Sutliff D40 Vanilla Pipe Tobacco

Excellent taste, aroma.

D40 is an easy going tobacco. It's one of those you consider putting in a pouch and having it with you. I think of the word 'mellow'. The vanilla is noticeable but not heavy and overwhelming. You can taste the tobacco, which is rare with an aromatic, yet it is a clean taste. It stays lit easily and I did not experience any tongue bite, which is important to me.

I smoked this blend in a churchwarden with meerschaum bowl. I packed the bowl using the three-step method with a tight pack at the bottom, medium middle layer, and light top layer. After lighting, tamping and relighting, the tobacco never went out. The smoke had a very mild aromatic quality which to my preference was not strong enough. The smoke had an uncomfortable bite when drawn quickly, but could be moderated by sipping. Near the end of the bowl, there was some noticeable gurgling due to the generally moist nature of aromatic tobaccos and caused the smoke to sour somewhat. Overall the smoke was medium to mild depending on the draw and had a pleasant room note, but I prefer a stronger tasting casing. If I had used a pipe-cleaner in the shank after getting a bit of gurgling near the end of the bowl, I may have had a better experience there, but as the bowl was at its bottom anyway, I ended that session. When I cleaned the bowl out, there were only a few unused ribbons of tobacco remaining, so a good burn all the way down. Some who prefer a light aromatic note may find this tobacco quite acceptable, but I will look for one that has a stronger tasting casing.

Used along with Sutliff Vanilla Custard. Very cool smoke. Highly recommended. Very pleasant room aroma.