Penzance

[derlict311]

Before today I have never smoked Penzance and easily threw the prospect of doing so into the "who care?" bin. Today I went to a local B&M tobacco shop. They had in stock, much to my surprise, some Penzance. I grabbed an 8 oz. bag and started smoking it immediately. Wow! After two large Bartoli bowls, I can say it is something special. Just wondering what other think of Penzance, why it is so rare, what are some ways to age it well (if you can wait) and other general thoughts on this beautiful creation. Salute! :lol:

 

[onabullit]

penzance has become stuff of legend. Rightly so as there is really no substitute. The latakia used in this blend is unique to Esoterica I believe. If you like this, try Margate b/c is has a similar latakia undertone, more subdued.

Every few months our e-tailers have this stuff in stock, 8 oz seems to go a long way for me, as it is not an everyday smoke. even though it's usually quite cheaper in bulk, I recommend tins as they age and store better.

 

[Harlock999]

I bought a couple of the 8 oz bags, and both bags had holes in them. Jarring the contents seems like a good idea.

 

[Brewdude]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but I find myself moving away from Latakia forward blends such as Penzance. Just not where my tastes are at these days.

More for y'all....


Cheers,

RR

 

[Smoker99]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but I find myself moving away from Latakia forward blends such as Penzance. Just not where my tastes are at these days.

More for y'all....


Cheers,

RR

I agree, don't understand the infacination with this blend, to me, just another lat bomb.

 

[prosmoking]

Yes, I also found Penzance to be a wonderful smoke.
Yes, my tastes do change but they swing from Virginia to heavy Latakia, so have to keep some of each and all in between.
If you like heavy Latakia, try Ten Russians.

 

[cakeanddottle]

I have to smoke more of it to form a full opinion, but my first impressions are that it's just "ok". I prefer Commonwealth, Squadron Leader, Cambridge Flake and 3 Oaks.

 

[Brewdude]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but I find myself moving away from Latakia forward blends such as Penzance. Just not where my tastes are at these days.

More for y'all....


Cheers,

RR

I agree, don't understand the infacination with this blend, to me, just another lat bomb.

Just to be clear, I don't intend to demean this blend as it's a classic. And I've enjoyed it and have some on board when the time is right.

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke, It's all good!


Cheers,

RR

 

[Harlock999]

I know I'm going to come across as a newbie who's just discovered that the world is round, or that politicians don't really have our best interests at heart, but this Penzance stuff is great! I'm tempted to say that it's everything that people say it is, and more. Cliches like "velvety smooth" and "cool and dry" come to mind because I can't think of any original ways to describe it. I'm glad that I had to wait a while to experience it, because I don't think I would have appreciated it without some control subjects to compare it to. That and I probably wouldn't have known what to do with it in the first place.
This stuff just tastes...amazing. The richest latakia flavor I've had the pleasure to enjoy, delivered in a thick, smooth smoke.
I'm looking forward to trying other quality blenders now, like Pease, and S.Gawith (if I can find some):cheers:

 

[hobie1dog]

Been my favorite since the first puff :bounce:

 

[Pipe>Cigar]

I remember the first time I smoked Penzance. Up until then all I'd had were those dime-adozen drugstore candy jar blends like "hobbit weed" and "wild cherry".

I decided to go online to see if anybody reviewed pipe tobaccos and saw Penzance getting rave reviews on tobaccoreviews.com. So I ordered some up and had it shipped to my friend's house, since my parents were strongly anti-tobacco.

So my friend calls me up and I hear him puffing on the other line and he is like "oh my god dude...oh my god".
"Did the Penzance tin come today?" I ask.
"It sure did"
"Is it good?"
"Oh my god dude...oh my god...it is the best thing I ever smoked".

I get to his house as fast as I can to try the stuff and MAN...NOTHING I've had has been that flavorful, the smoke was RICH and THICK, you get it burning and it starts to taste like mulled coffee...it was at that point that I decided that Pipes were better than Cigars.

I've had Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, Frog Morton on the Bayou (and Town). G.L. Pease Fog city, Solani Virginia Flake, and Kramer's Father Dempsey Blend. I'm still on the hunt for the tobacco that will unseat Penzance as flavor champion.

 

[onabullit]

It is truly a spiritual voyage every time match meets penzance in my briars. The smoke just seems to carry you off to a dark and mystical place, cant wait to take it on a camping trip in the winter time.

 

[derlict311]

I have enjoyed reading all your comments on Penzance. For me, it is a now and again smoke, mostly because it is soooo rich. I have had the best luck with it when I haven't smoked yet today or at least minimally. If I don't follow this requirement my buds are too flat to taste the layers of joy Penzance offers.

I have two jars of Penzance aging that I hope can make it a couple years before I pop the tops. I would love to get a handful of 2 ounce tins. One thing that is frustrating with it is the lack of availability. Anyway, enjoy and thanks for your thoughts. Keep em' coming.

 

[cakeanddottle]

I've smoked a lot more of this since my initial comment and I now have 2 pounds in the cellar.

First of all, no tobacco can live up to the hype surrounding Penzance. Once you get over the initial realization that you won't see unicorns and piss champagne after smoking this, this blend is really really good. Not the Holy Grail perhaps, but it hits on more cylinders than most Lat blends. It is smoky, briny, has some sour tanginess, and has a smoking quality that some might describe as creamy but I think is really closer to the dry finish of an exceptionally arid white wine. Most of all, there is balance. This is a homogenous whole, not just a choir of disparate elements trying to take the spotlight.

It isn't the best Lat blend I'll ever smoke, but it's probably the best overall Lat blend I've smoked. I wish it were a little fuller, but it's a damn fine medium to medium-full English in my book.

 

[Pipe>Cigar]

First of all, no tobacco can live up to the hype surrounding Penzance.

That's why I'm glad it was THE FIRST tinned tobacco I ever tried.

Once you get over the initial realization that you won't see unicorns and piss champagne after smoking this, this blend is really really good. Not the Holy Grail perhaps

Don't just tease us! What is the holy Grail?

 

[cigarstorejay]

I've smoked a lot more of this since my initial comment and I now have 2 pounds in the cellar.

First of all, no tobacco can live up to the hype surrounding Penzance. Once you get over the initial realization that you won't see unicorns and piss champagne after smoking this, this blend is really really good. Not the Holy Grail perhaps

I totally pissed sparkling wine though. Boy was that an experience.

 

[Harlock999]

It's a hype worthy blend, to say the least. I don't usually like falling victim to hype, but in this case, I don't mind so much. :cheers:

 

[riff raff]

I just smoked my first bowl, thanks to the kindness of a NY pipe smoker. Count me in the fan club. Just enough latakia to make it interesting. I wouldn't describe it as a "lat bomb" at all. My sample came rubbed, maybe that was the difference?

 

[Dottleman]

I guess everyone has their favorite. With me it's been Penzance since I first tried it. I suppose I'm just a Latakia fiend, but there's something about it...
Richard Carlton Hacker said it best when he said you need a blend you can always return to on days when you just can't tolerate any more surprises. Now that you've developed a taste for the stuff, you'll have a devil of a time keeping any on hand I was fortunate enough to grab it up by the pound when I lived in Charleston and so I have a pretty good cellar of it right now.

 

[riff raff]

Faders in Baltimore had a 8-9 stack of bags in their humidor room. I grabbed half a pound, started my day with some this morning and might just end the day that way as well.