Details

Brand Motzek
Blended By Herbert Motzek
Manufactured By Herbert Motzek
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Burley, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Rope
Packaging Bulk
Country Germany
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium to Full
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.43 / 4
10

1

2

1

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 14 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 01, 2014 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
This is a rope blend that cuts into coins fairly easily, though you should definitely dry it some before smoking because it will smoke wet. I packed the bottom with loose tobacco, stacked the coins, adding a little loose tobacco on top for an easier char lighting. By stacking the coins, you'll get all the flavors in nearly every puff, but if you decide to cube cut first, you'll be in for a variety of flavors in varying degrees per puff. The flavors are bold and forceful. The lead component is the very earthy, slightly sugary, very tangy dark fruity, woody, vegetative, herbal, floral, spicy, and tart and tangy citrusy sweet brown Virginias. They are amplified by the strong nutty, earthy, woody, mildly molasses sweet burleys, and further fueled by a blast of raisiny, figgy, earthy, plumy, very peppery perique. I suspect a little sugary black cavendish is present as well. It's a flavor bomb, but not so powerful that it would knock you to your knees. The strength, taste and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the medium mark. Burns slow with a cool, clean, very consistent, spicy, fruity sweet, rugged taste that never weakens or gets harsh, and translates to the pleasantly lingering after taste. It does require a few relights, and leaves a tad bit of moisture in the bowl, but not enough to hamper your smoking. It will not bite, but it does have some rough edges. Has a potent room note. Not an all day smoke. A blend for discriminating smokers best served and sipped in a pipe with a wide bowl to savor the full experience of a well balanced, complex, nuanced product. Four stars out of four.

Update June 4, 2021: This is a review and comparison of the new version of Strang to the original production. It mostly looks the same, except that when I cut the rope, I immediately noticed a wider black center than the old Motzek ropes. In smoking it, I discovered there was less burley, and none of its aspects (bold nuttiness, earth, wood, and molasses) are as potent as what was previously used. The same holds true for the much milder, less fruity, lightly tangy Virginias. The perique and black cavendish have many of the same familiar notes, but are less forceful and sweet in every way. The spice and fruit content of the perique is similar to the old Strang in taste, but not in strength or depth. That is especially true for the stewed fruitiness, and for the product as a whole. The strength and taste levels barely cross the medium mark. The nic-hit is a step below medium. Won’t bite or get harsh, and has fewer rough edges. The burn rate and number of relights are the same only if you give it plenty of dry time. It is moister than the original Strang. It also lacks some of the rugged quality I previously perceived. Though it possesses a fair amount of the original flavor qualities, it is less complex with fewer, weaker nuances, and not as well balanced due to the extra use of black tobaccos crowding out the Virginias and burleys. I consider the new manufacture to be “Strang-lighter”. My ratings at Tobacco Reviews reflect current productions, so this one is now listed at three stars.

-JimInks
44 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 28, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
I consider myself fortunate to have a friend in Germany who sends this to me. It is a fantastic Va/Per/Bur rope. It is unlike anything that I have smoked to date. One may think by the ingredients it would be similar to LBF, DNR or Dav Flake Medallions, but make no mistake this is nothing like those blends.

I think there is more emphasis put on the Cavendish or burley component; whereas, many of the blends like this place more emphasis on the Virginia. It has a sweetness that borders more on the earthy and nutty. I am not sure whether the Cavendish component is topped or not, but believe it to be an unflavored Cavendish. It would not surprise if something has been added though. It smokes great, but prep can be a bit of a bear if you are not good with this type of tobacco. I am not and would rather have it sliced by the experts, but even with the thick coins that I created every smoke was fantastic.

This blend is hard to come by in the states, but I understand you can order it from Motzek if you are fluent in German. If you get a chance to try this blend, by all means do so.
PurchasedFrom: gift from forum friend
19 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 28, 2014 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Pleasant
I have been lucky enough to be gifted some of this after hearing many good things about. Yes, there's a little hype about this stuff and it turns out to be warranted.

