Esoterica Tobacciana - Dunbar pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Kilmarnock Piper	11/20/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is the third Esoterica blend I have tried, the first two being Stonehaven and Dorchester, and based on my experiences, I will be trying more. When I first tried Dorchester, I turned around and bought three more tins of it, but two of the tins were originally supposed to be Dunbar, only it was out of stock. That was probably a good thing, now that I have tried this, since I don't like it as much! The previous reviewer described it as "austere and bitter," and that is pretty much how it struck me. I think it would improve with age. Dorchester has a lovely Virginia sweetness that is lacking in Dunbar. I can't find any major problems with it, though, and it's quality stuff. It seemed to burn slightly faster than most Virginias, yet did not overheat my pipe at all. Go figure. I got no bite from it, and that is always a good thing. The perique is there, but does not assert itself-perhaps I will try adding more? And since I think it will take me longer to finish this tin than it took me to finish four tins of Dorchester, perhaps I will find that it does indeed improve with age. 1-18-10 A couple of months opened has improved the "bouquet." The Virginia sweetness is there all right, this is just one that needs to be smoked slowly to bring it out. It will not become "austere and bitter" that way. 4-12-10 I'm smoking a bowl of this right now that is almost good enough to make me upgrade to four stars, and if I get another bowl like this, just may do so. Slow sipping really brings out the flavor on this one. 5-9-11 Yes, it improved with age! Just finishing it up now, and might buy it again to cellar. Really improved in the jar-not "austere and bitter" now! I'll give it the last star, why not?
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quantumboy	05/29/2009	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Couldn't resist any longer. This tin has been sitting in the cabinet patiently for months, and I just cracked it open. I knew this was a very familiar aroma, but what was it? Oh, yeah! V8 Juice! And I don't mean kind of like, I mean exactly like V8. I was surprised by this, because the only tomato-ketchup smell I've experienced is from McClelland tobaccos. The leaf is very brightly colored, beautiful actually, and cut into long ribbons. They're packed together tightly in the tin. I didn't give it time to dry, and maybe that was its downfall, since I was very underwhelmed with this weed. I love Esoterica's Penzance and Stonehaven, but this stuff just did not do it for me. Way too austere and bitter. Maybe it was an off day, maybe the wrong pipe. I'll keep trying and will update if things change with a few months of aging. I'll stick with Escudo and St. James Woods for my current Vaper rotation.
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KINGCOLE	04/16/2009	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
For many of the past several years, VaPer blends have been my usual pipe stuffings. My most frequent filler was Dunhill Elizabethan. I find that Dunbar surpasses Dunhill in terms of balance, depth of flavor, and easiness on the tounge. The latter quality seems to be a house character for Esoterica, as I find the same is true of their magnificent Penzance. In my experience, VaPers seem to be difficult to get exactly right. Some have too much zing and sting from the VA, others are a bit too neutral, a few others are just a bit too bitter. Dunbar strikes a perfect balance. It is not a heavy, brooding smoke. It is subtle but complex and very easy going. The tin aroma is suggestive of dried appricots and figs and I found the leaf to be in perfect condition for smoking.
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Country Gentleman	01/12/2009	Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This came very moist, which makes it hard to keep lit. The appearance seems more like a tan/olive green ribbon cut than a rubbed flake. Pouch aroma is reminiscent of fresh cut vegetation - think lawn clippings. I would not say this has a savory taste as described. This blend is hard to pin down. It's a VaPer, but I don't get any tangy Virginia and very little Perique pepper. edit: I bought this in bulk, so I am not sure if it is Esoterica's fault or the shop owners but I have come to the conclusion that this is way too moist. I can't make it through a bowl because it won't stay lit - very frustrating. I believe this excessive moisture is also affecting the flavor, causing it to seem bland. I feel like this blend has something to offer. I am going to let it dry out and sit for awhile. I will update.
