Esoterica Tobacciana Blackpool

Upon opening the bag, it smells like a stoved VA, like Dark Star or Dark Fragrant, without the vinegar tang. Dark fruit is the main note, with undertones of fruity black tea, like a Keemun. Licorice is there, but mild. The cut is leathery little ribbons, and in my case were covered in bloom. Damp out of the bag, but correctly moist after 45 minutes in dry Colorado air. Loads and packs well. Lighting is a bit more difficult than the cut would indicate, but still easy compared to a flake. The taste on lighting is sweet, mildly tangy fruity stoved VA, with a hint of saltiness and grilled meat. Licorice is hard to notice initially, but comes through in the retrohale. Even then it is hard to single out, and provides more licorice aftertaste than up front flavor. It reminds me of an herb tea that has been sweetened with licorice root, whose licorice you don’t notice until after swallowing and the primary flavors fade. It gains sweetness through the bowl, and more stewed plum flavor builds, with enough tang to avoid cloying sweetness. Hints of molasses and grilled meats fade in and out, with the consistent licorice sweetness providing base notes. Requires a few relights, and burns down clean. Provides lots of thick smoke, and a relatively strong lingering room note for a milder blend. Overall recommended and enjoyed.

This is not, and I feel it incumbent upon me to stress the point, an aromatic. In fact none of the Esoterica blends I have sampled yet falls into that bemoaned category. These are, to my way of thinking, Lakeland blends. That being said, the licorice topping doesn't make an appearance at all except in the tin. However, upon initial touch, the is a brief taste almost like seasoned meat flavor reminiscent of Worchestershire sauce. It is an exceedingly pleasant, mild, flavorful tobacco which burns well, resulting in a fine white ash, and very little dottle

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.

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.

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!

I actually just finished a bowl of this blend, so this is a review from a fresh experience! I very much enjoy this tobacco, my first experience with this blend was a rather well aged and somewhat dried out sample. This was also my most well loved experience. I am currently aging a small stock of this baccy to see if I can replicate my previous experience as the freshly opened, young stuff was just not as good. With all that said, I do really like this blend, although I think Esoterica has a few of these blends that are very similar in taste, they could probably trim down the herd a bit. It is a nice mild VA that surprisingly has never bit me. I can smoke this one in any size bowl I like and I've even rolled it into cigarettes mixed with rolling tobacco and found it quite enjoyable when I was going through a RYO faze. It is particularly I find, a nice summer mid afternoon blend, as it doesn't bite and it doesn't have such a strong flavor as to clash with the warm weather. It has a liquerish/raisin tin note and although this is mildly detectable in the smoke at times, I have not found it to be very present in the room note disappointingly. Good blend, give it a try!

this had a very good virginia taste and the licorice topping appealed to my senses, i was not disappointed. the aromatic agent was noticeable in the tin, in the burn , and in the room note, but did not mask what i was looking for in terms of tobacco. i will buy again.

4/1/16 i had been having trouble finding this blend but since being able to purchase more find that it better than i remember it with one exception, the room note is nowhere as pleasent ad i recall.