Sutliff, General Opinions?

[sparrowhawk]

Just wondering, in all the discussions about tobacco, I don't hear much about Sutliff's Private Stock tobaccos. How do their products rate, in general, among you? I know that's a really broad question, but I seem to have an underdeveloped palate regarding tobaccos (other than I prefer aromantics) and I like to keep things uncomplicated, which is why I smoke Molto Dolce (cut with Carter Hall), and thinking of expanding my list of Sutliff tobaccos. As usual, your opinion is much appreciated and valued.

 

[easygoer]

You can do a search you will find a lot of the blends have been reviewed by members. A number of blends have been reviewed in the pipe tobacco reviews. Great Outdoors was the latest. I have enjoyed Field Master in the past. Maple Street seems popular along with the one you mentioned. It seems everyone that that answers the questions on the Sutliff website to find their blend gets Molto Dolce whether there a aeromatic fan or not. Here is a link to previous forum.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/sutliff-blends

 

[papipeguy]

I've been smoking blend #5, Man's Best Friend and Bosphorous Cruise and, so far, I like all of them. I've found this company to be very responsive to their customers and really want our feedback on their products. That commitment to the hobby and the very good pricing of their blends speaks volumes to me.

Considering the scope of their line there has to be something for every taste among the blends. I'll be trying more to be sure. At the price of their tins it's a modest investment.

 

[zekest]

Sutliff tinned pipe tobaccos are so inexpensive, you should read the descriptions, visit the Sutliff website (it is really good) and try a 1.5 ounce can of this and that. Only you know what you like.
Don't get me started on the "developed palate" rant. Having a "Developed Palete" is just some thoughtless snobs way of saying that if you don't drink the wine I drink, drink the scotch I drink, eat the bland tofu I like, smoke the flavorless hot and dry weeds I smoke, if you don't like it, it's because you have an "underdeveloped palate". Bah! Its just a form of social engineering
Russ, Master Blender at Pipes & Cigars dot com uses the phrase "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke".
Please don't let someone else determine for you via a snobbish review what is good and what is not good: Only you can make that call.

 

[mirain]

I was pleasantly surprised with Sutliff tobacco. I was gifted a tin of Bosphorus Cruise and really enjoyed it so I went and bought some for the cellar. I read some good things about Field Master so I got a tin to try as well.
+1 on their pricing.

 

[mso489]

I like Sutliff's Westminister, and I've heard good things about Blend 5 that make me want to try it. I received

two aros in a goody bag at the last local pipe show, and am waiting to try them, Great Outdoors and Taste

of Summer. The aros get more mixed reviews, but I'll make my own judgement. I received Westminster in

a goody bag and was surprised; it is a medium strength English done with a refined hand. I was surprised

and impressed. It's not as robust as say Dunhill's 965, but it is flavorful and pleasing for sure. Right now

a home mix/blend (Va., Burley, Cavendish and Izmir) and the Nat Sherman 536 are upstaging other tobacco.

I am amazed to be able to concoct anything truly tasty just mixing tobaccos on hand, but to my taste I have,

and the Nat Sherman is just plain superb.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Sorry about that. But when I was an "inexperienced," occasional pipe smoker, I used to smoke Captain Black Gold, thinking the resultant tongue bite was something I was supposed to get used to. It's only after I discovered this forum that I learned that only certain type tobaccos caused tongue bite, and here where I learned how to really smoke a pipe without burning my tongue off in the process. Now I'm a dedicated pipe smoker--although I will never have the fantastic collections many of our friends have--and enjoy it now.

 

[canadianbiggame]

Another member of this forum sent me a couple of Sutliff samples and I quickly became in love with this brand. I've ordered 4 tins to try out and I am very much enjoying maple street right now. The price and the quality of this tobacco is outstanding.

+1 for Sutliff

 

[JimInks]

Sparrowhawk: Sutliff has enlisted several people to taste test their Private Stock Blends and post reviews of them online, but apparently, I'm just about the only one who is actually doing that... outside of a couple of folks on YouTube. I started a thread about, which you may find useful and hope to update it soon.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/jims-sutliff-private-stock-reviews?replies=1#post-461978

 

[porshcigar]

I am a big fan of Berkshire, Field Master and Balkan Luxury.

