Burning qualities are perfect, due to the fine ribbon cut (all the bowls I´ve tried have been one-match-till-white-ash bowls), and the flavor is deep and nostalgic. It is very perfumed, yes, as someone notes, but it´s the natural perfume of good latakia, and nothing else.

I call this blend Margret myself. It is a nice satisfying smoke. It is classic in the English sense, but it does not burn harsh, it is not dripping wet, perfect moisture content.

It burns nice and slow and did not bite in the least. The flavor was present all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Some English blends are too perfumy for me, some don't have enough flavor to last through out the smoke. This does not seem to be true for Margret. I like this blend.

Just a note. I put away a pound of this stuff in a jar to age. I noticed a few flakes here and there that looked suspicious like it could have mold, so that's why I popped the jar and began smoking right away. Keep a close eye on this stuff if aging long term.

Who ever suggests trying this one first and then Pembroke is right. If you taste this ghastly thing, you might spare yourself from trying Pembroke. It injured my throat and it took me three days to smoke.

This was a first! When I do not like a tobacco I usually mix it with others so as not to waste it. This one went straight to the bin.

It's the most finely cut ribbon I've yet seen, and it burns so easily that it can get hot if you puff hard, which you should definitely not do with this little beauty or you'll miss all its unique nuances, which gets more subtle and complex as you get down to the bottom, so sip it slow and you'll be amply rewarded.

But though I very much like this delectable, dignified blend I prefer it's sister, that painted hussy Pembroke.

Well, now I've had a chance to smoke numerous bowls of Margate most in a new pipe sans ghost. I have to say it is now one of my favorite tobaccos. It has a nice complexity and occasionally throws you a curve with a new teaser of flavor. I recommend it whole heartedly.

Margate is an English from England. Reading the reviews here (ecstatic, mostly) I only wish they'd all gone on to try SMM. Because Margate is in the ballpark, but SMM is so much better.

Phantom55 said: "Tried this based on the overwhelming positive reviews here. Smells good in the tin, like fermenting Virginia. Unfortunately, to me, does not smoke like it smells. I must be quite sensitive to whatever flavoring agent they use, and there definitely is one. The tobacco just has a very peculiar flavor that I can't readily identify."

Well, that flavoring is definitely there. Almost like perfume, and I don't much care for it.

Pipestud (who's reviews I generally respect) said: "I consider this to be a traditional English, yet not quite as plain as, say, the Dunhill English blends. This one packs more complexity. If you like Dunhill 965, take a step up in class and grab yourself a tin of Margate. You'll be glad you did."

Well. Dunhill 965 had Cavendish so, yes, Margate is a step up from there.

Of SMM Pipestud said: "If you want a smokey flavor lingering in your mouth for hours after you finish a bowl, grab a tin of this stuff"

Precisely. Pipestud offered 3 stars for Margate and 1 for SMM.

Margate lacks the complexity & smokiness of SMM, as well as the full body. The tin description bears no mention of Virginias, whose omission, if correct, may account for some of this.

Tin was deliciously moist. perfect in my opinion, and it burned very well. But it DOES have that perfume smell and taste.

If I wasn't on the last bowl of the day I would have one of Margate.

Enough about my world back to the tobacco. It is very pleasent most of the time, however smoking this to much it gives me a mild headache. It's the flavor, even though similar to Pembroke, I don't know, I can't describe. But for a bowl now and then it is quite nice.

Margate I imagine would be great to smoke on the beach with a nice Cabernet Sauveignon at hand. I live in the deserts of Washington State so a beach setting I can only dream. I give this tobacco from my personal notes a 8.6 I'd buy it again but its a give or take.

A bit of a change here, no longer on a beach thats for sure, I just smoked some of this outside and yuck, It burnt my mouth like I was trying to inhale the sun, then A sour taste started around the back of my throat, after that severe thirst set in, and then a bitter taste preceeded by the sourness, it was total ick. On top it was burning really fast. It was gone in about five minutes for a 3/4 inch diameter bowl by about 1.5 inch depth. My new rating 4.1 I won't be buying this again since I wish to try so much.

After a lengthy session of picking out sticks, I packed it into an average size GBD and had a very delightful smoke. This stuff comes at just the right moisture, packs easily, lights easily and stays lit well. Does not smoke hot, no hint of a bite, no gurgles, no strong build-up near the bottom of the bowl and left a dry, light grey ash and left me feeling totally satisfied. The tobaccos seem to be of the highest grade and the blending is superb.

I find Margate to be one of the finest tobaccos I have ever smoked and recommend it for 5 stars right under my favorite Count Pulaski.

