Living the Life of Luxury
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Kevin Godbee - Nov 4, 2014
- 4 min read
E. Roberts
How do you define luxury? Do visions of Rolls Royce’s Spirit of Ecstasy come to mind, weekend trips in a private jet, a bungalow retreat in Bali perhaps? The dictionary defines luxury as an indulgence, a delicacy, a certain something that has exceeded the basics of necessity and gone far beyond, to the refinement of opulence and even extravagance.
The reason I ask? I’ve been forging my way through Sutliff Private Stock’s non-aromatic blends, and the next in the lineup is their Balkan Luxury Blend 957. Sutliff has really surprised me by stepping up their game considerably in the Latakia department, with a range of blends that display some real moxie. This Balkan Luxury Blend is no exception, bringing an interesting angle to the genre.
The tin description lists this as, "Orientals, Perique, Latakia and Black." Copy editing notwithstanding, this blend is all about the fusion of Turkish leaf and black Cavendish. In the tin, it’s an even range of leaf from the described black through light caramel ribbons. The opening note is dry and smoky, precisely as it should be, and perhaps a bit muted considering the flavor that’s lurking in there. Evident from the charring light onward is the motif of the flavor profile: tart and tangy.
The colors of the season.
The luxury of an entire weekend with no other obligation than to be a professional tobacco reviewer couldn’t have come at a better time. The constant crush of the busy season has wound down, and my body and mind are in dire need of idleness. The weather complies by being frigid and rainy on Saturday, recommending that I luxuriate in my pajamas for the entire day, without even a notion of venturing outdoors. I begin with coffee and contemplation, enjoying a steaming pour-over preparation of a fresh batch of Intelligentsia’s Yirgacheffe limited release. It’s a small-batch single origin coffee, and is easily one of the best examples of the cultivar I’ve tasted. Partial to the high fruity notes and bright acidity of the genre, I find it handsomely complements the tobacco, as I suspected. The coffee noses hints of jasmine as it brews, and shows a lightly sweet roundness on the palate with just an intimation of blueberry and peach, exactly as advertised. The tobacco, in turn, has discernible fruity spice aromas in the tin, and the Cavendish lends a honeyed sweetness once lit.
What does luxury mean for you?
Several cups later, as well as several bowls, I look over my tasting notes. My first choice of pipe was not ideal for this smoke; too small and tall, it over amplified the tart profile of the tobacco. Switching to a larger bent billiard with a substantial depth to the bowl, the flavors really unfolded, showing some clarity and a fair amount of complexity. Due to the extreme angle of the draught, however, moisture became an issue as the pipe began to gurgle. After finishing the first and letting it cool, I employed one of my precious meerschaum buttons [INSERT HYPERLINK: http://bit.ly/Philter ] to the task and was immediately rewarded with a cool and dry smoke. Crisis averted, the rest of the afternoon was spent in splendid slothfulness, killing time without injury to eternity.
This blend, as others in Sutliff’s lineup, is of a very workmanlike composition. The profile being Turkish-forward recommends it as a Balkan, while the Cavendish component justifies a "crossover" appellation. The Perique here lends a hand in directing the profile toward its sweeter side, and the Latakia ties a ribbon around the whole package with its shifting veils of flavor. It tends to sit on the back of the palate with its tart and tangy edge, and the morning’s coffee and evening’s tea did well to balance the equation. After several bowls in the morning, a long rest for the palate was on order, but smoking was resumed later with a better appreciation of the tastes and aromas in this blend.
As I grow older, and conceivably a good bit wiser, I am better able to remind myself of the luxuries I already have whenever I begin to daydream too ardently of the luxuries I would wish for. Things like an interesting professional life, the many minor obsessions (like pipes and tobacco) with which to engage a racing mind, my loving animal and human companions, and the occasional moments of free time which I’ve learned to make a point of carving out of my days. That trifle of cognizance is, in itself, a luxury that’s taken me decades to earn, and I consider it a fair tradeoff for the follies of youth. Sutliff blends remind me that luxury need not be extravagantly priced.
Answer to last month’s mystery quote (last photo caption).
Bachelorhood is the life of luxury; bachelorhood is the life for a fool.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 636. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Barry Kane. Barry started smoking a pipe in 1961 when he was 14-years old. Back then it seemed like everybody smoked, and you could buy pipes and tobacco just about anywhere. Barry is a true old-school pipe smoker, sticking to just one blend. See if you can guess which one before listening. At the top of the show Brian will give his take on Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s purchase of Mac Baren and Sutliff Tobacco and their announcement that they will be shut down.
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. 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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Sounds like a really nice blend. Bought it not too long ago but so I haven’t opened the tin yet. Hopefully I will at some point. Thanks for the wonderful review!
Thank You for the Great Review, I have a tin of BLB 957 in my cellar, and according to the review, I need to try it ASAP.
Thanks for another great review. Looking forward to trying this one.
Sounds like one of the best cold rainy days one could have. A day of lounging in your jammies, smoking a nice complex latakia blend.
Some would say that luxury is decadence, extravagance, ostentation, obscene, or irresponsible.
There is one very essential ingredient which itself is considered a luxury by the favored. Everyone shares it, but not all appreciate it. Time.
I believe that this was the excellent Altadis entry by Carl McAllister in the 2011 Balkan Sobranie Throwdown at the Chicago show. I have heard that it replaced a previous Altadis blend by the same name, as this was considered to be superior.
@tacoman : Of this I was not aware–thank you for the info! I’ll reach out to my contacts and see if I can uncover any more interesting tidbits of the blend’s history.
@newbroom : You get it.
This is one of my favorite blends. I am smoking a bowl, and enjoying it while reading the review. Thank you.