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ColumbusKid	09/28/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
My first VAPER (and my first review). Tried it about 2 years ago, and it's been in my rotation ever since. Although I don't smoke it everyday, it always hits the spot and I always wish that I had reached for it sooner, and more often. It smells great in the tin, or jar (kind of a citrusy "fresh" scent that makes you want to take a handful and just gobble it up, although I'm sure it tastes way better out of a pipe). The taste is somewhat similar to the tin aroma starting off, and it gains a nice depth and strength toward the bottom of the bowl without being too complex at all (no need to search for hidden flavors or nuances, the tastes you're immediately concious of throughout the bowl are amazing enough). I've never really detected a "creaminess" to this blend, nor is it needed in my opinion. This is just a really sweet and tangy mix for those who don't mind a good dose of sugariness and prefer an uncased tobacco; but I can see aromatic lovers enjoying this too (although hopefully in a pipe that hasn't been devoted to aromatics). The only other VAPER that I've tried that tops this is McClelland 2015, which is a completely different level in the tobacco experience. To sum it up, this one smokes like a champ and turns any smoke session into an hour or so of pure pleasure from charring light to the very bottom. SO, for those reasons and many more (lights easily, stays lit, doesn't burn too hot, no tounge bite, gets better with age, reasonably priced in most instances) I give this 4 stars.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
parker	05/14/2008	Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable
i like esoterica,s products generally and the tin description made it appear to be 'right up my street'. however, i find this blend to be almost tasteless,worse,a hint of the taste that i love. i smoke this in a large bowl with added perique and puff hard to get something out of it. i generally like strong tobacco and smoked (occasionally still do) cuban cigars for years,so maybe it is simply too mild for me,although there are some mild blends out there that i really like. if you like mild and bland blends,this maybe for you.
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PfeifenRaucher	04/01/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
I won't bother adding too much to the already voluminous reviews. This VAPER is smokable and I can see it appealing to certain tastebuds, but it is way too grassy in flavor for my taste. It is the closest thing I think I have had to tasting a completely and totally uncased tobacco - I imagine this must taste a lot like what Native Americans smoked. Come to think of it, I could see this stuff being passed around in a peace pipe. The room note was described by others as being reminiscent of something that was NOT tobacco (if you know what I mean). Not a good thing in my book.
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Matches	11/24/2007	Medium	None detected	Mild	Pleasant
I bought my tin eight months ago and upon opening not only was the tobacco odor overwhelming, but the paper liner was stained brown and somewhat sticky. I jarred the tobacco and let it air a few hours as someone else suggested. When I lit the first bowl, I knew I'd be looking for more of this. Of the six or so Virginias I've had recently, I rate this number one!
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loosewatches	11/11/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This is a good one. Like most Esoterica mixtures in an 8 ounce bag, this comes pressed down into the the bottom of the foil sack. Slice open the top and a tasty odor jumps out. Hay and horse feed. Omaline. Long golden ribbons, some darker ones, a few perique pieces and chunks of yummy broken flake. My wife and I just sat and sniffed the tobacco for a while. What's not to love here? This is long stranded, but still packs pretty well. Can be hard to get lit. After a few weeks in my bail top glass jar, lots of oxidation is going on; Dunbar is becoming much darker. There is substantial bite at light up, but, it's worth it. The bite fades and this tobacco pulls a lot of tricks as the bowl burns. Starts out light and hay like, turns rich and spicey. Hints of caramel. Nice. The perique is there, but just. This is a good one, but I prefer Dorchester. It's got all the complexity and none of the bite, with a slightly better cut, just doesn't look so pretty.
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fatherDougal	10/22/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
My first foray into the the much lauded world of Esoterica...nothing to add except that the rich golden, sunsoaked Virginia is fresh tasting, (not the dense choco-brown of a Marlin Flake) which shifts and melds around a gentle cloud of Perique. The latter is not as pronounced and peppery as it is in McC's 2015 flake. It also has a fine, grassy aftertaste, that doesn't get ashen-acidic. I do hope this ages well, like a good Pinot Noir.
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Kleophrades	01/05/2007	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Esoterica strikes again. Dunbar is to VA/Per what Margate is to English: an astonishing combination of purity and complexity. The broken flake packs easily and burns well, with no biting. The Perique leaps out on first light, a fine, dried-fruit tang with a hint of fermentation. As you go down the bowl, the Virginias add heft and variety. Emphasis shifts constantly -- the VA's by turns sweet, full, lemony and woodsy. Each flavor is clear as a bell, clean and simple, but they all combine and recombine such that every bowl is something new. Always delicious, never dull: in short, an absolutely superb blend, one of my standbys. Honestly, I go and try other brands, some good and some not so good, but Esoterica never fails.
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tacoeatingzebra	10/25/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
This was the tobacco that started my love for Virginia/Perique blends. If pipe smoking was like being in college, then English/Balkans would be my major and VA/Periques my minor, but I digress... Like the other two Esoterica blends I adore -- Margate & Penzance-- Dunbar possesses the correct level of moisture. Oddly enough, this tobacco, though I'd been warned otherwise with VA heavy blends, seemed virtually bite free, unless you count that nice peppery tongue sting from the perique (very different sensation -- it's pleasant). This blend smokes down to a fluffy white ash. I have broken in three pipes with this blend: a Tsuge Mizki, a Peterson Aran 306 and a Stanwell Vario. The blend did a good job breaking each in, and left a nice, well formed cake quite quickly, even in the dip stained Peterson.
