Esoterica Tobacciana Pembroke

This is, without a doubt, the best of the Esoterica tobaccos I have yet tried. While not as full and dark as some of my favorite English blends, this is still satisfying and smooth enough to be an all-day smoke; I actually prefer it to Margate, the uncased version. In the bag, the aroma is subtle, a bit sweet with a musty note; I can also smell Latakia. The tobacco is dark, with dark browns and black making up the majority of the blend, contrasted by a few lighter strands. The cut is medium to long, and it is on the dry side. It packs fairly well and lights easily, needing an average number of relights. In the first third, the main flavor I immediately taste is Latakia: a nice, rich, leathery taste. The other flavors are also making themselves known, primarily as a sweet, mellow note that softens the impact of the Latakia. I assume that this is the casing, though I couldn't tell you what it is specifically (Cognac). No one flavor is overwhelming, though Latakia is the most obvious at this point. In the second 1/3, the Latakia/English taste has merged with the sweetness of the casing. When in the mouth, the Latakia is dominant and supported by the casing; when blown out through the nose, the casing is strongest. A nice combination! The tobacco, apart from the casing, is very high quality and semi-complex, the overall sensation being that of a fairly rich, full smoke. There is thus far no moisture or tongue bite from this tobacco. In the final part of the bowl, the sweetness becomes more intense, varying in bursts of strength, at times almost reaching the level of the Latakia taste. The English flavor is still very obvious, however, and the casing (for me) doesn't detract from the excellent tobacco itself. It smokes clean, good, and moisture free right to the bottom; I was sorry to see the bowl end. Overall, this is one of the best English blends I've tried, even apart from the casing added. With the casing, there is a skillful merger of flavors and balance that makes this a pleasure to smoke. While not as full and dark as some English blends, this is nevertheless a very satisfying smoke for any time of day. This has moved into one of the top five or six blends for me, and I will most certainly be buying one or more tins of this in the near future.

This review is based on a generous sample given by one of my beloved internet friends. It’s unclear how old the tobacco is, but I know it’s at least 2 years old.

This came out of the mylar as a shag cut of medium length. The color is just a little contrasted, but really not that much, all spanning in the medium range, with some clearly black pieces standing out. The smell is firmly that of a Latakia laden English mixture: the classic triad of Virginias, Orientals, and Latakia. It doesn’t take much looking to find there is something extra, something sweet and fruity, maybe boozy. If I hadn’t read online that this had Cognac added as a topping, I’m not sure I would have guessed it. While I cannot speak for the moisture content out of a tin or bag, my sample was quite dry and absolutely ready to smoke.

Packing is easy as can be and the lighting almost does itself. Straight off, I’m charmed by the exceptional mechanics of the blend. No headaches, just an easily accessible pleasure.

The first sips give me a rich Latakia blend. A mouthfeel of deep and dark velvet. Plenty of clouds of white smoke could make one too enthusiastic but it is in the slow sips, as always, that this blend really starts to shine.

Quickly, the topping appears, quite subtle, but noticeable with little permittable doubt. There is much debate online as to the pertinence of it. Personally, I find it very pleasing. Although I am not a true aromatic smoker, I don’t mind those aromatically enhanced blends at all. To me, this is exactly that. The topping, while present, never takes a leading role and never hides the richness of the other components. It adds a layer of complexity, not really as a top note but rather nicely intertwined with its host tobaccos.

As I move deeper in the bowl, while still present, the Cognac and Latakia take a step back. There is a sweetness and sourness that become more apparent. I attribute these caracters to the matured Virginias and exotic Orientals, and this duo takes me to a place most pleasing. The Latakia is still there in the background, so obvious I don’t even pay attention to it anymore. The topping is there but leaves more room for the others. And in that harmony, my mind goes in The Zone and I have trouble concentrating.

This blend is like a key to The Zone. Like the brother and sister in Cocteau’s “Les enfants terribles”, I find solace in an apparent empty stare that internally takes me to a place of weightlessness. Isn’t this what we seek when smoking a pipe? An hour extracted from the turmoil of life? This is one of my keys.

There have been days I have had multiple bowls of this. I have never experienced any tongue fatigue or bite. The mechanics really are a treat to the lazy smoker.

The quality of the blend makes me wonder what it would be like having a pile of this in the cellar. Firstly, this is nearly impossible because of its limited availability, even more so for a French man. Secondly, I am not sure how the precious topping would hold up in time. After about two years and some airing out, I can confidently say it is grand. What about in ten years? I’m not so sure. Lastly, the sought-after aging and melding of the component tobaccos, I suspect, might not give so good results. Indeed, everything here has already been left alone for long enough to get the desired must and sweetness. After some point, aging has diminishing returns. This blend might be at its peak right now, and I love it as it is.

Esoterica tobacco always seems out of stock and for the most part I do not even look for it but the other Sunday, my local tobacconist had some of Pembroke for sale so I bought a tin. I have had Margate many years ago and recall it being very good. This is Margate with Cognac. I opened my 2 oz tin and was welcomed with a rich, deep, sweet almost liquor smell. This has a nice shag cut which I like and I commenced to load my bowl. This is also pretty moist out of the tin. For what ever reason I do not dry out my tobacco, probably because I do not think it makes that much difference. It probably does but that is just how I roll. This is a top-grade smoke with quite a varied flavorful profile with the liquor topping being faint in the background which I consider a plus. I find it interesting that this is labeled an English with the liquor but I guess with all of the other ingredients the label ‘English’ foots the bill. If you can find some at a reasonable price, I would buy it.