 

[romeowood]

Like many in the hobby, I've had the chance to acquire sample tins from nearly every pipe show, pipe dinner, pipe parade or pipe function of any sort for that matter. They're establishing a real brand familiarity with me, and have been generous enough to say, in effect, "Here, try a sample of everything we offer. We hope you like it enough to come back for more." I've found more than a few of their blends that I regularly rotate and, at least so far, no real clunkers. That, to me, is the essential nature of our hobby.

For the aromatics I favor Taste of Summer, Molto Dolce and Maple Street; in the non-aros I'm quite fond of No. 5 & Berkshire, Golden Age and Kentucky Planter. The only detractor for me is the tin style; they're not airtight and prone to internal rusting, so I jar anything I get in quantity. Considering their price point, though, they're still an excellent value.

 

[dragonslayer]

I’ve smoked maybe twenty blends from Sutliff, some I loved, some not my cup of tea and some “candy”. Everyone has their favorites because of the huge variety they bring to the market. Even if it’s a blend I’m not fond of the leaf is still quality. They’ve built a solid line that covers the spectrum of tobacco blends.
Sutliff does use rolled tin containers with a crimped bottom, which shouldn’t be used for long term ageing of the Virginia blends. You need more oxygen present then available in a vacuumed sealed container for the best results in long term ageing (1+ years). They use a different sealant on the inside that has “plastic” type of coating, where most of the others use a “waxy” coating. For storing the rest of the non-Virginia tobacco the containers should be fine, but I believe any tins being cellared should be kept in sanitized sealed containers.
The variety of blends, quality of leaf, container sealant, professional and unique artwork/naming coupled with very reasonable pricing makes Sutliff a top line of pipe tobacco.
Craig

 

[cigrmaster]

coalsmoke,

One of my favorites, besides the 'discriminating palate' marketing hype is 'for the experienced smoker'. What BS. This can lead people to believe they can't smoke a particular blend because they're not good enough!

When I see that on a tin description I don't think it is meant to say you are not good enough, but that you might want to be careful with that particular blend. For example Peterson Irish flake says for the experienced smoker on their tins and it is very appropriate. It is one of the strongest blends on the market and they are pretty much warning you of this. I know for myself I cannot smoke that blend any other time but after a full meal because the nicotine in it is so high and I have been smoking for years and can handle my nicotine.
sparrow, I have no experience with Sutliff but from what I read, many people love their stuff. If you are looking for quality aromatics, there are a ton of guys who love the Boswell line of aro's. http://www.boswellpipes.com/

 

[easygoer]

Thanks for that info Craig I did not know that. I guess the same would apply to the Hearth & Home as the there tobacco is out the same factory and packaging.

 

[dragonslayer]

Easygoer,I've never had a seam issue with Sutliff, but have only bought/given the 1.5oz tins. But I've had two seam failures with H&H 8oz tins. When I started to transfer VA into jars for ageing I found there was a seam failure resulting in mold "balls". One was a bottom crimp failure with a half inch ball of mold, the worst was a LR that half way down on the seam was a 1" ball of mold and had been smoking the top half. I did let P&C know about this but I did just dump the tins and was in a “whatever” state of mind at the time and didn't ask for them to be replaced, which I’m sure they would have. Like many pipe smokers I’d come over from 20 years of cigar smoking/ageing and dealt with white spot mold a couple of times. In those cases it’s on you and calling the supplier was useless. This was back in late-2012 when I first started down the road of proper cellaring and ageing of Virginia tobacco. Now that I’m much more educated and involved in the pipe tobacco social community, being very anti-rolled tins there will be pictures and outrage lols. I’ve also had one instance of tobacco bug infestation in a bag of SJF from another vendor. These of course are not vendor caused issues but from the packaging companies.
I’ve not had any problems since, but the tobacco rolled tins and bulk I buy now are all fresh out of back order status and haven’t been sitting. I do keep an eye on my jars when I give them a turn every three months to increase leaf exposure.
Craig

 

[moses]

Out of the three I've tried, I liked R-Blend the most, followed by Blend No. 5, and trailed by Great Outdoors.

 

[cortezattic]

Don't get me started on the "developed palate" rant. Having a "Developed Palete" is just some

thoughtless snobs way of saying that if you don't drink the wine I drink...

C'mon Zeke, rant! I'd be interested on Greg Pease's reaction. :rofl:

 

[ghost]

I'm a recent convert to Field Master, I plan to order a few more tins to stockpile. Great stuff!

 

[jfox520]

Sparrowhawk: Link to the reviews that I have been doing on Sutliff Private Stock tobaccos.