Jim's Sutliff Match Reviews.

This review thread took six months to complete. Of the 44 match blends I have reviewed, only Middleton’s London Dock Match was not made by the Sutliff Tobacco Company, but I included it because I had the opportunity to do so. In nearly every case, although I was already familiar with many of the originals, I did direct comparisons between the match blends and the originals. I wrote reviews of the originals I had not smoked, and rewrote several reviews of those I had previously smoked. There was one original blend I was unable to access, and I make note of that in that particular review. I spent much of my smoking time trying to find differences; otherwise it would have been very difficult to tell one from another in a number of cases. Nearly all of these Matches were created by Sutliff's blender, Carl McAllister. I hope these reviews will be of help to everyone. I thank everyone who was kind enough to trade, or in a couple of cases, gift me the needed tobaccos. You have my greatest appreciation. I could not have done this without you.

Sutliff Match Amphora Red (Euphoria):
This blend is sold under the both the Euphoria and Amphora Red Match names, and indeed, there is a similarity to the original regarding taste. The fruity topping has the same floralness, orange and berry flavors, though the berry is a shade less pronounced in the Match while the floral notes are a little more obvious. They sublimate the tobaccos to a fair extent. I detect a tad more nutty, earthy burley and citrusy Virginia here than I do in AR. Has a rather mild nic-hit. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent flavor. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and needs slightly more than an average number of relights. Has a lingering, pleasant after taste. Can be an all day smoke. As with the original, I found this tasted best when sipped, and once it seasons a pipe, the flavor seems to get a little more obvious to the taste buds. The Match can tingle the tongue if pushed hard, and the same is true of the original to a lesser degree. The Match is just a mite less intense in flavor. It's mildly complex (as is the original). I rated the original at three stars and this gets two and a half.

Sutliff Match Argosy Black:
The original was a rather mild, unobtrusive black cavendish with a vanilla and chocolate topping, and a little tobacco taste. This Match is identical in every way, except it’s a little deeper in taste, much smoother with no chemical notes, and doesn’t get harsh at the finish. Has very little nicotine. Won't bite. Burns cool, clean and smooth at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. A comfortable all day smoke that makes a good mixer, too. I rated the original at one star.

Sutliff Match Barking Dog:
The Cyprian latakia provides a smoky, woody sweetness as a second lead to the earthy, nutty white burley. The fairly tangy, citrus and grass from the lemon Virginia is always obvious. The rum topping is mildly applied, and doesn't tone down the tobaccos much. Has a mild to medium nic-hit. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does sport a rough edge at times. Burns a little slow, and has a multiplicity of flavors that don't crowd each other out. Leaves some moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. Has a pleasantly, lingering after taste. A repeatable, but not all day smoke. The original was different several ways: the burley wasn’t as sweet, the Virginia was more hay-like and less sweet, and the topping was fainter than the Match. For the most part, the flavors are same in both versions, but they are a little deeper in the Match than they are in the original. The cut is the same, and both burn without leaving any dottle, though the original tended to be a little harsher after the half way point, and was a little rougher, less refined smoke. I rated the original at two stars and a half stars.

Sutliff Match Bourbon Street:
The original had a soapy, floral perfume topping that sublimated the mild bourbon as well as the other components. You could get a little nutty, earthy burley, a little grassy Virginia and sugary black cavendish note, and not much else. It also could be bitey is puffed fast. The bourbon in the Match is similar, but a little deeper in flavor. Barely floral, that disappears rather quickly in the Match, but stays longer in the original. The aforementioned aspects of the Virginia, and especially the burley are more prominent in the Match. The lightly sugary black cavendish is unsweetened. There are just a few Kentucky notes, and what Cyprian latakia is there is for smokiness, and not flavor. I never noticed the perique in either version so it must be in a very small quantity. The original was cube cut whereas the Match is coarse and cube cut, which makes the latter a cooler, slower smoke which is also slightly sweeter. This version won't bite. Both versions have a mild nic-hit, leaves a little dottle, and needs some relights. Has a decent after taste. Not really an all day smoke, but it's close. I gave the original two stars. This gets two and a half.

