initially I was disappointed. The secret ingredient, which might be ginger as others have suggested, came across as very dominant, so much so that it almost completely overpowers the smoking experience. I put the tin to one side thinking that at last I'd found a GL Pease that wasn't good. However I kept returning to the tin to have another smoke. Something about Maltese Falcon kept drawing me back to it. And after another few smokes I got used to the ginger topping and began to identify some sweeter nuances underneath.

Now, about half the tin later, I'm actually quite enjoying this one. Took a while to get used to it and 'identify' with it. I find I'm looking forward to it, particularly in the mornings with a cup of hot black tea, which goes nicely with the ginger taste of the tobacco.

So: an unusual tobacco to smoke. It can't be called English or Oriental because it really doesn't fit with those genres. It's pretty much unique, and after a while become very moreish. I don't think it can be a four star tobacco due to its uniqueness, but it's worth trying by anyone who fancies that special ginger topping. Packs and lights easily and produces nice clouds of smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FenneckFox (9)	2015-03-03		Medium	Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Not much extra I can add to all of the previous reviews. Opening the tin smells of Latakia and orientals. The tobacco colors range from light blonde to dark black. The taste starts off all Latakia and quickly lets you know this will not be the usual smoke. It is sweet in a way that is not overbearing but delicious. It has hints of spice and smoke and I am immediately happy. I know that this is a blend I can smoke a lot of. The nice ribbon cut is almost perfectly smoke ready, but letting a few pinches sit out for 15 to 20 min helps. Some reviews say their tin was a little dry and some say a little moist. Mine seems perfect. I will order again most certainly. Yummy sweet spicy delicious and yet remains mild enough to not scared away nic shy smokers, although it is a medium strength. Overall another winner from G.L.Pease!

Pipe Used: Various briars, cobs.

Age When Smoked: brand new and aged

Purchased From: PipesandCigars

Similar Blends: Kind of reminds me of Plum Pudding, but a little more interesting, not better per se, just more interesting..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simenon (20)	2014-05-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is something odd about Maltese Falcon and I can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps this resides in its persistent sweetness which somehow and surprisingly enhances the experience. A sweet latakia mixture. I think that alongside Westminster this should cover your bases for new world quality english mixtures. A cigar to anyone who can tell me what the "secret ingredient" consists of....

Update from early 2016: now that my tins are over 5 years old this blend is even smoother -- upgrade!

Pipe Used: A bunch

Age When Smoked: first run and 2013

Purchased From: the new king of the internet hill

Similar Blends: similar to... Not Raven's Wing -- though wasn't the original objective? , I would really like to know people thoughts on this... I have no idea..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eric Cioe (37)	2014-02-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a dark collection of leaves. It makes me think that there might be some stoved VAs in here. The nose of the tin is a smoky sweetness.

In the pipe, this one burns well right out of the tin. There is a nice play between smoke and sweet, almost like certain barbecue sauces. Weaving in and out, but mostly out, is a little bit of incense-like spice. But mostly this is a sweet latakia blend above all else, and if you like that, you can smoke it all day. This is a bit of a departure from the inspiration for this blend, the old Raven's Wing, which was quite a bit fuller and deeper, and maybe with a bit less sweetness.

The quality is evident with this one, just as it is with all GLP blends. But the sweetness is overbearing to me, just as it is with the Frog Morton blends. If you find yourself liking that sweet latakia style, you'll like this. It's just not for me, which isn't a problem, since most of the rest of the Pease latakia blends tend toward the smokier, drier blends.

I will say, however, that I did have one of my favorite pipe weekends with this blend. We were visiting relatives for Thanksgiving in SW Portland, and in the early morning I'd get up and walk the dog through the hilly neighborhood around his house, and being able to look east and see Mt. Hood with some smoky sweetness smoldering away. It was a couple of really nice mornings, even though the tobacco wasn't really for me.

Pipe Used: Tsuge kaga bent egg & others

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Frog Morton.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JoPo (7)	2013-12-24		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Probably my favorite tobacco and so far the only Latakia heavy mixture whose aroma is appreciated, maybe tolerated, by my wife. I tried Maltese Falcon as part of my seemingly never ending search for a Cyprian Latakia heavy tobacco with an aroma that my wife would not complain about. I was lukewarm on this blend at first but it really grew on me. Its flavors and aromas seem to become deeper and more interesting with each bowl. It’s a good cool smoking blend with full Cyprian Latakia flavor and aroma, set on a solid sweetish red Virginia/Oriental back bone, and enhanced with a touch of Perique like spice. Whatever this "mysterious spice" is it seems to have the dual benefit of "improving" the room note and dressing up the smoke. I find that it pairs well with black tea, scotch, or just a glass of water. Bottom line: A good cool full flavored smoke that won't knock you on your ass with nicotine and maybe, just maybe will prevent an argument when lit in the house. I recommend this blend to anyone who likes Cyprian Latakia, Perique spiced blends, or cigars.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 4109 Shell Briar; Peterson Kildare 106

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill My Mixture 965, Frog Morton, Escudo.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-11-07		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

This reminds me of Frog Morton also, minus the sweetness. I'm finding it to be one of my go-to's and will surely buy another tin when I run out. Although the main flavor is earthy, woodsy, etc- I often taste a note of anise when smoking it. This is the first tobacco that really put me into kind of a trace/indian peace pipe moment. Smells and tastes great.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2012-09-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My English Blend experiences have been Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe as well as Sutliffe Westminster. NC is a 4+ blend for me, EMP a 3, Sutliffe a 1. MF has been very difficult to quantify, in part due to its taste changing as I progress through the 2 oz. tin.

I think I burned through the majority of the bright Vas early on, and now I'm into Orientals and Latakias, and seemingly equal portions of both. Am I now smoking a Balkan blend? I'll say this, the first severals bowls-with Vas present, seemed to require many many relights, aggravating to no end. Now I burn thru bowls with minimal fire, and the taste now is smooth and mellow.

I like this taste very much, would be better than EMP for all day smoke. It's coarse cut is pleasing to me, but maybe I should have mixed it prior to smoking. I'll buy another can if other GL Pease blends prove less tasty.

UPDATED: Absence does make my heart grow fonder for this blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2012-08-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I have been a fan of Frogmorton for years and find Maltese Falcon to be similar to my tastes. However, it doesn't have the sweetness of Frogmorton. I like to call it "Frogmorton-dry." It is well done by all accounts like all Pease blends I have tried. A full Latakia experience with the classic oriental and VA component in support. Thanks Mr. Pease for conjuring up another winner.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth Vader (110)	2012-01-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As someone else commented, GLP does make a lot of Va, Lat, Or blends, but this is one of the best ones i've tasted so far. I swear i tasted something like indian curry in the middle of the first bowl i had. Unusual spices but well worth a try. As always, top notch tobacco, whether it's to your taste or not.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-07-28		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is my favorite of the Pease Latakia/Virginia blends. I tend toward Virginia based tobaccos, and the sweeetness in the Virginias (and maybe the "secret spice?)nicely rounded out what I would generally consider to be an English blend. First bowl was smoked in an old Saseini London Made Two Dot medium apple that I picked up in a rural Ohio antique store for 12 bucks. Great combination!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ranger (79)	2011-01-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Haven't reviewed in a while since I've been smoking my favorites exclusively. This is a new one for me and it was excellent. The burn was perfect, a nice latakia aroma and taste, great for anytime of the day. Not as good as Westminster, but close. 3.5 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Purchased 3 tins from the original tinning in January 2008. I opened a tin on January 2010. I smoked about a third of the tin then misplaced the Mason jar. It drove me crazy until I found it last week in my car (no pun intended).

Another very nice English blend from GLP with a unique spice that I cannot identify. Has excellent burning qualities. A wonderful change of pace but not an everyday blend for me. I would prefer a little more Virginia and perhaps some air cured leaf for a little more strength. Not quite as tasty as Westminster or Samarra in my opinion. Still, those are minor criticisms. Overall, another fine blend from GLP. I recommend all lovers of English blends give this one a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-20		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcon is a very nice blend. It has a very smoky characteristic that is creamy and well balanced. It has a nice aroma and sweet and tangy finish to it that I find appealing. The Westminster has a more balanced palate to me but this one is good for a very nice change of pace. I highly recommend this blend for experienced smokers as well as new smoker who like to try new things. Fans of aromatics won't like it but fans of English blends might find it appealing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	don1688 (27)	2010-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

"I am a Virginia smoker, Latakia blends all taste the same"

Well, that was me. I guess I'll have to change my tune. Is it the cold S. New Jersey winter this year? I don't know.

