Tobaccos Japan Tobacco - Momoyama (Smoking Mixture)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2005-03-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

MOMOYAMA is the epochal name of a period in Japanese Art and Architecture around the turn of the XVII century. To name a tobacco thus, would be the equivalent of our naming one "Renaissance".

It is therefore particularly appropriate that I should have discovered this delightful mixture while walking through Greenwich Village, on my way to see what turned out to be a very entertaining production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline. I popped into "Village Cigars", in the corner of Hudson and Christopher streets?a corner indelibly associated with in- and UNdescribable souvenirs?et voilà! A new face beckoned.

I was initially taken with the Zen-elegant tin design: a crisp silver background, with a red border. In the centre, the stylised silouette of a galleon, also red, main-masts square-rigged, lateen-rigged over the aftercastle. The name MOMOYAMA in almost Cyrillic-looking lettering.

As I opened the tin, a smell like overripe apples?a smell I abhor?wafted out. This soon dissipated, though, and something like the perfume of red wine remained. Périque! Also, the unmistakable yeasty-smoky scent of Latakia. There is ribbon-cut mahoganny Virginia here too, and a bigger, wild-cut yellowish leaf as well, too greenish for bright Virginia, too lush-looking for Burley: Lemon Virginia?? The whole thing looks top quality, inside a perfectly-ruffled thick paper sleeve. MOMOYAMA is obviously put together by people who know.

I pinch-fill my Tsuge Ikebana?what else??with it, and light in one movement with Spanish Bamboo foco-locos. Catches easily. Big smoke.

I taste the red Virginia first: semi-sweet, smooth, sec. Not much Latakia depth, although, after a few moments, the taste gets bigger, graver. After some 2 minutes, Périque comes to the fore...in a big way. The taste keeps getting bigger, spicier: I am beginning to LOVE it. Never overbearing, always well balanced, this mixture keeps my attention nevertheless, even though it burns problem-free. Very flavourful.

To say that MOMOYAMA is Early Morning Pipe with Périque would be accurate, but misleading. The perfect balance suggests EMP, but this has a more interesting, less bland cast. The Périque gives it real pizzazz without going over the top. Nevertheless, this is very much for the Périque lover; a light virginia-latakia mix, but with a definitely "with Périque" cachet.

A surprising and delightful discovery.

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PS 1/'03

I have been smoking this for several months, now, and have grown to like it even more. When the tobacco dries out a bit inside the Mason jar, it integrates better in flavour and becomes really deliciously smooth. I am, by the way, not at all sure that there is any Latakia here after all. I am a vampire and sleep in a coffin. The subtle smoky-yeasty nose (and flavour) are more like dark-red Virginia. Delightful.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-07-07		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Review is of a 10 year old tin. I recall smoking this in the 1990's when it was readily available in the States, and I recall it being wet in the tin. This was at perfect smoking moisture. A mostly light colored ribbon cut with the tin aroma of a light aromatic blend, but dry to the touch.

I think most of we pipe aficionados would like to think of ourselves as purists, but I admit that I love certain tobaccos with noticeable flavorings, including St Bruno and many of the Lakeland flakes. This is a flavored tobacco, and it is excellent. The dark fruit flavor enhancer really brings out the high quality of the virginia and perique leaf (never noticed any latakia), even though the concoction sounds like something a purist would balk at smoking. It is sweet, but not that much sweeter than a straight lemon virginia. The room aroma is such that friends and family would enjoy it, but does tend to "take over" a room - best smoked outdoors. I did not notice any high levels of nicotine but the flavor was hard to ignore. This is a great aperatif or dessert tobacco, but can be smoked all day long (assuming you could find enough!). This may be one of the most perfect tobaccos around, great for any time of day, and satisfying in most every way tobacco needs to be.

If you like a naturally sweet tobacco, or if you're looking for an aromatic that isn't drenched in casing, or if you want a great room note with something that won't gag you with the taste of cherries, this is your tobacco. I don't know if this is around even in Japan, but it needs to make a comeback in the U.S. Excellent tobacco!

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2013-11-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This was the first pipe tobacco I smoked. I live in Japan and found this in an old general store. The tin was from 2002 and cost me about 7 bucks.