Sutliff Match Briggs Pipe Mixture:
The burley is earthier, more molasses sweet, and nuttier in the Match than the original, and is the star in both versions. The Virginias are citrusy with no cased flavors, and creates a solid base for the burleys to play in each blend. I did get a taste of hay and grass from the Virginia -more so in the original - but it's fairly unobtrusive. There is a very slight, fruity bourbon topping that doesn't get in the way of the tobaccos, and is a tad sweeter than the original. Overall, the original was less sweeter, and more ordinary, though the flavor profile is very similar. The Match burns cooler and doesn’t bite, which is not true of the original, unless you puffed it verrrrry slowly. It's an all day cool smoking mild to medium blend that burns well with a consistent taste, and no cigarette notes, which the original tended to have near the finish if the bowl was any near hot. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires few relights. Has a very mild nic-hit, and a pleasant after taste. An all day smoke. I gave one star to the HoW version.

Sutliff 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, 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 slight sweetness and grass in both versions, more of the latter being in the original. The tobacco in both is a mixed cut: cut plug an coarse cut burleys with, small pieces of Virginia. Both are slow and clean burning with a consistent flavor. The granulated Cyprian latakia is a minor player, doing little more than adding a little smokiness in both versions. 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 needs a few relights. Has a decent after taste, a little more so than the original. Can be an all day smoke. I rated the original at two stars. This gets two and a half stars.

Sutliff Match Country Doctor:
The lightly smoky, woody Cyprian latakia and raisiny perique are barely mere condiments here. The nutty, earthy, lightly molasses sweet burley is the main star, with the grassy, citrusy Virginia playing back up. There are very slight fig and prune notes with a hint of a topping I cannot identify. At times, I get a slightly sour tangy taste mixing in with the sweet that gives this a minor complexity. Because it's a rough coarse cut mixture, I recommend a round bowl rather than a pipe with a narrow chamber so it will burn to the last bit Has a mild nic-hit, and won't bite. It burns cool and clean at a moderate pace, and holds up its flavor to the very end with very little moisture left in the bowl. Needs few relights. Has a nice after taste. An all day smoke, and superior to House of Windsor's Country Doctor blend. The major differences are that the Match is a little sweeter and fuller in taste, and doesn’t have the ashy, cigarette finish the original sometimes had. It doesn’t bite either, which could happen with the HoW version. I gave two stars to the HoW version.

Sutliff Match Crown Achievement:
Here is my review for the original: The Virginia is grassy and naturally sweet, and is the base for the other components to play off. The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woodsy with a touch of sweetness, and prominent in every puff without drowning out the other tobaccos. It’s well supported by the woody, and slight sweet and sour notes from the Orientals/Turkish, which also provides some body as well as depth to the blend. There’s a very slight sweet note that I can’t identify with the ingredients, which indicates a topping of some sort. The perique is a minor player, with a little plum and only a hint of spice. Has a mild nic-hit. Burns as a reasonable rate (especially considering how dry the tobacco is) with a consistent medium taste, no harsh or dull spots, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Needs an average number of relights. Has a pleasant after taste. Slightly creamy, it produces lots of smoke when you puff, though excessive puffing reduces the nuance of flavors. Darn near an all day English smoke if you so choose.

I could almost write the same review for the Match. The differences are that the Match is a shade sweeter and is creamier with a degree less of the Oriental/Turkish sour woodiness. The Match is a little richer in flavor, but not a stronger English. It took me quite a bit of time to figure out the differences between these two because they are very close to being the same tobacco. I rated the original at three stars.

Sutliff Match Dunhill Early Morning Pipe:
A richly flavorful all day smoke. The Cyprian latakia is present, but not strong and its smoke and wood aspects are complemented very nicely by the sweetness of the Virginias. The lemon Va. offers citrus and grass, while the pressed Va. is tangy dark fruit sweet. The dry, woody, buttery sweet Turkish is a condiment. There is an extremely light topping of some kind that mellows the blend, which is aided by a little sugary black cavendish in the background. Burns cool and clean a moderate pace with a very consistent flavor. Won't bite or get harsh. The nic-hit is mild. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a pleasant after and is an all day smoke. The Match lacks the red Virginia that the original has, and is just slightly sweeter and less grassy. The substitution of lemon for red Va. means the sweet notes are not the same, but it’s still a pleasing mixture. I gave the original two and a half stars.

Sutliff Match Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture:
I’ve compared this to the original (which once was a regular smoke for me) and I'd say this blend is fairly close, but not an exact match. It’s certainly closer than the current DE production by Dunhill, which I consider to be inferior to both the original and the Sutliff Match. The Murray’s version was a little more complex in taste, and had just a little more bright lemon Virginia. The perique is very peppery in both, slightly more plumy here. The brown Virginia is virtually identical: a little grass and earth and some citrus. As much as I liked the Murray’s product, I would say this may be as close as you can get these days. A little more sprinkling of citrusy, spicy floral lemon Va., and it’d virtually be the same. Because the new version is different from the Murray’s, which is what the Match attempted to copy, I would not consider them to be similar. The proportion of ingredients in the new version is different, and the shag cut is as well.

