Jim's Sutliff Private Stock Reviews
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Here's my review of Black Swan:
A very pleasant no frills mild black cavendish blend, though it may need a little drying time. It doesn't have a wide variance of flavors, but it does have an honest vanilla labor supported by a very light fruit prune note, and the sense of eating sweet baked goods. The room note is so pleasing, your friends might start looking for where you hid the cake. If you want more subtlety of flavors, try Molto Dulce. But if you're looking for a working man's black cavendish blend with a consistent taste that doesn't have the chemical taste of the routine drug store BC's, this is worth trying.
A very pleasant no frills mild black cavendish blend, though it may need a little drying time. It doesn't have a wide variance of flavors, but it does have an honest vanilla labor supported by a very light fruit prune note, and the sense of eating sweet baked goods. The room note is so pleasing, your friends might start looking for where you hid the cake. If you want more subtlety of flavors, try Molto Dulce. But if you're looking for a working man's black cavendish blend with a consistent taste that doesn't have the chemical taste of the routine drug store BC's, this is worth trying.
Here are my reviews of the six latest Sutliff blends sent to me:
Tabac Noir:
Another black cavendish blend that has a toned down mellow vanilla taste, though I get a light honey note, too. This is one of the mildest bc blends I've ever smoked in terms of flavors and sweetness. It's also drier than your usual bc blend, so you need to take your time smoking it or it may burn hot. It get sweeter as you smoke it down, and near the end, I get a light fruit note. For people looking to smoke a less intense black cavendish.
BRG Mixture:
Having recently smoked Briggs, I can say they have quite a bit in common, but I prefer this blend because the burley is just slightly more earthier. The Virginias are naturally sweet with no cased flavors, and creates a solid base for the burleys to play off of. I do taste a bare hay note, too. The vanilla note is mild with a slight plum note. It's an all day cool smoking mild to medium blend that burns well with a consistent taste. I can see adding this to my smoking rotation.
A Taste of Summer:
I was initially hesitant to smoke this because I'm not usually a fan of fruit flavored tobaccos, although I love peaches. The smell of peaches was very strong when I first opened the tin. However, the peach taste is not as strong as I expected, which is a plus for me. It burns well with no goop or dottle and I found the taste to be consistent, though hardly complex. Of course, this is not meant to be a complex smoke, and the only reason to smoke it is for that flavor. Some prefer a stronger peach taste in their aros, but I do not. This hits the right spot for me because the peach flavoring is light. Any stronger, and I would not like it. You mileage may vary if you're looking for a peach-bomb, otherwise, you'll find this a comfortable all day smoke.
Berkshire:
A very pleasant no frills tasting mild to medium English blend. There is a light smokiness from the latakia and a natural Virginia creamy sweetness. The orientals and perique are light players in the game and add a spice note that keeps this from being boring. It's hard to pick out a dominant taste in this well balanced, all day smoking mixture. Burns well, even and consistent with no dottle and very few relights. This is more of a starter English blend. If you don't like this you probably won't like stronger English blends. And for those looking to venture into the world of latakia blends, this is a good place to begin.
Sunrise Smoke:
A richly flavorful all day smoke. The latakia is present, but not strong and its smokiness is complemented very nicely by the sweetness of Virginias, especially the lemon Va. The Turkish is light, but adds a necessary "oomph" to the mixture. I get a hint of burley in this, too. There is a topping of some kind that mellows the blend. I give it four stars for mild English blends. Like Berkshire, it's a good starting place to beginners to latakia. If you need something stronger, this probably won't work for you, unless you want a change of pace from tobaccos like Blend #5, which is a tasty, stronger Balkan. But if you're looking for a easy to smoke English with a variety of flavors, you'll enjoy this as much as I do.
Bosphorus Cruise:
A well balanced mild to medium smooth English with every ingredient tastefully present. The Virginia is naturally sweet and the Orientals add nice spicy notes to your palate. The latakia is smokey as you would expect, but it doesn't overpower the other elements. Sutliff knows their English blends and make a number of them with different strength levels. How much you like them depends upon your proclivity for latakia. This is for those who want a decent latakia hit without being bowled over by its presence.
