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Post by JimInks on Apr 16, 2018 12:58:50 GMT -5
Deniz Beck, who writes very good reviews, posted one on Strang. In the body of the text, he reveals the latest news on why Strang is not currently made: "...a few words on why it's not produced anymore: Tom Darasz, the now head-blender and owner of Motzek (Herbert Motzek taught Tom Darasz to blend all the old Motzek blends) said to me that the farm that produced teh tobaccos for the Strang went out of business. He tried different leafs, but due to the glory the Motzek Strang gets he didn't wanted to re-release it as the replacement leafs ain't what the originals used to be. The originally used leafs were somewhat special he said. So far so good... but we may see a re-release of the Strang if he'll find a worthy replacement for the old leafs."
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Post by Legend Lover on Apr 16, 2018 13:21:00 GMT -5
That's interesting. Am I right to assume that Motzek still provide other blends than Strang?
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Zach
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Post by Zach on Apr 16, 2018 13:29:51 GMT -5
Much the same reason McClelland went out of business and alarming. All the good old fashioned growers of high grade VA leaf and others are retiring, quitting from losses, or extinct; to put it nicely. Very concerning for the future of pipe and cigar tobacco and also snuff, dip, and chew. (Forget cigarettes, they smoke reconstituted stems anyway)
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Post by JimInks on Apr 16, 2018 15:31:39 GMT -5
That's interesting. Am I right to assume that Motzek still provide other blends than Strang? Yes. He offers a lot of Motzek and his own blends. |
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Post by trailboss on Apr 16, 2018 15:54:39 GMT -5
I had heard awhile back that sourcing the leaf was the problem, it looks to be the case....bummer!
Has anyone tried Micha’s Cake from Strang? It looks tasty.
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Post by Legend Lover on Apr 16, 2018 16:01:38 GMT -5
That's interesting. Am I right to assume that Motzek still provide other blends than Strang? Yes. He offers a lot of Motzek and his own blends. I understand that mcclelland shut up shop for family reasons on top of everything else, but It's good to hear that these guys are still blending using other sources. |
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Post by mgtarheel on Apr 16, 2018 16:13:48 GMT -5
Tom makes some excellent blends. One of my favorites is "Dork & Berger" a blend with some cigar leaf, burly, perique , and VA. Mighty tasty!
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 16, 2018 18:20:35 GMT -5
Much the same reason McClelland went out of business and alarming. All the good old fashioned growers of high grade VA leaf and others are retiring, quitting from losses, or extinct; to put it nicely. Very concerning for the future of pipe and cigar tobacco and also snuff, dip, and chew. (Forget cigarettes, they smoke reconstituted stems anyway) There will always be Middleton's Cherry. |
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Post by headrott on Apr 25, 2018 2:54:24 GMT -5
WTF!? How did I not see this thread until now, JimInks !? Thanks for the information Jim. I pray that Tom finds a replacement leaf (or leaves) to make Strang in all it's glory. It's arguably the best VaPer made (or should be made) today, period. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2018 3:06:30 GMT -5
Thanks for letting us know why Strang is MIA, Jim. I was wondering why it was taking so long for a new batch to be produced. I had heard awhile back that sourcing the leaf was the problem, it looks to be the case....bummer! Has anyone tried Micha’s Cake from Strang? It looks tasty. I've had Micha's Cake and I'm a fan. Very nice tobacco. I like Motzek's Old Curly Mixture too. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Apr 25, 2018 10:17:42 GMT -5
I have a small section of Strang that I would like to smoke. Since I only have enough for one bowl, I am asking for suggestions on how to prepare it, and the best pipe for it.
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Post by PhantomWolf on Apr 25, 2018 10:41:54 GMT -5
Reading up on this and I'm intrigued. Per-usual my response is that I must try it, but I also have a lot of respect for blenders (much like our recent friends from Missouri) who would rather halt production than compromise something they know is very dear to their customers. That being said.. I have seen quite a few reviews for blends that have been sold to other blenders or even matches of old blends that a good many credible Pipers have preferred to the originals, so maybe a new take on Strang wouldn't be such a bad idea?
