Sutliff Tobacco Company Top Shelf

The tin note is a whiff of a bourbon bottle - no kidding. The flavor comes through in the smoking, although by midbowl it is a non-specific alcohol especially when exhaled through the nose. It has a pretty solid burley base that gives it more foundation than most aromatics. The Virginia is there backing up the burley, but it is a light touch. Mine was pretty damp in the tin.

This one is easy to recommend. It is a "change of pace" smoke for me, but it is a nice change of pace. If you like aromatics, and you like burley, you will probably like this a lot.

I want to start out by saying this: No, reviewer Sunday 2015-01-17, one step back is not enough! Yes, reviewer Pipestud 2011-10-02, bucked back is a good description of what happened when a buddy of mine and I opened a tin of Top Shelf. My friend recoiled backward when he opened this tin, handed it to me and suggested that we put it way over on the other side of the basement - and we did. Now, I'm not as negative about this blend as I was with its sibling BRG (see BRG/King Weed 2014-10-28). However, the tin aroma is both pleasant and off-putting at the same time. I did not detect the aroma of Bourbon whiskey; rather a very strong odor of fermented chocolate and, had it not been so densely strong, might have been pleasant. In reality, the tin aroma was strangely shocking and I find this a bizarre way of presenting the blend to the smoking community. I say this because, once you air this blend out sufficiently, it is a very nice Burley/Virginia/Black Cavendish smoke. I like this blend enough to not dink it a star in the ratings for it's very questionable tin presentation and recommend it to the reader at three stars.

Toasty, spicy and slightly sweet. Like other Sutliff aros, the aroma intensity does not match the flavor. This is not a bad thing. Nice smoke.

My friend gave me a tin of this, I did not know at the time that he had already smoked a great deal of it. So unlike the many comments regarding the intense bourbon or whiskey notes I cannot attest to. It was nicely dried when I received it. The aroma in the tin was sweet and mellow, like an old world barber shop mixed with a candy store. The smoke was smooth and mild. No bite, with a sweet whisky flavor. Every part of the smoke was balanced. It was consistent and burned a tad warm but not by any means was it hot to the touch. Unfortunately I recently smoked the last of it, but I can say that it is a fall & winter smoke. In the heat of summer the tastes and aroma can be displeasing; but in the winter months they are inviting and welcomed by your palate. I wish I received more from my friend so I could smoke it through the winter. All in all it is a decent whiskey flavored baccy, I definitely recommend it.

"While age and proof help define a Top Shelf Bourbon, the deciding factor is taste. This extraordinary mixture of Burley, Virginia, and Black Cavendish is unsurpassed in smoothness and richness." - Pipes Magazine.

Very strong smell of bourbon out of the tin. Very smooth smoke. A strong aromatic.

I found the tin aroma almost over powering when I opened the tin, even a few weeks later. I was however pleasantly surprised how much it toned down once lit. The Bourbon flavor still remained fairly noticeable thru the over half the bowl. The first few smokes after opening were a bit damp but after drying smoked down quite well. Not a regular addition to my rotation but a good choice for a change of pace.