Esoterica Tobacciana reviews

Esoterica Tobacciana reviews… the Holy of Holies :p
Everyone gushes over Stonehaven and Penzance- most even know about Peacehaven, thus I decided to review some of the less talked about blends (though they are still hard to come buy, so someone must be enjoying them)

1. Margate
This comes in a very fine shag ribbon cut that has unique little balls of gooey, dark tobacco blended in. These anomalies smell heavily of smoke and must be Latakia. Overall it feels a bit moist, but it is very springy. The tin note is heavier on the sweet hay notes and floral essence than on the smokiness. It’s very balanced with an enticing nuance that I can’t quite put my finger on. I smoked out of a bent Savinelli Fuoco. This began more robust than the scent led me to believe. The blend is balanced, but the Latakia is robust and the Virginias are very “bright”. In the second half of the bowl sweetness really emerged to compliment the smokiness. The spice was rather nuanced and added more depth to the mix rather than being overwhelming. This reminds me of good French cuisine- very few, simplistic ingredients that are used perfectly to produce something exceptional. There aren’t any frills, but this is definitely a solid smoke. A

2. Blackpool
I just love me a good aro :biggrin:, so I was excited to stumble upon a Virginia based aromatic from Esoterica. It’s dark, the rubbed flake is not-so-delicate to the touch, and the moisture level is a bit on the wet side. It reminds me of Guiness stout. This isn’t what many think of when the term “aromatic” comes to mind. It isn’t dripping with PG and smelling of Bath and Body Works :lol: It has strong notes of wet hay, aged wood, and anise. I left mine out a bit to dry and then packed up a Gatlinburlier No. 76 house pipe. The hot press method used on this blend results in something that reminds me of Cavendish. I got several quality flavors from this mild/medium profile smoke: caramel crème candy, Ouzo liquor, and vanilla black tea. It had a nice burn and stayed rather dry (which I found a bit surprising). This won’t satisfy those who enjoy a sickeningly sweet aro, but if you like pleasant nuances atop quality Virginias, this is great! A+

3. Brighton
From an aromatic, we change gears with a straight Virginia. This is the lightest (or “brightest” of the Esoterica blends I’ve seen, and comes cut in a nice, springy ribbon. The tin note almost floral hay- sweet, but with a touch of something else. There is also a nuance of fruit- like a nectarine, and clover honey. It doesn’t need to be dried before packing and I loaded this bowlful in my Stanwell Day and Night. This blend started off a little sharp but settled down into a decent smoke. It burned well and produced a very fine ash. In order of appearance I got the following flavours: dry hay, green tea, and finally sweet corn (like Silverqueen). It never got too hot, nor bit, but it didn’t blow my socks off- perhaps I found it just a little two uninteresting. B-

4. Pembroke
Supposedly this is Margate that has been sprayed with cognac; the tin note seems to confirm this. It is a very balanced English scent with a bit of distilled goodness that seems to mask some of the smokiness in its sister blend. To further extend the similarities I’ll note that the shag cut and springy moistness is almost identical. What appear to be missing are the concentrated, gooey balls of Latakia in the Margate. I packed this up in my straight, rusticated Dr. Grabow Royalton and took it for a spin. This didn’t want to light very easily and actually required some time just to char. Once it got going it rolled just fine. Early on the cognac was more evident in the scent than the flavor, contributing only a spot more sweetness and some oak. The Latakia seemed more of a condiment tobacco than a centerpiece like it was in the Margate; the blend seemed light overall. The further I got into the bowl the sweeter it became and the more the spirit nuances emerged. This would be a good morning smoke (assuming you’re not hungover) Interesting, but a bit on the light side. B

5. and so to Bed
This is a nice shag cut blend with notes smokiness, honey, and dry grass. The Virginia is the most dominant in the tin note, with the Latakia and orientals playing second fiddle as far as the nose is concerned. It packs nicely but feels a little damp. This is certainly a rival to Nightcap for an evening English blend. The Latakia is sweet and rich, providing spice comparable to ginger. As with a couple other Esoterica blends, it was a challenge to get lit, but once it got going the burn was cool, dry, and flavorful. The orientals contributed something like pit fruit tastes and the Virginias sweetened the pot further. I did find it to be fairly light in the nicotine department (particularly when compared to Dunhill’s nighttime blend). The smoke was medium bodied and finished pleasantly. Whereas I enjoy Nightcap with black tea, I think this would pair nicely with chamomile. B+