Sutliff Tobacco Company Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend

Back when I was starting a pipe, many moons ago, I always meant to try EGR but never got around to it. It was on most drugstore counters. (My first pick was the short lived Burgundy). Now I figured I'd better have a shot at it, if nothing else for old times sake. I have a soft spot for the old timey burley blends.

Popping the top: a medium to dark brown, not quite flakes but short ribbons. A bit moist. No overwhelming casing-I pretty much smell and see burley and something almost "berry-ish" but very mild. Easy to pack and light. Starts out mild, mostly taste burley here. As the packaging says it is minimally aromatic and the flavor faintly reminds me of Sir Walter Aromatic which is flavored with cognac. Taste/flavor develop nicely down the bowl. I've never discerned the latakia. Pretty smooth. It's mild enough I could imagine a strong aromatic smoker pulling a bit hard to develop the flavor, when sipped it's cool. I would recommend this to a regular burley smoker who wants only a bit of flavor to go with the smoke. I could see this being someone's everyday/all day choice. Simple, minimal frills, good old stuff. Smokes great in my old falcon pipe.

Well, I got my sample today. Filled my Medico Ebony apple. The tobacco packed easy, lit easy and I was off to the races. I was really impressed with this tobacco. Not complex, easy, no fuss, no muss and burned to a fine grey ash. I get no tongue bite at all and I could taste the tobacco. Does anyone else taste clove in this?

I became curious about this tobacco after reading an article about its name sake in a back issue of a pipe magazine. The article stated that it is the same blend as the original and therefore a sort of time capsule. This tobacco is good for what it is; an unpretentious straight forward "drug store" tobacco. It has some real tobacco taste with just a slight nuance of flavoring, which came off as anise to me. The bowl goes quickly with this tobacco, yet I did not experience any tongue bite. Overall, this tobacco provided me with a very pleasant experience. There is nothing complicated about it, yet it provides a consistent and enjoyable smoke. The historical aspect also lends to the tobacco. The article I read stated that this blend is based off of Robinson's favorite Dunhill blend and was a best seller throughout the late 40s and 50s. Although this blend is no Dunhill, it is a great way to experience what pipesters of the past enjoyed.

I was actually very surprised by this blend. It was actually quite tasty for what it is. Nothing fancy but quite pleasant. A winner for the Field and Stream crowd. 3 solid stars.

This is a great tobacco that reminds me of one of my granddad's. I really like it but find the flavoring agent a wee bit strong and the very thin ribbon cut a wee bit fine for it to work for me as an everyday blend. So I've taken to mixing it two to one with Cornell & Diehl's rough cut VaBur(Lat) Golden Ash to make my own blend I call 'Shelby Foote' after the late, great author and pipe smoker. Of course, I can't claim to have reproduced Mr Foote's blend but, I've read as much as I can and I think I'm close. If this kind of thing interests you, buy a couple of tubs and a few ounces of these two reasonably prices tobaccos and let me know what you think.

Really good. The burley is unmistakably sutliff; It's nutty and creamy and can get bitter if puffed too fast. The latakia is quality and proportioned just right, it doesn't overwhelm in any way and provides some mojo to the burley. Virginias add some grass notes to even it out, but they aren't as obvious to me as the burley and latakia. There is an extremely light plum-like fruitiness that is a bit raspberry at times and I dont know if it's the virginia, burley or cavendish, but there's a noticeably sweet taste of honey. Also, a whisp of pepper, or some sorta spice. It burns fast, which is fine for me. A very dry smoke. Good amount of nicotine. Nice aftertaste and it doesn't bite, hard. There's alot to like here. Im not over the moon with it, but it's a solid smoke. Overall, 3 stars. While on the topic of character actors from the golden age of film, I believe Peter Lorre was second to none, but Edward G. Robinson was great too and his pipe tobacco is delicious, more than worth a shot. Recommend.

This is a simple, enjoyable, all day blend. Brown and tan in the tin, with a gently aromatic tin note reminiscent of fruit and a mild alcohol topping. Although latakia is referenced on the tin, there is no sign of this either in the nose or when lit.

I concur with other reviewers that a slight grape or other plum type edge can be found in the smoke, but not in an obviously aromatic kind of way. Cinnamon? Can't really detect that either, but clearly the cavendish is a main player bringing smoothness to the table and rounding out the burley. Burley nuttiness doesn't always sit well with me, but this isn't intrusive in this blend. I also don't find many of the bitey qualities that sometimes emerge in burley blends, although that may be because I have taken the advice of other reviewers and sipped at it rather than pushing for the big smoke clouds that I look for in lat-forward mixtures.

Only a couple of bowls in to this, so still a novice with it, but I can see why this has gained such longevity. A contemplative blend, I think. It has a slightly fruity aftertaste that lingers pleasantly. It does burn quite warm for me, but perhaps because I am still seeking to push it slightly harder than I should; even taking that into account, there is no bitterness to be found in the few bowls I have enjoyed.

Recommended but not stellar, enjoyable and to be bought again.

I bought this tobacco on a review and when I opened it I was very surprised, love the aroma, but my first bowl in a meer was hot, and my second in a GBD poker was also hot with some bite. With some advise I chose a nice Lorenzo 7189, it has nice thick wall around the bowl and I sipped it slowly.

This brought out the fruitiness and balance I was looking for and I really enjoyed it for the first time. I think this tobacco needs to be slow smoked to truly enjoy it. I agree with other posts about the bite but that was my fault. Keep it slow and you will enjoy this tobacco.

I have "mixed" feelings over this blend purchased in the small tin. On first opening, I can smell the fine "pinch" of latakia presence. I also get a sweetness in the smell. Filling the first bowl it lit fine and brought forth the very light creamy latakia I hoped to find.. creamy flavors from the tobaccos and flavorings came forth and I enjoyed the bowl with extreme pleasure.

Then I had the second bowl, and it seemed flat and to forward Virginia like, drowning out the flavor from the Cavandish. The Latakia was not present and it was just a flat tasting tobacco blend. ah-well, they say only a pinch(1%) of Latakia, I should have expected this. Then the 3rd bowl brought back my happiness again. The Latakia was back surrounded by some fine tobaccos and flavorful toppings. And that is my issue with this blend and why some of these reviews reflect it in my opinion. The consistency of taste is compromised even in a small tin. I would think the fix might be raising the latakia and cavandish .5%.. also, the Virginia's are a bit more forward to me, making it a bit bright in flavor when those are missing. When everything is present in the blend, it is a very pleasant smoke. I will add some Latakia and continue on...