As soon as I opened it, it gave off a scent of plum wine, figs and other berries. It was relatively moist even after 11 years!

It smoked decently cool and very evenly, it does have a little bit of tongue bite so please be careful.

I don't know how many of these are still around but if you can find the pre-MacBaren version, I would recommend it. I'm about half way through my 50g tin and it just gets better after every smoke. Very nice for an aromatic and definitely no synthetic casing taste.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2020-09-14		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The woody, earthy, floral, spicy, herbal, vegetative, sweet and sour, fragrant, incense-like Orientals are the lead component most of the time. The red Virginia provides a burst of tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, some sugar, light floralness and spice. Occasionally, it edges out the Orientals. The peppery, earthy, woody, plumy, raisiny perique is in the third slot most of the time. The nutty, earthy, woody, molasses sweet burley is occasionally a tad more obvious than the perique. Usually, it’s behind the perique by a razor’s edge. The tart and tangy citrus, grassy, bready, sugary, floral bright Virginia plays below the level of the burley. At most, it’s a condiment. Sometimes, I think I notice a touch of Cyprian Latakia, but I believe the Orientals cause that. The lead topping appears to be a fruity, sweet and sour Japanese plum wine. I also observe a little caramel in the background. The toppings moderately sublimate the tobaccos. The strength and nic-hit are medium. The taste level is a couple of steps past that mark. There’s no chance of bite or harshness present. Has a few minute rough notes. It burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with deeply rich, sweet, floral, mildly spicy, lightly sour, inconsistent, very complex flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a few more than an average number of relights. I seldom give four stars to a blend with this much variability of flavors, but I am making an exception in this case.

-JimInks

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2003-07-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Wow! Just for fun, I purchased a tin of that Japanese tobacco, Momoyama, a couple of months ago. I popped the tin tonight and am in absolute heaven! It is short, ribbon cut with some cubes that are almost black. Most of the leaf is dark and the smell in the tin is of ripe figs and some kind of alcohol with a very slight Perique smell as well. The wrapper has turned a musky brown in color from whatever the additive is in this stuff along with the unusually dark bits of cube cut. It is strong in nicotine content and is certainly a heavy rather than light blend. The taste is more sweet than bitter, and it burns as cool as any Virginia/Burley I've ever smoked. I know the description does not include Burley, but I detected a hint of that leaf during the smoke. At the midway point of the bowl, I detected a hint of Perique, but it was so far in the background that it was hardly noticible. Near the bottom of the bowl, no doubt about it -- Perique. I looked at http://www.tobaccoreviews.com to check out what others had to say here. Anyway, every reviewer consideres this blend to be exemplary. I guess this is a sleeper pick because I have not heard much about this Japanese tobacco but it is simply wonderful and unique. I don't know when the last time was that I enjoyed a new tobacco as much as this stuff.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (396)	2018-12-07		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

One of the nice things about attending the pipe club I go to is that I get to try old and or discontinued blends. This is one of them. This blend as stated was produced by Japan Tobacco Inc. Not sure of the year manufactured or the year this was stopped being produced until Mac Baren took over. I smoked 4 bowls of this and the tin note was a slight liqueur smell? Kind of hard for me to tell other than it was a sweet fragrance. This is a mild aromatic. The second and subsequent bowls I smoked seem to taste better possibly due to other tobacco being smoked in the pipe previously. It tasted okay but for the life of me I cannot place this in any particular category. Good tobacco but for me I would somewhat recommend this one and since it is no longer in production it probably is a moot point. From the Oxford Living Dictionary, “Momoyama, adjective, Attributive, designating a period in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600, characterized by political unification and great magnificence and ostentation, or the cultural artefacts of this period. Origin, 1920s; earliest use found in Pacific Affairs. From Momoyama, the name of a hill near Fushimi, south of Kyoto (Japanese Momoyama, lit. ‘Peach Mountain’), and of a castle built there by the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi during this period, used attributively after Japanese Momoyama-jidai Momoyama age, period.”

