Esoterica Tobacciana Blackpool

I'm smoking a bowl as I write this...

That being said I am a fan of boerdere drop and other dutch licorice, so I searched out a tobacco with this flavoring. Was happy to find this as a nonaromatic flavored tobacco. For you aromatic fans the flavoring rating might be cut down to mild or very mild.

I can barely notice the anis flavor in this light smoke, but once in awhile it really comes through. Like someone else mentioned the flavoring is more akin to tea. Not as sweet as other virginias I have smoked, and to add a little kick I blended in some St. James perique.

I will enjoy the rest of this bag, but make sure not to smoke something stronger first, like Irish Flake or this may come across bland.

The topping is said to be licorice, but the blend actually looks, smells and tastes like ... black tea! They could have called this English Breakfast and gotten better sales, except that "English" would throw people off: it's actually all Virginia as far as I can tell, mellowed by age so that the bite is gone, but with that tang you would expect from a strongly brewed cup.

I originally picked this one up because I'm a licorice aficionado, but can't detect any licorice at all. So, if licorice scares you, no worries. It's tea all the way.

Unfortunately, despite a clean smoke it goops up the pipe a bit, and doesn't always burn all the way to the bottom. Still, lights easily enough. A pleasant experience all in all, and recommended.

Very similar to Esoterica Ramsgate in description, this smokes to its own beat. It arrives black and damp, but the moisture isn't sticky so I assume it is hydrated more with water than with PG.

At light up (or after several light ups), a thick and creamy smoke consistency greets the smoker. While apparently topped with licorice, it isn't especially apparent in the flavor. Instead, there is a subdued melange, consisting of the usual Esoterica mid-range flavors of mushroom/marshmallow, and an unusual lingering hint of gunpowder. Like almost all Esotericas I have tried, there is a significant but well-disguised nicotine element.

Once fully into the burn, the top range exhibits a zesty note that tickles the nose and tongue. Also a delicate sweetness, like shortbread. This smokes like two different blends: air-smoking and attention is essential for getting all of the subtle Virginia flavors, though this blend also is pleasant and satisfying when smoked without thought. In that sense, the style of Blackpool (though not the flavor) is similar to GH Bright CR Flake.

As with Ramsgate, the sweetness grows as the bowl progresses. The mid-range features a brewing-beer or Vegamite tone, though more pleasant (apologies to the Aussies out there). Again the nicotine reminds me of its presence. There is also a cheesy note. If Esoterica Tilsbury has gorgonzola, Blackpool has Havarti, or maybe a medium-sharp cheddar, both in terms of flavor nuance and creaminess. Sometimes it flickers sweeter, as from cheesecake. (I am coming to recognize this cheesy/musty character as a signature of Esoterica's matured leaf).

Top range notes are observed on the front of the tongue mostly, with the smoke trickling out of the mouth around the stem. Past the halfway mark, the sweetness has become a dominant (but pleasant) force, reminding me of apple crisp with caramel, with a zest like touching your tongue to an almost-depleted 9 volt battery, which makes this intriguing and satisfying on all levels. I have yet to detect licorice. Finally, at the junction of the top and middle ranges, I pick up an element of dried cherries.

Final words: your clothes really smell after smoking this stuff, even outside. It smokes like a gentle fog. Well done.

ah....im so pleased to see esoterica back on the shelves (to some degree). Blackpool was never the most popular of the esoterica line. I think stonehaven was (which is among my least favorites). I smoke virginias mostly. This is a very old timey tobacco combination. The licorice is very mild but appreciated. Its like the rolls royce version of rattrays Dark Fragrant. Except this is exceptional tasting, very very cool....i dont think you could get tongue bite no matter how hard you tried. Cool and slow (for a ribbon especially) and with that contemplative quality McClelland #27 *i think that was the one*....used to provide. (its nothing like dark flake at all...as someone down here mentioned). But this might strike modern smokers as not punchy enough or something. Complex is a word i hear a lot. I dont know that tobacco has to be complex. Im not sure thats even a good thing. This is a flavour profile one would have found in the early 1900s or before even. Its well worth trying and taking your time with.

