Summer of 2016 Blind Review Thread

[Tobias Lutz]

Here's where you put them, gentlemen. Have fun; a MASSIVE prize package awaits one lucky reviewer

[droy1958]

Here's my review....wahhhhhhh. Did I win? 😁

[cpmcdill]

Blend: #17
Pipe: Grabow Golden Duke rusticated pot
Packing method: Codger stuff
Appearance: Ribbon cut that seems like it was chopped down a little smaller. A small amount of yellow, some dark, and mostly medium brown tobacco.
Pouch Note: Smells sweet, and has some kind of topping though my nose cannot make out what it is. Seems very familiar though, like something I've had before. I'm guessing a mild cherry with maybe something else in the mix.

This blend is moist, so I set some out to dry a little before lighting up.

With a bit of drying, it lights up easily, on the first flame. The smoke is sweet and pleasant. The tobacco, which I'm guessing is burley and Virginia, is mildly pleasant. The aromatic topping does not come through in the smoke, except as that sweetness I mentioned.

By about halfway, it's gone out a couple times, but mostly because I either slowed down my cadence too much, or set the pipe down to type. I'm starting to get a bit of crackle in the pipe due to moisture. This pipe resists gurgling though, so I probably won't need to run a pipe cleaner through.

In the last quarter, the sweetness has tapered off, but I am getting a bit of a cherry aftertaste in my mouth. In the end it burned down to ash with a small amount of dottle.

As an aromatic, I thought this was pretty good. My wife enjoyed the room note and the pouch note. She likes an occasional pipe herself, so she might try this next.

[Tobias Lutz]

Blend: #17
Pipe: Grabow Golden Duke rusticated pot
Packing method: Codger stuff
Appearance: Ribbon cut that seems like it was chopped down a little smaller. A small amount of yellow, some dark, and mostly medium brown tobacco.
Pouch Note: Smells sweet, and has some kind of topping though my nose cannot make out what it is. Seems very familiar though, like something I've had before. I'm guessing a mild cherry with maybe something else in the mix.

This blend is moist, so I set some out to dry a little before lighting up.

With a bit of drying, it lights up easily, on the first flame. The smoke is sweet and pleasant. The tobacco, which I'm guessing is burley and Virginia, is mildly pleasant. The aromatic topping does not come through in the smoke, except as that sweetness I mentioned.

By about halfway, it's gone out a couple times, but mostly because I either slowed down my cadence too much, or set the pipe down to type. I'm starting to get a bit of crackle in the pipe due to moisture. This pipe resists gurgling though, so I probably won't need to run a pipe cleaner through.

In the last quarter, the sweetness has tapered off, but I am getting a bit of a cherry aftertaste in my mouth. In the end it burned down to ash with a small amount of dottle.

As an aromatic, I thought this was pretty good. My wife enjoyed the room note and the pouch note. She likes an occasional pipe herself, so she might try this next.

You enjoyed a bowl of SPS South Seas:

Product Description

If you can’t get away to the Islands, bring the Islands to you with this Aromatic pipe tobacco from Sutliff Private Stock! South Seas is a mix of Burleys and Virginias flavored with coconut, mango and pineapple. The combination creates a slightly sour and mildly fruity smoke that will delight you even in the dead of winter.

Brand: Sutliff

Blended By: Carl McCallister

Model: Private Stock

Tobacco Type: Burley and Virginia

Cut: Coarse Cut

Blend Type: Aromatic

Strength: 1 of 5

Taste: Medium

Room Note: Pleasant

Flavoring: Mango, Pineapple and Coconut

Amount: 1.5 oz.

Country: USA

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Blend: #16
Pipe: Comoy's bent bulldog
Packing method: Codger stuff/air pocket
Appearance: Ribbon cut with a lot of finer particles. Looks to be an equal mix of yellow, medium brown and dark brown/black tobacco.
Pouch Note: I get the impression of an English blend, with a note of Latakia.

Just right degree of dryness, took a light easily, and made a good first impression. A light-medium English blend, not a Lat-bomb. I've never been a good one to judge nic-strength of pipe tobaccos, as I also sometimes smoke strong cigars and use snuff tobacco made from Rustica. But I'd say this had a fair nic-hit.

