Public Profile

Cory P.

Badges

Reviews

Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening
Best aromatic I've ever smoked by far.
I don't partake much in aromatics anymore. My go to is straight Virginia blends and occasionally I enjoy a good English. However, this was the first pipe tobacco I ever smoked and I still return to it when I want something different. I break it out and smoke it heavily once the weather starts turning cool in the Fall. The maple and vanilla notes combine with a hint of bourbon that just complements sitting outside on a cool fall evening. And unlike most aromatics, this tastes every but as good as it smells. Most aromatics have a great tin note and smell wonderful, but taste really bland. This ttastes just how it smells. I love it.

Cornell & Diehl - Bijou 2oz
Can't believe I've not heard more about this blend.
I tried it on a whim when I decided to get 2 tins of each blend in the cellar series. So glad I did and found this. It'll be in my regular rotation now. Honestly not sure how much it can improve with age, its that good fresh from a new tin!! It's sweet, smooth and mellow from the opening light with notes of hat, and brown sugar and a light, earthy note in the background. The honey casing adds a sweet touch to it. The Orientals don't show up til half way through and provide a nice spice to complement the sweet notes still there.

Low Country - Pee Dee 2oz
Very nice Burley blend
This is a complex blend. Burley lead the way providing a nice, nutty, earthy note. You definitely get the bakers chocolate or almost a powdered cocoa note. The Virginias just play a supporting role, providing a sweetness to the smoke and you get an earthy spice from the Perique. Overall a very nice blend.

Drucquer & Sons - The Merry Monk 100g
Definitely one of my favorite Englidh blends
A nice full bodied blend that is sweet and smoky. It has little hints of a spicy character mixed in and the Burley adds a nice nutty note to the blend. I said in a review of another English blend, that I just love English blends that incorporate Burley into them. It adds so much to the smoke and I think it really mellow it out a lot also, making it a smooth, no bite blend.

Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox 2oz
This is a really solid blend.
Easily can be an all day, every day smoke. It gets a 3.5 from me simply because there's not really anything that jumps out as outstanding. It's not really complex at all, just a smooth, straight tobacco smoke. It fairly strong and does have maybe a hint of spice to it, but overall its just a good, clean, easy burning smoke that tastes good.

Nørding - Labrador 2oz
Nice, smooth VaPer
You get rich bready notes leading out, with a hint of spice and fruit. I think if it didn't have the Cavendish it would be a bit overbearing, so including a light amt really mellowed the blend out perfectly. Definitely a blend that could get better with age.

BriarWorks - Back Down South 2oz
An extremely fruity VaPer
Im not really getting the pepper out of this blend. For me I'm getting the sweet, hay notes followed by a nice, flavorful fig flavor and a nice tangy fruity note about a quarter of the way through. It's an extremely fruity VaPer that's a very nice change of pace blend. Would be a perfect smoke for a Summer evening sitting on the porch.

Cornell & Diehl - Awakened Elder 2oz
Really nice English blend
I love English blends that have a little Burley in it. It almost counters the Smoky Latakia taming it down a bit and making it a more smooth, mellow smoke. It's not like a light English, it still has some punch, but its still a very smooth smoke and highly enjoyable. Definitly going to return to this blend frequently when I'm in the mood for an English blend.

Low Country - Carolina Christmas 2oz
My favorite Christmas blend!
This blend completely captures the essence of the Christmas season. It's a wonderfully complex blend. You get some sweet bread notes, maybe not even bread but more a baked goods taste from the Virginias. The Turkish provides a slight earthiness to the blend. Then you notes of sweet figs with a hint of citrus to top it all off. Looking forward to next Christmas to enjoy this blend all over again.

Cornell & Diehl - Opening Night 2oz
Wonderful straight Virginia smoke
This is a great, mild, sweet smoke. I get hay notes coming through the strongest. But you get some slight sweet bread notes as well. On the backend you get this hint of sweet citrus. If you enjoy straight Va's, you'll enjoy this wonderful blend. I can only imagine what some age will do for it.

Cornell & Diehl - Sun Bear Navy Cask 2oz
Excellent blend. Definitely a favorite.
Went through 2 tins of this new and left 2 back to age. Wish id have gotten more, as I love this blend. Didn't try the other renditions of Sun Bear, so cant compare it to those, but this version is phenomenal. It starts out sweet and bready and the honey really comes through. The sweetness melds perfectly with hints of this light, sour, floral profile. I don't get the rum flavor others have noted, but on the retro hale I get this very slight woody, oak note. All in all its a wonderfully complex smokes that's great for the summer time.

Cornell & Diehl - Interlude 2oz
Not my favorite Virginia.
This wasn't as good as I expected it to be, although I smoked it from a new unaged tin. It had the subtle sweet bread notes, but not much else. The honey didn't really do much, or didn't notice it at least. This had enough potential to think that when it ages a cpl years, it could be fantastic. Guess we'll just wait and see. I have a few tins put back in the cellar.