Tabac Noir:
Another black cavendish blend that has a toned down mellow vanilla taste, though I get a light honey note, too. This is one of the mildest bc blends I've ever smoked in terms of flavors and sweetness. It's also drier than your usual bc blend, so you need to take your time smoking it or it may burn hot. It get sweeter as you smoke it down, and near the end, I get a light fruit note. For people looking to smoke a less intense black cavendish.
BRG Mixture:
Having recently smoked Briggs, I can say they have quite a bit in common, but I prefer this blend because the burley is just slightly more earthier. The Virginias are naturally sweet with no cased flavors, and creates a solid base for the burleys to play off of. I do taste a bare hay note, too. The vanilla note is mild with a slight plum note. It's an all day cool smoking mild to medium blend that burns well with a consistent taste. I can see adding this to my smoking rotation.
A Taste of Summer:
I was initially hesitant to smoke this because I'm not usually a fan of fruit flavored tobaccos, although I love peaches. The smell of peaches was very strong when I first opened the tin. However, the peach taste is not as strong as I expected, which is a plus for me. It burns well with no goop or dottle and I found the taste to be consistent, though hardly complex. Of course, this is not meant to be a complex smoke, and the only reason to smoke it is for that flavor. Some prefer a stronger peach taste in their aros, but I do not. This hits the right spot for me because the peach flavoring is light. Any stronger, and I would not like it. You mileage may vary if you're looking for a peach-bomb, otherwise, you'll find this a comfortable all day smoke.
Berkshire:
A very pleasant no frills tasting mild to medium English blend. There is a light smokiness from the latakia and a natural Virginia creamy sweetness. The orientals and perique are light players in the game and add a spice note that keeps this from being boring. It's hard to pick out a dominant taste in this well balanced, all day smoking mixture. Burns well, even and consistent with no dottle and very few relights. This is more of a starter English blend. If you don't like this you probably won't like stronger English blends. And for those looking to venture into the world of latakia blends, this is a good place to begin.
Sunrise Smoke:
A richly flavorful all day smoke. The latakia is present, but not strong and its smokiness is complemented very nicely by the sweetness of Virginias, especially the lemon Va. The Turkish is light, but adds a necessary "oomph" to the mixture. I get a hint of burley in this, too. There is a topping of some kind that mellows the blend. I give it four stars for mild English blends. Like Berkshire, it's a good starting place to beginners to latakia. If you need something stronger, this probably won't work for you, unless you want a change of pace from tobaccos like Blend #5, which is a tasty, stronger Balkan. But if you're looking for a easy to smoke English with a variety of flavors, you'll enjoy this as much as I do.
Bosphorus Cruise:
A well balanced mild to medium smooth English with every ingredient tastefully present. The Virginia is naturally sweet and the Orientals add nice spicy notes to your palate. The latakia is smokey as you would expect, but it doesn't overpower the other elements. Sutliff knows their English blends and make a number of them with different strength levels. How much you like them depends upon your proclivity for latakia. This is for those who want a decent latakia hit without being bowled over by its presence.
I learned long ago that shopping for a blend entails, de rigueur, checking the reviews for your take on it.
Thanks for being so dedicated to the art and pastime. It's a service we all appreciate -- or should! :clap:
Thanks for being so dedicated to the art and pastime. It's a service we all appreciate -- or should! :clap:
Hey Jim, thanks again for your reviews. As a student and still a pretty new smoker of only six months or so Sutliff is a great option for price and variety. I have noticed my tastes moving more towards English blends so i purchased the Sutliff English Sampler:
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Bershire Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock R-Blend Regular Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Field Master Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Westminster Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Blend No.5 Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin.
I am very excited to try Berkshire and No.5 most of all.
Thanks again for promoting and keeping up with the reviews; they are certainly prompting me to join.
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Bershire Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock R-Blend Regular Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Field Master Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Westminster Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin
1 - Sutliff Private Stock Blend No.5 Pipe Tobacco 1.5oz Tin.
I am very excited to try Berkshire and No.5 most of all.
Thanks again for promoting and keeping up with the reviews; they are certainly prompting me to join.
Rothnh: the BRG isn't a strong smoke, I grant you, but the burley in it just seems to work for me. I'm a bit partial to that kind of smoke these days, especially since I've been smoking Tilbury, which is quickly becoming a favorite smoke of mine. The BRG is a lighter strength VaBur and sometimes, I need that. As you know, I'm more of a VaPer and straight Va smoker, but VaBur blends are speaking to me lately. And yeah, the Bosphorus Cruise sure is great. Btw, where did you get the Izmir? That idea intrigues me.
