MATCH B.S. 759

I have been smoking pipes for 35+ years and I have always tried new and different tobaccos, probably upwards of 350 different ones from all over the world. While my everyday tobacco was 759, I also smoked a mix I formulated myself and aged it every year so I smoked 5+ year old of it. I pretty much have determined that in my taste 759 is the best pipe tobacco ever. There is some interesting story a bit further down. This Match B.S. 759 is rather good but in my opinion it needs a bit more latakia and it needs aging. I plan to buy a bit more and add latakia to it and seal some to age about a year. I came to US in (1987) and in 1990 , I happened to come across a yard sale that an old neighbour lady had put on. She had some pipes; nothing special. I asked if she had tobacco and she said she had a lot of it in the basement but she didn’t think it is any good because it was old since it belonged to her husband who passed away 20 years before. I asked to see and upon inspection, I saw a case of 759 that had 2 tins missing. I asked her for price and she said $10 for the case. I got home and prepared a bowl of it in one cleaned and aired Falcon pipe and a bowl from the tin I had bought a few days before in another Falcon pipe. Wow! it was like drinking a normal wine compared to a Chateau Margaux 2012. The aging had made it to be rolling smoke like jelly in my mouth. I smoked that tobacco and sadly while I enjoyed it, I didn’t buy anymore 759. Then down to 2 tins, I went to Red Carpet Pipe Shop in Providence, RI to buy some and Eric, the owner and one of the most knowledgeable tobacconists I ever dealt with told me that Sobranie is out of business!! I bought a sealed can on eBay in 1997 for $72 and had Vernon Hopkins from Pipes etc. in Winston-Salem, NC to send a bowl of it to be analyzed. Then we made a match for it and tweaked it for a couple of months till we were ALMOST exact. I bought some good quantity of it and aged it. Sadly I became ill, moved and lost contact and Vernon passed and I lost the recipe.

I smoked the original and the tin note reminded me of back in the day. But the taste didn't. After cellaring for a while I tried it again. Very much improved, so much so I have added it to my rotation. The sweetness has deepened and became much more like the original. Good stuff!

This stuff is really good. I’m no Jim Inks so I won’t try to get into the nuances. Very cool smoking and full flavored.

Love this blend ! Great job Ross ! Oriental forward , nice change from usual English. Yendijes give a nice fizz !

smooth and mild all day good

Not on the level of a whiteknight, or other premium balkan blend, but good for what it is. Has more of a sour tin note and taste than the other expected smoke and incense flavors for this type of blend.

OK, pretty good but not quite there yet.

The match blends by Sutliff are a great way to experience pipe tobacco that your father or grand father might have smoked and perhaps bring forward a fond memory. As far as Balkan match , this blend is a oriental forward blend with Latakia . That being said, try it out, as well as the other Match Blends. I really enjoy smoking them .

Not unlike the original, according to my musty memory...

I keep the BS Match in an old 759 black tin. When lifting the lid the tin aroma is of a dry red wine, makes my jaws juice up. Slight amount of black pepper aroma comes through. Upon lighting, a mild mushroom flavor is evident. While smoking, the smoothness is in the forefront with a silky texture. Does have piquant overtones, a slight zing if taken through the nose. Over all a good blend, plenty of flavor, a meat and potatoes blend, a mild filet not a stout ribeye.