Sutliff Virginia Slices #507-C

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

mortonbriar

Lifer
Oct 25, 2013
2,652
5,662
New Zealand
I got a two bowl sample bag of this from @Ahi Ka so I will do two reviews in the form of internal dialogue followed by some contextual history of each smoke.

bowl #1 review:
"Yeah, that sure is bland to the point of boredom...it may as well be renamed Nirvana since it has essentially achieved nothingness."

Bowl #2 review:
"Oh that is delicious, is someone baking bread round here? No, no bakers to be seen anywhere, just a very pleasant sweet, light ,fragrant, hay, sunshine, bread rising aroma rising in a thin nostril tickling tendril of perfection from atop this ol' cob...damn this is SO GOOD, I can't believe I never bothered to pick this up before, mmmmmm, yuuuummmm, mmmmmmmm, oh yeah baby, hitting the spot.....mmmmmm, etc"

Bowl #1 context:
It was a normal day.

Bowl #2 context:
I was driving a forklift for the first time, my parents avocado orchard had its first big crop and they needed help. I was slightly out of my comfort zone and i NEEDED my pipe as moral support, I grabbed the cob on hand and the bag of tobacco I spotted underfoot in the truck...I also got the forklift stuck as light was fading and buried the back wheel in a soft spot of paddock, and that same bowl saw me through the whole digging out/jacking up/stacking boards under wheel episode.

What did I learn? probably more about forklifts than tobacco, but I like to think it was an emphasis on not writing a blend off to quickly, the luxurious position of having too many blends to choose from can perhaps hinder the ability to get the most out of any one of them??? I might go back to keeping just 2 or 3 choices out for a bit, see how that goes....

Isaac.
 

sittingbear

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2015
661
3,128
Olympia, WA
As a general rule, I smoke a new blend in at least five different pipes before writing it off, ESPECIALLY Virginias. Their flavor is so delicate that any ghost in a pipe will skew how it tastes, unlike heavily topped blends or lat bombs. I not only have several pipes dedicated to Virginias, but they're also dedicated to different KINDS of Virginias (Vapers, straight VAs, etc.). I have two pipes in particular for 507C! My suspicion is that the variance in flavor had more to do with the pipes you used than what you were doing at the time. Cobs are great because, like Meerschaum, they don't retain the ghosts of previous smokes as easily so you get the unadulterated flavor of the tobacco. 507C is wonderful, not only because it is a high quality VA but the price is unbeatable! One of my favorites!
 

craig61a

Lifer
Apr 29, 2017
5,766
47,566
Minnesota USA
I particularly enjoy their #707 sweet VA blend as well as the slices.

There's something to be said for a simple but very solid blend that allows you to enjoy it without focus or over analysation. When you you can enjoy it without thinking you know you've got something worthwhile.

I too am fond of 707. A simple, easy smoking blend.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,955
134,657
66
Sarasota, FL
Got the 707 and 507C in. Not sure why 707 is called sweet Virginia. Tart and citrus are the dominant flavors. Rather light bodied. A good smoke, probably best in the morning but I likely won't buy more. Too many Virginia blends that are much better.

On the other hand, the 507C is more complex and rich in flavor. Tart and citrus still are strong flavors but deeper, fuller and more going on. Don't get me wrong, this isn't going to make me want to throw away my SG blends, Astleys 44, Wessex Virginia Flakes, F&T Virginia's and numerous others. For the money however, this is an excellent value and something most Virginia flake lovers would likely want to have a few pounds of. Comparable in quality and value to Newminster 400 IMHO.

I would add, the 707 had rough edges and while it didn't hire, it tickled the tongue a bit. I'm not sure you could get the 507C to bite. This should be a nice blend for those who would like to smoke some Virginia blend but have trouble with the bite.
 

Prunetucky84

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 17, 2020
166
419
Clovis, CA
Got the 707 and 507C in. Not sure why 707 is called sweet Virginia. Tart and citrus are the dominant flavors. Rather light bodied. A good smoke, probably best in the morning but I likely won't buy more. Too many Virginia blends that are much better.

On the other hand, the 507C is more complex and rich in flavor. Tart and citrus still are strong flavors but deeper, fuller and more going on. Don't get me wrong, this isn't going to make me want to throw away my SG blends, Astleys 44, Wessex Virginia Flakes, F&T Virginia's and numerous others. For the money however, this is an excellent value and something most Virginia flake lovers would likely want to have a few pounds of. Comparable in quality and value to Newminster 400 IMHO.

I would add, the 707 had rough edges and while it didn't hire, it tickled the tongue a bit. I'm not sure you could get the 507C to bite. This should be a nice blend for those who would like to smoke some Virginia blend but have trouble with the bite.
Give the 507c a few months in a jar, and wow! You’re in for a treat! A soft natural orange tone will be noticed in tin note and in flavor during the smoke, and it becomes much darker with a slight peppery tingle and a nice woody aspect to it. It’s a killer blend for the price and it just gets better and better with each month that passes.