Sutliff Tobacco Company Cringle Flake (2020)

i so looked forward to this blend. and i am so disappointed. i love vapers.. not this one. i have tried it fresh from the tin. tried it dried out some. rubbed out. five different pipes. no luck. very oily. probably the very old perique. hard to light. hard to keep lit. A year later. It has come around. Tin note is negligible. But it has improved with age. Not as sticky. Easier to rub out. Just like me. Improved with age.

Summary: loose Virginia flakes with a ton of Burley hiding in the Perique and unexceptional red Virginias

There are two types of Perique out there, the raw form and the kind you get at most mail order shops which is a mixture of Burley and Perique (which is itself Burley, but fermented). This tastes like the latter, which means that despite the vaunted 2003 vintage, this is not super Perique-y, although the fermentation juices soaked into the Burley create an almost septic odor and flavor. Mostly, what makes this blend less than ideal is the large amount of cheap red Virginia that having been slightly sweetened and fermented, has a ketchup-and-dried-apricots flavor to it that overwhelms the Perique. The result becomes sickly sweet and wanders all over the flavor spectrum, not delivering the pleasant balance that brings out the best of all constituents which a good vaper brings to the table.

The 'broken' flakes were still mostly together, and they were probably the thickest flakes I've run across. However, they split apart easily, but even a fold-n-stuff packer like myself has to break then down more than a bit more to load them. The moisture was just right. If you like Red VA/Per blends, then all the tastes you expect to be there are, but not overwhelming so. A pleasant all-round blend, easily repeatable over the day.

This review is for the 2020 edition. I received my tin in November 2020, and I just opened it yesterday (12/01/2023). So, it has been aging in the tin for over 3 years in addition to the aging of the component tobaccos before blending. I must say that this is a very nice Va/Per. The tin note is surprisingly not very strong, but I do detect the expected scent of dark fruit with a touch of hay and citrus. These flavors are much more pronounced upon smoking, but not overwhelming. There is also a subtle sour note that comes and goes as the bowl progresses, and this intermingles with sweeter notes along the way. By the time I'm a quarter of the way through the bowl, the Perique makes itself known with a peppery flavor, especially on the retro-hale. The mechanics are good: it takes a couple of lights to get the bowl going, but only one or two more lights after tamping near the bottom of the bowl. I loaded my pipe (a simple Peterson Aran) with rather chunky bits of the tobacco. Not rubbed out. The tobacco needs no drying time, IMO. The room note is pleasant, I think, with a very slight floral or incense quality. The burn is pretty slow and the smoke is cool, too. A very nice blend for the Christmas holidays, and three years in the tin makes it very enjoyable. I agree with JimInks that it might not be an all-day smoke for some, but I could puff on it pretty much all the time. If you have a 2020 tin if this laying around, break it out! Definitely recommended!

Tin note is very spicy and sweet lots of fruit notes. Beautiful dark flakes. My tin was 3 years old I think the seal was broken but the tobacco was fine still slightly moist but perfect for smoking right away no drying time needed. I prefer to smoke the flakes not rubbed out but pressed lengthwise into the bowl but rubbed out will work fine. The smoke is absolutely fabulous. Its very complex sweet but not too much. Lots of spice notes like from a Christmas kitchen. Its defiantly one of the best aged Perique Vapers available. Still very smooth no harshness. Better sipped than puffed hard. If I could give it 5 stars I would. If you like perique this is a must try. Nic hit is middle flavor is middle (very satisfying ) I would not consider this an all day smoke but a really super treat once a day. Very consistent all the way through the bowl needs a few relights. burns to a fine white ash.

A rich, stewed fruit medley of aged tobaccos. Tin note is earth, vinegar, and raisins. In the bowl translates to a dark stewed fruit. Almost mulled fruit taste. I believe this isn't a suitable replacement for 2019. But it's definitely a good replacement as a yearly release for the late lamented Christmas Cheer. One of the reasons I believe these tobaccos are so well received is in a season full of Aro bombs , having a hearty limited release tobacco ever season is a welcome treat for traditional tobacco smokers. And this is a good one.

Cringle Flake 2020 comes in in sort of ready rubbed format of medium sized ribbon. It comes a tad overly moist, and I prefer to give it a little dry time, then rubbed out and packed. For me it does tingle the tongue a bit, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it bites. The profile is red Virginia, sugary sweet. It's that tangy plum, red fruit sweetness. There's a slight bit of spice, and a mite floral. Sipping this blend really brings out the nuances, of course, but mostly you'll get that melange of red Virginia and plummy perique. Not a favorite, but easily 4 stars. Very enjoyable.

*Edit: July 26th, 2021.. I no longer experience any bite from this blend, and I'd certainly now describe it as a phenomenal smoke. The sugary goodness of it is right up there with the like of McClelland Virginias, and that's saying a lot. Fantastic.