Lincolnsbark, Bobpnm, and Cortez: thank you for the kind words. Trying stuff I never would on my own in small bursts has been very enlightening. I would never have gotten near A Taste of Summer because I'm not into a peach or fruit tasting tobacco. But the peach is light, and somehow, I found it to my liking as a change of pace mild sweet smoke. I'm glad I never bet anybody on that one because I'd have lost money. Having to review these different blends and judging them by their own merits rather than my personal taste is opening my mind a bit.
Lincolnsbark, Bobpnm, and Cortez: thank you for the kind words. Trying stuff I never would on my own in small bursts has been very enlightening. I would never have gotten near A Taste of Summer because I'm not into a peach or fruit tasting tobacco. But the peach is light, and somehow, I found it to my liking as a change of pace mild sweet smoke. I'm glad I never bet anybody on that one because I'd have lost money. Having to review these different blends and judging them by their own merits rather than my personal taste is opening my mind a bit.
Pylorns: I had to dry it a bit before I was comfortable with it. Black cavendish blends generally tend to be moist because when they are dried out, they lose some flavor. But in this case, I get some flavors I probably would not get if I smoked it wet. But I also don't like it completely dried out, either.
I'm posting a short note to mention I've still other SPS blends to review and am waiting for the next shipment. Also, Sutliff sent me 11 MacBaren blends to review and though it'll take a while to smoke enough of them to get a handle on my opinions, except for Old Dark Fired, which I already smoke and have cellared. When I get to that point, I'll start a new thread for them and include my previously posted ODF review.
The first tin of my sampler to be popped is Fieldmaster. After my first few smokes I have to say your review is dead on. Finally a mild english that has some sweetness and flavor. Mild enough for multiple smokes but flavorful enough to be worth your time.
Thanks for the reviews jiminks. I actually have a tin of Molto and Moulin Rouge that I really like. Just broke down and did the buy 3 get 1 free deal that pipes and cigars has going on right now and ended up getting Sunrise, Barbados, Blue Danube, and Country Estate based on your feedback!
Looking forward to trying out some new stuff!
Looking forward to trying out some new stuff!
Here are my latest Sutliff Private Stock reviews.
CD Blend:
The latakia and perique are mere condiments here, but they add a nice bass note. Burley is the main star, with the Virginia playing back up. There are little fig and prune notes with a light sweet topping I cannot identify, but it has an alcohol base (sweet rum?). At times, I get a slightly sour tangy taste mixing in with the sweet, and there's a nice earthy Burley taste that gives this some complexity. Because it's a rough coarse cut mixture, I recommend a round bowl rather than a pipe with a narrow chamber so it will burn to the last bit. It burns evenly and cooly, and holds up its flavor to the very end. A very good regular smoke.
Man's Best Friend:
This is more or less a replacement for Barking Dog, which I never smoked. It's designed to be an English blend made the "American" way, which I take to mean it's not a Balkan blend where latakia dominates the flavor. The latakia is there to add a smoky base note to the main star, which is the earthy, nutty white burley. The burley is quality choice as is the lemon Virginia that adds an enjoyable tangy sweetness. The mild rum topping is assisted by a complimentary raisin/stewed fruit note or two as well. A colorful blend that's pretty to look at, burns perfectly to the very end, and is complex with a multiplicity of flavors that don't crowd each other out. Smoking it in a pipe with a wide bowl will enhance the experience, but any pipe will work for this mixture.
Charlemagne:
A mild, friendly aromatic burley based blend with Virginia and black cavendish, and a mild fruit/rum-like topping. The Virginia has a light hay taste and is a condimental addition. I didn't get much nuttiness from the burley, which is more sweet than earthy. The black cavendish almost crowds it out, though the vanilla taste is mild, as are the plum notes. The topping is mild, but it tones down the natural taste of the burley. This is the kind of smooth smoking aromatic that's made for relaxation and book reading.
Top Shelf:
The bourbon is the main star here, and the smell when you open the tin is amazing. This has the most intense bourbon taste of any tobacco I've ever smoked. When dried, it's less intense, and a few burley and Virginia notes are present then. It burns well whether it's moist or dry and leaves no goop in the bottom of your bowl. Either way you decide to smoke it. you're buying this only because you want a bourbon flavored blend. And if that's what you want, you've certainly come to the right mixture.