Lighting: Took a strong effort to get it lit and keep it burning. Letting some of the tobacco dry for 20 minutes, it was quite dry.

Taste & Aroma: Using undried Margate, the beginning is disagreeable and nondescript.

Mid-bowl, a pleasant nutty and toasty taste developes from the VA and, or, turkish components.

The bottom of the bowl continues an interplay of VA and turkish, the VA being mildly sweet. Subsequent bowls give varying results.

Sometimes the bowl is good from top to bottom. The moisture level, humidity of the air, and, or, how tight it is packed seems to determine the quality of the smoke. Maximum flavor seems to be obtained with the tobacco dried about 20 minutes.

Nicotine: mild

Room Note: medium, like the taste

Overall: Margate burns a little hot trying to keep it lit, with a bit of moisture generated. Margate has a little more taste compared to Penzance. Margate has more of the classic toasty and nutty taste and aroma of an English blend. The moisture level of the tobacco seems to be the key factor. When dried out a little, 3.9, 4 stars; undried, 3.6, 3 stars.

I was very impressed with the presentation and the burn characteristics. The flavor is sublime.

I know this is going to be considered heresy by many, but I prefer this to Westminster. The flavors are far more balanced and is subject to far fewer relights. Let's face it, working at smoking a bowl is not as satisfying as just kicking back after that initial char burn with a single match and being transported to another place and time. This blend does that.

I found my tin to be a little damp for my personal tastes and dried some to almost a crisp state (my preferred texture). Straight out of the tin, you could see the promise, but the humidity got in the way of the really big show.

After drying for about two hours, I loaded my corncob and we were off to the races. What a difference the drying time made! The latakia and orientals were absolutely fantastic. The virginia was there as well, but did exactly as it is supposed to do in an english blend. That is, to support the latakia and orientals, not try to overshadow them. It starts of a little light for me, but quickly picked up in strength and taste to a desirable med/full.

I can't say enough about this tobacco. It is surely one of the standards that all med/full english blends should be judged by. If only Dunhill still produced weed this wonderful.

If you like the genre, you should like this one alot.

UPDATE: After smoking this for several months on a faily regular basis, for me anyway, I have to reduce the rating to 3 stars.

Now, I do this because of my own initial enthusiasm with the blend. Occasionally, I will settle down to a little lower scoring profile for a partcular blend once I'm VERY familiar with it. (i.e. smoking 2-3 bowls a day for several months)

This is one of those blends. It is so close to 4 stars that when you first try it on for size, you fall in lust briefly. Then, it becomes a very good friend with benefits....LOL And to me that ain't 4 stars. Still a great blend though.

The tin aroma is a pleasant mix of Turkish, Virginias and Cyprian Latakia with the Latakia predominate. The mixture is a fine and fairly long string-cut of mostly dark brown and black leaf with a very few light blonde strands. When I look at, a side by side comparison, of three opened tins of Margate, Pembroke & And So To Bed the blends appear quite similar. The aromas of each are different with Margate being smokier, Pembroke of Cognac and ASTB of Ale.

The flavor is pleasant and builds nicely as the bowl is smoked down, its smoky, tangy and slightly sweet; a real keeper. The Nicotine level is mild to medium. 8-1/2 out of 10 stars.

I find this blend to be quite similar to Penzance in some respects, yet different in others. It is a ribbon cut as opposed to pressed slice. I would say it is not quite as intense as Penzance, and for me it's a great early morning to early evening smoke; a quintessential all day smoke. Afterwards I would prefer to finish the evening with a bowl or two of Penzance. Unless of course it's forty below outside, that would be Penzance throughout the day and into the evening with a cigar or two, just for good measure. I should reiterate that I am a Latakia fiend and thus these two blends are the best I have ever put a match to. I also really enjoy, G.L. Pease Odyssey and Cornell and Diehl Billy Budd. Nonetheless, these Esoterica blends are the very peak of Mount Latakia for me.

Additionally this product is clearly cased, which offends my sensibilities when considering an english blend. So many other companies can concoct a pleasurable smoking mixture in this genre without any apparent extra sauces. Tobacco smoke suposedly has enough noxious chenicals, why add more unless you have to? ¨Different¨ isn´t necessarily better, and after one gets over the initial intrigue, it can in many cases prove tiring. Such is the case with this tobacco starting at about a third of the way through the bowl.

I would describe Margate as medium rather than full. It has a beautiful aroma in the tin, and it packs and lights with ease. This blend has a delightful, all-natural latakia fragrance when smoked, and a delightful sweetness from the Virginia. It is exceptionally cool, too; your mouth won't even feel like you've been smoking, even after several consecutive bowls.

