Sutliff Tobacco Company Blend No.5

I believe this was the very first experience I had with English tobaccos and I have to say, it is what began my love for them.

Tin: The tin note, like all English blends, has a smokey aroma that is impossible to miss. There seems to be an almost barbecue sauce note to it as well that is not quite tangy, but very close. The moisture level right out of the tin is perfect. No drying needed.

Light: This blend lights as easy as pie and the charring light may even be all you need to get going.

Smoking: Blend no 5 is very smooth and light. I don't think you could get this blend to bite if you wanted to. Smoke is thick, creamy, and very pleasant. While this won't rank real high with the women-folk, I think the aroma is not unlike toasted marshmallows. Overall, the flavor is pretty mild, which is what I personally prefer. When I'm done smoking, I want the aftertaste to taper off quickly and this blend fits the bill. It reminds me of the Frog Morton line (albeit much cheaper, which is a plus) but it has a certain something extra that I love. I wouldnt call it a Lakeland essence, but there is a slight perfuminess to the blend (especially detected when exhaled through the nose) that I can't quite put my finger on. It isnt overwhelming but I must say, it is what sets it apart from the other English blends I smoke. Puff too hard and you'll miss it, but puff gentle and slow and you'll notice the subtlety of this flavor. As a matter of fact, if you puff to hard on this blend, it destroys the flavor and you may find yourself wanting to toss the tin, as it will turn from a nice smokey flavor to a more burnt one.

Overall this is a very simple, mild smoke that could easily become an all-day pleasure. It is a good, solid English with no bite and a fantastic (dare I say, unbeatable) price.

Where to start? I can definitely appreciate a craft Virginia or rich Cavendish now and then, but English blends are my favorite, and McClelland's Frog Morton Cellar is my "desert island" blend. Well, you probably know by now that McClelland has ceased production and will no longer be in business (a moment of silence, please).

I have been purchasing inflated-priced tins of Frog Morton Cellar on EBay to pad my cellar, but let's face it, that handful of tins will not last forever, and I wanted to find exceptional alternatives.

As it happens, my local B&M had a few tins of Sutliff Private Stock, and though Sutliff does not get the raves that Dunhill and McClelland do, I like to explore different tobacco blends and brands. One of the blends that they had was Sutliff Private Stock Blend No. 5, and so I decided to try it. I checked out these reviews first and almost bypassed trying it due to low overall ratings. That would have been a major mistake!

So, I went straight home and packed a bowl into my meerschaum; it was okay. Then, I packed a bowl into my Peterson Standard System 307 and boy, was I in heaven!?

The tin note was tantalizing: smokey, fruity, woodsy. The smoke was as full-bodied as it gets for an English, but dry and cool. As another reviewer stated, the tip for this blend is to "sip" as hard puffing tends to make this blend a little harsh. The Latakia came through much better from my Peterson than from my meerschaum for some reason.

I found this blend much preferable to Dunhill 965, though still not quite Frog Morton Cellar, but close. All of this is subjective as each pipe smoker has his or her preference, but if you love English blends as much as I do, I can't image that you'd not enjoy this blend. I found this blend to have similar notes to FMC, but it was more "cedary" than FMC, and I relish the cedary essence that comes through in a good English blend.

If you like Frog Morton Cellar, then give this blend a try. After all, the price is very reasonable, and I personally find it very comparable to FMC, and you maybe you will too.

I didn't expect much when I got this tobacco - but I got it as a "Sample" so I thought I'd give it a go - And - I was nicely surprised.

This is a Great inexpensive Lite English that would make a nice intro to Smokers who want to try this sort of thing. For English Vets this fits the bill when you are looking to smoke an English Blend but it's extremely warm out.

The Tobacco has a wonderful tin aroma and - Yes - it does remind me of some of the House Blend English I have smelled over the years at Tinder Box and Sherlock's Haven. (I don't consider that a bad thing - kind of cozy actually).

Tobacco is lite, cool and smooth with a very subtle side stream of topping. It so well balanced I'm surprised to read some the negative reviews about it on this site.

