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It's become something of a tradition around the office for one or two of us to head back to the warehouse once a month and pick up a tin of something we've never tried before. Now I happened to try a really old tin of Repose a week or two ago and was looking for something with a similar flavor, but with a bit more spiciness. For me the ideal combination was this: Orientals, Virginia, Burley, and Perique.
Rather than wandering aimlessly through our maze of shelved tobaccos and accessories, I decided to use the tobacco locator. (Yes, we use it a lot around here too!) I knew I didn't particularly want any Latakia this time, so I selected it under the "Components: Exclude" drop-down. Out of the five results listed, there was one that particularly stuck out to me. So back to the warehouse I went on Friday, straight to the C&D shelf to pick up my tin of choice. The blend? It was Riverboat Gambler — a mixture long thought by Keith in Customer Service to be a sleeper of sorts.
On initial light, later that night, there was a nice sweet note from the Virginias, with a slightly nutty undertone from the Burleys. A few puffs in, the spiciness really became prominent though — a lot like Oak Alley, just with the oriental component being slightly more pronounced. The Burley/Perique combination, I thought, brought an almost cigar-like body and spiciness to the table that I hadn't expected, and the strength was just strong enough to suit my tastes — a nice full-bodied blend. The bite was negligible, with what little that was there was mainly due to a combination of hurried packing and heavy puffing — which I find often occurs when I try to smoke and walk at the same time. Overall it was a perfect pairing to the damp cold night, and the fragrance was slightly exotic, slightly cigar-like, with a subtle sweetness — setting a nice ambiance for art appreciation.
Since then, I haven't put my tin down. I've smoked Riverboat several times a day, and haven't been disappointed once. I think it's safe to say, I've found a new cold-weather favorite.
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Comments
That's funny. I also love this blend though quite a lot of pipe smokers really seem to dislike its bold flavors. It was the same for me for the first two or three bowls - I found it quite harsh and stout. But I really "wanted" to like this blend because it was so special in its flavor profile. I had to "get used to it" and after some bowls I really began to love it. You have to puff a little slower than you might be used to, but then I found the blend to be superb. One of my favorites! Thanks for the great article. Eddy
Thanks, Eddy. I honestly really love the "stoutness" you described, though I can see why some pipe smokers might be turned off. It's definitely bold, and you're right, you do have to handle it with care. I've found that packing it a little on the loose side of things both really helps the consistency of the flavor and reduces tongue bite though. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who enjoys this spicy blend! Cheers!
Thanks for bringing both the Tobacco Finder and Riverboat Gambler to our attention. Now I'm going to spend some time with both.
Opened a tin of C&D a few years back and it was thick with mold. Will not buy it anymore.
Ah, yes, the BurlVaPerTurk kind of thing - my favorite, as is this particular one, Riverboat Gambler. Having smoked pounds of it already, with 12 more pounds stashed away, I've found it smokes best in a fairly large bowl, preferably a plain, old Pot Pipe. Yes, it delivers a jolt of both flavor and Lady N., but you'll find yourself growing accustomed to it. A keeper. By the way, having bought in the neighborhood of 200 pounds of C&D's blends, and opened many, many of them, I've never found a trace of the mold Jon found. Long live Cornell & Diehl!
This is a pleasant surprise of a blend, and definitely one I would get again, alongside C&D's Mississippi Mud. (As I have a great affectation for the Magnolia state and The South in general, I had to give these a try. I was not disappointed with either blends mentioned above.)
@Jon, I am sorry to hear that you received a moldy tin of Cornell and Diehl tobacco a few years ago. However, I have smoked over 40 different tobaccos from C&D over the past 10 years and God knows how many tins of each, but I have not experienced the mold issue you describe. I would encourage you to consider that you may be missing out on some truly excellent tobaccos, all over one bad tin from years ago. Besides, in the event that you got a tin from Smokingpipes and there was ANY issue with it, I can assure you that if you let us know, we would gladly replace it for you or refund your money. If you would like to chat about pipes, tobaccos or anything else, I can be reached at the Ext. 128 in Customer Service M-F. and I would be happy to take your call.