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Fife&Drum	05/27/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
You couldn't convince me of VA blends until this. I like it. As always, it posseses Esoterica moisture. This is not all bad, but as with most VA's it can bite just 'o wee bit if too wet. Dry it out a tad and no bite. A miracle for sugary Virginia's. In the tin it has a great date like aroma. Just a nice quatity of Perique to add body and spice. The peppery taste shows through nicely. This burns evenly with small puffs bringing out that great date like, rich VA flavor. It's nice blown out the nose. This is one of my favorite spring/summer blends and is very good as a morning smoke. Smokes great in a medium to large bowl.
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	03/28/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant
NOT SO GOOD THE SECOND TIME AROUND. Be wary of all current Butera blends currently being produced. They really became sub standard.
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Pipepundit	12/18/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
Dunbar came to me serendepitously. A non-smoking friend having kindly offered to run an errand, I asked him to pick up some Durbar for me. What I got was a substantial amount of Dunbar. Never having taken to Three Nuns or Elizabethan Mixture, and turning to Escudo and Dunhill's Navy Rolls only occasionally, I was not particularly enthused by the tin description, and put the tins away. A few weeks later curiosity won. Dunbar turned out to be quite unlike any other virginia-perique mixture known to me.The tin aroma is delicious in a dried fruit kind of way,and the taste does not betray the promise of the aroma.A day or two after opening the tin the mixture has had time to breathe and practically demands to be smoked - a demand that one all too happily concedes. In fact, until the entire tin was gone there was no temptation to turn to any other tobacco. Sterling stuff!
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tonyg	12/18/2005	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm a big fan of Esoterica Tobaccos, especiall Stonhaven and Penzance. This one just doesn't distinguish itself.
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DrDNA	09/17/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Notes: I have smoked this in bulk and from the tin. I prefer it tinned and with several months of age on it. It seems to do well in most pipes, being, while not insensate, somewhat less sensitive than most blends to the selection of pipe. Appearance: A pressed brown flake, rubbed out partially. Aroma: Quite mild, sugary, fresh-cut hay, sour prunes, musty books, smoke. Taste: Grassy, smoky, mild, yet pungent with a propensity to burn the tongue if care is not taken. Sour prunes, raisins, button mushrooms, hay, autumn leaves. Comparisons: Very much in line with other Virginia-perique blends, such as Revelation, but a bit more sugary perhaps. Bottom Line: Those who fancy Virginia-Perique blends should give this one a try at least once. For those who fancy a smoky, sweeter, slightly salty-sour Virginia blend, here you go.
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ajaj	05/23/2005	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This tobacco isn't bad, and the quality is good...it just doesn't make me go WOW! If one were to add a dash of perique to Germain's Medium Flake, one gets Dunbar. It's smooth and sweet, but the casing just doesn't do it for me. I think that I'll try adding some more perique to the mixture.
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Noorrmm	05/08/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Appearance: A mixture of coarse ribbon and broken flake. Color runs the gamut of medium light through dark. Aroma: Typical Esoterica aroma, quite musty, almost unpleasant. I assume it has something to due with the maturing process, as Tilbury has a similar aroma. It does not ever go away, only becomes less noticeable. Packing: Must be packed with some care, owing to the coarseness of the cut. Never packs easily into a small bowl. Lighting: Somewhat slower than average to catch fire. Sometimes needs two matches for a good charring light. Initial flavor: Very full bodied Virginia flavor. Sweet with a trace of sour, peppery tang. Lacking in complexity or layering. Mid-bowl: Still somewhat monochromatic in flavor. Tends to be boring in a tall bowl, but not well suited to a small pipe. (See note on packing). Finish: Ends not with a bang, but a whimper. No significant change at the end. Leaves a clean ash. Summary: For me, there are much more rewarding Va/Per blends out there. Worth a try, but I won?t be back.
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emmbee	05/03/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Bright yellow strings of lemon and other Virginias greet you as you open the tin. Chunks of not fully rubbed out flake are present as well in this all Virginia and Perique blend. I agree with thedistinguishedgentleman; this is much nicer than Elizabethan not for what it does but for what it doesn't do: burn the tongue and cause the head to spin. Room note is pleasant but the taste is lackluster for me. For some reason, I always have trouble detecting Perique, and Dunbar is no exception. The Perique taste bud must be missing from my DNA. Once again, that characteristic Germain briny, peaty quality is ever present. I'm glad I tried this, though I prefer the sweeter matured Virginias ala McClelland or the dark stoved variety with Macedonian ala Presbyterian. I'll probably not try Hastings or St. Ives, as I am told those are similar in their all Virginia makeup. Nevertheless, for those who prefer British Virginia mixtures to the sweeter, more fermented American variety, Dunbar might be just what you're looking for. Two of five stars
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