Esoterica Tobacciana Dorchester

Dorchester is a mild Va/Per blend consisting of six types of Virginia leaf - mostly bright, and a modest amount of dark brown perique. Twisting open the circular 50g tin reveals a lively, fruity tin aroma that I wish could fill my house. The cut is mostly a very thin ribbon with a small amount of what looks like ready rubbed perique flake. I really like the burning quality of this thin ribbon and also the way it packs in the bowl. To me, it has a very light citrusy flavor. The sidestream is nice due to the high quality va and that mild citrusy thing, creating a very tolerable room note. I think it's probably a great warm weather smoke. Over all, this Esoterica offering is extremely mild. That may be it's Achilles' heel actually. Who knows, perhaps with age this blend could develop into something more majestic, but with so many other va/pers in the market offering terrific returns right out of the tin, it may be hard for me to buy this one again without long term cellaring in mind.

Esoteric's Dorchester is a very good blend that is a little too mild for me.

3 of 5 or 2 of 4 Stars

The only other va/per blend I tried prior to this were escudo and mcconnels scottish cake - so my idea of what to expect was limited.. I found those two great blends to be perfectly balanced but I did not taste the spiciness that others associate with perique.. it was more like chocolate and nuts.. which are great flavor notes.. Dorchester is the blend which changed my perception.. while others say this is light in the perique department I found many of the spicy and vinnegary notes that were not so pronounced in the aforementioned blends.. in fact, this blend while it seems to contain some nice virginias, seems to be dominated by tangy high notes and maybe a little pepper.. the aroma from the tin reminded me of scottish cake.. and it seems to come a little on the wet side. It is also slightly difficult to light - but once it gets going it smokes just fine.. Dorchester, for me, is delicious and different - certainly not for everyone as it has a very strange and precise flavor profile.. It is strong but not overpowering.. maybe not an all day smoke. I found it to be spicy in a way I wasn't expecting.

note- some drying out time really mellows out the flavor for me.. much smoother overall smoke with hints of spice

another note- while i cannot understand the negative reviews of this blend.. I will say that after smoking it for awhile now i find it not as well balanced as some other va/per blends.. if you want something more balanced check out solani 633, escudo, mcconnell's scottish cake.. however, having said that for me the flavor profile of dorchester is interesting and different.. so I can still recommend it as a sort of alternative to the standard va/per taste - which is all too frequently the same from blend to blend.

Very nice-when the tobacconist had it on sale, I finished the tin and turned around and bought three more. One tin was older, and had a completely different, fermented taste. I still have some of that one left, but I think this one might be better fresh. It has a wonderful smell in the tin, maybe a slight topping but I can't put my finger on it. Mainly just a good grassy, sweet Virginia. The perique is there, but in the background in my opinion. Does not bite, and the taste and body are of the type that allow one to puff away without punishment.

12/18/08 - This is a "blue-collar" review from a long-time pipe smoker who is neither a connoisseur nor a gourmet. I like subtleties up to a point, beyond which I cannot detect them. There are very few aromatics that I like anymore. I love orientals, latakias, and Virginias, but burley gives me some trouble. Most of the time, I like stronger blends over weaker ones and in larger pipes than smaller ones. I have exceptions to all of the above. With that said . . .

This review is from a bagged sample given to me by a friend.

A dark brown fine ribbon-cut in the tin with a mild virginia aroma. Complex from the touch of the match! This has such a sweet & flavorful room note you'd think that it was flavored with something. Lots of high, sweet notes. Wonderfully complex dance of flavors that defy description. No bite. William Serad says to use a clean, small-bowled pipe to get the full effect. I'm afraid that most of the complexities may be beyond my simple palate, but I'll keep this around to challenge me. Recommended!

As I detect little of the perique, I'd place this only slightly behind the wonderful Red Ribbon!

I'll keep this on hand because it's a unique complex Virginia blend that challenges my palate!

Rated 8 out of 9 leaves.

April 2008: Well, I'm not smoking this anymore. Perhaps heavier blends with more Perique have become my mainstay. Super quality with a profile outside what I reach for nowadays.

July 2003: Dorchester in bulk has become a daily companion before dinner. It is faultless, flavorful, mature and complex. Only absent-minded smoking will make this bite.

I have yet to find its superior in the mild to medium flavored Virginia/Perique category. I have searched for years.

If you want to begin somewhere with natural Virginia pipe tobacco, Esoterica is a good place to start (and stay). If you have not yet mastered flake-form tobacco, again, try Dorchester's fill-friendly ribbons.

My tin had about three years of aging on it, and the inside wrapper was stained a greasy brown. There are lovely little crystals sprinkled throughout. I have a complaint, though: while the virginias may be accurately described as "ribbon cut," the perique is present in gobs that are practically pressed flakes by themselves. I went through the tin and broke these up. Perique is not a tobacco that I want to mess with in thumbnail-sized chunks, thank you very much.

I find a two finger pinch of Dorchester needs a good hour to dry out before it's ready to go in the pipe. And, as other reviewers have mentioned, it's important not to overpack it. The virginias are sharp, toasty and a little sour at first. The perique is rich, tangy, spicy and woody, and not at all subtle. This is less sweet and more savoury than McClelland's 2015. The taste is like fig balsamic vinaigrette with cracked pepper.

Dorchester is not a classic of the magnitude of Penzance or Stonehaven, but it certainly has character. Hasty puffers should be careful, as this stuff can easily incinerate the tongue.

UPDATE: I like the taste of Dorchester, but I burn the heck out of my tongue every single time I smoke it, no matter how slowly I go. I'm of the opinion that virginia tobaccos smoke better in flake form almost invariably, with or without perique.

OK, Just my two cents worth, and that will be a nickel adjusted for inflation.

Today I ventured into a bowl full of Dorchester that I have been aging since 1996, or the end of 1995, you get the picture. And all I can say is, WOW!!!, what a treat. This tobacco still smells new in the jar, and tastes even better.

The virginias have aged beautifully, and the perique is still there weaving its magic throughout the bowl, in perfect harmony. The taste is somewhat sweeter, fromt the aged virginias, than a new can, and the Perique plays harmoniusly throughout the virginia flavors. Layered, complex, subtle, tasty, and sweet. A really nice smoke. This is not to be rushed, but to be enjoyed at leisure with the greatest pleasure!!!

If you have the patience, try aging some this long, and see for yourself. I have roughly half a pound of this, and I guarantee it won't last long.

This was smoked in a medium sized 1987 Andre hand made straight grain pipe.

By way of comparison, I smoked a bowl of similarly aged Dunbar, and it was, for the most part, flavorless.

HAPPY SMOKING!!!

This is a good VAP blend that is flavorful. The virginias really stand out here, which is a good thing.

If you have a few extra dollars, though, try Reiner's Long Golden Flake. It is much more refined and smooth.

This blend brings to mind one of Chaucer's narratives in 'Canterbury Tales.' In the portion of this famous tome you read that a particularly greedy priest is made to promise that he will share out equally that which he is donated. Then instead of receiving monetary gains, the individual in question proffers the gift of flatulence to the surprised, newly wordbonded priest who must now go to his peers to give them their portion...

I don't like this blend: it's inferior to Dunbar, not as lively and varied, and showing a finer cut. In spite of the fruit, at times flowery tin aroma (vaguely Erinmore-like), it produces quite a weak, bitterish, empty smoke. Its sourness and dryness can be bothering on the long run. Quite unappealing.