Sutliff Christmas Spice...Christmasy indeed

[Ora Pro Nobis]

I was on here and came across the "Fall Blends" thread and decided in late October to buy some blends. Some mentioned good Fall/Christmas blends and Sutliff Christmas Blend came up. I decided to give it a shot.

Now, I've smoked a goodly bit of it, and I give it my humble endorsement. Even though I'm a VABUR/VAPUR guy, I have always enjoyed a good aromatic. Christmas spice fits that bill. Here's how Pipes and Cigars describes the blend:

"This comforting and easy-on-the-palate blend of Virginia, Burley and black Cavendish is finished with notes of warm vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Everyone will want to know what's in your pipe because of the enchanting room note. Enjoy this tasty treat at any time of year, but especially during the holiday season. To make it even better, you get to enjoy the flavors of Christmas without packing on pounds."

I must say that the description is pretty spot on. I can taste the cinnamon and nutmeg for sure, as they are the driving taste of the blend. I can on slightly and occasionally taste the vanilla, and I cannot taste any caramel. This is okay with me since I'm not a caramel guy.

Further, it is smooth. Aromatics are notorious for giving tongue bite, but this one is smooth enough that even if you do some train chugging you should be fine. The tin note is powerful, but not unpleasant, and the room note is fantastic. It's by far the most popular blend in my house. It's cinnamon and nutmeg smell fills any room with a wonderful smell of Christmas.

In fact, this blend on cold days brings a little Christmas to you in every bowl.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

Nice review. Glad you're enjoying it. It seems to be a very popular blend. I've smoked a little bit of Christmas Spice here and there but generally, aromatics are not for me. The room note is awesome though. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

That and Wilke's Santa's Blend are two of my three favorites for Xmas blends, all IMO.

I had some really old Holiday Spirit that I was gifted last year the other night and it is really good as well. Just can't find it anywhere now, so I enjoy it very sparingly.

But, there are others I'm enjoying as well.

 

[greysmoke]

I'm not much of an aromatic smoker, but honorable mention at least must be given to Boswell's Christmas Cookie. Boswell's description follows:

"Christmas Cookie was one of the First blends Dan Boswell Created in November of 2002, Dan worked on this blend for 7 months to get it just right for Christmas of 2002 which he created an amazing, smooth, delightful, and no bite blend. When it was offered to our Boswell Customers it was to start as only a Seasonal blend but right after Christmas of 2002, we went to take it off the counter and the out pour of our customer saying "We need it all year" we could not say no to that. So that is why Christmas Cookie is available all year round.

"A Very Mild, Smooth, and Satisfying Blend Created by hand to maintain each tobacco's individual characteristics. Christmas Cookie will tempt the most discriminating palate and create a delightful aroma for everyone around you!

"Christmas Cookie is an ideal tobacco for a Christmas Gift and a tobacco that every pipe smoker will enjoy as real Holiday Treat!"

I have a jar with a little over 3 oz. I may only smoke it once or twice during the Christmas holidays, but it is a pleasant experience, even for this Latakia diehard. It's a mild, spicy, easygoing aromatic that doesn't leave a pool of goop in the bottom of the bowl. Recommended as a dose of holiday cheer.

 

[Ora Pro Nobis]

I need to try some of these. S Christmas Spice is a "wetter" smoke than most, but it's not obnoxious. So you're saying I can get Christmas Cookie year-round? I've never tried it, but if it's that popular, I need to give it a go.

 

[kcghost]

Sounds like you found a blend that fills the bill for you.

 

[STP]

I like it, which is similar to their Pumpkin Spice. Sutliff has several aromatics that I enjoy. My favorite is their Black Cherry

 

[MikeDub]

I just finished up a 1 oz sampler of this I threw in to get free shipping. I didn't initially care for it but it grew on me over time. Once I dried it out a bit and packed it more loosely it seemed to open up and I enjoyed it. It's not high on my list of aromatics but I think it's worth trying if the flavor profile appeals to you

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I like it, which is similar to their Pumpkin Spice. Sutliff has several aromatics that I enjoy. My favorite is their Black Cherry

This is the interesting thing about tobacco (or anything with flavor I guess) --- I really like Christmas Spice but when I tried Pumpkin Spice I immediately tossed the bag, lol, just couldn't stand it for some reason. +10 on the Black Cherry.

The Christmas Spice is pretty juicy, so gird your loins accordingly.

 

[mso489]

I have more blends than I can smoke, but Sutliff has been the source of some of my better aromatic blends. I think because they tend to be lower priced, people assume they are less good. I have not found this so. Sutliff has a good hand at melding tobaccos and flavoring harmoniously, and better yet, the cut is such that the blends tend to burn evenly and well with not many relights, which is essential to getting a really good smoke. Usually people do well with a Sutliff blend. To think they gave those away as freebies at the pipe shows.

 

[JimPM]

I was on here and came across the "Fall Blends" thread and decided in late October to buy some blends. Some mentioned good Fall/Christmas blends and Sutliff Christmas Blend came up. I decided to give it a shot.

Now, I've smoked a goodly bit of it, and I give it my humble endorsement. Even though I'm a VABUR/VAPUR guy, I have always enjoyed a good aromatic. Christmas spice fits that bill. Here's how Pipes and Cigars describes the blend:

"This comforting and easy-on-the-palate blend of Virginia, Burley and black Cavendish is finished with notes of warm vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Everyone will want to know what's in your pipe because of the enchanting room note. Enjoy this tasty treat at any time of year, but especially during the holiday season. To make it even better, you get to enjoy the flavors of Christmas without packing on pounds."

I must say that the description is pretty spot on. I can taste the cinnamon and nutmeg for sure, as they are the driving taste of the blend. I can on slightly and occasionally taste the vanilla, and I cannot taste any caramel. This is okay with me since I'm not a caramel guy.

Further, it is smooth. Aromatics are notorious for giving tongue bite, but this one is smooth enough that even if you do some train chugging you should be fine. The tin note is powerful, but not unpleasant, and the room note is fantastic. It's by far the most popular blend in my house. It's cinnamon and nutmeg smell fills any room with a wonderful smell of Christmas.

In fact, this blend on cold days brings a little Christmas to you in every bowl.

Yeah I'm finishing out my leftovers from last year myself. Really nice blend I agree

 

[Ora Pro Nobis]

This is the interesting thing about tobacco (or anything with flavor I guess) --- I really like Christmas Spice but when I tried Pumpkin Spice I immediately tossed the bag, lol, just couldn't stand it for some reason. +10 on the Black Cherry.

The Christmas Spice is pretty juicy, so gird your loins accordingly.

I have some of the Pumpkin Spice, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet. I plan on a a review in the next few weeks once I've smoked dome more.

 

[Coreios]

I'm excited for Sutliff Cringle Flake. Gonna grab a tin next week.

 

[Coreios]

I have some of the Pumpkin Spice, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet. I plan on a a review in the next few weeks once I've smoked dome more.

I just bought that. I liked it, tasted like pumpkin eggnog to me.

 

[Brig]

Sitting here trying this one myself, and I find it devoid of both flavor and aroma, both unlit and lit. Starting to wonder if they forgot to flavor this batch?

I read it is much better in cooler weather than warm, so maybe that's part of it. Agree with the lack of bite.