The Murray’s version of DE was one of the very few blends m'lady openly complained about. When they quit making it, she was very happy.
A couple of years back, I tried the Match for the first time. Five minutes after I started smoking it, she came back to the studio and said, "Are you smoking that crap again? I thought they quit making it." Telling me that she recognized the smell after several years just struck me kinda funny. That, besides the taste, amplified my assessment that the Match is close indeed. I gave the Murray's version four stars. Couldn't do that for the new release, which is a two star blend.

Sutliff Match Dunhill’s London Mixture:
The Cyprian latakia does not overwhelm the other components, but possesses the smokey, woody sweet qualities you expect it to. The Turkish provides a dry, woody, slightly buttery sweetness as a complimentary addition. The Virginias are a little grassy with a light tangy citrus, and a touch of earth. The differences between this and the original is that the Virginias in the Match has fewer grass notes, and is a little sweeter, and maybe has a pinch less latakia, though the sweetness of the Va. might be mitigating the latakia hit just a mite. Otherwise, it’s a fairly close Match and less expensive, too. Has a mild nic-hit. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns cool (more so than the original) and clean at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a nice after taste and is an all day smoke. I gave three stars to the original.

Sutliff Match Dunhill’s My Mixture 965:
In both the Match and the original, the sweet Cyprian latakia is a minor player, but aids the Oriental/Turkish in regard to the smokey, woodsy quality of the blend. The spice and buttery sweetness from the Orientals is lightly moderate. The Virginia is citrusy and grassy with a touch of earth as it forms the base of the blend. The brown cavendish amplifies the sweetness and adds a slight nuttiness. There's a slight mustiness present, and it has a nice, light creamy taste. The differences are that the Virginia in the original is a little grassier, a shade less sweeter with a touch more spice from the Orientals. The Match burns a little slower and cooler. Both burn clean with very little moisture left in the bowl, and need few relights. Has a mild nic-hit, and won't bite. Has a pleasant after taste, and can be an all day smoke. It’s hard to tell one from the other unless you are working to decide for which is which. I gave three stars to the original.

Sutliff Match Dunhill’s Nightcap:
The original and the Match have the same grassy, citrusy Virginia in equal amount, thus having the same effect. That is also true of the Oriental/Turkish and the perique, all of which offer spice, leather, and musty, dry wood notes. In looking at both tobaccos, I can not tell one from the other. The only difference I notice is that the latakia in the original is a little stronger in taste in all ways: Cyprian sweetness, smokiness and wood. At times during a smoke, the Match seemed nearly identical to the original, and other times not so much. The depth of the attributes, not the amount of latakia, is the only variable. Stirring up the tobacco in the Match produced better results for me, but did not completely solve the problem. Has a mild nic-hit, and won't bite or get harsh. Both burn clean and cool at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, smoky after taste. Not quite an all day smoke. I gave four stars to the original.

Sutliff Match Dunhill’s Standard Mixture:
It can be just a tad hot on your tongue in the same way the Dunhill version can if you are a very fast puffer, but it burns a shade cooler than the original. The Match is slightly less grassy than the original with the same amount of Virginia citrus. The Oriental/Turkish acts in a supporting role with a light spice, dry note, while the latakia has the usual smokey, woodsy character you'd expect it to. The proportions seem to match the original, though the latter has slightly more latakia. A well balanced blend that burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl, and needs few relights Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. Can be an all day smoke. It’s a very close match, and in a blind taste test, it would be difficult to tell the difference. I gave three stars to the oriiginal.

Sutliff Match Edgeworth Ready Rubbed:
It packs well, stays lit, and is a very cool, consistent smoke all the way to the bottom - no bite or moisture. Nutty with a molasses flavor and a little cocoa along with a slight sharp note. I can see this being a decent starter burley for someone who has never tried the genre, and I can certainly see it being a regular rotation blend. The Virginia is slightly sweet and grassy, but it stays in the background. Has little nicotine. Won't bite. Burns at a reasonable pace, cool and clean with a very consistent taste. Requires a few relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Has a nice after taste. An all day work and play smoke that may not be complex, but has enough going for it to hold your interest.

This Match is very close to the original. I spent a weekend comparing the two versions. The original seemed a little fuller, deeper in the molasses taste, and that's the only difference I can tell. The cut and look of the tobacco is the very same. The more I smoke it, the better I like it. In a blind taste test, it would be very hard to tell which was which.

