Esoterica Blackpool review.

[ohin3]

If you like Virginias you will love Blackpool. The licorice topping is very very faint. More of a simple sweetening agent than an in your face licorice flavour. The tobacco scores points with me every step of the way.
Jet black and very moist right out of the pouch. Moist, not sticky or gooey. Being a hot pressed Virginia, the cut is similar to gently rubbed out flake. The aroma in the pouch is intoxicating. Strong scent of tobacco and candy. It honestly reminds me of the smell of Mail Pouch or Redman chewing tobacco. I rub it out a bit more and air dry for at least a couple hours. I have to believe that this would smoke terribly straight from the pouch due to the moisture level.
The tobacco readily takes to flame and stays lit very well throughout the bowl. The flavour of the tobacco is one of sweet, spicy rich tobacco. The sweetness comes in the form of stewed, sugared fruit, the spice profile is one of cinnamon, allspice and an over all piquant spicyness that reminds me of dark fired tobaccos and the rich notes of cocoa, buttered toast and leather sort of wrap themselves around everything else to keep any one component from getting out of hand. The smoke is rich and at times borders on creamy. The smoke is not terribly complex as there is a constant rich, spicy, sweet tobacco flavour throughout the smoke, but the individual flavour components definitely do the dance and one or several may take the lead at times while others step back. This is absolutely delicious when blown through the nose. I WILL be cellaring more of this very very soon.

 

[nsfisher]

Nice write up mate. You make it sound good for sure. I do fear it would prob. bite me though.

 

[grizzly86]

Nice review. I can't wait until I am experienced enough to pick out individual flavors from my tobaccos.

 

[cortezattic]

Phil, thanks for a great write-up! It looks like you anticipated my pm! :lol:
Grizzly, check out Greg Pease's article on just that topic.

 

[ohin3]

@ nsfisher: It is actually very well behaved heat wise. Never bites me at all. Now if you have that sort of oral chemical aversion to Virginia tobaccos then yeah I suppose there is nothing you can do about it.
@ cortezattic: Yeah I have been compiling notes since my first bowl of Blackpool and when you asked me what I thought of it I, naturally went right to those notes. As I started reading through them and paraphrasing to give you an answer, I realized that I was basically writing a review so I figured I would post it as such. Posted the same review at luxury tobacco reviews as well.

 

[ohin3]

Couple important notes to add to the review:
As I mentioned, this tobacco never bites me and actually smokes rather cool and effortlessly with very few relights right down to a fine powdery white ash.
Nicotine strength will not knock your socks off but you definitely know it's there.

 

[ohin3]

@ grizzly: I am just fascinated with flavours in general. I love to cook and eat and I love to make and drink wine because I love to experience flavour. When I taste something I like, I have to know every single thing about it and figure out what it is that appeals to me...I'm just like that.

 

[grizzly86]

@cortezattic Thanks for the link; that was a great article.
My wife just doesn't get it. Because I used to smoke nails and dip she thinks it is an addiction to tobacco. I have tried to explain to her that it is about relaxing and enjoyment of the flavors, buy she just doesn't understand ::

 

[hobie1dog]

I want to try everyone of Esotericas baccys before I die. ::

 

[mlaug]

I have tried several Esoterica blends, slowly working my way towards Hobie's goal. They are all very good, but something Phil said reminded me of a characteristic of the brand...to me, the flavor profile never changes throughout the bowl. This has been true for all the different blends I've tried. I'm not saying its a negitive thing; Stonehaven, Penzance, Blackpool, Margate, and the others are very fine in taste and everything else one would want in a smoke, but its why some pipers think the blends are one dimensional.
Is it the flavoring agent I wonder?
Good review, Phil.

 

[brewshooter]

I would consider myself a light Virgina smoker, but adore Blackpool. It has a molasses character too me.

 

[barkar]

great review...I too like nsfisher am afraid of Virginia's.

 

[brian64]

Great review! Sounds delicious. Another for the TAD list.

 

[spartan]

That blend sounds freaking delicious. Thanks for the review! Don't forget to copy and paste that onto all the other tobacco review sites! lol You allready did all the work!!!
mlaug said:

the flavor profile never changes throughout the bowl

I think this is because of their superior marrying of tobaccos.
When I tried penzance I was intruged and very confused that it was even tobacco. It has undergone such a dramatic
transformation that it almost looks like it was burried in the earth and allowed to rot.
It's fantastic stuff.
It seems just so well married that all the flavors that make up the final unique taste don't ever
overpower one another. It's an amazing feat in my eyes. Just my 2 pennies. (save your pennies they're going away!) :nana:

 

[baronsamedi]

Sounds like pure awesomeness. I need to get out and try more VAs

 

[ichbinmuede]

Can't bloody wait to get my package of the stuff. Sounds like just the thing that I've been wanting in these summer months.

 

[marmal4de]

You're gonna have to toss some of this into the box when it comes your way!

 

[jcsoldit]

Thanks ohin3 for a very well done review. I prefer VA and VA dominate blends, but would never have given this one a try due to the licorice topping, but thanks to you it will be added to my next order... ::