the Professor - how far is it from Blackpool to Ramsgate?

[Blackhorse]

The Professor. Found years ago in a web crawl and used heavily, then forgotten, now rediscovered. His reviews are particularly valuable...once you get a feel for where he's coming from...since he's extremely experienced, not hasty in his comments and has a strong base of accurate information from which to base his views.

http://pipes.priss.org/eso.php

This particularly came home to me when checking on other's views of Esoterica Ramsgate and Blackpool (Germain's licorice brothers that really aren't). I was curious to know if others considered these so similar that getting one of each was foolish. Ended up getting both, BTW.

Anyway, I came upon his comments and was struck by the lucidity, the obvious experience and the reasonableness of his comments. SUCH a refreshing change of pace from the many newbie morons beating their shoes on the table over at the other review site. Of course there ARE nuggets among the Pyrite over there.

First off...for my money, if I want licorice tobacco I'll get Heinrich's Strong Dark Kentucky, thanks very much. But both Blackpool (the lesser) and Ramsgate (the greater) are just such a pleasant experience they deserve our love.

That being said, scamper on over to his little site and scroll down to the reviews of Blackpool and Ramsgate...two of the most friendly, eager to please, Lakelandesque blends that Esoterica/Germaine ever put to field.

Anyway...in answer to the title question...it depends!  Air or road miles?  By air it's about 250 miles. But in terms of tobacco blends, it's just far enough to warrant both. Just go with it. It actually does make sense on a certain level.  8) 

 

[Brewdude]

Interesting stuff, to be sure. Not yet sure how his views and mine line up, but it certainly might give me a reason to check out some of the Esoterica blends I've given a miss to prior to reading this.

Thanks for posting BH!



Cheers,

RR

 

[Blackhorse]

BD - you'll want to stay away from these two, although since they (to me) are non-floral and more toward anise/Vienna roast coffee notes...maybe you'd tolerate 'em OK. But knowing you, I doubt it. - BH

 

[Cadfael]

what ever became of the professor? I miss his posts!

 

[RDPipes]

"newbie morons" ? I don't post any reviews "over there" but, if I did I would take that as insulting. It's a place for people to give there reviews and they give them, no one is telling anybody to take anyone persons review to be written in stone. We ALL have different tastes
and there certainly a lot of tobacco out there I deem as disgusting and rancid but, as they say "One man's garbage is anothers Gold" (paraphrased).
As far as Esoterica blends go, I like one very much and that's all I wish to like because of the scarcity of Esoterica blends.   

 

[Puff Daddy]

I'm going to have to try these again. I remember trying them several years ago and not really caring for them but my taste has changed a lot since then and I'm much more receptive to flavored tobaccos, and subtle tobaccos, now.

At the moment I'm sipping on some Tilbury that Big Casino sent me and it's quite wonderful. Everyone is always going on about Stonehaven and Penzance, but many of the other Esoterica tobaccos are really unique and great smokes too. They are made to be slowly sipped, IMHO. Not meat and taters tobaccos.

 

[Brewdude]

BD - you'll want to stay away from these two, although since they (to me) are non-floral and more toward anise/Vienna roast coffee notes...maybe you'd tolerate 'em OK. But knowing you, I doubt it. - BH

Nothing ventured, they say!

  



Cheers,

RR

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I too came across his site several months ago when looking for info on some of the "other" Esoterica blends. I enjoyed reading his write ups. As for Blackpool and Ramsgate? Never tried them. If they came in 2 ounce tins, I'd probably pick them up eventually, but rolling the dice on 8oz bags of pipe weed I have never sampled just isn't in the cards, and I like licorice. Russ Oulette's Darbyshire has a bit of a licorice top note to it, but when smoked that's not what I taste.

 

[joshoowah]

I have wondered about those two for some time. Do they ghost like hell like Lakeland tobaccos?

 

[joshoowah]

Also, notice he did not review St. Ives.  :lol: 

 

[Blackhorse]

Cartaphilus wrote:

"newbie morons" ? I don't post any reviews "over there" but, if I did I would take that as insulting. It's a place for people to give there reviews and they give them, no one is telling anybody to take anyone persons review to be written in stone. We ALL have different tastes and there certainly a lot of tobacco out there I deem as disgusting and rancid but, as they say "One man's garbage is anothers Gold" (paraphrased).

C - you don't need to lecture me. You're preaching to the choir...and anyway, I'm only calling 'some' of them morons...and only because they are. I don't care if they like a blend or not, it's approach and process that offend me. And if a guy over there can bitch about a respected brand being "garbage" after one bowl...then I can bitch about him being a "moron". Cause definitely...of the reviewing population over there...the total population falls 'somewhere' on the Moron Scale. So some number will be in the top fifteen percentile... Top Tier Morons.

 

[Puff Daddy]

I think the prof goes back to the days of the pipes digest and the pipes.org forum, before everyone rebelled against Melvin.

 

[Blackhorse]

His reviews are dated...by which I mean they have a date noted. Most are nearly twenty years old. I assume he's gone, like some of the blends he reviews. Sad.

 

[MisterE]

I forgot about that page!! I like his reviews.

 

[Blackhorse]

joshoowah -

St. Ives...love it...Esoterica's dead mouse blend...hated and reviled by all and sundry...


But I've never tried it. Maybe I'd like it!

I think it IS interesting that Esoterica seems to use licorice as an aroma note in so many if their blends... not only Blackpool and Ramsgate, but Woodbridge too. That's like 1/6th!

And have you ever noticed...most of Esoterica's blends are coastal cities and towns? Must be something there, I'm thinking'.

 

[joshoowah]

And have you ever noticed...most of Esoterica's blends are coastal cities and towns? Must be something there, I'm thinking'.

Licorice extra purchase from those cities