I have a local B&M that has a house blend called “Aromatic English,” and it’s one of the most pleasing aromatics I’ve ever smoked. I was assuming it was a repackaged Sutliff, as two of the B&M aromatic offerings are “Aromatic English” and “Sweet Virginia”, and Sutliff offers two bulk blends by the exact same name. It turns out that this was not the blend from my local B&M, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
Tin Note, Preparation:
As soon as I opened this, I knew it wasn’t the blend I’d picked up at my local B&M. This blend actually had latakia, while the one at my B&M, though a nice aromatic, did not live up to its name on the "English" front.
Anyway, this has a beautiful tin note that’s sweet, but the exact flavor is hard to put my finger on. Perhaps some vanilla, chocolate, and a slight fruity note there, with smoky latakia on top.
Smoke:
A brief rabbit trail:
I remember when I first smelled latakia, it was in Frog Morton’s Cellar. I had ordered FMC because I wanted to try English blends, and heard it was a crossover English / aromatic. I was horrified at the tin note: it smelled like tangy barbecue sauce to me, which (at the time) was not something I’d like to smoke. I’ve since developed a liking for FMC and a number of traditional English blends, but I still wondered if there were blends out there that were like what I anticipated when I looked for a hybrid English-aromatic.
This Sutliff Aromatic English much more what I was looking for back in the day. It reminds me of the aromatics that initially drew me to pipe smoking—1-Q, BCA, RLP-6, etc.—but blends this well with the smoky latakia. The Burley and Cavendish blend quite nicely with the latakia for a cohesive smoke—although this does taste a tad like someone added some latakia to RLP-6, it’s not a disjointed flavor; the various components are unified and work well for my palate.
It burns fairly well; I might let it dry a tad next time.
Nicotine:
I didn't notice any nicotine from this blend.
In Summary:
This is a quite pleasant little offering that would be a nice “beginner’s English,” but also fulfills my interest in a blend that combines smoky latakia with a nice aromatic sweetness. I'd recommend this for aromatic lovers who'd like to venture into latakia territory, or anyone interested in a latakia blend with a sweet side to it.
Tin Note, Preparation:
As soon as I opened this, I knew it wasn’t the blend I’d picked up at my local B&M. This blend actually had latakia, while the one at my B&M, though a nice aromatic, did not live up to its name on the "English" front.
Anyway, this has a beautiful tin note that’s sweet, but the exact flavor is hard to put my finger on. Perhaps some vanilla, chocolate, and a slight fruity note there, with smoky latakia on top.
Smoke:
A brief rabbit trail:
I remember when I first smelled latakia, it was in Frog Morton’s Cellar. I had ordered FMC because I wanted to try English blends, and heard it was a crossover English / aromatic. I was horrified at the tin note: it smelled like tangy barbecue sauce to me, which (at the time) was not something I’d like to smoke. I’ve since developed a liking for FMC and a number of traditional English blends, but I still wondered if there were blends out there that were like what I anticipated when I looked for a hybrid English-aromatic.
This Sutliff Aromatic English much more what I was looking for back in the day. It reminds me of the aromatics that initially drew me to pipe smoking—1-Q, BCA, RLP-6, etc.—but blends this well with the smoky latakia. The Burley and Cavendish blend quite nicely with the latakia for a cohesive smoke—although this does taste a tad like someone added some latakia to RLP-6, it’s not a disjointed flavor; the various components are unified and work well for my palate.
It burns fairly well; I might let it dry a tad next time.
Nicotine:
I didn't notice any nicotine from this blend.
In Summary:
This is a quite pleasant little offering that would be a nice “beginner’s English,” but also fulfills my interest in a blend that combines smoky latakia with a nice aromatic sweetness. I'd recommend this for aromatic lovers who'd like to venture into latakia territory, or anyone interested in a latakia blend with a sweet side to it.