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Adam S.

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Seattle Pipe Club - Hogshead 4oz
Lordy lordy
There's not much to say about Virginia flavors that hasn't already been said. But they're all present and it's honestly one of my favorite mixtures. To me it's more of a giant fat cake than a plug because it kinda chunks off the corners easily. Smoked bitelessly for me and it's just plain great. Hopefully it sticks around.

Cornell & Diehl - Redburn 2oz
May have to update
I really want to like this blend, and it's not that I don't. I typically don't dig burley blends too much. I'm more of an English and Virginia type smoker, but this sounded really good. I don't smoke aromatics, and was hesitant to buy this because I've heard people refer to it as such. Trust me, aromatic it ain't. I didn't feel like the room note had as much cigarette scent as other burley blends I've smoked which I was nice. The flavor was mild and sweet. The molasses was definitely there haha. Perfect moisture out of the tin, prepped perfectly and smoked with no bite or dottle. I smoked it out of a Peterson 314 (which is my pocket pipe) and it lasted over an hour. Will keep revisit it through the week and update if I feel it deserves revision.

Cornell & Diehl - Black Frigate 2oz
Instantly satisfied
It was hard for me not to love this blend immediately. Perfect moisture and cake density for my preferences, super easy to prepare, stayed lit, and well balanced. The rum is a nice compliment but to those worried about it overwhelming the natural tobacco flavors, I don't feel like it does. A solid English blend with fine tobaccos and a nice hint of rum.

Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake 2oz
Darkness
While this isn't a total lat bomb, it definitely scratches that itch for me. The first few bowls kinda bad me struggling to discern the flavors of the different components (Latakia aside of course), but on bowl four I totally understand it now. The oriental leaf is at just the right level to give a little bit of a floral or spice to the blend, and the Virginia gives what Virginias always give. But the Latakia is different than any Latakia heavy blend I've had. It's rich, dark and smooth tasting. Obviously smokey but the leather aspect is what hits me the most. Creamy mouth feel. I've been folding and stuffing the flakes but I think this needs a bit more rubbing out than flakes I'm accustomed to. All in all, a solid product I plan on keeping in the rotation.

Cornell & Diehl - Folklore 16oz
Wow.
Even just the scent of the cake upon opening the bag was enough for me to know I'd love it. To me it smelled like a hint of cloves or some kind of spice, tea, and some scent I can't place. It burns beautifully and has a soft mild sweetness that rounds out the rest of the flavors. Not quite as complex as I feel SteamWorks is but that's the closest thing I could compare this stuff to. Absolutely phenomenal and glad I managed to get one package of it.

Two Friends - Redwood 2oz
A fair comparison
As this blend is considered a VaPer with Cavendish, I'd like to make clear that this isn't comparable to oh, say, Peterson de luxe Navy Rolls, Davidoff medallions or bulls eye. If you've had Cornell and Diehl Evergreen from last Christmas, I'd say it is similar. But don't buy this if you're expecting Escudo type profiles. Smooth, mildly grassy and slightly tart. To me, the perique really becomes bold near the end of the bowl. The Virginias are mild. Not a lot of bite in this blend. The cavendish does definitely sweeten and round out the sharpness that some Virginias have. I get a hint of chocolate and smokey wood. But it isn't a bad thing. The tobacco ribbon is to me the ideal dryness. It burns completely but it gets a bit warm if you smoke like I do (probably a cadence of one puff per 5 seconds). It's good. It isn't as full bodied as most VaPers have, but it's fair. I'd buy it again. The room note is mild as well which is a plus. Beginners would likely enjoy the mildness of taste and ease of packing while the veteran (like myself) would enjoy the simplicity of it. I sometimes like to step back from the heavier flavors sometimes and go from Capstan to Peterson Flake. I dunno. I'd say give it a shot with an open mind. Don't bring any predispositions to the table and try it for what it is.

Tampers & Tools - 8deco Tamper - Kokka
For the price?
An excellent deal. Works far better than a Czech tool's tamp piece if you don't mind losing the spoon and poker. I feel like the cupped curvature really allows me to get an ideal pressure along the side of the bowl without pressing too much in the middle ash. This is the first tamp I've had that isn't a Czech and already I see results I didn't have before.

Cornell & Diehl Tins - Evergreen 2oz
Perfect with a price
So I've given it some time before reviewing this blend. Being as the first tin I got (operative word, first) and opened has been beyond phenomenal. I'm not a cavendish person at all. My go-to blends are vapers or straight virginias. But as a peterson pipe fan, I picked this tin on a recent purchase. Smooth. So (expletive) smooth. Creamy. All of the constituent tobaccos in this tin do EXACTLY WHAT CORNELL AND DIEHL INTENDED. Sweet, yet nuanced and not cloying. The perique teases a hint of spice and dark fruit. The virginia hints of grass, yeasty bread and sugar but never overstep anything else. And the cavendish! It adds great body, creaminess and a teases of a molasses or brown sugar. Everything in its place. Herein lies the problem... you must buy a Peterson. Now, I have spent quite a bit on pipes here. All of em are Pete's. I have two extra tins (like I said, Petersons are my thing)... but this immaculate blend is basically prohibitively expensive. It kinda makes me sad. I talked to a rep of smokingpipes today briefly and if I'm not mistaken, once this deal is done they're not going to sell it anymore even if they have more tins. But this blend would be a hit under any name! If anyone from this site reads this I am literally willing to pay 16 bucks per tin for it, sanz a new pipe. Trust me. I plan on buying more Petersons, but this is the kind of blend that could really be a hit. I'm going to TRY to contact Cornell and Diehl in regard to this blend. Please smokingpipes... yall gotta do something about this. I'd throw away all of my Dunbar and And So To Bed for 3 tins of this. The quality, smooth and cool smoke never bites. It always and I mean HAS ALWAYS PLEASED ME. Even the room note is sublimely enjoyable. I hope to have more :(

Cornell & Diehl Tins - Nutcracker 2oz
Pleasantly Surprised
I wasn't too sure what to expect out of this blend being as it is limited in number AND limited in that you must buy a Peterson pipe to get the tin. Glad I'm a Peterson fan hahaha! The burleys are of a very high quality as far as flavor goes. The virginia is quite pleasant and the perique is good and plummy with just the right amount of pepper sting. The room note is like a vaper wrapped in a fine cigar leaf. I personally love it but your miles may vary with the Mrs. The flake is the perfect moisture and sort of just gently falls apart into a nice broken flake. Rubs out easily. Damn good thing I wanted to get a couple more pipes lol