This is rich, delicious pipe tobacco of the very highest quality.

I'm just finishing up way too many Pease VA/Per blends and I told my tobacco guy I wanted a big smoke with NO deer tongue. He mentioned this one, and I jumped. Normally I go in for the Balkan Blends as a daily smoke, and this was recommended to me as a Balkan. Not in my book.

This is a big, dark, brooding English that tastes of Chocolate, Coffee, and old books. A beautiful Shag cut that burns great. Once in a while the VA's added some sweet, but overall it was sharp and a bit musty. The effect on the tongue was actually soothing, with no bite at all. It's not as spicy and rich as Westminster, but spice isn't what I'm looking for so often.

This is my go to English from hence forth. Awesome.

For me, Margate is heavy beams, dark shadows, and the whiff of pungent incense. The orientals are dark and deliciously mellow, while still providing that distinct tang that I find so appealing. And the Virginias taste toasted to me, round and dark, not sweet or sharp or "bright/lively" in the bowl.

If thought of simply as a "full English," Margate is one among many. But it stands on its own, and I believe it's worth seeking out. It's nothing like London Mixture or 965; it's no standard-issue English. Its qualities are more in line with the dark, toasty characteristics of Presybterian Mixture. (I was trying Margate and Presbyterian during the same cycle and found that, surprisingly, they are far more similar than they are different -- despite a huge difference in latakia content.) Fire up a bowl when you have the time to give it your attention, and I think you'll be richly rewarded.

Margate is a magnificent smoke, worthy of each of the accolades it has recieved. Recommended without any reservations to smokers of English mixtures.

The aroma from the tin is fantastic. I load a pipe using the three pack method. I initially really enjoyed the smoke, it was very full and rich and does have more "body" (not sure what that really means) than the Dunhill Medium.

After finishing off the tin, I must say that I prefer the Dunhill's. Not to say that Margate isn't great, I think it is. However at this point in the development of my tastes, the Latakia level may just be a bit too much for me. The only "complaint" I have is that as packaged, the tobacco is a bit to moist for me and I have trouble finishing a bowl without a relight. To those of you just trying it you might want to let it sit a bit before packing.

For you Latakia lovers this may be just what you're looking for. I will sample a few more Orientals and then give this another try. It's very good, perhaps too good for me at this time. For every day use I prefer the Dunhill Medium.

This was a disappointmnet from this otherwise fine blender.

Also, make sure you have time to sit down and enjoy this. It is meant to be savored. Very satisfying.

All good English smokers should give Margate a try.

Can see why it is popular though. Don't think it would bite if you tried to get it to. Very cool and smooth smoking.

Margate is the "ribbon form" of Penzance. I love both, but Penzance in that horrid "crumbled" form is a messy tobacco that leaves ashes everywhere.

A classic full English. No bite, full, round and satisfying. Top notch tobaccos, carefully blended and very consistent.

For a change of pace, mix in a little perique with Margate.

Classic!

--

Another blend that I have been smoking for quite a while, and wanted to let "settle" a bit before offering a review. Also another of the few blends to which I dedicate a pipe to (actually this and Highland Targe share a bowl). The first full English I had the pleasure to pop a tin of and savor. And like many fine aromas that mark freshly opened pleasures, it is rich and lingers long after the initial experience.

Margate lives up to the description: it is definitely full flavored and loaded with spice tobacco, as well as having a solid VA backbone to give substance and hint of sharp sweetness. The nicotine strength is just right for me, as are the levels of orientals and latakia...that is when I'm not in the moood for the opiate like experience of the "latakia powerhouse" blends. The aroma in the tin and on the nose is incredibly warm and smokey...even more so than many "more latakia" mixes and a bit more textured and varied. I've enjoyed this most on chill and rainy nights.

Unless abused this leaf smokes clean and cool. The smoke produced is copious and hangs in white clouds. I concur with the bill of this as a "luxury" mix which is not only full-bodied, but downright pleasant to experience(I've found a few of the "full english" blends downright unpleasant to smoke). All ending in a very clean beach sand like ash.

When I reach for a full English, to date it tends to most often be Margate. So far it remains one of my 3 most highly recommended weeds...

Two of five stars

Margate is a top-tier English. One of the best of the best, if not the apex of the style. It's based on the classic "Our Best Blend" recipe from Smokers' Haven (Germain also produces SH's Import Blends). Premium-grade leaf, excellence in blending, lovely presenation ... it's all there.

