Schürch Amoun (English V)

I really liked the smell of Amoun in the pouch but it smells sweet and not like an English blend. There is something added to it that I can’t place my finger on. It burns really nice and I think it is a little sweet and medium in strength. It isn’t very complex at all. I guess, based on the pouch smell that I was hoping that it would be more than it was and just didn’t deliver the goods. I really had expected to get some smokiness from the small amount of added Latakia, but there really wasn’t any to be found. Toward the end of the bowl, I found it to be slightly bitter. This is the second flavored English from Schurch I have smoked , the other being Lapis and I enjoy Lapis more. Overall my favorite Schurch English is still Torina.

Hans Schurch's blends fall into three categories at Synjeco. The first being English blends, the second are referred to as “Modern English blends, often with a top dressing or a unique characteristic that causes it to fall outside of the English realm. The third and last category is aromatics. Amoun is listed as an English blend, but unlike the other reviews, I find this to have either a casing and/or a top dressing. I can smell it in the pouch aroma and taste it in the smoke. It would fit better into the “Modern English” category for my taste. I struggled with whether or not to rate the flavoring as extremely mild or very mild. With all of that said, Amoun is a tasty blend with some sweetness. Like all of the Schurch blends, it is made up of high quality tobaccos. It packs with ease and only requires a small amount of dry time. In the bowl, it burns cleanly. With the exception of many of the MacBaren blends, I almost never get bitten by pipe tobacco. Amoun is an exception for me. It requires a slow cadence, similar to smoking a straight Virginia in order to keep it from getting hot. When taking my time, I find that this is a very enjoyable smoke. Those looking for Latakia should be aware that it plays only a small supporting role in this blend. Hans Schurch continues to impress! Recommended.

This is the second tobacco (after Torina) with Perique that I've tried and liked. I may even have enjoyed it more than Torina. Clearly it is less soggy and easier to smoke. It lights up easier than Torina (even though it still is difficult) which may be caused by that I had it open for about three months unsmoked. It contains Bright Virginias, Toasted Black Virginia, Orientals, Cyprian Latakia (imagine if it had Syrian), and a perfect dosage (for my taste) of Perique. The room note is impressive, keeping in mind its ingredients.

Of the 6 samples of Schurch Englih mixtures I ordered, this is the lightest colored and the most dominated by Virginias. There is some latakia, but the dominant flavor is of light Virginias with a hint of perique. I guess that the dominance of the Virginias is why Amoun burns hotter than the other Schurchs I have tried.

The cut of Amoun is not like the other Schurchs in my order. This one is mostly a rather thin and longish ribbon. I don't do well with long ribbons, so I broke them down some before smoking and also dried it out some. The cut of the tobacco may contribute to the hotter burning qualities. I noticed a little bite to this tobacco. I don't have any tobaccos of a similar cut in my rotation, so maybe it's just that I smoke it too fast.

I think that Amoun is an excellent English tobacco for those who favor lighter tobaccos over strong latakia. The room note is probably much more acceptable to others than a stronger latakia blend. If you prefer a darker blend, try Schurch's Onyx or Tarek's Robusto.

I gave this one 3 stars because it is a good blend, but I typically like more latakia. I will probably finish out this sample, but not order any more.