Esoterica Tobacciana Peacehaven

If this is one of Esoterica's least reviewed blends, it's their own fault. Availability only in bulk may dissuade many potential fans from ever sampling it, which would be a shame. It's a lovely, lively VA with a particularly delicious flavor. The vibrant mouth feel warns of impending tongue bite, so savor this one slowly. You'll be rewarded with a beautifully fresh smoke replete with nice citrus components. Old Gowrie with pizazz.

That this isn't sold in tins is a crime, as it would be tailor-made for cellaring.

Perhaps I received the bottom of the barrel but my pouch was not a flake or had been partially rubbed out during processing. I would class it more as a ribbon cut with many long, thin strands. Despite varied packing techniques, this and the high moisture content caused difficulty and numerous and far too many relights. This also may have caused some of the bite I experienced. Perhaps a perfect packing would reduce this tendency but when coupled with the lack of natural sweetness in its taste, it's not worth the effort for me.

esoterica seems to on the market again...thank the heavens. Peacehaven is not, as someone said, a blend that will bite (and McClelland never was one...so who knows ...taste is, uh, subjective....Im still not over the tragedy of McC going out of business)...but thankfully Esoterica is back. Peacehaven is much neglected. Its a straight virginia. What super mild topping is on it can be barely noticed. The taste has hints of wine and caramel both...but in subtle ways.It actually burns cool....( i dont recall if this used to be a flake but its more shag now). Reminds me a bit of Dan Tobacco's Hamborger Veermaster. Often such straight virginias are referred to as beginners blends and this always drives me nuts. I love LOVE peacehaven and Ive smoked pipes for forty five years. Its the highest quality stuff and nothing else on the market is better in terms of quality. Its mild in nic hit, but there still is some, and the flavor is wonderful and rich...especially if you take your time and if you dry out the flakes for twenty minutes before smoking. Naturally sweet, with that hay aroma and a touch of light fermentation. Mostly bright virginia is my guess. Overall it is simple, classic and elegant.

I'm smoking this in a Savinelli pipe with a Balsa filter. I purchased this probably 15 to 20 years ago. I cellared it probably 12 years ago in a mason jar and it's been there ever since.

I was away from pipes for a while smoking cigars. And I have a pretty good-sized cellar of pipe tobaccos with this one being one of those with which I have some fond memories.

I rubbed it out and packed my pipe and was probably a bit too anxious to get smoking. I puffed fast and hard so I could get there and I got there. With some bite. So as others have said take it easy on this tobacco.

Unlike some others, and maybe this has to do with some long cellaring, I am getting much of the nose from the tobacco in the Smoke as well. I enjoy this one a lot. it is smooth and easy to smoke. The fruit is very well defined, the sidestream is lovely, and it is a pleasant experience.

I can recommend this one.

More than $1 per gram in China. You are not mistaken, it is more than 1 dollar per 1 gram.

Oh my mom, this is the taste of RMB.

Ok, I am ignited.

Very cool smoke, it is delicate and soft, and full. The tobacco burns very evenly and spreads with a sweet, natural Virginia atmosphere.

The strength of nicotine is very mild and it is very suitable for me.

If you can buy it at a reasonable price, I highly recommend it.

Package note of sugary stone fruit and spices. Tobacco is a flake of marbled brown, light brown and dark brown. Moisture content is great. Flakes rub out with a little effort. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. "Sometimes" flavoring detected though I can't be sure, at time it seems like apricot or some other stone fruit. Taste is medium and moderately consistent, with notes of tart and tangy dark fruit, spices, mild sugar, floral dry hay, earthy, sweet grass, bitter orange peel, dry wood, acidic, a tart citrus and bready background note, and a peppery retro. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is ok.

AM coffee smoke is a sample of 2018 Esoterica Peacehaven - a first for me.

Came to me as sort of a shaggy broken flake. Smells of deep and rich—more so than the smoke itself—dark fruit and hay with a slight sour note. The flavor is bready, malty, plummy, and figgy. Maybe it’s the shag, but my first thought was that this reminds me a bit of Dark Bird’s Eye—a much milder version. Rare is the straight VA that I can smoke without a filter. PH is such a rarity for me. Zero bite, but it does provide a spice hit here and there.

Don’t know that I’d chase it like, say, Stonehaven, but I’d be glad to have more of this in my cabinet. In the meantime I’m grateful for this sample. 3.5 stars. Cheers!