Latakia and Turkish, Orientals, dominate and Virginia disappears...

Other reviewers said that have sweetness, not for me, not sweet.., contrary... is bite, and bite a lot, bitter..

Pensance is a legend, excelent,

Between all of the English mixtures that i know and smoked, this is one of the Favorites. For me the best English Mixture is Chipmann Hill and the Second place is this, Penzance.

These two surpasses many others. Are better than many, including legends 4 stars and benchmarks, as Presbyterian, Stonehaven, Squadron Leader, NightCap, Dunhill's Standard Medium, Altadis Similar 965, Dunhill's 965 etc...

I started to "get" it around the last two bowlfuls of that tin...and I missed it. How I missed it.

A few years down the road, and a more than a few tins of different tobaccos later, I encountered a local shop that regularly stocked Penzance. Having tried more than a few different tobaccos since, and knowing how rare it was to find Penzance, I decided to pick up a tin.

A few months later I smoked it. I tasted a wonderful blend! I could detect all the flavors. ALL THE FLAVORS! I lack some of the vocabulary necessary to properly describe it, not because I'm that enamored with this tobacco (which I am) but because I simply am unable to make the words happen...it tastes earthy compared to some other similar blends that I have tried. A balanced earthy, SOMETIMES suprisingly sweet, solid balkan. I almost feel that the word "solid" does this blend the most justice.

This is indeed one of the best tobaccos I have smoked to date. If it ever runs out, I will miss it sorely but I will probably move on. I do recommend this to every pipe-smoker to try at least once...the whole tin. And then every pipe-smoker should go out and find some more, because it really is that good.

Subjective: This is the tobacco I find myself wanting to smoke most often. It has a wonderful complexity, burns very well, the smoke is creamy and moderately stout. I have gotten lost and almost fallen asleep smoking this in the late hours, it relaxes me so. In my opinion, this is the best English available on the market.

I was expecting some paradigm altering tobacco, an end all be all, everything pipe smoking can and should be. When something is built up to be this great you can only be let down.

Needless to say a zenith of perfection is not what I found, what I did find was balance, a balance of flavor between sweetness, smoke, and spice.

I think this balance in different tastes is what a good deal of these blends are about, and in that regard I get it. I don't think it lives up to all the hype that surrounds it but it is definitely a very good tobacco, try it if you enjoy English blends and when you first light up, pretend it is just another tobacco, not some holy grail of smoking and you won't be disappointed.

Smoke notes... Oily, bitter-sweet, rich, creamy, peaty, and nutty (sometimes). Base switches from lat to or/va. Matured Latakia, which is darker, slightly less sweet and peaty.

Don't smoke too fast... Taste will turn to a burnt taste. Don't smoke too slow. Light streams of smoke will not produce adequate taste.

Most of the sweetness comes from an undivided note from the mix of virginias and orientals.

Cannot pick out the virginias by themselves. Very rich, thick tasting. Not heavy strength. Taste remains fairly consistent. Highly recommended.

Drink pairing... Unfiltered dark coffee. Peaty blended or single malt with little to no water.

There really isn't anything bad to say about. If you're an English man, this is a MUST.

it's a shame it's so hard to obtain though.. I'd love to be well stocked with this blend.

Package: The by JF Germain and Son on the British Channel Islands made Penzance comes in two packages. 1. A tiny gold tin of 2 oz. with a label that could be printed on a standard house, garden and kitchen printer. 2. An airtight bag in which the loose tobacco occupies 8 oz. Personally, I use a tin which I fill up with Penzance from the bigger bag when it is empty.

Contents/composition: "Finest English mottled flake" says the tin. It is a wonderful complex secret recipe of the finest Virginia, choice Turkish, Orientals and Cyprian Latakia. All hand blended together, hard pressed and broad cut into thick flakes. This is what they call a crumble cake (no not THE Krumble Kake) and it is a rightful name. The tobacco already crumbles when you shout too hard at it: Clan (from Theodorus Niemeyer) is the best tobacco ever!!

Smell from the tin: Wow, uhm .. Fierce, penetrating, leathery, earthy. If you know the smell of a freshly plowed field when it has just rained just know what I mean. Seasoned pipe smokers who can not smoke in the vicinity of their girlfriend / wife, you simply have to smell it to get a kick out of it. I think that when you leave it half open on the ground it would make a fine ant-exterminator.

Roomnote: Too bad the tin is so small. Otherwise they could have added: This tobacco scares away mosquitoes, birds, rats, nagging wives and door-to-door salesmen.

Taste: The first time I lit it, I just thought: Whoa! Greasy smoke and flavor! Latakia! You can say that other tobaccos are coffee but this is espresso. I also tasted an aftertaste that I could not place untill a number of pipes later: salty licorice (a candy in Holland)! Not that that dominates in a nasty way, it actually belongs to the whole experience. The pipe tobacco remains remarkably similar tasting through the bowl with hints of Orientals and Virginia but this is not boring. A class act from the creators! Disadvantage, oh well, disadvantage, depending on how you look at it, the taste lingers in your mouth for a loooong time. As described above, you have fun of it the next morning and afternoon. Avoid actions and intimate conversations with family and colleagues.

