For me, Westminster was a rare "swing-and-a-miss" for Greg Pease. There are many of his blends in my top tier, but Westminster didn't do anything for me. It was very popular when it was launched, so it's safe to assume that I was in the minority.

I do have a few tins put away to see if some age will improve the experience for me. Since I enjoy so many of Greg's blends, I generally buy three or four tins when a new one comes out. I don't mind taking the chance, as it's rare that one doesn't work for me. I have plenty of friends who will enjoy the blends that I decide to pass on.

This is a re-print (so to speak) of a review posted to the Knox board last year. With its demise, it might as well have a new home.

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From an article in Karl Kruszeinicki's, Great Moments in Science:

Quote:

Traditionally, we humans have five senses - they're smell, hearing, vision, touch and taste. But only two of these senses are based on chemicals - smell and taste. Smell and taste let us sample the chemicals around us for information. But smell is different from all the other senses in a very special way. A smell from your distant past can unleash a flood of memories that are so intense and striking that they seem real - and we're getting close to understanding why. This kind of memory, where an unexpected re-encounter with a scent from the distant past brings back a rush of memories, is called a "Proustian Memory". It's named after Marcel Proust, one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century. He describes this phenomenon in the opening chapter of his novel Swan's Way, the first novel in his mammoth seven-part work, Remembrance of Things Past.

Proustian? How about, "Tobaccoian?" This little tour-de-force of our limbic system deserves no less an honor, in my mind. Forget swans and keeping scientists entertained, it has been one of the pistons in the engine of pipe tobacco marketing for the last quarter century... smokers lamenting the passage of their Great House favorites, and small-batch blenders trying to replicate them. It has proved an impossible thing to do, however. Proof? Today, the prices paid for tins of tobacco that can trigger a Tobaccoian Memory are higher than ever, routinely ten to fifteen times that of an equivalent-sized tin of current manufacture.

The reason for the digression before even starting the review is because Greg Pease willingly set himself up to be measured by this ruler. He openly declared that his latest blend, Westminster, was intended from the outset to be something his customers had demanded he attempt since his earliest days: a Tobaccoian Memory inducer. A mixture whose ingredients and processes didn't matter, only the result. Something that when lit would transport them back to 1973, hanging out with friends in that long-gone favorite smokeshop. Or re-live the best moments of that road trip in 1966 when the question was asked, "Will you marry me?" and she answered, "Yes... of course!" and cried.

If you've ever wondered why some people are willing to pay so much for an old can of pipe tobacco, that's why. Memories.

The blend that Greg chose for his project was the original, Dunhill-blended London Mixture. Both because it was one of the most popular blends of its day, and so would be welcomed by a large number of today's smokers if successfully replicated; and because he loved it himself. He's not known as the "Dark Lord" for nothing. Full English blends are part of his DNA.

So. Did he do it? Was he successful? More on that later. First, a tour of the tobacco itself.

The tin aroma of full and medium-full English blends usually falls into one of three groups. The fruity/fermented undertone; the burnt/toasty undertone; and those with a dry-ish, "sour and musty in a good way" scent. Westminster falls into the last group. Unloaded into a quart canning jar and fluffed a bit so it could breathe, I enjoyed simply smelling it as one does a snifter of brandy or glass of fine wine. Even though there's little correspondence between tin aroma and flavor when burning for any tobacco, that never stopped me from enjoying it for its own sake when it's pleasant. For me it is a component of the complete smoking experience.

Westminster's moisture level is on the high side, especially for a Pease blend, but that's easily remedied and certainly preferable to the opposite. If I were Greg I'd be mildly concerned that a smoker who was new to pipes might fill his bowl without letting it dry a bit, though. Steam-induced tongue bite, taste dilution, and overly frequent re-lights might then be blamed on the tobacco itself, instead of its readiness for smoking. (UPDATE: This is no longer an issue. Greg informed me that the moisture level of the initial production batch was indeed slightly high, and adjusted it immediately.)

The first pipe I chose for this review was a fully broken in, large and tall bowled Dunhill XL billiard that is used only for English blends. The filling method was a combined Frank/Ehwa one, where pressure is always applied at near right angles to the tobacco chamber, and the tangle of palm-held tobacco "worked" in from the sides, as opposed to pushed straight down.

The charring light was easy, and the weed was off to a steady smolder with three matches and two tamps. My first thought was, "Oh my!" Think Old Ironsides depth of flavor at 60-70% strength, with the remainder of the spectrum occupied by layers of exotic flavors and dark Virginia richness. It was also much "rounder and softer" than such flavor intensity would imply. Other reviewers have called Westminster a medium English, but my 30 year-long love affair with the style said Full.