Balkan Luxury Blend 957:
A medium blend English with a smokey latakia taste that is nicely contrasted by the sweet, light vanilla flavor of the black cavendish. The Orientals and perique are complimentary ingredients in a mild way. The sweet and smokey taste translates well in regard to the room note, making this an English blend that your friends won't object to. Full tasting enough to get your English fix, it can almost be an all day smoke, too. A welcome change from dry smoking, latakia heavy Balkan blends.
Academy:
A mild aromatic. The black cavendish has a mild vanilla flavor, and the latakia gives a lightly smokey hit that rises this mixture above regular cavendish/burley blends. It's a small, but important addition. The topping is sweet, and I get a slight plum note. The burley flavor is crowded out a little, but without it being a supporting player, this blend just wouldn't work. The burley is a little more noticeable if you give it a little drying time. Cool smoking, burns well, extremely pleasant taste that smells good, too.
CD Blend:
The latakia and perique are mere condiments here, but they add a nice bass note. Burley is the main star, with the Virginia playing back up. There are little fig and prune notes with a light sweet topping I cannot identify, but it has an alcohol base (sweet rum?). At times, I get a slightly sour tangy taste mixing in with the sweet, and there's a nice earthy Burley taste that gives this some complexity. Because it's a rough coarse cut mixture, I recommend a round bowl rather than a pipe with a narrow chamber so it will burn to the last bit. It burns evenly and cooly, and holds up its flavor to the very end. A very good regular smoke.
Man's Best Friend:
This is more or less a replacement for Barking Dog, which I never smoked. It's designed to be an English blend made the "American" way, which I take to mean it's not a Balkan blend where latakia dominates the flavor. The latakia is there to add a smoky base note to the main star, which is the earthy, nutty white burley. The burley is quality choice as is the lemon Virginia that adds an enjoyable tangy sweetness. The mild rum topping is assisted by a complimentary raisin/stewed fruit note or two as well. A colorful blend that's pretty to look at, burns perfectly to the very end, and is complex with a multiplicity of flavors that don't crowd each other out. Smoking it in a pipe with a wide bowl will enhance the experience, but any pipe will work for this mixture.
Charlemagne:
A mild, friendly aromatic burley based blend with Virginia and black cavendish, and a mild fruit/rum-like topping. The Virginia has a light hay taste and is a condimental addition. I didn't get much nuttiness from the burley, which is more sweet than earthy. The black cavendish almost crowds it out, though the vanilla taste is mild, as are the plum notes. The topping is mild, but it tones down the natural taste of the burley. This is the kind of smooth smoking aromatic that's made for relaxation and book reading.
Top Shelf:
The bourbon is the main star here, and the smell when you open the tin is amazing. This has the most intense bourbon taste of any tobacco I've ever smoked. When dried, it's less intense, and a few burley and Virginia notes are present then. It burns well whether it's moist or dry and leaves no goop in the bottom of your bowl. Either way you decide to smoke it. you're buying this only because you want a bourbon flavored blend. And if that's what you want, you've certainly come to the right mixture.
Balkan Luxury Blend 957:
A medium blend English with a smokey latakia taste that is nicely contrasted by the sweet, light vanilla flavor of the black cavendish. The Orientals and perique are complimentary ingredients in a mild way. The sweet and smokey taste translates well in regard to the room note, making this an English blend that your friends won't object to. Full tasting enough to get your English fix, it can almost be an all day smoke, too. A welcome change from dry smoking, latakia heavy Balkan blends.
Academy:
A mild aromatic. The black cavendish has a mild vanilla flavor, and the latakia gives a lightly smokey hit that rises this mixture above regular cavendish/burley blends. It's a small, but important addition. The topping is sweet, and I get a slight plum note. The burley flavor is crowded out a little, but without it being a supporting player, this blend just wouldn't work. The burley is a little more noticeable if you give it a little drying time. Cool smoking, burns well, extremely pleasant taste that smells good, too.
Jim, great feedback on these blends. CD is a tribute to Country Doctor, an OTC blend, attributed to the actor Jean Hersholt who played Dr. Christian in the 1940's. It was a decent blend and I look forward to trying it in its reincarnation. Thanks for the effort you put into doing these reviews. They are of great value to our community.
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