Esoterica Tobacciana Penzance

The less available this becomes, the more people are going to seek it. Kinda like the forbidden-fruit.

I like this blend. As a matter of fact, if my fellow pipers stay on the ball, you can find this if you get on certain etailers email list. That is how I came upon a pound of this. But do not hesitate, because once they advise this is in stock it goes in a matter of minutes.

I really cannot add to the hundreds of reviews here, but this is a solid, complex blend that delivers the perfect strength and balance of what a great Enlish flake should. Only thing that I do not like about this flake is how small the pieces of tobacco are cut. Almost impossible not to suck up pieces upon light up.

Added 12/15/09: Another star to 4. Opened my second tin after it had been napping for a year and the smell was amazing with a definate scent of lemongrass. Upon smoking the lemongrass comes through, must be that wonderful oriental tobacco. Moisture was perfect on opening. This has become an everyday smoke for me still dedicated to my brigham pipe.

Added 8/3/09: I'm bumping this one up a star, sometimes its the pipe that makes the difference. I had been smoking this in a Peterson Aran Bent Apple with the P-Lip system (of which I am not a fan). Switched up to a Brigham Poker and wow what a difference! All the flavours now hit me in the right place and I can slowly puff on a bowl of this for an hour and not get bored. I guess I'm still learning the ins and outs of pipe smoking.

Original Review: I decided to try this one out because of the almost universal praise in the reviews here. I must say I was dissapointed. Not that it's a bad tobacco, but first foray into English balkan blends was Squadron Leader and I am quite taken by that tobacco.

My tin of Penzance arrived unbearably wet, like it was salvaged from the Titanic. I dried it for 3 days in my cigar box and it was closer to smokable. Tin aroma is predominantly Latakia with an oriental undertone. Lighting takes 3-4 matches before I can get a good burn, and I have frequent relights because I try not to overpuff this tobacco. It really needs to be sipped to bring out the flavour nuances. The taste is light to medium... a bit to light for my enjoyment. I really wanted to enjoy this tobacco as much a SL but the flavour just never really developed for me. Penzance has a place in my cellar but as a diversion not one for my daily rotation.

I held off trying this for so long because, well, she's been around with an awful lot of other boyz and girlz. They talk about how cool she is, how nice she smells, how you just fold her up and stick it in, how she takes to the load like a champ, how when you suck on her, she billows like an old train engine.... You get the picture.

But tonight, swamped under a pile of work so big I can't even dream my way through, I reached to the back of the drawer looking for the drug I needed to help me through. And I found her and rescued her from the darkness. She's tiny for one who's been with so many.

The upshot?

Ladies and Gentlemen...I'd like to introduce you to Mrs. Penzance Beaupipe.

Exquisite.

Updated 1/2/08 - I've been smoking a tin of this for a couple of weeks now and there is a big difference. The bulk tobacco was a lot drier than the tin. I don't know if this is why the taste was so different but the bulk I would have called an English blend, the tin I would classify as a Balkan since for some reason I could taste the Orientals much more. I've been smoking some Balkan Sobranie in the rotation and I would say that they smoke pretty closely due to this. The tin is a big plus in my opinion. I throw a humidifier in the jar since this tends to dry quickly.

Original Review - Well there isn't much to be said that hasn't been said but I'll still put in my two cents. This is a very easy smoke. I didn't have to dry or otherwise mess with it to get a perfect burn. This smoke is right on the cusp of my taste buds so sometimes I think it's mild and other times I think it has great taste. It seems to be better of late, so either my taste buds have perked up or this is better after sitting a while. I will definitely keep some on hand and will try the tin next time to see if that is better since I got this batch in a foil bag. Still this stuff is excellent!

This has become my #1 favorite tobacco. I've never had it around long enough so see if it really loses its flavor over time. The smoke is thick and delicious, and yet this is a tobacco that I could likely smoke all day long. I am seriously contemplating dedicating one of my pipes exclusively to this tobacco, though I'm not well-versed enough in piping to know what this will really accomplish, if it will be a noticeable effect or not.

If you haven't tried this, go out now and do so. May this always be in production. People have said the room note isn't good... I tend to smoke alone and happen to love it. I love everything about this tobacco, the crumble cake it comes in, the smell before and after lighting, the flavor, the strength... amazing.

edit: this is still, by far, my favorite latakia. I don't take to Frog Morton very well after this stuff - it's like its watered-down brother that sort of approaches the wonderful goodness that is Penanze but falls far short.

I'm going to buy a 20oz bag soon-ish and keep it in a Mason jar. I imagine this will help the problem I'm about to describe. In the tin, after two or three weeks, this stuff dries out quite a bit. In my first tin, I didn't like it at all after this, in my second, the dull, musty flavor wasn't as evident but I was able to finish it off and enjoy it as well. But this is a tobacco that shines just after opening... after a week or two it does get a little iffy. This doesn't effect my rating as I don't usually have a tin around long enough to worry about it, or it's relegated to the last two bowls of the tin. I imagine keeping it in a Mason jar will keep it from drying out as quickly.

