Esoterica Tobacciana Dunbar

Wow, I've heard about tobaccos that smoke to a fine white ash, but this is the first time I've had one that actually does. I am kinda new to the hobby, and I've only tried MacBaren Mixture, Erinmore Flake, SG FVF and a few samples from local shops. None of the other tobaccos ever smoked to a fine white ash like this Esoterica did. Why is that a big deal? Because I am finally on my way to being able to smoke to the bottom of a bowl and building some much needed cake at the bottom. This is a pretty moist tin, drying helps a bit, but I may need to try overnight even. I find the tobacco very hard to keep lit, although it stays pretty well lit around mid bowl, I had to relight for every puff when nearing the bottom.

Upon opening the tin, Dunbar gave a strange sour smell that I don't find pleasant. When smoked, it reminds me of something I had years ago but can't really recall. This is a smooth and creamy smoke with absolutely no bite. The taste is very mild, almost flavorless for the first 3rd of the bowl. But by mid bowl it will start to leave a nice aftertaste. It's a hint of sweetness and oatmeal like flavors that just peaks around the corner but never really jumps out to announce itself. Even though the flavor is somewhat fleeting, I enjoy the mild & relaxing smoke. I find that it smokes so clean, that it leaves none of the stale tobacco taste when finished. As opposed to all my other tobacco experiences, where I get a bit of harshness & stinky flavors lingering until the next morning. I enjoy this clean smoking experience very much and cannot go back. I would love to find other blends/brands that smoke this clean.

The ribbons are perfectly cut, great for packing and when it stays lit, smokes just right. Again, I love the way it burns clean and gives a very relaxing smoke with delicate flavors. To be honest, I keep hearing how great SG FVF is and how sweet Va's are, but FVF was completely disappointing for me. Harsh, flavorless, not sweet and leaves a stinky tobacco aftertaste that I can't get rid of. Not to mention the heavy nic punch (I am sure I was doing something wrong, but I found what works for me). Dunbar is just right for me, I wish it was sweeter and easier to keep lit, but so far it has provided me the best smoking experience ever. Definitely going to look into other Esoterica tins next. (Smoked with a Stanwell 64)

Tin note is great, sort of fruity, or maybe like hay.

Smoked in a medium bowled E. Andrews dedicated to Va/Per blends. Ribbon cut is long and easy to pack. Found this tobacco to light well and evenly throughout, without bite or getting too hot.

The taste is great. VA sweetness shines and Louisiana perique gives it a spicy push, sometimes reaching out and giving some surprise in a puff, usually playing the middleground.

A straightforward tobacco that does intensify after a while, which is great.

Easy preparation, easy mechanics (lighting, burning, packing, etc) and awesome taste. 4 stars and one of my main blends.

This is the third Esoterica blend I have tried, the first two being Stonehaven and Dorchester, and based on my experiences, I will be trying more. When I first tried Dorchester, I turned around and bought three more tins of it, but two of the tins were originally supposed to be Dunbar, only it was out of stock. That was probably a good thing, now that I have tried this, since I don't like it as much! The previous reviewer described it as "austere and bitter," and that is pretty much how it struck me. I think it would improve with age. Dorchester has a lovely Virginia sweetness that is lacking in Dunbar. I can't find any major problems with it, though, and it's quality stuff. It seemed to burn slightly faster than most Virginias, yet did not overheat my pipe at all. Go figure. I got no bite from it, and that is always a good thing. The perique is there, but does not assert itself-perhaps I will try adding more? And since I think it will take me longer to finish this tin than it took me to finish four tins of Dorchester, perhaps I will find that it does indeed improve with age.

1-18-10 A couple of months opened has improved the "bouquet." The Virginia sweetness is there all right, this is just one that needs to be smoked slowly to bring it out. It will not become "austere and bitter" that way.

4-12-10 I'm smoking a bowl of this right now that is almost good enough to make me upgrade to four stars, and if I get another bowl like this, just may do so. Slow sipping really brings out the flavor on this one.

5-9-11 Yes, it improved with age! Just finishing it up now, and might buy it again to cellar. Really improved in the jar-not "austere and bitter" now! I'll give it the last star, why not?

