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All New Pipes
Christopher A.
Reviews
Lane Limited - 1-Q
Maybe I need to keep trying, and I'll eventually get it.
It's easy to smoke, tastes like tobacco-flavored candy. Not really what I look for, but I definitely know why everyone buys so much of this.
Cornell & Diehl - Opening Night 2oz
After All My Experimentation, I May End Up Mostly Just Smoking This
I still love HB Cake. It's a totally different kind of smoke. Opening Night isn't very complex. Near the end, I was getting some interesting raisin and fermented flavors just a little bit. But through most of it, it was sugared, toasted grains. Honey Graham crackers, but luscious and rich, full-bodied, with a smoky undertone. This is made from really excellent sun-sweetened leaf and has been prepared masterfully. I recommend a corn cob pipe without filter for the wide open 6mm bore, and don't puff on it after it's lit. Just let the smoke drift up into your mouth. Slow and gentle gives sweet and rich. The palm-roll filling method works great for me with this broken flake. If you handle it correctly, this is an excellent all-day smoke. I'm going to make a habit of aging this one.
G. L. Pease - Bankside 2oz
Delicious Honey-BBQ'd pork ribs
Seriously, I believe I can taste crispy, grilled, fatty, pork ribs in honey barbecue sauce with some mincemeat spices. It's savory, salty, sweet, and smokey. I won the tin lottery with this purchase, receiving a brand-new tin with over a year of age already on it. I believe that time was good to it. I did not experience what others have written about: a vaper with dark, smokey undertones. Rather, this is a well-blended, coherent flavor all on its own. The perique, dfK, and Latakia have melted into the Virginia, creating a single, unique experience. Personally, it's not the set of flavors I look for. I admire it for what it is. And it's a great change-up for someone who stays more with straight Virginias or burley-based blends. I tend to prefer more vegetal, grain-related flavors. But something like this is a nice change of pace every once in a while. Bold and beautiful. Very meaty, if you like that sort of thing.
Cornell & Diehl - Yorktown
Go slow, keep it cool, and this is an excellent Virginia
This is one for Muttonchop's breathe technique. Don't worry about how much smoke is coming out. Just focus on flavor. Let the smoke be wispy. Keep it cool. If you got your pack a little loose, and keep your tamping gentle, it doesn't need drying time. Let it go out because the fire burns upwards too far away from the fuel to keep going sometimes. That's where you get the perfect flavors-- when the ember is right on the edge of going out. When you relight, don't let the flame touch the leaf. Be gentle, please, and you will LOVE this blend. My notes are Cristal champagne and buttered whole-wheat toast. It can easily be pushed into cigar territory, though I liked that set of flavors, too. If you push it too hard, it can get spicy. It can go into cigarette territory, but it's like old Nat Sherman, not bargain-basement brand. But you're doing it wrong if you're getting that back. Do it right, and you're having a full-bodied champagne with toast, maybe some lemongrass in chardonnay territory sometimes. There is an occasional fermenty note. Looking at the quality of the leaves in my bulk purchase, I'm impressed. Wonderful smell in the jar. This is a great smoke for when you're relaxed and patient enough to get the most out of it. Maybe smoke a little burley first, if you're wanting a smoke to calm down. Then follow up with Yorktown when you're already as chill as you want to keep that bowl. The flavors can really wow me when I let them. This is also great mixed 50/50 with Red Virginia Cavendish. The mix falls naturally right together with no pressing or jar time required, and is considerably easier to get the best flavors from. The mix is different-- more bread, less chardonnay, more comfort than wow-factor. I love Yorktown either in my own blends or by itself. This is a cellar cornerstone.
Cornell & Diehl - Morley's Best
If you like Latakia, you'll enjoy this.
Smokes cool and easy. Good flavors, nice development through the bowl. Interesting and very tasty. I'm not a huge fan of Latakia, but I enjoy this blend. I swear I got a note of roses from time to time. Latakia is pretty interesting, once you get past the wood smoke. I enjoy having this blend to change things up when I've had too much Haunted Bookshop Cake recently.
Cornell & Diehl - Winchester
If you are hesitant about getting into pure VA, try this first.
This is an easy smoke that gives you the Virginia experience before you've developed the packing and cadence pure Virginias require. I would recommend it to any beginners or people who have smoked mostly burley-based blends. The flavor is quite similar to Capstan Blue-- not wildly different, in my opinion. It's just a whole lot easier to smoke without collapsing the flavor or burning your mouth. Also great for blending, if you like making your own blends. I don't typically drink alcohol while smoking, however: If you drink a good Campbeltown Scotch with this, the whisky lends complexity, and the blend lends its sweetness to the overall experience. So I'm giving this an overall score of 4 out of 5 stars, for general use. For someone well-acquainted with the best, aged pure Virginia leaf, this will be boring and a little bland. But if you're a beginner, nervous about getting into Virginias (or been burned in the past), or wanting a simple, sweet tobacco blend that adds to and does not distract from the enjoyment of a fine whisky, Winchester rates 5 out of 5 stars for those specific use cases.
Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Simple, delicious
This is a great smoke. There's nothing that will grab your attention here. It's simple, honest tobacco. It burns cool, produces billows of smoke easily, and tastes good. An excellent beginner blend, a great all-dayer for anyone who likes the flavor of tobacco.
Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning 2oz
What a great morning!
This and a big mug of strong, black French roast coffee is the start of a delicious day. Burns cool and quickly. It seems like I'm always reaching the bottom of the bowl too soon. The flavor remains consistent through the bowl, so half a point off for not being capitvatingly interesting in each puff. But it sure is delicious. The 25% perique is strong enough to kick me awake. The 75% of this which is Virginia is smooth, sweet, and comforting at the same time, though.
Mac Baren - Virginia Flake 1.75oz
Good, sweet, simple
This tobacco can burn hot. It's not one I'd recommend for beginners. So maybe I just haven't got the knack of this blend yet, but it seems unidimensional to me. It's a nice, honey-sweet virginia with lots of bready, malty, lemony flavor. It's not particularly interesting, doesn't develop much through the bowl. But it's reliable and tasty, once you get the packing and cadence right for it.
Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop Cake 2oz
My favorite smoke
This is my deserted island smoke. If I get to pick two, I'll add Sunset Harbor just for variety. It burns cool pretty much no matter how I abuse it. The flavor is complex and develops beautifully through the bowl. It goes great with coffee, tea, Dr. Pepper-- pretty much anything you want to drink with it. Even milk is pretty dang good with it. Sweet, bready, fermenty. Sometimes I get notes that remind me of dark rye bread and stewed greens. Sometimes I get notes that remind me of dark cherries or plums with devil's food cake. I really never know quite what to expect from each puff of HB Cake, but it's always delicious and interesting.
Cornell & Diehl - Sunset Harbor Flake 2oz
A perfect smoke
This is my favorite way to smoke Oriental leaf. Everything here is perfectly married, just the right amounts of everything. Smoky, sweet, creamy, fermenty goodness throughout. Packs easy, burns cool. Nothing to add, nothing to improve upon.