Japan Tobacco's Asuka Smoking Mixture Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This is reputed to be the heaviest latakia blend offered by the Japan Tobacco Company. It's a medium-cut mixture of medium-to-dark brown tobaccos that contains Virginias, Orientals and latakia, in a proportion that reminds me quite a bit of Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe.

Like Early Morning Pipe, it's full and natural tasting with just a touch of a bittersweet nuttiness, but medium rather than full-bodied and with a slight tang to its flavour. However, Asuka is more aromatic and a bit darker in flavour. I think that there is some kind of topping being used here to sweeten the flavour and aroma a bit, but it's nothing that is sugary or clearly identifiable to me, and it's not enough to make this blend be anything other than a decent, medium English blend.

I suspect the possible addition of an alcoholic spirit, such as cognac, for this extra flavour. I offer this "wild guess" because there is a similar fragrance and flavour that comes through in Esoterica's Pembroke, which is a cognac-flavoured English blend.

The only way I can really describe this flavour overlay is by saying that it resembles tasting that fermented aroma that you often smell upon opening a tin of tobacco - except that in many cases, this fermented aroma doesn't penetrate the actual taste of the smoke in any obvious way.

I suspect the presence of a small quantity of burley in the mixture due to the slight tang it leaves at the back of the tongue. This provides a nice, smooth, satisfying smoke without being at all heavy. To me, it's a lot like Early Morning Pipe, but a bit more vibrant in flavour and simply a bit better overall for my tastes.

It burns easily, but not fast, and reduces to a light grey ash. I am not aware of any store where this can be purchased outside of Japan. However, Monoyama is available in the USA.