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 25, 2018 12:06:12 GMT -5
I have a small section of Strang that I would like to smoke. Since I only have enough for one bowl, I am asking for suggestions on how to prepare it, and the best pipe for it. All this talk of Strang has me wanting to smoke some. The structure of the rope is pretty interesting since there are a number of smaller rolled strands within it, and some of these can be a bit tough to cut. So what I end up doing is cutting a couple of slices, then chopping that up, and then ripping apart some of the smaller ropes to distribute the leaf a bit. I'll let that all dry for several hours (Strang being about the wettest tobacco sold) until it's just shy of bone dry. I gravity feed it into group 5 sized chamber, and fire it up. So far I haven't found that chamber size makes much of a difference. The biggest difference is getting the moisture right. Smoked too moist and there's just no there, there. Get rid of all of that excess moisture and you're rewarded with a very fruity strong Va/Per that leaves most other Va/Pers tasting like wallpaper paste in comparison. Just chopped some up. Will be ready to smoke in a few hours. |
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Post by PhantomWolf on Apr 25, 2018 12:15:29 GMT -5
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Post by Legend Lover on Apr 25, 2018 14:43:05 GMT -5
I have a small section of Strang that I would like to smoke. Since I only have enough for one bowl, I am asking for suggestions on how to prepare it, and the best pipe for it. All this talk of Strang has me wanting to smoke some. The structure of the rope is pretty interesting since there are a number of smaller rolled strands within it, and some of these can be a bit tough to cut. So what I end up doing is cutting a couple of slices, then chopping that up, and then ripping apart some of the smaller ropes to distribute the leaf a bit. I'll let that all dry for several hours (Strang being about the wettest tobacco sold) until it's just shy of bone dry. I gravity feed it into group 5 sized chamber, and fire it up. So far I haven't found that chamber size makes much of a difference. The biggest difference is getting the moisture right. Smoked too moist and there's just no there, there. Get rid of all of that excess moisture and you're rewarded with a very fruity strong Va/Per that leaves most other Va/Pers tasting like wallpaper paste in comparison. Just chopped some up. Will be ready to smoke in a few hours. a few hours??? I can't plan THAT far ahead. |
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 25, 2018 14:59:30 GMT -5
Delayed Gratification Technique works quite well. After letting the stuff dry for a couple of hours, load up a bowl and set it aside for the following day. Sublime!
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Post by Ronv69 on Apr 25, 2018 15:00:06 GMT -5
So, if I just chop it coarsely, mix it well, and let it dry, I should be good to go?
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 25, 2018 15:05:30 GMT -5
So, if I just chop it coarsely, mix it well, and let it dry, I should be good to go? Yep. That's what I do. Right after I wrote my reply, I chopped some up and set it aside to dry. It feels right, so I've loaded a bowl for later. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Apr 25, 2018 15:11:22 GMT -5
So, if I just chop it coarsely, mix it well, and let it dry, I should be good to go? Yep. That's what I do. Right after I wrote my replay, I chopped some up and set it aside to dry. It feels right, so I've loaded a bowl for later. Mine is 2 years in the jar, but it still feels a little damp. Once I get it chopped up there may be enough for 2 bowls, but I doubt it. It was sent to me by a friend, and after the first try I sent the remainder to JimInks. My tastes have matured some since then. |
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 25, 2018 15:22:06 GMT -5
Yep. That's what I do. Right after I wrote my replay, I chopped some up and set it aside to dry. It feels right, so I've loaded a bowl for later. Mine is 2 years in the jar, but it still feels a little damp. Once I get it chopped up there may be enough for 2 bowls, but I doubt it. It was sent to me by a friend, and after the first try I sent the remainder to JimInks. My tastes have matured some since then. When I first tried Strang, back in 2014, I didn't realize how much drying time it needed. It tasted like dull crap. I gave it an hour. Crap. I gave it 2 hours. Crap. Finally, I gave it what seemed like a stupidly long dry time, about 4 hours. BINGO! |
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Post by peeps on Apr 25, 2018 16:59:21 GMT -5
I don’t know how you can smoke that dreadful stuff!!
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Post by crapgame on Apr 25, 2018 20:46:55 GMT -5
I have a bit Justin, next meet up I will have some to share with you. I have had some of it for 3 years and no telling how much age was on it before I got it. |
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Post by PhantomWolf on Apr 25, 2018 21:50:56 GMT -5
I have a bit Justin, next meet up I will have some to share with you. I have had some of it for 3 years and no telling how much age was on it before I got it. Woo-Hoo! |
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Post by sablebrush52 on Apr 26, 2018 0:25:51 GMT -5
I don’t know how you can smoke that dreadful stuff!! Just doesn't affect me in an unfortunate way. It's like with Red Virginia. I can smoke it all day long, but others can't tolerate it in the least. Strang is a unique blend, a wonderful mixture of savory and sweet. |
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Post by peeps on Apr 26, 2018 5:03:49 GMT -5
I don’t know how you can smoke that dreadful stuff!! Just doesn't affect me in an unfortunate way. It's like with Red Virginia. I can smoke it all day long, but others can't tolerate it in the least. Strang is a unique blend, a wonderful mixture of savory and sweet. Unfortunate is the perfect word. By no means was I serious describing it as dreadful. The taste is fantastic; my body chemistry just said NO! What IS fortunate is not being bound by chasing an out of production blend. |
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