Esoterica Tobacciana - Dorchester Thoughts

[jndyer]

A couple of weeks ago I stopped in a brick and mortar to look at a new meerschaum pipe, which I ended up purchasing, and while there, I noticed that they both carried and had in stock a few Esoterica blends. Since this is a brand I have never had a chance to taste, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a tin of Dorchester. Below I list a few of my thoughts on this blend.

1. This is a nice VaPer blend. I have enjoyed the first few bowls quite a bit. The blend is relatively smooth, has a typical VaPer taste and burns very nicely.
2. This is by no means the best VaPer or tobacco I have ever smoked, nor was I necessarily expecting it to be; however, I can definitely see why someone would seek this blend out. While it reminds me of other VaPers, it is different enough in flavor from my usual go to blends (Escudo and Elizabethan) to be a nice change of pace. I will definitely miss this blend the tin is finished.
3. I am glad that I was willing to spend what the shop was asking ($37.50). I have always been intrigued by how sought after Esoterica blends are and I got a chance to buy a tin without spending a hundred plus dollars nor stressing about trying to find it in stock at an online retailer.
4. Would I buy it again, yes. I would even be willing to spend $37 dollars to buy it because it is not tremendously more expensive than other tobaccos at B&M's in Oregon where most tins cost between $20 and $30; however, I do not think I would seek this blend out in large quantities to cellar due to the cost vs enjoyment.

 

[mingc]

It's good to keep patronizing B&Ms. You can only be talking about Rich's. The price sure is high but that was the reason why it was available.

 

[hawky454]

That’s pretty expensive for a B&M, I guess it depends on where you live, my local shop sells them for $16 a tin or $32 for a bag. They were even cheaper back when I was stocking up.

I love Dorchester but my real love is Dunbar, it’s definitely one of my favorite VaPers, their Virginias are just delicious to me. Dunbar and Dorchester are somewhat similar but if I had to choose, I’d pick Dunbar every time.

I haven’t bought any since 2017 but I’ve heard mixed reviews about Esoterica’s newer releases not being what they used to be. Luckily, I’m stocked up on my favorites as they are decently priced and relatively easy to get my hands on locally but I might try getting my hands on a tin or two to see what changes I can pick up on.

 

[hawky454]

It good to keep patronizing B&Ms. You can only be talking about Rich's. The price sure is high but that was the reason why it was available.

I used to have a good relationship with one of the employees there back in 2012, he always kept extra stock and held it in the basement for me, he’d call me every time they got a new shipment in. I think they were charging $40 a bag back then and I thought that was expensive… well, it was compared to the prices I was used to paying in TX. I love Rich’s though! It’s a great shop, I hope they haven’t changed. The shop on 82nd avenue was great too.

 

[jndyer]

Why yes it was Rich's. I always try to stop in there when I am in the Portland area. I also usually hit up 82nd Cigar.

It's good to keep patronizing B&Ms. You can only be talking about Rich's. The price sure is high but that was the reason why it was available

 

[kcghost]

Guys in Kansas would balk at paying that much for a tin of tobacco. Glad you patronized a B&M though.

 

[mingc]

Why yes it was Rich's. I always try to stop in there when I am in the Portland area. I also usually hit up 82nd Cigar.

I need to pay Rich's a visit; I haven't been there in a couple of years. I go to 82nd much more often these days just because it has parking. Back in the day before SP.com and when I worked downtown, I got all my tobacco from Rich's. Esoterica, Germain's and McClelland were always in stock but I'd buy Dunhill 965 and Nightcap in bulk!

 

[jndyer]

I do like the way that Rich's blender tries to pretend that all of their house blends are custom when I know for sure that Bill's Blend is Lane 1-Q .

 

[mingc]

I do like the way that Rich's blender tries to pretend that all of their house blends are custom when I know for sure that Bill's Blend is Lane 1-Q .

This is a time honored tradition in the pipe tobacco business, passing off bulk as in-house! That way also you can't go to another shop and ask for the same thing because you don;t know what it is! However, I do believe Bill's Blend has Armagnac in it. Or they say it does. I've never had it.

Rich's did have an in-house blender, Steve Books, who retired back in 2010/11 and has since passed away. Did you ever meet him? I think Rich's still sells some of his blends.

 

[jndyer]

I never got the chance to meet him. The staff there is always helpful, especially if you want to talk to the older guy about meerschaum pipes. He definitely has a passion for meerschaum.

 

[mingc]

I never got the chance to meet him. The staff there is always helpful, especially if you want to talk to the older guy about meerschaum pipes. He definitely has a passion for meerschaum.

The older guy with the beard and glasses? That would be Bill Schindler, the longtime manager. He's also the Bill of Bill's Blend. Nice fella.

 

[Scottmi]

I'm having some tonight from my first tin of it...I love it. And more so as I have gotten further into it. Also found it at my local (wa state) B&M and same price. I'll do it again if I ever do find it again! It's not an every day smoke. It's not like any other vaper. Their topping works well for me. Like the lady says here, "I don't wanna fall in love with you." With Dorchester, though, it's too late.

 

[huckleberry]

I've never tried any of the Esoterica blends, and given the opportunity to try them in the $30-$40 price range would not scare me away. I've wanted to try some Penzance for a while...

Besides, I can blow $100 on a nice meal, and a couple Scotch on the rocks, and not feel bad about it at all.

Granted, I can't do it every day, but I do it maybe a couple times a month. I'd trade a night out for a tin of Penzance, and just cook me some weiners and 'Tater chips!

 

[Auxsender]

I never had any Eso blends when they were worth a shit which is a bummer because the Dorchester I bought 6 months ago is barely mediocre. I’d rather have a bowl of almost anything else in my stash. I was able to grab some 2014 Tilbury and it’s…fine. I’d take WCC, KBV, and LJ Peretti blends over the Eso I’ve tried any day. Maybe me and Eso simply aren’t meant to be and that’s ok.

 

[REO]

My local B&M received Esoterica a couple of times a year. About $18/tin and $40/bag. For those prices I buy it when available. Seems cut above in the Va quality and the Tilbury is my favorite. Good blends that have stood the generations test of time and popularity.

 

[Servant King]

I have tried 13 of Esoterica's 18 blends, all by means of gifted samples by some most generous forum members. As for my favorite, it's a close call, but I'd have to give Dorchester the win over Stonehaven, albeit only by a nose.

Having sampled a majority of their offerings, I can honestly say that, barring an absurd situation in which a sale price was so low it could only be construed at first glance as an error, I would never shell out the dough for any of them. I'm cellaring as a hedge against both expensiveness (a natural byproduct of inflation) and scarcity (a natural byproduct of living in an Orwellian wet-dream), and while several of these blends are pretty nice, I'm only interested in stocking up on my favorites, and even then only when there are deals. I'm averse to marketing hype in general, and I'm just not the kind of pipe smoker who can detect (or at least purport to) a dozen differences between Dunbar and Match Elizabethan, for example. If I can continue cellaring without bankrupting myself, I will consider the whole thing a success based on that alone.

I wouldn't spend $37.50 on a tin of anything, but hey, that's just me. I'd much rather snag three or four tins of Windjammer instead.