Sutliff Tobacco Company Bosphorus Cruise

What a sleeper blend this is! At my first light of Bosphorus Cruise I knew I had tasted something very similar before. It did not take long to recognize C&D's Star of the East taste profile here, but with considerably finer, more civilized behavior.

In short this blend is remarkably conceived and is every bit a quality product as anything from McClelland or C&D and certainly anything from STG.

Very similar components to SOTE in here: Red Virginia, Latakia, and other Orientals. The proportions are slightly different as is the Orientals used themselves. The SOTE has a kiss of Izmir where BC has a very well done blend of high quality Orientals in greater quantity. SOTE has 50% Latakia, BC less, but BC has more Orientals less Red Virginia. All in all, for me, where I can only handle a single bowl of SOTE in a day due to it's heaviness and very potent nicotine content (from it's greater VA content), I can smoke BC as an all day blend without fear of a nicotine haze or hiccups.

Like SOTE BC has a tasty aftertaste and a short finish, which is good.

I cannot fault this blend in any way except finding my tin to be dry, almost needing added moisture immediately. This makes me hesitant to stock in quantity unless I open and re-jar the whole lot.

I will definitely be ordering more; reloading it right now. Well done.

Easy 4 stars.

A true sleeper for Sutliff. The is a well blended treat and if it had a small blender boutique label it would be the rave of the industry. As a best kept secret, this is a very good Balkan, Orientals forward and highest quality leaf throughout.

Unfortunately for me at least, Sutliff offers SO many blends in their classic tin, I get stymied by all of the variety!!

Save yourself some time as you are standing in front of the display at your local B&M trying to decide which of the dozens of Sutliff tins to try and pick up this one.

By now you are fully aware that this is a blend of oriental, latakia and red virginia, pretty much in that order and just as advertised on the tin. This blend begins oriental forward, thus making it a Balkan with the red virginia sweetness in lovely harmony, and the latakia way, way back. But as the bowl develops so does the strength, but never overpowering and with a changing interplay between these three very well chosen components. Sipping is recommended - not because of tongue bite - but more to get all the changing subtleties of this remarkable blend.

Yes, I know some have criticized the Bosphorus as "bland", but I suspect that observation comes from pipers who like their latakia forward English blends.. To me, the beauty of this blend is the superb balance and harmony. Oriental perfume, red virginia sweetness, and latakia smoky mild pepper with an occasional woodsy tobacco richness. At times merging into one another, but with each coming forward intermittently and with an exquisite oriental retrohale.

Smooth, balanced, dry and tasty. Nice. Actually a 3+...

A sleeper if ever there was one.

If you love English blends, you have to give this a spin.

Very nice lat, but what makes this is the interplay between the Virginias and the Orientals. They have got the balance so right that it does give it a Middle-Eastern spice feel to it, which matched with the forward lat is almost like Black House in some respects.

That is a good analogy, its 90% as good as Black House, for 30% of the price. I cannot remember how many times I have been standing in front of my cabinet about to pick an English to go out onto the deck on an Autumn evening, and this has been picked up ahead of some big name contenders.

High quality, smokes to a fine white ash, no bite, no drama, easy to clean after, sublime aftertaste. Any time someone asks what my sleeper blend is this is it. I have a stack of unopened cans, and am planning on mason jarring a stack of it.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

I was really sad to see this one go. To my knowledge it was the only Sutliff product i ever repeat purchased, and now its out of production! Very sad. This was, i thought, my little secret. A richly beguiling little gem, the red va and lat in some proportion or of some variety that ive not found duplicated. If anyone knows of a similar blend id love to hear about it. It always delivered a cool, creamy, va sweet and heady smoke, i likened it to a cross between presbyterian and balkan sasieni. It was unique. I have a tin left; i was caught unawares when it was discontinued. From time to time i enjoy a bowl and become nostalgic for my pretty, cheap, little baby, taken too soon.

I read sevral reviews which stated that this blend "reminded" od another blend, I will have to state the same, but for me it was McClelland 5110 Dark English Full (one of my favorites), both of which are more on the Oriental side to me as opposed to the English. Overall I would say this is an outstanding blend (a very pleasent surprise given the price) and that the next time I go to order something along these flavor lines it will probably be this blend.

Easy to pack (trickle method), easy to light, burns well, great flavor profiles with all components contributing and none overpowering, wonderful tickle to the nose when smoke is expelled through the nostrils, and the price is great.

I agree with Mr. Piper: if Bosphorus Cruise carried any other name but Sutliff, it would be getting ecstatic rave reviews. It’s good. This is an Oriental-forward Balkan blend, very refined and balanced but with balls. The leaf quality is excellent. It ain’t a bland English, it’s a Balkan, and while the Lat is fine and a bit sweet, those needing an intravenous Lat fix would do better elsewhere. I get the Lat and Turks equally in the tin note, which is quite fine and bracing.

It is indeed a bit reminiscent of SOTE, but for my money, better and not as strong. My tin was 3 years old, which may have added considerably to the flavor and dampened the Lat profile a bit. Whatever -- it ages well.

This is a 4-star blend even if the price was double. But even though it’s only 1.5 oz, it is Sutliff-priced. Great all-day smoke. No annoying topping. Sweetish room note is wife-approved, and few are. Cellar it, boys and girls.

This Balkan surprises me every time I smoke it, and it shouldn't because I know it is good. This is an Oriental forward blend, but the Orientals here give this great mineral taste that I haven't tasted in other Balkans. The best thing that I can compare it to is Oban Scotch, if you've had this single malt and like the mineral taste, you will love Bosphorus Cruise. The Virginias are sweet, and there are times where I would swear that this blend had Cavendish in it. I'll get these rare little pops of cotton candy flavor, and though I cannot say what the room note smells like, it seems very sweet. The Latakia is mild, but it has that great kind of burnt, bitter taste that I love, very similar to Dunhill Standard Mixture. There are two final things that really push this blend over the top for me, the price is not bad, and the nicotine is not high. This could easily be an all day smoke, and is really a great value.

If you see it buy it! One of the best Balkans I've ever smoked. Plain and simple. The marriage of flavors in this blend is just a treat . Bring it back Sutcliffe!!!