Sutliff Tobacco Company TS24 Blended Turkish Ribbon

First off, when I first sniffed this in the bag there was something faint but off-putting that made me recoil in displeasure. If I had to identify the aroma I’d say the earthy-vegetative smell of bean sprouts. Could be a bit of harmless Geosmin taint. Taste-wise on my first trial, there was a vaguely burnt rubber taste that indicated some minor off-gassing, so some dry time took care of that easy enough. Once settled, the best I can say is that this offers a generic cereal taste (Corn Flakes) with nuances of alfalfa sprouts. I’ve put this in a separate location from my blending cupboard and will re-evaluate in a year or two to see if it improves.

If you are looking to explore Turkish varietals I’d start with Sutliff TS-19, C&D Izmir, or even Stokkebye Turkish Export 84 (which develops nicely as it ages). Meanwhile, caveat emptor on TS-24: don’t buy by the pound until you’re sure this is something you’ll like!