Schürch Sodalit 114

Blender Hans Schurch's Sodalit is one of his older blends and the quality of which is evident as to its longevity. Like all of the Schurch blends, it contains high quality tobacco and is well balanced. There is some sweetness to the blend and I am uncertain if it is a result of the Virginias. My guess would be that there has been a bit added manually. Sodalit is a mild to medium English that could be enjoyed all day. It needs little to no dry time. Those looking for a “full English” may want to go with one of the other Schurch blends as the Latakia takes a back seat in this one, but there is enough there to complement the blend. The Schurch blends are a bit expensive for those of us in here in the US, but well worth the cost. Recommended!

Notes: From the hand of a master blender. If you share Hans Schurch's vision, then you will enjoy this one. Smoked in various pipes at various times, I found this one best in a hard stout briar apple.

Appearance: A medium thickness cut ribbon, light to dark nut brown in color, with about 5-10% dark black flecks mixed in.

Aroma: Fresh hay, incense, tobacco leaf, ripe red plum, cherry pie, ground nutmeg.

Taste: Slightly bittersweet and dull at times, like overheated espresso or coffee, notes of oriental myrrh and incense sticks. Sandlewood and clove, a hint of cherries, muted, dry rather than sweet. A rather straightforward well-balanced mild to medium English mixture, modestly complex. Not the ultimate but better than most of what is available, its strength is in being reserved, not bowling you over with flavor after flavor, but in gentle good balance.

Comparisons: In the same family as Paul Olsen's My Own Blend No. 3005 and Dunhill My Mixture No. 27.

Bottom Line: For those seeking a nice mild to medium English. This is a good choice for those who enjoy a complex well-balanced blend more than a flavor blast.

This is another fine English mixture from Hans Schurch, a classic as the description states. This comes in bulk form through Synjeco. The tobaccos used are different VAs. with Latakia and appear to be good quality leaf. It comes in fine to medium ribbon cuts and colors that vary from blond thru browns to black. Moisture level was just right; I've been smoking on my sample for a while now, and it's beginning to get somewhat dry but still ideal for my taste. Packs well and takes the match readily; one may not need to re-light after tamping. Once lit, the flavor is typical English w/woodsy, earthy, smokey and light citrusy notes reminiscent of woodfires and forests. There is a bit of a VA. tang and a pepperiness like a mild salsa, but the smoke mellows after a few minutes to a rich natural tobacco taste. Some sweetness is present but it's short-lived and merely lingers in the background till about the 1/2way point. The VAs. are the main players, but the Latakia does exert itself throughout the coarse of a bowl. Mostly mid-range and high notes but there is sufficient bottom to balance the smoke. A nutty flavor presents itself her and there, very nice. No bite here folks, and the smoke was cool and smooth w/maybe a wee bit of the sharpness and the VA tang lingering ever-so-faintly. Slight bitterness @ the bottom but in no way unpleasant. Burns dry and even all the way down to a mottled gray ash and never gurgled, I didn't use any cleaners during the bowl. That's a plus! The bowl I used was a 1/2bent Il Ceppo carved billiard w/about a Grp. 5 bowl. This is a well used, easy smoking pipe so that may have a bit to do with the smokability of this mixture, but I would say this stuff would smoke good in most any pipe w/maybe the exception of "chimneys" (could get harsh nearing the bottom of the bowl.) Mind you, that's just MHO, use what works for you. I may try it in a chimney anyway just to see. I like this mixture and I would smoke it more often if my situation were different, but this is another good English I tend to reach for when I get the chance, hence the "regular favorites" rating. Another "Old World" kinda smoke. A fine milder English tobak that some may choose to have as an all day smoke. Works for me.