Esoterica Tobacciana Penzance

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.

Ah the legend that is Penzance... A blend more mysterious than a black hole. More elusive than the end of a rainbow. But is it worthy of the hype? In a word: yes. Penzance is an exceptionally good blend! I was gifted a sample back in 2013 and it took me the next 5 years to acquire more of it and I have to say it was worth the wait! This is a truly magnificent tobacco. Not what I would consider an 'all day' smoke. Penzance is better suited to those special occasions when you have time to contemplate and really enjoy a pipe. The orientals are the star of the show. The Virginia and Latakia work in harmony to create a wonderful creamy sweetness that is the canvas for this incredible blend. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on it.

This mystified blend is not only virtually, but practically never available here in Germany... and even when it's available in the US, it's faster sold-out than you can say "YUMMY"... so I was very excited when a fellow pipe-friend passed me a generous sample for about 5-6 bowls worth of this glorified gem. Up to date I loved anything that Germain's had manufactured and Penzance isn't an exception to this.

I received my sample as cube-cutted-ish, so I can't comment on the flakes, but the unburnt aroma is delicious! Very etheral, with the Orientals in the forefront, closely followed by the, meaty, peaty and smoky Latakia scent. The absence of sweetness in the scent was promising to me.

When you light it up you instantly notice the creamy, slightly sweet and richly smoky Latakias, which also sport a fair amount of earthiness. They are the base on which the dominating and full-bodied aroma of some very fine Orientals can shine. Very etheral, woodsy, slightly sour with some hint of floral notes to it. The Orientals really have some sweet depth to 'em and shine on the foundation of the smooth Latakia and rather mild presence of sweet Virginias.

The Orientals are the stars, and are very pleasing to my palate, definetly the most complex and rich Orientals I got to enjoy so far - love 'em and would love to now which varietal(s) were used, yet I suspect a mild casing/topping being present. Something Lakeland-ish.. The Latakia, albeit not dominating is very rich in flavors as well. Excellent blend that I'm excited to get a tin (or two...or thousands...) of someday! Really the only downside with this is that it's practically never available... what's the thing with Germain's blend being nearly never in-stock anywhere?! But this is about the tobacco, not politics, so 4-stars and favorited!

UPDATE Nov. 2021. Not much to add to the review, a one of a kind classic. My update to the review is more commentary on what I have read online and even in some of the reviews here. This blend seems to have turned into a "class warfare" type of blend. Much of the talk online and in some reviews here point to the aftermarket price and the many positive reviews this blend has received for all the right reasons. It is not limited to this blend online, it is also any classic pipe makers like Dunhill, Castello or Ser Jacapo, It seems that there is a desire to put down things that are either scarce or valued by some that drive up the price. As if the price of the pipe or the tobacco has any bearing on the quality. Dunhill make great pipes and Germain makes great tobacco. The market drives the price and not all of us can afford things that drive up the price. Disclaimer: I have bought all of my Penzance at a mom and pop shop and paid no more than retail for a bag or tin. This is a top quality tobacco and is among the best in the genre. Nothing can or should detract from that. Is it "worth it" ? Well that is an individual call. No matter what you pay for it it is a great blend by any measure and should be recognized as such.

This will be a short review...much has been written and not much to add. This is a masterpiece in pipe tobacco. From the presentation to the process this is everything pipe tobacco should be from one of the best blending houses in the business. Tin note is Oriental forward, woody spicy with Latakia bringing up the rear but present in the nose. Smokey and sweet. The Virginia's are first class and the sweetness is also there in the tin note. This is one of those tobacco's that you just open the jar for a whiff even when you don't want to smoke it. It ages beautifully with sugar forming on the flakes getting whiter with every 3 months of age on it The smoke is sweet and woody, subtly spicy and creamy. It is complex and reveals different subtleties with every bowl you smoke. Put this in a meer and you get one wonderful experience, in your favorite briar you get another. I prefer briar pipes as it seems to have more nutty flavors in the briar. Sweeter in cob. I do not know what Germain does to process their Virginia's and Latakia (yes their Latakia as a sweeter more complex character than any other I have tasted). This was a blend I hoped was all hype, as it is hart to come by but it is as good as they say, perhaps better. I like this dried out for at least an hour but your mileage may vary... as they say. Fantastic stuff.

So I was finally given a chance to try the blend that seems to be the most legendary of any.

My assessment?

It tastes exactly like Seattle Pipe Club's Plum Pudding. In fact, so similar, I actually had to double check that I hadn't accidentally misread the labelling on the bag of it I was given. I hadn't.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice blend with a touch of that incense like flavour that is to typical of many oriental or Scottish blends. I'm also convinced it would age very well.

So, is it a good blend? Sure. Is it worth all the hype around it? Probably not. It's legend status is probably derived by its relative rarity, something we see in all areas of life. It's a kind of collector's mentality where we enjoy the idea of having "rare" things and we over-infate their relative merits accordingly. I think it's also because that's the common script around this blend, so it becomes easy to just join in and be part of "the club" that way.

So my recommendation? Don't stress over finding it. If you do find a tin or two at your local B&M or online, absolutely go ahead and pick it up, probably for aging purposes, but otherwise, try SPC Plum Pudding and if you like it, just order that as your regular staple and enjoy.

The grass isn't always greener and the rare is not always better than what is easy to get.

This is indeed one of the tastiest Latakia blends available! I have my turns with Latakia, during some periods I am not particularly fond of smoking it, and it was at such a time when I first smoked Penzance. My first thought was that if one enjoys Latakia he will really love Penzance and if not, smoking Penzance will make him love …Latakia.

Latakia is undoubtedly the star of Penzance but it does not perform alone. There’s ample earthy Virginia to add flesh while the Turkish tobaccos add to the complexity of the blend and are surely discernible. However calling Penzance an Oriental blend is misleading, it is a Latakia forward English blend. And as such it is quite unique for several reasons. First, Latakia is smoky but exceptionally smooth, then the Virginias are dark, fermented, aged and yeasty. The type of Virginias used produces a flavor profile which is quite different from the archetypal English blends (i.e. Dunhill’s or Squadron Leader). Overall Penzance strikes a nice balance between savoury and sweet flavors. It burns and smokes with ease.

Having said it is a unique blend, I would still like to compare it with two other blends which although dissimilar, share some qualities with it. The First is Skiff Mixture with which I find that it shares the deep smoky but smooth and mellow Latakia flavor, although Penzance is fleshier due to the type of Virginias used. The other is Special Latakia Flake with which I find that it shares the Virginia flavor but while Special Latakia is indeed Oriental (Turkish) forward – this one in my mind is the true Oriental blend- Penzance is more about the Latakia.

Two blends I have smoked that could serve as an alternative to Penzance if none can be found are Old Ironsides and Lancer's Slices - both very good and quite similar to Penzance but Penzance is surely a level above both.

Definitely four stars.