This stayed lit from the get-go, until I set it down to write the first paragraph. The general feeling at the halfway point is that this is a good quality English blend, easy on the Lat and perhaps comparable to Squadron Leader. The pipe I chose to smoke this in plays well with English blends, so the experience has been good thus far.

Relit and smoked it down to the bottom. No big changes to the flavor. Usual ash with some dottle. Conclusion: I like this enough to enjoy finishing off the rest of the baggie. If it grows on me, I may get more once I know what it is.

This was SPS Westminster:

Westminster is a rich, medium-bodied blend of excellent Cyprial Latakia, exotic Turkish Orientals and premium flue-cured Virginias. When you're looking for a dependable, smoky-sweet blend, you can't do better than Westminster.

- - - Updated - - -

Mystery Tobacco 7

Pipes: All cobs, mainly spooled Great Danes.

Tin Note: Light aromatic. Little bit of spice, vanilla, and molasses. Tiny bit of Virginia hay notes.

Tobacco is a light and dark mix of cut up ribbon pieces. The Virginia is visible in the mixture and perhaps some burley. Probably some cavendish. I let the tobacco sit out in the sun for about 5 minutes each time before smoking. The tobacco smoked all the way down to the bottom of the bowl no problem, and only needed a relight if I quit smoking for one reason or another. No aromatic goop, which is a plus.

From the initial light, I was able to pick up tiny bits of caramel and vanilla flavors. Very easy on the tongue, no bite whatsoever. The mouthfeel is light and wispy. Getting into the second half of the bowl, I finally am able to pick out some "tobacco" flavors other than bland, white burley. Virginia pokes its head in and out from time to time now. Still easy on the mouth. The last 3rd of the bowl was much of the same. Little hints of vanilla/molasses here and there. Tiny bit of caramel. Little bit of earthy sweet Virginia. No real nuttiness from the burleys. Overall, a straight forward and sweet aromatic.

I would describe this one as a "mindless" all day smoke for those who like aros. I don't use the term mindless as an insult. I am using it to describe complexity of the blend, because there is none. It's something you can smoke without having to think about it. It is a very straight forward, easy smoking, sweet aromatic. It doesn't bite, even if you try to steam train puff it, and it burns down very easily with no maintenance to the bottom of the bowl.

My only complaint was that it was too light for me in every aspect. Not enough nicotine, not enough flavor from the aro, not enough tobacco flavor. Not enough of anything really. I was able to make it a little more interesting though, by smoking it in one of my Lakeland snot infected pipes Instantly more interesting with a geranium and lavender topping on it

This was SPS Golden Age:

We can thank the Golden Age of Exploration for introducing the Old World to Perique. The Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians cured Perique in hollow tree stumps, hundreds of years before the arrival of the first Europeans. Perique lovers will marvel at Sutliff's distinctive mixture combined with Turkish, Burley, Black Cavendish and Virginia.

[Branzig]

This was SPS Golden Age:

We can thank the Golden Age of Exploration for introducing the Old World to Perique. The Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians cured Perique in hollow tree stumps, hundreds of years before the arrival of the first Europeans. Perique lovers will marvel at Sutliff's distinctive mixture combined with Turkish, Burley, Black Cavendish and Virginia.

Well that explains the spice that kept poking through and the caramel/hay. But what shocks me is the fact that this isn't topped with sumtin! I swear it has a little something added too it...but then again I'm usually wrong about most things! Mine as well be off on this too.

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[cpmcdill]

You enjoyed a bowl of SPS South Seas:

Product Description

If you can’t get away to the Islands, bring the Islands to you with this Aromatic pipe tobacco from Sutliff Private Stock! South Seas is a mix of Burleys and Virginias flavored with coconut, mango and pineapple. The combination creates a slightly sour and mildly fruity smoke that will delight you even in the dead of winter.
.

Funny how much the beverage that accompanies a pipe can alter the flavor. I had a very hoppy beer that had a lot of subtle fruit flavor esters in it, which masked the tropical notes of the tobacco, leaving me with a tartness that I mistook for cherry. Going back and sniffing the bag, I think I can now identify at least the pineapple.