As is the way of pipes, once full operating temperature was reached the flavor rounded still more, and then stayed steady. Cruising altitude. I had no problems keeping it lit even in the large bowl, and as the tobacco level dropped to below half, kept waiting for, but never experienced "turning the sour edge corner" that is usually part of the English world. With a good tobacco, it is never strong enough to be objectionable, just interesting; and with the best tobaccos it is barely noticeable. Westminster didn't do it at all, however, reason unknown. The flavor remained sweet (in its English way) to the end of the bowl, though naturally it got stronger near the bottom. All ash was fine powder, and there were no clinging bits to the bowl walls. It was a very "clean" smoke. The entire process was repeated in another Dunhill two hours later, a group 5 half bent this time, and nothing changed. Another wonderful smoke.

So. The $64,000 question. Did Westminster evoke the Golden Age of the great British blending houses, and induce the memory trick? The answer is YES, it did. Such a response cannot "lie," either. No amount of desire or will power can effect it. Everyone has many of these olfactory wonderlands buried away, whether the smell of your grandmother's perfume, or decaying weeds on a lake shore... and when triggered they have a mind of their own and take complete control. Off you go. For those who have smoked pipes long enough, the time machine awaits. For those who are younger and have no memories to trigger, you have something that's arguably better: Their initial creation.

Conclusion: This blend is Greg Pease's best English to date. He accepted the challenge of re-creating a beloved Golden Age flavor profile---Dunhill London Mixture circa 1960's/70's---and pulled it off. Smooth, round, huge flavor, full body, outstanding "flavor linger factor", no odd or "off" flavors, and the balanced combination of those things sufficient to trigger the memory trick. 10 out of 10. Naturally, the odds are that it will only improve with keeping, so what the smoking world will have then is maybe the best of the style that has ever been. This, in my opinion, is a remarkable achievement.

It would be foolish to recommend any full English to a new smoker or one who dislikes other examples of the style. The best Roquefort cheese is the world is still Roquefort cheese. But if you enjoy blends like Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth, Esoterica's Margate or Penzance, Butera's Latakia #1 or #2, or Pease's Odessey or Abingdon, you WILL like this one. I guarantee it. It is a masterpiece.

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Follow-up 2-13-07: I was so thrilled by this blend that I have (big surprise) smoked it heavily since writing the original review. Several dozen bowls in over a dozen pipes. And each light-up is the same: supposedly a man can tell when he's truly in love with his wife by his unconscious response in the first instant he sees her. She takes his breath away, anew, each time. Westminster is the tobacco equivalent. Not only does the memory trick happen, but you realize what CAUSED such a "life memory" to become fixed in your brain in the first place... the flavors are simply amazing; and the depth, richness, and "roundness" of the delivery are unique among today's English offerings. In short, as astounded and delighted as I was upon first reviewing this tobacco, my opinion of it has only gone UP after extensive smoking. Not just world class, this mixture, I believe it sets a new world standard.

Thanx LL for re-prising this and adding too a fine blend, I only wish I had your Knowledge, you would think after 50 yrs of puffing, I might have learned something! Your Friend, Ken.
Pacem en Puffing!

Thanks alot guys...now I really n eed to pick up a pound.




Excellent reviews all.

I'll bump this.

I tried this about six months ago and didn't think it was anything special. Just another Balkan, heavy on the latakia.

Last week I opened up my other tin and Wow what a difference! I found the sharp, high tang of the Virginia, the sour, back of the tongue Orientals and the Latakia playing bass in the background. Like listening to a symphony back when I had good ears.

I have noticed that a bit of time in the tin helps quite a bit with this blend. I just opened one dated 2008 and compared to the earlier tins I've had, it was a bit sharp.

Original Review @ Tobaccoreviews.com

Reviewed By	Date	Strenght	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note	Recommendation
kilted1	06-03-2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant	Highly Recommended

Greg Pease has established himself as a “premier micro-blender” of many fine mixtures. His original series are often listed highly in many a smoker's favorite, with entries from the “Classic Series” and notably the now legendary “Bohemian Scandal” his talents in blending English/Balkan mixtures are well known.

Various blenders have attempted to re-produce classics such as Balkan Sobranie's 759 mixture with moderate success in my estimation. Greg has broken new ground in an attempt to re-create the long loved and often smoked London Mixture. To the best of my knowledge, he is singular in the attempt.

Dunhill is a much respected purveyor of Pipes and Tobacco products the world over. During the 28 years I have smoked pipes, many a bowl of Dunhill tobaccos have passed through my pipes. Several of Dunhill’s mixtures have been “standards” of mine over the years; My Mixture 965, London Mixture, Nightcap, with several making the “once in awhile” slot in my rotation; Dunbar, Standard Mixture.

Dunhill tobacco mixtures have suffered from what we might call “outsourcing”. Other blenders have suffered similar fates, while others have “been there, done that” and found satisfactory “outsourcing blenders” to carry on a fine tradition. Murray's production has been the last of “Dunhill mixtures” that I have smoked. I still maintain several tins of Nightcap for “special occasion” pleasures and a couple of tins to open in my retirement years.