This is wonderful. It's complex, but still is a treat if you don't have the time to think about what you're smoking. Latakia? Yep it's there all the time and it tastes and smells beautifully. Is it taking over the blend? In no way. It, along with the Virginias, play very well together to let you know you're smoking a true English masterpiece. Not enough Oriental? It's not an oriental spice takeover, which I do enjoy sometimes, but it is probably not supposed to be- or he probably would have blended it in that fasion. But, with that being said, they are there in a condiments fasion weaving in and out to keep things interesting.

Green? My tin is dated with one month on it- and it tastes superb. Age will only marry the flavors more and make it unbelievably spectacular. But green, no way, just a tad young because it does have a wonderful virginia leaf base. To me, green means weed still in the field. Processing, pressing and curing kill the green leaf. Just my two cents.

You can't go wrong with this one. And I'm screwed because I don't have a large Balkan/English cellar. My wallet's gonna take a hit.

And, I like the descriptions on the tins. They are fun to read and can help an idiot like me decide which direction to go when chosing a blend. But, don't go by me I once wanted to buy a VW because it came with a bicycle- I'm a marketer's dream!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-01-29		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I passed on this one several times thinking it was perhaps a bit of a gimmick. I loved the tin art and wondered if I was "falling for the label" like one can get suckered buying wine. BUT, my kind wife bought me a tin for christmas, completely unsolicited, and I had the pleasure of making it's acquaintance.

There is a lot of latakia in Maltese Falcon, but that should turn no one away. In fact, I would recommend it to someone who thinks they do not like latakia. The VA and Oriental component is perfect in counterpoint, but always playing second fiddle. There is just enough to keep this blend from disappearing into a gray and boring lat-bomb.

There is a noticeable spice added that is wonderful. I don't know what it is, and I have tried to unveil the mystery by sniffing everything in our spice cabinet to no avail. It has a north african flavor such as coriander, cumin, and cinnamon. But like the label says, it is discreet, and only serves to enhance the smoke -- never distracts. It BELONGS in the blend.

Maltese Falcon is my favorite blend to blow through the nose. It gets the nostrils huffing and flaring in the same involuntary manner that you might experience smelling some incredible food in a frying pan...or after witnessing a sultry smile from your object of desire. The ribbon is slightly damp, but dries quickly and burns well regardless of dry time.

I can only highly recommend GLP MF without reservation. If you enjoy Pease's English blends, Maltese Falcon will not disappoint.

Unlike the leaden bird in the John Huston classic, this Maltese Falcon my in fact be made of gold beneath it's dark veneer.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-08-25		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have a balcony where I smoke my outdoor tobacco and I smoke my indoor tobacco inside the house. I classify my tobacco based on the room note I see in these reviews. This is one of my outdoor tobaccos. First thing in the morning with a cup of hot strong coffee. This blend is very rewarding and tastes just like the described tobaccos with no added casing that I can tell. Burns great with no relights. I did not used to like English blends that much but this one changed my mind and now it is my favorite.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2009-08-17		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

When you open the tin the Latakia just smacks you right in the face. Really smokey and peaty. It a complements a nice glass of Ardbeg single malt perfectly.

It smokes smooth and cool and I find it to be very well rounded and mild mannered.

No bite at all. Every so often you get a taste of the mysterious spice. Great stuff.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JLong (36)	2009-08-07		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is excellent tobacco if you're into orientals and latakias. It's like Robusto with the latakia turned up. The dryness level is perfect out of the tin for my tastes and you're not paying for water as the tin is filled to the brim.

It is full bodied, mildly sweet, spicy, and has some creamyness to it. To deal with the large cut leaves, I've dedicated a jumbo bowled Savinelli Baronet to this and Robusto. These course cut blends work well in this pipe and smoke nice and cool.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-07-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love the complexity and richness of the smoking experience that comes with a good English or Balkan tobacco. So after smoking GLP's Odyssey almost exclusively for a while, I decided to give Maltese Falcon a try.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a nice, lightly sweet aroma. The coloration was a mixture of darker and lighter tobaccos and the moisture level was essentially perfect. I packed my pipe, struck a match and started puffing. I found that in many ways, this blend is an "Odyssey Light" - meaning that it is a lighter smoke than Odyssey due to there being less Latakia - but the more I have smoked Maltese Falcon, the more I appreciate its complexity. I can taste the sweetness of the Virginias, the smoky punch of the Latakia, the spice of the Orientals, and that added little something in the "flue-cured leaf" (which is apparently an unsweetened Cavendish). And all these flavors mix together perfectly, without anything overpowering the rest of the blend.

If I were to have one complaint about Maltese Falcon, it would be that it seems that the cut is not as great as it could be. I have found a couple of full uncut leaves in my most recent tin, and some of the cut leaves need to be cut even more. Still this tobacco is a truly great blend that, as the tin accurately states, is "a wonderful all-day English style mixture."

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-06-14		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This is so far one of the top 5 English I have smoked. Smoked a bowl right after I open the tin. Comes in a dry side which I like. It burns very well just with one match. The room note is a bit strong for my wife. This goes well after a heavy dinner.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bent-1 (39)	2009-05-03		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sample is from 3/08, moisture content just right (when pinched hard, some bits stick together). Prefer meerschaum pipes with this blend & most of my English/Oriental blends.

I tend to review blends I really like, and this is one. Primarily, I prefer straight VA's, with a weakness toward Red VA's, but switch to Latakia/Oriental blends as a balance. As such, I like blends with a light sweetness or caramel undertones of which MF is consistent from start to finish. It requires a couple re-lights, but that's ok as the moisture content passes the flavor through nicely. Also, the flavor doesn't become too strong nearing the bowl's end, it's a nice linear build up, and enjoyable to the last crumb. It's also a cool smoke, never detected a bite.

What ever the "secret spice" is, it seems to bridge the gap between sweet VA's & the astringency I sense in a lot of Latakia blends. Hopefully the moisture content on later production is the same as other posters noted later production a bit dry. For now, I will add more to the cellar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2009-02-12		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Another Latakia blend that does'nt leave my mouth tasting like @$$, Thank you God! This is a bit of a strange one though. At first light you get a good hit of flavor from all of the componants, Virginias and Orientals nicely mingling with the Latakia. The Latakia not being as dominant in the bowl as it is in the tin but still leads the pack. But here is where it gets a little strange, about the middle of the bowl the Latakia seems to dissapear, which for me is OK since the Virginias and Orientals stand up nicely on there own, Its just odd that the almighty and all powerfull Latakia gives in. For me thats a first. But again It all seems to work well !!! And as for the mystery spice ...??? Who knows?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-01-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I felt inasmuch as I had moved the Falcon to my constant companions shelf of honor. I should drop a line about why . I continue to be amazed at the many subtleties you find in English Blends. Odyssey made the honor roll long ago and was followed by Westminster, and Samarra. Falcon brought a new and fantastic blend of pure joy. Its clear that Mr Pease has the edge in working with these tobaccos. The tobacco goes to a canning jar and set aside for as long as possible. I am now smoking the big three after setting aside for nearly a year. This is as good as it gets! Thanks Greg

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-01-05		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

Another hit by GLPease among Balkans (or English, according to his own definition). This one relies on dark leaves and Latakia, with nice Orientals in the background. Very consistent and satisfying for Latakia fans. I cannot detect the "mysterious spice", but I wouldn't remove it if it was to change this mixture's taste a bit. Outstanding.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-01-04		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Maltese Falcon has become so well represented in my cellar that you would think this blend had been around for the past 15 + years. I can't get enough of this stuff. Being a huge oddessey fan it was a no brainer to give this stuff a shot and if you ask me this is an all day smoker where oddessey is not as much as I would love it to be. Love the latakia and the topper whatever that is.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Archdeacon Grantly (4)	2008-11-16		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a delicious English Blend. There is a note of sweetness that some may not care for, but I love it. Stronger in flavor than Squadron Leader and some other popular English Blends, but certainly not too strong. Similar in strength to Kensington and much easier on the palatte than some of Pease's other blends such as Caravan.

Highly recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2008-10-28		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

10/24/08

Well gentlemen, this is my first venture into a GL Pease tobacco, and I'm not disappointed. I love Latakia, and this stuff has a bunch of it. The cut is unusual, almost looks like it was cut by hand. There are some very unusual tastes, which like others have mentioned, is hard to describe. This stuff reminds me of a stronger version of Bombay Court, which is in my top five favorite blends. I like this stuff alot. In fact it's even better than I was expecting, and it only got better towards the end of the bowl. Sweet, salty, smokey, and I think this might have some Turkish in it as well? Yummy stuff. If you like a moderately strong English blend, this one won't disappoint...