[cpmcdill]

Blend: #16
Pipe: Comoy's bent bulldog
Packing method: Codger stuff/air pocket
Appearance: Ribbon cut with a lot of finer particles. Looks to be an equal mix of yellow, medium brown and dark brown/black tobacco.
Pouch Note: I get the impression of an English blend, with a note of Latakia.

Just right degree of dryness, took a light easily, and made a good first impression. A light-medium English blend, not a Lat-bomb. I've never been a good one to judge nic-strength of pipe tobaccos, as I also sometimes smoke strong cigars and use snuff tobacco made from Rustica. But I'd say this had a fair nic-hit.

This stayed lit from the get-go, until I set it down to write the first paragraph. The general feeling at the halfway point is that this is a good quality English blend, easy on the Lat and perhaps comparable to Squadron Leader. The pipe I chose to smoke this in plays well with English blends, so the experience has been good thus far.

Relit and smoked it down to the bottom. No big changes to the flavor. Usual ash with some dottle. Conclusion: I like this enough to enjoy finishing off the rest of the baggie. If it grows on me, I may get more once I know what it is.

[Branzig]

Mystery Tobacco 7

Pipes: All cobs, mainly spooled Great Danes.

Tin Note: Light aromatic. Little bit of spice, vanilla, and molasses. Tiny bit of Virginia hay notes.

Tobacco is a light and dark mix of cut up ribbon pieces. The Virginia is visible in the mixture and perhaps some burley. Probably some cavendish. I let the tobacco sit out in the sun for about 5 minutes each time before smoking. The tobacco smoked all the way down to the bottom of the bowl no problem, and only needed a relight if I quit smoking for one reason or another. No aromatic goop, which is a plus.

From the initial light, I was able to pick up tiny bits of caramel and vanilla flavors. Very easy on the tongue, no bite whatsoever. The mouthfeel is light and wispy. Getting into the second half of the bowl, I finally am able to pick out some "tobacco" flavors other than bland, white burley. Virginia pokes its head in and out from time to time now. Still easy on the mouth. The last 3rd of the bowl was much of the same. Little hints of vanilla/molasses here and there. Tiny bit of caramel. Little bit of earthy sweet Virginia. No real nuttiness from the burleys. Overall, a straight forward and sweet aromatic.

I would describe this one as a "mindless" all day smoke for those who like aros. I don't use the term mindless as an insult. I am using it to describe complexity of the blend, because there is none. It's something you can smoke without having to think about it. It is a very straight forward, easy smoking, sweet aromatic. It doesn't bite, even if you try to steam train puff it, and it burns down very easily with no maintenance to the bottom of the bowl.

My only complaint was that it was too light for me in every aspect. Not enough nicotine, not enough flavor from the aro, not enough tobacco flavor. Not enough of anything really. I was able to make it a little more interesting though, by smoking it in one of my Lakeland snot infected pipes Instantly more interesting with a geranium and lavender topping on it

[cpmcdill]

@Branzig - What's the beer? I'm guessing from the glimpse of the label a nice hoppy brew? My most recent smoke was accompanied by a local beer from Flying Dog Brewery called "Raging Bitch" (8.3 ABV)...
Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA - Flying Dog BreweryFlying Dog Brewery

And yes, their labels are illustrated by the immortal Ralph Steadman. Amazing beers. Their "Double Dog" is as rich as a Porter but is a super hopped-up IPA with an 11.5 ABV. Brutal and brilliant.

[Branzig]

@Branzig - What's the beer? I'm guessing from the glimpse of the label a nice hoppy brew? My most recent smoke was accompanied by a local beer from Flying Dog Brewery called "Raging Bitch" (8.3 ABV)...
Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA - Flying Dog BreweryFlying Dog Brewery

And yes, their labels are illustrated by the immortal Ralph Steadman. Amazing beers. Their "Double Dog" is as rich as a Porter but is a super hopped-up IPA with an 11.5 ABV. Brutal and brilliant.

It is a hoppy delight indeed, but lacking in the ABV as it is a session brew.

Ninkasi Easy Way IPA

If you haven't drank much from Ninkasi, you're missing out. They make some fine brews. Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops, and Dawn Of The Red are all great.

I've never drank your brew there. Looks tasty though! I may have to see if I can pick some up. Since I have Ralph Steadman art tattooed on part of my body, that is a pretty strong selling point as well

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