Esoterica Tobacciana Penzance

This is a blend for those who really love Latakia. The quality of this Latakia is second to none, but I've evolved as a pipe smoker and I find myself seeking English blends that apply Lat with a slightly lighter touch than I used to. A couple of years ago I would have easily given this four stars. Now though, it seems a bit heavy handed. I much prefer Margate and ASTB to this flake. The Virginias here are nearly hidden and well.....I like to taste the Virginias. Just can't get enough vitamin V from this to suit my taste. In fact, I have to add some to truly enjoy Penzance. Having said all that, it is top quality tobacco and I have no trouble giving it my full recommendation. It's just a matter of personal preference. Oh yeah....the Oriental component is very evident and top notch.....but I want some damn Virginia flavor in here. Same results in briar, cob, and clay.

Medium in body. Medium to full in Latakia smokiness. Burns perfectly. Smokes cool and smooth.

This brand has been reviewed to death here, so I am going to keep this short.

The tin note is heavenly....just gorgeous...but the crumble cake style is a bit challenging to handle, so extra care must be taken in packing the pipe, as many before me have noted.

Overall, there is a pleasing mocha / coffee taste throughout the bowl, with high notes of spice and sweetness here and there (especially in the middle third of the bowl) but many of the subtleties which I was expecting, based on the uber-hype, were simply not present.

This is because the smoking taste is, IMHO, fundamentally a bit too heavy on Latakia...arguably to the point of being unbalanced versus the orientals. Likewise, I feel that, even though there are doubtlessly some superb Virginias in this blend, they somehow are not allowed to shine forth with their full potential.

To put it another way: I was hoping for flavors of sandalwood, dark tea and exotic fruits bathed in smoky sweetness, but what I got (mostly) was fresh peat and coffee grounds punched-up with fleeting bursts of sugar & spice. Not a bad thing when judged in a vacuum...and probably great with an Islay malt...but not the finely layered and sophisticated flavor palette which I was led to expect.

Note: I am a Latakia fan, BTW, but I prefer it to be in some sort of harmony (or perhaps a counterpoint) with the other elements of a given blend.

I simply cannot call this one of the top 10% of tobaccos which I have ever smoked....which is what it takes to get 4 stars in my book It's good stuff, even memorable in some ways, but it is not, IMO, one of THE all-time greats. Buy it to see what all the hype is about...buy it because you like a peat-forward blend...but don't get sucked in by the "buzz" or the artificial scarcity. That's my 2 cents.

Three stars.

I've smoked this blend off and on since 2007, so this review is based on a combination of these experiences.

In the tin, this is dark and oily. The aroma is smoky and slightly phenolic. When I first smelled it, I remember thinking, "this is not beginner stuff." On more aged samples, the tin had an almost rotten sweetness to it.

It's a little moist in the package for my taste, but that's easily fixed by drying it down a little. The crumbly flakes make packing simple. I got best results with a loose, gravity-fed bowl with very little packing/tamping.

While smoking, Penzance is very complex. The Latakia dominates, especially in the beginning of the bowl, but there are many Virginia and Turkish flavors that come and go. There's a definite, natural sweetness to this blend, along with a Scotch whisky-like peaty aroma. Other smells and tastes are reminiscent of creosote, leather, and rubber. However complex, this is not a subtle blend!

A note regarding aging: I've never had one of these little square tins fail, but I have found rust in them after a few years. Another guy in my pipe club has been unlucky enough to have had at least one tin lose its seal. If you're going to cellar this blend, I'd recommend buying it in larger quantities and breaking it down into two ounce portions stored in little mason jars.

**Update (6 Months later...)** So, either it's my tastebuds or perhaps the age of of the tobacco sitting in a jar. This is an amazing blend. Very creamy and rich. I would describe it simply as sweet, sour, woodsy, with a hint of pungent (in a good way). The smokey latakia is perfectly balanced by the orientals that are savory and incense like, both supported by a dark mellow sweetness. Similar to westminster but more round and fuller with more sweetness. Similar to Gaslight, but much more balanced, smoother, and not as strong in the nic or latakia (campfire smokiness).

Very tasty and satisfying smoke. I do have a couple of tins cellared.

** Original Review **

Been after this tobacco for a long time. Hard to get a hold of....but you all know this....I digress.

I saved the tin until a few of my buddies and myself could sample this fine tobacco together. I figured it had been 10+ years for me to get the tobacco, might as well make it a special occasion.

The tobacco was nicely wrapped in paper that was oil stained from the tobacco...awesome! It looked like a big dark, with bright specs here and there, brick in the tin to me, not flakes. It broke apart easily enough though and was perfect for packing into our pipes. Took a bit to get it lit, but once it was lit the flavor was wonderful. The backbone seemed to consist of the sweet virginias perfectly balanced with the orientals. A hint of spice and incense. On top of the base was the smokey latakia. A great creamy smoke that had a nice kick to it. It was definitely as good, if not better, than any of my other favorite English blends.

