Sutliff Tobacco Company Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend

(2.84)
A pleasing aromatic with a nutty sweet burley, gold cavendish, and flavored black cavendish taste. These tobaccos are combined with fruity plum and wine notes, along with a slight flavor push from a hint of Latakia for added sweetness and body. A harmonious blend that burns cool and slowly for full enjoyment.
Notes: Created in 1946, the blending was done under the personal supervision of Edward G. Robinson himself.

Details

Brand Sutliff Tobacco Company
Blended By Sutliff Tobacco Company
Manufactured By Sutliff Tobacco Company
Blend Type Aromatic
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Cavendish, Latakia, Virginia
Flavoring Alcohol / Liquor, Cinnamon
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 1.5 ounce tin, 12 ounce tub
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Mild
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.84 / 4
24

22

18

9

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 73 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 17, 2013 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
The smell from a freshly opened tub or tin is entrancing. The nutty, earthy, woody burley also has a touch of molasses as the lead component. The gold Virginia cavendish provides some grass, tart and tangy citrus and few drops of honey as a secondary player. The brown sugary unsweetened black cavendish is a condiment, and has a tinge of vanilla, too. The smoky, woody, earthy sweet Cyprian Latakia isn’t very detectable being only one percent of the blend, but it’s just enough to add nuance to the flavor. I also observe a little fruity plum as well as a red wine topping. There's also a couple pinches of cinnamon present. The strength and nic-hit are a step past the mild mark, while the taste is almost at the center of mild to medium. I’ve never experienced any bite, though I know a few people have. I puff it a little on the slow side for best effect, and I recommend that pace. Has no harshness or rough edges. Burns cool, clean and even at a reasonable rate with avery consistent flavor from top to bottom. Leaves just a little dampness in the bowl. Requires few relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste, and room note. An all day mildly aromatic smoke.

This product has outlived Robinson (who supervised its creation) by many years, and has never been out of production. For those who remember him, it’s a trip down memory lane. For those who don’t know much about what a great actor Robinson was, it’s a chance to acquaint one’s self with a venerable blend and perhaps the man himself to some degree.

9-1-2013 Edit: The 1950s EGR was produced by the Greenfield & Winther company, who originated the blend. It was interesting to discover the taste of the new blend is close to the old, except the newer was slightly sweeter, and the spice note from the cinnamon was just a little more obvious in the older version. The Greenfield & Winther production was a little stronger as well.

-JimInks
124 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 21, 2013 Mild to Medium Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant
EGR screams old school all the way . I give credit to Sutliff , they do a fantastic job with their Match Blends . I really think their CD blend , R blend and Mans Best Friend are true enough to their past Matches ! EGR is on the same page with their match blends ... spot on to the Old School Flavors . So many people talk about the blend of old etc .... and how much they miss them . Do yourself a favor ... give the Frog a rest and try this stuff and get a snapshot of the type of blends that Grandpop may have smoked . When I first put my nose to it I thought it would be different and maybe a little odd .. it's not . This type blend is what Aromatics were like before Black Cavendish exploded on the market . This is not an overly wet Aromatic like some of the modern Aromatics can be . You taste the Aromatic flavor [ whatever it is ] yet still taste the blend . This is good stuff and I've enjoyed it thus far .
42 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 04, 2005 Very Mild Very Mild Very Mild Pleasant
Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend has been incorrectly described above. There is no cavendish or black cavendish in this tobacco. According to Paul Creasy at the Sutliff Tobacco company, this blend consists of burley, Virginia, and a minute amount of latakia (those are the tiny black flakes). And no grape juice. Robinson himself had a hand in the blending, working along with Gordon Sutliff.

Edward G. Robinson is not an imported, expensive boutique blend; tobacco snobs will be disappointed. That said, it has a very pleasing aroma when lit or unlit, and it is consistent down the bowl, never turning bitter. I've never, even after repeated bowls, had it bite me. It creates a room note that everyone around me finds enjoyable, and as a burley lover, it hits the spot for me everytime. There is a slightly sweet element along with the natural tobacco taste, with the quiet smokiness of the latakia emerging now and then. It's delicious.

