Schürch Torina (SOB)

(3.47)
Now, here's a revelation: No modern mixture comes closer to the old Balkan Sobranie Mixtures, precisely "759". Fans of the old Sobranie have been very happy to find such a perfect substitute. What more can be said! (Only the looks of the mixture are not those of Sobranie.)

Details

Brand Schürch
Blended By Hans Schürch
Manufactured By  
Blend Type English
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Coarse Cut
Packaging Bulk, 50g Tin
Country Switzerland
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.47 / 4
11

6

2

0

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 19 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 21, 2012 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
A little complex with a little cream and a tasty unflavored "soda" note from the woody, dry yenidje that does remind me of Balkan Sobraine, which this is an attempt to match. The smoky, woody dry, wine-like Syrian latakia is a lead player. The spicy perique is hardly noticeable. The Orientals are smoky, woody, dry with a very mild sweet and sourness in a support role. The Virginias are citrusy with a touch of dark fruit, and a little grass and earth as it forms the base of the blend. The nic-hit is mild. No chance of bite, and has no harsh or dull spots. Burns cool, clean and even at a moderate pace with a very consistent flavor. Needs an average number of relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a pleasant after taste. Can be an all day smoke with ease.

-JimInks
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 26, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I smoked the tinned version marked "Sob." which I understand is the same stuff as the bulk called Torina. This is truly a fantastic tobacco. I never had the pleasure of enjoying the original Balkan Sobrani, so I obviously can not compare the two. But this stands on its' own two legs. It burns very well. I usually do not have to relight more than once while smoking this tobacco. It has a smoky, earthy and creamy taste. It is full without being overbearing. Some similar blends leave me full, like I just had a hefty dinner. Not so with this one. I finish the bowl wanting to explore more. I don't think I will ever get tired of this blend. Something for the cellar for sure.
Pipe Used: Dunhill billiard army mount 92
PurchasedFrom: Tabak Boutique, Luzern, Switzerland
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 23, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
It is the perfect balance of all the components - which denotes the great knowledge of Hans Schürch - to make SOB a great blend, fulfilling, sweet but not too much, spicy but not too much. In medio stat virtus. An excellent all-day tobacco. 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.
PurchasedFrom: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 03, 2012 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
So many of the Schurch English blends remind me of the old Dunhill blends, not as copies, but just of similar ilk and style. Torina is another medium/full body English with a pouch scent that lets one know that Syrian Latakia and Orientals will be stars of the show. There is no doubt in my mind that if the blend description didn't bring up the 759 reference, there would be more four star reviews. Just after several minutes of dry time, the rough cut Torina is easily packed. Previous reviews describing it as earthy and creamy are dead on. I don't get any sweetness from the Virginias. The flavors are on the full side and the Latakia is in perfect proportion. There is enough complexity to keep things interesting. Torina is yet another outstanding English blend from Schurch. Highly Recommended!
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 31, 2011 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Really good, but not comparable to BS759. I would say slightly Oriental tasty, creamy, smooth. However, even this to try.
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 20, 2011 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Yummi!

Rereading 'The Hobbit' again, waiting for the film to come out, I find this an excellent companion to that classic.

Forget the Sobranie discussion and try this on it's own merits; a very pleasing and tastefull blend!
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 05, 2010 Medium Extremely Mild Full Pleasant
The first tobacco I tried whith perique. Not only it didn't bother me, but I liked it. Includes Virginia, Orientals, Syrian Latakia and a pinch of Louisiana Perique. It is a bit damp (not wet), very finely chopped, which means you must be careful filling the bowl in order to avoid blocking the air hole. Easy going, does not need any special technique in smoking in order to give out all that's in it. He has very good aftertaste. Doesn't make you feel full at any point. I read that the producers say it's like the Balkan Sobranie. I would say it is much better! If thinair would help me I would gladly re-order it. Because of its reasonable price it can easily become an all day tobacco, but unfortunately this time my all day is the BRITT'S BALKAN 4noggins. Its only flaw.... leaves too much dirt on the air hole of the pipe.
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 13, 2010 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
A really great subtle balkan. To be smoked slowly. Last week-end, I smoked a medium-sized bowl during 2 hours while driving: what a pleasure ! I will reorder some more, definitely. I simply love and recommend it.

It is a subtle balkan in the sense that you can feel a lot of earthy, creamy aromas. The latakia is smoky and pleasant, but not overwhelming. Virginias are in the background, with the oriental. The perique is probably just a spicy note, hardly noticeable (but probably mandatory for the taste sake !). Solid 4 stars .
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 13, 2004 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
When I first tried this blend in bulk, I found it not as tasty or complex as Onyx. It was delicate, not pungent but not completely round and smooth either. I appreciated the rough cut and the smoking qualities, but it lacked some personality... and it sure wasn't Balkan Sobranie by a long shot!

Later, I tried the tinned version which is called SOB (like in SOBranie...): the tin can only be found in Switzerland, and Synjeco doesn't sell it, as they only have the bulk version. Too bad, because in the tin it is better! It's a very good full EM! The tobacco in the tin is identical: rough cut, low moisture, clearly handblended. But probably the better seal of the tin compared to a plastic pouch really helps.

It packs well, burns well, and has a very nice aroma: similar to a cross between Timm London 1000 and a spicier Balkan. Lots of flavour, never aggressive, and with an underlying pleasant sweetness. I only had three bowls (offered by a friend who had bought a tin), but I look forward to smoking more as soon as I will make a trip to Switzerland!

So I strongly recommend you SOB, while I think you should sample the theoretically identical Torina before buying a large quantity...
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 06, 2004 Mild None Detected Mild Pleasant
759 had no Périque and neither, for what I can taste, has Torina.

Beautiful Tarek Manadily sells beautiful Italian pipes, but I am not sure what he was smoking when he decided that this mildish, cavendish-buffered German excuse for an "oriental" mix tasted anything like 759!

G.L. Pease's CARAVAN, bland Cypriot "latakia" notwithstanding, tastes a hell of a lot more like 759 than this joke!
2 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"