Cornell & Diehl Stratfordshire

(3.74)
Cornell & Diehl's Stratfordshire, a medium strength blend of red and lemon Virginia, latakia, Turkish, and black cavendish, is evocative of long strolls through the hills and the moorlands of its namesake.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By  
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type English
Contents Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, 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

3.74 / 4
14

5

0

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 19 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 04, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is one of the best medium English blends I have had the pleasure to smoke. The Latakia and the Turkish are well balanced and nicely supported by the Virginias and Black Cavendish. Along with the usual underlying sweetness is a note of lightly buttered toast. Simply delicious. If you like English blends you just have to try this. I can't recommend this any higher.
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
22 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 02, 2009 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Billed as a "Medium English" I wonder what C&D's 015 Mild English could possibly be as this innocuous blend seems more of a "Light" or even Ultra-light itself to me. It's not offensive in any manner. Just smoke, plain and simple (and not a huge quantity of that due to quick, dry burn). Sort of a "generic" English, but less tasty than I'd hoped for. Recommend a very thick walled pipe for this because your pipe will heat up, way up, quickly. I'll be moving on in my quest for my quintessential everyday smoke

Update 7/24/09: I'm kicking the rating up here a star as I'm smoking more of this than I anticipated and liking it more.

Update 12/27/09: After acquiring a resupply and putting Stratfordshire through a longer test I must adjust some of my ratings. I am bumping the Taste up to medium and wish to state that to me now it seems more robust in nicotine. It could well fill an all-day role in my world. I wish Presbyterian tasted as this does as what I found wrong with that this corrects. Yes, Stratfordhire is in England but it does have a Scottish flair to it. It is still at 3 stars but think 3.5 All in all, a most MM965-like smoke.
22 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 31, 2010 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
An excellent medium English. I like the way the Virginias and the Black Cavendish intertwine and smooth out the Latakia and Turkish. The Black Cavendish is nicely sprinkled in here. There is no bite, and you will appreciate a rich and creamy smoke. No oriental overload here.

As a long-time lover of the most perfect blend ever conceived, Murray's Dunhill 965, I can understand the association with Stratfordshire. Certainly not the same, but they have similar characteristics. Ever since the demise of the Murray's 965 I believe I have smoked every tobacco that anyone has mentioned is 965 like (that would be literally dozens of blends). Stratfordshire is probably the closest and is excellent tobacco. If you are the thrifty type, you will find Stratfordshire a great deal in bulk.

My original review 11 years ago rated this as a 3 star tobacco but having smoked this more recently I have to upgrade to a solid 4 stars.
Pipe Used: Mostly premium Italian briar
19 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 24, 2010 Medium Medium Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is an underrated English blend, in my opinion. It reminds me of Dunhill's 965 with it's VA's, orientals, latakia and cavendish. A very pleasant, medium bodied blend that satisfies. I don't understand why it isn't more highly rated here, except that C&D have so many blends, the result is fewer ratings on all of them, I guess.
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 31, 2006 Medium Very Mild Medium Pleasant
I was quite satisfied by this English offering, though not as much as I would have liked. For the perfect example of this style of blend, I would recommend C. Fairmorn's Sundowner Mixture.

There is just something about the classic, straightforward English blend that hasn't done it for me in years. I can realize objectively that a base of bright Virginia with Latakia and Turkish can be good in all that it is expected to attain, but I am always left wanting something just a bit different. A few variations on that classic theme are always interesting. Such is the case with Stratfordshire.

The base of red Virginia as opposed to bright lends a bit more sweet complexity to the flavor, and a goodly amount of Cornell & Diehl's black Cavendish manages to impart a few more pleasant surprises. The effect of these two components working with the condimental leaf was rather enthralling. For a time one would have the soft, warming sweetness of a quality aromatic. It would then, of a sudden, give way over to a dark, smoky Scottish sort of flavor with the dusky sweetness only lingering in back of the heady Orientals. This combination would repeat throughout the bowl and leave me intrigued, if not a little fatigued at times.

Regards,

A. Morley Jaques
14 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 12, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is told to be similar as Murray's MM965. I only smoked the Orlik version, and by no doubt Stratfordshire is way better than that. If Murray's version of MM965 tastes better than this one, I am totally convinced of all the hypes it gets. I think this is one of the best English blends that C&D have ever created.
13 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 05, 2019 Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Cornell & Diehl - Stratfordshire.

If you're on the 'look out' for a great, anytime of day, English, step right up!

Like the picture here the ribbons have been well rubbed and there are more brown and light brown pieces than black. As it's from bulk, and been in my tobacco cupboard for a few weeks, it's achieved perfect hydration.

The flavour from Stratfordshire is very pleasing. The Latakia and Turkish outweigh the other tobaccos, but it isn't a caustic smoke. The Virginias and black Cavendish give the smoke a sweet edge, which works wonderfully with the smoky, creamy, leading flavour from the Latakia and Turkish. As a bowl burns to the finish the smoke takes on a toffee-like nuance. The burn is exceptional: steady, quite slow, cool, producing a bite-free smoke.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: not the worst.

Stratfordshire? Simple, highly recommended:

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Dr Plumb Quintex
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Three weeks
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 18, 2012 Medium Extremely Mild Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
I usually do not try latakia blends that contain black cavendish, but decided to give this a whirl. I am glad I did, because this is a very smooth blend. The black cav did not add any kind of artificial sweetness, but rather cooled and thickened the smoke. I breezed through a sample and had to get more.

Govern Yourself Accordingly
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 04, 2020 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
An English (or Balkan?) mixture so smooth that it can be smoked with gusto at any time of the day. This characteristic smoothness means that after lighting the pipe, at the beginning of the smoke it may seem that it is going to be a somewhat insipid or boring mixture, but as it progresses, the cumulative flavor surprises with its roundness and the perfect balance between its ingredients.

Despite the above, the latakia and the slightly buttery orientals are the ones that predominate during the smoke but without one sticking out with respect to the other, the virginias providing a bit of sweetness and the Cavendish some body and roundness.

Although it has similarities with other English blends, I would say that Stratfordshire has a personality of its own, so it is recommended to try it, without disappointing.

Although at night I usually smoke a mixture with a more noticeable load of latakia, this is perfect for me to include in my rotation during the day, interspersing it between other non-latakied mixtures.
Pipe Used: Stanwell H.C. Andersen
Age When Smoked: Unknown
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 24, 2019 Medium None Detected Medium Very Pleasant
It looks like a great idea to bring all of these components together (bright Virginia, burley, Oriental and Latakia leaf). Stratfordshire feels like a mild aro without any additives, that is, just plain unflavoured tobacco. The addition of unsweetened black Cavendish seems to counterbalance its dark profile, introducing a sweet dimension into the formula. The Latakia seems to be added with proper measure so as to not overwhelm or take over. Also, there is this creaminess coming and going. I can see how this tobacco could be added into my rotation and become a favourite. This is truly remarkable. Highly recommended.
7 people found this review helpful.
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