10/27/08

I wouldn't have thought that a few days after opening a tin would make such a change, but a change it has gone through, without a doubt. It's gotten a sweeter taste, and the Latakia isn't quite so overpowering, as it was upon the initial opening of the tin. Definitely a keeper in my rotation...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-08-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This a terrific blend. I personally love virginia tobacco mixed with latakia and oriental but Pease has hit the mark with this blend . It has a surprisingly pleasant scent in the tin as well. It's an all day smoke for sure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-08-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I have smoked two tins of Maltese Falcon. The first was overly moist and needed drying out before smoking. The second tin had a moisture level right where I like it, not too moist, not too dry, perfect. The tobaccos were identical in all other ways. Falcon is a medium English, but there is a fullness to the taste that comes at you with authority. It is not artificially flavored in any way, it is pure tobacco, but the flavor is rich, almost creamy. There is a cohesiveness to the blending of the tobaccos that creates a unity in the flavor so that one component does not dominate the others. When I first light Falcon I can smell the orientals and they are wonderful. Quickly the fragrence is of a normal English blend. But this is not a normal blend. This is far too good for that description. I have several open tins of very good English ready for smoking. My first choice is the Falcon. I rank this blend at the top of the heap of English blends currently available. Oh, I need to add that I can smoke Maltese Falcon all day if I wish without any problem. It just seems to be right for all occasions.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

An excellent tobacco, I found this just a little heavy to be smoked by itself. I know, I know, some people will just shrug and shake their heads. Since I find it just too much for me to smoke by itself, this has become my all purpose blender, a tobacco that makes anything taste amazing. Added to all sorts of different things and BAM! It added generous bottom notes, spice, and wondeful texture. Like all darker virginias, it smell like catsup. Get over it, it's the sugars on the leaf. Stinky Catsup=yummy virginias.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Blimey! I do believe Bogey done put Applewood Bacon in my 'baccy! Really. No kidding. A slightly sweet undertone reminds me of brown sugar, but not as intense as Astley 109. The smoke is more fruity than the usual English Latakia focused blends, and has a salty-sweet character weaving in and out of the smoke. I wonder if I can find some blonde dame to roll up some of this in a Sam Spade style ciggie. Gotta go. Joel Cairo is at the door waiting to get B!%ch slapped. Then I'm off to the C. Errol Madre to watch the mud dry.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-07-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Strong mixture, little nicotine shot, with a strong but pleasant room note, burns evenly to a grey ash. I can only full agree with MarkT's review. Please read it, I can't write anything better. Maybe interesting that MF substitutes for me Penzance (and Pirate Cake C&D) adding to it a little more flavor. But I think they are quite similar. A really great tobacco, still I don't feel it as an all day tobacco, maybe too full? Highly recommended to all full english mixture lovers. My favorites are Odyssey, Westminster, Penzance, Pirate Cake and for a change Two Friends Bed&Breakfast.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-05-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Maltese Falcon, IMHO, is another hit from Mr. Pease in a long line of hits. This is a very flavorful blend. The Latakia, orientals and the Virginias work very well together, announcing their presence but not overpowering any part of the blend. This could easily be an all day smoke for the English/ Balkan lover. Maltese Falcon loaded easily in several different size pipes. A bit too moist from the tin, a few minutes or airing rendered it ready for the match. This blend was consistently smooth and cool throughout the bowl, but was by no means monochromatic. Subtle variences in the taste kept me wondering what flavor would come through next. When the bowl was finished, there was left only a gray ash. No gurgle, no tongue bite and no soggy dottle. Thank you, Mr. Pease, for another wonderfully flavorfull blend. Very Highly Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-05-12		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really need to jump on the band-wagon with this blend so that others, hopefully, will hark to the "Highly Recommended" rating and give Maltese Falcon a try.

On my second bowl, I detected a hint of my beloved Dunhill Nightcap of yore plus a number of other 'truly' English blends I've tried (and some that I still smoke) over the years. But while there's generally nothing truly new under the sun when it comes to English blends, Maltese Falcon is the exception to the rule. It has a full-bodied taste to me that is lacking Nightcap (which I find "medium" bodied), and it has just enough Latakia to give the smoke some spicy zest that a good, solid English should have. The Virginias in this blend are exceptional, adding 'just enough' sweetness to the blend so that it has something to offset the bite that is often present in blends with cheap Virginias. The Orientals give it a sweet, velvety undertone and seem to be of equally high quality.

If I could afford it, this would be a 3-4 bowl-a-day smoke for me. As it is, I take for granted that the great tobaccos used here are a bit costly even though I do keep in mind that the tin is closer to 57 grams than the standard 50 gram tines, and I have to stretch this out each month. I would also note that, because of the popularity of this blend, I suppose, I've found it out-of-stock more than once, so if you become a fan and can afford it, it might be wise to stock up.

Highly recommended as a solid English blend that all should find simply delightful.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-23		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Bought a tin of this from cornell&Diehl to see what all the excitement was about and was not disappointed. The aroma from the tin shouts "English". The look of it says quality. To smoke this is sheer pleasure for even the most discerning puffer. I like to pack it in a Ser Jacopo bulldog and blew through a whole tin in a week. Found myself thinking about it all day. There is a strange spice taste in it that has a hypnotic effect on me. This is a true all day English and I reccomend it to all. A Classic smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an excellent English blend that tastes like blends I used to smoke 20 to 30 years ago. Very smooth, with a good quantity of smoke. After letting it dry a little, it's easy to light, doesn't require relights, and smokes down to a white ash.

The Virginias, orientals, and latakia all play their parts throughout the smoke. I think it's an excellent all day blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-03-06		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This blend had me fooled a bit. I was not expecting such tangy VA tobacco. The blend was masterfully blended to provide a health portion of Latakia without overwhelming. The only disappointment was the almost lack of play from the orientals. This tobacco was a bit strong to smoke all day but is a good afternoon blend to savor when you are finished for the day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-29		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Maltese Falcon: GLP

I ave put off reviewing this till I have smoked enough to try and see beyond the Latakia- This was GLP conception after trying to reinvent Raven's Wing. I've had Raven's Wing- This is a Bird of a different feather Though I would be surprised if the receipes weren't much alike.

Raven's Wing boasted Cyprian and the much missed Syrian Latakia. For me that lended a smokey, sweet, exotic flavor.

This is much the same, yet the Orientals take the place of the Syrian- I really want to say Yendjie? Not just Izmir- There is a wisp of something in the background that is hauntingly familiar....But I can't put my finger on it. I'm currently smoking this in a Kinsale XL26- Fully rubed out and Air Packed. The flavor is in every exhale and it makes this latakia mixture so interesting I want to forget I generally don't like Latakia mixes.

This does benifit from some Air time as it comes a bit damp, But too dry, for me, made the Latakia a bit sharper- so I did like it a bit moister than usual. Either way it burned very clean didn't get bitter at the bottom, and never got tedious (which is my general curse for Latakia blends)-

I could see this being an all day blend for the english lover. I will stock up a bit for those Champagne days when I look away from my usual Burley/Virginia blends. Very much worth trying- 2 thumbs up.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The appearance is beautiful, composed of even fragments of brown and black, which harmonize rather than contrast. The cut seems different than Greg's usual blending leaves.

It fills and lights easily. The initial taste is the familiar balance of a medium to medium full English. But then you notice it - there is something else. An addition that tastes spiky in the mouth. It has a nose-tingle that is reminiscent of something... something... something... an old-fashioned odour, but not one you are immediately familiar with. It mutes the resinous quality of the Turkish and tempers the leathery whuft of Latakia, resulting in a smoke that seems spare and monastic. The bowl leaves no tongue-burn, the nose is not overloaded.

It is very satisfying (refreshing, even), but needs to grow on the smoker a bit. Burns dry and clean and leaves the pipe-smelling more exotic than usual. The tin aroma of the tobacco is quite pleasant.

He's done something. I do not know what it is. I've smelled it before, but I cannot remember where or when.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Vikingfan60 (8)	2022-08-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As a fan of aromatics I’ve been expanding my horizons trying some of these English blends. Although I am a fan of some of the English crossover blends that have a little bit of a vanilla flavoring, I find this blend to be absolutely fantastic. Although it says generous quantities of Latakia, it is by no means a lat bomb. The flavor is so smooth. It has a subtle sweetness that I feel just makes this Tobacco absolutely one of my favorites. In the description do not let the generous quantities of Latakia put off anyone that might feel it may be too much. This is one of the best Tobacco ‘s I have ever smoked and I highly recommend it

Pipe Used: Savinelli 673

Purchased From: Pipes&Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	porshcigar (44)	2022-06-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A great blend for Latakia lovers. This blend lights well and burns well. It delivers a very pleasant taste from start to finish. it is never harsh. This is one of my favorite blends that I smoke very often.