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Unknown

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2012-01-05		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

UPDATE After smoking more of this I can absolutely get wisps of Latakia. I was surprised when it dawned on me. This was a blend that has a flavor that is hard to describe, but the smokiness of latakia is subtly present but just enough to give the blend a perfectly complex flavor. It goes well with whatever topping casing was added...amazing! There is perique in the blend as well because that typical perique spiciness comes out and tickles the back of the throat from time-to-time. There is a bit of an N kick as well that most other aro's don't have. This is top notch stuff!!

Original Review Strange the description mentions Lat. and Per. I didn't detect any from the smell out of the tin or in the smoke. This is by far the best Aro. I have ever had the opportunity of smoking. I have a relative that lives in Japan and they brought me a few tins on their last visit. What a treat! Plums, figs, somebody mentioned wine in another review... I can pick that up as well. It smokes wonderfully into a nice white ash. Doesn't leave a sticky residue like most aro's. Not any bite when smoking it either and it leaves a pleasant aroma. I highly recommend this... especially since I'm not a huge fan of Aromatics.

Pipe Used: Bent Billard, Dublin, Egg, Acorn

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-5 years

Purchased From: Gifted

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2011-05-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Momoyama begins with an outstanding tin aroma. Plums,figs and raisins come to mind. A scent typical of a well aged Vaper (even though it isn't a Vaper). The addition of the topping adds to the sweetness. In the strict sense of the word it could be considered an aromatic, however, I would not call it such. The tobacco is rich and I find the flavors very similar to some of the old Dunhill blends. I find it to be very similar to Dunhill Ultra Mild although Momoyama is a bit better. If there is Latakia in this blend, it was added with the lightest of hands as I can't find the Latakia flavor at all. I don't think this blend is produced any longer or is not available in the US which is a shame. A quality tobacco such as Momoyama belongs in the marketplace. Highly Recommended!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2008-07-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Although I had travelled to Japan, and bought tobacco there, I learnt of Asuka and Momoyama from this site. My better half got me some of both in 2004, and this review is based on those tins. They are Mac Baren made and actually say Momoyama II. I conjecture a distinction is being made between the original and the incarnation.

On opening the tin the paper insert was soaked through, though the tobacco was adequately moist. There were sourish, winey top notes - somewhat reminiscent of Stonehaven and University Flake - with a basso profundo note (if I may mix metaphors) of good tobacco. I smoked it in pipes previously used for Escudo and Deluxe Navy Rolls. It packed well, and burnt well to a fine ash without leaving any dottle.

There is definitely perique in the mixture, and very well applied, too. The top notes disappear during the bowl. There is an aftertaste that lingers pleasantly in the mouth. In wine-speak, Momoyama has a long finish.

I have put down `none detected` for flavouring because the top notes do not survive putting match to tobacco.

I like Momoyama very much, but I do wonder if minus the exotic origin my reaction would be exactly the same.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2013-12-09		Medium to Strong	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased a tin of this stuff while vacationing in Japan in 2006. It was the last tin in the shop. I have since "lost" the tin, so I can't say for sure if it was blended by Mac Baren, however, the lady who sold it to me said it was blended in Denmark for the Japanese market, so maybe. Frankly, I was surprised to see any pipe tobacco at all in Tokyo, pipe smoking isn't very popular there. At the time, I purchased the tin not for its tobacco, as I wasn't smoking then, but for the tin. What happened to the tin? Read on. I opened this only several weeks ago, in August. Now, I'll have to admit, the interim years of it sitting on my shelf may have done this tobacco a disservice (perhaps the stuff doesn't age well, who knows). Upon opening it I was greeted with a sickly scent of plum wine and figs. The tobacco was so heavily cased, and wet, I thought there would be zero chance of lighting it. I was nearly right on that matter—the rough cut dark tobacco was difficult to pack and it didn't take to lighting very well. The taste, a sweet syrupy plum molasses-like concoction was not to my liking. There was also a bit of a nicotine kick, and, if pressed, it bit. Truly, this tobacco was very unpalatable; I suffered several more bowls of this stuff over the summer and then unceremoniously threw the tin and its contents in the trash (all the time forgetting that I had originally purchased it for the tin). It was the only tin I dumped this year. Foul stuff. I cannot recommend it.

Cheers!