EDIT: The batch I got in the Spring of 2015 tastes as I have described it above. However, the cut was changed to a rough cut with some small chunks, and the tobacco is lighter is color. This version burns slower, but at least it tastes the same. Others have reported the same change in cut. Wish they would have left it alone.
10-20-2016 Update: Apparently, Sutliff has listened as the productions of this year's Match ERR are exactly like my original description.
I gave four stars to the original.

Sutliff Match Erinmore Mixture:
The tropical citrusy tart toppings in the Match are by far the star flavors - lemon, orange, peach, pear, etc. - possibly with a little pineapple thrown in. I get a heavy sense of plum that reminds me of the topping in Dunhill’s Royal Yacht. It’s like answering the answer of “What would happen if Juicy Fruit chewing gum met Mrs. Plum Tree?” Tangy sweet with a couple sour notes, some sugar, and a little floral, this strong, highly aromatic tobacco could easily ghost a briar. The grassy Virginia is a little noticeable, but not always. The black cavendish adds a small amount of vanilla. There’s a minor hint of anise, too. The nic-hit is closer to medium than it is to mild. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns fairly cool at a slightly less than moderate pace with a very consistent flavor. Leaves some moisture in the bowl, followed by an after taste that’s as intense as the smoke itself. Needs some relights. Not an all day smoke.

The original seems to have the same toppings, though they aren’t as intense as the Match, which is a little more plumy prominent, too. It’s a shade less floral, and the Virginias in the original are more hay and grass-like than the Match. They say there’s no pineapple in the topping, but something is giving it that tang effect. The black cavendish has the same effect in both versions. I notice a little anise/licorice that is a little stronger in the original. Both have the same sour note. The original burns a little hotter than the Match. Both leave just a little moisture. I gave the original two stars.

Sutliff Match Field & Stream:
Both the House of Windsor and Philip Morris productions were fairly soapy and even more perfumey with an anise/licorice topping. While all of that lingered to the end, it became a little less intense by the half way point, and a nutty burley became more prominent, though still a bit sublimated. I barely noticed the black and gold cavendish outside of a hint of vanilla and honey. The citrus Virginia notes were small, and the grass a little more obvious. The Match has a hint of the soap, and much less perfume, and the licorice is slightly less pronounced. It has a little more maple than the original had. In the Match, the burley has a similar nuttiness, and I notice the aspects of the cavendishes and Virginia a little more. The Match burns cool at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Won't bite. Has a decent after taste. Can be an all day smoke. The HoW and Philip Morris versions burned faster, rougher, and hotter, though they fell just short of the bite stage. I rated the original at two stars.

Sutliff Match Flying Dutchman:
In the Match, there’s a small amount of black cavendish that imparts a mellow vanilla flavor that compliments a mild licorice topping. In supporting roles are a light honey hit from the gold cavendish, and some hay/grass from the Virginia. The burley is slightly nutty. Because this is a Dutch-style blend, there’s a lightly persistent herbal spice note from start to finish. A sipping blend that may need a little dry time, but provides a consistent taste. Has little nicotine. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has an okay after taste, and can be an all day smoke. In comparing this to the 1970s version, I find the Match to be superior. The original was shag cut and packaged dry, so it tended to burn hot and bite worse than virtually any blend I have ever tried. Not even hydration could stave off the bite, though it did enhance the herbalness. The Match is ribbon cut and not dry, does not bite, has more depth of similar flavors with a sweeter topping, is less spicy and herbal, and a vastly smoother, richer smoke. I gave the original one star.

Sutliff Match Four Seasons:
I never smoked the original, though when I compare the reviews at TR.com to the Match I’ve been smoking, they seem to be similar in regard to taste, though not the cut of the tobacco if that description is accurate. The tobacco in the Match is cube cut, short ribbon cut, and coarse broken flake. The cherry birch topping is mild and pleasant. There’s also a little apple topping, too. The Virginia is a little grassy with a touch of citrus as the base of the blend. The black cavendish is sugar sweet with a very mild hint of vanilla. The burleys are nutty, molasses sweet with a light sharpness and earth, and offers the most noticeable tobacco taste in this blend, though all the tobaccos here play second fiddle to the toppings. Has very little nicotine. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns slow, cool and though it will require a few relights, leaves virtually no moisture. Has a consistent flavor, and decent after taste. Not quite an all day smoke.