Age When Smoked: 2019

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2022-06-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoky Latakia and leather greet you initially, with a faint sweetness. On retrohale I get a salty, rich, milk chocolate flavour. It is full and rich and yet simultaneously light and easy to smoke. Interesting layers in this English blend keep me coming back.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Deckard Cain (39)	2022-06-16		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I've heard some rave about this tobacco and it's reputation for Latakia done right. I've heard others dismiss this tobacco as unexceptional. I've smoked many offerings by GLP, but never got around to this one even though it is one of their cornerstone plants. Well it is primarily a Latakia blend. But it is not a lat bomb. It smokes very cool and smooth. It has a little bit of that incensey goodness. But if that's what you are after, GLP as much better offerings like charring cross.

The first bowl I smoked of this I didn't love. It did not disagree with me. It just didn't deliver what I was hoping for. I guess it's the orientals that could be stronger in this blend. But don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with Maltese falcon. It's just centered around Latakia. Upon smoking the second and third bowl I started to like it more. I started to appreciate it's sweetness and smoothness. And maybe even the secret ingredient. This is not an English blend. This is a Latakia blend. Don't go looking for a bunch of complexity here. I'm kind of surprised that GLP envisioned this tobacco in the first place.

It is simple and it is good enough, but I can't imagine craving this tobacco. Two stars. Because people who rave about this tobacco, need to broaden their horizons. It's fine, but there's so much more out there.

Pipe Used: Old cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	spacefish (1)	2022-02-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I grew up with my dad always smoking pipes around me. When I came of age we would smoke pipes together on occasion, and I have slowly gotten more and more into it as of late. When my father and I smoked together we would always smoke the same tobacco: Frog Morton. Simple, standard Frog Morton on a log. Now I’m no expert on tobacco, my palette isn’t incredibly defined, but when there was no “Old Frog” left to be purchased, I had to find an alternative. Not necessarily a reproduction, not something that was exactly the same, but something that gave me the same vibe and experience, as that was just what I knew pipe tobacco tasted like, that was what I had grown up with. I have found immense enjoyment with Boswell’s Northwoods, SPC’s Plum Pudding, and Country Squire’s Shepherd’s Pie. All are fantastic, they just are slightly sweeter than what I was searching for. Then just yesterday, I got my first tin of this, Maltese Falcon by G L Pease. This is the one. When I smelled the freshly opened tin I knew it, when I lit the charring light I knew it, when I was halfway through the bowl I knew it. I’m not going to sit here and say this is Frog Morton, but as someone who was on a quest for something equally enjoyable in the same vein, this is it. I immediately called my dad and took the tin over for us to smoke it together, and he found it equally enjoyable. It’s the most exciting tobacco I have tried, with subtleties popping up throughout the entire smoke. No tongue bite, no foul tastes at any point, just a great smoke. Here’s to hoping this will be the start of a long partnership with this tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Standard 314

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Old Carolina Pipe Cottage

Similar Blends: McClelland - Frog Morton (Craftsbury Series).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (152)	2021-11-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

The date on the tin is December 22, 2015, so the tobacco was almost six years old at the time of the review. Appearance - ribbons of dark brown base, the color of chocolate, with ribbons of lighter brown virginia and almost black latakia mixed in. There are some uneven flakes, but on the whole, the cut is of very high quality. The tobacco, despite almost six years in the can, has excellent moisture and texture - soft, fluffy to the touch.

The flavor of the tobacco... If I could describe it in a few words! Associative rows played a cruel trick, and closing my eyes, I imagined... "On a board of stained oak lay slices of cheddar and slices of white bread toasted on a fire of peat and pine logs. There is also a mug of hot tea with thyme and ginger, next to which is a slightly thawed slice of bitter chocolate. From somewhere in the distance comes the smell of cut wild flowers...". Of course, such a bouquet will not please everyone. For example, my wife loves latakia, but really dislikes the smell of cheddar. Some will not like the lack of sweetness in the latakia note. Interestingly, every note of this tobacco is distinguishable even after six years in the tin, its flavor is easily disassembled into its component parts. But it's about time to fill up the pipe...

The flavor is quite dense, smoky and woody, with a distinct acidity. Minimal sweetness is added to this base, mixed with a slight spice, as if you have just put a little ginger on your tongue. In the background, almost imperceptible, is a bread and herb note of Virginia. The tobacco is quite capricious to the shape of the pipe - the flavor it gives off in billiards is somewhat different from what it gives off in bentas. In the first case, all the elements are quite stiff, with a bias towards sourness. In the case of a bent tube, the taste is more even and smooth, the sharpness is almost gone, and there is even some semblance of a creamy note (although the sweetness remains minimal). By the middle of the pipe the nuances smooth out, the acidity goes into the background, the smokiness of the latakia begins to dominate, but does not turn into a latakia bomb, to the main note and spice comes the woody addition. The tobacco smokes slowly and coolly in any pipe. The strength of the tobacco is medium or slightly higher, you can catch a slight nicotine kick from a large dose. The tobacco burns into a fine ash, leaving no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste is quite harsh: peat, cheese, bitter chocolate.

The smoke from the tobacco is smoky and peaty, with a sourness, quite dense, hangs in the room for a long time. Absolutely, not many people will like it.

Bottom line: it's very difficult to compare this English blend with my favorite Chelsea Morning (and any other English blend I've tried before). Let me make the following allegory: if the Chelsea Morning's bouquet of taste and aroma was painstakingly honed with a knife, in case of the Maltese Falcon the same author obviously worked with an axe at full blast. That doesn't mean that the blend turned out bad, no! It's just that it is very different from anything I have ever tasted before in the direction of simplicity - here's latakia, here's Virginia, here's oriental. Everything is visible, even after a long aging period in a tin. By the way, this tobacco is perfect for Irish stout - the acidity has become less noticeable, smoothed out by the caramel-malt flavor of stout, but the sweetness has been added. So I can quite recommend it to latakia lovers, however, on occasion I will choose something sweeter and lighter - Chelsea Morning will continue to occupy the throne of my favorite morning tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson XL 11p, Peterson POTY 2007

Age When Smoked: 2015

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is in my autumn/winter rotation. The moisture is perfect right out the tin. Very smooth, and cool in my shorter pipes. I couldn’t pick up on whatever the “mystery spice” is supposed to be, but I like whatever’s happening in this blend. I always recommend this blend.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donnegal Rocky 80s

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-05-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Here is another blend I keep on hearing a lot about: Maltese Falcon. The tin is interesting and gives me some 70's vibes. Opening up you find a ribbon that is a mix of dark browns and black. The smell is wonderful: rich, smokey Latakia, fragrant, sour Orientals, and sweet Virginia bakery. My tin came at a perfect dryness to smoke. It's easy to pack and easy to light. It does hold its light throughout the smoke.

Once lit I taste smokey, full and earthy Latakia. Weaving in and out of that are some stellar Orientals giving some unique spice, sourness, and herbal notes. The Virginias are in the background adding sweetness and some hay. I don't know what the mysterious spice is, but I do get cinnamon and ginger notes when I smoke this really slowly.

The taste I give a medium. It does fill my mouth in a typical English type of way. The strength I give a medium. It's not too strong to smoke at any time of the day. I think this has a typical English room note, so it might not win you any friends. I think this is a stellar and very smokable offering from GLP. I'll be buying more.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Panel

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (85)	2020-06-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is noticeably of the Latakia, but isn't overwhelming at all, rather is supplemented by the floral Balkan leafs and a hint of sweetness from the Virginia. In some senses, this same relation is expressed during the smoke.

This is a medium-full bodied blend that feels pretty smooth. The Latakia and Blakan leafs, it seems, "compete" for the lead. However, in reality, they don't compete. They co-operate to create a really nice smooth balanced blend. Humans got a lot to learn from this blend.

It is not a particularly strong blend, but rather mild-medium. Some complexity, but nothing like some other G.L. Pease blends. I like that about this blend. It situate it somewhere between an all-day blend to a special-occasion blend. Maybe it's this perfect blend to end your day with. Maybe It's a Saturday morning blend for you. For me, I take it slow and enjoy every puff because I don't have much of it stored, unfortunately.

I usually smoke it in an apple-shaped bowl. I feel that it gives it the right space to develop. Ribbon cut, easily packed and smokes cool. No relights.

This is a fantastic blend and is highly recommended. I can't wait until I get more of this.

Pipe Used: "Ena" Brezo red bent apple shape

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-11-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice looking dark ribbon cut with a Latakia smell, enhanced by an unidentified aroma. The mixture behaves and tastes better after a few days.

To me, this is a peculiar English as the dominating flavor is that "discreet and mysterious" spice. The Latakia comes and goes and the mature red Virginias enhance the aforementioned spice. That said, it's not what I look for to put in my pipe.

