Ewwww... What Is That Taste?

[diamondback]

I can't smoke most sutliff tobaccos because they taste musty and I can feel/taste the humectant in them. Not sure what they use but I hate it.

BROBS, have you tried Sutliff’s 523 Voodoo Queen?

IIRC, our late member “Panhandler” turned me onto VQ. It’s one Sutliff blend that I’ve now got around four pounds of in my cellar. I’m fairly sensitive to humectants too but I find VQ clean and delicious. Not an aro fan but it’s got delicious hints of chocolate here and there. It’s listed as an English yet it’s a bit burley-forward.

I didn’t care for their Virginia Slices, and I’m going to roll the dice and order a couple ozs of their Revelation Match from SPC soon. Fingers crossed.

Anyway if you’re game to try the Voodoo Queen PM me ;-)

ETA: Mr. Inks (as usual) gives a great review on it at TR.

 

[danimalia]

I don't know that I've ever tasted a humectant. Lord knows, some blends use some nuclear stuff that keeps tobaccos moist forever. McC was pretty liberal in their use of some type of humectant from my experiences. I don't really care as long as a "reasonable" amount of drying renders it into a smokeable state. The only tobaccos I've had moisture issues with Sutliff have been aromatics. Their VA slices, the blends they manufacture for others, etc. all seem to dry normally to me. I am sure it's quite frustrating for blenders. They can use water or nothing, and inevitably people will complain about eventual dryness. Or they can use some PG or whatever and people will be upset about that, too. And I've been a consumer frustrated about both!

 

[BROBS]

I do understand its use but I can taste it when used too liberally so it ruins tobaccos for me. I guess I have smoked some Sutliff made items that were good I like Match Field and Stream and Match Troost Aromatic. So I shouldn’t say all Sutliff made tobaccos to be completely honest, just their own branded stuff.

Maybe it’s possible the bulk stuff doesn’t have the same amount of PG or humectant as the pouched or packaged tobacco? Because I haven’t tried any Sutliff branded bulk.

@diamondback does that stuff have Latakia? Never tried it.

 

[diamondback]

I don't know that I've ever tasted a humectant. Lord knows, some blends use some nuclear stuff that keeps tobaccos moist forever. McC was pretty liberal in their use of some type of humectant from my experiences. I don't really care as long as a "reasonable" amount of drying renders it into a smokeable state. The only tobaccos I've had moisture issues with Sutliff have been aromatics. Their VA slices, the blends they manufacture for others, etc. all seem to dry normally to me. I am sure it's quite frustrating for blenders. They can use water or nothing, and inevitably people will complain about eventual dryness. Or they can use some PG or whatever and people will be upset about that, too. And I've been a consumer frustrated about both!

It jumps right out at me — tastes just like bar soap. Thinking back, Sutliff’s VA Slices didn’t have that soapy humectant taste, I just didn’t care for ‘em. Totally subjective though!

Embarrassingly, I keep tasting notes. lol — I’m Dx’d OCD. I’ll have to look back and find the notebook and see what I wrote. Admittedly, I’ve gotten better at smoking VAs so it may warrant a second try

 

[diamondback]

@diamondback does that stuff have Latakia? Never tried it.
[/QUOTE]

It does, but to me the Lat is rather faint/background. There’s definitely some perique, but it’s not like Bayou Morning (curb-stomps you after breaking your ribs and threatening to beat your family... But oh so good!) It’s more ‘tangy’ tame/subtle fruity.

What I love is it’s really smooth, cool and slow burning with interesting nuances to discover (yet not overly complex), and those somewhat frequent hits of rich chocolate! I’m definitely not an aromatics guy - no offense to those who are, yet this comes close to qualifying. It’s all subjective though right? My wife loves Brussels sprouts /vomit

Now I’m wanting to load up a bowl of it and head for the deck...