For many of the past several years, VaPer blends have been my usual pipe stuffings. My most frequent filler was Dunhill Elizabethan. I find that Dunbar surpasses Dunhill in terms of balance, depth of flavor, and easiness on the tounge. The latter quality seems to be a house character for Esoterica, as I find the same is true of their magnificent Penzance. In my experience, VaPers seem to be difficult to get exactly right. Some have too much zing and sting from the VA, others are a bit too neutral, a few others are just a bit too bitter. Dunbar strikes a perfect balance. It is not a heavy, brooding smoke. It is subtle but complex and very easy going. The tin aroma is suggestive of dried appricots and figs and I found the leaf to be in perfect condition for smoking.

My first VAPER (and my first review). Tried it about 2 years ago, and it's been in my rotation ever since. Although I don't smoke it everyday, it always hits the spot and I always wish that I had reached for it sooner, and more often. It smells great in the tin, or jar (kind of a citrusy "fresh" scent that makes you want to take a handful and just gobble it up, although I'm sure it tastes way better out of a pipe). The taste is somewhat similar to the tin aroma starting off, and it gains a nice depth and strength toward the bottom of the bowl without being too complex at all (no need to search for hidden flavors or nuances, the tastes you're immediately concious of throughout the bowl are amazing enough). I've never really detected a "creaminess" to this blend, nor is it needed in my opinion. This is just a really sweet and tangy mix for those who don't mind a good dose of sugariness and prefer an uncased tobacco; but I can see aromatic lovers enjoying this too (although hopefully in a pipe that hasn't been devoted to aromatics). The only other VAPER that I've tried that tops this is McClelland 2015, which is a completely different level in the tobacco experience. To sum it up, this one smokes like a champ and turns any smoke session into an hour or so of pure pleasure from charring light to the very bottom. SO, for those reasons and many more (lights easily, stays lit, doesn't burn too hot, no tounge bite, gets better with age, reasonably priced in most instances) I give this 4 stars.

i like esoterica,s products generally and the tin description made it appear to be 'right up my street'. however, i find this blend to be almost tasteless,worse,a hint of the taste that i love. i smoke this in a large bowl with added perique and puff hard to get something out of it. i generally like strong tobacco and smoked (occasionally still do) cuban cigars for years,so maybe it is simply too mild for me,although there are some mild blends out there that i really like. if you like mild and bland blends,this maybe for you.

I won't bother adding too much to the already voluminous reviews. This VAPER is smokable and I can see it appealing to certain tastebuds, but it is way too grassy in flavor for my taste. It is the closest thing I think I have had to tasting a completely and totally uncased tobacco - I imagine this must taste a lot like what Native Americans smoked. Come to think of it, I could see this stuff being passed around in a peace pipe.

The room note was described by others as being reminiscent of something that was NOT tobacco (if you know what I mean). Not a good thing in my book.

This is a good one. Like most Esoterica mixtures in an 8 ounce bag, this comes pressed down into the the bottom of the foil sack. Slice open the top and a tasty odor jumps out. Hay and horse feed. Omaline. Long golden ribbons, some darker ones, a few perique pieces and chunks of yummy broken flake. My wife and I just sat and sniffed the tobacco for a while. What's not to love here?

This is long stranded, but still packs pretty well. Can be hard to get lit. After a few weeks in my bail top glass jar, lots of oxidation is going on; Dunbar is becoming much darker. There is substantial bite at light up, but, it's worth it. The bite fades and this tobacco pulls a lot of tricks as the bowl burns. Starts out light and hay like, turns rich and spicey. Hints of caramel. Nice. The perique is there, but just.

This is a good one, but I prefer Dorchester. It's got all the complexity and none of the bite, with a slightly better cut, just doesn't look so pretty.

Esoterica strikes again. Dunbar is to VA/Per what Margate is to English: an astonishing combination of purity and complexity. The broken flake packs easily and burns well, with no biting. The Perique leaps out on first light, a fine, dried-fruit tang with a hint of fermentation. As you go down the bowl, the Virginias add heft and variety. Emphasis shifts constantly -- the VA's by turns sweet, full, lemony and woodsy. Each flavor is clear as a bell, clean and simple, but they all combine and recombine such that every bowl is something new. Always delicious, never dull: in short, an absolutely superb blend, one of my standbys.

Honestly, I go and try other brands, some good and some not so good, but Esoterica never fails.