This mixture reminds me of San Cristobal de la Habana cigars that have a taste that sets them apart from the other Cuban cigar blends. You either get hooked on them or forget that they ever existed.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bteddy (23)	2013-02-24		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

If you like Cyprian Latakia smoothed out by something a tad sweet then this is for you. It is bolder than Early Morning Pipe and perfect to start the day. There are so many blends of this type it is hard to really judge which one stands out, Maltese Falcon edges most and it is the one I turn to when I want that little change. I don't find this full bodied as some do. Smoke this slow and enjoy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2013-01-17		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is exceptional quality tobacco. The description is accurate. The latakia is well balanced with the orientals, and the flavors run deep. My only criticism is that it is very mild-bodied and somewhat unsatisfying.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2011-05-01		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Greg always uses great tobaccos in his blends and this is no exception. This blend smoked perfectly for me, but after finishing the tin, I have to conclude that the flavoring in this blend is not my cup o' tea.

It reminded me a bit of Dear Tongue, but not quite. Can't put my finger on it, but the sweetness gets to me a bit...

Overall, this is a great, slightly flavored, English mixture.

Give it a whirl, you might enjoy it greatly...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-04-13		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Overly dried tobacco. The tin aroma was delicious but the smoking experience, very disappointing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-03-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a nice, well-behaved, latakia-featuring smoke that gives that great brown sugar and liquid smoke aroma that I really like. It was very moist in the tin, but as it was acceptable that way I smoked through the tin before drying it out as much as I probably should have. One problem, at least with this particular tin: it tended to crumble and leave 5-7 smokes worth of dust in the bottom. I will definitely return to this one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I tried to get to know this blend for a while but have come to the conclusion it's just not for me. There's some flavoring I can't put my finger on that just doesn't taste right to me, sort of a sour-plastic-mustiness that detracts from the blend. In my opninion the Latakia in this one is overpowering and the Vriginia sweetness subdued. Having smoked just about all of Pease's Latakia-oriental blends now, I'm realizing that he doesn't use the same orientals in every blend, and this one has a "mysterious spice" (i.e. some oriental variety) that isn't quite there enough and doesn't suit my tastes when it is there. If you want sweet and spicy with some Latakia that doesn't overwhelm, try Pease's Samarra instead.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MDP (39)	2010-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

No humidification problems, no burning problems, tobacco quality is good. There is too much Latakia in MF and not enough complexity or balance to make me gravitate toward it. I like the occasional full English blend, Scottish mixture and Balkan (of a sort), but there needs be enough "sweet relief" from the acrid and desiccated flavors from the Orientals and specifically Latakia. Otherwise, I am overwhelmed and bored simultaneously.

Odyssey and Abingdon are better in regards to more balance, but still not balanced enough for me. Samovar, by McClelland, is full in flavor, rich in Latakia and Oriental tobaccos, yet punctuated with the occasional sweetness breaking through that I like.

If I were a lover of ladles of Latakia, I think one could do better even in the GLPease lineup, thus two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-24		Extremely Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This mixture was such a disappointment!

The tin aroma promised an enjoyable experience. But the tobacco was very dry and the smoke would become tasteless within the first 5 minutes.

All the tins I had were as such.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

With long-time favorite tobaccos in short supply, I have been going through some of the Pease offerings. I'm glad I have. Maltese Falcon is another fine tobacco. However, for me, it was lacking some of the balance and complexity that I found in Chelsea Morning and others. I thought it was a bit Latakia heavy, and would have liked a bit more Virginia in the mix. Different blends for different palates, of course. I'm not going to get this one again because there are so many other good blends out there that suit my preferences, but I'm not going to hammer it either, because I think it's a quality blend for the right smoker.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-05-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco is just not my cup of tea, but I don't think it's the tobacco's fault. I am finding out that blends with much Latakia in them just don't do it for me anymore. That's strange because I used to love them. Balkan Sobranie from the 60s and 70s has to be my all-time favorite, but apparently my taste is changing. If this was the only tobacco I had to smoke I sure wouldn't turn it down because I can accept it on its own terms. But there are too many great Virginia/Perique/Oriental blends out there for me to smoke Latakia blends except on a very occasional basis. If I were a Latakia lover I think I would give this blend a 3 or 4 star rating, but with my taste like it is these days, 2 stars is all I can manage.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-05-04		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I wonder, does GL Pease have quality control issues due to the high demand of their products?

The tin I opened revealed a nice Latakia and VA aroma but it overly dry: the leaf was breaking down under my fingers.

The result was a tasteless experience. Tobacco was in my pipe but it tasted like air.

Maltese Falcon is "Stylish, dark and alluringly bland".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-16		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoked a bowl of this a long time ago, and one tonight from a freshly opened tin. The tobacco was fairly moist and I should have let it dry out a bit more, probably. I found this rather sweet, but a nice medium English that developed some strength in terms of flavor down the bowl. I did find it just a bit spicy, and also just a bit bitey but I have problems with bright VA and of course it was a bit moist. I will smoke more, but for now, it's definitely recommended for someone looking for a medium English with flair. UPDATE Drying it out produced a less sweet smoke and less bite but oddly it didn't burn as well. Seems counter intuitive.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-03-21		Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Update 04/11/10

I must have received a different type of tobacco than the great majority of the reviewers for this tobacco...Curious!

Original review 03/21/10

This mixture was a total disappointment.

The tin aroma was very spicy, smoky with a background of sweetnes. The leaf, of medium cut and lenght, was overly dry, almost breaking up when squeezed.

Despite having a terrific taste at first, it became simply tasteless before reaching the first third of the bowl.

After trying 4 more times and opening a new tin, the result was the same.

I threw away the other 3 tins and will never rebuy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2010-01-15		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I opened the only tin of Maltese Falcon in my meager cellar, over this past Christmas. It was very dry when I popped the tin, but I elected to try a bowl, anyway. Tin aroma was solidly in 'standard English mixture' territory; no hint of the Orientals promised. The smoke itself was nondescript: pleasant, but beyond that,had little to recommend it. I decided to rehydrate the contents and have another go in a few days. With the moisture level more to my liking, flavour remained, remarkably, nearly unchanged. After several more bowls, my conclusion is this is an inoffensive English-style blend, but entirely unremarkable. Again, where are the Orientals? I never found them. I suspect Mr. Pease has used liberal amounts of some sort of Cavendish in an attempt to bring this blend together; there is sweetness in the smoke that I find offputting, and 'Cavendish!' was my first impression. On the plus side, MF is very cool on the tongue, and would be suitable for an all-day blend, in the English vein (room note is slightly leathery, but not aggressively so). It isn't, however, a replacement or companion to a blend such as Squadron Leader. I will not purchase more of this offering.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	htduck (28)	2009-12-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was really looking forward to this. I like the can, I like the idea behind the name and I like the quality and care of G.L. Pease. Top notch folks. I wish it had more Orientals and less Virginias but I'm an Orientals fan so please keep that in mind when reading this review. That said, a good smoke. Good moisture right out of the can, a lingering spice taste on the tongue and no hot spots. Says lit well and an over all good burn. Since I don't smoke any tobacco more than 2/3 of a bowl, I can only guess that it burns clean to the end. I will always keep a tin of this handy and fire it up 1/2 dozen times a month I'm sure. Maybe Mr. Pease could do "The Big Sleep" next with Cyprian Latakia, Orientals and just a smidge of really quality Burley. A man can dream can't he?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lvpipe (13)	2009-11-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was in San Diego yesterday and picked up a tin of MF as well as a tin of Fillmore from Liberty Tobacco, a shop that has been there since 1975. Fillmore I have had and obviously enjoy seeing that I purchased more of it but this review is of MF which until yesterday I have only read about.

I found in only one bowl this to be a high quality GLP blend as I have come to expect from him. The presentation is superb and the tin aroma is of spicy Lakakia and Orientals. On first light the Latakia makes itself known and remains throughout the bowl but never in my opinion overpowering. I smoked this as walked down the shoreline and knew I had waited too long to try this fine blend. I am a fan most of GL's blends that I have tried and this is not an exception. There are heavier less sweet overings from GL and conversely lighter sweeter blends. This falls in the middle between Chelsea Morning and Westminster. To me it was kind of like Oddessy just not as bold and easier to keep lit.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-14		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

i ordered this tobacco because it was named after my favorite black and white movie. appon opening the tin i found it to smell rateher nice for an english blend so i loaded a bowl. my first experiance with this blend was a bad one as soon as i started puffing my toung felt like it was covered in bee stings. figuring it was just because it was really moist i let it sit out to dry for two weeks. after trying it again without change i decided to put it away for good. it does taste good but the bonfire strength toungbite repells any further tasting of this blend

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-10-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I love sampling new tabaccos, but this blend has been one of my regulars since it came out. In case you're curious, my primaries are: MF, Samarra, Westminister, Epiphany with Blackwoods Flake and Old Gowrie adding some variety.

