Sutliff Tobacco Company Man's Best Friend Blend

Presentation in the tin is cubed burley, fish flakes of light colored Virginia and ribbons of latakia. The tin smells of latakia and something slightly sweet. There is no smell of rum or chemicals others have noted. Moisture level is excellent - maybe a little drier than some might like. It is just right for me. Due to the cubed burley, I gravity fed to fill and tamped lightly.

I found the blend easy to light and a smooth, tasty smoke. The lemon Virginia was more prominent in the first half of the bowl. The burley came into its own with some depth after that. Throughout the bowl I found the latakia to be present,tasty and there without being dominant.

I found this to be an enjoyable medium strength blend that is not especially complex. It only hits a few notes but it hits them pretty well. This one is easy to recommend.

This blend is almost like a mild English blend. It has some light flavor of umm....well I don't know exactly. Perhaps smoke (Latakia) and perhaps a whiff of dark rum. This is simply a nice smoke that does not overwhelm in either room note or taste. It is most enjoyable to smoke. Just don't expect a lot of taste. It says discontinued but this is still available at a lot of web stores at this date.

This is a pretty simple blend. It is a full flavored, all day blend. Mild, but flavorful. A little sweetness combined with some smokiness that makes an interesting combination. The rum flavoring adds a nice shade of flavor. This could easily be smoked all day with no ill-effects. If you don't like latakia, this blend may not be for you. A nice, middle-of-the-road tobacco that should please most pipe smokers...

I got a free tin from one of the pipe shows I attended. I'm not an advocate of aromatic tobacco, nor will one ever be a part of my regular rotation. However, since this is a free sample, I thought I might as well give it a try.

Upon opening the tin, one can definitely smell the aroma of rum mingling with the English tobacco. I find that the casing is not as strong, or as overly powering as some blends I've tried. Latakia is definitely present in this blend.

The tobacco was a little moist. However, leaving the tin open and constantly rotating the tobacco around [top to bottom] for a few hours helped remedy the situation. Packing the tobacco was never an issue.

After the initial lighting, one's senses can definitely detect the rum. Others claim to continue savoring the rum casing from beginning to end. It is this humble reviewer's experience that as you go down the bowl, the flavoring dissipates and what is left is just good tasting English. Could there be a little inconsistency in the manufacturing process perhaps? The tobacco burned really well with only a few re-lights.

If your cup of tea is NOT an aromatic tobacco (or to be constantly bombarded with flavoring), then this may not be for you. However, if what I described is something to your liking, then maybe this is something you'd like to experience.

I haven't tried "Barking Dog" to make an educated comparison. Personally, I really don't care whether this blend barks like a dog, or purrs like a kitten. To me, this is just good English tobacco worth trying.

Based solely on the sample tin that I got, I will RECOMMEND this.

In the tin, this is sweet and smokey and with the fresh earthy notes from white burley. Wide cut bright VAs and light burleys along with chunks of burley cube and a solid helping of dark latakia make this mixture as beautiful in color as it is in cut.

This is simple, satisfying and extremely tasty. The burley sets the rhythm and with the variations of VA and latakia providing very bright highs and very dark lows, respectively. Neither grating nor tedious, the sweetness ties it all together and makes this just perfect for constant puffing. The effect of the rum is subliminal rather than showy.

Another relaxed and classy entry from Sutliff, Man's Best Friend is a true replacement for Barking Dog. If you like American Englishes, run, don't walk, and get some of this right now.

Chamber Gauge: Medium

Smoking pipe for a little less than a year, I'd have to give a hardy thumbs up to this one. As a newbie breaking out of the aromatics, this "english style" (and I use that term loosely)is a very nice start for the beginner. The tin aroma reminds a little of Frog Morton to a milder degree. The cut is easy to pack, however, keeping it lit is a trail. I really try drying it out (hour plus) but it is still difficult to keep lit. The room note is quite pleasant; even my wife likes it. The latakia is present but not over powering. It's a smooth blend, tastes good and (like Inspector Cluseau's dog) it does not bite.

I like this blend. My only complaint is that it can be difficult to light and keep lit. I love the room note on this blend the burley and latakia really come out. I try to smoke this in my pipes with smaller bowls due to the burn time. This to me is a great after dinner with a glass of single malt blend.

Very nice, very typical English Blend, nice Latakia, and finish.

This blend is another tribute blend to Barking Dog... It does not match it as closely as barking dog, but is good on its own merits. This blend is cased a bit too heavily with rum for my liking, but does provide a pleasurable smoke.