Sutliff Tobacco Company CA-100

Sutliff Tobacco Co. - CA-100.

Like Sutliff's Amaretto #777 I reviewed recently I opened this fancying a milder aromatic. I mistook the name and assumed CA-100 was an aromatic. Wrong! Not a steadfast aromatic but a sweet tasting English, with a very notable taste of spicy Perique.

The appearance is different to the picture here. Much coarser and inclusive of some VERY long Virginia ribbons. The smell from the pouch isn't like I'd expect from a blend categorized as an English; not as 'earthy' and much sweeter. The moisture's good, but the loose pouch will have enabled any excess to diminish.

Igniting couldn't be any easier! The Latakia doesn't rule, with a musky, smoky, efficacious, flavour. It shares the lead with the Perique, so the smoke has a spicy, yet woody, flavour. The Virginia seems quite redundant, to me. I could say I taste grass, etc., but I think the palate would need the investigative qualities of Hercule Poirot to pick any out! To me, again being subjective, there seems to be the presence of a very lightly added sweetness. It burns steady enough, but can creep toward warm when puffed with vigour; so, I go easy!

Nicotine: medium to me, easily. Room-note: not bad.

CA-100? I think it's a smoke worthy of three stars:

Recommended.

A mild tasting English. I really like the flavor, but it's a bit low on nicotine for my tastes. Like all sutliff non-aromatic blends, it does better with age. For the price, it's a really good tobacco. If you like English blends and don't like Vitamin N as much as I do, give it a try. It was under $27/lb. You can't go wrong at that price.

Due to the summertime heat here in Southern Michigan, I've been smoking mostly indoors, and mostly aromatics. The wife doesn't mind my indoor puffing, so I try to keep it civil with non-latakia blends. It's the smart thing to do.

I was craving a salty, smoky, creamy English, so I decided to start the review process of CA-100.

It arrived in perfect smoking condition. The moisture was spot on, the cut was mostly uniform, and zero stick/stems. The blend is fairly dark with the Latakia and dark brown Perique, with specks of bright Virginia spread through. It smells terrific, smoky and leathery Latakia, slight musty sourness from the Perique, and a touch of bready notes from the Virginia. It packs very well, and lights without much effort.

CA-100 smokes like a quality English. Woody, very earthy, smoky. Unlike StevieB, I personally do not get any sweetness from this blend at all. It's not a very complex blend, however it's not monotone and uninteresting. It leaves a dry palate, but it's clean and refreshing from the Perique. This has been a good after dinner smoke for me, paired with my evening Grand Marnier neat.

Jar note of tangy sweet, spices and smoky. Tobacco is a wide Ribbon cut of black, brown and a little bright brown and tan mixed in. Moisture content is a little high, drying may be preferred by most. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of floral, herbal, smoky, peaty vegetation, leather, wood, spices, tart and tangy citrus, earthy, orange peel/zest, spicy/acidic, dry mild bitter, incense, a lemon grass background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Oriental/Turkish supporting. Perique and Virginias are cheering from the sidelines. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.