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Esoterica
Tobaccos
The
British are Coming Back
No,
no reference to calamities here, but to our fortune in truly
exotic
tobaccos.
Germain
and Sons off the Isle of Jersey, actually is among the first
of the
British tobacco renaissances in this county in the 90’s
(originally brought
by Mike Butera), and has arrived back. Only a few true British
tobacco
houses remain, and their supplies are sometimes suspect.
But here we have
among the first to have survived. This Esoterica line is
special British
blends, mostly Aero-English, but not like regular aromatics
by any means.
Most are moist in the bag or tin, and need airing time to
be at the proper
smoking humidity in my (and others) opinion. Most have a
light wine like
fragrance to them if one could generalize.
The
three straightest are Dunbar (broken flake), Dorchester
(stringy cut),
and Tilbury (more ribbon cut). These are the ones I am most
familiar with
(along with others not yet available). Both Dunbar and Dorchester
are
variations of Virginia/Perique blends. Their main difference
is in the cut.
Both are sweet in an American Virginia fashion, with Dunbar
being the
tastiest in my opinion, and Dorchester being more complex.
Tilbury is
different with Virginia and Burley, and it is rich and decadent.
That is my
favorite.
Also
straight is Brighton – a ribbon blend of six light
Virginias (possibly
including African). I have tired it. Light and fragrant
in the natural
sense. Lighter than the above three. Considered a cool smoke.
And
So To Bed is the main English offering here – Virginias,
Greek, and some Cyprian Latakia. It is not as heavy as the
name implies, and has a light
wine sauce flavor enhancer I think. Medium. A taste treat
to me when I
tried it.
Stonehaven
and Penzance (not arrived yet) are considered by connoisseurs
to be among the very best tobaccos of their type in the
world. Both are
flakes. Stonehaven is a true dark flake with dark and wine-like
notes
abounding. Penzance is a crumble cake that is an exotic
English blend
focusing on Turkish leaves. Both are full but cool. Penzance
leaves a
heavy room aroma. I have puffed and enjoyed both over time.
Next
we have several toasted or black Virginia blends which are
ribbons –
Ramsgate, Blackpool, and Kingsbridge. These are not toasted
Burley or
Cavendish, but more of a stoved Virginia setting. All feature
dark and
golden Virginias which are Scottish heat pressed until blackened.
Kingsbridge is the straightest and most natural tasting
of the three.
Blackpool has mild flavoring of licorice extract. Ramsgate
is the most
flavored, with both licorice and fruit extracts. It is for
an aromatic fan.
I have only smoked Blackpool of the three, and it is fabulous
in its type of
blend as a light black aromatic.
Finally,
two Virginia flakes – Woodbridge and Peacehaven. Peacehaven
is
the lighter aromatic – fruit flavoring, Woodbridge
is more aromatic with
both fruit and licorice extracts. I have only tried Peacehaven,
and it is a
true light flake with a mild flavoring. Not personally my
preference, but
with some airing time most fans rave about it.
Hope
you are enjoying the latest P&T.
Stan
the Pipe man
