Customer Reviews (21 Total)
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
I just finished a tin of Penzance and knowing that I most likely won't see another tin anytime soon scoured the Internet for similar tobaccos. Star of the East Flake kept popping up so I figured I'd give it a go. First bowl in and I have to say, I th... Read More
ink I actually prefer this to Penzance. Visually appealing, beautiful aroma, folds easily, lights perfectly, smokes wonderfully. Read Less
Amazing English Blend
March 31, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
There are a lot of blends that feature just these three component tobaccos, but only Star of the East Flake does it extremely well. I'm a big fan of Turkish Orientals, and they really shine here. The stoved red VA is flavorful, and being stoved, add... Read More
s a natural sweetness with body. Cyprian Latakia is used to great effect as well. As is the case with Kake, with its whopping 75% Cyprian Latakia content, Star of the East Flake is somehow just not overpowering. Even after countless bowls, I've had zero cases of "Latakia mouth" here. One thing to note: C&D uses red VA in a LOT of their blends, and sometimes reds can be overpowering, but not in this blend—at least none of the batches I've had. From what I understand, the flavor of red Virginia can vary greatly depending on the conditions under which it was grown—essentially making every batch a little different. The stoving process helps this, but it wont fix a bad crop. Thankfully C&D seems to be quite good at testing their components before bending. They make a great product! In my experience with two batches of Star of the East Flake, the red VA's been an excellent compliment and an essential counterpart to the other components in the blend. Finally, I'd like to weigh in on the Penzance comparison. Having smoked my share of Penzance, it's definitely NOT a Penzance replacement. Yes, it's in the same ballpark, but it's not in the infield! There are many subtleties which set it apart from Penzance—especially the type of Latakia and the use of red VA. With that said, Star of the East Flake is a wonderful and delicious English. It's aging potential seems incredibly good too. I hope C&D keeps turning out great batches of it, because I'll gladly buy again and again. I was very sad to see it out of stock while writing this review! Read Less
My favourite US blend!
November 20, 2017
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
This is an awesome tobacco: tin presentation, tobacco scent upon opening, easiness of packing, lighting and smoking. The aromas are wonderful, the smoke is a great experience. Best tobacco I've tried so far, it's a shame it's not sold in Italy! :(
Easily my favorite
July 22, 2017
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
The flake is better than the ribbon like everyone says. I bought some bulk which is good, but no where as good.
This was my introduction to non-aros in a sample and I instantly fell in love.
Nice mix of flavors and I find myself smoking it quite of... Read More
ten now. Read Less
Just like they all say
August 09, 2016
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
Yes the flake is better than the ribbon. Maybe its in the process or the marriage of the tobaccos that helps, but all I know is it is sooo very good.
Better than Penzance?
August 12, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 8oz
Fresh out of the tin the Penzance Comparisons fall flat. 6 months in the jar and in my opinion it's a twin to Penzance. Given that this blend is easy to find and usually in stock, that makes it better than Penzance. I love this blend.
Good light English, not Penzance
June 22, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
I don't really get the comparisons to Penzance...to me this is nothing like Penzance. The tobacco here is much less complex. That being said, this is still a decent medium to full English that is very well balanced between the three ingredients, ha... Read More
s consistent flavor throughout the bowl, and burns wonderfully. Moisture content out of the tin is a tad on the moist side and requires some drying time. Only reason for 3.5 stars is I don't see what the huge fuss is over this one. Good medium to full English in it's own right, but not comparable to Penzance in my opinion. Read Less
flake better
January 30, 2016
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
Flake version very little to do with the ribbon one and,of course a lot better.
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
This broken flake version. A robust and complex experience of bold smoky Latakia and spicy nuanced orientals. This is a swell smoking experience.
However, I tend to like the ribbon cut better.
How Had I Never Heard of This Before?
May 14, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
Tin note almost exact match for ‘Quiet Nights’. This is truly one of the best blends I’ve ever smoked. Broken flakes of smoky Latakia. Most blends with a lot of Lat leave a heavy aftertaste from the oils. A very light and creamy smoke with a lovely ... Read More
aftertaste. The orientals really shine. A truly exceptional blend that is always in stock and inexpensive. What more can you ask for? Read Less
my favorite english blend
March 09, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 8oz
Full of flavor...but you must be a fan of latakia. The red virginia blends so well with latakia, plus add in some oriental and this is just a wonderful smoke. And yes, I enjoy the flake more than the ribbon cut.
