Altadis has brought out a line of tinned tobaccos under the "Sutliff Private Stock" label. Altadis is known for their goopy aromatics, but this line of weed is far from their usual specialties. I have been working my way through some samples, and will post a short review on the ones I have tried.

I hope there will be some other Brothers who will do likewise.

MAPLE STREET

Their advertisement says this is a "fantastic blend of complementary ingredients: Rum and Maple applied to golden Virginia and mellow White Burley. Perfect for fans of Mapleton or Rum and Maple".

Upon opening the tin, the aroma of rum comes through loud and clear. The tobacco is very thinly cut, and stringy. One of the first things I noticed was the moisture level was really great and not at all wet (like most Altadis aro's are).

I loosely filled the bowl of one of my Savinelli billiards with Maple Street. I was surprised at how well it took to a match. I was rewarded with a gentle taste of rum and maple, exactly as the description on the tin promised. Not very strong, and certainly not overpowering... it is evident that the guys who came up with this blend wanted the real tobacco taste (mostly Virginia to me) to come through loud-and-clear.

I took my time smoking this blend, and reaped the rewards of a good smoke...no bite and a great flavor...just a simple reminder that one need not spend outrageous amounts of money to buy untra-premium tins of tobaccos to enjoy a truly wonderful and relaxing smoke. I smoked this bowl all the way to the bottom with only two tamps and one match. When finished, I found a dry bowl with a fine, grey ash in the bottom. What more can one ask for?

Thanks for the review DT.
At the CORPS show, Altadis was giving away many samples of their latest blends. One happens to be a clone of Barking Dog which they label as Best Friend with a photo of a dog on the label. I tried it, and it's superb. They also have their own match for Dunhill 965 which they label as Mixture No. 5. I have not tried this as yet, but I'm sure it will be worthwhile and satisfying as well. These folks KNOW tobacco, and they make many blends not just the "goopy" ones. LOL
I had the pleasure of touring the factory in Richmond and it was a truly enlightening experience in the world of Tobacco Manufacturing.
I'm looking forward to other BoB's reviews of Altadis' other recent blends.

Doc

Good to see reports on this stuff. I've been eyeing CD blend. Didn't realize they are now offering 1.5 oz tins which is kind of a bummer as I just placed an order with pipes and cigars this morn for some other blends.

I have posted a bunch of reviews on tobaccoreviews.com

I think they are a fine company and are trying very hard to keep pipe smoking going. Instead of shrinking their line, they keep adding more blends. They are very accomodating when you visit them or call them. They offer free samples. I like several of their blends.

Seems that the Sutliff Private Stock line from Altadis has "matches" for some of the older, discontinued brands:

Great Outdoors - Perfect for fans of Field and Stream. It is perhaps ironic that a blend named Great Outdoors should be appreciated for its room note. This outstanding aromatic is a mixture of Burley, Vanilla, and flavored Black Cavendish.

R-Blend - Perfect for fans of Revelation. This unique blend astounds with its dominant yet still subtle fruity notes. The base is an equally complex mixture of Burley, Virginia, Latakia, Perique and Flake.

BRG Mixture - Perfect for fans of Briggs. This pleasing blend of Burley and Virginia is as comforting as a good time spent with your best friend.

Navigator - Perfect for fans of Argossy Black. Chart your course for an adventure in smoking pleasure with this mild all Black Vanilla flavored blend.

Maple Street - Perfect for fans of Mapleton or Rum & Maple. A fantastic blend of complementary ingredients: Rum and Maple applied to golden Virginia and mellow White Burley.

Sunrise - Perfect for fans of Early Morning Pipe. The perfect way to start a good morning. This lavish mixture of pressed Virginia Ribbon, Pressed Black Ribbon, Turkish and Latakia is sure to awaken the taste buds.

CD Blend - Perfect for fans of Country Doctor. This remarkable blend is the cure-all for smoking nostalgia. Burley, Virginia, Latakia, Flake and Perique combine to provide that Old Time flavor.

Man’s Best Friend - Perfect for fans of Barking Dog. Another American Classic in the English vein. Smooth toasted Burley cubes blended with premium grade Latakia and Lemon Virginia Flake. Cased with a uniquely mild rum top dressing to produce a subtle pleasing flavor and room aroma.

Blend 5 - Perfect for fans of Dunhill 965. A robust English blend with character. Plenty of Latakia, Pressed Virginia and Burley provide the base.

French Quarter - Perfect for fans of Bourbon Street. The French Quarter is never boring; nor is this intriguing mixture of Burley, Black Cavendish and Virginia.

I've been smoking a few of their blends, CD blend BRG and Maple Street. So far I've been pleased with what they all taste like. Plus these are the only tinned tobaccos my local shop has gotten in. She carries all their bulk aromatics and they occasionally send her some tins and she passes them on to me( I'm in there about every day ). I'm trying to get her to carry them full time, but there's just not alot of pipe smokers in my area.

Jeremy: What do you think about the CD blend? I've been thinking about ordering a tin of it, but I am not a huge fan of latakia.

The more Maple Street I smoke, the better I like it , but I want to try some of the others.

I really enjoyed the tin of CD Blend I smoked, so much that I put in an order for some more. To me the latakia is not very strong in this blend, just enough to sometimes let you know it's there. I like the Maple Street too

I've also been surveying the Sutliff Private Stock offerings with some interest (and skepticism) since their arrival in many of the online stores I typically do business with, most notably their House of Windsor substitutes. I regularly smoked Barking Dog, Briggs, Country Doctor, Field and Stream and Revelation, and regret not maintaining a better store of them these days.

I recently had the opportunity to purchase Maple Street from my local tobacconist, and was pleasantly surprised at the quality, but couldn't compare it to Mapleton, having never had it.

Incidentally, are there any impressions on the similarities between Great Outdoors and Field and Stream? I have been thinking of Field and Stream often lately, and genuinely appreciated it's character.