As stated before, this is a wet one, but drying is no real issue. Cutting is no real big issue either. My preferred packing method is the one described by Jiminks, it seems to bring out a bit more flavour to me, but other methods will still provide a veritable waft on the palate. The flavour itself is the perfect melange of sweetness, nuts and a little spice that avails itself aplenty on the tongue. The flavour is strong, but in a good way, not overpowering like some others.

This tobacco is nothing short of perfect, the flavour is just delightful, it dries without issue and is easy to cut and pack. Yes, it's a bit tough to get hold of, only hailing from Germany (a land which seems capable of producing only great tobaccos), but I guess that makes it all the more treasured.
PurchasedFrom: Gifted
12 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 15, 2015 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Scored a small sample of this from a trade partner in Europe. Still getting acquainted with it, but it's unlike anything I've smoked yet.

Nicely constructed rope gives you plenty of options.

When lit, there's an intense sweetness, an intense tanginess, and they just flat out work together, all the way through the bowl. Flavor's analogous to a really good sweet-and-sour dish, but with a fair amount of salt and pepper thrown in.

Definitely worth trying if you can get your hands on some. Might be worth taking that German language class you've been thinking about...?
11 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 01, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I was fortunate enough to acquire a 100 g portion of this marvelous stuff in a trade with a fellow PSF member who happens to live in Germany. At the time of our deal, he had placed an order and had to wait for Mr. Motzek to make more of this blend. I was a bit skeptical about all of the hype behind this tobacco. However, upon opening the package, my mind was certainly changed.

It is a thick rope tobacco. My friend vacuum-sealed it, so it was very moist when I received it. The tin note of this tobacco is absolutely amazing! It has a sweet, earthy scent. It was much too moist to smoke fresh from the package, so in desperation I cut a few thin coins and dried them out with a hairdryer for a few minutes. When they reached the proper moisture level, I broke them up and put them in a Peterson 999. I had cut them thin enough to where they packed easily (I use a cigar cutter to cut the coins, but the rope is stout enough to handle a sharp knife blade without making a mess). It only took one charring light before I was off and running. The flavor of this tobacco is complex enough to hold your attention, but it won't leave you trying to think of flavors that may or may not exist. The sweet brown Virginias are delicious, and surpass "honey" sweetness and land somewhere in "brown sugar" or "molasses" territory. It isn't an overpowering sweetness though, and that's the beauty of it. The burleys are nutty, and the Perique adds zest to the mix. It is honestly one of the most well-behaved and well-balanced tobaccos I have ever smoked. The VA's did not bite me at all, but both of the bowls that I have smoked so far have been carefully sipped. I imagine that if one were to smoke this stuff too fast or too wet, it would surely do a number on the tongue. The nicotine hit is definitely there, but it isn't anything that will have you hugging the toilet.