This is straightforward, nostalgic stuff, from an era when a celebrity's face on a tin of tobacco was not uncommon. Its most famous fan is Shelby Foote, the great Southern novelist and Civil War historian, who smokes bowl after bowl of this tobacco throughout the day. Jon A. Jackson, the well-known mystery novelist, also claims Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend as his personal favorite. Give it a try--for a pleasant, uncomplicated, satisfying smoke, you could do a lot worse than this.
31 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 15, 2015 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant
I'm completely shocked by some of the reviews of this blend. I would like to think that anyone who has smoked this delightful blend would have at least some appreciation for what it is. I have my doubts as to whether some reviewers smoked this at all, because it is certainly a blend worthy of praise. I will admit that I was a bit skeptical about it before lighting it up. I had never really tried an aromatic with Latakia in it, but figured that it was worth a shot. I'm very glad that I did, as this has quickly became one of my go-to smokes. The nuttiness of the burley takes the lead, followed by a sweet, grassy VA flavor, which is then sweetened a bit further by the cavendish. The Latakia is noticeable, but I honestly think it is there just to tie the other flavors together with a hint of smokiness. There really isn't enough Latakia in this blend to even call it a "crossover" or "hybrid". It's a condiment and used sparingly to enhance the blend from backstage. It does have a topping which I can only perceive as a liquor of some type. I taste a bit of caramel toward the end of the bowl, which is a nice surprise.

I have smoked this in many different pipes, but I believe this stuff really shines in a meerschaum. The flavors blend so well together, and the meerschaum seems to only accentuate the balance of this tobacco. It is damn tasty in a briar or cob as well, but meers make it shine!

This is a very good tobacco: a new favorite of mine. I will always keep some of this around (and hope it is never discontinued). If you've been on the fence about this stuff, get off of it and grab a tin. If you don't like it, like so many others claim, then you can always send it to me for disposal.
Pipe Used: Various Turkish meers, various briars and cobs
PurchasedFrom: pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh, several months
26 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 16, 2003 Medium Very Mild Medium Very Pleasant
Edward G. Robinson is another blend that is getting a lot of publicity as a re-released golden oldie. The Altidis Company recently shipped (11/03) a batch of 2 oz packages to my pipe club for sampling.

The description above indicates the blend contains black cavendish. Well, I never tried EGR in the past and it may well have contained black cavendish at one time, but there is nothing but golden leaf in the mixture now.

EGR is cased Burley. The casing is discreet and different. My wife says the "room note" was wonderful. The flavor rotated from good to bad to good as I worked my way down the bowl. At certain times, I enjoyed the unusual flavor sensation, but at other times the harshness tickled the back of my throat as sometimes happens with mid-grade Burley. It did have a nice nicotine kick though.

Unlike the above reviewer, this blend never bit me and burned quickly to a fine gray ash with no sign of aromatic wet goo at the bottom of the bowl.

I'll finish my complimentary 2 oz packet -- but not immediately. Those who enjoy Prince Albert and such will no doubt consider EGR to be a delightful weed.

PS: I forgot to add in my original review that one should dry this tobacco for at least 12 hours before smoking. The leaf in a fresh pouch is quite moist.
25 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 24, 2018 Mild Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
This is a massively misunderstood tobacco. Ruffingold has it right when he says that it "screams 'old school' all the way." But then he veers way off when he follows up with Sutliff doing a great job with their Match blends. They often do; but this ain't one of them. Sutliff ORIGINATED this blend!

I've seen this miscategorized as an "American English." It's not; it is an old-fashioned American blend that contains a smidgen of Latakia. A lot of them did, back in the day.

Don't over-think this tobacco. It is a very pleasant, mostly burley smoke, lightly doused with "secret sause," that wouldn't drive folks out of the room in 1947, and won't tear your mouth up. That, and a presumed endorsement from a movie star ( at least before HUAC impugned his politics), was all it took to sell pipe tobacco in those days.

That's what this blend was then, and that's what it is now. Of course, the Shelby Foote connection doesn't hurt. Although I imagine Shelby would be mightily amused to see all the fancy analysis of something he'd long taken for granted.

I'm 65. I started smoking a pipe in 1970, and this stuff was old-fashioned even then! But that is neither here nor there. It was a fine smoke then, and it's a fine smoke now. And if you love history, there is absolutely no pipe tobacco that can evoke the past, on a warm, lanquid autumn afternoon like this stuff can.

Fire up a bowl, pour a bit of Bourbon, and start reading William Faulkner' "Light in August."

