H. Sutliff - Mixture No.79 pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Capt	02/17/2011	Mild	Strong	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
I was gifted a tub of this "stuff". If anyone wants it, they can have it!!!!! But, I would feel bad giving this to someone, it might reflect on my character.
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rattdogg	02/14/2011	Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I used to smoke this in the early 70's. I haden't had any in about 30 yrs. until I broke down a bought some for old times sake just the other day. It still taste just as I remember. Several reviewers have called this a love it or hate it blend and I can't disagree. I however am in the middle on this one. It ain't the greatest tobacco I've ever smoked but neither is it the worst. I started smoking this because a friend of mines father smoked it. This gentleman was an MD and chief of surgery at a local hospital. I admired him and thought that any tobacco that was good enough for this educated, respected and prousperous man was good enough for me. The good doctor loved this stuff! I think he sprinkled it on his morning oatmeal. He never used a tobacco pouch but instead carried a good sized tin of ole' 79 around with him. I think he used it for chew as well and I'm not joking. Anyway, I can't give you a great description of the taste because it's something that much be experienced. I have wondered for years what the little bits that look like dried orange peel are. Maybe it's best I don't know. Drop a few bucks and try some! You'll always wonder what it taste like if you don't.
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John Offerdahl	01/08/2011	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Every once in a while a blend comes along that is so absolutely terrible that it amazes me the blend made it to production. Does anyone like this stuff? Is it a mistake, or is it a joke being played upon us all by someone with too much time and money on their hands? Who is H. Sutliff, anyway? Mixture No. 79 is supposedly flavored with vanilla. I’m sure, though, that there is more. I like vanilla, and even blends with artificial vanilla in them can be tolerable. Of course, I also like licorice (yeah, I’m the one who buys those despised black jelly beans) but somehow, when anise is put into tobacco it creates a whole that is dramatically less than the sum of its parts. I wonder what Mixtures 1 through 78 were like! After trying this blend, I decided I’d better clean my test pipes (I tried to bowls to be fair). I used the Professor’s Pipe Sweetening Treatment, using cotton balls rather than salt, and let the pipes sit overnight. Once dry, I could still taste Mixture #79 in the pipes. I repeated the process, and could still taste lingering elements. A third treatment seems to have pretty much salvaged these two severely abused friends. Mixture No. 79 is one blend I can’t recommend to ANY smoker. I need friends, not enemies.
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Arkie	01/06/2011	Mild to Medium	Extra Strong	Medium	Pleasant
Some of the reviewers directly below have described #79 perfectly. This stuff smells like licorice in the pouch and tastes like soap once it is lit. The tobacco can hardly be tasted above all the artificial flavoring. The other reviewers were also correct about it ghosting a briar. It has taken several weeks to rid my pipes of the gosh awful soapy taste. If you want tobacco that doesn't taste like tobacco you will love this stuff. Otherwise you will agree with all the reviews below that deride it. I suppose everyone ought to try it once just for the novelty but use a cheap cob.
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Taylor3006	11/10/2010	Overwhelming	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Strong
Well I am not adverse to anise flavoring so I decided to give this blend a shot. It smells nicely of licorice in the pouch, has a wonderful look, and the moisture level is just perfect. I packed a bowl hoping for the best but was terribly disappointed. Besides the anise flavors, there is a definite "floral" taste to this tobacco. Not sure what it is, just could not stand it. Turns a bit chemically about halfway thru the bowl, again something I just did not like. Burns well, has a good nicotine kick but the taste is just something I did not like at all. Not something you can blend with other tobacco's to make smokeable IMHO. The flower and chemical tastes make this blend just terrible. I decided to try this again after aging it a while in my tobacco cellar. Huge mistake, this is most horrible tobacco, revolting is probably not a harsh enough adjective for Mixture #79. I tried mixing it with some other strong tobaccos but it always comes to the fore when smoking. The chemical/floral taste is just a huge turn off, reminds quite a bit of the emetic "syrup of ipecac". I would not be surprised to find out they use it as casing. This is a disgusting tobacco, avoid at all costs.
