My Favorite Tobacco

As many of you know, I’ve been smoking a pipe for a long time now — at least 20 years. And during that time I’ve tried many different tobaccos. Some have been good. Other’s great. And still others, well, not so good. I’ve found some blends just don’t work with my body chemistry; they burn my tongue and irritate my mouth. I’ve tried aromatics, straight virginas, virginia/periques (affectionately called “va/pers”), English blends, over the counter blends, tobaccos in tins, and bulk tobaccos. Of course, I’ve tried some of the standard brands, too — Dunhill, MacBaren, Orlik, Kramer’s, Lane Limited, Captain Black, etc. But, obviously, I haven’t tried every pipe tobacco out there. If one just peruses through TobaccoReviews.com one will quickly see that there are a lot of brands with lots of blends to sample.

But something happened after a trip to California — I took a journey back to English blends. I tried three blends from Kramer’s: Blend for Cary Grant, Blend for Danny Kaye, and Father Dempsey. These are all English blends but there’s a difference with two of them. Both Cary Grant and Danny Kaye have a light aromatic tobacco added (Father Dempsey is a straight English blend). While I really enjoyed these tobaccos my family didn’t. They don’t like the way they smelled. You see, English blends (like most “blends”) contain a variety of different tobaccos — virginias, orientals, etc. But the one constant of English blends is Latakia.

Latakia tobacco is a smokey, incense-y condiment tobacco. Originally it was grown in the Syrian seaport city of Latakia (hence the name) but now it’s grown in Cyprus. After the leaves are harvested and dried, they’re hung in tightly closed barns and smoke-cured with aromatic woods and fragrant herbs giving them their heavy aroma. Some people say the aroma reminds them of a campfire or incense.

Like I said, it’s not an aroma some people find pleasant — including my family. However, I really like the nuances of non-aromatic tobacco blends! The grassiness of the virginias. The spice and pepper of the perique. The incense of the Latakia. It’s all so good.

When I smoke non-aromatic blends, though, my family just can’t stand it. But I discovered something when I tried those Kramer blends — English Aromatics. Like the blends for Cary Grant and Danny Kaye, English Aromatics are blends that combine the tastes of an English blend with the topping of an aromatic. This make the room note (the way the aroma smells in a “room”) more pleasant.

So, with that “discovery,” I was on the hunt for a good crossover blend. Along with the Blends for Cary Grant and Danny Kaye, I also tried Lane Limited’s HGL (supposedly the preferred blend of Herman G. Lane, the founder of Lane Ltd. in the U.S.). I enjoyed some of these blends so much that I’ve ordered enough to put into resealable jars. But, honestly, while those are good blends, “I still hadn’t found what I was looking for” (sorry U2).

And then, while using the Tobacco Finder on SmokingPipes.com, I saw that they have a category for different tobacco blends called “families.” When I expanded the category, one of the “families” was labeled English Aromatic. They had quite a few bulk tobaccos in this family. I preferred this because I could order one ounce at a time to see if I like the tobacco or not.

After comparing different tobaccos with the reviews on TobaccoReviews.com (especially the reviews by “JimInks”) I bumped into Sutliff’s #504C. The various reviews seemed pretty consistent so I ordered an ounce.

When the package arrived, I opened the bag and the smell was intoxicating. There was the nice smell of vanilla (I believe) but it wasn’t too overpowering. I could still make out the nuttiness of the burley and hints of incense-y Latakia. The tobacco was very wet, though. Very. Wet. I left it in the bag for the duration and it never completely dried out. I’m not sure if this is done so that it doesn’t dry out “on the shelf” but it would benefit from not being so wet. With that stated, however, it still smoked fine.

I packed it very lightly and lit my pipe. A few more relights than I’m used to and it left a little moisture in the bowl, but the taste was outstanding! I first tasted the light topping (maybe vanilla or caramel or perhaps some plum or rum) and then the earthiness from the burley came through. Then, in wisps once in a while, I got the slight incense of the Latakia. As I was smoking it a colleague stopped by and said that he really liked the way it smelled. I offered him a bowl and excused myself. When I came back I caught a waft of the tobacco. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed. “When I think of pipe tobacco, that’s exactly the smell I think of!”

Sutliff’s #504C Aromatic English has become my all-day, go-to blend. The subtlety is there from all the components — the earthiness of the burley, the gentle sweetness of the cavendish, the light wisps of incense from the Latakia, and the subtle aromatic flavoring. It’s all blended together so beautifully and each part of the symphony plays off each other in a very balanced way.

If you’re looking to branch out in your tobacco rotations, I highly recommend Sutliff’s #504C Aromatic English. And, hey, if you don’t like, you can always send it to me!

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In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC