Esoterica Tobacciana Penzance

I've been hearing about Penzance as long as I've been smoking a pipe - which is not very long... but long enough to hear how great it is. When I saw a couple of tins on the shelf of my local tobacconist, I grabbed them without thinking.

I am thoroughly impressed with this blend. It is a great balance of latakia and Orientals with just enough Virginia for my taste... little whiffs of sweetness that punctuate the pungent smoke and spice. Easily one of the finest tobaccoes I've smoked.

This is my first experience with a "krumble kake" but I found it very easy to load and light. I didn't rub it out too much, basically letting my light tamping break up the flakes, and got a long cool smoke.

It is a shame that this stuff is so scarce... I could easily make it my "regular" smoke. Would life go on without it? Absolutely, but it sure does make smoking that much more enjoyable.

It's like Zeppelin. It's like Guinness. It's like a Mediterranean sunset. Nothing difficult to understand or appreciate, but a perfect expression of what it is

SOLID QUALITY STUFF. 4 stars.

Difficult to add much to what's already been said, except that I find this excellent tobacco to provide two smokes for the price of one. Try this experiment: during the first two-thirds of the bowl puff gently like you would with any quality Virginia and you're rewarded with a very high quality VA sweetness. Then amp it up and get some clouds forming and the VA sweet gives way to delicious Latakia and Oriental complexity that expertly blends all the flavors together into a unique, delicious, relaxing experience.

As the bowl progresses, it gets richer, toastier and stronger. I have to slow down a bit near the end to keep it cool and to keep the flavors balanced. I get a tiny bit of gurgle but that's inconsequential to me because the reward is a powerful, creamy, and memorable grand finale.

I call this a complex smoke, I call it wonderful, I ordered a bunch in bulk for aging, and I can't wait to try some after it's been resting a year or two. I can't imagine that it can get better than it is, but other reviewers assure me it will!

Not to belabor this tobacco's properties, I,like others, have been looking about for a Krumble Kake, since the demise of Bengal Slices. Yes there is another, which I won't mention here, however, that is a bit dry for my taste. Dry, would not be the packaging description of this tobacco, like others from the Channel Islands, Jersey in fact, it comes a bit moist, so some air would help in the lighting process, not to mention the wet/hot smoke one may encounter. As the description reads, a typical English on the surface as far as the contents are concern, but like most tobaccos, the secret is in the blending. A full smoke, that will satisfy all who enjoy Latakia, with just the perfect accompaniment of Virginia's, Orientals, and Turkish. There are, but a few, that go to the top shelf, and this is certainly one. One word of caution however, unless your familiar with a Krumble Kake type of tobacco, take heed as to the method of loading your bowl, simular to DBE, in that the bowl can be over packed! In conclusion, a great tobacco, that will only get better with aging. Stock up! Cheers, Larry

I believe that this is my favorite full English blend from Esoterica. The burning properties are excellent and the flavor is better than either Margate or And So to Bed; if those two were standard lagers, this one would be Guinness Stout. As a deep, relaxing blend after a big meal, it has few equals; it's especially good in a very large pipe. The smell in the bag is strong Latakia, a musty, rich smell obvious even through a sealed bag. The sample came as mostly crumbled cake, broken into many different fragment sizes, and the moisture level was rather low. It packs easily and lights quickly, burning through a bowl with a below-average number of relights required. In the first third of the bowl, the taste is that of strong, rich, and very full Latakia. This is obviously a strong English blend, and the deep, leathery flavor reflects that. On first light and subsequent relights, there is also a sourish background note whose origin I can't quite place. The smoke is not overly smooth, but it certainly isn't harsh or biting. Moving into the second third, the taste is becoming even darker, maturing into a remarkably full and satisfying flavor. There is good complexity present as well, several layers of flavor being noticeable under the dense Latakia richness. There is a bit of a moisture problem at this point, but it is quickly taken care of with a single pipe cleaner. In the final third, the flavor remains dark and full. I believe that this is what Webster had in mind when he defined the word "rich"; it is *truly* a satisfying smoke. The sourness upon relighting has mostly faded, and the Latakia mingles well with the lesser tobaccos also present. There were no more moisture problems after mid-bowl, and no bite at any time. Overall, this is one of the few English blends I would call truly outstanding. It is full and rich enough to satisfy just about any English blend smoker, and the burning properties are excellent. The Latakia flavor is almost overwhelming, but in a *good* way! I strongly recommend this tobacco to anyone looking for that dark, complex after dinner blend. I already have more of it on order!