I think some reviewers are misreading the marketing blurb in regards to this blend. Meaning if you like 965 - you'll like this one. It does not say - this is 965 but rather a blend that is similar in flavor. Well if memory serves me correctly this does have that lite - medium taste that 965 did have at one time. No it's not 965 but it sure is enjoyable. And for that reason I'm giving it 4 Stars. Hopefully some will get past this 965 allusion and just give this blend a fair try.

I will be ordering a couple more tins because for what it is it's good.

Excellent English that manages to be sweet and creamy without any soapy taste, for once! Requires a bit more drying time than expected, and there's some very mild topping in the humectant (I think) but it's not noticeable. Pack it loose and smoke it slow, and you'll be rewarded with a delicious sweet english, if a bit mild in Vitamin N. Along with Balkan Luxury 957 one of my two favorite Sutliff blends.

Excellent tobacco, i purchased an 8 oz tin of this before reading any reviews. I had tried some Bosphorus cruise which led to me trying this. It smells of subtle sweetness with hints of chocolate. The latakia is only so very slight in this blend. BUt its noticible enough to enjoy, i do detect the sweet virginia and a flower note. I would compare this to blue mountain but not as sweet and a little easier to light. once this is lit it stays lit so no relighting. This can be an all day smoke because of its smoothness and taste.This has a mild body and medium flavor. There is no nicotine in this that i can detect. For being half the price of other brands that are similar you cant go wrong with this sweet smooth flowing tobacco. I bought 4 pounds of this stuff to cellar.

Right up front, one is confronted with a comparison of Blend No. 5 and Dunhill 965. Are they the same, are they similar, or, are they different? 965 is a four tobacco blend and No. 5 is a three tobacco blend and, that, makes them different. I loaded two pipes that are from the same maker (Ashton Pebble Grains) with identically shaped chambers; placing 965 in one and No. 5 in the other. I smoked them, more or less, simultaneously down to the heels. They performed very similarly in their top thirds; nearly identically. At the crossover point to the middle thirds, they began to diverge. The 965 began a new path that was a softer and more rounded smoke, while the No. 5 continued in a straight line down a very familiar Virginia/Burley/Latakia path that I have traveled many times with many English blends over the years. This divergence continued into the bottom thirds and widened. I enjoyed both smokes and feel that the No. 5 finished with a little more gusto. Oddly, the two blends look very similar in color range with the No. 5 having a rougher cut than the 965. I felt when I reviewed it that 965 was a four star blend. I feel the same way about Sutliff's Blend No. 5 and can easily give it the four stars it deserves. Just for the record; my 965 was a Murray's mid-nineties bulk product and my No. 5 was from a 2010 tin that got misplaced in my local brick and mortar.

I absolutely LOVE this blend! It might be "similar" to other English style blends, but it has a unique taste all its own that makes it irresistible to my tastes. It has some kind of sweetish topping to it, but not enough to overpower the tobacco taste. No bite, smokes nice and cool and consistent flavor from start to the end of the bowl. Definitely getting more of this.

Right from the charring light the Latakia made its presence known. The rich smoky flavor came right to the front. Which was not surprising based on the tin note. At the mid-point of the bowl the nuttiness of the Burley started coming through as well as the Virginias adding to the flavor. The Earthy and smoky flavors were still the dominate factor to the end of the bowl. Even once the bowl was done I could still taste the Latakia.

I will definitely be smoking more this tobacco.

I also received this as a free sample tin. Wow. This is delicious. I like it best in a pipe with a smaller bowl. Seems to intensify the flavors. Of course it requires a refill. LOL. I can hardly wait for afternoons on the patio with Blend 5. All my other tobaccos are getting lonely.

Just like to add that I find none of the negatives of other reviews. But I guess we are all different, and that's what makes life interesting. I will say it is slightly moist, but I don't see that as a negative. It means I can easily dry it to my preference.

PS: I thought this was going to me the same tobacco that Altadis sells in bulk as 965 Match - which I have now smoked a half pound, and enjoy. BUT the moment I opened the tin of Sutliffe Blend 5, I was surprised to find that it doesn't look the same - nor does it taste the same! To me, this is clearly a cut above. This is the one I'll be buying from now on - in the 8 oz. tin.