Sutliff Tobacco Company Balkan Luxury Blend 957

Number 3 on the Sutliff hit parade - 3 to go. I appreciate everyone involved in getting these blends to me! This one taught me a bit about my own personal tastes. As for the blend itself, it was mostly dark with some brown thrown in, ribbon cut and a heady smell of latakia with spicy orientals riding shotguy. Came wetter than I like, and my first bowl gave me the customary bitter steam that I get from over-moist tobaccos. Drying this out gave me the best results... but not too dry!

This struck me as one of the least spicy-tasting Balkans ever. Whereas I prefer my Balkans to be oriental-forward, this one was latakia-forward. Like its namesake Sobranie 759... and that's why "back in the day" I preferred the original White, although I didn't really know why at the time. This one also had a touch of black cavendish that provided some sweetness, although I didn't taste a specific flavor, such as vanilla. This all amounted to a sweeter and less spicy Balkan blend that will appeal to latakia fans looking for their usual smokiness but also wanting some extra sweetness. Finally, this blend liked a few of my pipes and didn't like a few others. In the right pipe, it was a good blend that I enjoyed smoking. It won't make my rotation but it's worth a try. I doubt that this will replace Sobranie 759 for most fans of it, but it's a worthy blend on it's own.

This blend works better than you might expect. When you see there is going to be some vanilla black cavendish in a balkan with perique, it sounds like an odd combo.

The black cavendish is a very light touch, and the aromatic complements the orientals very well. Tin note is all latakia to me, but smoking is a well-balanced set of flavors. Smoking is oriental forward with a constant latakia bass note. The black cavendish supports the sweet Virginias. The perique is hard for me to identify in the flavor profile. There is a little pepper at the end of the bowl.

If you like balkans, and want to try something just a little different, this is worth getting. I like it.

What a sleeper!

I am astonished this does not get more attention. The black Cavendish gives this something that a lot of English blends lack, just a touch of sweet that really lifts the whole thing and gives it its character.

What a smoke. Easy to store, pack, light, tamp, draw, the whole thing was start to finish a pleasure.

Not off the charts in terms of wow like some other English I like, but a real find and for the price there is not a single mark against it.

Keep it up Sutliff, you serve us well.

Smooth Scottish blend for me. Sweet to a small degree with a grassy citrus note, has a good campfire aroma as well. Very satisfying smoke with a good price point as well. Sutliff mixtures are usually spot on for me and this is no exception. Packs well and burns clean with no moisture and very little dottle. An all day smoke with mild nicotine and good flavor. As has been noted the room note may not be for the non smoker but for the lover of the leaf it is pleasant indeed. Smoked this one at various ages, from new to 6 months plus. Did not notice any large improvement nor degradation from new to older. Solid 3, won't knock your socks off but it is a good smoke nonetheless.

(I am a newer and irregular pipe smoker. My reviews are subject to my preferences and tastes and pipe smoking habits) This came loosely tinned as nice light and dark brown ribbon with a good dose of black mixed amongst. Smells like almost every other English/Balkan I've ever smelled. Smokey and like dried aged charcuterie. Mennonite sausage. This lights easily and required no drying. Mild to medium, smooth flavour that was campfire and incense like. Smoke felt cool and dry, not very thick. Sometimes I would notice a taste of spices (cinnamon or clove, not intensely so). A real hidden gem, it seems to me. I would recommend this to smokers not familiar with english/balkan blends wanting to start dabbling. A good place to start, for sure.

I love me some Cavendish in an English blend. The stuff I’m smoking has quite a bit of age on it. This is the first time I’ve smoked it in 10 years. I’d buy it again if it was still in production.

I recently returned to Sutliff’s Balkan Luxury Blend 957 and it was like seeing a good friend that you haven’t had a chance to see in a few years. I’ve been on a VaPer kick for a spell and we had a rainy cold front move in which put me in the mode for a Balkan.

The tin note on 957 is always pleasant and encouraging. You can tell all of the players are in there and it is a well-balanced note. This blend performs well with good interplay between the Latakia, Oriental and Perique. They all behave well and are noticed as the rate of combustion is varied. There is a subtle sweetness from either the Cavendish or VA that added to the enjoyment without taking over the show.

I contently enjoyed three bowls back to back with no bite or overpowering of any of the tobacco leaves in this blend. This one gets 3 of 4 stars and I would recommend it to someone who is looking for an all-day Balkan or who is looking to try out their first Balkan.

Happy Smoke Trails!

First off, I want to agree with reviewer Jimlnks (below) that this blend is not Balkan Sobranie 759 and for the very same reasons. I also agree with the other reviewers who said that they could not detect any vanilla flavoring in the mixture; neither could I. Having said that, I can now state that I have reviewed two mild Balkan blends: this blend and Billow Balkan. (Did he say MILD Balkans?) Yes, I did and they are such; strange as it may sound. I never thought of Balkan blends as mild, as I was used to being clobbered over the head by them in the past. Nor do I remember BS 759 as having a black Cavendish in their formula. None the less, both of these blends have black Cavendishes in them and that softens their smoking qualities. So, are these blends even Balkan blends? Are they something new? I don't know. All I know is that I enjoyed both of them equally and recommend both equally - 3 stars.

A decent full english blend, and mild...but not so mild to smoke all day, for me. Smokey, a little spicy, and a little sweet. I found that this blend can bite a little if pushed too hard, but that is controllable. I find the orientals to be the base flavor, with the latakia filling out the rest of the flavor. The perique is there, adding a spiciness that is almost, but not quite overwhelming. A pretty standard balkan blend...