Esoterica Tobacciana Margate

If I could remain interested in the Latakias (and I can't), I'd have difficulty finding a reason to smoke anything but this blend. If your tastes run toward the English, this is surely one of the very best blends available. As it is, Margate is for me an occasional treat after dinner, and a nice break from my Virginia mania.

September 2004

I liked this Latakia blend, but it didn't seem to me to have the complexity of some of the Pease Latakia blends, nor did it have the punch of a Nightcap or even a 965. To my mind, it wasn't the top shelf Esoterica tobacco that Penzance is. I liked it, but it seemed to me to be a regular, straightforward Latakia, with the Orientals kind of in the background. Some of the other reviewers have said it took them some time to come to appreciate Margate, so I will sally forth and report any changes as they come along.

Having been a strict Virginia only smoker for several years now, my palete matured enough to allow me the ability to enjoy latakia in smaller quantities. Margate seems to be that tobacco that tastes great and is not overloaded with latakia.

I recommend this to other VA smokers wanting to branch out into the English/latakia tobaccos.

As evidenced from the plethora of positive reviews, Margate is well taken by the latakia set. I have been holding off in my review, taking much time to smoke this tabak and get to know its habits. Here we go... Initially, I was disappointed. The tin is very clear that Margate is a full english mixture. I did not find this to be so. It hasn't the latakia whallop of Old Ironsides, nor the peppery slap of Nightcap. In fact, I found the orientals would rise to a crescendo, then promptly fall away. I did however, persevere. I smoked the whole tin slowly, in a very comtemplative space, trying(in my limited way)to suss out any nuance I could. The smoke is rich, dense and almost dove white. The ash burns to a crisp grey and this blend does not bite. As my pipes began to acclimatize, the peakiness of the orientals gave way to a steady build with a gentle denouement. The viginias play a very conservative role here and the latakia is quiet in its presentation. Margate's strong points are its smooth delivery and ease of smoking. Its downfalls are a cetain fussiness in a new pipe and its lack of strength. Irrespectively, I will purchase more to further probe its character, and I do recommend it be tried for its integration of parts, leading to a very stable whole. My apologies for the lengthy review;)

As I have written in my other reviews, I have tried roughly 30 english blends in the last year. Margate has a middle of the road strength of flavor and about average latakia for an English blend. Of all the English blends I have tried I would rate Margate as one of the best. It burns quite well and builds up flavor near the bottom, without becoming too powerful. While this blend certainly is strong in latakia, the latakia lets the other tobaccos come through. In other words, it is very well balanced. I just smoked a bowl in a truly huge Ser Jacopo and never got lightheaded like I would with some of my stronger latakia blends. While Margate may never be my favorite, it will always be in my cabinet for the occasional change of pace. I recommend it.

A classic blend true to its English roots. Full latakia, dark and musty. Delicious taste. Highly recommended.

The shag cut is super easy to pack and it smokes beautifully. It smoked to the bottom of the bowl without any re-lights. It never got hot, it never got stale. The nicotine is not very strong, but I would slot the fullness of the flavor between Peter Stokkebye's Proper English No. 52 and GL Pease Westminster. This is a fantastic English with so much complexity and nuance going on that it is thoroughly enjoyable from the top to the bottom of the bowl. Not that I have any experience with true old-style tobacco, but this blend paired perfectly with an evening on the porch and a book from the Master and Commander series during the age of sail. This is easily the best 3-star tobacco that I've ever put in my pipe.

This would be one of my favorite tobaccos in my cellar except for one major flaw that makes me skip over this jar almost every time: Soap. Soaaaap. Whatever Oriental or Lakatia that Esoterica uses in this blend is the soapiest soaplike soap that I've ever encountered in a blend. The soap starts with the first puff and stays on my tongue until well past the next evening. It's like I squirted a bottle of Dawn in my mouth with every puff, meal, and breath I take for the next 24 hours at least.

Margate without soap would be one of the best Englishes I could imagine. Alas, it's not.

Like this, but as of yet don't have a lot to compare it to. Lots of different tobacco which all play their role at times. The blend is well balanced, depending on the puff can be spicy, smoky or a little sweet. Those taste remain consistent throughout the smoke with smoky gaining traction towards the end of the bowl. May someday gain a spot in my rotation but want to find some comparisons first. May be hard to beat, but half the fun is looking. An update after multiple bowls....this is a very pleasant smoke that won't disappoint. All the tobacco is well proportioned and while the taste evolves as you get through the bowl it is always good. My favorite English blend of all I have tried. If you like well blended English tobacco that is not dominated by any one of the components, this is for you.

Update. After more than a month of aging and overnight drying, this tobacco becomes smokeable. In fact, it has a very nice latakia note that isn't over powering. One might say it's a good mix.

This definitely fits in the English category and has an overall good flavor that will appeal to lots of people. That said, it's not as good as Balkan Sasieni, and the shag cut detracts from the tactile experience. Since it's essentially the same price as Balkan Sasieni and much harder to find, I can't see giving it the 4* rating I gave the other. Additionally, it come so wet that with 2 oz, you're losing at least the extra 7 grams to water weight.

Of course, I have the rest of the tin to smoke, and my opinion might change. Right now, though, there are better options in this category at this price point.

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This review is for a new tin, just opened.

This tobacco is unsmokeable. It's so wet that it stained the paper packaging shades of brown and back. The black looks like mold.

My tobacconist said Margate is highly prized and sells out quickly. Brand new, I cannot see why. It is so wet that it becomes hard to pack, exacerbated by the shag cut. Drawing through a wad of wet tobacco is as difficult as it sounds. Constant re-lights and the very early gurgling make it impossible to finish a single pipe.

On first blush, this is unsmokeable. I've moved it from the tin to a canning jar and cellared it. Maybe it can be smokeable in the future, but for now I don't want to ruin my pipes with this.