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: A Tobacco shop in Tokyo, Japan

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Redd (117)	2007-07-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Thank goodness that this is no longer produced. Having lived in Japan for ten years the one thing the Japnaese can not do is Blend tobacco. This is their way of trying knocking off Rattary's Dark & Fragrant. Sorry not even close.I would consider this a rancid blend.That leaves a sour after taste and while smoking is closer to smnoking a Parlimnet Cigarette then pipe tobacco. Maybe they shoud have added some Wasabi to it?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-08-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Just to chime in a wee bit, this, as others have so rightly stated , is most assuredly a quality tobak. In all honesty, I haven't smoked this since the late 90's and remember when it first hit the tobacco shoppe shelves. It was not unlike some of the other "fruity" VA tobaccos, but it was unique in that there were characteristics of other various tobaks seemingly combined together in a very attractive tin. Reminds me a bit of the aroma and flavor of Limerick. That could be just my taste. My notes contain the terms "citrusy", "slight woodiness" and "spicy". I remember the Perique being light and simply peeking out from time to time. Mostly a nice red VA flavor with added goodies. Packed well, lit and burned easily enough, smoked cool and relatively dry. I liked it and would not hesitate to try it again, hence the rating I gave it. This in no way degrades the tobak, I just have so much open stuff around to smoke that I haven't purchased any more of late. If I try it again and like it at least as well as before it will take a place in the cabinet. Well worth a try though folks, & the price IS nice to boot. Very tasty tobak that Momoyama. Works for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2021-01-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I was lucky enough to have this included in a lot of tobacco that I bid on and won in an estate auction a few years back. I have no clue about the date of the tin I won, but based on the fact that nearly nothing in the auction was newer than 2005, I estimate it is no newer than around 16 years old.

I don't know when they stopped making this; in fact, I knew and still know very little about this blend, but I do know that it is unfortunate it is not made today because it is fantastic. This is my kind of aromatic, a light fruity aromatic with enough complexity to make it interesting. This is an easy four star blend; I can't think of anything bad to say about it other than it is no longer made.

The topping is lightly applied, which is good as it allows the underlying leave to shine. The oriental(s) really add a nice touch of sour citrus to the mix and the perique adds some body and spice. The Virginia and burley form the base adding and accentuating sweetness in the experience.

The cut packs nice and easy. The leaf takes to flame with no issue and stays lit for the most part with little effort. It smokes cool, no doubt, another bonus to the addition to perique and oriental. As I stated earlier 4 stars.

Age When Smoked: 16 years or older

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (250)	2013-04-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Not had the original; this is a review of the MB blending. I was sent a sample of a few bowls, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I can taste the hand of Mac Baren, but none of the bite I sometimes get with Mac Baren blends that don't have at least a decade of age on them. Latakia? Perique? I suppose the proportions of both are about what one expects from Mac Baren. No matter; the Virginias are quality, and though there is nothing to blow one away, it is a good, solid smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flagg1122 (15)	2009-07-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of the few aromatic tobaccos I enjoy. I live in Japan and Momoyama is readily avalible here. I dont know if it is hard to find in the states or europe. The taste is plum and maybe peach (the Japanese word for peach is momo,so?). In Japan it cost less than 10USD, good smoke for a nice price.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-03-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'll begin by saying that i'm reviewing Momoyama II so no one gets confused. I've never smoked the original. Momoyama II is a great tobacco. I'm not sure exactly what is in it, but mostly Virginia tobaccos from what i can detect. It is an aromatic, but the flavoring is very subtle. I would probably describe it as a Navy blend or something very similar. Very natural tobacco flavors, but with a very subtle, fruity (but a more dry fruity like a wine) top note. If i could compare it to anything else i've smoked i'd say it is very similar to Mac Baren's Plumcake. No latakia in this one, but very similar in style and flavor (both Plumcake and Momoyama II are actually blended by Mac Baren). I'd say i like this just a little bit better. I find it burns just a bit cooler than Plumcake. It might bite a little bit. For all you who can knock out an average sized bowl in, say... 45 minutes or less, you might not like this. So please, do not get this if you find a tin. Just tell me about it and i'll get rid of it for you.. Wonderful Stuff, 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-06-30		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I'm reviewing the MomoyamaII blend, which maybe be a little altered from the original. Blended by Mac Baren's in Denmark, I asked a Japanese client could he please honor me with a gift of a couple of tins. Perhaps it is this sentimental story - told with the knowledge that my tin was purchased by an up and coming, young intelligent man in the advertising business that makes my tin taste so good...but I suspect not. 10 out of 5 stars...absolutely outstanding...beyond compare or comparison, possibly the best tobacco Mac Baren have ever produced...but not sold in Europe...oh the irony! Luckily I do a lot of business with the Japanese..which I find is always and honor and a great pleasure...but with a tin of Momoyama...no game...truely...an outstanding blend! Rich, a bit wet in the tin (will age superbly), plum wine, sweet - but with all so many flavours bouncing around...seaweed, sakai, caramel, red wine, perique, the smokiness of latakia, the list goes on...truley, truley amazing...Mac Baren really show their well known blending abilities with this one. Top.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-12-25		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Intrigued by the reviews on this site, I recently purchased a tin of this on a well-known auction site for a premium, hoping it to be a treat to try on a special occasion. Here it is Christmas Day (Merry Christmas everyone!) and I cracked open the well-aged tin to try.

