G.L. Pease Cumberland is one of my all-time favorite tobaccos. I have been smoking it since it came out around 2000 and have almost always had a tin with me since.

This ribbon-cut blend of Dark Fired Kentucky, Red Virginia, and a bit of Perique enhances and complements each component in such a way that brings out the best of them in a mixture that is both robust and subdued.

It lights easily and results in copious amounts of smooth, cool smoke. The flavor is dark, smooth, and subtly sweet with notes of smoky cocoa, nuts, fig, raisin, and leather. The retrohale is full of black pepper spice and dark fig sweetness. The finish is long, with notes of stewed fruits, nuts, smoked wood, and a hint of pepper that builds on your palate as you smoke, without ever becoming too dominant.

G.L. Pease Cumberland is a full-bodied and full-strength blend that does not disappoint. I often recommend it to cigar smokers who are looking to get into pipe smoking because there is a lot of overlap in the flavors and room note with a medium to full-bodied cigar. I also recommend it to pipe smokers who are looking for a full-bodied blend that is sans Latakia. There are certainly blends out there that have left me feeling like I was “just blowing smoke,” but this is not one of them. Cumberland’s nuanced complexity, rich flavors, and consistency over the last twenty-plus years all speak to it being not just blowing smoke, but an experience you will want to keep coming back to. Highly recommended.