Cornell & Diehl Shelbyton

purchased as bulk during a recent sale on C&Ds

The cut to me is ribbon but getting towards the shag side. Moisture in the bulk was really good (not wet, not over dry). The note definitely has a sweet port overtone but you can still smell tobacco.

Easy to pack with the cut. Lighting is easy and it burns well. It will smoke hot if pushed at all and I got a little tongue bite when I over did it. Smoked slowly it was cool and allowed the flavors to develop more. Some moisture build up in the pipe, but nothing a quick pipecleaner could not fix. More Nic hit than many aros. Guessing that is the dark fired talking.

The Port is there in the smoke but didn't dominate the other tobaccos. I can definitely taste the dark fired in there but am not really sure if the sweetness is the Virginias or the topping. I'm guessing the Black Cav is carrying the port flavor in the blend.

To me this is a great evening smoke. It paired up great with a glass of Tawny Port as you'd expect. I found it superior to the Comoy's #2 Portwood as it doesn't have additional flavors thrown in.

I think this is sort of a "hidden gem" for C&D aros, especially for someone who likes Port or dessert wines.

Roomnote: My wife picked up on the port in the room note. (She loves Tawny Port) and said that this one is one of the "better smelling" smokes that I enjoy.

purchased as bulk came with good moisture content the tobacco appearance is fine ribbon cut mostly brown colors and not much black cavendish there is a nice fluffy feel to the leaf aroma is sweet

burn rate is kinda fast and on the hot side but with a tighter packing of the pipe and a slower smoking tempo the burn rate and temperature is cooler

the smoking flavor has nice sweet base with a little tart topping that comes together well and is enjoyable

just started in on my first purchase of this tobacco and will edit review when i become more familiar with it

first impression is Good !

Pouch appearance of medium to dark brown, with specks of dark fired mixed in. The ribbons are very uniform and neat. Hydration is spot on for an alcohol cased blend.

Pouch aroma is sweet and nutty, but I would not have guessed there was port in this blend. No alcohol or wine notes come forward. The tobacco packs and lights very well, as the moisture is spot on. This blend burns well and without bite. As another reviewer states, it does seem to burn fast!

Sipped slowly and you'll be rewarded with slight nuances as the description claims. The dark fired comes and goes, and is balanced with the burley and Va. The blend gives me a dry feeling on the palate, but its clean, nonetheless. This blend does offer some nicotine!

Underrated blend that's a nice way to change up a regular rotation, not quite an aromatic, but the port comes through clearly. Perfect moisture, thin ribbon cut that's very easy to load, straightforward burning qualities.

Like most alcohol flavor based blends, this will want to smoke hot and heat bite, but the topping itself won't bite. Sadly, this doesn't allow it to be a load and forget or all day smoke and it's neither complex nor steadfast enough to regularly call you to a session dedicated just to the tobacco.

Put simply, it demands more attention than it merits, but is good enough to keep a can or two around when you need to take a break from your go-to's. Could be enjoyed by non-aromatic and aromatic smokers alike, which is always an extra half-point in my book, bumping it up to a 3 star smoke.