Very pronounced, fruity, almost alcohol-laden aroma. A previous reviewer noting Japanese plum wine may have hit the nail on the head. Not bad, just very different and interesting.

Upon lighting and smoking the Momoyama in a medium-sized, rusticated Don Carlos billiard, I was fascinated by the myriad of flavors that the obviously cased tobacco took on from begining to end. Orange zest at the begining, baked apples, plums, black cherries, and then boiling down to a melange of all of the above. A real nice room note, too.

I never really noticed the Perique that more experienced pipers have noted, but I would yield to their knowledge and experience in discerning the components that make up this blend. I think that fact that I never noticed the Perique further serves to emphasize how well-made this blend is. I like Perique when it is used skillfully and sparingly and I think that may apply in this case.

By no means is this an everyday smoke, but no doubt it's unique, interesting, and just what I was hoping for: a special occasion, unique and flavorful smoke.

Too bad it's discontinued. Most definitely recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-06-05		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

My first impression on this tobacco was not good as I noticed too much of chemical additives used for flavoring. Substanial amount of the 100g tin was left over for 7 months in a jar and quite recently, just in fun for a change of air, I pinched some of this and packed into a Tom Eltang Ukulele. Surprisingly, the smell which I abhored last time has gone, and I was rewarded with quite nice taste which reminded me of Haddo's Delight, but with slightly more vividness. Maybe I'll add one or two tins of this to my cellar.

The tin I tasted was obviously a product by MacBaren and was named Momoyama II.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2005-09-07		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

It's a shame this tobacco is not produced any more, to my knowledge. Upon first opening the tin, I thought the tobacco had been cased in Japanese plum wine, but when smoking it, I found the plum flavour to be a slight note in fuller experience of the tobacco. This tobacco burns evenly, has a balanced moisture content, and has a great flavour and room note. Stock up on this if you can find it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-12-19		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Ah, sweet oblivion. If only I could wander mindlessly through life, what wonders I would encounter. Nope. I had to develop taste. Learned, scholarly, erudite taste. Yet this ability has often betrayed me- that $4 bottle of wine can't possibly be good, I find myself saying, no matter how many times I find evidence to the contrary. And that tobacco, well, it's- gasp- an aromatic, for God's sake. Why, oh why, was I cursed with these sophisticated taste buds?

So it was not without a degree of disdain that I approached my first tin of Momoyama. Initially purchased on a whim (I enjoy acquiring oddball items), it sat on a shelf for many months. One day, when, despite having dozens to choose from, I couldn't settle on either a Virginia or Latakia blend, I decided to give it a try. The smallish, round tin features a red vessel, Hamborger Veermaster style, against a silver/gray background, with "Momoyama" written in a font that makes me wish I had better handwriting. Popping the lid revealed the finest quality ruffled paper liner I have ever seen. It was heavily saturated with oils, reminiscent of a tin of Penzance. Then it hit me- a heavy essence of fruit surged from the tin. Apple, prune, fig- overipe and stewed. Oh boy, I thought- this is going to be brutal. Surprisingly, this overt odor dissipated quickly, leaving a mild, persistent aroma that is semi-sweet with a hint of alcohol. The bouquet reminded me of a great Hermitage, perhaps a Chave.

