Esoterica Tobacciana Penzance

There are many others reviewing tobaccos with much more sophisticated pallets than mine. I could attempt to add my two cents into the fray, however, I don't feel I could top the adjectives others have used to describe this smoke.

So, I will just go on the record as saying this is one of the finest tobaccos I have smoked.

The taste is very similar to GLP odyssey, only a lesser version of it. I'd give it 4 stars, but as that would make it appear equal to odyssey, I can only give it 3. with a long, slow draw and then exhaled and inhaled quickly through the nose in short little puffs, i smelled what reminds me of urine, but in a strangely appealing way.

This has been one of my favorite blends for over ten years, and one of only two to which I have devoted a pipe. Good from start to finish, it's Latakia Heaven - or at least as close as I have found. This is a very complex blend that smokes well right out of the tin - cool and with no bite. Older samples I have smoked were only a bit smoother and burned slightly better. Otherwise, what you get off the shelves today is a superior krumblecake pipe tobacco. In a very large bowl, it's important to not crush the bits too much and gently push them down during the smoke. Doing so will result in a nice burn and steady, full flavor.

What can I add to the plethora of reviews of this fine tobacco? I've been smoking the Dunhill blends- #965 and Nightcap, and well as a bulk blend my tobacco shop calls Chartwell. In comparison Penzance is definitely on the next level. It's buttery smooth and delicious, with no bite. One of the finest English blends there is. Treat yourself to a tin.

Penzance is pressed Margate, just as ET's Stonehaven is pressed Tilbury. The pressing makes for a stronger smoke, creamy and complex, with latakia looming over the other flavors. That said, I can?t agree with those who say that Penzance is a latakia bomb. Esoterica is the most refined of blenders, and Penzance is not Old Ironsides. This is a full, heavy smoke, delicious at times, and occasionally nutty in the top half of the bowl. It?s definitely a power hitter of a blend, but it?s not a DH: it can run and field, too, if that makes any sense (sorry, it?s the baseball playoffs ?. ). Every time I smoke it, I am once again surprised at the subtlety of flavor on offer.

The Krumble Kake format is, to me, a definite disadvantage, simply because I find ribbon cuts far easier to pack. Fold-and-stuff does not, in my experience, work so well with Penzance. Everything has to be just so for this blend to reveal its merits. You need to find the right pipe, and the right pack, and stick with it religiously. When it?s on, it?s about as good as it gets. But there are lots of blends just as good that aren?t so finicky.

This stuff should be called Penance,(to punish one self for repentance of sins). This is a quality tobacco, but not for my taste. Super strong in latakia taste and rubs out very easy. This smoke has a strong menthol aroma in the tin and in the smoke. The after taste will stay with you most of the day, so forget kissing the wife. It reminds me of one of those mosquito repellant coils you lite up outside. The aroma will repel mosquitoes , birds, dogs, bears and of course your wife. Lite this stuff up in a room and you clear it pretty quickly. I will not purchase this again, but i will finish the tin in about a years time or depending on the amount of sins I commit.

[[[ UPDATE ]]] I changed my recommendation from ** to ***. When I first tried this smoke I thought it was disgusting, but now I guess the more I smoke it the more I grow to like it. This is a great tobacco. I will be purchasing more.

I originally tried Penzance based on the reviews that I read here. I like it very much! Penzance is free of bitterness and it is easy on my tongue. I would probably enjoy smoking this tobacco for hours on end, though I have not done so.

Other latakia blends that I have smoked have been so strong that I could not enjoy them beyond a little taste at a time. Penzance is mild enough to smoke frequently. However, if you do not like the taste of a latakia, you probably will not appreciate this wonderful tobacco.

After reading much about this blend, i had to try it for myself. I must say it is wonderful! Rubbs out with little to no effort and smokes to a nice white ash.

For the english smoker this is a must try.

Cheers!

I'm a novice in the pipe-smoking world. Been smoking daily for about 2 months. Haven't had a cigarette since then. (Good call.) I've enjoyed reading the reviews here and found them helpful as I find out what works for me.

Honest disclosure here- I bought a tin of Penzance because I'm a confirmed Anglophile and I love Gilbert & Sullivan. I know, silly reason. Fact is, brand name is a powerful advertising tool.

I opened the tin and, like many others here, was not optimistic. A couple of bowls, however, and I was in love. I can't give the details like the more experienced and knowledgable here. I just know I REALLY like it.

I have a couple of others in my rotation, but nothing yet can match (The Pirates of) Penzance!