Lack of Respect for Sutliff?
- Thread starter Ryan
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I should have worded my post better, my bad. I am aware of the company, but when I was REALLY into piping, with 24,000 posts on SF, and bought 7 metric tons of pipe tobacco, Sutliff wasn't a major player in tinned and "straight to consumer" blends like they are today. I knew they sold a LOT of tobacco to other companies.
I vaguely recall maybe 3-4 blends of goopy aromatics.
OR, im completely off my rocker and they were huge!!
It definitely isn't because I was a snob. I almost never bought the hard to find, boutique blends. I was a customer of C&D, MacBaren, both Stokkebbyes and any other cheap bulk blenders.
I used to buy straight from Craig. I miss those $28 one pound bricks.
Yes sir.
The dude always had time for his customers and would bend over backwards to help.
That's correct. Sutliff was a retail tobacconist established in 1849 in San Francisco. That changed with the introduction of Mixture 79 in 1933, which despite its status as a joke in this forum, was a wildly popular blend. Demand for it prompted the move to Richmond in 1953 for a much larger manufacturing and warehousing space and they also became a supplier, blender and wholesaler to other tobacco companies. They were a huge business, just not under their own label.
And when the tobacco was brought up to the moisture I like for smoking, it became a 2lb brick!
That's said just in good fun...
The nice thing was that Craig would make pound bricks out of any of the blends upon request. He once made me a few pounds of Black Frigate without Latakia.
It is possible that if you enjoy LJ Peretti blends you are smoking Sutliff component leaf.
It is also possible that if you enjoy Boswell's blends you are smoking Sutliff component leaf.
Here's why: these companies and shops don't manufacture their own base tobaccos. They either blend and flavor their own mixtures (like Boswell's) from bulk components, or contract out manufacturing of flakes, cakes etc (Peretti).
It used to be there were four main sources of component leaf:
Cornell and Diehl, Lane Limited, McClelland and Sutliff
McClelland closed. Lane was sold to STG and I'm pretty sure closed down it's Tucker Georgia factory. Which leaves only C&D and Sutliff as far as I know. It's possible STG imports bulk blending components but those are made in Denmark.
It is also possible that if you enjoy Boswell's blends you are smoking Sutliff component leaf.
Here's why: these companies and shops don't manufacture their own base tobaccos. They either blend and flavor their own mixtures (like Boswell's) from bulk components, or contract out manufacturing of flakes, cakes etc (Peretti).
It used to be there were four main sources of component leaf:
Cornell and Diehl, Lane Limited, McClelland and Sutliff
McClelland closed. Lane was sold to STG and I'm pretty sure closed down it's Tucker Georgia factory. Which leaves only C&D and Sutliff as far as I know. It's possible STG imports bulk blending components but those are made in Denmark.
Can't speak for Sutliff, but I shared some LJP Tashkent with Jeremy Reeves from C&D at the Muletown Pipe Show last year and he told me that Peretti purchased some of their component tobaccos from them. It's definitely odd that I MUCH prefer Oriental #40/Tashkent by LJP FAR more than any of the Oriental offerings from C&D (though Sunset Harbor flake is a treasure).
This is a pretty amazing interview if you like LJP blends. Steve Willett (current owner of LJP) does talk about how Sutliff processes tobacco for some of their blends.
Back on topic, there's plenty of Sutliff blends I like to smoke. Match Ready Rubbed, Match 20, Match OBS, Match Revelation, Match Elizabethan, Match Troost, TS-20 Perique, 1849 (underrated VaPer), 507-S, TS19/20, VA Slices, Aged Maduro Cavendish, Maple Shadows. I'm sure there's more I'm missing.
There's also blends Sutliff produces under other brand names that I like to smoke, like John Cottons Double Pressed VA, H&H Anniversary Cake, H&H First Snow, Bright Night, Smoky Mountain, White Knight, Fusilier's Ration, SPC Hogshead, Plum Pudding
There's also tobaccos they process for B&Ms like Watch City Cigar, LJ Peretti and McCranies. Not sure about the others like Country Squire, Uhles and Wilke but I bet they're getting tobaccos from them as well. Pretty sure all the name brand Iwan Ries stuff is all made by Sutliff.
So yeah, fair to say Sutliff makes some quality stuff and they make a TON of blends so theres something for everyone I feel like, Same with C&D. C&D makes A LOT of blends I don't like but a few that I can't live without.
all of the red and black Crumble Cakes are great and the Rustica is brutal and boozy Sutliff Hate is pure ignorance for people who spend more time on Reddit than smoking a pipe
I'm a bit late to the party, but I am guessing that the original poster is right about Sutliff often being given a hard time on account of many of their products being wet and goopy aromatics. But you know what? Some of those goopers can be darn tasty and enjoyable if you know how to slow down and smoke them correctly! Pumpkin Spice is a particular favorite of mine any time of year, but especially in the autumn.
I'll also agree about 507C being absolutely fantastic, it's easily my favorite bright Virginia blend! Sutliff really knows their stuff when it comes to non-aromatics, and make darn fine blends that punch way above their weight class in terms of price versus quality.
I'll also agree about 507C being absolutely fantastic, it's easily my favorite bright Virginia blend! Sutliff really knows their stuff when it comes to non-aromatics, and make darn fine blends that punch way above their weight class in terms of price versus quality.