Lighting and burning qualities are exemplary, and the mixture smokes cool (if smoked with care) and fairly dry. No description of the tobaccos used is given, but I guess it's based on Bright and Burley, with a healthy dose of Orientals and some Perique.

Ah, the Perique. I have a love/hate relationship with this leaf. It's one of my favorites, and one of the great condiment tobaccos of the world, but it is far too often misused. Even such classic blends as Three Nuns, Escudo, and, yes, even Haddo's can be off-putting. Perhaps it is because Perique is so powerful that the slighest inhomogeneities in the blend are apparent, causing a roller coaster ride, rather than a smooth, continuous smoke. In Momoyama, the Perique is perfectly incorporated, and builds, seemingly from nowhere, both in flavor and intensity, gradually and deliberately, as it should. Greg Pease should have so deft a hand.

Virginias with Orientals but without significant Latakia may seem a bit odd (the lovely Campanile comes to mind), and the light overtones of fruit may not be appreciated by all, but Momoyama goes a splendid job of integrating everything into a terrific blend. Any fan of Blue Note should try it to see what a proper, high-end, light aromatic can be. Any true fan of this hobby will recognize this to be a great blend, despite any preconceived notions regarding toppings.

More good news- it's ridiculously underpriced. If it were the next release from GLP, people would line up around the block to buy it.

Addendum, 7/04- I have just finished my penultimate tin of Momoyama, and find myself languishing in a slough of despondancy. I should have bought 100 tins. Make that 200.

Addendum, 12/04- Yes, Virginia fans, there is a Santa Claus, and he lives in the great state of Washington. I recently received in the mail the most thoughtful and generous gift in the form of two sealed tins of Momoyama. My faith in humanity, having languished over the last several years, has been fully restored. That a complete strange would see fit to share such a bounty with me has forced me to reconsider some long held opinions regarding the worth of mankind. To say the least, there exists at least one kind soul on the west coast who does not have to worry about finding bail money, at least as long as I'm around.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-10-01		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I never thought a Japanese tobacco could be so good...

The tin aroma is like a typical bright and red matured Virginia (fruity, alternately sweet and sour), with a winey note that could mean the presence of Perique and/or a strange fruit/alcoholic topping. I can't feel Orientals, but some of the cubed bits look a lot like burley.

Lighting is easy, and the burning rate is regular thanks to the OK humidity level of the mixture. Taste is subtle, not invasive, rich of nuances: delicate notes of dried fruit and lemon, orange... Not a lof of evolution in the course of the bowl, but who cares...

A very pleasant experience with this tobacco lies in expelling the smoke from your nostrils, to better appreciate the sourish flavour which reminds of tamarind. Sometimes it even has some similarities to the 20 year old tin of Dunhill Elizabethan I had the luck of smoking some time ago.

Nicotine content is not negligible, but it's relaxing, never excessive. Even the supposed Perique content is moderate, so you won't get throat irritation or tonguebite.

If the tobacco gets a bit too dry (as in my case: I don't smoke much of this kind of blends, so the tin stayed open for more than a month), the Burley makes its presence more evident, with some slightly unpleasant harshness.

It's one of the most unusual and smoothest semi-aromatic blends you may have the chance to smoke... Too bad because it seems it went out of production!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-09-09		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

This blend did nothing for me.It was so heavilly cased with a fruity topping,that any enjoyment of tobacco flavor was voided out.I would call this a "run o' the mill" aromatic.I gave the tin away and wish NOT to try it again.Pipers that enjoy this though,would also like Dan's "Blue Note"...Not me though... prep

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-06-26		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A great smoke. It sells like mad and is priced well, which is unfortunate for all of us, because I have heard from two different tobacconists that the company has stopped producing the brand (supposedly due to lack of demand, though I don't see how) and it is no longer being exported. Short of the back of a speciality store or a Japanese friend, don't expect to find any more of this. If you find this awesome blend anywhere, save it for a special occasion. You won't be dissapointed.

