Sutliff Tobacco Company Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey

My first whiskey flavored tobacco was Borkum Riff about 40 years ago. I did not like it and avoided that type all this time. Erin Go Bragh is different. A milder flavor where I can actually taste tobacco. Lit easily, burned well. I suggest a slow to moderate puffing cadence because some tongue bite is definitely lurking there. This is not a bad blend, but I probably won't buy any more. It's a decent OTC type blend, I'm just not a fan of whiskey flavored blends.

I just recently had the pleasure of discovering Eileen's Dream an Irish Cream aromatic that had been sweet and delicious. Now while Erin Go Bragh is supposed to taste like Irish Whiskey, I thought heck, at least it is a another Irish liqueur, so my comparative hopes were high.

Inside the pouch was a nice compressed wad of some decent smelling tobacco. It had a fairly cheap cherry-ish smell, but I could use my imagination to see where a sweet whiskey could be lurking. Everything lit and performed well mechanically. The flavor was akin to the initial aroma with a bit more bite, and yeah it had a sort of whiskey flavor, though it was more of the bottom shelf variety.

This is likely not a high quality product, relying more on a syrupy topping to mask a good smoke, yet it was still OK.

OK,, this is rated appropriately,, 3 star average. This is a good moderate to mild strength tobacco, little to no whiskey flavoring to me. There is some flavoring, but can't place it,, maybe fig-essence? IDK but it's a mild easy smoke. No need to look for harshness or difficult-to-smoke pricey tins even if you are a vet-pipester like me. What do I have to prove by spending lots of money and getting tongue bite while trying hard to like some "high end" status tobac???

This is a light VA/Burley with a little top-note, great name and marketing though.. I'll certainly smoke some on St. Patrick's Day with my pint(s) of Guinness,,,... LOL

Good Draw to You,,

Cheers,,

Glorfindel,,,,,,,,,,

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Update: Okay, my first round with this tobacco led me to shred it on review. I received another pouch in a sampler and I can say my experience was a 180° difference. It smoked nice and the whiskey note ebbed and flowed nicely as I worked my through the bowl. I felt it only right to provide an update and revise my review. This pouch will definitely be knocked out and enjoyed.

I guess sometimes you find a tobacco that just isn't a good fit for you. For me, this one is it. I found nothing palatable about this tobacco. Quite frankly, I found it to be my least favorite of about a hundred or so thus far. But, I can honestly say I haven't really gone with a whiskey before either. Trying to give this a fair shake I tried it new, at six months and now at a year with the same result - not good. I didn't enjoy the taste, the burn, the lack of tobacco flavoring or its inability to pull through even as a nuance. For the first time I have one batch I will not be finishing. Again, this may not be a good fit for me and based upon other reviews that must be it.

This was the first tobacco I have ever tried being new to pipes, and I wasn't unsatisfied by the taste. I was, however curious while smoking the tobacco, because I received a taste of charcoal about halfway through each bowl. I enjoyed the tobacco very much, and the hint of Irish whiskey as I am a huge fan of Jameson. The pouch note was great, as well. I enjoyed opening the bag every single time just to smell that sweet smell of whiskey. It was a great experience.

I can not wait to get into other tobacco, whether it be aromatic, English blend, or Virginia blends. I am excited for this long trip and will keep reviewing as I try new blends.

As for the Erin Go Bragh, I may just have to buy another pouch, and try it again sometime.

Right out of the pouch this tobacco smells good, with just a hint of whiskey. At first, it seemed to bite a bit, but after the first puff or two, the bite went away and the smoke was milder than I had expected. Its taste was not overwhelmed by the alcohol flavor, in fact, it was barely noticeable, which was nice. I did have a hard time keeping the bowl lit and had to relight it several times before I was done. In retrospect, however, I may have packed the bowl to firmly, which may have been the cause of my problem keeping the fire going.

This tobacco was my first shot at a whiskey flavored weed. The tobacco is mild and the flavoring is fairly prominent in this one. EGB is moist in the pouch but I didn't dry it. The cherry stays lit with a charring light then another spark. No bite to be had. Consistent throughout the bowl with a whiskey flavor and a sweeter flavor, call it cake or pastry but the whiskey is not alone here and the combination is nice. EGB won't disappoint or knock anybody's socks off but will deliver a good pipe while mowing lawn or feeding the chickens or some such. The tobacco here is similar to Cest La Vie, Skandinavik, and maybe even Troost. This leads me to believe that STG uses the same base tobacco with different flavoring for these blends. They are all good but no epiphanies are to be had with any of them. Based on my experiences here, I most likely won't be smoking any more whiskey blends. I prefer my bourbon drank, not smoked.

Decent smoke , taste like a good whiskey and smells good but be careful it will fry your tongue , even gravity packed an slow sipping it got me. I would not recommend for a beginner.

Update

Downgrading this blend as the tongue bite i suffer from this tobacco is just too horrendous. I do not get tongue bite easily at all but this blend is like chewing broken glass to me.

"One dimensional", that is the best description I read of someone's review of this aro. It stands as a solid whiskey flavored tobacco, better than others I've tried. The vanilla/molasses notes hang in the background and disappear if your rhythm quickens. I was hoping it would keep its spot in my rotation, as I desired an additional aro in it, but alas. If you're simply wanting an easy smoke with a mild whiskey flavor, this is a great candidate.