Sutliff Match For McClelland
- Thread starter kanaia
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Wow that didn't take long. I wonder how close any of them really are? I am not surprised they have tried to capture some market share, no flies on the people from Sutliff.
Their Balkan Luxury Blend 957 was a decent Balkan, not really a match for Balkan Blue but a nice blend on it's own. Unfortunately they discontinued that blend.
I don't know about other Sutliff blends but their bulk red Virginia doesn't taste remotely like 5100. It's like comparing water to a fine bourbon.
I'd call it trying to capitalize on a sudden void. I like Sutliff's offerings, but matches for McClelland they are not.
I'd be inclined to agree with you that they aren't the McClelland product. They don't have Mike McNeil spending 18 hours a day, seven days a week, tending the blends through their processing stages and there no match for that.
But these aren't new products. They've been around for quite awhile, so I wouldn't characterize this strictly as trying to capitalize on a sudden void either.
They whip together a list shortly after McClelland closes its doors, and claim them to be match blends. What would you call it?
Information on blends that they had already been making that they considered match blends. Like I said not strictly trying to capitalize on The McClelland Effect
I can do nothing but agree, but good in their way just as McClelland is good in its way. My gripe is why piggy back a company's blends and say they are matches when they are good in their own right? Just seems a bit shallow.
They are in no way replacements or even matches for McClelland...can't be done IMO. But Sutliff offers some darn good alternatives in the same vein at a mighty attractive price point.
For example, Virginia Slices is not Classic Virginia, but it is a fantastic tobacco in its own right and every virginia lover's cellar should be stuffed with this stuff. It's more similar to Orlik but a bit sweeter to me and ages very well.
I think a lot of their "Match" blends of old thyme OTC blends are fantastic. Ready Rubbed and Revelation are great. I'm a big fan of Sutliff non-aromatics as affordable good bulk smokes.
P&C has them 20% off for the month too.
For example, Virginia Slices is not Classic Virginia, but it is a fantastic tobacco in its own right and every virginia lover's cellar should be stuffed with this stuff. It's more similar to Orlik but a bit sweeter to me and ages very well.
I think a lot of their "Match" blends of old thyme OTC blends are fantastic. Ready Rubbed and Revelation are great. I'm a big fan of Sutliff non-aromatics as affordable good bulk smokes.
P&C has them 20% off for the month too.
Pretty sure that most of this is a downgrade compared to the McC bulk VAs. How are you going to have four different tobaccos to give someone and tell them that they are all a match for 2010? I haven't smoked 2010 in probably 15 years, but I remember what it tastes and smells like (basically like #27), and I don't remember any topping on it, yet they offer 501-C which in smelling the tin note alone, (honestly have not smoked it yet, and still willing to say this) definitely has some sort of additional non-tobacco-like flavoring on it. Not as much as their Sweet VA, but similar to it. I smoked their Red VA Ribbon and thought that it could be used as an emergency sub for 5100, but it is not as good as 5100.
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Why be critical of them? They're in the business to sell product and make money. I hope they do. The impact of Sutliff leaving the market would have a much greater impact overall on the pipe smoking industry than McClelland. That's not being disrespectful or saying their tobacco is superior to McClellands. Hard telling how many blends out there are either private labeled or are components supplied by Sutliff.
Meant to type 507-C, not 501. To be fair to Sutliff, I suspect that at least some of the Peretti blends that I like might use at least some of their stuff. My 507-c is already in my "freebie" box based on the tin note, and when I get it down to a slice or two, I'll smoke it and see how it is. =)
I went down and checked the tin note on that 507c again and against some others, and it smells more like Dunhill Flake or FVF, than something like #27 or how I remember the Classic VA. I get that soapy floral smell and a faint liqueur odor from the 507 that I noticed with FVF when I first opened it last year sometime. I'll smoke some of the 507 once the weather warms up, but calling it a match will still probably seem to be a stretch to me then as well. :puffpipe:
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