Manufacturer Description:
Amphora Special Reserve Blends are a new and modern family of aromatic pipe tobaccos. Amphora Special Reserve No 8 is an excellent blend with a balanced note of exotic fruits.
The blend was composed of Virginia, Burley and Cavendish tobaccos from three continents. Each of these tobaccos gives its own character to this mixture. The special cross cut Virginia guarantees a slow and enjoyable burn, the result is a perfectly rounded pipe tobacco.
Fine tobaccos with the fragrance and taste of exotic fruits delight pipe smokers all over the world.
Characterisation:
The Amphora Special Reserve No 8 is a mixture of light, medium and dark brown tobaccos that appears flaky due to the Cross Cut. Partly the tobaccos seems almost like pressed. However, the manufacturer does not mention the use of Ready Rubbed. The aroma released from the freshly opened pouch is less reminiscent of exotic fruits but of a sweet, red fruit tea, but nonetheless very appetizing. The moisture is just right to be able to stop the tobacco immediately. To keep it that way, you should transfer the tobacco into an airtight container, taking into account a longer storage.
Plugging:
The Amphora Special Reserve No 8 must be plugged with some sensitivity, as the puffing can be difficult if the plugging is too tight. However, with practice, this will become progressively more routine.
Light up:
After a first flame, gently smooth the filling with the tamper before sweeping the surface with another flame to create an uniform glow.
Smoking properties:
The smoke of the Amphora Special Reserve No 8 is immediately lush and surprisingly strong. The basic tobaccos taste spicy and the expected aroma is more noticeable in the background. Also, the taste is less reminiscent of sweet exotic fruits, it is rather tart-sour, but not unpleasant. One might think to smoke a natural blend, with a profoundly natural sweetness and a pinch of Perique. The burn is quiet and even, if you have taken care not to stuff too tight, and - a big plus in flavored tobaccos - neither gargling nor tongue-burning are to be feared. Even the few remaining condensate and the medium gray ash do not require much attention during cleaning.
Redolency:
The redolence of the Amphora Special Reserve No 8 is despite the distinct aroma in the cold scent rather tobacco-real and spicy - a tolerant or also smoking environment is therefore useful if you do not want to enjoy the tobacco alone.
Conclusion:
The Amphora Special Reserve No 8 is a cross cut mixture in various shades of brown. While the preparations require some attention, smoking is very easy. However, if you expect a strong flavored tobacco due to the strong sweet and fruity cold fragrance, you will find that smoking is deceptive. The Amphora Special Reserve No 8 provides a lush, surprisingly spicy and especially tobacco-genuine smoke. If that does not bother you, in the Amphora Special Reserve No 8 you will find a tobacco that is easy to smoke and not uninteresting, and which may be a good introduction to the world of aromatics for some folks.
Copyright © 2017 by TECON GmbH
with friendly support of Dennis Hübel
