MATT_M

Sutliff - 101 Black Kathy
Pleasant
Black Kathy is a smooth blend, perfect for smoking around any non-pipe smokers. The taste and room note are both extremely pleasant, slightly sweet and without any harsh or off-putting notes. The strength rating seems accurate, too. It was easy to light and to keep lit, and it was, in all other ways, an enjoyable smoke from beginning to end: the strength and flavors seemed consistent throughout the bowl.

Starter Kits - Highway Nine Deluxe Smooth Starter Kit Bent
A great combo
I will freely admit that I had my doubts: a pipe, plus a pipe tool, cleaners, and a pouch seemed too good to be true, given the asking price. It is not: the pipe is of good quality and well worth the cost, even if it were being sold by itself. When you add in the other items, this kit would be a bargain at twice the price. Fair warning given: I have recently returned to pipe smoking after a twenty-year hiatus. There may be experienced smokers who could point out the flaws in the pipe provided in the kit. For myself, I have not seen any, but I am only smoking inexpensive pipes right now. With all of that having been said, I think this kit is an outstanding deal.

Grand Croupier
Jack Pot

Based on Qty Ordered
005-651-0004

Sutliff
Christmas Spice

Based on Qty Ordered
005-443-0085
    Mystery Cigar Review: March 2021
  • ► This was another great review, guys! You did a nice job on the analysis, and the grief-giving was, as usual, outstanding.This sounds like cigar to watch for. Is there any way that you could set up a site wide alert if (hopefully, when) Ian puts this cigar into production? It sounds like you guys might have dibs on the first few boxes to hit the shelves (and I would not blame you), but I would definitely be interested in a few myself.
    Mystery Tobacco Review: January 2022
  • ► Before we say anything else, I think we should all give due tribute to Mr. Whelan for sharing a tin from 1976. Well done, and good on you, sir! That was a generous gift. Also, you _really_ stumped the boys. Hah! A tin from forty-six years ago is a challenge worthy of their talents.Andrew, Shane, Truitt: you did well. You worked through the cut. You danced around the variety, but you were right, ultimately, about the basic characteristics (given the age, after all). Also, thank you, Truitt, for calling our attention to Royal Yacht as an available substitute.Best,Matt
    Mystery Tobacco Review: March 2021
  • ► Guys,Please do not give into the viewers who only want you to review the blends that are commercially available. Listening to you three work through the qualities that you find in the tobaccos is really instructive, even if I cannot find exactly what you are smoking. That kind of conversation tells me something about what I might want to try to taste when I encounter a new tobacco, no matter what it is. I like what you did, though, in the discussion of commercially available blends that might echo some of the qualities that you found in the "mix and match and 'toss into the blender to add confusion' blend" that you were given this time. (Good times, though, don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed watching you three talk through what you were tasting.)Shane, you mentioned that smokingpipes.com caries blending components. Do you have (or can you recommend) a list of unblended tobaccos that could allow a newbie smoker to develop a sense of what each ingredient can do in a blend? I see that Sutliff has a list, and that pipesmagazine.com has some pages on the topic. Where would you start? What would you start with?I'll throw this open to all three of you: if you were getting started in trying to learn what each component tobacco tastes, smells, and looks like, how would you go about it? (I mean, aside from smoking a lot: that's a given. I am not looking for short-cuts, just a course of study.)