Recently one of our sponsors, Sutliff Tobacco Company, has begun sending us samples for review.  One of the samples sent this month from their Private Stock Collection was Spinnaker.  I had recently undergone a bout with Fourth Generation Tobacconists aromatics, and decided to leave the aromatic flavours that Sutliff had provided until the end, and began with their non-aromatic mixtures.

So, by the time I was ready to do some more aromatic blends, my choices were Blue Danube, Molto Dolce and Spinnaker.  Since my wife is already doing the Molto Dolce review, I was left with the other two, and being a retired sailor I thought Spinnaker sounded just about right.

Man, oh man, was I wrong!

I started off by taking out my WDC Milano Cutty, keeping with the nautical theme, and cleaning it out for the new tobacco.

Then, I opened the tin and was assaulted, and I do mean assaulted, by the overwhelming scent of cherry cough syrup!  Now, anyone who reads my reviews knows that I have a limited sense of smell, so for me to say it was powerful is certainly saying something.

Visually, the tobacco was a beautiful affair, mottled browns and blacks coming together in a truly mouth-watering assembly.  Also, the tobacco was none too moist, which I expected after the extreme aroma.

Hesitantly, I packed my pipe and lit up.

At first, the taste wasn’t too bad.  The nutty and peppery Burley was strongly flavored by the cherry topping, and I could hardly taste the Cavendish at all.

While smoking at, I looked up its description online at tobaccoreviews.com;

Sailing, as in all sports, has its own jargon, understood only by interested fans. If you have ever admired the beauty of a sailboat gracefully gliding with a brightly colored headsail, then you have seen a spinnaker. Open yourself up to a new and exciting experience by trying this delightful mixture of Sweet Burley and tart Black Cavendish.

Well, it certainly was a new experience, and I could even call it exciting.  Sort of in the same way that you would call horror movies new and exciting.

As a smoked the tobacco, the taste got steadily worse with the cherry topping becoming more and more chemical-like, and more and more overwhelming with each draw.

I did manage to finish the entirety of the bowl, but it left a dottle in the bottom of the pipe something fierce.

On the other hand, my hubby found the tobacco to be simply unappealing, not downright disgusting.

As an old sailor, if I were stranded on a deserted island with only this to smoke…  I’d quit!

Definitely not a win in my opinion, but you can get it at pipesandcigars.com, HERE, or smokingpipes.com, HERE, for about $6.10 USD for a 1.5 ounce can.

Or, if you live in the states, Sutliff Tobacco Co. will help you find a retailer near you, if you go HERE.

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!