Esoterica Tobacciana Margate
(3.31)
A classic English mixture done in the "old style" of many of the fine tobaccos that have now disappeared from the market place. Choice Orientals, matured Virginias, and generous quantities of premium Cyprian latakia keynote this rich, full bodied blend. A well balanced, robust and eminently satisfying smoke.
Details
| Brand | Esoterica Tobacciana |
| Blended By | J.F. Germain & Son |
| Manufactured By | J.F. Germain & Son |
| Blend Type | English |
| Contents | Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Shag |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce bag |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.31 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 51 - 60 of 208 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 07, 2010 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
First off I would like to say hello to my fellow puffers, for this is my first review on your wonderful forum. After spending six months or so lurking, and using these recommendations in my tobacco purchases, I have chosen to add my two cents into the mix. Thank you all for the words of wisdom.
I consider myself to be a novice pipe smoker whom has dabbled in the hobby for quite some time, but just in the last couple of years really took the time to learn about the different types of tobacco available to us. I began with the drug store tobaccos, and then moved into the boutique aromatics. I quickly grew tired of that avenue, and found myself asking my tobacconist for something a little more mature and grown up. Thus I have entered the world of English and VA/Per. I still have a place in my heart for a well crafted aromatic, but rarely does one find its way into my bowl.
With that said, when I first entered the wide world of English mixtures, I was greeted with a 2oz sample of Dunhill's 965. It was love at first puff. From there I found myself indulging in tin after tin of Early Morning Pipe. Now those are the two which I hold the standard of English tobaccos.
When I read the review a few months ago that this was a 965 replacement, I had to try it. For most of you know, EMP and 965 are all but extinct.
I bought an eight ounce bulk sample, and a few weeks later I was opening the vacuum sealed bag. The aroma was terrific. I could not detect any type of casing. I got a whole lot of latikia in the forefront with a subtle VA sweetness.
I loaded up a medium sized bowl Peterson system pipe, and set out to the front porch. Upon first light, I was greeted with a very pleasant earthy note. Not too much sweetness in the beginning of this bowl. As I progressed through this mixture, I was very surprised. For one thing, I had never received a bulk English that I ever enjoyed. Also anything in the past that had been compared to 965 was an utter let down.
I continued to smoke this, and as it progressed to he bottom of the bowl I noticed a little bit of an ashy flavour. This may have been purely the fault of smoking a bit too quickly.
I really enjoyed this blend, and I would classify it as a light to medium English. I could not really compare it to 965, nor should it be compared to any Dunhill blend in my opinion. Both are great tobaccos for their own reasons, but I feel they are completely different blends.
I am rating this as a well balanced English, and a pretty high quality mixture. This has found a place in my rotation usually on the weekends in the early evening.
Being a homebrewer and a beer judge, I often times pair tobacco with beer. This goes very well with a light IPA, or hoppy American Pale Ale.
I consider myself to be a novice pipe smoker whom has dabbled in the hobby for quite some time, but just in the last couple of years really took the time to learn about the different types of tobacco available to us. I began with the drug store tobaccos, and then moved into the boutique aromatics. I quickly grew tired of that avenue, and found myself asking my tobacconist for something a little more mature and grown up. Thus I have entered the world of English and VA/Per. I still have a place in my heart for a well crafted aromatic, but rarely does one find its way into my bowl.
With that said, when I first entered the wide world of English mixtures, I was greeted with a 2oz sample of Dunhill's 965. It was love at first puff. From there I found myself indulging in tin after tin of Early Morning Pipe. Now those are the two which I hold the standard of English tobaccos.
When I read the review a few months ago that this was a 965 replacement, I had to try it. For most of you know, EMP and 965 are all but extinct.
I bought an eight ounce bulk sample, and a few weeks later I was opening the vacuum sealed bag. The aroma was terrific. I could not detect any type of casing. I got a whole lot of latikia in the forefront with a subtle VA sweetness.
I loaded up a medium sized bowl Peterson system pipe, and set out to the front porch. Upon first light, I was greeted with a very pleasant earthy note. Not too much sweetness in the beginning of this bowl. As I progressed through this mixture, I was very surprised. For one thing, I had never received a bulk English that I ever enjoyed. Also anything in the past that had been compared to 965 was an utter let down.
I continued to smoke this, and as it progressed to he bottom of the bowl I noticed a little bit of an ashy flavour. This may have been purely the fault of smoking a bit too quickly.
I really enjoyed this blend, and I would classify it as a light to medium English. I could not really compare it to 965, nor should it be compared to any Dunhill blend in my opinion. Both are great tobaccos for their own reasons, but I feel they are completely different blends.
I am rating this as a well balanced English, and a pretty high quality mixture. This has found a place in my rotation usually on the weekends in the early evening.