Dan Tobacco - Liberty 50g
Pretty damn tasty
This is my first English Aromatic I've ever tried. Upon opening the tin, I was pretty nervous that I wasn't going to like it at all. The tin note was this over powering grape scent. I mean it smelled okay and all, but didn't think it would translate to a good smoke. Figured id be smoking something that tasted only like grapes. However, when smoking it, the grape isn't overbearing at all. You get all the nice Smoky flavor of a full bodied English blend with some nice, sweet grape undertones. It was actually pretty damn good. It's something I wouldn't smoke constantly, but every now and again I wil definitely enjoy smoking this.

Warped - The Haunting Cake 2oz
Great seasonal blend for the Fall.
This is such a wonderful Fall blend. Perfect for a cool night sitting around a campfire. Its got a perfect mix of having a subtle sweet tone while providing a leathery spice. The cigar leaf in this blend doesn't over power the the Virginias, but rather complements them to perfection. I finished the last of my open tin a few weeks ago and cant wait until Fall when they release it again.

Cornell & Diehl - Three Friars 2oz
Really nice blend.
The Va's give it a subtle sweet flavor, while the Burley provides a little body to the blend and a little nutty flavor. The perique comes in with a pleasant spice on the back end. Not a fruity perique by any means. All together it makes quite a nice smoke. Not something id smoke all day, but a nice change of pace smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - Yorktown 2oz
Average blend for me.
This wasn't what I was hoping it would be after reading the description. It had a bite to it which hopefully goes away after I let it age in a jar for a few months. The profile was of toast with a mild sweetness. Im not saying I didn't like it, it just wasn't anything that makes you think "wow, I have got to get more of that!". Hopefully a little age will help it though.

Capstan - Flake Blue 1.75oz
Excellent Virginia smoke!
I first want to say to stop reviewing a blend on its price! Rate it based on its merit, not its price. If you think its a 4-5 star blend but give it a 2 cause of its price, its misleading. State that its a 5 star blend, but you think its over priced. With that said, I love this blend personally. This is how a straight Virginia is supposed to taste. It's so good I sometimes have to force myself to slow down and sip it. It's an exceptional sweet, bready blend with a nice lemony note to it. It also has a slight hay note to it as well. And I do also agree though that it is over priced and they are placing a big price tag on it based on ppls nostalgia for the blend. But im still gonna pay it and still gonna smoke it.

Cornell & Diehl - Redburn 2oz
Thought i would enjoy it more.
This is the second blend I've tried with a rum casing (After Hours Flake)and both times by reading the description and reviews I thought I would enjoy it immensely. Both times I've been left wanting. I thought the casing would be lighter, just a touch to add a hint of rum profile. Both times the rum note is just overpowering the natural tobacco profile. Idk, maybe I just don't like a rum casing on my smoke? But i keep thinking of it was a faint hint of rum, like it states, it would be amazing. All I get from this smoke is rum though, no tobacco. I'll allow it a few months time in a jar and revisit znd hopefully the rum profile will decrease and I can still enjoy this blend, because with the tobaccos in this blend, I know id enjoy it.

Dan Tobacco - Patriot Flake 50g
A new top 3 Virginia blend!
Been wanting to try this blend, as well as the others in this line (Liberty, Ironsides, etc), but whenever I would finally decide to get a few tins it would be out of stock. Finally got my hands on 2 tins and am so glad I did. This is an exceptional Virginia blend. Straight Virginias are my go to blends, I love a really good Virginia and this fits the mold. Tin note is a rich, sweet hay scent. The flakes are perfectly cut and have the perfect moisture content. No drying needed. The smoke is a rich, sweet hay, with almost a malt note to it. You get a slight bready note as well and although its almost not noticeable, there is a faint citrus note on the back end. Pointer by Nording and Capstan Blue have been my favorite Virginias for some time now, but this is right close to knocking them off the top! If not , its definitely a top 3 smoke. Try it, you wont be disappointed and its worth the price tag it carries.

Cornell & Diehl - Firebird Flake 2oz
Flavors meld together seamlessly
This is a wonderful blend, although I don't get a whole lot from the Virginias and Virginias are my go to blends for the most part. Its almost like the Va's just lend a touch of sweetness to the blend. I get a wonderful Smoky floral taste out of it. Its not like some blends where you taste the floral from the Orientals then the campfire/BBQ smokiness from the DFK and the sweet bready and hay notes from the Va's. This blend it all seems to come together as just 1 wonderful flavor. A slightly sweet and Smoky floral taste from light up to...... well I'm about 3/4 of the way through my pipe and its remained throughout. Im just happy it doesn't seem to be selling as fast as last year's release, because I was able to get back on and order 3 more tins for my cellar to go with my other 2 unopened tins from my first purchase. Jeremy and C&D have really been doing some great things with these small batch blends and I'm very appreciative.

Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation - Fathers, Friends & Fire Batch 001 Virginia Oriental Flake 2oz
Depends on when you smoke it.
Upon opening my new tin i smoked a few pipes and it was decent. The floral notes came through almost too strong for my liking and was a bit overbearing. The virginias pretty much disappeared. So I would rate it a 3 out of a new tin. I jarred it up and after about 3 months and revisited this blend and was thoroughly surprised and impressed. It converted itself in sn amazing way. It's now smooth and mellow. The Virginias shine through with a sweet, bready flavor and the Orientals now come in a more supporting role, with only a slight, mild floral note that blends well with the sweetness from the Virginias. Its now close to a 5 for me. I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars! So age this tobacco if you buy it. But I guess everyone's preferences vary, so you may not want to age it.......

Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Damn good English blend
This is a very good, light English blend. The latakia isn't overbearing, playing more of a supporting role than in other blends. It's got a nice, sweet almost vanilla taste throughout the pipe. The latakia gives it just a nice hint of Smoky flavor that meshes well with the sweetness the Virginias provide. The Orientals give it just a nice little earthy profile. Definitely a blend I'll return to now and then when I feel the urge to smoke an English blend.

Cornell & Diehl - Watchman's Reach 2oz
Not what I was hoping for
This sounded like a blend i was going to love, but I just didn't. Not sure if its because of it being plug and kind of almost whole leaf, but I shaved it and still had big chunks of leaf come off. It didn't smoke very well at all and the Virginias just didn't taste that great. People always say C&D Virginias need a lot of aging, but I've honestly never had that issue with the Virginia blends I've smoked (Interlude, Opening Night, Sansepolcro, etc). Maybe this is the case, so the other tin and remainder of my opened tin is getting placed in the back of my cellar and I'll revisit it in 4-5 years. Edit: I'm bumping it up to a 4 now. Never smoked whole leaf plug before and found out I was preparing it wrong. You wouldn't think how you prepare it would alter the flavor profile much, but I'll be damned if it didn't. I cut a quarter inch thick chunk off and cubed it up into smaller cubes, the rubbed the cubes out. The difference it made was like night and day. Gone was the almost burnt taste I got my first smoke and now I got the delicious notes that I love about Virginia tobaccos. Now, I myself didn't get the citrus notes from it. I got more of the rich, bready profile with a slight hint of baked goods. And it also burned much better. It stayed lit and only required 1 delight. However, it did leave a good deal of moisture in the pipe.

G. L. Pease - 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee 2oz
Wonderful blend!!
I was lucky enough to grab 2 tins of this blend and only wish I'd have ordered way more. If I could point at a single blend and say "this is everything I'm looking for in a good smoke" , this would be the blend. It hits all the right notes in perfect proportion. It's a deep, rich, sweet and bready blend with a malty character. In the background you get this slight smoky, floral note the melds perfectly with the sweet notes. It smokes cool and burns evenly. I didnt even need a single relight, it smoked clean through the first light.

Cornell & Diehl - Fires on the Levee 2oz
I hope this comes out every season!
This blend is absolutely phenomenal. Probably my favorite small batch release that's been put out. Its got this sweet smoke flavor that can't be described. It's almost like a Smoky, toasted marshmallow. Wish I had been able to buy more than the 2 tins I got. But at least I got 1 to smoke and 1 to age in my cellar.

Warped - Until the End 2oz
Definitely a top 10 smoke for me.
This is a wonderful blend. And its surprisingly smooth and mellow for a cigar leaf blend with DFK. You get a subtle hint of sweetness, a little bread profile and a nice a smoky flavor. It all meshes together in perfect balance. Definitely a good to blend for me.

Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation - Max Erik 1989 1.75oz
Very good Virginia blend
This is a surprisingly good Va blend. Surprisingly because of the price point. You can't beat a quality tin of tobacco for under $10. Now, is it Capstan Blue good? No, but its very similar in its flavor profiles, but the flavors just don't come through quite as strong. But again, for half the price of Capstan you can't go wrong with this blend if you enjoy straight Va blends.

Nørding - Pointer 2oz
My favorite straight Virginia
This tops my list of best straight Virginias. As others have stated, there's less of the bread and hay notes and it has this citrus tang that is just phenomenal. Quality tobacco through and through. Definitely one to cellar and let age. Can't wait til it gets some age in it to see where the flavor profile ends up.

Per Jensen - Legacy Collection: Brothers in Arms 2oz
What an amazing, bold, Smoky, subtly sweet blend!!!
This is my take as im halfway through my first pipe. The strongest profile is a smoky, BBQ type flavor. Next is a smooth, nutty note from the Burley. Then there's a spiciness to it, but not overbearing. Throughout the smoke, there's this suble sweetness to it. This is all going on at once. This is high quality tobacco and it's blended very well. This is going to be a new go to for me, especially in the Fall and Winter when a bolder smoke is needed. If you're thinking about possibly trying this blend, do it! You won't be disappointed.

Cornell & Diehl - We Three Kings 2oz
Allow drying time
Upon opening the tin, it has a wonderful tin note. I packed a pipe and was severely disappointed. The taste was nothing like the tin note and it didnt burn well at all. Im so glad I gave it a 2nd shot and laid out enough to fill a pipe and let it set for 10 minutes before packing into the pipe. Upon lighting it, I was immediately amazed. The flavors all came through that I got from the tin note. Warm vanilla with a little spice on top of the original sweetness from the Virginia's. This is going to be a wonderful blend over the holiday season. I jarred up the rest of my open tin and kept my second tin back and ready for December.