Sutliff Match Hines Mixture T426:
The black cavendish has a nice vanilla flavor that sublimates the grassy Virginia and burley, though a hint of nuttiness will perk through here and there. The cocoa/coconut topping competes with the vanilla for attention, and sublimates the tobaccos a bit. Has almost no nicotine. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns clean and cooler than your average blend in this genre at a reasonable pace with a consistent flavor. It’s very similar to the original, though this a cooler, smoother smoke, with just a little less coconut. The only drawback is that it requires a little dry time, which is hardly the worst problem to have. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and needs a few relights. Has a nice after taste and can be an all day smoke. I rated the original at two stars.

Sutliff Match Holiday Mixture:
The Virginia is mildly sweet with a slight grass note and provides a solid base for the other components. The burley is sweet, and a little nutty and is a major player in the proceedings. A smattering of black cavendish chips in with a bare essence of vanilla. The perique is hardly noticeable, but the light spice I taste comes from there. The Cyprian latakia is also a minor player, but it provides a smokey, woody push that makes this an attractive smoke. The topping is sweet and mildly fruity. This is a very pleasant, tasty aromatic American English that you can smoke all day with ease and no bite, and due to the variety of flavors, never get bored with it. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and needs few relights. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a consistent taste. Has a mild nic-hit, and a pleasant after taste.

Comparing it to the Lane version, I'd say it is virtually identical. The only real difference I noted is that the Match is slightly less sweeter, and has a shade less latakia. I gave three stars to the original, and as this is so close, it gets the same rating. However, as a Match, it is a four star blend.

Sutliff Match John Rolfe:
The smell of the peach bandy flavored tobacco is a little more intense than it is in the smoke. Not much tobacco taste, but that’s not the point of the blend. The same goes for the original, where the peach brandy taste is stronger and a little sharper. The Match burns cool and smooth whereas the original loses a little of the flavor at the finish, and is bitey if puffed fast. The Match doesn’t have that problem. I found the peach in the original is slightly chemically with a sour note whereas the Match avoids those characteristics. Has virtually no nicotine. Burns at a reasonable pace, and leaves a little moisture in the bowl, as did the original. Needs an average number of relights. The after taste is okay. Not quite an all day smoke. I gave the original one star.

Sutliff Match Kentucky Club Aromatic:
The burley is lightly sweet and nutty, and is the star component in regard to tobacco taste. The perique offers a bare hint of spice. The Oriental/Turkish provides a slight woodiness, and is always mildly noticeable. The Virginia is a little grassy and mildly citrus sweet as a supporting player. The topping is a little fruity, and avoids the chemical note of the original, otherwise it’s the same in both, and tones down the tobaccos a little. The differences between the original and Match is that the original is a little sweeter, the burley is a shade deeper in flavor, while the Match is a little smoother. The look and cut of the tobaccos are the same in both. Some say the original had a tendency to bite, but I did not notice that is either version. Both have very little nicotine. The Match burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a fairly consistent flavor. Leaves very little moisture in the bowl, needs few relights, and makes a decent all day smoke, as did the original. I gave the original two and a half stars.

Sutliff Match Kentucky Club Mild:
Just like the original, the Match is an uncomplicated burley blend with a sugar topping that tones down the tobacco. The burley is nutty sweet with a touch of molasses and hay. No chemical notes to be found. Both have very little nicotine. Burns clean and cooler than the original and is very similar in taste, though the original is a shade fuller flavored and barely nuttier and sweeter. Both have a consistent flavor. Some smokers have reported that the original could bite, but I did not experience that in either the original or the Match. Both smoke smooth with no harsh spots or bite. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and needs few relights. A very pleasant no-frills all day smoke that’s pretty darn close to the original. I gave the original three stars.

Sutliff Match Lane’s Blend:
I never smoked the original, so this is a review of the Match only. The burley is slightly nutty, toasty and earthy, with a minor molasses note. The Virginia is a little grassy with a touch of citrus, and leads the burley.The Green River Black Cavendish offers a very mild hit of vanilla. The marshmallow topping is not strong, and there’s a drop or two of whisky as well. The toppings sublimate the tobaccos a little. Has very little nicotine. Won't bite or get harsh. The flavors meld well for a cool, smoothly mild easy burning smoke that holds its taste until the finish with little moisture left in the bowl. Needs an average number of relights, and can be an all day smoke with a decent after taste.

Sutliff Match Mapleton:
The Maple is the star in both versions, though they both have a dash of rum, too. The toppings are deeper and more flavorful in the Match, though like the original, the rum is not as obvious as the maple. The Virginia is very grassy and not sweet in the original, whereas they are less grassy with a touch of sweet in the Match. The white burley in both has a little sharpness, much more so in the original. A minor nut note in both exists. The original burned very warm, tended to bite if pushed too much. Both have little nicotine. The Match burns slower at a reasonable pace, cool with no bite, and the consistent flavor holds up to the finish. None of that was true of the original. This one leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a pleasant after taste, and like the original, can be an all day smoke.