Being a homebrewer and a beer judge, I often times pair tobacco with beer. This goes very well with a light IPA, or hoppy American Pale Ale.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 04, 2009 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable to Strong |
This is the worst tobacco I have smoked since the day I started smoking.
Who ever suggests trying this one first and then Pembroke is right. If you taste this ghastly thing, you might spare yourself from trying Pembroke. It injured my throat and it took me three days to smoke.
This was a first! When I do not like a tobacco I usually mix it with others so as not to waste it. This one went straight to the bin.
Who ever suggests trying this one first and then Pembroke is right. If you taste this ghastly thing, you might spare yourself from trying Pembroke. It injured my throat and it took me three days to smoke.
This was a first! When I do not like a tobacco I usually mix it with others so as not to waste it. This one went straight to the bin.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 17, 2009 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:
Margate is an English from England. Reading the reviews here (ecstatic, mostly) I only wish they'd all gone on to try SMM. Because Margate is in the ballpark, but SMM is so much better.
Phantom55 said: "Tried this based on the overwhelming positive reviews here. Smells good in the tin, like fermenting Virginia. Unfortunately, to me, does not smoke like it smells. I must be quite sensitive to whatever flavoring agent they use, and there definitely is one. The tobacco just has a very peculiar flavor that I can't readily identify."
Well, that flavoring is definitely there. Almost like perfume, and I don't much care for it.
Pipestud (who's reviews I generally respect) said: "I consider this to be a traditional English, yet not quite as plain as, say, the Dunhill English blends. This one packs more complexity. If you like Dunhill 965, take a step up in class and grab yourself a tin of Margate. You'll be glad you did."
Well. Dunhill 965 had Cavendish so, yes, Margate is a step up from there.
Of SMM Pipestud said: "If you want a smokey flavor lingering in your mouth for hours after you finish a bowl, grab a tin of this stuff"
Precisely. Pipestud offered 3 stars for Margate and 1 for SMM.
Margate lacks the complexity & smokiness of SMM, as well as the full body. The tin description bears no mention of Virginias, whose omission, if correct, may account for some of this.
Tin was deliciously moist. perfect in my opinion, and it burned very well. But it DOES have that perfume smell and taste.
Margate is an English from England. Reading the reviews here (ecstatic, mostly) I only wish they'd all gone on to try SMM. Because Margate is in the ballpark, but SMM is so much better.
Phantom55 said: "Tried this based on the overwhelming positive reviews here. Smells good in the tin, like fermenting Virginia. Unfortunately, to me, does not smoke like it smells. I must be quite sensitive to whatever flavoring agent they use, and there definitely is one. The tobacco just has a very peculiar flavor that I can't readily identify."
Well, that flavoring is definitely there. Almost like perfume, and I don't much care for it.
Pipestud (who's reviews I generally respect) said: "I consider this to be a traditional English, yet not quite as plain as, say, the Dunhill English blends. This one packs more complexity. If you like Dunhill 965, take a step up in class and grab yourself a tin of Margate. You'll be glad you did."
Well. Dunhill 965 had Cavendish so, yes, Margate is a step up from there.
Of SMM Pipestud said: "If you want a smokey flavor lingering in your mouth for hours after you finish a bowl, grab a tin of this stuff"
Precisely. Pipestud offered 3 stars for Margate and 1 for SMM.
Margate lacks the complexity & smokiness of SMM, as well as the full body. The tin description bears no mention of Virginias, whose omission, if correct, may account for some of this.
Tin was deliciously moist. perfect in my opinion, and it burned very well. But it DOES have that perfume smell and taste.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Feb 24, 2009 | Medium to Strong | Medium to Strong | Full | Pleasant |
Margate smells much like a Cabernet out of the tin. The aroma seems to be pleasent to others, even if a little strong. No need for an airfreshner to cover up nasty smells with this around. Maybe my neighbor needs to smoke some it might help him out.
Enough about my world back to the tobacco. It is very pleasent most of the time, however smoking this to much it gives me a mild headache. It's the flavor, even though similar to Pembroke, I don't know, I can't describe. But for a bowl now and then it is quite nice.
Margate I imagine would be great to smoke on the beach with a nice Cabernet Sauveignon at hand. I live in the deserts of Washington State so a beach setting I can only dream. I give this tobacco from my personal notes a 8.6 I'd buy it again but its a give or take.
A bit of a change here, no longer on a beach thats for sure, I just smoked some of this outside and yuck, It burnt my mouth like I was trying to inhale the sun, then A sour taste started around the back of my throat, after that severe thirst set in, and then a bitter taste preceeded by the sourness, it was total ick. On top it was burning really fast. It was gone in about five minutes for a 3/4 inch diameter bowl by about 1.5 inch depth. My new rating 4.1 I won't be buying this again since I wish to try so much.