8/12/2020 UPDATE: Today, I was looking for something to smoke an found a tin of EGR in the closet that has been open for Lord knows how long. It felt fine and smelled fine, so I fired it up in a cob. Great stuff! The aromatic had faded, and the Latakia had become more pronounced. Not many drugstore blends improve with neglect, but this sure does.
Pipe Used: GBD, Missouri Meershaum
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: Fresh
24 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 27, 2006 Mild to Medium Medium to Strong Medium Pleasant
This is a strange tobacco. I suppose I can see why so bizarre an accusation as its being flavored with grape juice could arise, given that it is a blend so off the beaten path and, generally rather obscure. Even the plastic container it comes in is strange.

It is a burley and Virginia blend, though it doesn't taste like any example of such that I have ever before encountered. There is a fruity, piquant sauce moderately applied that makes it taste much like many Asian candies I have come across. There is also a bit of Latakia, though I have no idea why. I could barely smell it before lighting and could almost never taste it. There was one evening of smoking for me with my rusticated Kaywoodie Gold Series billiard and a small private label English billiard where the Latakia, for once, finally came through and that was quite nice. Rather like a good Scottish style blend. That was the only time, however.

Edward G. Robinson's is also a fairly cool smoking tobacco and leaves no lingering flavor in the pipe, which is nice, I suppose. For once, I am almost at a loss as to what can be said for this particular smoking stuff. I went through an entire twelve ounce can of it rather quickly and I cannot say that it is at all bad. It's just?well, strange.

Regards, A. Morley Jaques
22 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 14, 2005 Mild Mild to Medium Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Now look you mugs, this is a good blend, see? Yeah...it's good, a mild smoke, see? (Sorry about that...I must have been channeling).

I do like this blend! To my nose it is reminiscent of good coffee with cream, spiked ever so lightly with burbon. How anyone could inhale its aroma and think "grape juice" is quite beyond me.

The cut of this blend is just a wee bit shorter than that found in most Cavendishes, and it packs well. Savored slowly, it does not bite (at least I've never experienced this problem with it). Like most cased blends it benefits from some drying prior to smoking. I do not find that the casing (whatever it may be) coats my tongue. The tobacco burns cleanly to a light gray ash, and leaves little dottle.

Mr. Robinson may have had a tough-guy image on the big screen, but his namesake tobacco is one pleasant pussycat. Highly recommended!
22 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 04, 2013 Mild Mild Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
I was given a sample of this blend to try to see what I thought of it. I pretty much smoked only aromatics for a long time only the past 6 months have I branched out considerably in my tobacco's focusing on VA's and VA/Per's with some mild Latakia blends thrown in but still gravitate to an aromatic once or twice a day.

I took a good whiff and was surprised about some of the comments on grape juice and such as all I got was a light toasty note reminiscent of walnut or nut of some type.

The tobacco packed easily and lit nicely and stayed lit throughout the smoke needing one pass with a pipe cleaner which is very good for an aromatic as some can literally take more of your smoking time using the pipe cleaner than actual smoking.

I had the feeling of warm honey on the palate turning to a bit of the nuttiness I smelled upon opening the sample, the nasal note was more nutty and tobacco to me.

This is a nice, refreshing, easy to smoke tobacco that anyone who smokes aromatics would really like, it is old school in that it reminds you of the old way pipe tobacco smelled and smoked but well worth having in your tobacco rotation.
21 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 18, 2013 Mild Mild Mild to Medium Very Pleasant
I have smoked 5 bowls of this tobacco in a day and a half, and it's very tasty. It has a very pleasant aroma when you first smell it: maybe a plum, or a very light fruit aroma, not heavy at all. But unmistakably there. It's cool smoking with no bite.

On smoking it, that flavor and many others come through: some alcohol hints that I can't put my finger on, and the fruit is there in the background like the lightest summer breeze that you barely notice on your skin. Quite enjoyable, complex enough to keep you guessing, yet simple enough to just smoke and enjoy without over analyzing it. It's definitely a keeper, not some goopy, heavy aromatic, but a melange of flavors that makes you want to come back for more. It could easily be a singular smoking experience for the whole day, or your only smoking experience if you like it. I think this blend deserves a wider audience. It's a very nice smoke that a lot of people will enjoy and come back to, if they give it a chance. I wanted more before I finished the last bowl.

Thumbs up from me.
15 people found this review helpful.
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