Sutliff Tobacco Company Christmas Spice

Ok this was a weird one. I'm a English and balkan fan. I've tried aromatics time and time again. They mostly burn hot and have chemical taste. This is an odd ball it's aromatic and it's got burley in it. Two things I don't care for. With Christmas coming and I thought a give a few Christmas tobacco's a try. Tried golden days of yore and it was very good, so I gave this one a try. This one is surprising it's got a pretty heavy casing. When I first lit it I tasted chocolate. After a few minutes it changed. I couldn't identify the flavor. So I had my wife take a few puffs, she nailed it eggnog. This burns cool which is shocking to me. I've never had much luck with aromatics. This one is a keeper

I'm surprised to find that I'm only the third reviewer, but we do have quite a few holiday blends out there to try. I'm looking forward tryinging out all I can get my hands on over the years to come.

I found it quite good. It's a very flavorful moist aromatic which usually burns pretty well, but which occasionally left some dottle and quite a lot of moisture in the pipe. It's one of those that seems impervious to drying. I smoked 4 ounces over several Christmases and would consider buying it again in the future. It did seem a little bitey on occasion, but nothing too terrible. Being a Sutliff, the price was right. I don't think it rates 4 stars, but I'll give it a solid 3.

Christmas Spice packages a delightfully inviting recipe of finely ribbon cut Virginias, coarse dark Burley, and meaty shreds of irregular Black Cavendish. The published listing calls out an assortment of additive flavorings including vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. I do believe there is a splash of chocolate present, however, although not cited in the official marketing literature.

As mirthful notes afloat the pouch, casting lighthearted and sweetened images of festive joy one cannot help but feel the mood of the sweetest of seasons. A nestling ambience marked by sugary promenade of caramel, vanilla, marshmallows, fresh cinnamon, and a definite chocolaty swirl will have you wondering what savory candied treasures Santa has filled your stocking with this year. The flavorings are powerful as they cloak the trace essence of earthen Burley/Virginia native spice.

Setting to flame, Christmas Spice greets you with a nicely melded complex of heavy burnished cinnamon and rich buttery caramel that stand proud. Creamy drops of vanilla, soft chocolate, and toasty charred marshmallow set the colorful sweeter undertone. These flavors ride forward on the palate leaving a little pasty sensation on the lips and tip of the tongue. Truly yummy.

Principally blending the arrangement of tastes, the Black Cavendish enhances the density of the fragrantly sweet earthy smoke while imparting a simple subdued honey note. With the retro-haled registration, torchy Virginia grass and a distinct cocoa walnut flavor emerging from the accompanying Burley pop forward as it finishes with trailing zesty accent. By mid-bowl the strength of the toppings taper as Christmas Spice takes on a more balanced profile with the native tobacco nuances.

Joyfully the mixture burns beautifully even at a modest temperature. No tongue bite or roughness is to be experienced making this one a very pleasant and easy all-day smoke to fill your Christmas wishes. Although, I am struggling to put my thoughts to the direct association with something Christmas. What it does remind me of some very fine bread pudding that I had out in Portland, Oregon not too long ago. Whether you smoke this gratifying blend in December or August, it will tickle your fancy with its gala of sugary cheerful charm.

This Blend always reminds me of that time between Thanskgiving and Christmas. That time of year when the days are much shorter, the gray barren landscape begins to turn white, and the hustle and bustle as the Christmas holiday fast approaches. A time where you used to shop department stores or small boutiques trying to find your closest loved ones that perfect gift.

This blend ships heavily cased and somewhat sticky. The black and dark brown tobaccos are uniformly cut, aiding in even packing.

The tin note has a chocolate-minty aroma, reminds me of those brown and green Ande's Creme de Menthe chocolates. The cinnamon isnt discernible in in the tin. It isn't until you light up that the cinnamon comes forward.

This blend packs well, but takes a few lights, and more than average relights to keep it going. I never have the forethought to dry my bowls worth before I smoke, this is just one of those I keep forward in the cellar come fall.

This is a great blend for indoors smoking, and commutes in the car. The cinnamon and caramel really stand out in the room note. This blend is gentle on the tongue, never bites. It does make one think of egg nog!

I purchased this during a bulk sale trying to find something to replace Holiday Spirit in my Holiday's rotation.

This is a good one, it burns very dry for an aromatic. I wish they had put more cinnamon in it but the flavors work well and it's a blend my wife likes when I smoke it in the car on roadtrips (always a plus). I don't get much of the tobacco base with this one even in the last 3rd of the bowl.

I still prefer the mix in Holiday Spirit, but being available for bulk purchase will keep this one in the holiday rotation going forward.

This time of year I think a lot of the spices and smells of my childhood. Having English parents meant my house was filled with the smells of mincemeat tarts, fresh dundee cakes, plum pudding, chestnuts and lots of Christmas Biscuits. Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Mixed Spice abounded and so did lots of things with brandy and rum in the mix. I'm quite fond of all these memories.

When you order this it only comes in bulk, so I ordered a pretty simple 2oz to try. It comes in a typical Sutliff ribbon and the smell is good. It is pretty heavily cased but some tangy matured Red Virginia comes through. The vanilla is up front followed by the spices. As with most aromatics I've encountered, this is really wet. I recommend a dry time of at least 20-30 min. It takes to a flame easily enough, and burns relatively cool.

The room note is pleasant and I think you could confidently smoke this one in public and garner some nice compliments. As you light you taste Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, in almost the same combination you would find in eggnog. The flavors taste like they smell so there are no tricks there I like that it is vanilla forward because it rounds out and balances this blend. The Red Virginia that I taste is well matured, dark fruity and tangy. The black Cavendish adds a sweetness and toasted note to the experience. I have a hard time finding the Burley but I think it is hidden under the topping.

This is a decent blend which has a mild-medium taste. The trick is to puff slow so you can taste all the parts. The strength in this one is a mild, I'd be hard pressed to tell if there is any N in this one and I am smoking on an empty stomach. All in all a good blend especially for this time of year if you are feeling the need for a festive aromatic.

Package note of Potpourri. Tobacco is a brown and black and mostly ribbon cut. Very moist, drying is needed to get it lit. Burns slow with a few extra relights, once lit. The strength is mild and nic is mild. Flavoring is medium, with notes of cinnamon, caramel and vanilla. Cinnamon drops to the background early then disappears at the halfway. Carmel hangs on a little longer. Vanilla holds out till the end. Taste is mild and consistent, with notes of toast, bitter wood, spice bread, earth, mildly floral, hay/vegetation, molasses, lemon zest, sweet fruit, orange peel, brown sugar, a tangy citrus background note, and a peppery retro. Cavendish is leading with Flavoring, Burley and Virginia supporting. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is great.

Mostly Cavendish, albeit good Cavendish, some nutty earthy burley notes and a little Virginia grassiness. The toppings are a rum vanilla with some caramel. Spices I detect are Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and bit of cardamom. The blend reminds me of a sticky bun in taste. Packs, takes fire and is consistent in flavor from top to bottom. Not an everyday smoke for me but I do like it on a cold dreary February afternoon here in Central Kentucky.