Enough about my world back to the tobacco. It is very pleasent most of the time, however smoking this to much it gives me a mild headache. It's the flavor, even though similar to Pembroke, I don't know, I can't describe. But for a bowl now and then it is quite nice.
Margate I imagine would be great to smoke on the beach with a nice Cabernet Sauveignon at hand. I live in the deserts of Washington State so a beach setting I can only dream. I give this tobacco from my personal notes a 8.6 I'd buy it again but its a give or take.
A bit of a change here, no longer on a beach thats for sure, I just smoked some of this outside and yuck, It burnt my mouth like I was trying to inhale the sun, then A sour taste started around the back of my throat, after that severe thirst set in, and then a bitter taste preceeded by the sourness, it was total ick. On top it was burning really fast. It was gone in about five minutes for a 3/4 inch diameter bowl by about 1.5 inch depth. My new rating 4.1 I won't be buying this again since I wish to try so much.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 31, 2004 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Greg Pease for President. Greg Pease wins Nobel prize. Pease to release 37 new latakia blends, world waits with baited breath. Man sacrifices children to Greg Pease. Greg Pease elected Pope.
Now, certainly, GLP is one of the preeminent purveyors of English blends, and his status is well deserved. The hyperbole bandied about his blends is as legendary as the blends themselves, but he is by no means the only game in town.
Margate is a magnificent blend in its own right, and the equal of several of the GLPs. It is subtle and complex, not unlike Renaissance, and more interesting than either London Mixture or 965, which have been round forever. Versus the GLP offerings, it has a head start of several years, and an aged tin of Margate is charming. If nothing else, it's just the ticket to tide one over while the Samarra, Raven's Wing, Charing Cross, et al matures.
Now, certainly, GLP is one of the preeminent purveyors of English blends, and his status is well deserved. The hyperbole bandied about his blends is as legendary as the blends themselves, but he is by no means the only game in town.
Margate is a magnificent blend in its own right, and the equal of several of the GLPs. It is subtle and complex, not unlike Renaissance, and more interesting than either London Mixture or 965, which have been round forever. Versus the GLP offerings, it has a head start of several years, and an aged tin of Margate is charming. If nothing else, it's just the ticket to tide one over while the Samarra, Raven's Wing, Charing Cross, et al matures.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 17, 2002 | Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Pleasant |
Awesome . I just love this stuff . heavy , rich , fragrant , full bodied , opulent . Latakia lovers will enjoy this one for sure .
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 2001 | Medium | None Detected | Very Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin Aroma: dark and musky, obviously a goodly portion of Latakia in here. However, the Latakia is not overpowering. I enjoy the aroma of this blend quite a bit. It is a comforting smell, one I associate with good smokes and good friends, but Your Mileage May Vary, or course.
Physical Characteristics: Overall, this is a bit lighter in color than I usually expect an english type blend to be. A ribbon cut, with mostly light brown pieces, and the rest a dark brown. Clumps easily, and can be hard to 'trickle' into a pipe. Each tin of this that I get seems to have a higher percentage of 'shake' or 'dust' in the bottom than other blends, but that is merely an observation, not a complaint. A bit moist for my tastes right out of the tin, but a couple of days with the tin opened fixes it right up. Produces fluffy off-white ash.
First Light: Charring light is easy as pie, thought DGT doesn't really seem to add much to this blend. The initial puffs have a vaguely confectionary flavor to them that is very pleasant, and makes me wonder if anything is used as a top dressing in this blend. This flavor dissipates pretty quickly, and the real 'english' magic takes over. I have taken to using two charring lights with this blend, due to it's moisture content. I char the top, let it sit for a few minutes, then do another charring light, let it go out and then light it for real.
Notes: Morning smoking is best for me and this blend. I relish the Sundays when I get to take a tin of Margate, a couple of pipes, and a huge mug of steaming coffee out on the porch and watch the dew dry on the grass. Very heavy coffees will wash out some of the better notes of this blend, but something light, like a guatamalan is just about perfect here. This is one of the few blends that I do regularly smoke all day, and with the exception of a couple of pipes dedicated to Virgina blends, it has been through every pipe in my collection. Tall, straight bowls tend to work best with Margate, though I have no complaints about any bowl shape/size I have smoked it in. I can easily smoke 6-8 bowls of this in a day with only the faintest hint of tongue discomfort, and that only if I get distracted and puff too hard. The room note is fairly heavy, but this is the blend that has elicited the most 'my grandfather used to smoke a pipe' comments of anything I have smoked. I for one thouroughly enjoy the aroma of it, and have been known to smoke a bowl in the office with the door closes just so I can leave the room for a bit and come back to that wonderful aroma.