Sutliff Match Middleton’s Cherry:
Either I’ve changed or Middleton improved their cherry blend. It’s better than when I smoked it many years back. The cherry flavor is not strong and you can taste the burley some, more so at the finish when weak cherry flashes off a little. The cavendish in both have a very light honey, grass note. The cherry taste in the Match is a little more obvious, and the nutty burley is a shade less noticeable. The cherry does not burn off at the finish as it does in the original. The original has the same fault it has always had, being bitey when puffed beyond a sipping pace. That is only true of the Match if you go at it like a steam engine trying to outrace Superman. Both have almost no nicotine. The Match burns slightly faster than a moderate pace, fairly cool, and is a smoother smoke with a more pleasant after taste than the original. Hardly leaves any moisture in the bowl, and needs very few relights. An all day smoke. I gave the original one star. This gets two and a half.

Sutliff Match Model:
The Virginia has a few earth notes to go along with a little grass and citrus. The burley is very nutty with some chocolate, molasses, and earth. Burns fairly smooth at a reasonable pace with a consistent taste, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Needs few relights. The Match avoids the harshness of the original, and unlike the original, which could bite when pushed much, the Match doesn’t grab at your tongue. The flavor is a little deeper in the Match, though it is the same in both. There are a few cigarette notes here and there, but less so than the original. The tobacco in the Match is fairly dry as was the original, so it needs to be puffed as a reasonable rate, unless you hydrate it. Has a pleasant after taste and is an all day smoke. I rated the original at two stars. This isn't quite three stars, but it's close enough to rate it as such.

Sutliff Match Prince Albert:
The Match is chocolatey, molasses and nutty, though a little less so than the original in those respects. The cut and look is identical. It burns a little cooler than the original, and while it does not have the syrupy flavor (and occasional chemical note) of PA, there’s a slight alcohol feel in the topping in a few spots. The level of mildness is the same, and the flavor is consistent to the finish. Has little nicotine, and won't bite. Burns at the same rate as the original (moderate) and leaves a similar, lighter aftertaste. needs few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. The original tends to be a little cigarettish at times, a little more so near the end. That’s not true of the Match version. If the chocolate, molasses and nut flavors were a little stronger, it’d be hard to tell the difference between the two, chemical, cigarette and syrup hits of the original not withstanding. This is lighter in flavor than the original. An all day smoke.

Sutliff Match Revelation:
The HoW version left me with a bad impression all the way around, from the dullness of the burley to the relative lack of sweetness, depth, and flavor of the Virginia and the burley. In the Match, the medium brown Virginia has a mildly natural tangy citrus sweetness while the burley sports some earthy points, plus a light nuttiness. The perique is very lightly added for a hint of spice, hardly noticed in the HoW. The Cyprian latakia brings very mild smokey, woody bass notes to give this mixture a slight flavor push. There’s a mild fruity rum topping that tastes better than the one HoW used, and slightly more obvious, too. The HoW version tended to have a cardboard taste that turned bitter near the finish, and smoked hot unless you sipped it. None of these qualities are true of the Match. This is more well rounded, smoother with no bite, and the components work together with greater consistency than the original. The nic-hit is mild.

Comparing the Match to the old Philip Morris version that Albert Einstein smoked, I’d say the Match is a shade sweeter and a shade less nuttier, and just a little less earthy, drier smoke. The topping is the same in all three versions, though the amount and depth of flavor varies. The Virginia in the Philip Morris version seems to be a little grassier than in the Match. The flavor of Cyprian latakia is about the same in all three versions. The spice from the perique is just a little more obvious in the Philip Morris version. When I get to the finish of the PM Revelation, it gets a little of the same cardboard harshness that I experienced in the HoW production. The PM version I smoked for this comparison was over fifty years old, and it is hard to say what changes happened during that time, but I would rate it as being closer to the Match than the HoW, but it has some similarities to both. I gave one star to the HoW version. I would give two to the Philip Morris version.