 

[bluegrassbrian]

For what its worth I roll cigarettes with a 50/50 blend of Sutliffs Red Virginia Ribbon and Blended Turkish Ribbon. Both taste just as they should with no noticeable PG. I have to take care and remember to keep them sealed up too because they dry up fast.

 

[Mr.Mike]

I don't taste PG but it does give me a strange sensation in the back of my throat.

 

[badbriar]

This has been open in the pouch in my kitchen cupboard for 3 years. Not even close to being close to dry. Still feels cool to the touch, wet, and oily.
View attachment 11129

Lakeland will do that. I swear the stuff is either petroleum based or Goo-Gone!!!

 

[burleyboy]

Maybe this is still of your interest, @JMcQ. I have ordered and opened a can of Cockstrong and I did also find a kind of weird taste in this blend. My interpretation of the taste was, that the leaves were not fermented very much. Somehow it felt like smoking very fresh tobacco. So what I did was letting the tobacco age in a jar for about a year and what came out was a perfectly fine natural blend with the genuine taste of Burley and Oriental.

I’d say, give it some time, maybe a year or a bit more and you‘ll be surprised big time!

 

[Idahojoe]

I purchased a tin of Mac Baren Vanilla Flake thinking it would be nice as I recently plowed through a tin of Autumn Evening. Reviews seemed positive and I like vanilla.

Something didn’t agree with me and I got an overpowering floral taste and aroma that made me nauseous. I tried two flakes and had to give up on both of them. Ended up giving the tin away.

I had a similar experience with this tobacco. Not a fan.

 

[subsalac]

How many bowls of Cockstrong have you tried? It may turn over a new leaf if you give it time, or a different pipe, or different pack, or dry it out/humidify it etc. Tobacco can be weird that way.

As for me, my only truly bad experiences have been with Anniversary Kake(so sad about this too, it sounded perfect for me), and in general my experiences with sutliff agree with BROBS. I tried AK to death, in every which way, it just won't work. I get a strong chemically adulterated taste from their tobaccos, and anything non HH Macbaren bites the crap out of me.

The closest I've been to being revolted has been Grousemoor and Kendal Cream Deluxe Flake, but I haven't had Lakeland in years with no plans to revisit

 

[docpierce]

Wait... You get a bad taste in your mouth from smoking cock? What were you expecting?

I'll wager that it's the burning feathers that is bothering you.

 

[augiebd]

There really was never much of a difference between pipe and cigarette tobaccos. Cigarettes came from pipe smokers that were too busy to smoke a pipe. But, the tobaccos used in ready rolled brands like Camel and Marlboro are horrible. But actual pipecut RYO tobaccos in a pipe are actually pretty good.

I picked up some pipe cut RYO at a small B&M without really knowing what it actually was until I was back home and took a closer look. I was pleasantly surprised by the decent smoke, not complex but not bad at all.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I do understand its use but I can taste it when used too liberally so it ruins tobaccos for me. I guess I have smoked some Sutliff made items that were good I like Match Field and Stream and Match Troost Aromatic. So I shouldn’t say all Sutliff made tobaccos to be completely honest, just their own branded stuff.

Maybe it’s possible the bulk stuff doesn’t have the same amount of PG or humectant as the pouched or packaged tobacco? Because I haven’t tried any Sutliff branded bulk.

@diamondback does that stuff have Latakia? Never tried it.

Their bulk Match Victorian is one of the best va/pers on the market, at an absolute bargain rate. If you are avoiding it because it’s sutliff you’re fucking up.

 

[BROBS]

Their bulk Match Victorian is one of the best va/pers on the market, at an absolute bargain rate. If you are avoiding it because it’s sutliff you’re fucking up.

No I have many match blends. I haven’t had a problem with those.
I have a lb of that one in particular

 

[alaskanpiper]

No I have many match blends. I haven’t had a problem with those.
I have a lb of that one in particular

Ok, good. Just making sure.

 

[BROBS]

It’s their branded aros in particular. Not sure why.