Pembroke, the little brother of Smoker's Haven Cognac Mixture, is a solid choice for those that like some spirits added to their tobacco. There seems to be less cognac in Pembroke than Smoker's Haven's Cognac Mixture, but lovers of that blend (also made by Germain) will find enjoyment with Pembroke. The thin ribbon cut has somewhat of a stranger tin aroma to Cognac, and the tobacco isn't as dominated by the spirits as it is with its big brother blend. Pembroke arrives too moist to smoke so some dry time is needed. The high quality Virginia's should really add to the sweetness of this blend over time. If you enjoy a solid English blend with some added spirits, then Pembroke is a good choice. Recommended.

Esoterica Pembroke- i seem to be coming around to English aromatic blends lately so i popped another one . It says Margate w/ fine French Congac . I noticed when i opened it it wasn’t as black as Margate . I think this has more Virginias as it is much sweeter . I know it has the topping but still . No complaints though . It tastes very much like Margate but the Incense room note is a little muted . The Orientals are savory , slightly sour and buttery . My tin is 3 yrs old and the topping is still tasty and sweet but doesn’t seem boozy at all Very enjoyable late night smoke for me . It is smooth as silk really . Soft and creamy . Well done blend , I like the congac much more than the ASTB fruity top note . It still has the backbone of a med- full English blend . 4

I really wanted to like this tobacco. First of all, it has one of the best tin aromas. Second, I love cross-overs. I often blend strong burley tobacco into aromatics and make my own cross-overs.

This tobacco just had a awful taste. On top of that, it burned hot and did not pack well. It's probably that cognac just does not make a good addition to tobacco.

My first thought of Pembroke was that the strong tin scent of Cognac was more than I expected. Once lit, the flavor of the Cognac was there, but not overwhelming compared to the way it smelled. It married nicely with the smokiness of the Latakia. There is a sweetness from the Cognac and the Virginias that was very nice. There is also a slight sourness that I think comes from the Orientals. For me, the Latakia is the most dominate flavor. There is somewhat of a harshness toward the end of each bowl that I don’t care for. I think that there are lots of pipe smokers that could like this blend, but for me, it isn’t a blend for my rotation.

Man oh man. I love cognac, I love english tobacco, I love Pembroke.

Smelling like it does right out of the tin, I personally was reminded of a strong cheese or alcohol. I personally lean towards bleu cheese when talking about this blend, as that is the kind of decadence that I'm trying alluding to.

Right out of the tin, it comes a bit wet. Whether you dry it or not doesn't really matter, it is a fantastic smoke either way. If you leave it wet, it tends to be a bit hard to light, but once lit it effortlessly stays lit. If you choose to dry it out, you will be rewarded with a very pleasant smoke as well. Either way, it is a tasty dry smoke. I prefer it a bit moist, as the flavor really shines through.

Although the description classifies this one as a broken flake, it really is a fine ribbon. Despite this, it burns slowly and evenly.

The cognac casing isn't overpowering at all, but rather accents the latakia and virginia, which in turn complement each other well. At the beginning, the cognac is right at the forefront, then takes the backseat to the tobacco. If smoked in a large-bowl pipe, the lucky smoker may have the cognac come back to greet him towards the end of his bowl. Needless to say, there is a lot of flavor development going on here.

I never had to relight this one because it went out, I only re-lit once for some thicker smoke, but that really wasn't necessary. I smoked this blend first in my big calabash, but I'm slowly sampling it in other pipes. If you really want to treat yourself, try this one in a large-bowl pipe.

I have both a new tin and a 5 year old tin and I've found agin it changes it though not for the better or worse, just different. Aging mellows out the blend a bit but I enjoy the new batch version just as much as I enjoy the aged version.

Tin Opening - Opening the tin reveals a mottled string cut blend, that over time has merged the colors slightly. With the 5 year old tin, the familiar Pembroke aroma is still there though mellowed.

Packing - Packs well in all pipes I?ve tried it in.

Lighting - Two matches and a tamp.

First Impression - The first few puffs release a pleasing English/cognac aroma and the taste is complex without being confusing. It?s rich without being heavy and full without being overwhelming.

Mid Bowl - Down through the bowl, the flavor remains and though its complexity fades, for me into something comfortable. Each puff makes me want the next for the simple pleasure of this blend. I find no tendency to smoke wet or hot. At five years, it?s mellower then a new batch. It is neither better nor worse, just different.

Finish-Finishes stronger with the cognac having been burned away though the quality of the blend shows through, keeping you going for the pure tobacco taste of the blend. It smokes very cleanly with a grey ash.

Over all-My favorite English blend. It is Margate plus and unlike most blends with a topping, this topping actually enhances and improves the blend rather then masking it or detracting from it. I don't know what Cognac they use to top it but I wouldn't be surprized if it was specifically developed for this blend rather than for drinking. I am normally not a fan of liquor top tobacco but this one hits the mark better then anything else I've ever tried. A true pleasure!