Esoterica Tobacciana Dunbar

Bright yellow strings of lemon and other Virginias greet you as you open the tin. Chunks of not fully rubbed out flake are present as well in this all Virginia and Perique blend. I agree with thedistinguishedgentleman; this is much nicer than Elizabethan not for what it does but for what it doesn't do: burn the tongue and cause the head to spin. Room note is pleasant but the taste is lackluster for me. For some reason, I always have trouble detecting Perique, and Dunbar is no exception. The Perique taste bud must be missing from my DNA. Once again, that characteristic Germain briny, peaty quality is ever present. I'm glad I tried this, though I prefer the sweeter matured Virginias ala McClelland or the dark stoved variety with Macedonian ala Presbyterian. I'll probably not try Hastings or St. Ives, as I am told those are similar in their all Virginia makeup. Nevertheless, for those who prefer British Virginia mixtures to the sweeter, more fermented American variety, Dunbar might be just what you're looking for.

Two of five stars

Update: just two weeks of airing and this has gone from being quite nice to simply fantastic VA/P. Tangy, light yet a bit woodsy - as sweet as the McClelland VA and less processed tasting IMO. Good, Good Good...

Again for me, Esoterica is a home run. While I enjoyed the autumnal sweet and grassy notes of Dorchester, I longed for that blend to have a bit more "oomph" in the high end. Well Dunbar succeeds in that department.

It has the similar aged sweetness from other Esoterica VA blends I've tried. It is *almost* sugary at points in a very natural and delicate kind of way. The perique here adds fruity spice. It does not simply simmer in plumb like murk but instead occasionally kicks up a few sparks of Louisiana fire. It never becomes harsh or strong - but *does* get spicey as you move through the bowl. I would rank this as an excellent intro to the VA/P genre before getting into the "tough stuff" like Haddo's, Bayou Morning Flake, or Irish Oak. While certainly not underpowered, this blend does not leave me feeling like I've french kissed a dragon.

This review is based on a freshly popped tin so with age and airing, I am sure this review will be updated.

Dunbar, a tobacco delight. If you like Va/Perique blends, then I cannot see you not liking this. The flavors are excellent, it burns cleanly and can really add spice to your day. Although I would have to say I prefer Astleys No. 2 to this on most days. But there are days where I prefer this one. Smokes cool. 4 stars.

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UPDATE

1/17/2005 I have just come back to Dunbar. I haven't had this in along time and I don't understand why! I find this blend utterly enjoyable. I detect some licorice flavor but the true tobacco flavors come through very nicely. The perique is there but is not overbearing but adds a nice bit of spicey side. Excellent blend and I find this blend much more interesting than Dorchester-the other esoterica Va/Perique blend.

If you took the raw materials that McClellands 2015 has in it, added some sweeter Virginias, and ended up with a more moist blend, aged it for 6 months before shipping...voila! Dunbar! This is the best Virg.-Perique tobacco I have experienced. The only negative is comments on the odor due to the Perique content. Smells bad (to others), tastes great!

Talk about a tobacco that changes drastically once the tin has been opened! I was completely bowled over with Dunbar from the first bowl. Even going so far as to think: ?I?ve found my desert island tobacco!? But then after about two weeks, something happened. The superb flavor wasn?t as intense, and the taste became a bit ashy mid-bowl. As a matter of fact, I sent the remainder of the tin to a new pipe smoker, hoping he would have better luck. So, I know when I open the next tin from the cellar, that I had better huff through it quickly, which shouldn?t be a problem when it?s fresh.

Aroma: Definitely Honey & Hay upon opening the tin, with a background of stewed pears.

Visual: A very bland looking tobacco. Lots of midrange tans and browns ? with the occasional chestnut streak. A fairly well broken up flake, with just a few chunks remaining.

Texture: Just a bit sticky to the touch when first opened ? Not wet sticky, but as in natural sugars sticky.

Pack/Pipe: A fairly long stringy ribbon, I just kept pushing it in the pipe until it was filled, then tucked in the remaining strands and lit. This tobacco did not seem to favor any particular pipe, but I enjoyed it best in larger pots.

Light: One match to char, one to send it down the bowl. Usually required one relight to finish off.

1st 3rd: Fantastic ?warm hay? flavor with a hint of fruit, (not tangy ? just sweet in the nose). Burns through this portion quickly.

2nd 3rd: A nice, long, flavorful portion of the bowl, this was nirvana when fresh. Just a bit fuller bodied, and no heat problems.

Final 3rd: Usually lost some flavor here, and after having been open for a while, was ashy to the point of unpleasantness. No problem burning to the bottom though.

Notes: As mentioned above, when fresh, this is in my top ten easily. I may try sealing it differently next time I open a tin.

Stogie Rating of: 9 Magnificent Montecristos

I love this stuff. Popping the tin reveals a very attractive mixture of colors and scents. I rarely smoke tobacco straight from the tin right after I pop the seal, but Dunbar forced my hand. It smoked cool and evenly all the way down with no bite.

The Perique is there in good measure, and the entire mixture is made of obviously high-grade and well-aged leaf. The smoke lacks some of the overt zest you might find in an American VA/P blend, but there's a nice crispness to Dunbar's smoke that is interesting. This is British-style tobacco blending all the way, and the balance exhibited in Dunbar is phenomenal. You taste everything so well that it's tough not to smoke bowl after bowl.

Dunbar opens up quickly and stays open wide for the duration. Its rich and savory character are kept in harmony by a moderate mouthfeel. Nicotine is not an issue.

I can't say enough good things about Dunbar. It's a favorite of mine and is in good company with other Esoterica classics, such as Tilbury and Stonehaven.

September 2004

I found this to be a very unique Virginia/Perique blend. It has a nice sweetness from the Virginias at the beginning of the bowl--much sweeter to my palate than any of the other V/P blends I've tried. About a third of the way down the bowl the Perique finally starts to come through, producing a very nice sweet-tangy-creamy smoke. Still, it isn't quite as complex or interesting as some of its counterparts (Haddo's Delight and Escudo come to mind), and for that reason I don't anticipate this will be a regular smoke for me. I'm looking forward to trying Esoterica's Dorchester, which may be a little more heavy hitting on the Perique.

Dunbar has a very nice sweetness with a perique edge. It is very light in body and has no bad aftertaste. One must be careful not to smoke it too fast as it can smoke a tad hot. I put a few 8oz bags of this away 3 years ago. The color of the tobacco has darkened slightly and now it's just a fantastic smoke! It smokes much cooler after aging and the flavor is more complex (as one would suspect). The room note is greatly appreciated by all. I have not tasted any other tobacco quite like this one. Highly Recommended!

Another fine offering from the folks at Esoterica. I feel this is a bit more spicey and zesty than Dorchester, but still a very tasty tobac. A leaflet I have about Eso tobaccos states that Dunbar has a bit more (?) Perique than Dorchester which could possibly confirm the figgy, raisiny taste being, I feel, heightened, as well as the spicey notes being more apparent. Plus there could be different (though some may be the same) VAs of some kind thrown in for good measure. The pressing could have been altered as well. Love that tin aroma. Packs & lights easily enough. Nice VA sweetness here & there, more rich & tangy as you smoke down the bowl. Nary a gurgle at all. Burns down to fluffy gray ash as do most, if not all, of the Esoterica blends. Leaves the pipe clean & dry. Though I had no trouble with tongue bite, this does seem to be capable of being a wee bit *bitey* if one puffs TOO hard & fast (well, it is VA tobak). I really like this and plan to keep some around. Ageing mellows the sharpness to some extent and the smoke seems a bit more creamy. Good stuff, works for me.