(Originally posted by @JimInks )

Sail Yellow Match:
The burleys, cavendish, and Virginias in the original well melded into a blend that’s a little nutty, slightly grassy, with honey and bread notes. The Oriental/Turkish is lightly woodsy with a light spice. The Match is very similar in all respects, though it has a milder spice hit. There’s a minor difference in the sweet topping, but I can’t determine why, except to say that the topping is a mite more noticeable in the Match. Overall, they are pretty similar, even if the Match is just a little lighter in flavor and nicotine. The cut of the tobacco is the same, though the Match burns cooler and slightly smoother.

Sugar Barrel Match:
The Pipes&Cigars Match version (also sold in tubs as Mid-Town Sweet Cask) is a little closer to the original than the Match sold by Milan Tobacconists. Both are a thicker plug cut burley than the original with a slightly brighter Virginia small flake cut. The Virginia in the Matches has the same minor grass and sweet notes as the original. The P&C Match is slightly cinnamon spicier than the original. The Milan version has less cinnamon spice than the other two. The original is a shade more brown sugary and buttery than either Match, though the P&C is slightly deeper in its sweetness than is the Milan, which is a little rougher edged in flavor. All three have about the same amount of nuttiness and molasses. Both Match versions burn a little slower than the original and all keep a consistent flavor to the finish with no bite and hardly any moisture, though the burley in the original tended to be just a little less obvious at the end. The P&C Match holds its flavor longer than the original, burns cleaner with a little more flavor.

Troost Aromatic Match:
The gold cavendish has citrus and honey bread notes with a touch of grass. The topping is mild butterscotch and caramel sweet, and mildly fruity. As cavendish tends to burn hot if puffed fast, you may consider sipping it, though it really doesn’t need to be babied much. The original has a little deeper flavor, but it’s bitey if you puff very fast, and can lose just a little of its flavor when that happens. The latter two observations are not true of the Match, which is much smoother, will not bite, and is fairly close in taste to the original. The flavor doesn't weaken near the finish or if you puff beyond a moderate pace, which can happen to the original, especially if the tobacco is dry. The course cut of the tobacco is the same. This is an all day, mild product that burns well and even with hardly any moisture at the bottom.

Union Leader Match:
The burley is lightly sweet, nutty, toasty and a little earthy, and is the main component. The Virginia is a little grassy with a touch of citrus. There’s a very mild spice note present, which I suppose comes from the burley. The topping seems to be honey, though it’s very lightly applied. Burns well with few relights and no moisture. The House of Windsor version is the very same, though it would bite if pushed hard, and would get a little cigarettish at times once past the half way point. The Match can tingle just a little if puffed like a steam engine; then again, many burleys will. The HoW was less sweet than the Match, which isn’t overly so anyway. Produces a lot of smoke, and also sports a slight cigarette note in the same places the original does, but it’s much less noticeable in the Match.

Comparing the Match to the 1970s Lorillard version, there are a few differences. The 70s version is a little less sweeter, but a little spicier (which could be caused by age) and is bitey if pushed beyond a moderate smoking pace. The Virginia is a little duller, too, and it has the same cigarette notes as the HoW production. It tastes better than the HoW, but is less smooth, and has just a little less depth of flavor than the Match.

VIP Match:
The birch taste is not nearly as pronounced or as chemical-like as it was in the original, where it overtakes the tobacco rather strongly. The vanilla is slightly more obvious in the Match. The burley is lightly nutty and earthy, and provides a little molasses hit, all of which were basically missing from the original. Overall, it’s a little milder and much smoother ribbon cut, and doesn’t bite (another failing of its predecessor). Burns well with a consistency of flavor that doesn’t vanish at the finish. No dottle. A pleasant all day smoke.

Walnut Match:
Both the original and the Match (also sold by P&C as Mid-Town Chestnut) are comprised of many different varieties of tobaccos. Both have a light taste of Kentucky, grassy Virginia, some nuttiness and molasses from the burley, a touch of honey from the cavendish, a slight woody note from the Oriental/Turkish. The latakia is a minor addition, but gives a very mild smokey, woody push to the other components. I know Maryland is in both versions, but I can’t taste it. The topping is mildly sweet and the same in both. Overall, both sport a nice subtlety of flavors that meld well together for a mild to medium smoke. Burns well, cool and dry to the finish. What are the differences between the Match and the original? The original had a little chemical taste from the topping that I noticed a couple of times which the Match does not have. The original can get a slightly bitter near the end if you puff beyond a moderate rate. The original is a shade sweeter, and a tiny bit nuttier, while the Match has just a smidgen more latakia. Otherwise, I can’t tell the one from the other, and if I wasn’t working so hard to find differences, I doubt I’d notice them.

Wine Berry Match:
In both the original and the Match, the deeply rich raspberry, red wine and Strawberry (?) flavors dominates the tobacco. It reminds me of Amphora Red, a little more so in the original than the Match. There a definite floralness in the topping of the original that reminds me of the floral note in Amphora Red, but it's a little stronger here, and isn’t present in the Match. Some burley peeks out from the topping every so often (especially after the mid-point). There's a slight suggestion of vanilla from the black cavendish in both. Can’t really say I notice the Virginia much in either production, except for a little grassiness. In the Match, the tobacco is a little more obvious toward the finish, but the toppings make it to the last puff without a hint of chemicals. The original does have a light chemical, syrupy taste that shows up occasionally. Both burn cool (the Match a little more so) with very little moisture, few relights, and a very pleasant after taste.