Physical Characteristics: Overall, this is a bit lighter in color than I usually expect an english type blend to be. A ribbon cut, with mostly light brown pieces, and the rest a dark brown. Clumps easily, and can be hard to 'trickle' into a pipe. Each tin of this that I get seems to have a higher percentage of 'shake' or 'dust' in the bottom than other blends, but that is merely an observation, not a complaint. A bit moist for my tastes right out of the tin, but a couple of days with the tin opened fixes it right up. Produces fluffy off-white ash.
First Light: Charring light is easy as pie, thought DGT doesn't really seem to add much to this blend. The initial puffs have a vaguely confectionary flavor to them that is very pleasant, and makes me wonder if anything is used as a top dressing in this blend. This flavor dissipates pretty quickly, and the real 'english' magic takes over. I have taken to using two charring lights with this blend, due to it's moisture content. I char the top, let it sit for a few minutes, then do another charring light, let it go out and then light it for real.
Notes: Morning smoking is best for me and this blend. I relish the Sundays when I get to take a tin of Margate, a couple of pipes, and a huge mug of steaming coffee out on the porch and watch the dew dry on the grass. Very heavy coffees will wash out some of the better notes of this blend, but something light, like a guatamalan is just about perfect here. This is one of the few blends that I do regularly smoke all day, and with the exception of a couple of pipes dedicated to Virgina blends, it has been through every pipe in my collection. Tall, straight bowls tend to work best with Margate, though I have no complaints about any bowl shape/size I have smoked it in. I can easily smoke 6-8 bowls of this in a day with only the faintest hint of tongue discomfort, and that only if I get distracted and puff too hard. The room note is fairly heavy, but this is the blend that has elicited the most 'my grandfather used to smoke a pipe' comments of anything I have smoked. I for one thouroughly enjoy the aroma of it, and have been known to smoke a bowl in the office with the door closes just so I can leave the room for a bit and come back to that wonderful aroma.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 08, 2001 | Medium | Mild to Medium | Full | Tolerable |
This is a "different" but very good tobacco. In fact, if not for Pembroke, I may even call this my favorite Esoterica blend. There is an extra component I can't identify that adds to the normal English flavor in an interesting but not unpleasant way. The aroma in the sample bag is mild and musty, with the smell of Latakia clearly present. The tobacco itself is rather dark, black dark browns making up most of the blend with an occasional lighter brown piece visible. The cut is medium and the tobacco is dry, though not as dry as C&D blends. It takes a flame easily and burns very well, needing a lower than normal number of relights. In the first third of the bowl, the storngest flavor is Latakia, smooth, rich, and fairly full. The other tobaccos are less important, though I do detect a hint of spice in the background. There is a strange taste coming through toward the end, an almost sour/bitter note that I can't place. Moving into the second third, the strange taste has faded a bit, as has the spice note. The Latakia is nice; it's not as full as many of the blends I like, but it still blends nicely with the other flavors present. The smoke is smooth, though not as much so as with Pembroke, and there is no bite. The odd taste seems to vary in intensity, weaker and stronger, as the bowl continues; it's especially intense on relights, and at times a little too strident. In the final third of the bowl, the odd flavor has merged more with the normal English flavor, and is much more enjoyable that way. The smoke is smooth and fairly full, and there have been no problems with bite or moisture for the entire bowl. It is nice blown out through the nose. It smokes cleanly right down to the ashes, and the finish is the best part by far. Overall, this is one of the most unique English blends I've yet smoked. The only thing that I don't like about it is the middle past when the odd flavor becomes a little too intense. Still, I would recommend this to others who like English blends, and I plan to smoke it as a change of pace from time to time.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 28, 2001 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Margate is a wonderful full flavored English blend. The tin aroma is quite tempting, and the dark shades of leaf mottled with a reddish/brownish character look as luxurious as they taste. Upon first light the sweetness of the Virginias really stand out. Soon after the blend begins to meld together quite nicely but despite the heavy dose of Latakia, the Virginias never get overwhelmed as they often do in some English blends. This blend is very well balanced and is certainly among my favorites of it's type -it burns quite cool and dry down to a beautiful whitish/grey ash. It's sister blend, Pembroke (Margate w/cognac topping) is even more luxurious and I tend to reach for that prior to Margate. Both are top notch tobaccos and highly recommended.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01, 2023 | Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Tin note is sweet and musky Latakia. I was fortunate to receive a aged sample from a friend. 11 years of age makes this quite smooth. A mild English with some sweetness. Burns very even. It has a sweet topping of some sort that has stayed in the tobacco flavor. Personally I find the room note pleasant. For a mild English its very complex . The Latakia is second to the Orientals the Orientals add some mild spice (not the cooking type) along with the Turkish . The Virginias gives it fullness. Outstanding blend if you can find it at a reasonable price.
Pipe Used:
small bowl briar
PurchasedFrom:
friend gift
Age When Smoked:
11 years
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