The King Street Emporium

Virginia Cream

Virginia Aromatic

Gregory Pease began his career at Drucquer and Sons, the legendary San Francisco tobacconist that closed in 1987, where he absorbed the craft of blending before launching his own line in 2000. The G.L. Pease line is manufactured by Cornell and Diehl in South Carolina, though the recipes and the brand belong entirely to Pease. The Virginia Cream is one of the more unusual entries in his catalog, a deliberate departure from the predominantly English and Balkan blends he is best known for. The blend centers on red and golden flue cured Virginias, with dark fired Kentucky, black Cavendish, and Perique as supporting components. A vanilla and bourbon topping is applied with considerable restraint, present throughout the bowl from first light to finish without overwhelming the natural tobacco character underneath. It burns clean and leaves the pipe free of ghost flavors, which is notably rare for a topped blend. Ribbon cut, medium strength. A lightly aromatic Virginia for smokers who want a touch of sweetness without sacrificing the quality of the leaf doing the work underneath it.