Motzek Sailing City

Wallenberg described this tobacco very well!

It's a "American Style"-blend, that comes as very wide ribbons, almost chunks. It's a coarse cut. Should be packed rather loosely, or it will get too dense when tamping, from my experience and is preferably smoked in wide bowl due to the cut.

Sailing City's look is interesting. A medium to darker brown tone with golden, yellow and orange speckles. The coarse cutted leafs look appetizing and rather easy to handle after the first few bowls.

Tin-note (or better bag note, as Motzek doesn't sell tins) is spicy with a slightly sour undertone to it. Very tobacco-ey with little sweetness to be noticed. Comes rather on the dry side and in perfect smoking condition right out off the bag. Therefor lighting isn't a big deal at all and the tobacco keeps lit pretty well throughout the bowl.

Sailing City's taste-profile is genuine and interesting. On first light I got a blast of rich nutty notes that quickly got underscored by earthy and woodsy aromas. The intense nuttiness takes a step back, as a gentle smokiness is joining in that, in interplay with the decent spice of this blend, making this full-bodied and satisfying. The rich nut-note settles in the middle of the flavor-profile and is everpresent, functioning as the base on which all the other flavor will evolve and bloom. Very tobacco-ey, slightly bready and tart in character. Only very little fruit-notes from the more peppery, slightly (but pleasantly) sour Perique. A very mild sweetness is swinging in the back too.

Rich and creamy in smoke and texture. As Wallenberg mentioned the taste indeed reminds of buttered-(unsweetened)-popcorn a bit. Don't get this wrong, it's not a sweet smoke at all! But hints of buttery-corn is grooving in the back. This is the 2nd Motzek blend that has this "buttery tone" tone to it, I wonder where it comes from, as it's delicious! (Old Louisiana Mix is the other one)

In Germany we have a saying "all good things are three" and applied to this blend the saying couldn't be more fitting. Kentucky, Virginia and Perique is a excellent composition (Trinity of tobacco blending to me) that delivers anything a passionate, natural tobacco prefering, pipe smoker might look for. Full of different and refined flavors, much spice that's not overwhelming tho, tobacco-ey goodness in a nutshell.

Very natural (tobacco) taste, no added flavorings one might detect. Maybe they applied some (real) spices to it at best.

4/4 stars for an outstandingly good blend that quickly became one of my favorites, as it's "All-Day"-suitable, yet tasteful enough to keep me entertained when concentrating on the tobacco. Love it.

Thank the Lord for this tobacco!

The pouch aroma is very decent and it reminded me of the subtle background of pure tobacco that is glinting through the flavouring of a Winslow No.2 or No.3. Equally pleasing is the visual representation of coarse and ribbon cut leaf, from a light golden brown to the dark Perique it plays in all tones like a handful of earth and leaves picked up in the woods.

Scent-wise I must either be cursed with a bad sense for discerning anything, or I'd say there is a chocolate-ish note similar to, but more subtly yet dominant so, the Kentuckies and Virginias known to me from the medium to dark roll-your-own blends.

Fresh out of the 100g pouch this blend will need some airing out and I do regret that there will be nothing left to age for me. Moisture is not wet, but definitely high. Your tongue will bite (a bit) if smoked like this.

But: the fun is only about to begin. My favourite blend is Squadron Leader. Where I live, SL ceased to be available right after I naively gave away a tin to someone who cherished it so much to mix it with remainders of cheap other blends. I did not - repeat: I did NOT - commit a crime after learning of this heresy. Ever since, I miss Squadron Leader. And never would I ever have believed greatness would come back to me in a wholly different kind of blend.

Lighting is not so much of a problem, even though I am a very impatient smoker who will not often practice what he preaches regarding moisture levels.

Here comes the taste. This is funny - it's hard for me to distinguish this from a proper Medium English blend, with an emphasis on p r o p e r. Readers from the U.S., please forgive me my neglect of the term "American blend" in this review. While English blends do get their spice and smokiness from Latakia, and the proportions thereof matter greatly when it comes to pleasing this or that crowd, Sailing City achieves it with a generous mixing in Kentucky. Enter Virginia: its sweetness is distinct, yet subtle - an instant reminder of a fine bottle of XO rum. Again, that sweetness then bows to the reader and steps off the stage (if, I must say) with a lasting impression to give yield to a hint of buttery, creamy tastes - sometimes boldly roleplaying as buttered popcorn - very subtly adding life to the stageplay and also introducing the narrator: a bold - but never in a pushy way - smokiness, always in company with the peppery and fruity Perique. Imagine a pre-Raffaelite scene, an allegory of Squadron Leader holding hands with Elizabethan Mixture and a hearty Kentucky lady, throwing their heads back and cheering in an almost dream-like roundel.

But as dreams are, there is always a mundane end, no matter what great memories you keep. Firstly, the white-gray ashes down to the bottom: even fresh out of the pouch, Sailing City burns perfectly (how's that for doing a proper job, Nero?) without troubles. I did not need a relight during this review. Secondly, nicotine. I think this blend is a bit richer in Perique than Elizabethan Mixture. For pipe smokers who rather enjoy mild to medium strength, this could be a reason for not having it as a daily driver. For me, this is just another reason to smoke more of it.

All in all, this could be a go-to tobacco blend for me. Can we have applause now for Mr. Darasz from Motzek? No, really - I've tried a few now from the guys in Kiel, and they do a great job pouch after pouch. No wonder even to myself I seem like a paid advertiser. You get what you pay for, and then double the fun again!