Esoterica Tobacciana Cardiff

The Virginias are very grassy with a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, a little tangy dark fruit, wood, light floralness and earth, some bread and a very mild spice note. The tangy fruity apricot topping is a little more obvious than what seems like tartly sour mango to me. They moderately sublimate the tobaccos. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of mild to medium. The taste level is a a couple of steps past that mark. Won’t bite or get harsh, but it does sport a few very small rough edges. Burns clean and a tad warm at a reasonable pace for a shag cut (partially due to the moisture content of the tobaccos) with a very consistent tangy sweet and tartly sour flavor that translates to pleasantly lingering after taste and room note. Leaves just a little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. An all day smoke.

-JimInks

Cardiff is about as old world as you will find in a tobacco. No frills and a palate pleaser, for sure. Germain used four types of ribbon form Virginias and wove them together for further melding. Straight forward, honest and rather strong, this one will bring back memories of grandpa!

Little wonder Esoterica brands go out of stock so quickly. The note from the 8oz pack is not like anything I've experienced before. Not certain what it is but the fine, very light, shag-looking mixture sure had the aroma of a great wine - the best of any Virginia I have ever encountered. I recently got the tobacco from Iwanries and it was delivered to me today.

It was easy to load though it took two-three lights to get it going. Yet it had a great, rich taste once the smoke was underway. I do agree with one of the reviewers here that it would have been more stellar if the tobacco tasted anywhere near its fragrance. But this is not necessarily a handicap. There was some sweetness - not near as sweet as some reviewers have stated. I did puff hard and impatiently to be able to 'squeeze' out the taste but did not experience any tongue bite.

It's in a class of its own and, right now, though there was not that much complexity to it, I do not know of that many Virginias yet that I have smoked, more tasteful as they may be, that, IMO, have any much deeper complexity. I do believe that it will 'ripen' and achieve a certain distinction with age.

Until such time that I am able to savor it after some aging, I'll settle for a three-and-half star for myself but I'll highly recommend it to others, if only for them to experience the 'tin' note, that amazing aroma from an open pack. I have to add that the room note is not, well, so pleasant.

Cardiff is an example of one of those tobacco's that has a great tin note, but never lives up to the promise of that note. Cardiff is very mild with an extremely light topping that I can't quite put my finger on. Like other Esoterica offerings, the quality of the leaf is good and Cardiff has a nice sweetness to it. Not bad for an occassional diversion, just not interesting enough for an everyday smoke.

Cardiff to me is one of the milder blends in the Esoterica line, but flavorful enough that I like to keep some around for a break from the heavier blends. The subtle sweetness is present during most of the bowl, and like Tantric said this is somewhat similar to Gold Block but I find the flavor to be a bit fuller with a tad more body than GB. This can get a bit hot if you puff to fast so keep your rhythm relaxed. Nice VA flavor and the taste of spice here and there is most pleasant. Burns well, as do all of the Eso's, to a gray ash. Leaves the pipe clean too. Like others have stated, this would be a good morning smoke with a hot cup of coffee. The quality is apparent and I believe the flavoring is intended to compliment the blend and not mask any inferior leaf. Works for me.

My wife and I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and may God richly bless you and your families!!!!

Here is a nice, lighter Virginia blend that starts off soft and finishes strong. As an early morning treat, I highly recommend it. In the bag, I can smell sweetness and a very mild, "bright" smell. In appearance, this tobacco reminds me of dried grass, mostly medium brown with a few lighter strands. The cut is medium in length and narrow, making packing easy. It has a slightly below average level of moisture, at least in the sample bag, and it lights very easily. For the first third, the flavor is very mild. I can taste a very soft, almost "pale" sweetness that mingles with the tobacco flavor. The flavor is good, but rather subtle; it teases, like a thought on the edge of being remembered, and I find myself puffing too hard in an attempt to make it show itself. There doesn't appear to be any problem with bite thus far, and the narrow cut burns very well, requiring less than the normal number of relights. In the second third of the bowl, the sweetness is still present, perhaps a trifle stronger. I'm detecting a hint of spice(?), and the Virginia flavor has matured somewhat, becoming slightly darker. Still, this is a very soft, subtle smoke, free of bite so far. I find myself wondering what this would taste like pressed into a flake. Moving into the final third, the sweetness has further intensified. I still wouldn't call it strong, but it is finally making its presence known as more than a background note. The overall flavor has darkened as well, becoming almost full in taste. While by no means a rich, dark smoke, it has matured into a flavorful, pleasant mixture that isn't bad at all. This maturation seems to go especially well in a tall, narrow bowl. I still haven't noticed any problems with bite or moisture with this tobacco. I was sorry when the bowl was over and I was sucking ashes. Overall, this is a blend that I found surprisingly enjoyable. The weak start is made up for by the strong finish. While not nearly as full as my preferred Latakia blends, I still enjoy this as a first-bowl-of-the-day smoke; it seems to wake up the taste buds without overwhelming, and the burning characteristics are excellent. A very good blend that I recommend as a nice, light change of pace.

This is a nice light, sweet tobacco that is reminiscent of the finer Danish mixtures. It's a fine cut and packs easily; the first few puffs bring a fairly intense maple/toffee flavor but this diminishes quickly, leaving a pleasantly sweet Virginia taste. It gets fuller toward the bottom of the bowl but does favor slow smoking due to a tendency to bite, and responds nicely to a DGT after some of the flavorings have evanesced. I often smoke a partial bowl of Cardiff right before bed then put it aside...I call it "making breakfast" 🙂

This tobacco is soft and sweet, so lovers of English or heavier Virginia tobaccos probably won't 'get it'. If you don't mind some mild flavorings and like to indulge your sweet tooth now and then, this is a good smoke.

Sweet, light and grassy, Cardiff is cut finely, almost looking like grass, or how a bale of hay looks from a distance. It gives a consistantly nice taste and rates well in my book. Great for late summer/early fall. Don't know why this is given 2 stars; it must be because of the small amount of people that have tried it.

If Virginias are your thing I guess this is ok. It was not one of my favorites though. I found it bitey and boring. you decide.

I just simply do not know where to start with this one. As with many of the tobaccos produced by Germain's, it's taste is a bit of a disappointment when compared with its tin aroma. Its aroma is mouthwatering, but its flavor is mouthwateringly bland. And any attempt at forcing more flavor through the pipe resulted in fairly severe tongue bite; unusual for tobacco made by this particular company.