Esoterica Dunbar

[CigarGal]

This blend is by Esoterica Tobacciana. 7 types of Virginia Tabaccos blended with Louisiana Perique then lightlypressed for several days to mellow...

3 start with 28 reviews on TR

I let this one dry for 30 minutes before loading as it seemed pretty moist. This is a nice smoke! Medium flavor and strength-about 1/2 way through the bowl it hit the spicey spot-made for a very interesting experience. I would buy this one.

[smokinmojo]

I could have done a review a year ago. Im glad I didnt! I purchace a tin of this a year ago, and opened it promptly. The flavors were bright and fruity(like figs and dates). I enjoyed the blend but it was nothing to rave about.

The funny thing is, Im still smoking the stuff out of the same tin! (must have been a little wet huh!) Its been a few months since I opened it last and the tin made a vacuum release when I opened it.

This time the tobaccos seemed darker in appearance and there was less of a tin aroma. It took a little more to light than I expected from a tin opened a year. The same flavors were there, without the bite that I got initially. Smooth virginias with enough peppery perique to let you know its there, but not enough to amp up the blend.

I liked Dunbar before and would smoke it again, but after aging it a bit Im going to be racing through this tin......Esoterica has some of the best blends on the market today!:tu

[Hoplophile]

I like it as well. I find that many of Esoterica's tobaccos, especially their VAs and VaPers, are prime canditates for cellaring. They seem to respond to aging better than almost anything out there, IMO.

[EvanS]

thanks smokinmojo, I am also becoming a serious Esoterica fan but have not tried thier VaPers yet. Looking forward to both Dunbar and Dorchester.

[solafid3]

Well, I just bought a tin of the stuff to try, and it very much tastes like a decent va/per. One thing I have to note is that... it tastes like rain smells.

[IHT]

i have a tin of this open, after evan mentioned that it's the "big brother" to Dorchester.
i've only had 1 bowl so far, and it was moist, need to dry a bowl out before i say anything about it (other than i prefer dorchester so far).

[JohnnyFlake]

Personally, I think Esoterica Tobaccos are very, very underrated. As a result, they are still available at very good prices. I see it at several vendors in the $8 / $9 range, which is a great buy now days!

The link is to one of my all time favorite vendors, with great prices:

http://marscigars.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=59

[EvanS]

Personally, I think Esoterica Tobaccos are very, very underrated. As a result, they are still available at very good prices. I see it at several vendors in the $8 / $9 range, which is a great buy now days!

The link is to one of my all time favorite vendors, with great prices:

http://marscigars.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=59

I have to agree Johnny. Stonehaven, Tilbury, Dorchester, Dunbar top my list of favorites. And in bulk they are almost free...can be had for under $40/lb!!

[EvanS]

Dunbar - thicker ribbonish cut than Dorchester, for sure. Certainly not as much Perique/fig/raisin/fruit aroma from the tin. Darker tastng than Dorchester. Also the VA's seem to be stronger but there also seems to be less (or milder) Perique.

First half of the bowl seems a little bitter, but as Marianne pointed out the 2nd half of the bowl really shines. Tangy, smoky, slightly tart...but all of it mixing for a "dark" flavor profile. Good nicotine, but not strong...probably a solid medium.

2nd bowl got a charring light and then relit for about 7 good puffs. Then let sit for 1/2 hour. The rest of this was a whole different thing. Seems the slight DGT helps this out in the same way as I noticed for tavern Tobacco's Thunder Road. Now this smoke is darker and tangier than the first bowl ever was.

Dorchester vs Dunbar. Greg mentioned liking Dorchester better so far. I can see this as Dorchester is much more lively, sweet and bright where Dunbar has a more brooding nature with darker, more muted flavors. So for an "anytime" bowl, Dorchester is probably gonna work all the time. But for those times where you might want to seriously relax, sip, contemplate and nurse the pipe I think that Dunbar can give a much greater reward of complexity and depth, as those seven different VA's can be found to be interplaying IF you really take your time and slow-stoke it.

[IHT]

you're saying the Dunbar is an "Emo (http://emosong.ytmnd.com/)" smoke, while Dorchester is "Casey Kasem (http://caseykasemtop10.ytmnd.com/)".... errr..... i mean "Happy Happy Joy Joy (http://happyjoyjoy.ytmnd.com/)"?














i'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs.

[EvanS]

:r someone's been off the Escudo for too long, me thinks :r

[IHT]

:r someone's been off the Escudo for too long, me thinks :r

true, i haven't had any in quite some time... my favorite, yet i hoard it in the cellar instead of smoking it. dee-dee-durrr. :confused: