GERMAIN

[GuitarMyFriend]

I reached out via email to several pipe tobacco retailers, and ended up getting lucky a lot with Esoterica.

I would definately do that, but I do not order online. I will take your advice though, and start to Email tobacco retailers in state to ask specifically for Esoterica/Germains. I normally have to email places to see if they sell pipe tobacco at all. It seems to be harder and harder to find shops that sell pipe tobacco at all where I live. The closest shop is a 1.5 hour drive away.
Thanks for the idea!
Zach

 

[SpeedyPete]

I've stopped hunting for this tobacco because it simply isn't worth the while. Period

Why’s that?

And Huffelpuff, thanks for the warning!

I've had both Stonehaven and Penzance. I don't care for either. Mellow Monk from Just For Him is a much nicer latakia, cheaper and available.


I still have some Penzance left, sitting from May 2011 but I prefer Mellow Monk by far.

Esoterica tobaccos are like Dunhill pipes......you want it because it's supposed to be the best. And then, when you eventually get it, you realize there are much better products. But you must proof it to yourself. I walked the walk with both tobacco and pipes :lol!:

 

[ontariopiper]

Esoterica tobaccos are like Dunhill pipes......you want it because it's supposed to be the best.  And then, when you eventually get it, you realize there are much better products.  But you must proof it to yourself.  I walked the walk with both tobacco and pipes  :lol!:

Aaaaaannnnnd there it is! Thanks for saying it out loud, SpeedyPete! :lol: :lol:

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Well to each his own and this kind of stuff is all very subjective.

For what it’s worth, I think Dunbar and Dorchester are two of the finest VaPers on the market, Tilbury is a well nuanced, rich tasting VaBur and Margate is an exceptional English mixture and probably one of my top 5 favorites.

Stonehaven and Penzance? Both are good in my books but Germain makes at least 7 blends that I prefer.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Medium Flake is the most accessible, gotta order it from a German shop though. The rest is luck.

Andy, just out of curiosity what’s the name of the German shop that carries the Medium Flake?

Thanks, Chris..

 

[Brewdude]

Zach just needs to find out for himself, like anyone would. Ya we joke about the unobtainium and their merits. Today its Germain, a while ago it was FVF. Oh, and 5100!

The holy grail search is never ending. And tastes change. Chase a rainbow, lasso a unicorn. It's all good......

Oh, and in the meantime here's a pic of a bunny with a pancake on its head-

:joker:


Cheers,

RR

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Zach just needs to find out for himself, like anyone would. Ya we joke about the unobtainium and their merits. Today its Germain, a while ago it was FVF. Oh, and 5100!

The holy grail search is never ending. And tastes change. Chase a rainbow, lasso a unicorn. It's all good......

Oh, and in the meantime here's a pic of a bunny with a pancake on its head-

:joker:


Cheers,

RR

Wouldn’t the technical term be FLAP-JACKRABBIT?!????? :cheers:

I very much agree Rande! Someday, years from now, I’ll either dust off this thread with high praises or disgust. That also will depend on the day for me. My tastes change daily!

Zach

(Didn’t that little fella work at I-Hop?)

 

[Corncobcon]

Wouldn’t the technical term be FLAP-JACKRABBIT?!????? :cheers:
(Didn’t that little fella work at I-Hop?)[/quote]

:lol!: :lol!: :lol!:


I just spit coffee all over my keyboard!


Hey, didn't the one-legged waitress get a job at I-Hop? :roll: :lol:

 

[Ozark Wizard]

:fpalm:

This poor flannel....... Sunday go to meeting flannel, 'cause it's holy......

You guys crack me up! :lol!:

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

There’s nothing furry about a short sta- I mean FUNNY, about a short stack
By the way, I would send those pancakes back... it looks like there’s a HARE in them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

Admins, I would like my name changed to “The Pun King” please...:afro:
So Esoterica...

 

[SpeedyPete]

Well to each his own and this kind of stuff is all very subjective.

For what it’s worth, I think Dunbar and Dorchester are two of the finest VaPers on the market, Tilbury is a well nuanced, rich tasting VaBur and Margate is an exceptional English mixture and probably one of my top 5 favorites.

Stonehaven and Penzance? Both are good in my books but Germain makes at least 7 blends that I prefer.

Oh, I agree 100% !

That's why I only mentioned Penzance and Stonehaven.  The "holy grail" of tobacco  :lol:

I was offered a crazy price for the 300g of Penzance which I still have but, I can't do that to a brother.

I've got some Peacehaven as well. Although it's tasty and flavourful, it was a bit mild for my taste. So I added a wee bit of granulated perique and let it sit for a year. It turned out an excellent blend and I smoke it very sparingly

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

I did it!!! (Kinda)...
My wife and I had the day off, (it’s her birthday!) and we went outta town for the day! She was sweet enough to let me go to two tobacconists that I found online. The first one was a dud. Mainly a RYO shop with a bunch of glass pipes. Some bulk tobacco, but nothing I really cared to try. The second one was a news stand I’ve been to before and scored a couple Dunhill tins. It’s a pretty cool store; they have tons of magazines, shaving stuff, and a couple of pipes! So I walked back to where they hide the tobacco, grabbed a tin of Dunhill Royal Yacht Mixture, went back up front and asked, “Where’s all your Esoterica?!?” He talked about how hard it is to get, then must have remembered he had some, and ran back to his bulks, pulled out a super dusty jar from way in the back and dumped it all into a plastic bag. It sounded like bits of paper, so I knew it was real dry. The. He weighed the bag handed it to me, and said, “12 bucks. This is 4.5 Ounces of Ramsgate.” I figured if it’s that hard to find, I mind as well grab it when I can find it! IT IS DRY! Like... dusty dry...
So as I’m walking back up to pay for it all, he calls me over to the side, and pulls out a tin of Penzance! It was opened and he wanted to show it to me. It was his personal tin. It looked like there wasn’t anything taken out of it ever, so he folded back the paper, pulls out an 1/8 of a Flake to hand to me, and tells me to keep it! :lol!: !!!! Two Esotericas in one day!!!!!!



I’m gonna be jarring the Ramsgate as soon as my jars are dry. Any quick tips on how to bring it back to life quickly? And I will be smoking the Penzance when I dig up a small enough pipe! :lol!:

Zach

 

[BriarBeagle]

If you want to PM me your address, I'd be happy to share some samples with you of what I have. Always a pleasure to help a brother out.

BB

 

[Lakebound]

Cannot speak to Germain's personally. But, Esoterica is all about timing. I was lucky enough to score an 8 oz. bag of Stonehaven awhile back and I'm rationing that for myself to about a bowl a month.

Best of luck.

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Thanks Briar Beagle!!! I really appreciate it!

I’m smoking the little bit of Penzance now... in my Dr. Grabow Lark that was a gift from Kyle when I first started on this forum! I miss that guy!



In my smallest pipe, it was about half a bowl! It was a little dry so after loading I blew into the pipe once or twice. Got it lit, and MAN! THAT’SA ENGLISH! Incredible! My wife looked over at my face and asked if I liked it! I nodded, and told her how awesome of an English it was! I asked her how it smells and she just said, “It STINKS!”.
It’s like a much better Pirate Cake!
I’m officially a Penzance smoker.

Zach

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Oh, sounds like an awesome score Navy Flake! I wish they’d get on production! But... I suppose smaller batches=higher quality... maybe?

Zach

 

[Brewdude]

He shoots..... he scores.....he wins......the crowd goes nutz........

:bounce:

Great news Zach!

As far as the Ramsgate, do this-

Put it all into a bowl, like a salad bowl. Distribute it all equally. Then, get a white washcloth (must be white, no coloring) and get it wet. Wring out all excess moisture until it no longer drips.

Then, put it on over the sides of the bowl making sure it doesn't touch the 'baccy. Check on it every 4 or 5 hrs or so, feeling the 'baccy. You'll get a sense when it has enough hydration.

You may have to sir up the 'baccy a bit and repeat this until it's to your preferred liking. If it has to go overnight put some cling film over it and check in the morning.

I've done this with very successful results, although some of the aromatic components may have been lost. Still, it's better than resigning it to the compost pile!




Cheers,

RR

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Zach, one other word of advice, don’t attempt to rehydrate more than 2 ounces at a time. Moisturization will become very uneven. I recommend doing it in 1 ounce increments.

Brewdude’s method will work fine. However,  I like to use a disposable Zip Lock container with a paper towel slightly dampened with distilled water (be sure it’s completely wringed out), draped over top of the container. The zip lock container lid will allow you to simultaneously seal the container closed and pin the towel to the top of the inside of the lid preventing contact with the tobacco.

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

Oh man! You guys might have saved my life! I was just going to put it in a jar, and spritz a little water on it, maybe shake it up! I haven’t had to rehydrate tobacco in YEARS! I smoke it all now before it dries out.
Phew!!!!

Zach

 

[huffelpuff]

Glad you didn’t get ahead of yourself Zach! Going the slow route is probably the safest way to go. Germaine stuff being so hard to come by it’s really not worth the gamble. Just spritzing the tobacco while it would work it exposes you to too many ways to really screw it up. So PLEASE I beg you don’t even go there.

Enjoy it in rude good health
Jim