Description
Odyssey is huge: the biggest of the Pease blends. It’s loaded with Latakia and harmonized by exotic Orientals. Wonderful red and jet-black stoved Virginias provide a perfect counterpoint.
- Style: Balkan
- Cut: Ribbon
- Character: Medium with a Strong Room Note and Robust, Complex Taste
The story as told by Greg Pease: “Ever since I started smoking a pipe, I've been in love with the rich fragrance of fine Cyprian Latakia. There's something warm and comforting about it; the deep blackish brown colour, the fascinating texture of the leaf, the wonderful smells of campfires and leather. It's an assertive leaf that can be, and often is, easily overdone. If the supporting tobaccos are bold enough, though, and have enough character, something BIG can be produced that still has refinement, elegance, and balance.
Odyssey is big. There's no doubt it's loaded with Latakia, but that's much more to it. Exotic Oriental tobaccos abound, and wonderful matured red and jet-black stoved Virginias provide a perfect balance, both in the tin aroma and in the flavour of the dense smoke. I worked on this for months, tuning the proportions carefully until it was exactly the blend I was after
The first match yields big puffy clouds of beautiful smoke. The flavour is bold and assertive, but still refined. The Latakia's spice is balanced by the sweetness of the Virginias, and they have a marvelous conversation, while the oriental tobaccos play Baroque quartets in the background. Or, is it belly-dancing music? If you're a Latakia lover, Odyssey will surely enthrall you.
The high percentage of dark tobaccos dictate a delicate hand when packing for best smoking.”
Odyssey was introduced in January, 2002. 50g tin. Note: these are now shipping in plain packaging.
About G. L. Pease
This is a biography written by Gregory Pease himself:
“Who the heck is G. L. Pease?
I'm glad you asked...
I first became enchanted by the leaf while at university. Though I'd smoked a pipe intermittently for a couple of years (inspired first by a High School science teacher, whose delightful pipe smoke is one of my fondest memories), I didn't realize just how enjoyable a good tobacco could be until I walked into Drucquer & Sons, a true old world tobacconist's, where my real education began. I spent all of my free time in the shop, extracting every delicious morsel of understanding I could from the knowledgeable staff.
Over the past 20 years, I've continued my love affair with fine pipes and tobacco. In early 1998, one of my dreams became a reality when a friend and I started a small company to produce quality pipe mixtures, some of which have become well known. In November of 1999, I blended the last of the tobacco to be sold under that label, but the passion continued to smolder like the tobaccos in my pipe.
It was with that same passion that I founded G. L. Pease Tobaccos in early 2000, with a promise to keep the art alive, and dedicated my service to all who enjoy pipe smoking at its best.
G. L. Pease mixtures are created for true lovers of fine pipe tobaccos. They rely on the natural tastes and aromas of the finest new world and oriental leaf, blended in careful measure to bring out the best of each component, whilst delivering an experience that is far greater than the parts. Flavorings, when used, are added with restraint to enhance the natural character of choice tobaccos, not to obscure inferior ones. Our care in blending delivers tobaccos that are balanced and harmonious, with a wonderful interplay of nuances to both satisfy the casual smoker, and to engage and delight the palate of the more reflective connoisseur.
Our blends are created in small batches, by hand, in the traditional manner. This affords us with the opportunity to easily adapt to changing leaf supplies. Tobacco is a natural agricultural product, and occasional variation inevitable. Like a fine wine maker, we work with the best leaf available in a given season to ensure consistency in quality, even if it requires small changes to a blend's formulation. While some larger producers will employ chemistry and additives to maintain a consistent product from year to year, we rely only on Mother Nature, and our blending skills.
G. L. Pease tobaccos may appear at first glance to be slightly more expensive than some other premium tinned products, but any small difference in the cost per bowl is more than compensated by the richness of the smoking experience - proof that luxury does not have to be expensive."