I favor Latakia blends, and this one certainly doesn't lack in that department. I think GLP struck a good balance here, it's not too heavy, but there's enough focus on the Latakia for you to enjoy its dimension. Smoky and sweet - as I said, this is one of my regulars.

As with many Latakia blends, this one is not so popular with the non-smokers. That being said, my wife has gotten used to the sweetness, and she enjoys it now (or just lies about it to keep me happy).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After polishing off a 2oz tin, this one is still a little difficult to fully grasp.

I absolutely love the first 1/4 of the smoke. The interplay between the virginias (which at times have that sweet/sour mix that I usually associate with a McClelland virginia) and the latakia is so perfect and profound that it makes me forget I usually crave the oriental components of an english blend. The rest of the bowl is rich and smooth, very consistent, and quite lovely in its own right, though it's almost a letdown after the beginning. Almost.

Part of me wants to say this blend is good, though may not become a favorite. Yet I keep going back to it, perhaps hoping to extend those magical first few puffs somehow. Maybe I like the rest more than I'm inclined to believe. It's tough to say. I don't think I've quite figured this one out yet, but I'm intrigued enough to stock a bit more. Maybe that's what it's all about, after all.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kerdy (43)	2009-07-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had such high hopes for this blend. It smelled great! I loaded it up and as soon as the fire hit the tobacco I knew I would really enjoy the time I had with Maltese Falcon. For half of the bowl, I thought I had found my new favorite.

Perhaps it was the pipe, or the way I was smoking, but the last half was just not pleasant at all. Not sure what the problem was so for now it only gets 3 out of 4 stars. I will try it again in a different pipe and see what happens.

UPDATE: Tried it in a larger pipe. It was much better than before, but still not up to what I had hoped it would be. Then again, I have not ever been a real fan of GLP blends that I have tried. Not sure why. Not bad, wouldnt turn it away, but I dont think I will ever sit around thinking to myself, "Wow! I sure could use a bowl of MF."

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-07-04		Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Gentlemen,

Tobacco preferences are NOT objective, they are purely subjective. Because they are subject to our tastebuds and other factors, ultimately one can either enjoy, or find a blend unpleasant. There are some gray zones, but not too many in between these two poles.

Also, I think it should not take a full tin before making up your mind. Within 3 to 4 pipefuls, someone is able to decide if he likes, or not, a blend. Pipe tobacco is an enjoyable experience. If a tobacco provides an unjoyable experience, why persevere throughout a tin?

Some people in this review seem to be defensive when "confronted" to the reality of someone expressing an unfavorable verdict.

As for myself, I loved Haddo's Delight, somehow enjoyed Fillmore and do not enjoy Maltese Falcon at all. MF is way too dry and tastes simply bland. Very, extremely pleasant sweet, smoky and spicy taste upon lighting up, but it quickly changes to flat. Nada. Nothing. F...all. Will the taste magically reappear if I smoke a whole tin? Let me be skeptical.

Not recommended. I would agree with Briarpatch that there is a quality control issue here. And I will not rebuy in the hope of getting a good tin the next time. Every single tin SHOULD be impeccable, especially from someone pretending to manufacture artisanal tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A predominantly dark mixture of black broken ribbon mixed with cuts of mahogany, light brown, and tan. The tin nose is rounded and earthy with a sweet and slightly smoky aroma. Neither overly moist nor dry in the tin, the mixture packs and takes to the match with ease.

Marked by a dark sweetness, in the bowl it offers creamy notes of coffee and caramel underscored by the slight sourness of Orientals and the pine-like smokiness of Cyprian Latakia. Possessing little in the way of high notes, the individual components of the mixture are well balanced, working together in such a way so as to avoid the heavy, cloying character often associated with Latakia-heavy preparations such as this. The smoke is medium to heavy bodied with a smooth, silky richness that lingers on a long finish. Tongue bite is never an issue.

Although the reviewer's first experience with the mixture was, it seems, with one of the tainted "February batches" in which sweetened Cavendish was mistakenly substituted for unsweetened, the tin on which this particular review is based came straight from C&D with the assurance that it was the real deal (dated 4/12/09). An enjoyable change of pace from the everyday English/Balkan style smoking mixture, Maltese Falcon smokes like it looks, tastes like it smells, and delivers what it promises.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-18		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Strong

This one isnt for me.Taste more like a cheap,stale cigar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based.

Maltese Falcon will not be a contender. Above all else, the tobacco came out of the tin way too dry, which results in a quick, hot, harsh smoke, and deprives one of the smoky intricacies of the various tobaccos, particularly the Latakia, and the meditative qualities that come with a slow burning rich smoke. If I wanted dry tobacco flavor, a cigarette would do as well. It seems I am not alone in pointing out the dryness, but on the other hand, quite a few posters claimed it to be moist. So.. we might have a Quality Control issue. Little flavor, intrigue, or complexity noted. Not recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-03-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Unlike Johannus Christus, the previous reviewer of this quite excellent blend, upon opening the tin, I thought less of the tin aroma than I did of the flavor. As it were, however, the tin aroma has grown on me. I absolutely love this blend! What to say first... Well, the tin aroma is much different than anything I've ever had before. The tobaccos have a casing that makes them all look darker and more red-velvet than they would appear otherwise. I think the latakia glistens as if it were wet. The cut, a very nice ribbon, is good and even, much more consistent than the coarser cuts GLPease uses in his Classic collection. When you light this bad-boy up, it presents you with a large range of flavors. For me, this is the height of a complex blend - It has the deep, bass-like and smokey notes of the latakia, but built upon that is a whole symphony of medium to bright flavors. The matured red virginias and the oriental leaf are perfectly used here, and they contribute a lot. In short, this is NOT a one-note symphony. Too, far from being overrun by the latakia in a bass-heavy way, there is a great evenness of flavor that encompasses the entire spectrum. If spoken about in terms of the visible spectrum, this means that there is a whole rainbow of nuance here. I assume that when others talk about a blend being complex, this is what they mean. Overall, I would give this blend absolutely top, top marks. Having tried this and Westminster, which I also enjoyed, I would prefer Maltese Falcon just about every time. In my mind, one could never get bored of this blend, there is just too much good stuff going on.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-03-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Update 03/23/2009

For the sake of clarity, I had to add the verb "taste" in my review. I thought it was implicit I was referring to the taste of the tobacco upon lighting up. It looks like I was misundertood by one of my distinguished fellow reviewers. I apologize for any confusion created.

This tobacco was a first class disappointment. So many different tobaccos but extremely BLAND in taste. I felt like I was smoking air.

Not recommended, save your money! __________________________________

Original review 03/14/2009

The best part with Maltese Falcon is when you light up and TASTE all these different ranges of sweetness at once. Very interesting! I think there might be a very light toppping that was added. But unfortunately, it's the only interesting part. After a couple minutes, that pleasure is gone. Pity!

Upon opening the tin, I was under the impression that I was in presence of some Balkan Sasieni, thus a Balkan blend rather than an English blend. It smelled exactly the same, the sweet aroma combined with the spiceness/woodness of the Latakia.

The tobacco is on the dark side and composed of a semi shag cut blended with some partially rubbeb out flakes.

Only problem is the tin I opened displayed a very dry tobacco. There was no minimal moisture so I had to put back in the Coleman cooler. After 2 weeks or so, it had a bit of moisture to make it half decent for smoking.

As I was saying, the best part is upon lighting up. Afterward, the tobacco goes on to become more and more bland, TASTE WISE. Which is very surprising for such a combination of tobaccos.

This is my third shot at a GL Pease tobacco. I tried Haddo's Delight, which was NO delight and then I tried Fillmore which did not fill me. It will definitively be my last shot. After 3 strikes, you're out.

I believe that GL Pease products are just not worth the money. All things considered, I will stick with Balkan Sasieni which is just short of 4$ cheaper than MF for a 50 g tin, and gives me a lot more smoking pleasure.

I will not rebuy and will very probably not even finish this tin. I believe GL Pease is way overated for the quality they provide. As for the second tin I bought, I will donate it to someone less fortunate than I am.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-01-05		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a good blend. Try as I might, I cannot quite declare it a great blend.

There are moments when it really shines, but when it does it brings to mind other blends (e.g., Westminster, Samarra) that provide those flavors/moments more consistently. Too much of the time it borders on hard edged -- almost ashy -- while not providing the depth of pungency or complexity that I really crave in my English and Balkans. Perhaps time will soften some of those edges and let the better moments linger longer.

Blends affect different smokers differently, and I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that something in the Falcon disagrees with my constitution (the "discreet and mysterious spice" perhaps?). I tend to like latakia-heavy powerhouse blends and don't think I'm particularly sensitive to heavy smokes, but I haven't had a full bowl of the Falcon that didn't leave me with a headache afterwards. I originally thought this was a fluke of coincidence, but -- a full tin into my Falcon experience -- I am regretfully convinced otherwise.

