The Tobacco Files - Sutliff Pipe Force Episode III

We’ve made it to the last installment, the final frontier of the Pipe Force hexalogy (like a trilogy, but six. Admittedly, a word I just looked up).

But of course, we end on Episode III, greeted by the cephalopodic scowl of Lieutenant General Marshall.

It’s been a treat to get familiar with these mixtures built around novel ingredients. So, now let’s dig into one last blend to cap off the series’ whose voyage began a year and a half ago with a pipe smoking panel and six new blends. 

Sutliff- Pipe Force Episode III - Lieutenant General Marshall

All the details of the series can be found in our blog—A Closer Look at Sutliff's Pipe Force—but to briefly summarize, this is the second collection that sees the Sutliff Tobacco Company in collaboration with master blender Per Georg Jensen. The thread running through each of the Pipe Force blends is the use of at least one of two unique tobaccos, Stoved Katerini and Stoved Rustica. If interested, I wrote about my impression of these varietals smoked unblended in the Episode IV Tobacco File. 

The Oriental sub-varietal and the notoriously potent Nicotiana rustica go through the stoving process of steam, heat, and pressure. Unprecedented for these tobaccos, it's brought about some very interesting profiles to explore. For Episode III, we have just one of these components, Stoved Rustica. It's joined by Stoved and Red Virginias, and spiced with Dark Fired Kentucky. 

Pre-smoke

I crack the tin and find a classic Sutliff crumble cake, thin in a “slab” cut as I call it. The color is medium to dark brown with light mottling of bright leaf. The tin note is earthy BBQ, a light prune-y sweetness, and some acidity. It's not so pungent, but bolder than I remember from the sample I've smoked (all six blends were available in a sample pack at the 2023 Chicago Pipe Show and later events). 

Pipe Force Episode III rubs out easily, just as you’d expect from a Sutliff cake. The coarse cut exposes more dark and red leaf than the surface of the pressed slab seemed to present.

It’s a little moist to the touch, which is something I’ve come to prefer with these cakes. They usually don’t end up with too finicky a burn, and when they do, it’s as simple as a little drying time. However, the moisture seems to help the cake stay together and prevent already loose tobacco from breaking down to dusty "shake" when jostling around in the tin. Then again, if a recently opened tin doesn't live a good couple of weeks in a backpack you take most everywhere, you may not relate. 

For the last time, I packed my Georg Jensen De Luxe S779, as has been tradition, for an inaugural Pipe Force bowl. 

Lighting up

Consistent throughout my notes for Pipe Force Episode III are mentions of berry skin, lemon zest, spice, and a floralness that’s dark and woody. There’s not a lot of brightness but nuances come through. 

The bold Kentucky does give a subtle, hickory smokiness, some smokes more noticeable than others. Despite the notable body and dark notes, the delivery is smooth. The Stoved leaf and Reds seem to bring a mellow sweetness, and the Red Virginia tang wades about, but I don’t get the vinegar acidity often found in Sutliff’s Reds, such as 515 RC-1 or their Crumble Kake. I know some find it sharp but I'm personally a fan of that vibrant vinegar character, however, it’s well represented in the Sutliff catalog, and I like that it wasn’t leaned into for this particular blend.

The Stoved Rustica and Kentucky are natural harmonizers. The former is a hearty foundation to the flavorful woody, Kentucky spice. I don’t know that the Rustica is behind a lot of the flavor, but there’s an umami chewiness that I get the sense is brought out somewhere between the two bold tobaccos, and I think the Rustica accentuates that hickory, BBQ side.

As  has been the case for much of the Pipe Force series, Episode III is a pretty stout offering, certainly bolstered by the Stoved Rustica. Though the stoving process rounds and mellows some, it’s all relative, and we’re starting with a leaf with notably higher nicotine content, even compared to a more robust Red Virginia or Dark Burley. A little goes a long way.

For Episode III, some bowls have been more rewarding than others, as is expected, but the only underwhelming smokes were out of especially small chambers. I just don’t get the flavor so much, and the strength feels more distracting as opposed to a feature of a full smoke. But when smoked in something more sizable, it’s rather consistent for a decently complex blend. My capacious Peterson Sherlock Holmes Hansom delivered an especially long, satisfying smoke. 

As for the smoking properties, I definitely find a little drying time to be my preference. Right out the tin isn’t all that finicky, but for me, a good ten minutes of sitting out and the pack smolders perfectly with a more open profile.

I’m getting acquainted with a new Meerschaum pipe, and have had several bowls of Episode III in it, and it really brings out the sweetness and dark fruit aspects.

Until next time...

And that's curtains for the Pipe Force series. A bittersweet release, but hopefully you found some gems in the bunch and put a few in the cellar for more delightful smokes to come. 

Will there be a third Per Jensen Signature series? Well, it remains to be seen, but here's to hoping. Either way, we have some great seasonal mixtures coming up for the Tobacco File—look out for a very special Cringle Flake 2024, especially for you fans of straight Red Virginia. 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—[email protected]