Cornell & Diehl Walter Franklin

I bought this single tin from an Ebay seller (Remember when we could do this?) in the fall of 2017 and had it on my NASPC table in 2018 and 2019. No one payed any attention to it and I put it in my personal stash last year. Now, in my Covid 19 semi-isolation, I'm opening it. Slightly bulged out top and bottom, it had a nice whoosh on opening and showed a mixture of tobaccos that read as a reddish-brown color. The tin aroma identified Burley and Red Virginia with something else in the background. Both Latakia and Black Cavendish are in the formula, with the Latakia being more noticeable than the Black Cavendish. I guess we have to say that Walter Franklin is an English blend. Mild as an English, it is stronger in a VaBur way and not to be underestimated. Every bowl smoked identically in the same pattern; no matter the size or shape of the chamber. The top third of every bowl was a pipe smoking joy at four solid stars. The marrying of the Burley and Red Virginia was masterful and as enjoyable as any other C&D Burley-containing blend I have tried. With the middle third, things slowed down some to a normal VaBur smoke of three star quality. The bottom thirds dropped into that gray and ashy type smoke that I find so common in most blends. All in all, a good solid three star Burley/Virgina-based American English that I would like to have in the future. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of production and I've never succeeded in finding a second tin to buy. Good luck trying to find it.

This one is nice! Very similar to Morley's Best, only the latakia is further in the background and this blend is a tad sweeter (plus more of a nicotine kick). The cut of the tobacco is also completely different, leading to a much slower and cooler smoke. A nice example of an American-Enlighs mixture.

This is a Burley blend that I really like a lot. Doesn't have that bite that a lot of the burley's seem to have. I just got off the ciggies so sometimes I'll puff a litle too hard. Walter Franklin burns cool and delivers a nice consistent flavor from start to finish. Good, high quality leaf from Craig. If you like your Burley's, give Walter a try.

Unlike the past two reviewers, I like this one a lot. I have tried most of the Cornell and Diehl bulk burley blends, and this one is definitely in the top 5, along with Morley's Best, Bailey's Front Porch, and Haunted Bookshop. (I know, that only makes four...) For the record, I like this one quite a lot more than Old Joe Krantz, which seems to appeal to a lot of reviewers.

I was prepared to write this one off when I read the ingredients -- plain white burley with a little latakia didn't sound too interesting, and I usually don't care for blends that include much cavendish. I grew to like old Walter more with each pipeful, though. There is just a teasing taste of latakia here, and there is a comfortable nicotine kick from all the burley. My sample was gone quickly and I'll be buying more of this one.

Update, April 2006

I have continued to smoke this one, and I like it more and more. I still find this surprising, since the ingredients sound just like those for the entirely undistinguished C&D Americana. But, this one works. It's a keeper.

I was given a sample of this that was very dry and possibly quite old. After rehdrating it with a few drops of water, it improved some but still isn't very pleasant to smoke. I've now tossed a pouch moistener into the bag and set it aside for a bit.

So far, I am detecting hints of a some kind of flavor, but it doesn't seem to taste much like latakia to me. More than anything else it really just seems to irritate my mouth, even when smoked slowly. It makes my tongue feel dry and scorched almost instantly and the feeling persists until I finish the bowl, although it seems to fade quickly. Maybe its just be a sign that the tobacco is still too dry.

On the basis of what I have, I would give this one star. However, I suspect that my sample is over the hill, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and go with two for now. I'll revisit this review in a week or so and update it accordingly depending on the effects of further rehydration. I hate to give a bad review based on a suspect sample so keep that in mind here.

Im really enjoying this one and I agree with everything the previous reviewer said. The latakia is very far in the back and allows the burley to take front stage. The burning quality in this blend is excellent and smokes very cool and even. This blend is not a complex blend but works very well as blend to relax with. This would be a great blend to smoke while reading or listening to music or any activity that requires attention in other areas other than the tobacco. I recommend this!

This is an all-day blend. The touch of sweetness comes from the red virginia, and the rich but gentle flavor comes from the burley and a sprinkling of latakia. The beauty in this blend is how balanced it is. All the components work well together and yield a no-nonsense smoke that can be enjoyed all day.

There is no added flavoring of any kind outside the tobacco. It does have almost a caramel like flavor to it, but that's the latakia talking to the burley. Interesting and wonderful things happen when latakia is used as a condiment rather than the base in a blend.

The great taste, wonderful packing and burning qualities, all day smoke-ability and nice price all contribute to an easy 4 stars.

I have had this on my must try list and recently stumbled upon it this past week and am real glad. TOP SHELF tobacco here, folks. the Latakia is on first draw but a clear sweetness comes through with the VA's and BUR's and melds the flavor of naturals and what I beleive is a hint of a carmel/honey topping - (very much a hint) but, a wonderful, delightful smoke - clearly a great, old time, med strength, american english. - did you know Walter was Old Joe Krantz's Grandpa?? I didn't...

This was a very nice smoke. The tobacco is reddish in tint with flecks of various browns and blacks. It reminded me of being pretty close in style and strength to Old Joe Krantz. The biggest difference is the addition of Latakia instead of Perique. I can not say I like this more then Old Joe but the tobacco has it's merrits. It smokes cool and doesn't bight. The black cavendish seems to add a nice aromatic note to the room and the latikia seems to make it less old timey. I am working my way through the 100s of the C&D line to try and find the ultimate burley based blend for me. So far this one is in a higher level then the rest.