Sutliff Tobacco Company Crumble Kake English #1

Nice looking crumble cake that breaks apart easily, but not much "shake" in the tin. I always have to be careful loading crumble cakes so that I don't get a bunch of tobacco on my tongue, so I left larger pieces at the bottom of the pipe as usual and this worked well.

Adding burley to the age-old recipe of latakia, Virginia and orientals brings a new dimension to any "Balkan" tobacco, and this one was no exception. When burley is added, there is often a nice nutty sweetness that is a bit like a nut with a light sugar coating, rather than a plain nut on one side or candy on the other. I suppose it's the burley melding with the rest of the constituent tobaccos. I'd say the latakia led the show here, but not by much. That sweet burley had a nice loud voice and the orientals lent a nice offsetting sour note. The Virginias were to the rear but were backseat drivers, exhibiting a depth and tang that reminded me of their Red VA crumble cake. The entire concoction was well balanced but leaned toward the sweet, which suited me just fine! I probably won't buy anymore of this but it was a fun ride. Worth noting is that this is one tobacco I did not allow to dry out much, as doing so made it taste rough and dirty.

I've been pulling for Sutliff since my first introduction to their blends, but they always fell well short of what I would consider a reference. However, they seem to be upping their game lately, and that is a good sign for things to come.