First i saw it, i quite surprised because i saw a black mixtures tobacco with a white powder, i think this tobacco is dammaged because a fungus but my friend told me if this blend is good and the white powder is licorice or somewhat he explain me. The mixture is easy to pack, but you must pack it more firmly because it litle bit hot to enjoy. I smoke it using my Peterson Dracula and pack it very firmly and carefull to ensure if the packing is not to loose or to tight so i can still make easy draw on it. The taste is very good but the flavor is quite strange for me, because is almost similar with throat pain relief candy that i ussually bought at drug store. The smoke is great with a combination of sweetness and little bitter taste.

Cousin to Ramsgate, but lighter topping. I'm not a big fan of this cut as it reminds me of the bottom of a tin when all you have left is that last 1/2 a bowl of flake scraps left, comes damper than I like. The initial light gives off a sweet licorice/Juicy Fruit flavor , I found this not unpleasant but I could do without it. After about a quarter of the pipe, the topping is almost 90% gone and a sweeter caramel flavor develops. This is nice, if you like sweet quality Virginias. The bottom 1/3 of the bowl turns slightly bitter .This tobacco was cellared for about a year and smoked in a cob. Better than a drug store brand or it would have got only two stars. I will not buy again but I will give it 3 stars. I like Rattrays "Dark Fragrant" better than this and I find DF is in a similar style but not as boring.

I smelled dark cherries in the tin, with no anise smell as I had expected. Once lit I tasted almost nothing at all, I expected licorice ambrosia but what I smoked was very flat and boring. As a big fan of Esotericas' blends I am even more disappointed. Also, the wife said the room note was-outdoors only.

As I like licorice, this tobacco gave me exactly what i was expecting. The Virginias are of the highest quality and the flavor they deliver is fantastic. The licorice flavor is perfectly married to the leaf and compliments it in a way that I have never found before.

I am not an aromatic fan. Never have been. If you have read my reviews, you know this, and are not surprised. But, as I have mentioned before, I have always wanted to find a flavored tobacco that I liked. The idea has always intrigued me and I occasionally will order the odd sample. My experiences have not been good until now. Is this an aromatic in the classic sense? No, I think not. It is a FLAVORED tobacco. There is a difference. And what a difference it is!

With all that said, the drying time is critical here. I think this comes standard at about 16% humidity, maybe more. I tend to smoke at about 10-11%. The result after drying is substantially different. A much smoother, cleaner, richer, and bite free smoke. The Virginias used here are very tasty. A reviewer said they could not figure out what else was in this blend besides the Virginias. Well, that would be because there isn't anything else. No need to look for what isn't there. LOL

I will be keeping this one around. It will be my summertime smoke after mowing the lawn, or any outside activity for that matter. I think the lighter body will be appropriate for the hot humid weather we have here in the midwest.

Those looking for a flavored tobacco, and that like licorice as well, but have not liked aromatics, will find a keeper here. Not heavy in the nicotine so safe for the weak-kneed among our brothers and sisters.

Cheers!

At first I didn't like this tobacco at all but vowed to return to it because someone with similar tastes to mine regularly enjoyed it. Then I realized, upon my next experience, the reason I avoided judging a tobacco on one bowl full. Could be the humidity, the temperature, what I had for lunch or my attitude. Who knows, but I'm glad I had a sufficient cache to enjoy it further ... and enjoy I did.

It's a bit unusual because of the mild casing and it hasn't made it into my regular rotation but, that being said, it is a very nice tobacco. A slight anise note in the aroma and taste in the beginning of the bowl, which disappears further along. I would not classify this as an aromatic tobacco.

It doesn't bite and smokes pretty cool despite what the appearance would lead one to believe, dark black bits. I have found that I enjoy it best in a small meerschaum and know precisely when to reach for it.

Cheers, VC