Public Profile

Cornell & Diehl - Pirate Kake 2oz
dear god....
Holy crap this stuff is intense. Like most lat-bombs the nicotine isn't noticeable at all, but the flavor is huge. TONS of smoky spicy and an after taste that makes you think you just the bark off a whole smoked pork shoulder. I'll be honest, its really not for me. I get so much peppery spice out of this I could only smoke half a bowl before I had to call it quits. But I knew that would probably be the case going in. If you're a latakia fiend, you have to try this. It definitely smokes slow and cool- that half bowl i had lasted well over an hour.

Cornell & Diehl - We Three Kings 2oz
It's ok
I'm not really an aro smoker, but I thought I might like this because it's mostly Virginia's and Turkish. It smokes cool and dry, with a slight creamy texture to the smoke. The tin note is heavy on the vanilla, but I get more cinnamon in the flavor. Still, there's not all that much flavor here; it's tastes kind of like a cigarette, but a little sweet and with vague cinnamon and vanilla notes. Overall it's not that interesting to me, but it's a smooth dry smoke that might be nice with a cup of coffee or to smoke while doing something that prevents you from focusing on the tobacco.

Cornell & Diehl - Speakeasy Navy Blend 2oz
Smooth
I expected this to be a heavy hitting blend with a lot of spice because of the perique, dark fired, and rum content, but it's actually quite smooth and easy going. It's very flavorful and fairly complex. A little sweet and fruity, kind of earthy and woody, with a dry finish. I could smoke this all day, every day. It's gonna be hard to try and cellar this one...

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Unscented
What I wanted ODF to be
This is what I wanted Old Dark Fired to be; rich, very strong (in flavor and nicotine), with a smokey, sweet, spicey flavor that vaguely reminiscent of good barbecue. Oddly, the pouch note smells fruity, not smokey to me. I have some trouble getting it lit and keeping it lit, but that could be my packing and smoking technique. No bite, burns nice and cool, with a nice lingering aftertaste. Should age wonderfully, but its fantastic now.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Irish X
If you don't like, just wait a while
I've found with !ost Gawith & Hoggarths blends that they can be fairly harsh to me when I first get them. However, without fail, if I had them for a few months (3 months seems to be the minimum) they mellow out beautifully and become truly wonderful smokes. This one's been in my cellar about 7 months, and its become magnificent. Silky smooth, with a deep, rich tobacco flavor. Some hints of roasted nuts and coffee, a light sweetness, and even a little vanilla. It burns remarkably cool with enough nicotine to make my tongue tingle a bit with each puff. Pairs surprisingly well with a good brown ale.

Padron - Natural 7000
One of the best
A quick disclaimer first: when I smoked this, my allergies were acting up, so I probably couldn't pick out all of the flavors this Cigar offers. Still, I was blown away. It started off with a very creamy, earthy, leathery flavor with a surprising amount of sweetness. 1/3 of the way in, and a wonderful, robust coffee flavor kicked in, without losing any of the previous flavors. In the final 1/3 the coffee faded and a nice spicey note began, and continued to intensify towards the end. The smoke was incredibly rich, creamy and smoke. Would work beautifully with a cup of strong coffee or an aged rum; I'm not so sure about pairing a whiskey with this one. The burn was mostly even, with a few slight irregularities here and there, and the ash held on nicely, falling off about every two inches. Overall, a delightful smoke, with not much of nic kick, and a rich, complex flavor

Cornell & Diehl - Chenet's Cake 2oz
Good now, but needs aging
I read that this blend is 35% perique, so I expected this to be a similar experience to biting into a habañero...but, this is a surprisingly gentle blend. To be sure, it IS spicy, but I actually find St James Flake and Bayou Morning Flake much spicier. The spice mostly disappears after the halfway point, and the earthy sweetness that was present in the background all along takes center stage. A very cool,slow burning cake. I prefer Oak Alley to this; Chenets Cake is a tasty,satisfying smoke now, but it doesn't blow me away like Oak Alley did. With some age on it, I expect this to really become an incredible smoke.

