Cornell & Diehl Orion's Arrow

(3.09)
Much as Orion's Arrow points to true North and has served as a guide to travelers since antiquity, this nearly equal mixture of Turkish flake, Perique, Red Virginia, and bright Virginia ribbon can serve as both a fine entree or destination for those in search of a bold and balanced blend. A nearly equal mixture of Turkish flake, Perique, red Virginia and bright Virginia ribbon.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By  
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Virginia/Perique
Contents Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

3.09 / 4
6

12

4

0

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 22 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 19, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
The red Virginia is tangy dark fruit sweet with some earth, bread, wood, and a touches of spice, floralness, sugar and vinegar. as one of the top players. The bright Virginia offers tart and tangy citrus, some grass/hay, floralness, sugar, toast and a pinch of spice as a close second lead to the red. The floral Turkish gives fair support with earth, wood, herbs, vegetation, a fair amount of spice, some sourness and light sweetness, a few small sharp and rough edges as an important supporting player. The raisiny, figgy, earthy, woody, plumy and tingly spice perique is always evident without being forceful. The varietals are reputed to be blended in equal measure, and while that may be so, they perform different functions in various measures. If perique is twenty-five percent of the product, it certainly doesn’t act like it is. The nic-hit is almost medium. The strength and taste thresholds are medium. Won’t bite, but you may experience a slight harshness if you puff fast. Sports a few rough edges. Burns a little fast, cool, clean and relatively smooth, though the flavor is not always as consistent as it ought to be. Requires few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. The after taste is pleasant, but fairly short lived. The room note is a tad stronger. More of a two and a half star blend. It doesn’t quite have the depth and body it should. An all day smoke.

-JimInks
17 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 16, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a blend someone sent me to try when I lamented the fact that Boker Or and Or Olam were out of production. The tobacco came pretty dry, and I have smoked it as delivered.

This is a fairly full and tasty combination of flavors. It is a little strong for an all-day smoke, but it is a good one for my palate. It is sweet and spicy. There is a slightly sour taste from the orientals from time to time. The perique is sometimes a little peppery, and that may be a matter of how fast it is puffed.

One of the other reviewers compared this to Three Friars with Turkish instead of burley. That is probably the best description I have read so far in terms of what I experience. I can believe this will not suit every smoker, but it is very good and easy to recommend. It is more of a 3.5 on my scale.
17 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 25, 2006 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Orion's Arrow, according to the description, is roughly equal parts of four tobaccos. By my reckoning, that should make it about 25% Perique. I believe it.

That sounds like an awful big portion of Perique. But as I learned with Bayou Night, when the proportions of Perique get really high, the leaf seems to take on a different personality.

Orion's Arrow, to me is heavily dominated by the Perique - a slightly dry, spicy, smoky flavor.

If you like Bayou Night, you will find this a very pleasurable smoke - and vice-versa. I know I did.
14 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 18, 2004 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant
This is one of several C&D blends I buy in bulk. I am a big fan of their Va./perique tobaccos. Orion's Arrow has little if any pouch aroma other than the typical C&D whiff of some sort of fermentation. It might have something to do with the distinctive flavor of the C&D Virginias which I like a lot. Overall the tobacco has a bright appearance with the sprinkling of darker leaf which I take to be the perique. At the match it delivers a natually sweet (no artificial sweeteners) flavor of C&D Virginia combined with a pleasant pepperiness at the front of the mouth and a tingle in the nose. After four or five puffs the pepperiness is replaced by a spicey effect. About a quarter of the way along the smoke mellows out to mostly a Virginia/perique experience with the Turkish ever present in the background, precisely the way I like Turkish. This combination of flavors remains constant to the end of the bowl. This is a mild smoke with no hint of bite, smooth and mellow with a touch of spice, a slow sipper's delight. I like to smoke it with a little age on it and on the slightly dry side. It is a bit fluffy. takes a firm back, burns well, and lasts a long time. Most highly recommended. Paddy.
12 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 16, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
I have never smoked a tobacco with this much Turkish admitted to in the blender's description. I thought it was about time to try one.

There is definitely a sweetish/sour taste to the tobacco and an aroma that is similar to a burning Camel cigarette. The smoke is somewhat dry, bordering on ashy to my palate. I do not find this unpleasant, just different.

The blend has a some strength and the nicotine level is relatively high, so those without much tolerance to it should probably avoid Orion's Arrow. I do taste some simularity to C&D's Bayou Morning, but just in passing.