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Nurse_Maduro	09/04/2010	Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
I mean no disprespect to those who enjoyed this blend in the 50s and 60s. In fact, that's why I purchased it: because it has stood the test of time. Of course, so has caster oil, and we all know how great that tastes. Mixture No. 79 has a menthol-like smell and flavor. There's a strong licorice flavor as well, and these two tastes just seem to be fighting for dominance throughout the smoke. My girlfriend helpfully suggested "maybe it's meant to be smoked if you have a cold?" Definitely not to my liking although, clearly, some people genuinely do.
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BarryE	08/16/2010	Extremely Mild	Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Strong
A friend of mine in the UK recently recieved a package of this from his local tobacconist, and asked me what my honest opinion of this blend was since he had never before tried it. The following is an excerpt from my reply to his message and I feel that it is complete in all regards to Mixture #79 as a tobacco blend as a whole. "We here in the USA would be more than happy to send you our complete supply of that tobacco! The reason we keep putting it down is due to the fact that the topping of "Embalming Fluid" with just a dash of "Cremains" makes our eyes water and our noses swell with disgust. I hope that will clarify the situation a slight bit." If you plan on trying this blend out, you need another plan quickly. NOT recommended!
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veekdad	07/27/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
This blend should be noted as having an aquired taste, not just a half of a pipe full. I smoked it back in the 50's and 60's and enjoyed very much. I'm glad to see that it is still available, although any pipe tobacco is hard to find in the Los Angeles area unless you want it for a hookaa (which will deaden the taste of even the vilest leaf) I sometimes blended it into some cube cut burley to lessen the aromatic's.
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krg1000	07/24/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant
I must say this is quite a nice blend. This is one of the best OTC blends I have smoked over the course of time. The coarse cut make it easy to fill up the pipe and light up. Almost a licorice type of taste to this blend. This has a really nice room note to it and has a good amount of nicotine to it. The price is right as well. I would definitely recommend this blend for the new pipe smoker or if you want a change of pace from your normal blend.
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chetking	07/21/2010	Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant
In the 60s during my university days Mixture 79 was at the absolute top of the line of drug store brands and a prominent feature at tobac emporiums. You could always maintain your "cool" and not be afraid to flash the aluminium lined 79 pouch at a frat party or night spot and risk appearing declasse. In fact, it was the "It Blend" at my Big 10 Conference school. So I was rather shocked, very shocked to read many fellow reviewers dissing what was then one of the premium popular mass offerings. Perplexed me so much I immediately ordered a 14 oz. tub of old 79 to check on the veracity of these accounts. Got a good priced mail order deal from Black Cat Cigar Co, East Norriton, PA 19401 for $24.95 - a great deal for New Yorkers who now have to pay over six bucks for 1.5 Oz. of Mixture 79 at the tabacconist - if you can find it. My old sweet and mild aromatic blend was as solid as ever and I'm glad I ordered it. H. Sutlife still sings! I give it an unqualified **** star rating: sweet bouquet as I opened the tub, healthy brown and golden broken flake appearance, a succulent, gentle, mild and overall pleasant smoke all the way. Going to take a few ounces of this and mix 3-to-1 with Paladin, Middleton Cherry or Admiral's Choice Cherry Cavendish because Mixture 79 Cherry (another old pleaser) is either out of production or nearly impossible to find. Many of my reviewer colleagues trashing 79 - well, I think they were really just piling on. This is and always was a thrill of a pipe smoke and I can certainly understand why Mr. Cool Sophistication himself, Hugh Hefner, smoked it arduously until 1985 when he had a mild stroke and the Doc ordered him to quit smoking everything. Happy Hunting!
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GTMike	07/06/2010	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
My father used to smoke this blend and I started in college. I have always liked the taste and am surprised at so many negative comments. It may be that it is an acquired taste but I've rarely run into anyone who didn't like it.
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paulw	06/11/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable
not like any other didn't taste vanilla a more black liquor taste or licorice
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twokidslater	03/17/2010	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Just about the only tobacco I know that bit my tongue no matter the what the tobacco's moisture level was. OUCH!
