What’s Your Favorite Esoterica/Germain’s Blend?

[damacene]

Stonehaven is my favorite, but I've only been able to get it once and will not pay above retail for it. ...And so to bed and King Charles Mixture are my runners up and have been able to get those somewhat frequently. The rest are mostly "meh" to good in my book. None of the Virginias are quite as good as Full Virginia Flake in my book.

 

[Papamique]

Dunbar, Dorchester, and Tilbury.

Dorchester being the favorite among those three.

 

[briarbuck]

Realizing that even acquiring this tobacco brand is extremely difficult for some, I’m curious what everyone here likes most from this brand.

I admit that I’ve been super lucky in that my local Tinder Box gets most drops from Germain’s, so I’ve tried most everything and have a decent cellar of the stuff. That said…

I think the big two—Penzance and Stonehaven—are overhyped. Penzance is so close to Star of the East that I will never chase it again. Stonehaven is great, but I’d take the Gawith dark flakes over it any day (my fave being 1792). My actual favorites are three of the most getable blends: Dorchester, Pembroke, and Margate.

Dorchester, to me, is a better Elizabethan mixture. Love the apricot topping, the dark tobacco, and perique is just perfect. Margate is an awesome, traditional English blend—super rich and flavorful—with Pembroke improving on the formula with that cognac topping. Runners up: Dunbar (VaPer), Woodbridge, and Scarborough.

And before someone jumps in with “they don’t make them like the used to,” or some such sentiment, I’ve been smoking these blends since the early aughts. So, what are your favorites?

Dunbar is my favorite and I'm stacked deep on that blend. However, Tillbury has really grown on me.

 

[SBC]

Dunbar is my favorite

Ah yeah, I forgot to mention Dunbar in my response. Super intruiging VaPer. There are flavors going on there that I haven't tasted elsewhere -- very unique experience. I did like it a lot, but in a way that I thought would be a rare foray into something different -- not something I'd feel like frequently. Just to my taste.

 

[briarbuck]

Dunbar varies batch to batch quite a bit. I've had bags that the leaves are super blonde, other much darker. Don't think QC is much of a thing in the Islands.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Hmm...I'm realizing it's been a while since I visited this one again. Have to break out a tin.

It's such a unique aromatic.

Penzance might be my other favorite, but Quiet Nights/Chelsea Morning has a very similar (while admittedly distinct) flavor profile.

I have yet to find any blend that even compares to the Plum Cake Mix flavor and texture.

- - -

Since noone's mentioned it yet, St Ives is another one of my favorites. Very poorly reviewed online but I like the standard Esoterica house English taste with this ambiguous topping note - is it sweet is it savory? Maybe a little bit of both, it has shades of Lakeland to it. Either way, delicious blend all around.

 

[mingc]

I was lucky enough to have a local B&M that carried Esoterica and Germain's before they became unobtainable, so I got to taste most of them. My favs are Margate, Medium Flake, and Blackpool. I like the really smokey stuff and the nicely topped stuff.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

For Esoterica, my favorites are Margate and Penzance. I like Dunbar and Pembroke as well. I never did care for Stonehaven.

For Germain's, my favorites are Special Latakia Flake, and Brown Flake.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I would enjoy Medium Flake, if I could ever get hold of some. As it is, sometimes I get lucky and get some Gold Leaf R/R, which is very good indeed. Brown Flake is marginally more available and is my favorite of that genre. Special Latakia Flake is also more readily available and is often my go-to when I fancy some English.

Much of the rest doesn't do much for me, 1820, King Charles, Royal Perique (is that the name?) etc., give no buoyancy to my vessel.

MSS had some Medium on open sale very recently. I got 100g right off the bat. Left it a week or so, so everyone else could get a chance, then when it was still available, snagged another 100g. Sign up to their product alerts. Unlike most others, they will actually send you an email when they become available.

 

[warren99]

Penzance’ Penzance and Penzance!!!

 

[Took]

Margate, Penzance and Exotique.

All are spectacular examples of their genres.

 

[EA-6B]

K.C.M.

 

[BingBong]

MSS had some Medium on open sale very recently. I got 100g right off the bat. Left it a week or so, so everyone else could get a chance, then when it was still available, snagged another 100g. Sign up to their product alerts. Unlike most others, they will actually send you an email when they become available.

Blast! I have a notify set on the tins but hadn't set the bulk - they must have had bulk only and I missed it. Grrr.

 

[PipeMake]

unfortunately its held at gunpoint by dhl tax schemes for most of america.

However 1820 was a wonderful experience.

 

[jpberg]

I’ve used to have a regular diet of Krumble Kake, SLF, and BF.
Far and away my top three.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

Blast! I have a notify set on the tins but hadn't set the bulk - they must have had bulk only and I missed it. Grrr.

Next time I see it I'll let you know.

 

[BingBong]

Next time I see it I'll let you know.

I've set my notify now. Also gone on the Smoke-King list; they've started rationing, because the same two or three customers kept clearing them out and they got sick of it.

 

[Peter Turbo]

I’ve used to have a regular diet of Krumble Kake, SLF, and BF.
Far and away my top three.

What an amazing story.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I haven’t purchased Germain’s in years. As I recall, and this would be before 2020…I very much enjoyed RDF, Brown Flake, Dunbar & Dorchester. However, I refuse to chase blends that are difficult to attain. So, now I smoke mainly C&D and GL Pease blends such as Haunted Bookshop, Sixpence & Opening Night…usually with some age to them. Best of luck on your gold hunt though. ️.

 

[filmguerilla]

I haven’t purchased Germain’s in years. As I recall, and this would be before 2020…I very much enjoyed RDF, Brown Flake, Dunbar & Dorchester. However, I refuse to chase blends that are difficult to attain. So, now I smoke mainly C&D and GL Pease blends such as Haunted Bookshop, Sixpence & Opening Night…usually with some age to them. Best of luck on your gold hunt though. ️.

I’m not sure I’d chase anything other than maybe Dorchester. All my stuff came off the shelf at Tinder Box.