I first tried GL Pease's Samarra a few years ago and, while it was enjoyable enough, I found it to be far too mild for my tastes. Last year, however, I came upon a couple of batches of aged Samarra at very reasonable prices and really wanted to give them a shot, due to my past experiences with aged Pease blends. Anyway, here goes ....
My review of an 8-ounce bag from October 2002:
The appearance isn't much different from fresh Samarra, although the aroma has changed somewhat (yes, I have some fresh stuff to compare it to). The smell is less sharp, and a little musty. I guess those are the orientals rearing their heads and think, "This is going to be interesting."
When I first light it, I detect almost no latakia -- it seems to be mostly perique, of all things! Within 2 to 3 puffs, however, the perique has faded to the background and I can finally taste the latakia. The first third of the bowl, in fact, tastes like a traditional Balkan sans almost any noticeable sweetness. Not very complex, but pleasant enough. All of this changes abruptly, however, when I let the pipe go out and rest for half an hour. Upon re-lighting, I spend the next 10 minutes trying to figure out who put incense, and then well-done steak, into my pipe! Then, during the last third or so of the bowl, the sweetness of the Vas and perique come to the forefront. Overall, this tobacco burned quite well, it DGT'd VERY nicely, and it certainly held my attention all the way. It did a nip my tongue a little bit, but nothing dramatic.
In a nutshell, this was quite enjoyable, and a very different experience from a fresh batch. If you like the complexity that sometimes comes with Balkans, then let a tin of this sit around for a few years. Am I going to smoke this often? Probably not, although I look forward to slowly making my way through the several small jars of 7-year-old Samarra that I've now cellared. My one complaint remains that it's too mild. My favorite blends are Abingdon, Odyssey, Aged Burley Flake, Haddo's Delight, Filmore, Old Joe Krantz, and Stonehaven .... I prefer mixtures that are powerful on the palate, and Samarra is anything but that. Is this a criticism of Samarra? Of course not. Not all (or even most) pipe smokers like heavy-hitters most of the time, and even I like the occasional mild blend. For what it is -- a light Balkan -- this stuff is probably as good as it gets.
My review of an 8-ounce bag from October 2002:
The appearance isn't much different from fresh Samarra, although the aroma has changed somewhat (yes, I have some fresh stuff to compare it to). The smell is less sharp, and a little musty. I guess those are the orientals rearing their heads and think, "This is going to be interesting."
When I first light it, I detect almost no latakia -- it seems to be mostly perique, of all things! Within 2 to 3 puffs, however, the perique has faded to the background and I can finally taste the latakia. The first third of the bowl, in fact, tastes like a traditional Balkan sans almost any noticeable sweetness. Not very complex, but pleasant enough. All of this changes abruptly, however, when I let the pipe go out and rest for half an hour. Upon re-lighting, I spend the next 10 minutes trying to figure out who put incense, and then well-done steak, into my pipe! Then, during the last third or so of the bowl, the sweetness of the Vas and perique come to the forefront. Overall, this tobacco burned quite well, it DGT'd VERY nicely, and it certainly held my attention all the way. It did a nip my tongue a little bit, but nothing dramatic.
In a nutshell, this was quite enjoyable, and a very different experience from a fresh batch. If you like the complexity that sometimes comes with Balkans, then let a tin of this sit around for a few years. Am I going to smoke this often? Probably not, although I look forward to slowly making my way through the several small jars of 7-year-old Samarra that I've now cellared. My one complaint remains that it's too mild. My favorite blends are Abingdon, Odyssey, Aged Burley Flake, Haddo's Delight, Filmore, Old Joe Krantz, and Stonehaven .... I prefer mixtures that are powerful on the palate, and Samarra is anything but that. Is this a criticism of Samarra? Of course not. Not all (or even most) pipe smokers like heavy-hitters most of the time, and even I like the occasional mild blend. For what it is -- a light Balkan -- this stuff is probably as good as it gets.
ipe: FTRPLT
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