Esoterica Tobacciana - Margate pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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peakbagger	06/07/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
I enjoy this blend and when my favorite (Smokers' Haven "Our Best Blend") is un-available I smoke this in its place. Produced by J.F. Germain & Son Company from the Jersey Isles UK (not US as stated in above frontispiece) this is a wonderful English Mixture. 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.
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tabaco	01/24/2008	Mild	None detected	Very Full	Very Pleasant
Salutations, permit me to begin by stating that in my view 'strength' refers to the nicotine content. I do not find this tobacco nor its sister blend Penzance to be very high in nicotine. That being said, I do not smoke for that reason, simply for the flavours. I also really enjoy the room aroma of Latakia infused tobacco, hence it is most pleasant in my books. I am sure others would beg to differ. 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.
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constantsmoker	11/24/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
A wonderfully full and satisfying English blend on a par with Penzance, its sister blend. Consistent interplay of spicey Orientals and Latakia makes this a 'must have' for your tobacco stash. Well-mixed ribbon cut lights easily and delivers a rich flavor for the entire bowl. Although some have descibed Margate as the ribbon-cut version of Penzance, Margate has a 'texture' of its own. A delight to smoke.
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Pipeorgan	10/04/2007	Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
On the plus side, it doesn´t offend upon the match, it is clearly complex developing and alternating various flavors through out the smoking experience, it burns well, unlike Penzance it has some body that however at times wanes considerably, and it smokes cool without threat of tongue bite. On the minus side, it doesn´t taste good. 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.
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akaiser77	09/25/2007	Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant
Margate is about as good as pipe tobacco gets. It is a masterpiece by any measure and one of the finest classic English blends available today. 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.
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GarageLocked	08/24/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
This Tobak has almost everything the flavor is amayzing but lighter than I expected, during these warm summer nights I could really care less. The burning is cool and consistent, however, I don't like to pack a pipe with ribbon cut tobacco. It might have to do with the pipe a W.O. Larson 7 straight grain Brandy in shape with a very narrow bowl. I would like to stress once I did have the pipe packed it smoked perfectly with an easy draw right down to the heal of the bowl.
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Jaybee	06/28/2007	Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
For me, Margate is the quintessential "English", offering both mildness and full flavor at the same time. Unlike a variety of similar tobaccos, the elements in Margate seem to compliment each other without really competing. I buy this in bulk form and get better results when I separate the strands before loading. The bulk seems a little moister than in the tin, but this affects only the burn qualities, not the flavor or richness. A contemplative smoke that somehow transports me to a different place and time, when relaxation and contemplation were just what the doctor ordered.. Most highly recommended.
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LostInDaJungle	06/23/2007	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Strong
Love. Can you love a tobacco too much? 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.
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Fumatore	06/23/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I just realized that I had not rated one of my favorites, one that I have been smoking for at least 10 years now. This blend is exceptional and I find no real comparison to Penzance except that both have lots of Latakia. Margate has a distinct musty or sour taste that is very pleasing. I am smoking some from my cellar that is at 3 years old and find it superb, but the new weed fresh is just about as delicious. If you like a stout English give it try. I am certain you won?t be disappointed.
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RMBittner	02/27/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
The aroma in the tin is rich with latakia, and that's the first flavor that the greets the match. Once the pipe is going, the latakia gives way to an occasional visit by the orientals and a more lingering stay by the Virginias. At the end, the latakia again comes to the fore. 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.
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Pipepundit	02/20/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This winter I have been smoking Odyssey, Pembroke, Penzance, Red Rapparee and Margate. To my taste buds Margate is different from Penzance. I cannot say whether the virginias are different or the orientals are different. Penzance - and Odyssey - are creamy and buttery in mouth feel, whereas Margate has a sharper edge, and is slightly stronger in nicotine. I am also tempted to say that Margate is to Penzance as Red Rapparee is to Black Mallory, but that would not capture the distinction quite as the difference between the latter two is much greater. Margate is a magnificent smoke, worthy of each of the accolades it has recieved. Recommended without any reservations to smokers of English mixtures.
