Sutliff Tobacco Company Charlemagne

I stumbled onto to a Sutliff sale and obtained quite a few tins of Charlemange.I have puffed my way thru 2 tins and can say that in the 3 briars i used, it smoked fine depending on how i packed it. I did not find the nic level high and the flavoring was not strong except when opening the tin which gives off a nice sweet smell that does transfer to the light up and after that it smooths out. 3/4 way down there is still some taste and does not get ruff just flat. Room note is pleasant and doesn't offend.

I bought a bunch of tins recently from an Ebay seller and in this load were: not one, not three, not six, but eight tins of Sutliff Charlemagne. Having never smoked this particular blend, I thought I better rip one open right away. Now, I have been using East India Trading Company Cellar Reserve as my rum-laden component in aromatic English blending for some time. I thought that the Charlemagne would simply transition into the Cellar Reserve territory, but not so. What we have with the Sutliff blend is a pretty straight forward Virginia/Burley/Black Cavendish formula with the Burley out in front and the other two close behind and it was enjoyable in it's own right. However, the Cellar Reserve is MUCH more infused with the Rum notes than Charlemagne is and comes much more damp in the tin and it's effect is just noticeable in my micro blends. The Rum note is there in Charlemagne smoked straight, but goes bye-bye in blending. Instead, it lends a nice and relatively strong background level to my micros and I associate this with it's Burley component. All in all, a good and straight forward smoke in it's own right and blends rather well - three stars.

I was not blown away by this blend, nor was I disappointed.

The tin note, taste, and room note are all remarkably similar. Semi-sweet chocolate with some light cream and coffee. Noting spectacular, but I found myself enjoying it more than I had anticipated.

A decent aromatic, but it's not likely to become a regular on my shelf.

Comes very moist and doesn't dry well. As a result it takes a short while to get it really going. Once going it is dominated by the Black Cav with a mild vanilla note. The Virginia fades in and out in the background. Not much from the Burley or the Rum topping. Seems a bit unbalanced to me, but the Black Cav is of good quality and provides nice flavor. It's a little better than 2 and a half stars so I'm gonna be a little generous here and give it 3.

Mild to medium in body. Medium in flavor. Burn is adequate.

Well-blended tobacco base. Vanilla/Rum topping not too overpowering, as it is with some of the blends. Nuttiness in burley comes through well, particularly in the second half. Single light takes it all the way through the bowl, burns clean, cool, and smooth. 3 stars.

Being my third tobacco, as I am a new smoker, this was a real step up and I am glad I tried it. The girl at the tobacco store asked if I wanted to sample some and give feedback to see if they wanted to carry it. They should.

It has a very pleasant sweet smell with some vanilla in it. Not too dry not too moist, it lit very well and stayed lit very well. I went through 6 matches vs the 15-20 with the first 2 low quality tobaccos I tried. (Yes, I will be getting a proper lighter soon enough) 🙂

It is a mild tasting tobacco, slightly sweet in a good way, and a nice relaxing smoke on a Sunday afternoon. It strongly favors a slow smooth draw as it will bite otherwise, but it forces you to sit back, relax, and enjoy it. I am not yet seasoned enough to pick out the different tobaccos in it and their unique flavors but I am getting there.

I was told not to try cheap tobacco and it is good advice, it can ruin the experience, a good tobacco makes a world of difference, and as for mild tobaccos this is a good one.

I am still searching for a strong full bodied pipe tobacco, deep and smooth, but this one could be a regular for those lazy Sunday afternoons.

Up next is Mac Baren Dark Twist...