To note these things is almost to complain too much: As noted, Maltese Falcon is good, and it has an assertive enough character that I can understand how it might align wonderfully with some smokers' tastes. It is well worth trying, and I'm not about to jettison the tins from my cellar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CPT/VSG (72)	2009-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a fine English blend with a hint of spice that sets it apart. Unlike Westminster, I have not had any difficulty keeping MF lit. The tin I just finished was only tinned on October 1, 2008 so some time in the cellar will do wonders for this blend. A fine effort by Pease.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	p4p4 (59)	2008-12-21		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

Like every Pease tobacco's, this is a high quality one. But, at the end..... it's unsmokable: raw, crude,inelegant, boorish. And Pease is a sort of illiterate blender. This cook uses quality and tastefull ingredients, but definitly he's inapt to assemble and amalgamate the ingredients. The result is......raw. Sorry Pease, you are discharged. You can smoke a Pease's blend a time a week.....and is very good. You smoke a Pease's blend two time a week.....and is goog. You smoke a Pease's blend a time in a day.....and is unpleasant. you smoke a Pease's blend all the day....and is nauseating. So.....if you are looking for an occasional good tobacco: try it. But if you are looking for a trusty partner....just flee from Pease!!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-10-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

First, let me say that I am a great fan of G.L. Pease tobaccos, but I am somewhat disappointed in his latest venture, Maltese Falcon. From Greg's description I expected a robust English blend with a little something exotic included. MF seemed to me to be dominated by a taste very much like toasted Cavendish. Perhaps that was the result of what Greg calls "a discreet and mysterious spice." The mixture smoked very smoothly but the "generous amounts of Cyprian Latakia" were a no show, unfortunately. I think a lot of people will like this blend but I much prefer G.L. Pease's Charing Cross or Blackpoint for a fine English-style smoking experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-08-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very nice full latakia blend. Remeinded me of Odessy. Burns cool. Will do more reviews as I get through the tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gilly (2)	2008-07-03		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

Had to jar half a tin to let it mellow a bit. I found the Latakia overwhelming. Just cracked open a tin of Westminster - think I'll be more comfortable with this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldmanpipe (62)	2008-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Unlike the Dashiell Hammett tale, which name it bears, Maltese Falcon is not "the stuff that dreams are made of,"...at least not for me. Greg Pease is a magic man with tobacco, but the rabbit is not in this particular hat.

I must say, though, that this is one Latakia blend that can be smoked all day in warm weather without becoming too ponderous--a definite boon for those who must have that delightful, smoky weed everyday, regardless of the season. Perhaps that is what he was aiming for; to me, English/Balkan blends usher in autumn, and I always look forward to the half-lighted, crisp October day I can find an aged can of Greg's best efforts.

There is nothing in Maltese Falcon that will offend the sensibilities of the aficinado of Latakia-laden tobaccos, but neither is there anything to excite them, either. It is an acceptable smoke, and one not without its own distinction.

I must admit that I have never been fond of Red Virginias (except in the REAL Red Raparee) and a certain other domestic blender makes far too much use of them. Greg puts that particular strain to much better use.

I would recommend all Frog Morton smokers to give MF a try; you will receive a gratifying education. 'Nuff said.

Greg, where are the Orientals?

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-06-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Maybe I got a bad tin. I do not like this. 2 stars. Will not buy again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fumatore (49)	2008-06-07		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This tobacco is well blended. It is so reminiscent of the characteristics that made the old "Murray" Dunhill 965 such a joy to smoke. A fine all day smoke that has abundant flavor that satisfies. One could very well puff hard and heavy on Maltese and still not affect it's flavor. BTW, I dare you to try that with Westminster. But seriously, Ravens Wing? I don't think so. That was one of my favorites, and Maltese is just not similar. I do have to say that the "discreet and mysterious spice" personally leaves a coating on my tongue, but I know most of you probably won't be bothered.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-05-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

There's not much more to say about this tobacco than what has already been said. Of good quality tobacco, this blend is milder than some of the latakia laden English blends and the Virginias are definitely prominent in the taste of the smoke. This could be an all-day-every-day blend of choice being that it is not too complex yet flavorfull enough to keep you interested. Three stars only because of the lack of complexity.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Strong

This is a good English style tobacco. Others have noted its resemblance to Westminster, and that is good as far as it goes, but don't expect anything like the complexity of that premiere English. The very light orientals leave me feeling like something is missing, and the smoke seems harsh. The room note seems very strong to me and my LSW has complained about the smell lingering in my clothes - something she normally reserves for my rare cigar sessions.

Not something I'll buy again. Westminster and its Balkan cousins will fill this spot in my rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMBittner (66)	2008-04-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

To my palate, Maltese Falcon is the love-child of Embarcadero and Westminster. Like Embarcadero, the Virginias are velvety smooth. . . and the orientals are distant supporters. But as an English, the flavor also echoes Westminster (and, as others have noted, Dunhill's best English blends).

In the end, MF is a solid and enjoyable medium-strength English with flavorful Virginias and a solid latakia element. Ignore the stated references to Raven's Wing (which, judging from the character of this blend, was more of an inspiration than a direct influence) and think of this as the all-day version of Westminster. Maltese Falcon has less overall richness and complexity -- and much subtler orientals -- but it still retains Westminster's basic flavor profile.

Bob

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-02-07		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Strong

A wonderful creation by Mr. Pease! The best description I can offer is the follwing: An Americanized version of SG "COMMONWEALTH MIXTURE". It has very TANGY Virginias that marry very well with a healthy dose of Latakia. The Oriental component IMO is almost non existent. A very pleasant yet strong(nicotene)blend. Not for the meek. An unusual English blend worth trying. 3 of 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SSJOH (18)	2023-04-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Rich, smoky, fruity, and delicious, this Latakia-forward English blend was a show-stopper. The Latakia is the most conspicuous part of the blend, generously supported by bright, grassy and fruity Virginias, with a hint of sweet-tart fruit from the Oriental in the background. The result was a coherent, well-blended flavor profile, slightly sweeter than tart, with plenty of smoke, hay, floral, and fruity notes. Came a bit moist in the tin, but half an hour's drying time worked wonders. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Castello KKKK Pot

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye English Luxury; SPC Plum Pudding.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (110)	2023-03-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I have been slowly enjoying this as my go to English for the last few cold months. I am quite sensitive to the presence of Latakia, and when used in more than condimental quantities it really smothers all the other component leaves. This blend is loaded with Latakia, yet I perceive it as masterfully well balanced. This is an uncommon experience for me.

The blend is a mix of chunks, ribbons, shag, and Latakia dust. The ribbons are mostly red, black, and drab brown, with a few scattered blondes. There is a sweet, sour, and smoky tin aroma that reveals a sweet bbq sauce fragrance. After some air, I started questioning whether I was detecting some of the ginger topping.

As mentioned above, all of the leaves that comprise this blend are audible over the background rhythm of the Latakia. This blend is complex and tasty, yielding notes of dark sweet orange, oatmeal, bitter spiced citrus, and clove. There are some salty aspects to the flavor profile. This includes some dry soda notes that appear alongside some mild campfire woodiness about 2/3 of the way down each bowl. The ginger topping is very mild, just barely suggested. There are some smoky and leather hints that dance with sweet spiced citrus on the last few puffs. This smokes dry and needs little maintenance. It is supremely complex. Most amazingly, the large fraction of Latakia shares the stage gracefully with the VAs and oriental tobaccos, allowing them to play solos and duets up top.

This is quite near perfect for an all day blend that I would recommend without reservation to lovers of the middle English genre. It engaged all areas of the tongue and palate with its sweet, sour, salty, smoky, bitter, and effervescent qualities.

Yet again, well done Mr. Pease! Hats off.

Pipe Used: Numerous briars

Age When Smoked: Tine dated 5/11/22

Purchased From: SP

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quiggifur (99)	2023-02-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

20230417 edit: very mellow, on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Still getting fruit, and almost a floral character. Feeling like much more than a heavily moderated Latakia this time around. This may be near the top of my arbitrary sweet Latakia category, so far.

Jar note: All I smell is latakia smoke. Smoke: Far less dominated by the latakia smoke than is the jar note, but it's definitely present. I get a fair bit of sour, tiny bit of sweet and creamy. Maybe I'm tasting a bit of the oriental character, virtually no Virginia. The second hand smoke and room note are overall pleasant Mainly though I'd say I taste this as a heavily moderated latakia, which isn't a bad thing in my mind. I could see happily smoking more bowls of this when I want a latakia fix, but it's not going to be in my general rotation.