I could eat this stuff. Upon opening the tin, one is greeted with the pungent aroma of wonderfully fragrant latakia. that initial scent reminds me of the more pleasant scents of smoked meat. The crumble cake is a joy to feel in the hand and I tend to load haphazardly into a Peterson Donegal Rocky B10 P-Lip, which I've devoted to Penzance.

The smoke is full bodied and delicious. It's very easy on the palate, always a cool & dry smoke that burns beautifully into a very tidy, fine grey ash. This also seems to lend itself to a smooth break-in of a pipe. Being a member of a very high Episcopal church, the aroma is reminiscent of church incense. Despite it's strong scent, it doesn't seem to linger, fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view.

For latakia fanatics, such as myself, this is a fabulous all day smoke too. Aside from the Donegal Rocky, I find that this blend smokes well in pipes generally devoted to Dunhill's Nightcap.

Update 2/16/13: Took an almost five year hiatus from the pipe and have two unopened tins and a mostly full dried out tin that I rehydrated by placing a cap with a dab of Evian in it and then putting the tin in a ziploc bag. Better than I remembered. Spent my sunny Alabama afternoon with an Ashton full of this, a Guinness and Lawrence Durrell's novel Justine. Having been to Amsterdam not too long ago, I fell for Dutch salty licorice and there's a similarity somewhere in Penzance's flavor profile.

This is the finest Latakia/Balkan style blend in the business with Margate running a very close second. I've discovered that I like Esoterica blends the most. They are extremely consistent in their blending process. Penzance starts out nicely packed in wax paper in thin slices. I love the way the oils soak into the paper and is a joy to bring up to the nose for a long, slow wiff of it's deeply rich, dark and smokey aroma. It crumbles easy into small pieces and packs effortlessly. No need to rub it out much, if at all. I've read of the complaints that this crumbles too small and one ends up drawing in a piece or two. No big smash to me. It's very easy to forget about. It lights easily as it has just the right moisture. At the start it tastes exactly like the tin aroma. Just superb. Rich, slightly sweet. I taste the Virginia elements that bolster the richness of the Balkans and Latakia. It gets a bit more spicy mid bowl, and yet more spicy and richer at the finish. Nice chocolate like hints. Few relights here. Fine powder ash. I find Penzance excels in the colder months and is excellent smoked outdoors, too. It even does well in a clay pipe. It has a comforting room note that's smokey with Latakia, and with a slight sweetness. Just a fantastic smoke I can't get enough of. It tops my list.

What a smooth latakia mixture! Penzance is without a doubt one of my favorite tobaccos. I love the flakes. They make it easy to load your pipe. Then you light up and wow! A fairly full latakia blend that smokes extremely smooth. I smoked this one all the way down to the ashes. It has a mild bite, but if smoked slowly it is not noticeable. The aroma is intriguing but enjoyable. Probably not for those who are not big fans of English blends. But if you are looking for the smoothest English blend around, buy a tin of Penzance.

UPDATE: I am now into my second tin, and only one word can describe this blend: transcendent. Penzance produces a rich, velvety smoke in large volumes. It is filled with creamy spice and nuances, it cannot be compared. I have performed an exhaustive search to find something even close, I believe it doesn't exist. This is simply the smooth epic English blend that all of us are looking for. It is so good I cannot smoke it everyday, it's like a fine cigar, it requires a special occasion and the right mood.

Cut to the chase - highest recommendation for an oriental/latakia/virginia smoke. If I had to choose a desert island smoke, this would be it. It is the only tobacco that I have pipes (3) dedicated to.

If packed and smoked slowly and carefully, Penzance has a wonderful and subtle complexity of sweet Virginias and orientals that weave in and out with the deep background of the latakia. This is an outstanding contemplative blend. Sweet, smokey, & spicy. Rush your smoking and you are left with merely a wonderful creamy and sweet latakia powerhouse.

This review is based on smoking pounds of this wonderful weed over 8 years. I really enjoy Virginia blends, VA/P blends as well as oriental and latakia blends.

Why another Penzance review? I think I can offer a few suggestions to really enjoying this tobacco. Just because I may be arrogant, doesn't mean that I'm not right (big grin). Also, because it is just that good.

Basically, there are two important factors that make this blend sing for me.

1. Pack it loosely and don't tamp it down much at all. When tamping, do it with a very light hand. I refer the reader to Mephisto's prior recommendations on packing. I still find that breaking it up into crumbles and gravity filling the bowl works best. I've also gently inserted the "slices" into the bowl and twisted lightly, rubbed up the top a bit and smoked.

I also like to let it air out for about 10 minutes max. This slight drying seems to help keep the tobacco from clumping in the bowl and I find I relight less often. Caution: the essential oils seem to evaporate quickly past 10 minutes and such will reduce the flavor.

2. Smoke this like a bitey Virginia, i.e., slowly. Enjoy the sidestream smoke as well. Pay attention to Penzance, and she will reward you with riches.

3. Penzance works best in a dedicated briar pipe of medium or smaller size. Billiards and slightly bent billiard/calabashes seems to work best for me. Pots and shallow bowled pipes don't do as well. Meers work well with it, conforming to these rough dimensions. Penzance, and other latakia or blends with a subtle complexity to them just suck in a corn cob IMO.