The body is full and rich, each leaf plays its role well, and the depth of flavor is unstoppable. Margate is smokey, nutty, earthy, leathery, savory, and delicious. A little hint of spiciness creeps out now and then to keep things interesting.

Margate is easy to smoke and is quite approachable as an all-day mixture for those who enjoy a more bold and stout English. Choice stuff.

Aroma: A gorgeous balanced English/Oriental aroma. All the players are well represented, the sweet Virginias, the spicy Orientals and the smoky Latakia (Cyprian).

Packing: Packs well in normal sized pipes, Just the usual care required.

Lighting: Lights with the usual two matches, tamp in between.

Initial flavor: Great mouth filling, well balanced flavor. I can taste all the ingredients in the right proportion. Burns slowly, but steadily.

Mid-bowl: Continues to burn nicely, cool and dry and very tasty. There is complexity in the flavor, but not much variance even at the slowest burning rate. Just a medium to full Oriental flavor with great mouth feel and presence. Doesn?t change much, but never boring.

Finish: A bit stronger at the end, not excessively so. Leaves a clean gray ash in a dry heel.

Summary: An excellent choice for the Oriental smoker looking for a blend in the medium to full range. If that?s you range, this could be an all-day smoke for you. Definitely a classic, and highly recommended.

Now, certainly, GLP is one of the preeminent purveyors of English blends, and his status is well deserved. The hyperbole bandied about his blends is as legendary as the blends themselves, but he is by no means the only game in town.

Margate is a magnificent blend in its own right, and the equal of several of the GLPs. It is subtle and complex, not unlike Renaissance, and more interesting than either London Mixture or 965, which have been round forever. Versus the GLP offerings, it has a head start of several years, and an aged tin of Margate is charming. If nothing else, it's just the ticket to tide one over while the Samarra, Raven's Wing, Charing Cross, et al matures.

It's dark, bittersweet, rich and spicy, but overall very rounded. Not as punchy as some Dunhills, although it reminds me a bit of the old Nightcap (when it was still a good tobacco), without its extreme strength. After a few days (the tobacco in the tin comes very moist), it becomes more balanced and subdued.

For me, not memorable or anything special compared to the "drier" and cleaner tastes of GLPease mixtures, but a good blend anyway.

If you like this, you might want to try And So to Bed, too.

I liked this Latakia blend, but it didn't seem to me to have the complexity of some of the Pease Latakia blends, nor did it have the punch of a Nightcap or even a 965. To my mind, it wasn't the top shelf Esoterica tobacco that Penzance is. I liked it, but it seemed to me to be a regular, straightforward Latakia, with the Orientals kind of in the background. Some of the other reviewers have said it took them some time to come to appreciate Margate, so I will sally forth and report any changes as they come along.

I recommend this to other VA smokers wanting to branch out into the English/latakia tobaccos.

On first light the dominant flavor is Latakia, but as the bowl continues the Virginias take over the dominant position with the Latakia acting as an excotic spice tobacco.

Margate is mild enough to be an all day smoke for the English lover and will appeal, I think, to the Virginia lover as well. First class.

Appearance is a thin ribbon cut similar to Dorchester. My tin, obtained from a local B&M who received it only a week or so earlier, showed a tremendous amount of crystalization and was detinned into a storage jar for a day?s airing out before lighting.

Packing was very easy and good, as might be expected from a thin ribbon. A nice light and a 10 minute char smoke was followed with a DGT of several hours. The result was spectacular, smoked following a bowl of H.V. Great latakia sense with tremendous sweetness from the virginias. All around spectacular. As fine as I recall Balkan Sobranie in terms of the sweetness, but without the intense early sourness of the B.S.

Very nice.

September, 2002

I consider this to be a traditional English, yet not quite as plain as, say, the Dunhill English blends. This one packs more complexity. If you like Dunhill 965, take a step up in class and grab yourself a tin of Margate. You'll be glad you did.

It is quite strong, packs a hell of kick, and is quite tasty: once you get used to it.

A bit too expensive for my taste, though: Dunhill crafts an equally superb product for much less money.

Bear

Most smokers seem to really enjoy the room note, most non-smokers seem largely indifferent or tend to dislike it (latakia).

It smokes very well, and is of suberb quality. I would describe the flavor of Margate as being somewhat musty, fairly rich, and full. The Virginias (?) domainte and the fine latakia plays a supporting role. It has a good backbone and smooth, very pretty "highs" kept from soaring away (like Balkan Sasieni, for example) by the weight of the latakia.

This is becoming one of my favorite tobaccos, it's delicious.