Motzek Herbst 84

The Virginias are light and darker red, and are earthy with a deep rich, slightly tangy fruitiness that bursts with flavor. The Orientals are a little smoky, floral and woody, but are also sweet and amazingly spicy. The Cyprian latakia is very richly smoky and woody with some sweetness in an important secondary role. A well balanced, complex blend where you taste all of the characteristics of the tobaccos all the time, though I notice the Virginia sweetness, smoky woodiness and certainly the spice the most. The spice pleasantly tingles the tongue from first light to last puff. The flavors are consistent all the way through with a slightly more than mild nic-hit. The strength level is medium while the taste is in between medium and full. Burns cool and clean with some creaminess at a moderate pace, requiring very few relights, and no dull or harsh spots. Burns to ash with almost no moisture in the bowl. The spicy sweet after taste pleasantly lingers, and the room note is sweet with a distinct camp fire smell. Could be an all day smoke for the experienced smoker depending on your proclivity for a spicy sweet English.

-JimInks

Just when I thought I couldn't like Motzek's blends more than what I already did, I smoked this wonderful creation. It's in the same vein as Motzek's Typ 5, but a little less rich. The thing about this English blend that makes it different is the fact that the Latakia plays second fiddle to the Orientals and Virginias. The Virginias used in this blend are complex. They are red VA's, but they are super sweet and less tangy than other reds that I have encountered in other blends. Upon lighting a bowl (which packed very well, by the way), I was hit with this sweetness and a bit of smokiness from the Latakia. After settling into the bowl, the Latakia really took its seat and added just a subtle hint of smokiness to the VA sweetness. The Orientals were more floral than spicy, and I began to get a delicious nutty taste around mid-bowl. I don't believe there is burley in this blend, so either my mind is playing tricks on me or the Oriental/dark VA combo just produces a naturally nutty flavor. It was absolutely delicious. If you're looking for a Lat bomb, you need to go elsewhere. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even call this a "good" English blend since the Latakia is a bit weak. What I DO know is that it's an excellent blend that is sure to please both the experienced pipe smoker as well as a new pipe smoker who is looking to get into English blends. Too bad it is so expensive here in the U.S. I might be getting in touch with my German friend again soon for more of this one...

This tobacco is an Oriental forward English House Blend by the old Motzek, It's now made by Thomas Darasz who took over the shop.

The tobacco is quite sweetish, strong oriental notes and just a hint of Latakia in the background.

To me this is a clone of Samuel Gawith Sqandron Leader. Positive: it's an inexpensive tobacco. Negativ: it seems to me like the blend does not blend. Something does not fit together smoothly, esp. if you are used to Dunhill Standard Mixture, Durbar, London Mixture and the Squadron Leader. It lacks depth, it lacks something to keep you interested, it lacks the overall picture, and it lacks the roundness and creaminess you would expect from such a blend.

It's not a bad tobacco, but it's not great either. It's a cheap house blend that works quite well, no less, no more. For me, who smokes maybe a pipe in the evening, it's not good enough. I don't bother spending more money on much more enjoyment.

What a smooth English blend this is... incredible! I fell in love with this from the first puffs on. "Herbst" stands for "Autumn" and it may be named so, because the tobacco looks like autumn leafs and has a wonderful autumn-y scent to it.

Musty, leathery, smoky and sour, sweet even ethereal... a tin-note with character that I find very unique. Easy to handle, coarse ribbon-ish cut with lots of black leafs to it - though this certainly isn't a Latakia-Bomb!

Easily lit this blend rewards you with a very balanced aroma. The sour, woodsy and ethereal, almost a bit nutty Orientals are the lead for me, noticeable in every puff and create a synergetic interplay with the Latakia, which adds depth by contributing a delicate smokiness, leathery and slightly musty notes, as well as lots of wood and earth. Virginias balance this baby out by sporting some pleasant, mild but effective sweetness with fruity peak.

I also perceive this blend to be a bit "toasty" or "roasted" in character and find it to be quite complex in taste. Easy to enjoy when not paying too much attention, most delicate when paying your attention to the diversified notes it has to offer. The used tobaccos are top-notch and full of taste.. really... this blend blew me away from the first bowls!

Price: 12,50€ per 100g... for a tobacco of this genuine charme and quality... do I have to say more?! GO GET IT, if you like some charming english All-Day-Smoke!

This is a nice smoking Balkan blend that varies a bit from the description above, at least to my tastes it did. To start with I found the Oriental to be much stronger than advertised. It very much felt Oriental forward to me thus my calling it a Balkan; whereas, the description refers to this as mild, an all day smoke and a good one for beginners to cross over into Balkan/Latakia blends.

I could not smoke this all day and perhaps, to the German palate, this could be a good crossover blend for the beginner, but it is not one I would recommend to a beginner. Rather, I found it for the hardened Balkan smoker. As that type of blend it is really quite good although I did not think so at first. It took some time to grow on me. Maybe this is partly due to my expectations after reading the description.

Orientals come in many varieties, and the predominant taste I get from this one borders on the sour side of a noxious burnt rubber taste. It is well balanced against the Virginia and Lat, the former adding a nice bit of necessary sweetness. The Latakia is somewhat light and does, in some respects match the description. The one thing that this one does right, and IMO the most important thing about these types of blends, is that it delivers a wonderful side stream aroma.

Of all the different types of blends out there, I find the Lat/Oriental blends to deliver the best side streams, and this one is right at the top with its aroma. It is always a wonderful smoking experience when I spend about half the time sniffing off the top of the bowl. I rate this one between three and four stars, but will hold it at three as it did not excite me as much as many of the four star Lat blends did.

I was very excited to try Herbst 84 as I enjoy a mild English sometimes in the mornings alongside a cup of coffee. I've had SG's Squadron Leader for this purpose and was told to try this one by TAK wich is half the price.

Look in pouch is nice all the color varieties between golden and dark brown to almost black leafs. Smell is typical English earthy and spicy but also of a certain sweetness. Packs nicely and burns then, with one lighting very steady and cool down to grey-striped ashes with hardly any condensate occuring.

The smoke is dominated by VA and Orientals that come sweet and spicy all at once but still leave space for a nice spicy Latakia overtone. Clearly not a Lata bomb and for the experienced smoker, it may be a bit flaccid. All those tastes stay to the end with sweet almost sugary tastes get a bit stronger to the end. Midways there's also some citrus and roast aromas that take the Latakia more to the back. No tongue bite in this one even if smoked a bit faster.

Nice and sweet English blend recommended for morning hours less harsh than many other comparable blends but nicely balanced at a very moderate pricing.

[Edit]: It develops a very beautiful but subtle wine aroma when jarred for some month. This supports the round tastes even more and I now give it a 4/4.

Motzek Herbst 84

This review is based off a one bowl sample. The tobacco feels dry. It consists of mostly light and dark brown ribbons. It has a sweet smell to it.

When smoking, I get a strong amount of burning wood, herbs that are sour, spicy and sweet. There is also an ever present smokiness throughout the bowl.

It burned cool, even with quick puffing. It is a full bodied blend, with a light amount of nicotine.

I recommend this to all who enjoy English/Oriental blends.