Tatuaje - Cojonu 2012 Capa Especial Sumatra
Try this with a good beer
Picked this up at a craft beer festival in Dallas; the recommended pairing for it was anything seasonal. This worked beautifully with Oktoberfests, Barleywines, pumpkin ales, and even some hoppy beers. Lots of great earthy, coffee flavors; it burned evenly with a wide open draw. Pick up a few to smoke while you drink your favorite fall seasonal beer!

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning Flake 2oz
A winner
It's amazing how different this is from the ribbon cut version. The tin note smells just like chocolate covered raisins to me; that smells carries over into the flavor, and its complemented by a very nice spiciness from the perique. Burns very cool and very slow, with a warm, pleasant room note. It also pairs beautifully with black coffee. An absolutely stunning VA/Per!

Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz
Exactly what I wanted
Very smooth, with a lot of pepper from the perique felt on my palate. I actually didn't find the nicotine content all that strong, but I smoked this right after a meal, and I have a fairly high tolerance. Great flavor; nutty, earthy, and a little sweet. The flavor is rich, but simple. A great, satisfying smoke for burley lovers

Tabac De La Semois - La Brumeuse 3.5oz
Loved it!
Very unique; those who've called it cigar-like are right, there's definitely something in the flavor, and particularly the room note that's reminiscent of a cigar. It's very earthy, can be spicy at times, with a very deep flavor and a very cool smoke. I'd even call the smoke refreshing; there's a bit of vanilla in there too, but not vanilla bean so much as the vanilla notes in a well aged bourbon. Because it's so dry it burns easily, but it does need to be pack TIGHTLY and smoked slowly. All in all, a fantastic tobacco.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Flake Unscented
Very satisfying
It's smooth and rich; a nice, satisfying smoke suitable for back to back bowls. I find with all of Gawith and Hoggarths blends, the smoke is quite harsh when I first receive it, but after about 3 months in airtight jars it mellows out and becomes sublime. I can only imagine what longer aging will do. There is a mild sweetness, but overall the flavor is deep, earthy, nutty, and a little woody. A very nice smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning
Delicious, but not what I expected
For me, this was surprisingly smooth and mild. With 25% perique, I expected a lot more spic, but found the overall flavor mildly peppery, a little tannic, and somewhat earthy. The nicotine is present but not powerful (I have a high tolerance), and the smoke is cool and dry. It's not the sweet, tangy spice you expect from a Va/Per, but its excellent nonetheless.

Samuel Gawith - St. James Flake 50g
Great stuff!
Smoking this for the first time right now; I'm blown away! Lots of pepper and fruit flavors, mildly sweet, and burns very cool. I let the flake dry for an hour and a half, it probably could have used a little more drying time but I couldn't wait any longer. The tin note and room note are both very pungent and fruity. A beautiful Va/Per!

Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening 2oz
Surprisingly good!
I don't normally like aromatics, but I've always heard that Cornell and Diehl does them well, and that this one in particular is of very high quality, so when I got a free half ounce sample with my most recent order I figured I'd try it. Every other aro I've smoked burned too hot and tasted harsh, but this burns as cool as pure tobacco and tastes exactly like it smells- delicious! I'll be ordering an 8oz tin when the whether starts to get cool!

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Louisiana Flake
Smooth
This the first pure Va/Per I've smoked, and I'm hooked! Admittedly, I didn't enjoy the first bowl: I found it quite harsh. 4 months later and its fantastic! It's burns slow and cool; a little sweet and tangy, with nice spice from the perique. The nicotine sneaks up on you; its so smooth I smoked two bowls back to back and then when I stood up realized the room was spinning! I don't taste the Lakeland essence at all with this one. I'll ordering a lot more- some to smoke right away and some to age for a while. If you like perique, this is a must-try!

Cornell & Diehl - Riverboat Gambler 2oz
an every day smoke
This has become my go-to tobacco. Smokes cool and very smooth; strong tobacco flavor; nutty, very subtle sweetness, the perique is more fruity than spicy. Nicotine is noticeable, but not overwhelming. I'll be buying a lot more!