One of the downsides of having found your One True Blend is missing out on treats like this. Spurred out into the tobacco wilderness by my beloved Balkan Sobranie getting low, I thought I had discovered an acceptable replacement in Bengal Slices, only to discover that it too is no more. After trying a variety of blends that varied from disappointing (Pelican) to actually awful, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this blend, it is much spicier than Bengal Slices, although not as spicy as Sobranie, but definitely something that has moved to the top of the list of Blends I Could Be Happy With.



Opening the tin revealed a waxed paper lining dotted with oil from the leaves. The flakes appear to be mostly Latakia with a bit of virginia, as well as a moderate amount of orientals. They rub out easier than Bengal Slices while still offering the tunability of the slice form, so you can rub it more coarsely for smoking outdoors for example. This tobacco can be rubbed directly into the bowl instead of having to make multiple rubbing passes into the lid as with most Virginia flakes (and Bengal Slices). Upon rubbing, it appears that the "slices" are more of a crumble cake than a virginia-style slice, in that the fully rubbed-out form is more of a cube cut than ribbon cut. So you probably don't want to rub this stuff out all the way.



I crumbled two slices into a trusty Ashton XX Bent Bulldog, the first one extremely coarsely, and the second one increasingly fine as I reached the top. The tobacco lit up quickly, instantly showing its flavor and wonderful aroma. Within a few seconds of the second light it had settled down into a creamy smokiness similar to Bengal Slices. After a few minutes, the spicy flavor gradually intensified and the flavor stabilized into a nice balance of spicy, creamy smokiness that lasted all the way to the bottom. I found this to be a fairly dry-tasting tobacco, with a hint of saltiness, so I suspect at least some of the oriental is Yenidje. I found Penzance a slow-smoking tobacco, it lasted two hours while my other favorite blends generally last only about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. The first half of the bowl was a bit moist (although typical for slices imo), but it dried out during the second half.



According to the wife, the room aroma reminded her of vanilla.



Wonderful stuff.

How did I get through twenty five some odd years of not trying Penzance? I know, smartass, it hasn't been around for twenty five years, it was rhetorical, sheesh! I've got plenty of Latakia blends laying around, some pretty good, some, like G.L.Pease's Renaissance, so good that Beelzebub himself must have been involved. I need another Latakia blend like I need more scalp line..... But a pal (Michael Peebles) sent me some, and "what the Hell".... Packaging: Small Tin suggesting, if nothing else, that something "precious" was inside. Appearance and Aroma: Nice oil pooled on the paper in which the weed was stored. Pretty, well made strips that rubbed out astonishingly easily. Aroma was typical Latakia/ English with maybe a hint of earthiness. Test Drive: When fire hit weed, it was apparent that Penzance was indeed a well made English. Well made, but I wouldn't displace any of My Pease English for it. As I smoked it, however, like most good English, it developed, and HOW it developed. Like most of you I've had it up to here (insert hand held high) with lame music analogies with regard to tobacco. Sometimes, it's all a poor writer with no imagination has to explain critical differences. Since I fit the above description, screw it, I'll use one. If my "Grail", Renaissance, is a lavish symphony, with many diverse elements pulling together to create a memorable piece of art. Penzance is the opening of Beethoven's Ninth, fourth movement, Vocal leads. With a Tenor, Baritone, Soprano, and Contralto forming simple and yet heavenly sounds that somehow both soothe and excite at the same time. For those of you living in Gila Bend. Penzance is not as complex as some, but decidedly forthright, honest and delicious on it's own terms. Indeed, I think any tinkering to add extra contrived nuance would diminish it. Conclusion: Penzance, indeed richly deserves a place in the Pantheon of fine English Blends 8 out of 10 Bear Claws.

Bear

Bag note is musty Laticia a bit sweet and sour. More of a crumble flake than others mine was 5 years aged. Packs easily. The Latakia is defiantly forward but its smoother than any other Laticia blend I have ever tried. This might be partially due to my bag being 5 years old (not sure). The Virginias/Orientals and Turkish's are all almost even with the Latakia. This is by far one of the best Laticia blends I have ever had. Creamy smooth just a bit of natural sweetness. All tobacco flavors at their finest. Super consistent all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Nic hit is just a bit below medium but the flavor is full. Burns quite cool and stays lit, no bite at all. 4 solid stars. If you like Balkan blends this is it.

The Holy Grail of English Blends, the Quintessence of Latakia, the Uncrowned King of Pipe Tobacco... Is it? Truly?? Lets see!

After the crazy hunt and spending of a good amount of money, I managed to get my hands on a tin of Penzance which, according to the code on it (860C042) is from 2nd of April 2018, today being 25th of June 2021.

So, it is important to remember and take into consideration the age of this tin, because time does change the tobacco, more or less.

Alright, so first things first, lets talk about the tin note. When my package arrived, it was put in a cardboard box, and the tin itself was wrapped in a plastic wrap. Even so, when I opened the cardboard, I could smell the latakia with the tin sealed and wrapped in plastic wrap. That would give you quite an impression, huh? At first, I was worried it was no longer vacuum sealed, but when I got home I opened it and it hissed, so it was all safe.

