Esoterica Tobacciana Woodbridge

A mottled brown shag cut tobacco with a small amount of dark leaf, some of which is more of a broken flake. The pouch note is sweet and fruity with a touch of licorice. The thin ribbons are long and springy and can benefit from being cut into shorter pieces. Woodbridge requires a bit of air time before smoking, but dries quickly. At charring light the flavor is mildly sweet and finishes with a hint of vanilla, liquor and a touch of spice. The smoke is exceptionally smooth with a light creamy mouthfeel.

Down the bowl, the flavors deepen. The sweetness recedes, and the smoke becomes tangy with a spicier finish. The fruit and licorice essence continue to deliver plenty of nuance and adds a perfect enhancement to the flavor of the tobacco. Woodbridge is a milder tobacco but it still delivers a fairly rich tasting pipe smoke. Perhaps it's my senses playing tricks on me but at times I swear I can taste a sliver of dark fired Kentucky in this.

Once again, I find myself very impressed with Germain's unorthodox approach to aromatics. Recommended.

A tale of two halves - that is the best way to think of this blend. It starts off as a nice, mild, sweet Virginia tobacco, and changes into a sweet, sour, and slightly fruity aromatic in the second part. I enjoy both halves, especially since the aromatic taste is fairly mild and not goopy at all; but others may want to use caution. The aroma in the bag is somewhat sweet and slightly grassy; I really don't notice any of the casing that is supposed to be there. The tobacco leaf is mixed, mainly medium and lighter browns in a longer cut, with several larger chunks of unrubbed black flake thrown in. The mixture of stiff flake and longer strands makes this blend a bit difficult to pack, especially in a smaller bowl. It does light easily, and burns with the average number of relights needed. In the first 1/3 of the bowl, the taste is sweet and mild. There are some fuller undertones, but overall a mild Virginia flavor is strongest. In addition to the sweetness, there is a bit of sourness at the start of the bowl. Other than this, I don't really taste any fruity or licorice-like casing; if not for the description, I likely wouldn't guess this is a cased tobacco at all. There is some tongue bite with this blend, but it is avoided through slow puffing. In the second third, the sweetness is not quite as intense, but the sourness is a bit stronger. The smoke leaves a pleasant sour taste on the palate even after the smoke is gone. The Virginia flavor is still mild and not overly complex, though I wouldn't call the taste weak. I am also getting a note of spiciness, most intense at a point about halfway through the bowl. There is a bit of moisture at this point, taken care of with a single pipe cleaner. In the last third, the taste remains sweet, sour, and mild. The spicy note, never very strong, has disappeared, and now for the first time I'm tasting a fruity flavor. The fruit flavor is "dark" fruit as opposed to the normal "light" fruit, and is not at all overwhelming. It is most noticeable when the smoke is blown out through the nose, a practice that I recommend with this blend. This blend is very unusual in that the casing actually starts off weak and becomes stronger towards the end of the bowl. The tobacco flavors never really darken or become complex, but they are nonetheless not boring and are obviously high quality. There are no further moisture problems, and the bite is not bad at all. Overall, this is a very unusual tobacco, and it's taken me quite a few bowls to get a handle on it. I would tend to recommend the first half of the bowl to those who like sweet, mild Virginia tobaccos, and the second half to those who prefer well-blended aromatics. 🙂 I enjoy both types, so I liked this blend. It isn't outstanding, but it is a nice, sweet/sour treat. I will likely order more of this in the future.

Well, a couple months ago, I got an 8 ounce bag each of Woodbridge and Hastings, just because I wanted to try a couple of the lesser-known Esoterica blends. Both are aromatics, but not overwhelmingly so. No goop or gunk, but fine, light Virginias with a fruity topping. I taste some liquor of some kind in the Hastings, and do recognize the licorice in Woodbridge, but it's mild. Woodbridge is slightly less aromatic than Hastings, and I like it slightly better. I'm comparing them because I smoked and reviewed them both tonight, though of course this is not my first bowl of either...

As I said in my Hastings review, Woodbridge is, like Hastings, an aromatic that easily dries to whatever dryness one desires before packing. Dry it, and some of the aromatic quality fades, but not all! It's kind of like a Lakeland in this way, though the flavors are more fruity than flowery or herbal. I just can't quite put my finger on exactly what kind of fruit...

Nevermind. I like it. Burns a bit fast, but doesn't overheat or bite. The Virginias are of good quality (all twelve of them), and the taste is pleasant.

Where Esoterica Pembroke left a lot to be desired for me, Woodbridge is done right! This is a fruity aromatic that is sweet and slightly tart at the same time with plent of tobacco flavor as well. Burns cool and even. A really nice aromatic VA.

This is a nice fruity aromatic, not something I can say about most tobaccos of this type. The fruit casing is tart and sweet at the same time, remindidng me of golden apples. The Va's are of the lighter variety and burn quite cool. This would be a great blend too take an autumn stroll with. Don't let the aromatic moniker frighten you off, there is plenty of tobacco taste to go around. Goes good with a nice cup of lightly brewed Antiguan coffee.

This is a tasty mixture. It has a nice, sweet flavor. Yet, has a sturdy character that will keep the experienced piper entertained to the last puff.

Definitely not an aromatic. Great aroma that I assume will keep your significant other pleased as punch.