Sutliff Tobacco Company Match 20

My father introduced me to Dunhill 965 in the late 1970s when I was in my late teens and interested in his pipe smoking hobby. He preferred aromatics (it was the 70s after all) but he showed me all the types of tobaccos available. Then when I took up the pipe hobby in earnest nearly 35 years ago, Dunhill 965 (then produced by Murray’s) became my favorite pipe tobacco and was pretty much my number 1 favorite for the duration. For a time (decades ago) I worked in downtown San Francisco and at lunch would enjoy walking to the Dunhill shop and puff on a bowl of 965 (or one of their proprietary Canary Island cigars) while looking at the Dunhill pipes, cigars and tobaccos the store carried. They had some big leather chairs you could sit in and smoke and visit with the other patrons and clerks. Talk about great memories.

I hoarded a lot of 965 when Murray’s stopped production, but those tins are all gone now. I do like the current Peterson version of 965 but for some reason it is not quite the same to me. To my tastes, it is very close but lacks the creaminess of the Murray version. It is also stronger overall to me. It did not trigger that memory I had developed over decades tasting the Murray’s version. Close but not quite. In any event, last year I finally got around to trying Match 20 and literally, the second I lit it, I could taste that familiar creaminess that I liked so much in the Murray’s version.

Match 20 has a moderate Latakia smokiness, some light spice and butteriness from the orientals, a hint of sweetness from the Virginias, and that signature round creamy taste that, to me, distinguished 965 from other English blends. Burns beautifully, dry and cool all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It is medium to light in body and has a mild nicotine punch. To me, Match 20 is closer to Murray’s than the Peterson version, but that is no criticism, just my personal observation. A great tobacco, at a great price. If you never tried the Murray’s produced 965, smoke a couple ounces of this and I believe you will get a close approximation.

And one more thing, I went into trying the Match 20 with a fair amount of bias. I never thought a bulk Sutliff blend could ever approximate the venerable Murray’s produced 965. I was wrong. Enjoy.

Absurdly mild, somewhat sweet, strong Latakia presence. I find myself comparing the smoke to warm air at times. Very strange, it's not as though the flavor is minimal, it's just that there's virtually no harshness whatsoever. Definitely keeping this around for when i start to get some mouth fatigue.

Pretty darn close to dunhill/peterson 965. Really close actually. If you like 965, you will like this stuff. This is just ever so slightly milder. If 965 is too strong for you.....give this a whirl.

Jar note of tart fruit, sour, and mildly smoky. Tobacco is a mix cut of ribbon and small course cut. The black, dark brown and tan tobacco is a little moist, drying may be preferred. Burns moderately with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of very woody, smoky, earth, herbal spices, mildly spicy, musty dry, mildly sweet, floral, slight buttery, sour vegetation, a mild tangy lemon zest and moderate incense background note, and a peppery retro. Latakia with Oriental/Turkish is leading with Burley Cavendish and Virginias supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

I am quite new (about 1 year in) to pipe tobacco, despite smoking cigarettes and cigars for years. I have tried an assortment in this time in an effort to find what I really prefer. I hesitate to offer reviews as such a new pipe smoker. In fact this is my very first one. Nonetheless, I felt this was worthy of my opinion.

I am not comparing this to Dunhill 965. I've never had it. I have found that I favor English and Va/Per blends. Ive also had some MacBaren dark fired Burley that i enjoy. Sutliff's Match 20 is an excellent tobacco in its own right, regardless of how well it matches the Dunhill blend.

At first light, I am greeted with campfire-like Latakia with Orientals playing along as well. Throughout the bowl, the Virginia's come forward. When I first started this 1 pound bag 6 months ago, the Virginia's seemed to cut through more boldly and begin to mute the oriental and latakia tobacco. Now that the blend has been jarred for 6 months, they don't start to crowd or compete with the oriental and latakia as they did when fresh. The Cavendish pokes out on occasion, but it doesn't offer any unpleasant sickening sweetness like in some of the poorly done aeromatic blends. The tobacco is good to the end of the bowl. I get no tongue bite, nor any dottle in the bottom of the bowl at the end. Moisture seems perfect for pre-packing your pipe about 30 minutes in advance. This tobacco seems to burn cool but fast. I'm still working on my cadence but it seems Escudo and other blends last me a good few minutes longer than this tobacco does. I try to sip as this does seem to go fast, but even if I puff heavily this tobacco behaves.

I like nicotine. That should surprise no one as I grewmupmworking in tobacco fields, and I smoked cigarettes for over 20 years. This isn't knock you down strong, but it is strong enough to satisfy a nic fiend. I prefer Perique heavy blends when I want a stronger tobacco. MacBaren dark fired Kentucky satisfies that itch too. Still, Match 20 is a suitable all day smoke. I'm almost done with my first pound and I'm still enjoying it. 4 stars for being a great tasting and very affordable tobacco.

This mixture tries through chemical means to emulate a classic English. The Virginia bites and tastes green and while the nutty/incense flavor is there in spades, the artificial sweetness makes it a flavored Latakia mixture. Predictably, this prevents me from enjoying it and by the mid bowl of a second try, I stop and now concentrate on how to remove the foul ashy, bitter cigarette aftertaste. Oh I know! Let me open one of my remaining Dunhill 965 tins, this should to the trick.

Virginia lover