To my palate of the Dunhill mixtures that have suffered the greatest casualties; London Mixture and My Mixture 965 are the most gravely wounded.

With these things in mind, I will review GLP Westminster:

One should NOT approach this mixture expecting a “typical GLP” mixture, it makes no such attempt. If you were looking for something similar to other GLP mixtures, please look elsewhere.

Appearance: A beautiful mixture of light and reddish./brownish Virginias, Latakia and Turkish leaf presented in ribbon cut form of nearly uniform cut. I can detect at least 6, and perhaps 8 different hues of leaf. Having read Greg's public notes about blending this mixture I know he spend hours pouring over various productions of Dunhill London Mixture learning what he could of the composition of this classic. This is very appealing to the eye of one looking for a “typically English” tobacco mixture.

Tin aroma: Exactly what one would expect upon cracking open a tin of English tobacco, a nice blast of smoky Latakia, followed by the raisin/fig sweetness of Virginias and a musty leathery Turkish undertone. There is a deeply peaty quality which seemed absent from later samples of “London Mixture” and very welcome here. The mouth-watering scents of an adult pleasure with anticipation of roughly an hour’s escape from “modern life”.

For purposes of review, I’ve loaded a bowl (using the “once like a baby, once like a lady, finally like a man” method of packing) into a Armellini rusticated Lovat of roughly Dunhill group 3/4 capacity. This pipe has been exclusively an English/Balkan smoker for several years, and should introduce no prejudice to the smoke. I have pre-smoked 4 non-reviewed bowls of Westminster with this pipe to assure what I'm tasting is actually Westminster. This mixture seems a bit moist to me upon cracking a fresh tin, I generally let a “smoking portion” air for about 15-30 minutes prior to packing and smoking.

Upon lighting, I greeted with a blast of Latakia/Turkish smokiness with leathery/musty undertones, with the mild sweetness of Virginias just under the surface. Good so far, there seem to be no faults in proportions of the individual components thus far, everything seems where it should be, with a complexity and “competition” for attention by each tobacco.

Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the complexity and intensity as building nicely, the Virginias are a little more pronounced and assertive, while the Latakia and Turkish have settled into a nice middle palate place. The peaty quality noted in the tin aroma is very much there, though a subtle statement. When exhaled nasally the Turkish has a familiar “drying effect” on the throat and dominates the soft palate areas of the mouth. This mixture (thankfully) has seeming little/none of the Cavendish confusion of My Mixture 965 or other “later production” Dunhill mixtures, just a very cool and dry smoking one associates with a truly great English mixture of rather full body. The fine balance of leather/smoke/must/nuttiness and raisins builds slowly with each puff. Each component flavor remain distinct, yet blend together into what eventually becomes a truly outstanding finish. London Mixture has always had a roundness and softness absent in many other mixtures of this fullness, and Westminster captures this quality very well indeed.

Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, each component tries to re-assert dominance which seems destined to ultimately fail, not in a “bad way” however. The flavors are at their peak and cooperating with each other, yet somehow like gelatin the seem to eventually give up their “individuality” to become a very rewarding “whole flavor” which I remember fondly about Dunhill London Mixture of “old” 1970's - 1980's . The volume of smoke from each puff is phenomenal, and the palate is intense and broad indeed. The flavors are in perfect cooperation at this point, a superlative effect. The complexity has faded a bit, joined slowly into one. An absolutely amazing finish, cool and dry with a muted, and melded complexity! One has the impression that IF tobacco could taste as velvet feels this would be the velvet in a truly royal gown.

Supplemental Notes: Now sadly that Dunhill have moved on to “bigger and better things” like menswear (insert maniacal laughter here) Greg has taken up where they left off (years ago) and re-produced as closely as humanly possible a true Classic mixture. Absolutely an astonishing effort Greg! ***** FIVE (count them) HUGE stars

did i miss this somewhere??
on opening a 2 oz tin of westminster i noted the underside of the paper disc was inprinted with
the cornell&diehl logo.
what's up with this?? john

GLPease blends are processed by C&D.

I know Greg speaks of his Westminster as an attempt to recreate the "London Mixture" of the past, when it was blended by Dunhill, not for Dunhill. I can't speak to how close or far he came as I was introduced to, and fell under the spell of, London Mixture when Murray's was blending it. Westminster is obviously not like Murray's nor Orlik's versions of London Mixture. However, Westminster is very, very much like 30 year old Nightcap; not the Nightcap of 30 years ago, but Nightcap from 30 years ago having 30 years in the tin.

greg, the top, or the side you see when you open the tin, was actually blank. john

also, greg, the tin is sitting a bit, and i'm patiently awaiting my first tasting. from all these comlimentary reviews i know i won't be disappointed. john