A tasty blend. Recommended.
Pipe Used: Various Briars, Corncobs
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
10 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 20, 2006 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
WOW... a very good blend from CD folks. A sweet VA, nutty, well rounded, smooth smoke. A great traveling on highway smoke. and on the back porch, reading, after dinner, after breakfast, not sure what to smoke mood, all the above and more scenerios - a wonderful smoke - will not bite and gives a no pasty film in your mouth. good to the last drop. It comes dry but there is no need to humidify. smoke it from the bag. I acually liked this better than OLD JOE which I like alot. Not as spicy in the nose though. worth the $...

***** edit update - this is NOT better than OLD JOE - but, a good smoke - If you are an Old Joe fan anfind it needs something sweet - I mix this (1oz.) to old Joe(2oz. ratio) a wonderful all day smoke.
8 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 01, 2016 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I bought a sample of this along with other C&D bulk blends out of curiosity, interested in the Turkish mostly. I love this blend, I guess I hadn't had any blends really loaded with Perique until this one and I'm hooked.

The flavor is full, peppery, with notes of figs, black tea, nuttiness. I get this delicious graham cracker flavor from this blend I think comes from the VA and Turkish mix. I immediately bought more to cellar.

Highly recommended if you enjoy Perique.
Pipe Used: Savinelli, cob
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
7 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 01, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
A little unbalanced with the Perique forward. A very pleasant smoke nonetheless. The flavors are rich and distinct. The Virginias and Orientals provide a nice strong, tasty base. I'm tempted to call this a very fine Perique blend rather than a VaPerOr. In fact, I will. This is a very fine Perique blend. 3+ stars.
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
7 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 27, 2018 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
Cornell & Diehl - Orion's Arrow.

A light brown, well rubbed, ribbon. Like a lot of bulk blends the moisture's good. So, I lit a bowl the moment the postman delivered it!

Firstly, if you don't enjoy Perique then walk away. This won't suit. The Perique is the one 'running the show'; spicy, sharp, a little cutting. It isn't a variety which offers fig/plum/dark fruit, but the more formidable kind. The Virginias and Turkish are the 'platform', and do give flavour, but get a little overshadowed by the Perique. For me, that isn't a problem, I like a wallop of Perique! Orion' has a slightly musty undertone, which, again, isn't a problem for me. The burn from it's consistent, but a bowl can burn fast if not savoured. I get no tongue bite.

Nicotine: above medium. Room-note: not great!

Orion's Arrow? A great blend for the first smoke of the day; in my opinion! Four stars:

Highly recommended.
Pipe Used: Peterson Christmas 2017 #03
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 22, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
I was given a pretty good sample of this for which I am grateful as I have wanted to try it for a while. I had always thought this one a pure Vaper until I actually tasted it and then realized there was something different about it.

Thanks to TR for letting me know that it was some Turkish/oriental varietal(s) I was tasting. Which one it is, I am unsure, but it is slightly sour and is applied well as all the components do sing together.

I actually found the Perique to be pretty light in this one, but not to the point of near nonexistence. I only point this out as the description tells us that four components including perique are nearly equal in proportion which would make one naturally assume the perique is around 25%. I don't think that it is anywhere near that amount as 25 % perique would stand out much more than this. If I had to guess the true percentage I would put it around 10% at most; furthermore. 25% perique would also be a boatload of nicotine and I found this to be one of the lighter C&D blends that I have tried.

The components of this one scream for a comparison to Sunday picnic to me. I thought this to showcase the Virginias more the SP; whereas, SP really showcases the Izmir to my tastes. Orion's Arrow has a nice sweetness that is both hay and earth. The components play on this sweetness in an enjoyable way.

Unfortunately my sample only made it to four or five bowls, so I will have to reorder this one and I will leave it at three stars for now, but this could easily be a fourth star as a change up smoke for the Va or VaPer fancier.

UPDATE 8/21/2023

I have recently finished 2 oz bulk that had the opportunity to age nearly 7 years. My first experience with this is a distant memory at this point, but my rating remains true as do what I wrote as my experience in the original review above. This is an enjoyable blend. As an additional note, age may have helped this blend as the sweetness really stood out while smoking it this time. I only have the words I typed above to go on, but reading those words above leads me to believe it wasn't this sweet on my first go around. In any case, good stuff!
Age When Smoked: 6yrs7mths
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"