Esoterica Tobacciana Stonehaven

Update April 2005: This is very good when it works for me, but it is really a chore to keep lit. I have also "maxed out" for now on my need for tonquin. I have lots of this aging, so it will be smoked for years to come. It is special, but not for my weekly diet.

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Not much to add except to confirm that whatever the fermentation method, the "tin" aroma is something alcoholic. Possibly, it is Port and a tiny amount of tonquin.

Once in a while tonquin flavor comes through during a bowlful, just a wisp and not disagreeable. It is nothing close to 1792 Flake (what is?).

It is really hard to categorize this as an aromatic, since natural, rich flavors positively dominate. IF any alcohol (or other concoctions) was used to process this, there is not a smidge of it showing in the smoking experience minus my tonquin reference.

Unique and worth a spot in a flake smoker's rotation, especially if you like Virginia/Burley blends.

I was gifted a sample of this impossible to find baccy from a good friend. I am glad to have tried this one and understand the hype. A really delicious dark brown flake that looks as good as it tastes. However removing a star bc hoarding makes this impossible to find and who out there is paying the 300 to 500 dollar price range ive seen latey for this baccy? The shame of it all.

This is unique in a number of ways, not the least of which is that this is one of the densest flakes I have ever smoked. Even though they are very thin, and the licorice top note is very nicely applied...not overtly over-handed, it is a wonder smoke.

I personally like to leave these mostly unrubbed, putting a little fully rubbed out on top to get it started. It smokes cool and tasty!

Wonderful aroma, flavor is ok. Decent blend of burley and Virginia leaf, not one of my favorites. Has some nice sweetness and grassy fruit from the Virginia and malty/woodsyness to it from the burley. Overall worth getting but nothing amazing imo middle of the pack for esoterica..

Well, seems to be made with good quality tobacco, but the blend taste is pure smoke... Yes, in it, all is strong... Strong ammonia content, strong nicotine, strong bitter taste, room note also strong... Difficult to pack, difficult to light, difficult to burn,the pipe fades easily, but interesting flavour and taste,remember the ancient England tobaccos, the antique Dunhills etc... Clearly is a good quality stuff: 3 stars, but is not for novice or all day smoking, each day. Their taste is all strong that easy saturates all the perceptions, becoming boring to the smoker. 3 stars for their quality, but only if you enjoy strong tobaccos,

After see a greats reviews about, i try get. Very difficult to find it. well i can say that i am not enjoy, is not my favorite style tobacco. Denote a large virginia blend, bite a tongue on begin of smoke, after a some minutes not feel more on your tongue. A one observation that is a very very dry on taste. Maybe a good virginia, you may not realize, but a bit strong, serious seems have a lidocaine inside lol.give 3*** stars!

This is an good blend. It's been alluding me for years now - just never have been able to find it. Burleys front and center but there is much more to be discovered. A "rich" blend.

Had several bowls of this the past week or two, and it's really growing on me. As others have said, there is a chocolatey aroma from the leaf, but for me it was more like chocolate covered cherries. Though I actually hate chocolate covered cherries, THIS actually smells wonderful. Some of that aroma carries over into the flavor, but don't be scared off by reading "cherries" -- it's not cherry-like in the smoke at all.

The flakes themselves are, so far, the thinnest sliced flakes I've seen, and they hold together quite well. I haven't smoked them in flake form yet.

Good, sweet blend, not as rich as FVF to me, but I actually find this a great blend for a morning VA. As for the nicotine content, not sure why everyone rates this on the high side. After a full bowl I feel almost nothing, whereas something like JackKnife Plug I can only smoke half a bowl and even that almost destroys me. This stuff seems to have the least nicotine to me than all the VAs I've had.

I love the way this tobacco looks. Long very thin slices of very dark brown almost black tobacco. Looks like it would be a very strong, spicy smoke but in reality is is fairly tame. It has a sweet, musty aroma and just look delicious. I set mine out on a tray to dry overnight and loaded it into a Pete System to give it a go. It rubbed out to a nice thin ribbon flake, I left some pressed to allow a long smoke and lit it up. It took several lights to get it going, but once fired up, it stayed lit and burn nice and even all the way down. It was a lot milder than I thought it would be. It has a musty haylike VA flavor and a musky room note that I found pleasant. It does gather flavoe as it burns down but never bites nor does it coat my tongue. It left a dark grey dottle and no moisture in the bottom of my pipe. I don't give this a four star as I like my smoke to be a little richer and stronger, but I do have to say this would be a good into to this type of blend.