Margate. Isn’t It the Cats Meow!

[LotusEater]

Margate is good but I prefer Pembroke and I have a Northern Briars pipe that is basically dedicated to it (Pembroke).
* I’ve never smoked Penzance

 

[LotusEater]

I think Penzance is nice - I agree. I also agree that it simply isn't worth chasing nor is it worth the price. When Stonehenge went away, what a loss that was. For whatever reason, I had a supply of it. Had it not gone away or had it not become hard to get, I might not have replenished what I had. Regardless, I have no desire to replenish my stock - which I still have tins, at tin bids's prices. The thing is, there are great tobaccos out there - many that are perhaps ignored only because they are available and in no way going bye-bye.

I’m hoping Stonehenge gets another limited release- I love the stuff and I’ve only got one tin left in the cellar.

 

[OzPiper]

I think Penzance is nice - I agree. I also agree that it simply isn't worth chasing nor is it worth the price.
The thing is, there are great tobaccos out there - many that are perhaps ignored only because they are available and in no way going bye-bye.

After chasing some no-longer-in-production blends and "unicorns" just after I got back into pipes, often at silly prices, I realised there are so many blends out there. So much to choose from.
They may not be the same, and some may not be as good. But some may be better.
These days I don't obsess over those unobtainiums and just look for alternatives

 

[telescopes]

I’m hoping Stonehenge gets another limited release- I love the stuff and I’ve only got one tin left in the cellar.

My understanding is that Louisiana Flake is Stonehenge. However Louisiana Flake is difficult to get as you know. Geez. It don't come easy...

 

[fireground_piper]

They could no longer source a component for Stonehenge.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Margate. Isn’t It the Cats Meow!

I'd call it a run of the mill Latakia blend. Peretti's Royal is much better.

 

[damacene]

I like Margate but ...And so to Bed is my personal favorite of the lot. St. Ives is also really good, but it seems like a lot of people hate it.

 

[telescopes]

Just finished a jar of And so To Bed. Yes, it is a good one as well.

 

[mspadoni]

Yes it's great but such a pain in the ass to always feel like you have to be on the lookout for it knowing full and well its going to sell out quickly. That alone makes it not worth it for me. There are other blends that are more readily available that I'm ok with subbing that out for

 

[BriarBrook]

Yes it's great but such a pain in the ass to always feel like you have to be on the lookout for it knowing full and well its going to sell out quickly. That alone makes it not worth it for me. There are other blends that are more readily available that I'm ok with subbing that out for

which ones do you use as a replacement?

 

[BriarBrook]

Honestly, if you do get a tin of Penance - alternate between Quiet Nights and I am confident that you will see that Quiet Nights is a great substitute for Penzance.

would you say Star of the East is comparable as well? I've seen some comparisons, but I did not like Star of the East.

 

[hoipolloiglasgow]

which ones do you use as a replacement?

I always have a nice stash of Margate on hand as well as Pembroke. I find myself smoking Brebbia Balkan, Brebbia Latakia no 9, and Quiet Nights a little more often.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

would you say Star of the East is comparable as well? I've seen some comparisons, but I did not like Star of the East.

I like both SOTE and Penzance, but they are nothing alike. SOTE is sour, and Penzance is like a kaleidoscope of ever changing incense flavors. Two totally different birds.

 

[telescopes]

would you say Star of the East is comparable as well? I've seen some comparisons, but I did not like Star of the East.

Star of the East is its own bird. I can see why some people compare the two, but the differences are more pronounced than the differences between Quiet Nights and Penzance. I note that just as Gawith has changed over time, so has Penzance. It is a truth about life - Change is inevitable. Old comparisons between SotE and Quiet Nights to Penzance may not hold up to being valid with the latest rendition of Penzance.

 

[telescopes]

If I saw a tin of Penzance on a shelf in a pipe shop, I would most likely purchase it. If I saw the tin on tin bids, I'd pass in a heart beat - Quiet Nights fits the bill too well in my opinion. Whatever Penzance once was in anyone's mind or memory, today, In my opinion, it is nothing special. Of course, nothing anyone says will change so many buyers who will wait out in the rain to get a chance to hoard and flip the tobacco. And that's a shame- If the hoarders backed off, over time, Penzance would become one of many other tobaccos that was left on the shelf for long periods of time. Sorry, but it just isn't THAT good.

 

[MisterDearly]

It's a great English for sure. I bought a tin in 2021 that I really loved. I also bought an 8 ounce bag in 2022 that I still have most of. I only smoke it occasionally. It's a full-flavored, well-balanced English mixture. I preferred the 2022 batch. I've had a sampling of other Germain Englishes (King Charles, 1820, Special Latakia Flake, Penzance, And So To Bed), and they're all very good! I really like Special Latakia Flake. That said, though, a lot of the GL Pease Englishes are just as good. I'm lucky I have a B and M that gets them in so I tend to get a few tins when they do, but they keep getting more and more expensive. Last time, new tins were 55 dollars. They were 25 back in 2021/2022. I actually think King Charles and And So To Bed are very unsung blends. Both are really good

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

For me, I think it's the best English blend I've smoked, and I've smoked a good variety of English blends over the years as English and Balkan blends are my favorites. If someone asked me what the best English blend to try was; I'd say Margate. I know there are a lot of other English blends out there, but for the moment Margate is the best for me.