Sutliff Match Victorian
- Thread starter Scottmi
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Thanks for posting this review. I was lukewarm to Match Victorian when I jarred it up over a year ago. I cracked it open again and found it to be very good!
I got a Oz to try in my last order and it reeks of that "ketchup" fermenty smell. I assume it'll air off but there is a tang that I can taste I thought was a topping possibly. I researched a little bit about this because it is one of the most intense funky odors I've encountered so far. I like it, nothing mind blowing but I'll have to air that smell out as it is quite off putting. I'm sure it would be even better after some aging for the VAs.
You can thank Sutliff’s former chief blender, Carl McAllister, for this and many other match blends, as well as a great number of much loved blends, such as Voodoo Queen.
There’s a thread about him on PM, on the occasion of his retirement, started by jiminks, that shines a light on his contributions.
There’s a thread about him on PM, on the occasion of his retirement, started by jiminks, that shines a light on his contributions.
I was reading that wanting to find out more about Carl, actually. It would be fun to chat with him about how he created these.
I was curious to know more about how these reproduction blends are done - how do blenders figure out the toppings, individual leaf content, etc? I was going to start a thread about this because it's fascinating. I am a newer pipe smoker and never got to try any of the originals, which is why these matches are very welcome.
I came across an article analyzing individual leaf contents of Balkan Sobranie (I think) had it open in a tab on my other PC but got a new laptop and put it away, and can't find it.
A little bit of dry time makes it come alive and burn much better and takes away the tang of fermentation. Or whatever it is. Well, this honestly smells like poop. When I smell my fingers afterwards...ha ha ha. It doesn't translate to the taste. I just cleaned my pipe and still smelled it..
Phew.
Phew.
I think the mods should shut this one down. This is more than enough talk about Match Victorian for the next year or two.
I'm just kidding. The 3 lbs I have put back should last a good while. It's definitely an unsung hero. @chasingembers and @sablebrush52 both steered me toward it in a thread I made seeking good ready rubbed VA's and va/pers, and I'm always grateful that they did.
I'm just kidding. The 3 lbs I have put back should last a good while. It's definitely an unsung hero. @chasingembers and @sablebrush52 both steered me toward it in a thread I made seeking good ready rubbed VA's and va/pers, and I'm always grateful that they did.
This thread ‘forced’ my hand. Got 4 oz of the stuff to try arriving tomorrow.
I finished my Oz so fast and want a pound now. When dried out for a short period this is an amazing vaper for the price. Very addictive flavor. I do believe it can be my all day smoke. Virginia's have been finicky but I am learning how to slowly enjoy their subtle glory.
Any other good Sutliff vapers? I've had the crumble Kake, was alright I thought but I'd like to try it again.
For all the hate I read about Sutliff I'm a fan. The Early Morning match and Walnut match are fantastic. Just gotta dry them out.
I know Sutliff doesn't have the highest quality leaf and the bottom third doesn't taste as consistent as say C&D but still solid. Also the rough cuts are sort of annoying and have stems to pull. The only one that really lacked in dynamic is the Nightcap match. I still want to try the real deal but funds are tight which is why Sutliff is hitting the spot. Just thoughts from a newer smoker. Some of their more cased stuff can be difficult but the Carl McAllister blends are very nice indeed.
Any other good Sutliff vapers? I've had the crumble Kake, was alright I thought but I'd like to try it again.
For all the hate I read about Sutliff I'm a fan. The Early Morning match and Walnut match are fantastic. Just gotta dry them out.
I know Sutliff doesn't have the highest quality leaf and the bottom third doesn't taste as consistent as say C&D but still solid. Also the rough cuts are sort of annoying and have stems to pull. The only one that really lacked in dynamic is the Nightcap match. I still want to try the real deal but funds are tight which is why Sutliff is hitting the spot. Just thoughts from a newer smoker. Some of their more cased stuff can be difficult but the Carl McAllister blends are very nice indeed.
I wouldn't say that. They are part of Mac Baren and manufacturer blends for many other brands such as SPC, P&C, and Watch City.
The reviews all say this is superior to the current Elizabethan product. Sounds like they are on the right track
I had smoked D&R bulks almost exclusively for a couple years. I've switched to Sutliff's productions, primarily, as they are just more complex and as consistent. I suppose some of the difference is in moisture content.
I had never tried Dunhill Elizabethan, but the ingredients listed in the Match Victorian (Virginia and Perique) are a sure thing.
I had never tried Dunhill Elizabethan, but the ingredients listed in the Match Victorian (Virginia and Perique) are a sure thing.
Tried both Peterson Elizabethan Mixture and the Sutliff match, and I liked them both. I can taste a slight difference, but it's negligible. I would side with the Sutliff match considering the price, and that you can buy in bulk. Great stuff.
I'm happy that you are enjoying Carl's work.
But I have to disagree with your assessment of the quality of Sutliff's leaf. Sutliff bashing was a popular pastime played by people who were, for want of a better phrase, completely and utterly ignorant. They would blast Sutliff while extolling the qualities of other blends, not knowing that those blends were made by Sutliff for other makers, using Sutliff leaf. The chief cause of this was due, I think, to Sutliff carving out a niche for themselves by issuing a number of heavily topped "goopers" under the Sutliff name, creating the impression that that was the totality of Sutliff's output. They made blends for a number of other companies and supplied leaf to a number of companies, including the much loved and missed McClelland.
Anyone who's smoked Sutliff's 2019 and 2020 Cringle Flake knows that their stocks of matured red Virginia were absolutely first rate. And the 2021 Cringle Flake, which pissed some people off by being a Va/Per made with aged ingredients, was also a fabulous blend after a year in the tin.
People who love Watch City blends should be aware that they use Sutliff tobacco.
I've not experienced any of the Sutliff blends that I've stocked flattening out during the last 1/3 of the bowl. I've experienced that with other blends from other makers, but so far, not with Sutliff. There have been some disappointments. One of my favorite bulks was their Troost match, but the last bag I bought tasted nothing like the previous batches, and I fond it so unpalatable that I tossed it.
All that said, a lot has been changing in the tobacco biz, particularly in the last 6 or more years, with growers moving on to other crops, and sourcing/substitutions increasing and, in my experience, the quality going downhill. And I've not bought tobacco for a couple of years, though I've had the occasional sample sent to me to try. So my frame of reference is a little out of date.
I'm just glad that I have what I have and bought when I did.
The Sutliff version is based on the Murray's version, not the STP version, so it will be a little different in balance.
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