Overall this tobacco was worth the wait and was enjoyable...however, there are other blends that are right up there that are easier to obtain. I'll try to snag a tin or two the next time they come around though to cellar and share with my other briar brothers.

Summary: a smooth Latakia-oriented English using matured Virginias for more of a grain-like flavor than the usual sweet tangy taste.

Like its cousin "Margate," Esoterica "Penzance" takes the medium English formula to new levels of smoothness by tempering the extremes of its ingredients. In particular, the Virginias used here appear aged or pressed or otherwise reduced in acidity, and the Latakia has been restrained from its pine-smoke extremes. Together, these ingredients give this tobacco a solid middle band presence and allow the Orientals to crest to the top, creating a delightfully mellow smoke. If you ever wanted Dunhill "Standard Mixture" to have less zing and more cream, this is the blend to do it.

Thanks to Pipes Magazine forum member "shikano53" for this generous sample.

Equal to plum pudding. If you've had pp, you've had this. The only thing different about penzance to pp is that penzance's orientals are more obvious at times. Other than that, same taste. More balkan than oriental. Orientals dance on lat and va base.

It's an earthy balkan/English and in no way are the orientals nor the VAs at the forefront. It'a not fruity, not sour, no citrusy, not hay-like. It is a mouth full of dirt kind of tobacco. I personally enjoy that type, though it's not an everyday smoke for me.

Not eye opening like mississippi river

I've now had both aged penzance and new penzance and the aged one is just more mellow. Not more sweet, not tastier - just more mellow. Though plume was visible, It did not improve with age. Latakia is the main ingredient in this and it has faded a lot over time. The orientals have also become less sharp and intriguing.

Ah, Penzance - maybe the most-hyped blend currently in production. It's hard to light this puppy up for the first time without having high expectations, given how much buzz it gets. All the same, I smoked through a few ounces before deciding to weigh-in:

There isn't a whole heck of a lot to add to the nearly 400 reviews of this, so for the sake of expediency: --Cut is a chunky crumble kake, very black and oily --Aroma is the quintessential "English" blend - creamy, sweet/smoky, earthy --Might take just a bit of work to get lit, but once it's burning it puffs away without too much maintenance, burning to the bottom of the pipe with little-to-know dottle.

So is it as good as it's reputation? To my tastes, no. This is not to say it isn't an excellent blend, well worth smoking (if you can get your hands on it). It is a damn fine smoke that delivers what it should - a long, cool, creamy, smoky, nougatty, Latakia/Oriental smoking experience.

Still, my preference in this category goes to McClelland's British Woods, particularly if you can find some with a few years on it. Given availability and cost, I'd go that route and feel like I've still won in the taste department. Still - Penzance is a blend that anyone who enjoys a good English ought to try at least once. I can understand why it's so loved and obsessed over, and I'm very glad to have had the chance to smoke it. Call it a 3.5/4 from me.

At this moment, there are already 342 other reviews of the much sought after Penzance. There is little on its intricacies that I can write so I will simply offer an opinion of this gift from above.

To me, Penzance is the perfect blend. It smokes well, tastes incredible, and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. It truly is the holy grail of pipe tobaccos.

I rarely get to enjoy this as an all day smoke due to the lack of quantity available. I typically smoke Squadron Leader as an all- day smoke and keep my Penzance for special occasions and moments when I feel that I deserve a special treat.

I have found two bits of information helpful when it comes to Penzance that will aid you in your smoking bliss. 1. It seems that tinned Penzance smokes and tastes better than the larger bags. 2. It is too moist when first opened. Allow it to dry to your liking prior to your planned time for smoking.

There is a reason that people buy it out as soon as a shop gets any on its shelves. There is a reason that it has been talked about so much for so long. Simply put, it is the best smoke on the market.

Been smoking pipes for about 2 years. Never smoked before that. And since about 2 years ago I've been wanting to try this, but was not able to get any. So finally I got a tin last month.

Opened the tin, took some out and let it dry for about 30 minutes before smoking it. Tin aroma is latakia, like any other, great but nothing special.

Packed the bowl and lit up... BAMMMM! The best latakia blend I have ever smoked in my pipe career, so far. And I have smoked all the highest reviewed lat blends. Not the heavenly experience I was expecting, but VERY VERY GOOD.

No too strong, not too weak, just right for me. Bowl aroma is that of a freshly baked cake. Room not is pleasant to me. Taste is just right, with no lat smoked ham aftertaste. Burns well, with few relights. The tobacco texture in the tin is unlike any I have encountered before. Black flakes, that are quite brittle.

If you can get some, DO IT. I love Penzance. Sadly can not be a daily smoke because of its hard to find status.

Update: I was able to find a pound recently. Happy camper! : )