In the early 17th century, John Rolfe of the Jamestown Colony began the successful cultivation of Nicotiana Tabacum (common domesticated tobacco) in and around the Jamestown Colony in the tidewater area of Virginia. After several failures in making the Colony profitable for their sponsors, Rolfe began an effort to find a cash crop that could make the settlement financially successful.
Having made its way to Europe in the mid-1500’s with Columbus and other early adventurers, it is believed that Nicotiana Tabacum is the result of the gradual hybridization of a couple of tropical strains of tobacco, such as Nicotiana sylvestris (woodland grown tobacco from South America,) Nicotiana tomentosiformis (from the mountainous regions of Bolivia,) and possibly Nicotiana otophora (also from the mountainous areas of Bolivia and neighboring Argentina.)
Nicotiana Rustica, one of 79 accepted species of Nicotiana, on the other hand, had made its way from the rainforests of the ancient Aztecs, through South and Central America to Native Americans in the southwestern United States. Nicotiana Rustica has always been considered stronger and harsher than Nicotiana Tabacum (Tabacum has a 1 to 3% level of nicotine, where as Rustica has a nicotine level around 9%) because it is.
Thanks to Rolfe’s vision, Nicotiana Tabacum seeds from the West Indies quickly developed into Virginia’s first profitable export and set in motion Nicotiana Tabacum’s dominance in most all tobacco consumption to this day. However, equipped with a modern knowledge of tobacco processing, the hearty Rustica has found a place in the blender’s arsenal, and it now finds a home in Sutliff’s Barrel Aged Series with Crumble Kake No. 5 – Rustica.
Sun cured to retain the leaf’s natural sugar, Rustica is joined by zesty Virginias and nutty Burleys before being aged in a bourbon barrel. Finally, it is pressed into a crumble cake, mellowing and melding the bold mixture. With full body and flavor, Sutliff Crumble Kake No. 5 delivers a rich smoking experience.
Crumble Kake No. 5 – Rustica has an official release date of February 7, 2023 at 6:00 pm EST.
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