After removing the lid, a scent of smoky, incense, woody, earth, leathery and a bit of fermented tobacco hit me. I was quite pronounced and still is.

The tobacco was and still is very, very moist, even after all this time. Presents itself as jet black with just a few dark brown leaves. To say it’s a flake it’s an overstatement. Even if it looks like flakes, the tobacco is so moist and sticky that it will crumble fast. So I’d call this a “crumble flake”, not a flake.

And the problem with the moisture is very important with this blend, even crucial. It is important that you dry it enough, because it burns very, very bad.

First smoke had no taste, and was too moist. After about 5 relights, I was able to keep it lit and delivered a cool smoke, very smooth, with smoky notes, leather and some wood. As I smoked, the orientals started to appear with some spice but just a bit, completing the taste. The latakia and the oriental are wel balanced, sometimes giving the impression that there’s some black cavendish in there, but it’s not, it’s the creamy latakia. Creamy but also smoky, unlike Margate, which is creamy and sweet. It is indeed smooth, but I find Margate smoother and more complex. It’s more similar to Dunhill’s London Mixture or Standard Mixture than it is to Margate, however I find London Mixture much better than Penzance, since it’s more full bodied.

I’ve seen someone talking about a process of fermentation which would give this blend it’s “spark” and I believe it to be true. It does have a fermented taste, only a bit sour. This is a blend that needs attention, it’s not one that is straight in your face. It’s not very complex, since it doesn’t change its taste much during the smoke, but the flavors it delivers are top quality. The only thing that changes is that sometimes it turns sour, other times a bit sweeter, yet keeps the leathery and smoky profile.

There’s incence, creaminess, leather, just a bit of spice. Very well balanced, but not full bodided. I’d say medium, probably because it is aged. Strenght is mild to medium. As I said, it’s a blend that requires some attention in order to find true enjoyment. As I stated, a real problem is with the moisture. I’ve tried this blend in different pipes, with and without filter, straight out of the tin or very dry, packed loose or tight. After all these, I’d recommend to smoke it dry (as dry as you can) with filter and packed medium (not loose nor tight). As odd as it sounds, I prefer using a filter at this one. It gives it a dryer and fuller smoker. I used ceramic and meerschaum filters (no basma filters yet) and the meer filters apparently are best. It lights up quite difficult, and doesn’t burn well.. It requires lots of relights but it will always deliver a cool smoke. However, it is good that you need to relight it, and I actually encourage you to light it, smoke a few times, and then leave it in the pipe for about 5-10-15 minutes. After you relight it, you will get a note higher in taste, and with every relight it gets better, smokier, fuller.

It has a easy but pleasant aftertaste, but it doesn’t last long. Room note is that of incense latakia, but not very powerful.

In conclusion: A good to almost very good blend, but it’s definitely not the greatest of english or balkan blends. If you happen to find it at a decent price, take it, but don’t throw lots of money on a tin on the estate market. It’s a lot of fuss around it probably because it is so scarce, but don’t think that if you manage to smoke it you’ll have an orgasm or reach Heaven. I believe that this should be made more available, so that more people can enjoy it and demystify all that is around this blend.

A good tobacco, definitely top quality, but not ambrosia (food of the gods).

I was recently very lucky to bumble into my local B&M and grab an 8 oz bag of this illustrious blend. After more than 20 years, I finally was able to get my hands on the holy grail. I am not disappointed. It truly lives up to the hype. The presentation of the tobacco is second to none. Its a dark rich, stringy crumbly somewhat moist baccy with an incredible aroma. Its steeped in fig and plum with an indescribable topping. I am in the camp that Esoterica has a special and proprietary topping. The aroma that I get from Penzance as well as several of their other blends (yes I am lucky to have put my hand on about six of their blends) is something truly special. The smoke is creamy, thick and smooth. Its like nothing I have found in any other products. The room note, I believe is divine. Some may take exception, but I find it to be exceptional. I have not been corrupted by the cost and the scarcity of the blend, this is as unbiased of a review as I can muster. This is a truly superb smoke, and there is nothing else that I can find that comes close. As heretical as this might sound I do not think Penzance is the best Estoterica blend. I am having a hard time deciding which is their best offering. This review is for Penzance, but I cannot understate how good Pembroke, And so to Bed, Margate, Dorchester ect. are are incredible blends. I will be updating this review as I explore this blend and this line up in several different pipes. All I can say in summary is that this is a truly unique and exceptional smoke and I was fully ready to be disappointed and willing to say that this was an over hyped product. It is not. It is special, delicious, and worth every penny.