Lighters - Kiribi Kabuto Black Nickel
Worth every penny!
I picked this over the Corona Old Boy because of the price; this is my first butane pipe lighter (I used to use a zippo pipe lighter). This is great! None of the harsh chemical flavor you get with the zippo, easy to control the flame, and works like a charm! The first few times I used it, I had some trouble lighter, but I think it was just some air in the fuel tank, because it works flawlessly now. Just be sure to bleed off the air in the fuel tank. The flame is easy to adjust, and the tank is huge so it lasts a long time between refills

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Bogie
A new favorite
This has everything I look for in a tobacco; its rich, strong, burns cool, and has a decent nicotine content. I used to be primarily a cigar smoker, and find the flavor of Brown Bogie somewhat reminiscent of a good cigar: earthy, woody, just a little spice. I don't find it very complex, just very satisfying. This is one I prefer to smoke in the evening, after a long day. It burns VERY slow; packed into my Savinelli Roma it usually get a 2.5-3 hour smoke out of it. I think it well age beautifully,so I've cellared a couple ounces, and plan to cellar several more. Highly recommend this one!

Cornell & Diehl - Oak Alley 2oz
I need more!
This was fantastic; The burley's, VA's and orientals are expertly blended and the flavors seem to meld together into one. there's a lovely sweet, nutty, slightly floral flavor, accented by a subtle pepper note from the perique. Tin note is also beautiful; very fruity. It smokes smooth and cool all the way, and burns very slow. My tin was "aged" for only about 4 months, it's bound to be amazing with more age on it

Cornell & Diehl - Canal Boat 2oz
great tobacco
Really good stuff; the Latakia smells strong in the tin but I can't taste it at all. The flavor is just really great, nutty burley with a very subtle sweetness from the Cavendish. Easy to pack, burns very slow and cool. Absolutely delicious.

Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Excellent!
My new all day smoke. Very smooth, rich, creamy, just a bit of a nicotine hit. Pairs well with coffee and tea in the morning, but makes a perfect afternoon smoke as well. Easily my new favorite; I'll be ordering a whole lot more

Mac Baren - Symphony 3.5oz
Decent stuff
Not bad, not great. I get a little bit of chocolate in the tin note, but its subtle. In a cob, the chocolate comes through in the flavor, still subtly. The aftertaste is the typical Mac Baden sweetness, reminiscent of maple syrup, but not strongly. In a briar, the sweetness is greatly diminished, but that may be the ghost of a burley/perique blend I smoked in it previously, as the sweetness gets more noticeable with each bowl in the briar. I'm still experimenting with drying time and packing, but right now I'm having trouble keeping it lit. Needs some slight rubbing out prior to packing. Overall, a good all day, every day smoke that should improve nicely with age

Cornell & Diehl - Morning Drive 2oz
Spicy and smooth
I've smoked three bowls of this so far; the first bowl I found to be fairly bland, albeit pleasant. The second and third bowls, however, were much more interesting. I found the spice from the perique to be rather strong, in a good way, with some creamy nuttiness from the burleys. The Latakia, while present in the tin aroma, is not noticeable in the flavor; there is conflicting information both on this page and elsewhere online about whether or not there are virginias in this blend, but I don't taste any. A very cool, smooth smoke with a pleasant, peppery spice. Update: I smoked my fourth bowl while having my coffee this morning, and the result was fantastic. The coffee tames the perique and brings the nutty, sweet burley to the front with the pepper from the perique still present, but in the background. A perfect start to the day.

Cornell & Diehl - Big 'n' Burley
Wow!
This is a beautiful blend! The Latakia, Turkish, and perique are truly used as condiments, and while I pick up a slight spice from the perique, mostly these just play a supporting role for the burlery, which is of a very high quality. Overall, this is a slow and cool burning blend with a great, full burley flavor that doesn't turn harsh. This also has a decent amount of nicotene in it; I'm not particularly sensitive to Vitamin N but I definitely feel it about midway through a bowl of this. Its not a complex blend, but it tastes good and is very satisfying.