Herbert Motzek is a genius. I found that it was well worth the price that I paid for it, and I can see myself getting more - even with as hard as it is to obtain here in the U.S. It isn't an everyday smoke, but a treat to be savored. If you are lucky enough to have some of this on hand or in pipe, you're lucky enough.
Pipe Used: Peterson 999
PurchasedFrom: Gifted from a friend in Germany
Age When Smoked: Fresh
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 04, 2014 Medium Extremely Mild Medium to Full Tolerable
I ordered my strang ready sliced but it is the same blend as the rope. It looks very much like Mac Baren Stockton, a dark filler with plenty of bird's eyes wrapped in Virginia. The taste is not so far removed from that tobacco either but the one that comes really close is HU tobacco Director's Cut. Thankfully, it is not a nicotine bomb and I believe the Perique is sparingly applied here. I detect (being a Dutchman, we enjoy this..) a faint licqorice flavour and perhaps aniseed here as well. A lovely tobacco that I plan to keep in my rotation. Update: my latest order was the Strang Pur (the rope) and I almost didn't recognize the taste, so much sweeter (definitely a mild topping that must have evaporated on the sliced version) , mellower and more moist as well.
Pipe Used: Dunhill Bruyere group 2
PurchasedFrom: Motzek
Age When Smoked: new
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 01, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
WOW! This his my hammock tobacco. This is a rope which is easily cut into small slices, I prefer to layer it with a coin going in then crumbling some coin on top and following that procedure. I don't want the tobacco too tight. My tobacco came somwhat damp but I don't want it too dry either. It took two kitchen matches and I was slowly sinking into my hammock surrounded by fragrant clouds of deep dark molasses. The perique provides a little zip with some fig and raisin, There is just enough nicotine to give you a pleasant buzz as you sway in the breeze. So there you have it. A lovely tobacco with a lot of flavor and just complex enough to keep you interested. Its lovely aroma remains afterwards to provide memories. It is a blissful, celebratory smoke I reserve for long summer evenings dedicated to watching swirls of smoke over my head. If you acquire some of this lovely stuff, just let me know.
Pipe Used: Beautiful Calabash
PurchasedFrom: A very long story
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 28, 2017 Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I'm going to have to agree with DeathMetal on this one and think it's mediocre at best. I'll admit, when I first joined the forums I fell for the hype but once that wore off and I was able to give this blend an honest assessment I was able to see this stuff for what it is. It being an obscure, hard to get tobacco just leads to the hyperbolic claims of this blend. I think HU Directors Cut is a much better version of the same genre but much more well conceived. If you want to get an idea of what Strang tastes like but don't want to spend the dough, just go out and buy the very inexpensive 403 Superior Round Slices by Newminster, it's easily obtainable in the States and can be purchased by the ounce. I recommend you get the Round Slices first and if you like them, then go out and get yourself some Directors Cut as it was just recently announced that HU will be shipping their blends world wide. All in all Strang is not a bad blend but I can think of several blends I would rather reach for.
Pipe Used: Stanwell, Neerup, P. Jeppesen
Age When Smoked: 1 year, fresh.
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 13, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
A very delicious rope Tobacco, quite similar to Mac Barens Dark Twist or Stockton.

Sure some nuances a different but they are too subtle to describe them (at least for me). Maybe there is a little bit more spice/piquancy involved? Words are words and taste is taste... I smoked it right away without drying etc and it worked perfectly. I did not experience any problems at all with heat/bite/gurgling, it just burns down very calm and clean. I will think about how to store this tobacco for the long haul and buy a lot more of this fantastic stuff. Just to see and handle this long rope is a pleasure. I love it!

4 stars!!!
Pipe Used: Pots with a wide bore
PurchasedFrom: Motzek Kiel
Age When Smoked: fresh
4 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 16, 2018 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
I was lucky to get ahold of some 20g of this. Being the huge Motzek/TAK fan that I am I was so freakin' excited to finally try this. But at first a few words on why it's not produced anymore: Tom Darasz, the now head-blender and owner of Motzek (Herbert Motzek taught Tom Darasz to blend all the old Motzek blends) said to me that the farm that produced teh tobaccos for the Strang went out of business. He tried different leafs, but due to the glory the Motzek Strang gets he didn't wanted to re-release it as the replacement leafs ain't what the originals used to be. The originally used leafs were somewhat special he said. So far so good... but we may see a re-release of the Strang if he'll find a worthy replacement for the old leafs.

My 20gs of Strang are well aged, at least 2-3 years. The unburnt aroma is of fermented fruits, nuts and spices and all in all very natural to me. Got mine pre-cut, yet it isn't the pre-cut version. Lovely curlys, about the size of the Mac Baren Roll Cuts. In the pipe this is a most pleasant Va/Bur/Per with all the components taking a equal share of the taste. The Virginias are sweet and fruity-fresh with citrusy notes. The Perique, which is mildly applied, yet noticeable all the way through, is peppery an stoved fruit-ish. The Burley gives it "that certain something" contributing a delicate nuttiness, rich earth and chocolaty hints. A synergetic interplay of all 3 components make for a outstandingly good tasting blend for my taste buds.

I just wish I had more of this gem...I started pipe smoking when Strang already was out of production, but maybe Fortuna is on my sides and lets me find a Strang...or two... or two hundreds... 😉 4-stars and a All-Time-Favorite. For me the best Va/Bur/Per.
Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars
Age When Smoked: at least 2-3 years
3 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"