Sutliff Tobacco Company Count Pulaski

The name of this blend brought back memories of the Pulaski Skyway in Newark / Jersey City, NJ that I occasionally traversed with my parents as a kid. I agree with the renowned thedstnguishdgntlmn in that this is similar to Ries? Dr. Bradley and yes, better. Both blends are by Altadis and very similar in appearance with one of them having slightly more lighter leaf but with each having its own, unique casing.

Although the description describes a hint of anise, I found its scent more evident than any other in the pouch aroma. But it is less noticeable in the actual smoking. This sweetness of the VAs / burleys are predominant with the Latakia and anise dancing lightly around them. As others have hinted, perhaps the ?secret? to this blend is the combination of anise with Latakia. It may be akin to that other great combination: peanut butter and chocolate. Who woulda thunk it? You could smoke this stuff like a Rhesus lab monkey and never get the slightest hint of a nip or bite. Thus it would be an excellent blend for the new pipe smoker. Additionally, Count ?P? has a bargain basement price with great burning qualities to boot. In summary, you can ?count? on this to be a winner so get off your ?dupa? and buy some today! You won?t regret it.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.99 out of 10.

Unusual that Altadis would name a tobacco blend for a Polish expat American Revolution figure, but then again, why not? Cas Pulaski day is still celebrated in Chicago, and not just out of political correctness. All things aside, this is an excellent tobacco, and surprising for an Altadis. It's like so many other Latakia/Burley blends but with a twist. Can't say exactly what it is. Definetly worth trying. Nazdrovya!

Three of five stars set against the White Eagle

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Valentine's Day 2006

Actually, I'm raising this to four stars. Wonderful, and part of my regular bread and butter rotation. Spicy, sour, robust. My new Valentine love affair, and I don't have to buy the Count flowers!

I had to try this just for the name. I'm of Polish ancestry and the name just evoked a little bit of ethnic pride. With that aside, this truly is a very good blend that everyone, whether you are Polish or not will enjoy it. It does have a pronounced Latakia character to it. There is ,however, a wonderful casing that gives this a truly unique taste. The character of this blend is very similar to the "SERAD SERIES" by C&D.The flavors are muted yet form a wonderfully warm and complex aroma and taste.I have had something very similar to this- Iwan Ries' "Dr. Bradley". This is better. Where Dr. Bradley has a chocolate flavor this has more of an anise casing. I would suggest all pipers try this simply for its uniqueness. 4 of 4 stars.

This is a superb crossover blend. The Latikia is muted in the background and complementary to the VA's & Burleys. One moment the nut flavor of the burley steps forward, then the sweetness of the VA does so, all with Latikia taking back stage, adding great fill & thicker smoke. Packs well, & stay's lit easily. Burns cool, no tongue bite, flavorfull but smooth. A winner & new addition to my tobacco cellar.

* Update 6-7-2015 *

Still same opinion. Smoked a couple bowls stored since 2008. Key is don't pack too tightly & puff slowly. Enjoy best in a cob.

Despite the negative reviews of Altadis blends, I feel they have some hidden gems. I keep 'Fox and Hound' in my rotation as lighter English blend in Summer mos., but 'Count Pulaski' I will never be without!!!

The reason is simple. The Latakia does what it should. It's a background spice tobacco. But then again, it never feels like an aromatic even though there is Anise. The smokiness of Latakia coupled with Anise is a match made in heaven.

Second, there is nothing about this blend that looks cheap. Lots of nice flaked and cube-cut pieces. If you want to see cheap, buy something from Middleton. Again, one man's pleasure is another man's poison. If C&D or Pease put this in a can it would be 3x the $$$. But price isn't the point unless you're a snob. It also ages well.

I'd recommend this to anybody, beginners included. I find myself filling my 'English' pipe full of Count Pulaski 1st, while the more expensive tins in my collection collect dust.

February 2006.

Count Pulaski required two lights and once lit,it just needed the odd tamp. The taste and feel of this tobacco is truly amazing for the price.

I totally agree with Pipestud,that this blend is good enough to be tinned,but if it was available in tin's the price would more than likely go up considerably.

The flavour from start to finish is consistant,and highly delicious in a most respectful way.Plus,it doe's not bite at all like most inexpensive blend's,even after back to back bowl's being smoked.My pipe's suffered no ill effect's in anyway,like goop,or being overtaken by flavour's.

A clean grey white ash was all that was left behind at the bottom of the bowl.

If Count Pulaski were allowed to age more,it would be an even bigger blast! So,buy plenty,and put some aside for aging in rubber sealed jar's.(You won't be sorry)

Very highly recommended.

To give some perspective, I mostly enjoy English blends, eg. Black Mallory, Night Cap and Pensance, along with fine Virginia blends such as Stone Haven and Old Growie. Recently, however, I've been looking for a mellow all-day blend that smokes effortlessly. I'm a retired Lawyer who teaches philosophy at a local community college and I enjoy smoking while I do class prep as well as reading for pleasure. Count Pulaski came as a pleasant surprise as it costs less than half of what I ordinarily smoke. The room note is pleasant (my wife, a cigarette smoker who objects to my latakia blends, finds Count Pulaski pleasant.) The taste, which I find remarkably pleasant, is replicated by no other blend I've tried. For someone looking for a transition blend that can be smoked effortlessly and rewardingly, Count Pulaski fills an important niche.

I wanted to like this tobacco, and tried it many times in many different pipes. However, I found it to be too hot and bite-y for consistent enjoyment. There are many who love this blend, but it simply would not agree with me. To top it off, the wife despised the room-note.

This tastes like a budget English blend. Not great, but not terrible either. I'm glad I didn't spend a lot on it.

The tobacco is rather difficult to pack. The cut is coarse, and is in all sorts of shapes and sizes (small twigs sometimes). It is very wet, and I had to dry mine overnight to smoke it without frequent relights. It also burns very hot, which is unfortunate because that kills what little flavor is in the tobacco.

The flavors of burley, cheap virginias, and latakia all come through. It took me a while to put a finger on it, but there is definitely anise in it. I think this is the main flavor that really killed the blend for me. The overall aroma is tolerable, as it doesn't have nearly as much latakia as most other English blends.

If you can get an ounce of this at your local shop, I'd say go for it because it's worth trying. I won't be smoking it again though.