Esoterica Tobacco Blends - Opinions (Except Penzance & Stonehaven)

eaglerico · Apr 1, 2013

Like the title says, I am looking for opinions on the Esoterica line of tobaccos (except for Penzance & Stonehaven, we have heard enough about those.)
I have been looking into their other blends and am quite intrigued. I would like to try St. Ives but, as with most of their offerings, they are out of stock everywhere I look. I currently have a bag of Hastings on the way. Anyone tried it?
Anyone here smoke any of their other blends? It seems some of the blends that contain Lat are Hybrid-ish from reviews and I am possibly looking to these as maybe an intro intro into the world of Latikia. Any thoughts?

bubblehead33 · Apr 1, 2013

I'm no help as far as reviews but think this is a great thread. Penzance and Stonehaven are impossible to get but you can sometimes snag the others. I'd love to get some when SP restocks but have no idea whats good.

uberam3rica · Apr 1, 2013

Margate is a really good engilish. Strong, but good.

mluyckx · Apr 1, 2013

Dorchester and Dunbar are excellent VA-Per and a staple in my cellar.

I do like their Tilbury as well as a nice straight VA with just a hint of Burley.
No experience though with the Hastings or St. Ives, but based on my experiences with their other blends, I'd say you can't go wrong with any of them.
Let us know how they smoke.

crpntr1 · Apr 1, 2013

I like Dunbar, Dorchester and Kingsbridge

hfearly · Apr 1, 2013

I have a tin of Dunbar in my regular rotation. It's a wonderful Virginia/Perique blend, and it ranks above Escudo and St. James Flake for me. The distinct element of the blend that I love the most is the "stewed fruit, apricots and sweet hay" experience from 1/3rd into the bowl, to the end. Also, it's a very lovely ribbon cut, quite oily, stays moist really well in a mason jar, and ages like a champ. I have a jar with some Dunbar from 2010 and you can already see crystallization forming.

rmbittner · Apr 1, 2013

Margate is one of my favorites. But the one I enjoy the most, so far, is And So to Bed, which is just delightful. (That is, "enjoy the most" besides Penzance and Stonehaven.)
I think either one would be a fine introduction to latakia, with Margate being a more full-bodied smoke. To my knowledge, all of the Esotericas with latakia also include unsweetened black cavendish (to varying degrees, depending on the blend), which gives them a slightly sweeter, rounder character than you'll find in English latakia blends without it. I think the cavendish helps make Esoterica's offerings unlike those from any other blender, and I really enjoy them.
I also have some Pembroke in the cellar, but haven't tried it yet. It's Margate with the addition of Cognac.
Bob

cortezattic · Apr 1, 2013

I avoid Latakia blends, but everything else I've tried from Esoterica has been wonderful.

hfearly's post resonates with my opinions most closely. The "signature taste" of their

Virginias is quite unmistakeable, except perhaps for some of Germain's offerings.
Here are links to my reviews of Esoterica blends: Tilbury, Woodbridge, Peacehaven,

Scarborough, and Dunbar.
I'm currently smoking Kingsbridge, which I found quite mild, but with an interesting tartness. I thought it was just too blah for me, so I added 5% Perique (McClelland), and it became much more fun to smoke.

rigmedic1 · Apr 1, 2013

I am fond of tobaccos flavored with Spirits, and smoke Esoterica's Pembroke in a large Randy Wiley Unique pipe to bring out the flavors. Pembroke is flavored with Cognac, I believe. The taste reminds me of Penzance, or perhaps Margate, with a twist, sort of a plum or cherry added. Several tins are in my cellar.

eaglerico · Apr 1, 2013

Wow. I really like this thread so far. Thanks for the links cortez. I will report back with my findings on Hastings.

The "signature taste" of their Virginias is quite unmistakeable

Can you elaborate on this? Does this mean they are not as subtle as others or just a unique flavor profile? I am mostly an aero guy and do not yet get the natural sweetness that most speak of when talking about virginias.

cortezattic · Apr 1, 2013

Their Vas have a mossy, vegetable, sour-fermented, oily, olive-like character and taste;

but trying to describe a taste is like trying to describe a color -- impossible.
As for their sweetness, it's not sugary or caramel-like, but rather, like the sweetness

you can detect in a well cooked veggie like carrots or a boiled broccoli stalk - mellow.
Check out some of the links, where my descriptions were written closer in time to my

having smoked the blends. The descriptions will better reflect my individual impressions.

philobeddoe · Apr 1, 2013

The only Esoterica blend I disliked so far is Blackpool, I didn't care for the casing, it was supposed to be anise but it tasted kind of funky to me.

neverknowsbest · Apr 1, 2013

Kingsbridge is my favorite Esoterica blend. The similar Blackpool and Ramsgate I don't like because of their weird dressing. Kingsbridge is more traditional molasses/fig Black Virginia.

topd · Apr 1, 2013

I think the Esoterica blends were the first family of tobaccos I kinds attached myself to. Margate was my

original first love... until I started dating her sisters.... Pembroke, Penzance, and And So To Bed....

and a perfect way to finish an evening....

juvat270 · Apr 1, 2013

Their Vas have a mossy, vegetable, sour-fermented, oily, olive-like character and taste;

but trying to describe a taste is like trying to describe a color -- impossible.

I noticed this as well the first time I tried 'And So To Bed'. When I cracked open that tin for the first time, it smelled like a jar of Spanish olives. Not a bad thing by any means, just wasn't expecting it. : puffy

:

phil22 · Apr 2, 2013

I really like Pembroke as well. Really, I like it almost as much as Penzance, which is my "last smoke before the firing squad" smoke in a really big bowl of course.

kenoshakid · Apr 2, 2013

@bubblehead: Difficult, yes, but not impossible. Last week I managed to score 4 oz. of Penzance from my local B&M. I'll give you this, though - it's darn near impossible to find Penzance or Stonehaven online.

rmbittner · Apr 2, 2013

I'd appreciate it if you'd keep quiet about it, Bob, I have a hard enough finding ASTB as it is, I don't need more people to compete with.

Oh, sorry. . . Did I say And So to Bed? I meant to type, um. . . Cardiff!
Cardiff. Smoke of the gods. No, really.
Bob

john218 · Apr 2, 2013

I've been wondering what smokers think of their blends other than Penzance and Stonehaven, so I find this posting especially interesting.
Appreciate your asking the question, Eaglerico.

Esoterica Tobacco Blends - Opinions (Except Penzance & Stonehaven)

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