Motzek - "Curly Cut" (Strang)

[deathmetal]

Summary: Burley mellows the radical sweetness of Virginias, making this an above-average Va/Per but not worth the internet "unicorn" hype.
The Va/Per combination of sweet Virginias (as opposed to darker, as in "Royal Yacht" and "Full Virginia Flake") and Perique is a known winner. It produces a gentle sweet smoke with the tanginess of Perique coming through as more of a citrus/wine flavor than its usual pepper-fig combination.
Motzek adds Burley, which both adds a slight nuttiness and absorbs some of the flavor of the Virginia. This gives depth to the Va/Per formula which makes it fill out all the taste registers from the higher sweet Virginia, to Burley in the middle, and rich earthy Perique at the bottom mostly but also punching in at the top for the sweet/sour effect like spicy Chinese food or barbecue.
Some have suggested that rum is used to condition the leaf, and it certainly tastes that way. In addition, a humectant is added to retain moisture and allow even burning. The result is a pleasant combination of flavors that, like the above-mentioned barbecue, mixes sweet with sour on top of a layer of mellow Burley. This improves the model upon which this tobacco is based as exemplified by market leader Peter Stokkebye "Luxury Bullseye Flake," but retains the cloying sweetness to the point that this smoker wishes for more Burley in the mix.
In the end, it is hard not to see Motzek "Strang" as solely a slightly more advanced form of the "Luxury Bullseye Flake." Where that tobacco is sweet alone, "Strang" is more balanced, like eating barbecue on bread instead of rice. But beyond that, the Va/Per taste profile remains roughly what it is in the "Luxury Bullseye Flake," making the spasms of excitement on the internet over this blend look more like a trend and less like a rational assessment of its quality.
Thank you to Pipes Magazine forum member "bonehed" for the gift of this sample.
Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake, Savinelli - Doblone d'Oro, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Escudo Navy De Luxe, Newminster - No. 403 Superior Round Slices.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/6815#review83606

Test it on a blotter and you'll see the humectant. Tobacco oils separate from the humectant, causing a bullseye separation with a clearly-defined outer ring.

 

[iamn8]

Well done review!! I had a VERY different experience. Did you not taste/smell rum? I love luxury bullseye, but tasted no similarity.. Interesting how two different people, obviously I'm less experienced, can have such vastly different experiences.

 

[deathmetal]

Thanks! I tasted an alcohol in the topping, but as last week's Perique experiment showed, am no expert in liquors. I always was a beer man.

 

[JimInks]

There's no rum in the topping.

 

[iamn8]

Seriously Jim? I smell rum big time! I LOVE this tobacco! It's aroma has liquor written all over it. If it's there or not makes be difference to me, but I've had experiences with rum... and I sense it. Not arguing at all, just making observations

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I do notice a topping of something possibly rum when this one is very fresh, but as it airs out a tad, it quickly loses that rum-like aroma. Maybe some aren't getting their samples until it has dried a bit. Fresh, it is so wet that you could squeeze the juice out of it. When I would cut a coin off, the juice would soak my cutting board. Mmmm, Strang juice!

 

[iamn8]

Strang Liquor! Great idea! I'd be down with a Tobacco & Rum Liquor!!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've seen an ad for perique infused vodka. I'm not sure how I feel about that. ::

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Whoops, perique infused absinthe. Licorice and spicy tobacco drank, ugg.

 

[iamn8]

I got so excited for a split second... Then I read licorice and Absinth and gagged a bit. Brilliant idea, but terrible follow through!!!

 

[sablebrush52]

The very best thing about Motzek Strang is that it drove off all of the usual OCD crap about certain Esoterica products. For that alone I give profound thanks.

 

[iamn8]

LOL Sable I swear I thought you might feel exactly that way.

 

[sablebrush52]

And then...
Cup O Joes has an Esoterica dump! Merde!!!

 

[iamn8]

The moisture content of this stuff can't be overstated. While you can't, it really does almost seem like you could juice the stuff. Overnight drying is a prerequisite to getting a bowl lit.

 

[skraps]

Overnight drying is a prerequisite to getting a bowl lit.

Nothing 10 seconds in the microwave won't fix.

 

[andystewart]

LOL +1 skraps! Nuke the SOB.
Andy

 

[kaboom]

Apparently stocks are running low. I placed an order on Friday (much easier for me since i'm located in the EU) and was told by Mr. Motzek himself that they could only send me 100g uncut, the other 100g would have to be of the factory-shredded variant.

The sudden popularity seems to have taken its toll.

Apparently the next batch will be ready in march 2016.

 

[davet]

Unicorn status achieved!

 

[deathmetal]

The strength is in the Burley, really. It mellows the sugarloaf Virginias and makes the Va/Per taste more like bread than American beer.
Let's face it, fellow smokers, the Va/Bu/Per is the wave of the future.