Schürch Mogano 146

I was pretty worried when approaching this tobacco, having read the previous reviews, expecting a really strong blend. At the beginning of the bowl I couldn't notice it, but the power builds up going down. The flavour is something you don't step into very often, really spicy and balanced; you can taste clearly both the latakia and the cigar leaf. I like to smoke a cuban cigar here and there, and love that earthy and leathery taste. A great blend.

Since I couldn't find this blend in the US, our friends @ SYNJECO in Switzerland were used via the net. I would class this one as a long ribbon cut of dark brown to black tobaccos with an ideal mositure content. The greenish/grey Havanna leaf is less prevalent but also obvious. The pouch and room aromas are strong; inviting to me, but objectionable to non-smokers. Even with a closed pouch, the aroma was sensed by others within 5'. This blend is the closest in taste that I've come to smoking a cigar in a pipe bowl. However, the added Latakia compliments the Havanna and the result is a rich but cool smoke that is consistent from bowl to bowl. However, pipes are infected with the flavors that last thru multiple bowls of other blends so dedicate a pipe or more to this one. Probably a mid- sized bowl is best since I found long smokes just too heavy and intense. Even after the nicely formed grey ash is emptied, the Havanna flavor is still quite pronounced on the stem. The packing and burning rate result in an effortless smoke. Although in the same vein as James Fox's The Bankers, this blend is even higher-test and too strong and powerful for me as a steady diet. However, after a meal, it's really enjoyable and the Havanna/Latakia taste lingers long after the pipe goes out. It is not suggested for a novice pipe smoker unless they are transitioning from cigars or plan to pass out.

Well, this one from Schurch is quite a pleasant surprise...obtained via Synjeco (unbelievably fast shipping from Switzerland) amid a subtantive order of others I wanted to try. Yes, the cigar leaf is indeed a fair compliment to the Latakia, both playing back and forth. A good depth of flavor in the background at all times. Smooth, never harsh. I'm sure that I can actually detect when each individual Latakia leaf fires up: Foom! Latakia! Then: Cigar note...deep background...Foom! Latakia!...Cigar...deep background...Foom! Latakia! Well, enough of that, you get the idea. It's quite the interplay - and very, very well done. Agreed that it coats the tongue so a beverage is a wise accompaniment. BYO as I haven't found just the right one yet. Very high quality as with all Schurch I have tried. Not a mainstream for me but an 8 1/2 for me, for quality, success in achievement of a specific goal and in overall goodness.

Another winner from Schurch. I have read descriptions of various English blends with the addition of cigar leaf, but this is the first one I have tried.

Like other Schurch tobaccos, this is a rather wild cut and comes a little moister than I like. I knew I was going to like this one after just the first puffs. The cigar leaf complements the latakia very nicely. The only problem I had with this was that it tended to dry out my palate somewhat, so that I was having to wet down my mouth more often than usual with something to drink.

The flavor is big and unusual because of the cigar leaf. Burning qualities are excellent. The flavor builds near the bottom of the bowl, though there is not much variation of flavors. If you like strong latakia and want something a little different, give this a try.

Available from www.synjeco.ch. (Switzerland)

Tin Aroma: Mogano has a unique aroma in that it is a very 'dark' scent, but without the standard Latakia or Turkish overtones to make it so. This is likely the famed Havana leaf in the blend. The scent is vaguely fruity and vegetal, so I will hazard a guess that it is cased with some sort of herbal liquer.

Physical Characteristics: A very fluffy, long-cut ribbon. Mostly dark brown to black pieces, but a few lighter ones here and there. This blend packs easily, though needs some drying out first, for my taste. The burn is even and uncomplicated, leaving no dottle and a dark grey ash.

Notes: As a lover of darker, heavier blends, I am absolutely in love with this blend. I have dedicated my sole Tinsky pipe to it, and manage to smoke it just about every day, which is saying soemthing for a guy who usually keeps two dozen or os blends going at any time. Though the Latakia is not the prominent scent in the aroma, it is definately present in the smoking. That wonderful Latakia aftertaste is complemented very well by the Havana leaf, sort of like smoking a cigar, but not really. There are, however, moments during the bowl where I would swear that the taste is identical to a good Cuban cigar. The Havana and Latakia trade places numerous times during the course of a bowl, dancing back and forth around my tongue. This is a POWERFUL blend, and careless smoking could lead to a head-rush, and perhaps nausea in weak-stomached smokers. I would heartily recommend it to cigar smokers looking for a pipe tobacco with the punch and depth of a Cuban or Honduran cigar, and to anyone who loves deep, dark, powerful tobaccos. Smoke it on a full stomach!

This is one of those blends that, when you try it for the first time, you say "Oh my god!" The flavor really lives up to the description in spades and then some. I have never smoked a blend that so perfectly matched what I was looking for as much as this one. I love a good Cuban cigar and I love a rich Latakia blend, this is the perfect marriage of the two. "Creamy" only begins to describe this stuff. I would also say "rich", "dark", "velvety soft", and "cool smoking". If this describes what you are looking for in a pipe tobacco, Mogano is home base for you. Personally, I can't wait till I have a large stash of this stuff. Nothing short of a pound will do.