Near the middle/end of the bowl, after changing to the breath method, I'm pretty sure I'm starting to get a little fruit from the Virginias. This might be a breakthrough for me in regards to latakia blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (561)	2023-01-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Tin note of sour tart fruit and smoky. Tobacco cut is mostly ribbon, its dark brown and black with a little tan. Moisture level is on the high side, dying may be preferred. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. Though no flavoring is listed, there seems to be some Turmeric, but others have said Ginger, whichever, it lingers in the background. Taste is mild to medium and consistent, with notes of wood, spice, sweet, earth, floral, leather, tangy, buttery, herbal, orange peel, smoky, sour, incense, a citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish supporting. Virginia is less supportive. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: English Captain Black Sandblasted X188

Age When Smoked: freshly opened 8 month old tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rick5iron (20)	2022-11-28		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

a strong smoke , not a all day smoke for sure, there are better English blends will not buy again, this blend is for the hardcore ..

Pipe Used: sav 626

Age When Smoked: 2yr

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Plantpartaker (7)	2022-09-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This blend is delicious. However, I cannot help but think that it is a different type of blend. I think the mystery spice changes the blend entirely. That’s is not to say it is bad it is to say it is different. This is an ocasional smoke for me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2022-04-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Tin note Latakia forward with a bit of sweet Virginia smell as well as a spice smell I was unable to identify. The mysterious spice is (ginger) according to others. I thought it was an Oriental of some sort. Packed my bowl using the frank method. This tobacco stays lit and it was the perfect moisture content. This is a really great blend. The Latakia is forward but the spice is right behind with just a hint of sweet Virginias. G.L. knocked it out of the park with this one. Its rare I would consider any Latakia blend an all day smoke but this one absolutely is. For any English smokers I would highly recommend trying this. I will be cellaring this to see how the flavors evolve over time. I will purchase this again.

Pipe Used: 1920s BBB Brier

Age When Smoked: fresh tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: Wilke English in house blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2022-02-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

To give you a hint from where my below impressions are coming from; I favor aromatic blends (vanilla being my favorite), although I am finding I enjoy English/Scottish blends more frequently, which I could not stand when I first started smoking a pipe. I have been trying more of the English/Aromatic combo blends, which I have found being more and more of that I am reaching for for my everyday smoke

Opening the tin I smelled the Latikia right off the bat, it was nice and smokey/leathery and was the singular scent I smelled.

The flavor I tasted was a great balance of the Latikia with Virginias with the Orientals in the background. This was blended exceptionally well and the Latikia was not overwhelming in taste as I thought it would be from the tin smell and blend description. I would almost go as far to say this was the best balanced English Blend I have smoked so far. This will go into my regular rotation.

The tin was around 8 months old when I received it. Out of the tin the tobacco was semi-moist, no drying time was needed. Was able to light this without issue and reasonable number of relights were needed. I did not have any tongue -bite with this blend.

Pipe Used: Rattray Goblin 99

Age When Smoked: tin was 8 months old when received

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathaniel (38)	2021-12-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Cracking a tin from my first tobacco ordering binge when I picked up the hobby— 2013!

The weather here is turning, slowly moving from fall to winter. Quite mild for mid-December, with more rain than cold, and no snow so far. It still feels like early fall, and the wet weather we had today makes me want an English. So I crack this one, determined to smoke through some of my backlog before ordering more.

Appearances are fairly typical for an English: dark brown and blacks with a few tan and tawny strands sprinkled in. Tin note is likewise typically English: smoky and leathery, with a faint undertone of something sweet. Almost saccharine— my brain is calling it cough syrup or paraffin wax.

This will be the maiden smoke of a La Rocca churchwarden, so let’s see how it loads... packs quite nicely, with a hybrid of the baby-lady-gentleman and the Frank methods. Pre-light draw brings flavors of leather and orange peel. Interesting.

The leaf takes the flame with alacrity and the flavors are the same. The orange peel develops a slightly moldering quality, the way an orange peel smells when it gets moldy. I am not sure which leaf is responsible for this effect. The latakia behaves as it usually does in an English, bringing flavors of smoke and campfires. I can definitely taste the red Virginia, and smell it in the sidestream smoke. There is a note of cinnamon, both in the taste and in the spice that tickles my nostrils on the retrohale, and it seems to flit between straight cinnamon taste and cedar sawdust. The latakia weaves in and out as well, offering sea salt and creosote. Very interesting. This is on the sweeter side, for an English, though I don’t detect a topping and I chalk that up to the oriental leaf in here. In that regard, it reminds me of the late, lamented Frog Morton series, particularly Across the Pond. There is more sweetness in this blend than in that one, but it definitely scratches the same itch. Sweeter Englishes.

Smokes coolly and dry, most likely helped by the churchwarden’s length. Quite consistently, too, after presenting its initial array of flavors. Nicotine for me was just a shade past medium, even having had a snack immediately before this smoke.

I like it. That moldy orange peel tone could definitely be off-putting to some, and if it was more overbearing in the mix of flavors, I’d likely give or put this tin away and never touch it again. But darned if it isn’t alright. It’s certainly unique. As a side note, this is the first of G.L. Pease’s creations I’ve sampled, though I have two or three others socked away in the cellar. I’m pleased to see a blender innovate within a style instead of give us another cliche of the genre. I look forward to working my way through this tin, and also to seeing what a younger sample has to offer.

Pipe Used: La Rocca churchwarden

Age When Smoked: 7 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greybeard (66)	2021-10-07		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Latakia is in the lead, with a smokey, slightly leathery taste. A bit spicy and floral from the oriental as well. Dark fruit taste comes through later in the bowl from the Virginia but is never dominant. The special spice, which many have said is ginger, is there occasionally but is very mild; just enough to give this blend a touch more complexity from similar English blends.

Did seem to get hot at times, but didn't get any bite from this blend. No trouble keeping it lit with proper dry time.

Overall, a nice, complex English blend. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Brebbia Sabbiata, Benton Select

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Barclay Pipe, Tobacco, & Cigar (Columbus, OH)

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2021-08-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Strong

The Tin Art on this one is spot on. Always a plus with GLP tins. Makes me think classic.

I'm smoking on my 3rd tin of Maltese which is also a fairly young one only being about 3 months from tinning. The edges on this one seem just a little rougher than the others I have smoked which had about a year of age on them. It's not a blend that I really think would get much from cellaring but I'd like to try a 2008 tin someday.

As a 3 month blend, the latakia is front center with notes of sweet and spicy in the background. It's a perfect after-dinner smoke with the spicy goodness even though the roomnote is not a favorite with the wife. If sipped and smoked slow it really shines with almost an incense vibe.

As it ages it seems to mellow some and the VA's gain a little sweetness. But no matter the age, its a good smoke.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: 3 months on new tin

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rayzor (16)	2021-05-09		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A latakia forward English blend. Packs well, lights well, has a very alluring aroma of sweet incense and cedar. It's latakia forward but not over-powering like say "Star of the East".

It's well-balanced with a very interesting flavour profile: I got walnuts, chestnuts, some sweetness, the leather/cedar from the latakia.

This "secret ingredient" that is talked about is subtle, more in the aroma than the flavour although i did get hints of cinnamon, or clove---maybe there's a light topping but it doesn't overtake the varietals in the blend.

Highly recommended and under-rated in my experience.

Pipe Used: Stanwell #3

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Margate but milder..

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-06-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

THE FALCON: A fantastic medium English with some added complexity

The sweet Virginia varietals are at the forefront of this blend. They seem to be a mixture of mostly C&D reds and some brights. As such, they are primarily sweet and tangy with some earthiness and a little bright-grassyness in the smoke. The Latakia is very nice and smokey and does not overwhelm the blend. Whatever Turkish tobacco was used adds a pleasant dry-tart character to the smoke. The added "spice" adds character to the other subtle flavors in Maltese Falcon. I do get some tongue bite a tad more than normal.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2019-06-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is a promising blend. It carries all the characteristics of a nice English and I assume it is a real banger (when properly dried out).... yep... unfortunately C&D exaggerated on the Propilene glycol in this blend and even after drying it for 3 months or so it is still moist so that it won't evolve well on the bowl. I could only get 1 very satisfying bowl out of the 6 I attempted. I don't feel any ginger or misterious spice on it whatsoever.... Tin note profile is similar for me as MyMix 965 from Dunhill but with the amount of PG on the blend I could not get it to smoke as it should. If and when it dries a bit more I will EDIT this review and give you my new perception.

Pipe Used: Vauen, Brebbia, Savinelli, Stanwell, Gigi

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: Local tobacconist importer

Similar Blends: Dunhill - My Mixture 965.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-08-15		Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Behold! Odyssey?s retarded little sister. 2 of 4 stars.

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