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Karol	01/17/2007	Medium	None detected	Full	Strong
No point repeating what other reviewers said here. Sweet, spicy, smoky, complex, never boring, always satisfying. My all time favorite blend.
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TerryJ	01/11/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I "moved up" to this tobacco from Dunhill's Standard Medium. I really like the Dunhill's and bought two tins of Margate to expand my English choices - one to smoke, one to cellar. 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.
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loosewatches	01/10/2007	Mild to Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
Hi there. I'm writing because you want to read yet another Esoterica review. I'm not going to waste your time with this read. You've got better things to do. Like turn off the pc, get down to the pipe shop and get some Margate in your pipe. This is damn good stuff. May you never again long for Balkan Sobraine. I don't.
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Fife&Drum	12/01/2006	Mild to Medium	None detected	Full	Strong
Um...let's see... Penzance, Margate, Pembroke...Or is it Margate, Penzance, Pembroke...Or is it Pembroke, Margate, Penzance. Ah forget it. You get the picture. Excellent Englishes all! You can't go wrong with these IMO!
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Wolfpaw	09/25/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
The label on the Margate tin says "Best Full English." I would argue with the "full" part; to me, this is more of a medium English. That's not a bad thing. Margate is a flavorful blend indeed; there's a pleasing interplay of flavors from the Orientals and the Latakia. Some smokers find Latakia overpowering in many English mixtures, but that can't be said of Margate, while those of us who love the stuff won't be disappointed. The tin aroma is that deliciously smoky one typical of a good English mixture, as is the room note of Margate. It's not quite as potent as Dunhill's Nightcap, so even smokers new to English mixtures shouldn't find it too overwhelming. I like Margate a lot, and would recommend it without reservation to anyone in search of a flavorful medium English.
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Kleophrades	08/22/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
Margate is the benchmark by which all English blends are to be judged. I cannot say enough about the fantastic wonderfulness of this blend, it complexity and balance. You could get lost in every bowl: Latakia predominates, especially at the outset, but there are all kinds of undercurrents swirling around in there. There?s a bit of nuttiness, a bit of dry fruit, deep dark flavors that don?t have analogues outside pipe- smoking. Not quite a Balkan, but almost. Lighter and subtler than Odyssey, it?s earthier than Squadron Leader, better in every way than Nightcap, more complex than Old Ironsides or Commonwealth Mixture ? nothing short of miraculous in its combination of huge Latakia flavor with Virginia and Oriental complexities. It is milder than Penzance, but by easing up a bit it makes the complexities more apparent. So, to me, it's more interesting overall. There is simply nothing better.
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tacoeatingzebra	08/09/2006	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
now... margate is good, there's no doubt... powerful latakia booming in stereo with spicy/sour/sweet orientals that kick in toward the bottom of the bowl. it is undoubtedly the same basic stuff as the great king of all english blends -- penzance-- but it think the fact that it's already rubbed out or cut or whatever kind of makes it about a quarter of a notch milder. the cut of margate is interesting; it almost looks like you could roll cigarettes out of it. i do love it.
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tonyg	08/09/2006	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
While the blender's description adquately describes what goes into Margate, I am just unimpressed with it. For me, it did not even remind me of any of those blends no longer in production. I don't find it full bodied at all, and not at all satifying. For whatever it's worth, my default Balkan Blend is GLPease' Kensington. This was a disappointmnet from this otherwise fine blender.
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Satc001	07/31/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Overall, this is a pretty decent tobacco. I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of Latakia in it, but many orientals. It burns well, it smells good, but in my opinion, the flavor leaves something to desire. Margates flavor seems to have a smoked meat flavor to it, and just doesn't work for me. The quality is there, but the flavor isn't.
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