Sutliff Match Royal Comfort:
The Virginia is a minor player. It’s a little grassy while the gold and black cavendishes offer a little honey and vanilla. The toppings include maple, rum, and molasses, all of which are rather mild, though vanilla seems to stand out the most. They do tone down the tobaccos some. Has virtually no nicotine. Won't bite or get harsh. Burns cool and smooth at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs few relights. Has a weak after taste. Is an all day smoke. The original is a shade less milder, and a little deeper in taste, though I notice an alcohol base that I hardly get in the Match, and it’s never very strong anyway. The tobacco taste is more sublimated in the original than in the Match, but there’s not much of it in the Match either. There’s a little difference in the sweet flavors between the two, and there’s one flavor note in the original that is undefinable to my taste buds. It’s not a perfect Match, but it is a pleasant smoke. The low rating is because it's a Match of a one star blend by my reckoning.

Sutliff Match Rum and Maple:
The rum and maple are a little more pronounced here than in the Lane version, thought the maple is a little more obvious than the rum. The Virginia and burley are a little more sublimated by the toppings than the original was, but you do get a little Virginia grassy notes and slightly burley nuttiness. It’s fairly sweet, but you won’t be overpowered by a super strong maple/rum flavor, though it is richer than the original. The original was kind of bitey, and the tobacco was dryer, and burned faster than this version. The room note is very pleasant. Has little nicotine, and won't bite. This version burns clean and cool at a reasonable pace with a consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a very pleasant after taste, and is an all day smoke. Also sold in a pouch under the Tobacco Galleria name, as well as in bulk. I rated the original made by Lane at two stars.

Sutliff Match Sail Green:
The topping in the Match lacks some of the anise of the original, but it has the same - but milder - light fruitiness with fewer cocoa notes. It also sublimates the tobacco flavor a little just as the original does. Like the original, I get a slight sense of the spice and wood from the Oriental/Turkish, and virtually nothing of the Cyprian latakia, which is probably about one percent of the mixture. The honey from the cavendish is slightly more prominent in the Match, and the grassy, citrusy Virginia is about the same. The cut is the same, as is the burn rate, which is moderate. I noticed inconsistency of flavor in the original. Sometimes, it was bland and sometimes not, from pouch to pouch. Won't bite, and has a very mild nic-hit as does the original. Both leave little moisture in the bowl, and need an average number of relights. The Match has a slightly better after taste, but it's nothing special. Both are all day smokes. This Match is fairly close to Sail Green at its best with a little less strength to the topping, and is consistent in flavor. I rated the original at two stars because of the variance of its quality from time to time. This gets two stars.

Sutliff Match Sail Yellow:
The burleys, cavendish, and Virginias in the original well melded into a blend that’s a little nutty, slightly grassy and citrusy, with honey and bread notes from the tobaccos. The Oriental/Turkish is lightly woodsy with a light spice almost in a support role. The Match is very similar in all respects, though it has a milder spice hit. There’s a minor difference in the sweet topping, but I can’t determine why, except to say that the topping is a mite more noticeable in the Match. Overall, they are pretty similar, even if the Match is just a little lighter in flavor and nicotine, which is rather mild. Neither will bite. The cut of the tobacco is the same, though the Match burns cooler and slightly smoother at the same moderate pace, and both have a consistent flavor. Both leaves little moisture in the bowl, and need few relights. Both have a pleasant after taste, and can be all day smokes. I rated the original at two and a half stars.

Sutliff Match Sugar Barrel:
The Pipes&Cigars Match version is a little closer to the original than the Match sold by Milan Tobacconists. Both are a thicker plug cut burley than the original with a slightly brighter Virginia small flake cut. The Virginia in the Matches has the same minor grass and sweet notes as the original. The P&C Match is slightly cinnamon spicier than the original. The Milan version has less cinnamon spice than the other two. The original is a shade more brown sugary and buttery than either Match, though the P&C is slightly deeper in its sweetness than is the Milan, which is a little rougher edged in flavor. All three have about the same amount of nuttiness and molasses. Both Match versions burn a little slower than the original, and the Matches keep a little more consistent flavor to the finish, though the toppings in the original tended to be just a little less obvious at the end. All have very mild nic-hits, no bite and leaves hardly any moisture in the bowl. The Matches need more relights. All have a weak after taste, and are all day smokes. I give this three stars, which is a star more than I rated the original Sugar Barrel. The P&C version seems to hold the flavor better, hence the extra half star. Two stars for the Milan match.

