A Few Quick Reviews from Yesterday

[Sawyer]

Last night on the way home from work I finished off the bowl of GLP Fillmore I had started on the way in to work. I was hoping this blend would grow on me but it just doesn't seem to have the characteristics I want in a good VA/Per. It is kind of harsh and seems like maybe the perique overpowers the VA a bit too much. I do get some 'meaty' like flavors from this blend, but they are not enjoyable to me. It is pretty spicy, especially when DGTing.

When I got home I had a shipment waiting for me from SmokingPipes. Opened up the PS Luxury Bullseye right away and folded and stuffed 2 coins in my Stanwell Bent Bulldog. It has a nice sweetness that hit right away from, my guess, the cavendish center. The perique seems to be pretty light but you can tell it is there. The blend on a whole does seem to be a bit 'grassy', but I guess I like that because I did really enjoy the smoke. This stuff may be my bulk VA/Per of choice. It won't dethrone Escudo as my standard for VA/Per though.

I also got a few tins of Balkan Sasieni as that was the new tin on the site last week. Popped open a tin and the aroma was wonderful. Smokey and sweet. The tobacco is packed tight in the tin and was slightly on the dry side, just how I like it. This stuff burned wonderfully, if a bit quickly, down to a nice white ash. No relights and it stayed even throughout the smoke. Huge plumes of smoke with that great oriental/latakia mixture. It is hard for me to describe flavors in English blends, I just know when it is to my liking. This is a winner. I will have to have a few more bowls to see if it can dethrone Odyssey as my favorite, but it definitely is up there with it.

Packed another bowl of the Balkan Sasieni for the drive to work today. I have the same sentiments today as well. This is a really nicely put together blend that packs well and smokes easily.

[IHT]

have you tried PS Luxury Navy Flake yet?

it took me about 3 tins of Fillmore before i could appreciate the sweetness of the VAs in the background while enjoying that perique punch.

[Sawyer]

I have not had the navy flake yet. It is on my list though. I guess I won't give up on Fillmore quite yet.

[IHT]

i was just saying how long it took me.
there are plenty of tobacs i've given up on after half a tin... they just aren't my bag, baby. maybe that's the case of you and Fillmore.

[smokehouse]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Last night on the way home from work I finished off the bowl of GLP Fillmore I had started on the way in to work. I was hoping this blend would grow on me but it just doesn't seem to have the characteristics I want in a good VA/Per. It is kind of harsh and seems like maybe the perique overpowers the VA a bit too much. I do get some 'meaty' like flavors from this blend, but they are not enjoyable to me. It is pretty spicy, especially when DGTing.

Fillmore didn't do it for me either. I tryed half the tin and put the rest in a mason jar and will see how it does with some age on it. I am not going to give up on it though. I will probably buy anouther tin down the road and try it again.

I got this right off of Gl Pease's website. There was a bad batch of it going around. Not the case for me though.

Trouble at the Fillmore
12th September, 2007: Posted by glpease in Product News
Ouch. Near the end of June of this year, a batch of Fillmore spent significantly too much time in the presses, resulting in a product that, while made from the same tobaccos, is very much different from what Fillmore is supposed to be. The tobacco isn’t bad, it’s just not right. The affected batch is considerably darker, an almost monochromatic deep red/brown, and doesn’t display the lovely golden strands that pepper the warmer hues in the real thing. Neither does this batch deliver the fruity aroma and complex sweetness that are hallmarks of Fillmore.

Again, the tobacco isn’t bad, but it isn’t Fillmore. To the best of my knowledge, the only bad batch is dated 24th May, 2007. If you have one of these tins of “French Roasted” Fillmore, and don’t like it, please contact me to arrange its replacement. If you do like it, enjoy it while you have it, because the manufacturer has assured me there won’t be anymore mistakes like this one. I hope he’s right…

Addendum: It’s come to light that the actual date of the tins is 24th May, 2007, not 27th June as previously reported. -glp