Sutliff Private Stock Reviews
I. Black Swan
This is a jet black Cavendish with a very sweet tin note. I have read that the toppings on this are minimal, and the 24 hours of steaming are the cause of the nougat like odor. It is a little moist and requires sitting out, all the while the vanilla notes are pretty enticing if you like aromatics. I did find that the cut doesn't pack as well in smaller bowls- mainly narrow cobs. This blend smoked very cool and was pretty mild. It reminded me of a chocolate graham cracker, and the second half of the bowl was more like a chocolate graham cracker crust on a pie or cheesecake. Nothing spectacular, but a pleasant, tongue-friendly smoke with a good room note.
II. Maple Street
This is a really pleasant smelling tobacco (in the tin and when burning in the pipe). It had nice hay notes with a generous dose of maple on top- like you're sitting on a bale with a tap drilled into the tree beside you. It is exceedingly moist and you need to lay it out. The rum topping is very muted, but noticeable. The ribbon cut packs easily. This is not heavily topped, so I'm assuming the consistency comes from PG. It reminds me of the maple fudge you buy at an Amish market. It even has a pleasant nuttiness that comes from the burley. It burns cool and has zero bite. Nice aro that runs for ~$16 for 8 an 8 ounce tin!
III. A Taste of Summer
Peach is one of my favorite toppings for an aromatic, and this is a good example of your typical peach blend. It's comprised of burley, Cavendish, and Virginia, and has a great scent of honey, hay, and fruit. It is cut into ribbon that come out the tin moderately moist and full of spring. In the pipe it reminds me a lot of peaches and cream oatmeal (the latter part of that description coming from the burley's nuttiness) I picked up on some almond flavor and found the mix to be a little bitey. If sipped, it is enjoyable and the room note will please anyone. I've got to give this something like 3/5.
IV. Moulin Rouge
This blend has enough Virginia leaf to give it a hay undertone, but the predominant tine note is definitely a fruity Cavendish. It's pretty moist and has a bit of vanilla extract scent to it (inclusive of the alcohol). It doesn't smell unpleasant, but there is something there that makes me expect a marginal amount of goopiness. The Virginias are cut in moderate ribbons and the Cavendish flakes are well crumbled. This smokes cooler, and with a light profile than I expected. It does not taste nearly as fruity as it smells. There is a note that reminded me of peach or apricot brandy, but the second half of the bowl mainly tastes like Burley. It didn't gunk up my pipe, but it didn't blow me away either. It's a middle of the road, lower priced aro.
V. French Quarter
This is another of the SPS blends that can be had for under $16 per 8 ounce tin. It smells like cocoa and vanilla in the container- a very sweet profile that is reminiscent of an Oreo cream pie. The flake is slightly larger than cube cut and only partially rubbed out. I thought it came out the tin ready to smoke and rather than crumble it more, I packed it loosely like a folded flake. The first impression I got from this blend was "earthiness" I thought it was interesting, but it was as difficult as all get out to keep lit, and I was getting bit early on. Once it settled down I got notes of vanilla and anise, but really struggled with this stuff through the end of the bowl. I'll have to try rubbing it out and then revisit this review, but the cut was similar to the H&H Sugar Barrel match (Sweet Cask), and I don't have any issues with that blend. The burleys make this worth trying to figure out, but first impressions were not great.