\/\/\/\/ I'm glad to hear it's back in production, I really want to try the new tin! Please let me know if you find any US distributors, I'd love to grab a few tins (my email: vmallocusinternet.com ). I e-mailed my previous source and never heard back from them, and then I asked Macbaren and they told me to ask the importer I had before. Go figure.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2004-05-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Japan Tobacco Industry have introduced a new version of Momoyama to Japanese market since this May. The new version is now producted by MacBaren. I tried a pouch and enjoyed myself very much. New Momoyama is milder and a bit sweeter. The flavour of Rum gets slight richer. You may have come to despair of this fact in case you have been enjoying this blend for a long time. But I am favorable to this change because I feel some irritation from burley with older Momoyama. Please note: New version contains 100g per a tin or 50g per a pouch. A retail price have gone up a little.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-12-20		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

December 2003.Momoyama. Ah! Soft,gentle & thoroughly delicious.Doesn't stink the house out & those all around LOVE IT. ( And so do I )This is a tobacco that can defintely be smoked all day & non stop infact,without causing a bite!! It has a superb non sickly sweet taste & leaves you wanting more. Everything that has been said in the positive reviews before me,is absolutely true! Highly recomended & also great for new comer's to the world of pipe smoking.Enjoy!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-10-14		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Momoyama- the mystery tobacco. Perique, or not? Latakia, or not? Aromatic, or not? Cubed burley or not? What everyone can agree on is a great price and a great tin. (Curiously, there is a http://www.momoyama.com, but alas it is in Japanese, and looks to be wide of the mark anyway...) This is certainly a blend that begs more questions than it supplies answers for.

I feel comfortable in asserting that there is no latakia. As for perique, of this I am not so sure. If there is perique, it is a small amount, and well hidden, on the front end at least. An argument in perique's favor is the building of strength towards the end of the bowl. In fact, it is the last third of the bowl that makes it for me with this blend. An argument against the inclusion of perique is that there does not seem to be a perique impact on the room note, plus I do not get nose tickles from this one.

There seems to be some topping, but I do not detect much, if any, added sweetness. The topping is most noticable in the tin aroma (can a natural tobacco blend actually smell like this?), but does not follow through in the taste much, or the room note for that matter. So... is it an aromatic? Yes, in my book, but a unique one and not a blend to satisfy the sweet tooth that often motivates the aromatic smoker. Would I recommend this blend? By all means, but only to those who have a sense of curiosity and an open mind. It is good stuff for the right smoker.

BTW, For what it is worth, my tin was aged a good year before sampling.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-08-23		Medium	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

In the tin it appears to be primarily dark brown and black crimp cut tobacco with the addition of dark brown flakes and black strands. To me the tobacco smells of mango ala Major Grey's chutney. The initial light is acrid on the back of the palate and in the nose. However, it smooths out almost immediately. The smoke is very mild and sweet on the tongue. I do not get much, if any, distinctive tobacco flavor. The flavoring additive dominates this mild blend. The unusual flavoring is not overpowering or off-putting. But for me, each puff delivers the taste of the flavoring additive rather than the taste of tobacco. This is a mild, mild smoke from start to finish. I smoked an entire tin and devoted one pipe to this tobacco, trying to get a handle on it. I will probably purchase Momoyama again and keep it on hand for a rare pipeful because of its unique taste. Paddy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2003-07-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was my first trial of a Japanese pipe tobacco and the quality, as long evidenced in their autos, was clearly present here. The rubbed out tobacco ranges from golden brown to almost black and includes some interesting chunks that look to have been taken from a curly cut or rope. The originally white paper liner was stained from what I believe to be the natural sugars and oils in the blend. The intial tin aroma is sweetly alcoholic, fruity and very inviting but this faded as the tobacco dried out and was not as evident in the smoke. Packing and lighting were easy and a cool, effortless smoke resulted. The taste was nicely balanced and varied thru the smoke which makes me think that there is more here than just the VAs as indicated above. I'd suspect a nice touch of Perique. This blend is also very reasonably priced and well below most other tinned imports of this quality. Give it a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-07-17		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Very Pleasant

This tobacco has become one of my favorites. I have noticed on ASP that a lot of people refer to this as an aromatic. I disagree on this. Yes it may have some topping (Or is this the Virginias sweetness) I really don't really care. You get all of the good tobacco taste.

