Älplertabak

Älplertabak is Tabakfabrik Roth's house blend prepared entirely from Swiss-grown leaf. According to the maker's stated ratio, two-thirds of the mixture is Burley and one-third Virginia; the blend is enriched with mint and coltsfoot leaf tea. The resulting taste is built on Burley's nutty fullness, with a fine sweetness, traces of dry hay and spice, and a cooling touch of mint.

Because of the Burley weight, the nicotine sensation sits a notch above Seetaler's, and the taste is earthy rather than flat. As its alpine name suggests, it suits smokers looking for a plain, grassy, herbal character who want to steer clear of heavily fruit-cased aromatics. The blend is produced in 100-gram, 500-gram, and one-kilogram packages.