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Robert	02/22/2010	Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable
This is one of those weird blends. Some people like it right away while others want to vomit at the thought of taking another puff. Strangely this blend sort of grows on me little by little. I don't like throwing things away that someone else might like. After the first bowl instead of heading for the trash can I tossed it in a drawer. A couple of weeks later I tried it again. I found it not quite so sickening but still not good. A couple of weeks later and I get the urge to try it again..... Right now it's back in the drawer but I've got a feeling I'll be digging it out again soon.
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Shawn_M	02/16/2010	Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable
Dish soap and cheap perfume.
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meanmrmustard	02/06/2010	Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I first tried this blend back in the late 70's, influenced by the fact that Hugh Hefner smoked this blend. Remember Sen Sen mints, the little anise flavored candy about the size of a small piece of confetti? Well this tastes like those to me and I happen to like them. On the other hand, I know people who gag on them. I smoked this for a while in the 70's and moved on to other blends. I was in a tobacco shop this morning saw old 79, and decided to give it a whirl in a cob. I liked it, nostalgic yes, but it wasn't as bad as some reviews I've read today. I think most people are going to love it or hate it, depending on your tastes. It is an "Old Fashioned" aromatic, flavored with old fashioned things, like anise, molasses, vanilla, and bourbon, that hit the senses strongly, because they don't back down on the flavors. Not much in the sense of strong tobacco flavors here, so don't expect an English or Virginia. I recommend a looser pack, or else it might bite. I give it a 2 and a half, neutral, because Mixture 79 will either be ambrosia or bad tasting medicine. BTW, unless you plan to smoke this on a very regular basis, only use a cob, your briar will taste like 79 for years to come!
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SteelCowboy	02/05/2010	Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium	Tolerable
I made the decision to try this tobacco because my father smoked this when I was a young lad. At the time it gave me a pleasent memory of pipe smoke. When I started smoking, I thought that in his honor I'd give this a try. Well, it proved that Dad wasn't always right about everything. This stuff is just plain awful. Sorry Dad!
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SpaceCowboy	01/31/2010	Mild to Medium	Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
I feel like i have to stick up for this one. This smoke has it's own unique character which you either love or hate. I would recomend anyone who is not brand new to the pipe to try it. Definately reserve a pipe for this, as it does have a tendency to mark it's territory. The first impression it leaves is its anissette flavor, however there is a bit of something else there, perhaps something like figs or raisins. The taste reminds me of spice drops, sweet and peppery; a taste only for the bold. This is what would probably drive most people away Finally, it has a stronger, yet enjoyable room note. This is definitely not a regular smoke, however once in a while you want something bold and different and this will by sure to satisfy.
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TeeRoy	01/28/2010	Medium	Medium to Strong	Overwhelming	Tolerable
I received a complementary 1.5oz pouch with a recent online order and was quite excited to give it a try. Being relatively new to pipe smoking I made one of two mistakes that can be made in trying out an unknown tobacco: I loaded a pipe without first checking the reviews on this site. Luckily I didn't make the second mistake of loading it into an expensive pipe. By chance I decided to load it into one of my corn cob pipes for the first go around. As I opened the pouch and drew in my first whiff my anticipation grew even more. I love the smell of anise and had hopes of a licorice flavored smoke. I loaded my corn cob and fired it up.......Whoa! WTF? My anticipation quickly crumbled in a mouthful of pure flowery perfume flavor. I tried to work my way down the bowl thinking things might improve, but I was wrong. Half way into the bowl I couldn't take anymore and dumped it out. I'm not sure yet, but I think I may have ruined my $5.00 corn cob. Be very wary of paying money to try this blend. If you believe your taste may be suitable to such a blend, find someone to bum a bowl off of first if you can. If you lack access to such an individual then buy the absolutely smallest amount you can find.
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DK	01/25/2010	Mild	Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
I received a pouch of this as a free sample with a tobacco order. The pouch aroma was heavy on the licorice/anise, which I found really nice - I love licorice! This flavor transfered to the smoke; however, it was laced with an extreme soapy taste and the aroma of what seemed to me to be bad men's cologne rather than women's perfume. I don't always trust the nose when I'm smoking, but that's my perception. Mouth-filling smoke that I found extremely foul. I tried two bowls of this, both in meerschaums because I didn't want to ghost a briar. I will not be trying this again.
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