Sutliff Tobacco Company Match Brindley's Mixture

The topping in the Match is marshmallow, and it’s similar enough to the original for me to think it’s the same flavor, though there’s talk that the original had some orange in the topping. The burleys are earthy, woody, and nutty with a molasses taste, and are the stars in both versions, though the Match seems to be deeper in all those respects. The Virginia is a supporting player, mainly acting as a cooling base, offering a mild tart and tangy citrus and grass in both versions, more of the latter being in the original. The tobacco in both is a mixed cut: cut plug and coarse cut burleys with small pieces of Virginia. Both are slow and clean burning with a consistent flavor. The granulated, earthy, woody, sweet Cyprian Latakia is a minor player, doing little more than adding a little smokiness in both versions. The strength and nic-hit are in the center of mild to medium. The taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Won't bite. I found some harshness at times in the original, mostly toward the finish, but none in the Match. The topping in the original weakens toward the end, but doesn’t in the Match. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and requires a few relights. Has a pleasant after taste, a little more so than the original. The room note is a tad stronger. Can be an all day smoke. I rated the original at two stars. This gets two and a half stars.

The original version was the favorite of Moe Howard of The Three Stooges.

-JimInks