I have also heard some say this has Latakia in the blend. I can detect none. The one thing that stands out to me is the perique. This tobacco stays even all the way down through bowl. It will give a bit of a nicotine kick.

Anyone who is hesitant to try this because they have heard it is an aromatic give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

And it is about 1/2 the price of most other tinned tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2003-03-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Nice stuff. I can't tell whether the fruity aroma is from casing or from the tobacco itself, but it's nice anyway; sort of like a lighter Condor or Erinmore. It sort of leans toward the strong side as far as nicotine goes, but is far from the strongest. It's a little better when allowed to dry out a bit.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2002-08-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

There isn't much left to say after Eulenburg's review, except to say ... yes, exactly, and thank you for piquing my interest enough that I bought a tin. I can't tell whether it has a very light and subtle topping, or simply a superior grade of perique in the mixture. An unusual balance of integration and complexity, I ordered more before I quite finished the first tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Duke Nukum (16)	2022-03-06		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Perhaps this blend was never made to be aged so long. When I opened my tin in February 2022 after receiving it December 2003, the expected fruity and floral aromas had disappeared, having melded into the tobacco entirely. The aroma left was one reminiscent of Anisette liqueur. The dark brown and black ribbons felt dry-ish, though the tin's vacuum seal was intact. The paper liner-basket was stained brown from the tars.

The product packs well and it is surprising how much seems to fit in. It lights easily and burns well, needing only 1 or 2 re-lights, to a grey dry ash.

The room note shortly after opening carried a hint of the Anisette character, but after a week past opening, that was gone.

It smells natural and there seems to be a hint of a Latakia-like character on the palate and very much in the background of the room note. Sidestream aroma is natural, leafy, leathery and earthy though not spicy or aromatic.

The strength was a surprise - I was expecting mild to medium or medium MAX but it is quite fiull bodied in character, strength and has surprising nicotine content.

The after-aroma doesn't seem to linger on clothes as a foul, acrid, ashy smell. Rather it is like an Autumn leaf-fire's cooling ashes and fades altogether after a relatively short time.

I was disappointed that in my hesitancy to open it, I've allowed it to mature past the stability of the original flavourings, so I've missed the fruit and (claimed) Sakura aromas, but what is left is a solid, strong and complex mixture that is satisfying to pack and partake of.

Being no longer in production, this review is more for posterity and as a warning, perhaps, to those with a stash of this or any other product that may not be 100% natural and unflavoured - they may age beyond their best!

Pipe Used: Tsuge 'The Tasting' straight, new

Age When Smoked: 20 Years

Purchased From: Received as gift

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-10-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I was lucky to get ahol of 100g from 2005 of this lovely tobacco. "Semi-aromatic"...that hits the nail on the head imho. Definetly flavored, but in a good manner that leaves room for the tobaccos to shine too, even supporting and enhancing the naural tobacco qualities. The flavoring is more present in the unburnt aroma, than in the smoke, which is a plus for me.

The tin note is hard to describe...I get licorice, caramel and nougat-ish, with fruity notes and an underlying pepper spice to be acknowledged. Almost a ribbon cut, this is a very fine broken flake. Black colors, with red and brown speckles, very few bright ones.

Intense and complex taste. There's the melange of various tobaccos and the top-flavoring that flatters them and vice versa! Peppery, sour-fruity Perique, nutty and earthy Burley, with distinct Oriental aroma that has a woodsy-nutty and sour-ish touch to it. The tobacco qualities are accompanied by a never obtrusive topping of fruitiness, maybe some caramel and very slight licorice. The topping is hard to describe, but I find it very pleasant and mild.

Great, pleasant flavor that will appeal to both aromatic fans and natural lovers, who like a mildly flavored tobacco by times. The aging diddn't fade the topping away tho and its still perfectly conditioned. Not too moist, but a bit. Could be dried for a short time if prefered.

4/4 star worthy, smooth as silk, semi-aromatic, tobacco forward blend that's very pelasant as a treat by times. Worth trying if you can get ahold of it.

Pipe Used: Clay Pipes / Corn Cobs

Age When Smoked: from 2005

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