Sutliff Match Troost Aromatic Cavendish:
The gold cavendish has citrus and honey bread notes with a touch of grass. The toppings are mild butterscotch and caramel sweet, and is mildly fruity. they do tone down the tobacco a little. As cavendish tends to burn hot if puffed fast, you may consider sipping it, though it really doesn’t need to be babied much at all. The original has a little deeper flavor, but it’s bitey if you puff very fast, and can lose just a little of its flavor when that happens. The latter two observations are not true of the Match, which is much smoother, will not bite, and is fairly close in taste to the original. The flavor doesn't weaken near the finish or if you puff beyond a moderate pace, which can happen to the original, especially if the tobacco is dry. The coarse cut of the tobacco is the same. Both have very little nicotine. This is an all day mild product that burns clean at a reasonable pace with a consistent taste. Both leaves hardly any moisture at the bottom of the bowl, and need an average number of relights. Both have an okay after taste. Both are all day smokes. I gave the original two stars. This gets three because of the lack of bite, and it's smoother than the original.

Sutliff Match Union Leader:
The burley is lightly sweet, nutty, toasty and a little earthy, and is the main component. The Virginia is a little grassy with a touch of citrus. There’s a very mild spice note present, which I suppose comes from the burley. The topping seems to be honey, though it’s very lightly applied. Has a mild nic-hit. Burns clean at a moderate pace with a fairly consistent flavor. Needs few relights and leaves little dampness in the bowl. Has a pleasant after taste, and is an all day smoke. The House of Windsor version is the very same, though it would bite if pushed hard, and would get a little cigarettish at times once past the half way point. The Match can tingle just a little if puffed like a steam engine; then again, many burleys will. The HoW was less sweet than the Match, which isn’t overly so anyway. Produces a lot of smoke, and also sports a slight cigarette note in the same places the original does, but it’s much less noticeable in the Match.

Comparing the Match to the 1970s Lorillard version, there are a few differences. The 70s version is a little less sweeter, but a little spicier (which could be caused by age) and may be bitey if pushed beyond a reasonable smoking pace. The Virginia is a little duller, too, and it has the same cigarette notes as the HoW production. It tastes better than the HoW, but is less smooth, and has just a little less depth of flavor than the Match. I gave three stars to the HoW version, and that was stretching it just a little. This is more of a three and a half star product.

Sutliff Match VIP:
The birch taste is not nearly as pronounced or as chemical-like as it was in the original, where it overtakes the tobacco rather strongly. The vanilla is slightly more obvious in the Match. The burley is lightly nutty and earthy, and provides a little molasses hit, all of which were basically missing from the original. Overall, it’s a little milder and much smoother ribbon cut, and doesn’t bite (another failing of its predecessor). Both have very little nicotine. Burns at a reasonable pace with a consistency of flavor that doesn’t vanish at the finish. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. A pleasant all day smoke with an okay after taste. I gave the original one star mostly because it had too many short comings.

Sutliff Match Walnut:
As many smokers know, Walnut is comprised of many different varieties of tobaccos. So is the Match. In it, I get a light taste of nutty, woody Kentucky, grassy, citrusy Virginia (it forms the base of the blend), some nuttiness and molasses from the burley in a support role, a touch of honey from the cavendish, a slight woody note from the Oriental/Turkish. The Cyprian latakia is a minor addition, but gives a very mild smokey, woody push to the other components. I know Maryland is in here, but I can’t taste it. The topping is mildly sweet. Overall, it has nice subtlety of flavors that meld well together for a mild to medium smoke. Burns at a reasonable pace, cool, clean and dry to the finish with a consistent flavor. Both have a mild nic-hit, and won't bite. Both leave little moisture in the bowl, and need an average number of relights. This has a little better after taste as there's nothing to distract what you taste. Both are all day smokes.

What’s the differences between the Match and the original? The original sometimes has a little chemical taste from the topping that the Match does not, and gets a little bitter near the end. The original is a shade sweeter, and a tiny bit nuttier, while the Match has just a smidgen more latakia. Otherwise, I can’t tell the difference. I rated it at four stars even though I rated the original at three. As a Match, it's four stars for how close it is to the original.

Sutliff Match Wine Berry:
In both the original and the Match, the deeply rich raspberry, red wine and strawberry (?) flavors dominates the tobacco. It reminds me of Amphora Red, a little more so in the original than the Match. There a definite floralness in the topping of the original that reminds me of the floral note in Amphora Red, but it's a little stronger there, and isn’t present in the Match. Some burley peeks out from the topping every so often (especially after the mid-point). There's a slight suggestion of vanilla from the black cavendish in both. Can’t really say I notice the Virginia much in either production, except for a little grassiness. In the Match, the tobacco is a little more obvious toward the finish, but the toppings make it to the last puff without a hint of chemicals. The original does have a light chemical, syrupy taste that shows up occasionally. Has very little nicotine and won't bite. Both burn cool (the Match a little more so) with very little moisture in the bowl, few relights, and a very pleasant after taste. An all day smoke.