Esoterica penzance?

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av8scuba

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 4, 2013
298
0
Mid-Missouri
For what it's worth, I found Cornell & Diehl's Pirate Kake to be similar to Penzance, and a whole lot cheaper. And, it's usually in stock at most online retailers.
Just my 2 cents. :puffy:

 

kola

Lifer
Apr 1, 2014
1,560
2,417
Colorado Rockies, Cripple Creek region
It's a nice baccy but not worth fighting for....and certainly not worth paying megabucks to buy it from some hoarder posting it on Fleabay. I lost my interest in obtaining hard-to-get tobaccos. There are too many other great blends available.

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
2,025
"For what it's worth, I found Cornell & Diehl's Pirate Kake to be similar to Penzance,"
Oh, sure: There are blends that are similar. (Lancer Slices is one bulk that's available.) But you could say that about every single blend on the market; chances are, there are others that are "similar" in terms of general make-up and flavor.
But, frankly, I don't know why this matters. If you enjoy Penzance, you're going to be disappointed by all of the "similar" wannabes. If you want to experience Penzance, there's only blend that's going to help you out: Penzance. You can't smoke something "similar" and expect to know what you're missing by not smoking the real thing. I think it's also worth mentioning that the closer blends to get to delivering a Penzance-like experience, the more likely they are to be out of stock as often as the real thing. When was the last time Smoker's Haven had Exotique? Or Germain had Special Latakia Flake? Even the Lancer Slices mentioned above is currently out of stock. (And it's based on the original Bengal Slices, which, in my opinion, wasn't as nuanced a blend as Penzance. And yes I'm well aware that the original Bengal Slices was the flake version of Balkan Sobranie.)
But Penzance is my #1 blend, so I'm definitely biased about it. . .
Bob

 

layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
12
Hahaha, Peck, yea i think you are right. Premal is sending me some Exotique with a pipe sleeve he forgot to include with a recently acquired Briar Bird i bought from SH, so i don't think it is out of stock. Premal and SH have FANTASTIC customer service by the way, he rectified the situation with the pipe sleeve immediately and bent over backwards to make sure i was happy, even offering to send one of his nice Chheda leather pouches that come with his pipes if he couldn't find the original Briar Bird sleeve. Will definitely be doing business with them again!

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
463
I just tried Exotique over the weekend for the first time. I enjoyed it. I had expected it to be the same as Margate, because I had heard folks say they are the same. They are similar, no doubt, but the orientals popped a little more in Exotique, I thought. May have been just in my head. I do need to smoke them side by side at some point.

 

derfargin

Lifer
Mar 3, 2014
2,028
29
Kennesaw, GA
+ 1 to what Bob said, though I think he meant Krumble Kake not Exotique
Speaking of Krumble Kake? Is there a list to get on at SH to try to get a tin? And if there is, what's the likely hood that I'll ever see a tin show up in the mail because I don't know the super secret SH handshake?

 

thedudeabides

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 6, 2013
108
1
It is the Pappy Van Winkle of the pipe tobacco world. High quality + scarcity = mythology.
Again, I said high quality (it really is one of my favorites), and I do think it is worth seeking out, but especially for newer pipe smokers simply looking to find "the best," it may not actually be your cup of tea. The flavor is thick, and to my palate nearly "oily." It sticks with you, so a little goes a long way. Try one of the alternatives mentioned here and if you do, in fact, love it, then by all means take the time to find it and be patient. Or, skip that step and overpay on an auction site or for a consignment tin if you really must have it. Only you can decide what it is worth to you, but I would really want to be sure the style was for me before I paid some of the current auction prices.

 

thedudeabides

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 6, 2013
108
1
Many say Margate is to Our Best Blend what Penzance is to Krumble Kake.. There are some good threads here (somewhere) that discuss the relationship and similarities between the SH and Esoterica blends. As far as waiting lists go, I'm afraid I do not know, but I do not believe there has been any new KK or OBB available for years.

 
M

mrsal

Guest
Just picked up a pound of Penzance the other day. $45 per 8oz bag, after all taxes in NYS.

 
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