The Big Surprise | silvercloud

The Big Surprise May 3rd, 2010

Among the many advantages of living in Saint Charles, IL. is the fact that getting to the annual CPCC show, held every year at Pheasant Run Resort, is just a few minutes drive for me. As anyone who has ever attended the CPCC show can attest, it is a pipeman’s paradise, and this year was no exception. The pipe makers and vendors that we know and love were all there, and now that the show is over and everyone has gone home, the “experts” dutifully write, for their respective mediums, the now requisite tobacco and pipe reviews.

I suspect that what I will present here will comprise a somewhat unique perspective of one of this year’s show offerings. I will not write about the new C&D, McClelland, G.L. Pease or Pipes and Cigars offerings. It isn’t necessary. Plenty of others will write those reviews, and deservidly so. In this writers not so humble opinion, these purveyors of pipe tobacco produce and market the finest product available. So much so, that I have come to expect nothing but the best from them, and they rarely disappoint. So I will not say anymore about the firms mentioned above.

What I am motivated to talk about this year is what I call “The Big Surprise”. Altadis. I’ll be more specific. The Altadis “Sutliff” Private Stock Premium series. The Big Surprise for me is that I would not have given you 50 cents for a car load of Altadis pipe tobacco before the show, but after trying a few blends from the Sutliff series, I will be a regular customer. Gone from this series are the aromatics that taste like they were soaked in cheap pancake syrup. I’ve so far smoked “Maple Street”, CD Blend, and their Balkan Blend (the name escapes me, temporarily I hope). All three are delightful blends that produce a nice room note and are easy, relaxing smokes. I would not have classified the “Balkan” blend as a traditional Balkan, because it was just a tad sweet and didn’t necessarily meet the flavor profile of what most pipemen would consider a Balkan, but it was very good none the less, so much so that I will buy it and add it to my everyday rotation, as I surely will CD Blend and Maple Street. Altadis was extremely generous with their samples, so I have quite a number of their other blends to try. At some point in the not to distant future, I will review some of these in detail, but for the present, I felt moved to alert the readership of this fine electronic publication to the Sutliff series from Altadis. My hat is off to Altadis for obviously listening to their customers and producing some fine new blends.

Every year, I leave the show having learned something. This year, my lesson learned was to open my mind and “quit smoking the name” as my pipe smoking friend, “Chicago Pipe” would say. He’s right. There’s lot’s of great stuff out there. I wonder what next year’s show will bring?

8 Responses to “The Big Surprise”

sapo59 said:

Great info, Might have to give some a try.

May 3rd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
pstlpkr said:

I look forward to hearing more.
Thanks

May 3rd, 2010 at 2:57 pm
cortezattic said:

Thanks for the heads-up on Altadis’ Sutliff series. I’ll be keeping an eye out for it. The post was a nice reality check too, because I have to admit some guilt for smoking the label and not the contents.

May 3rd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Kevin said:

That is a big surprise Brad!

I remember meeting you last year when I went to my first show. Did I see you this time? I talked to so many people, I am not sure.

I am glad you are telling us about the new Sutliff Private Stock.

I had some from last year that I liked, but didn’t love. I have two of the new ones that I will try sooner now.

Thanks again for the good advise.

May 3rd, 2010 at 5:17 pm
silvercloud said:

Kevin,

We did not see each other this time. Next year, I will plan better and make an effort to meet with my friends here at Pipes Magazine.com. Saint Charles is blessed with many fine eating and drinking establishments. Perhaps next year a group of us can plan to get together. BTW, I loved the show. It seems to improve
every year.

Best regards,
Brad

May 4th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Bob said:

Brad,

Too bad that we did not run into each other at the show. There is so much going on there that it is mind blowing. Maybe we will see each other at next year’s show.

I too am surprised about your take on the new Sutliff blends. I did not get any to try because I rapidly ran out of room in my luggage, lol. It sounds like something I will have to try though. Thanks for posting your thoughts on it!

May 4th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Sutliff Private Stock Pipe Tobacco Blends | Pipes Magazine - Community for the 21st Century Tobacco Pipe Smoker said:

[...] The Sutliff Private Stock Pipe Tobacco brand has been around for over 160 years. During the recent Chicago Pipe Show, Altadis unveiled several new blends that have at least one seasoned pipe smoker pleasantly surprised. See this blog post by Silvercloud, entitled, "The Big Surprise". [...]

May 19th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
birmingham0irish said:

Am I missing something?

I picked up 3 tins of these blends in Chicago, not knowing who Sutliff was, and for that matter, ignorant that Altadis had ever produced pipe tobacco. I excitedly sat down in the smoking tent, cracked open a tin of Blend No. 5…

and proceeded to smoke the blandest tobacco I’ve tasted.

I really did not know it was possible to produce a bland latakia blend. I did not know it was possible for latakia to lose its flavor mid-bowl. But, apparently, it is possible. I figured I got a bad batch, or it just wasn’t my style. So, I cracked open a tin of Sunrise Smoke….

and got a carbon copy of the same bland latakia and flavorless perique.

Given my ignorance of the Altadis brand, and eagerness to try Sutliff, I cannot agree that my experience was a case of “Smoking the Label.” I have to respectfully disagree and advise folks not to waste $14.00 on a tin.

May 22nd, 2010 at 7:23 am

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