GREATNESS
February 01, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
PURE GREATNESS
More stars please!
November 21, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 8oz
I would give this ten stars. As everyone says it’s better in the flake. It breaks apart very easily and burns wonderfully. Latakia and orientals are mostly what you’ll taste but there’s still a very nice, slightly sweet, bready base. It tastes mo... Read More
re balanced than I expected. Excellent after taste as well and I rather enjoyed the room note. I think the flake helps it maintain some flavor continuity as the ribbon seemed to dance around abruptly on the palate. Read Less
Excellent blend
October 11, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 8oz
Being a frog on a log smoker as well as the other Morton blends from Mclelland I had to find some decent English blends since sadly Mclelland closed production. I took a stab at some of Cornell & Diehl's offerings. Being a Latakia and Turkish fan... Read More
I have not been disappointed in the least. I'm always skeptical in trying new brands as I've been let down by many different blends. However that said I'm very pleased by C&D's offerings. The flakes and cakes have a great tin and room note. Even my nonsmoking Daughter lets me smoke in her house. I've definitely found my stand by blends. The stuff goes from tin to pipe without having to dry it, every sip is pure smokey spicy flavor that Latakia fans enjoy. Burns nice and clean. Very happy to have given this one a shot. If you Dislike aromatic tobacco with fake flavoring, and truly like the taste of good tobacco give them a try. Definitely be ordering this one in the 8 ounce tins from now on. Read Less
Strong and tasty
September 03, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
This blend is absolutely fabulous. Very spicy with flavor. The stoved red virgina really shines thru sweet hay taste. Very good blend,
Flakes make a big difference.
August 30, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
I enjoy Latakia mixtures, so after being a fan of Star of the East Gold, I thought it was high time I tried this flake I kept hearing about. By “hearing” I mean it seemed like everywhere I went online there were references to this flake being a must ... Read More
try. So rather than try the Star of the East (regular mixture), I got my hands on a flakes tin. Short story: yep, it is quite good. Long story: It's a Latakia flake. It's good. But... and this is where I blaspheme, I've had better. Germain's Special Latakia Flake comes to mind. Not to mention Esoterica's Penzance. But, Star of the East, even with all of its recent fame is still way easier to come by than either of those. Perhaps that is what fans of this flake need; something akin to flakes that are not readily available. This is a good Latakia flake, don't misunderstand. But, there may be a bit of hype based on availability. Regardless, this (broken) flake stands on its own merits. My tin was perfect in moisture. It packed well and burns nice and slow. The flavor is rich and wonderful throughout the bowl. It's a bit on the heady side compared to the Gold version, which I guess is to be expected. I enjoyed this mostly in the cool mornings, but it can easily be enjoyed anytime of day. If you are on the fence about trying this one, I'd say go ahead without worry. If you love Latakia, you will love this flake. Enjoy. Read Less
Excellently blended
August 24, 2018
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
A musty delicious tin note, taste is full flavored. An all day smoke, or good ending to a long day.
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
Dry smell with a lot of presence, with a lot of personality. I do not know if it's really a flake because it came to me as broken flake, but it's still easy to handle and pack. Smokes easily and burns slow with a very pleasant dry flavor. This tobacc... Read More
o will be part of my cellar for a long time Read Less
As everyone says...
November 09, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
Flake has better aroma and taste than ribbon cut. It can be rubbed and folded, making it highly portable. Good smoke after meals. Oriental and Latakia play a leading role and are earthy and woody smoke. Virginia is a spice and is not detected so much... Read More
. Although it is a “strong” blend, Latakia's nicotine content is not that high. Read Less
Screw Penzance
October 26, 2019
Product: Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake 2oz
I am in agreement with several other reviews that this is probably better than Penzance in my opinion. It certainly doesn't suffer from the aristocratic absence of availability as does Penzance.
This is a smooth full bodied English that is pure satis... Read More
faction all the way down. The flavor is rich and Smokey and burns to a white ash.
Recommended to be sure. There is no substitute for Penzance but there is a replacement in lieu of Penzance aloof posture on the market. Read Less
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Star of the East Flake 8oz
