It starts out super weak and lacking flavor. Suffice it to say, I like it. The reason: according to some this blend stales and loses essence quickly.
Smooth, creamy and rich. A very oriental forward, smooth English blend. Smoking boyz - light wait champ 7. So, for one more man's opinion, this is slightly more complex than 965 (especially the Orlick version) but is perhaps 15% less complex than Odyssey. It is easy to light and has the most wonderful flavor. Smoking Penzance is not an advocation, but for contemplative moods when it can be given due attention and appreciation. Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar.
The special aging process brings a lot to the flavor profile. Why another Penzance review? Or, if you are so inclined, smoke this all day -- you might be able to, but I think my taste buds would need about a week off to recover. This really helps to bring balance to the blend with a large quantity of latakia and plays well with the sour/tanginess of the oriental leaf. A slight presence of gurgling emerges about halfway through the smoke but tends to disappear as the smoke continues. Smoking boyz - light wait champ d'application. I actually gave a tin to a friend, and sent back some tins to Richard in order to exchange them for other english blends I enjoy more. It was delicious but not what I was expecting. As a matter of fact, if my fellow pipers stay on the ball, you can find this if you get on certain etailers email list. If there's Virginia in Penzance I can't taste them. 1 person found this review helpful. I'll buy a full sleeve of tins as soon as I can. No wind at all made it perfect for my rendevous with Penzance.
Age When Smoked: it must be aged. I don't care that the dog runs off when I crack the tin open or, you get the idea. No artificial flavoring detected, but it definitely tastes like a full bodied, smokey grade A tobacco! It was no where to be found, but EVERYONE was saying how great it was. UPDATE: I am now into my second tin, and only one word can describe this blend: transcendent. This is, along with Legends, Durbar, Nightcap and Aperitif, the best Latakia offering I have ever tried in my 15 years as a pipe smoker. I even gave away 10 of them to a friend! After the crazy hunt and spending of a good amount of money, I managed to get my hands on a tin of Penzance which, according to the code on it (860C042) is from 2nd of April 2018, today being 25th of June 2021. 2-1/2 slices) Update 12-11-03 I have not been able to locate tins of this blend locally so I broke down and purchased a 8 oz. The wax wrapper oozes more oil the my old Triumph (shift with the right foot, thank you), and the first taste makes me utter "Oh, momma! "
I found a tin of this that was ignored and dusty at the bottom of a rack at a tobacconist I visited out of town. I probably have more of it squirled away than I could ever smoke, but perhaps my tastes of changed? I had been meaning to try this for years, as it seemed to be the holy grail of English Blends. I think it's the best from Esoterica, smooth, smoky, earthy, savory and dry -- a true medium English that's mild to medium in nicotine. This is not a complex blend and changes very little from beginning to end. This is a quality tobacco, but not for my taste. The taste is light to medium... a bit to light for my enjoyment. Buy it to see what all the hype is it because you like a peat-forward don't get sucked in by the "buzz" or the artificial scarcity. When the tin gets low, I just re-load it with the bulk. I experience little of the strong effects or problems many have reported. My only regret is that I had waited so long to try this delightful blend. I found Penzance to be a pretty good pipe tobacco that is probably one of the best in this genre since it is one of the most reviewed blends on this site. TallPuffO'Burley (632)||. It's akin to Special Latakia Flake, but with a greater latakia presence.
The tin is packed with flakes which just stay together until you no longer wish that they do so, then nothing more than a slight trembling of the fingers is required to break the flake and load one's bowl. No tongue bite on this one (I like that too). In my opinion, it tastes better wet and fresh. Age When Smoked: New, and then again aged 6 months. Geronimo Von Klaus (76)||. The tobacco itself is quite oily and has a generous dose of something offbeat that lends a vaguely medicinal aroma. Similar Blends: None. To date, I had tried most of the Dunhill English blends, but had never smoked an English in a flake/crumble cake style. If you like English Tobacco you have to get some to try. I'm not a huge Latakia fan, especially in doses as large as that found in Penzance.