Sutliff Tobacco Company Match Revelation

I don't care for aromatics. My experience with Altadis is that they use inferior leaf and heavy casings and toppings. I have sworn never to smoke Altadis again.

But here I am with a cob full of this 'tobacco,' trying to imagine if Einstein really would have smoked anything this bad. I suspect that the original Revelation, the one which fueled so many lectures at Princeton, probably was better than this.

There is no taste of Latakia, no hint of Perique, only the the sweet "plum" casing. Indeed it is difficult to taste any tobacco at all.

Revelation Match… As far as how close this match blend is to the original, it's been too many years, but I don't remember the original being as good as this match blend, maybe my tastes have changed over the years but (today) IMO this stuff is an improvement over the original.

As suggested by others on this site, I gave my 4oz sample a good airing out and found this small change made all the difference, for one thing the castings strength was reduced to the background, allowing the taste of the various tobaccos in this blend to nicely waff in and out. As for the the amount of latikia used in this blend, for my taste it is just about right. If I were to add anthing to this blend it would be a dash of C/D burley flake #1 or 2 to get the nicotine level up a bite, but for now I'm enjoying this blend as is.

The fruit flavoring is probably plum, and it is definitely noticeable, although not as pronounced as in the C&D match for Philip Morris Revelation ("Epiphany"). The Latakia is very much in the background. I could not detect its presence. The perique is cut into long ribbons and is very sparse in the mix, so it comes through only occasionally. Unlike the C&D version, this smoke is quite mild and bite-free.

This is not so much an English-like blend with an emphasis on burley as it is a mild traditional American blend with an unusual fruit topping. You might want to jazz it up with some added Latakia and perique.

This seems to burn a bit on the hot side, but not by much. A nice well-balanced everyday blend, with no one component standing out.

There wasn't any fruit/citrus topping that I detected, there was just enough Lat to be noticed once in a while, and those who have never smoked a VAPer wouldn't notice the Perique. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is no, at least not while Painter Hills is available.

Match Revelation is a mellow mix that is not quite an aromatic, but not quite an english blend. It is priced really nice.

Of note, I saw old advertising from the 1940's that markets Revelation and Bond Street (Match Bourbon Street) together. The ad suggested that some users blend the two. I did this, and dang it, if it didn't turn out better than each mixture on its own.

This is a great crossover blend. Cut is chunky ribbon. It's cool, tasty, with a slight fruity aroma. The Latakia and perique are sparse in this blend but you know they are there.The top flavor seems to be plum. A satisfying blend with a nice aroma that isn't a goopy aromatic. An old school classic, grab some and enjoy.

First Take: I bought this blend after growing quite fond of C&D's Epiphany. Both blends claim to be Einstein's favorite blend, which is certainly a fun thing to say. I'd claim it, too, if I could.

This blend doesn't taste anything like Epiphany. Both claim to have a citrus topping. Epiphany puts their topping front-row and center of their blend. If Revelation Match has the same topping, it's well hidden in the background. They don't taste similar at all.

Revelation has an umami characteristic that shines through immediately on the first puff and stays throughout the bowl. The umami is so present that it almost reminded me of a hamburger.

This blend has a lot of flavor. There's a spiciness that lingers in your nose like wasabi that becomes more pronounced as you add heat. It's earthy to the point of being almost mushroomy, and there's a slight vinegar component that makes the umami even more interesting.

I enjoyed this bowl from first light to the very bottom of the bowl. The nicotine is on the stronger side, and I was feeling it by the end of the bowl. I would have lit up another bowl, but I didn't want to turn green. I can't wait to get back to this blend. 4 stars.

Burns hot with little taste. Codger burley people might enjoy. Latakia is lost in this. Surely Einstein was smarter than this. I wanted to like it and I try it every so often. I bought eight ounces of it, too. You live and learn.

Update: smoking slow on a cool autumn night in a cob it seemed a lot better. One more star. Can't fault the blend simply because I'm not a true burley guy.

I never had the occasion to try the original when it was available. I wish I had. Unfortunately as a callow lad in the early days of my pipe smoking I was drawn to other likely more advertised products. t seems that I re-discovered "drugstore blends" too late. The fact that Revelation was Einstein's favorite makes smoking even the Altadis analog fun. This is not a "tobacconist's blend". I would deem it a top of the line old school "drugstore blend". It has a light slightly aromatic very Americanized English blend flavor. If smoked intelligently it doesn't bite the tongue and is smooth and light textured in the mouth. There are only ghosts of Latikia and Perique fencing in the background but along with the harmonious Burley/Kentucky/Virginia blend and enhanced by a kind of plummy topping it creates a taste that for me works. I've smoked it filtered and unfiltered. I find it most enjoyable when smoked in a Vauen 9mm filter pipe as it can get overly juicy otherwise. When I have a hankering for a top notch old school, drugstore blend I'll have a go at this stuff. For some reason I especially enjoy it while driving, puffing away as I negotiate traffic. April 29th 2013: I'm lowering my rating of this blend to two stars. Since I originally posted my review I've tried other blends of this style such as "Man's Best Friend" also put out by Altadis and the incredibly delicious and exceptional Beverwyck put out by Hearth and Home (pipesandcigars.com). After those smoking experiences the Revelation blend has been revealed to be lacking in appeal and has made it's way to the I don't smoke this anymore bin. Therefore the reduction in stars.