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After I cracked open a tin of Doblone d'Oro the other day, a few of our Latakia lovers around here noted that they had a particularly enjoyable experience with another of Savinelli's newer offerings: Essenza Cipriota. Here's some of their thoughts.
Essenza Cipriota is one of the most unique English blends that I've sampled. It feels a bit moist out of the tin, but after five minutes of drying it's ready to smoke. Visually, the most striking thing about the tobacco is the sparseness of the Latakia. It barely makes itself known in the tin note, which is dominated instead by sweet Virginias and a light floral, almost white wine-like note.
Upon lighting, the smoke reveals many of the same traits evident in the tin. The Virginias take the lead, but they're soon joined by tangy orientals to produce a sweet and sour flavor. The floral topping from the tin note weaves in and out of the smoke occasionally, but it's most noticeable when retrohaling. In the smoke, it reminds me a bit of juniper. The biggest surprise for me, is that the Latakia actually works well with these bright flavors.
The smoky leaf is definitely present in the flavor profile, but it's subtle. I suspect that some smokers will find this blend reminiscent of the Lakeland style English blends. I don't find it quite that aromatic, although it's definitely something of a crossover blend. I find it most similar to Esoterica's And So To Bed. I quite like it in the morning with a cup of coffee, and could definitely see myself reaching for this one a little more regularly come springtime, when its floral character would be especially fitting.
Opening my tin of Essenza Cipriota, I am greeted with the faint scent of red wine and fermented fruit. It is easy to pick out the Virginias, Burleys and Latakia in the shaggy cut. The tobacco was a bit moist out of the bag, and I let it dry on my desk for a few minutes before packing.
The sweet wine taste is apparent on the first light, but quickly fades to develop into what I would describe as a light English. It is very smooth and smoky, smoking relatively cool with no bite. The light body and pleasant floral aftertaste make it a nice after lunch smoke, but not something I would smoke all day. This is definitely something different, good for someone looking to move from Aromatics into Englishes, or vice-versa.
This ribbon cut tobacco from Savinelli sports a lovely array of color, with flecks of gold and brown, red, and black all well mingled throughout. The aroma reminds me of a bit of Balvenie Double Wood, a Scotch Whiskey aged in White Oak for six years, and then transferred to Sherry Casks for an additional six years. Like the Balvenie, there is a vanilla-meets-sherry sort of aroma to Essenza Cipriota, softened and deepened with the smoky whisper of Latakia, with its peat-like bouquet adding to the similarities.
Essenza Cipriota is quite mild, sweet and accessible. The tobacco took the flame easily and immediately settled into a nice mellow smoke, with Orientals and Virginias in the foreground and the Latakia component lingering in the background. Recommended smoking for fans of Dunhill EMP, GL Pease Piccadilly, and Samuel Gawith Perfection!
And there you have it: a few interesting comments from some of our Latakia veterans. Now it's time to hear from you all? Have you tried Essenza Cipriota? What did you think? Feel free to share in the comments section below!
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Comments
This one turned out to be a bit of a surprise. When I first opened the tin, the tin note was incredible! I like citrusy colognes, and I'd wear this one if they bottled it! But then I smoked it and was disappointed. The tin note didn't seem to translate into the flavor much at all. In fact, the flavor was so light it left me searching for more! After paying a lot for the tin, I was annoyed. However, not willing to waste the money I'd spent, I kept smoking it. The surprise came in how much I came to like it! I love oriental forward blends like Gawith's Skiff Mixture, and this fills that niche quite nicely. I still wish they'd bottle that tin note!
Rob, I found the tin note really intriguing as well. I see what you are saying about your initial reaction, but I think a few years of cellaring will help blend the flavors and highlight some of the undertones quite well. Glad you ended up liking it. I've got a few tins of the stuff sitting in my drawer. I'll probably pop them in a year or two and see how my hypothesis holds up. Thanks for sharing, Rob.