Esoterica Margate; first impressions.

I have not had the pleasure of trying this blend before and was excited to see what the fuss was with Esoterica. By the time the Tabacciana had caught my attention and piqued my interest, it had become hard to find. Handling the bag, I thought it seemed awfully firm for what I thought was ribbon cut. Opening the seal greeted me with a wonderful English smell that I would have to say was fresh and light but still satisfying and indicative of the tobaccos at hand. I don't mean fresh as in lacking age or ripeness but in the sense that the spring air smells fresh. I almost detect a citrus undertone but it disappears if I try and focus on it. I should say I was surprised how well the smell came through because I'm on the tail end of a summer cold and my sinuses aren't completely clear just yet. Digging in to the pouch, the brick broke easily into thinly cut ribbon that sided a little over half golden and looking like there was age in terms of how vibrant the strands are. The consistency in hand is a bit luxurious and I enjoyed filling 3 medium mason jars with it. Storing two of the jars, I chose my LG bulldog that seems to like lat blends. The tobacco was close to smoking dryness for having come out of a pouch but I let it dry about 15 minutes. The first bowl I packed too tightly because I had not properly broken up the piece I removed from the jar. It was an easy mistake because even when slightly compressed the thin ribbon seems light and almost fluffy. Luckily, I caught it on the draw check before going any further. I removed and repacked it properly, doing 3 char lights and finally lighting up. The flavor was immediately latakia and orientals, medium bodied on a wine note but both rich and subtle in it's complexity. The room note is nice (for the smoker, I'm not sure it would be wife approved) but hard to nail down... and I sense the same thing in the taste. I don't think it's casing but there is something there that seems to rest just below identifiable. Whatever it is, I enjoyed it in both the flavor and smell. The bowl smoked well through to a little dottle and seemed to make a nice shift towards the end of the bowl. I think anyone who likes a medium English blend with full flavor should give it a try but I can see a good group of them not liking it's particular nuance. Since the bags seem easier to get that is a gamble but I am guessing people would be happy to trade, if you find yourself in that position.

I was hoping Margate would be on the heavier side of the English Blends.

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I personally thought it to be medium because I didn't get a nic hit and it lacked any strong cigar/cigarette notes. That said, if I am correct, it is on the strong side of the medium spectrum and the smoke is rich and full bodied. I suppose it could be on the light side of heavy but either way, I don't think you would be disappointed in this respect.

This may be how you're perceiving the unsweetened cavendish in the blend.

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This makes sense, thank you. I would not be surprised and I will see what this information does to my perception of the blend on my next smoke.

That makes a lot of sense Bob. I suppose, in my mind, I usually label something heavy when i get strong straight tobacco taste and a bit of a nic hit but that is just my personal way of grading things. If cigar notes and nic strength are not necessary component of a heavy English, then Margate would certainly qualify. The smoke is full bodied and very flavorful.