Combustibility: The flakes are very moist / oily. It is recommended that you let them dry out a while before smoking. The flakes from the large 8 oz. bag are even more wet / oily. Once you've lit the pipe they burn a looooong time. I lit a pipe at the beginning of a soccer match. At the end of the match I was not through yet..

Varia: The tobacco crumbles easy so filling the pipe is even for folks who are not used to flakes not too difficult. If the pipe is filled you need to gently treat the tobacco and when smoking don't tamp too hard. If you are too heavy handed with the tobacco, you get a wet lump at the bottom of the bowl. Talking about the bowl, I discovered that this tobacco tasted the best in a somewhat larger, relatively shallow bowl. In a Peterson 317 the tobacco tasted the most intense. In a slightly larger Peterson 303 it was a little more mellow. I liked Penzance best in a Prince model pipe. That is when you give the tobacco the opportunity to really shine. As for the vitamin N, I found this tobacco to be spot on. It makes me nice and relaxed but without any side effects.

Price: Penzance is very difficult to obtain, and that is going on for years now. Occasionally a small shipment is sold in a (online) tobacco shop but when the great crowd of Penzance enthusiasts discovers that, it is sold out in no time. If you have the luck to be there on time than you pay for a tin ± $ 10.79 and a bag ± $ 28.95. Of course you can often buy Penzance on ebay, but those prices.. *pheww* And as it takes longer for a new shipment to arrive, the prices only get higher..

Conclusion: Because of the scarcity of the tobacco people begin to make comparisons with Balkan Sobranie and Bengal Slices. There is great fear that Penzance also disappears (Ok, Balkan Sobranie is back now..). Although that is not true and there is no evidence for it. The thing is that there are so many fans that JF Germain and Son can not keep up with the production. But the equations and large fan base do point out one thing: this is a good tobacco! The first times with a too small, narrow bowl I liked moderately. In a somewhat larger, relatively shallow bowl I was heading towards the same heaven as when I smoke Balkan Sobranie. This is good stuff of great quality! Not for everyday use, but if you're sitting on your own in the evening in your living room or porch without having to do anything, Penzance is your best friend.

Some may note that it has mold or has an iodine taste/smell (its ammonia actually) but its this special aging and conditioning that sets it apart from other English's. If you dont get into delicacies and think they are a waste of money then this tobacco is probably not for you. For the more adventurous soul's.... nirvana awaits.

Update. To be more specific regarding the iodine smell. It is an ammonia byproduct of the mold process. Different molds will smell slightly different but it is ammonia being released, which in this case smells rather like good old fashioned, scrape your knee, iodine (as othere have noted).

Whether the molding is deliberate or up to sloppy climate control i do not know (i'm guessing the former). Love it or hate it, it sure gets some interest.

In testament that this blend is unusual and can take some getting used to and that perseverance reaps rewards. I'm so glad that Mr Big (below) now likes this blend. When others share your passions it doubles your pleasure. A true gentleman.

Upon first smoke I believed the blend to be hype, but a number of bowls later came to understand why this blend has become so popular with so many pipe smokers. This truly is a complex blend.

I carefully tried to maintain the flake when pulling it from the tin, folded it twice and stuffed it into a bent brandy egg. I went back to the tin for a half flake, repeated, and finished with a sprinkle of shake to top the bowl off. The tobacco smells slightly smokey, is moist, and wants to crumble naturally.

The initial light brought an immediate leathery earth, semi-sweet, and smokey flavor to the palate. It was an easy light and stayed lit following the initial tamp. The depth of earthy flavors faded and were exchanged for flavors of nut and chocolate. This surprised me for the blend does not knowingly have burley present. The flavors melded and were constantly held by a subtle presence of latakia throughout.

A relight was in order about half way down the bowl at which time the flavors began to take on a very forward floral undertone, both in taste and in scent. The chocolate, nut, earth, and smokey flavors carried through until the final relight. The turkish became heady and ever present prior to the last relight.

The main flavor present following the final relight was caramel. It remained until the end of the bowl and was accompanied by a wisp of leather and earth while holding on to the ever subtle presence of latakia.

One of the most complex blends I have smoked to date. I would recommend it to any pipe smoker looking for a thought provoking experience that will leave you wanting more.

This is nothing more than a one dimensional Latakia bomb. Anyone calling this complex or full bodied has defective taste buds or has never tasted a complex English (3 Oaks Syrian). This reminds me of Westminster in many ways. This is not a complex blend and changes very little from beginning to end. These Latakia bombs are really getting old. A big disappointment.

In response to Steelcowboy: Virginia is a very complex tobacco and can be smoked by itself. Have you ever tried smoking straight Latakia? One dimensional and not very good.