Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake

(3.35)
One half Cyprian Latakia with a generous portion of Izmir and sweetened stoved red Virginia.
Notes: For years Star of the East has been one of C&D's best-selling English blends. This is a full-bodied English of 50% Latakia blended with Turkish and stoved red Virginia then pressed into flakes.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By Cornell & Diehl
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type English
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Flake
Packaging 2 ounce tin
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.35 / 4
40

33

7

2

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 82 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 19, 2009 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
C&D's Star of the East Flake strikes me as curiously neglected and under-rated here, especially given its similarities to one of the best loved tobaccos on this site--the venerable and venerated Penzance. They're both Latakia-heavy crumble cakes with marked Virginia sweetness. They're both easy to pack, light, and burn. And they're both delicious.

There are differences, of course. In the tin, Star of the East Flake is both sharper and dirtier than Penzance. Familiar notes of leather and Montreal smoked meat are mixed with an almost sour, bright note and a kind of sweaty, fecal, Bikram yoga-bum smell, which I personally find enormously appealing. Devotees of things like Munster, Epoisses, mature wine, properly aged duck confit, Andouillettes, smell-my-finger-games, and unsanitary bedroom practices from the rear pages of the Kama Sutra should find this immensely satisfying, perhaps even erotic.

Some tobaccos are appealing for their rustic qualities, for their lack of refinement. And this is one of 'em. I would hesitate to say that this is a better tobacco than something like Penzance, but I do think it's far more interesting. Highly recommended to all who like an unsavory quality in the things they savor.
61 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 10, 2015 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
First things first, this is not Penzance. My tongue likes it way more 😉

It's called a flake but it's really bits of broken flake and long strands of sliced flake tobacco. The tin note is mostly red virginias and a deep, dark and musty latakia.

Rubbing out this flake is a breeze and it loads very easily, lights the same. For a C&D it's kind of moist though (for a C&D blend). Let it sit out for 10 minutes.

The first 1/4 of this bowl reminds me of black cherry vanilla ice cream. It has a delectable velvety smooth creamy touch while the latakia and orientals give off that black cherry tart and tang. Red VAs provide the sweetness. Puff slowly to get the full effect.

The beginning is mild but this pipe builds up to a full on swirl of that latakia (it's half the blend after all) and sweet sweet red VAs. There is a slight tang from the orientals/turkish that compliments the other components very well.

Something I find remarkable about this blend, unlike some other latakia foward blends is that it remains tasty to the bottom. I tend to stay away from the full on lat bombs because after the 1/2-3/4 mark they just become acrid and downright rotten. This tobacco can keep my interest from rim to heel.

Many people want to call this Penzance because of the ingredients. But the comparison ends at the recipe. This is a much different, bolder, more complicated smoke IMO. This has the punch that Penzance is simply too smooth to deliver.

Concerning the bulk version...being a flake the flavors are much more married and intense. I find the orientals/turkish in the bulk blend to be a bit spicier and the VAs to be toned down a bit.

Highly recommended to any Latakia lovers.
Pipe Used: mortas, briars, meers and cobs
Age When Smoked: 2 years old
33 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 15, 2017 Medium None Detected Full Tolerable to Strong
This is an edited version of the ribbon cut version with the differences noted in the following text. The musty Cyprian Latakia is smoky, earthy, woody, and not very sweet in a more obvious starring role in this production. The impact of the Latakia does vary at times, but even at its least obvious, it’s still the dominant component, although richer and a little more noticeable than it is as a ribbon cut. The stoved red Virginia offers tangy sugary dark fruit with some earth, bread and wood in a support role. The Turkish provides wood, earth, vegetation, herbs lightly sweet and mild sourness with minor floral, spice notes as it continually underscores the experience. The nic-hit is step closer to medium than it is to mild, which is a little stronger than the other version. The strength of the blend hits the medium threshold, and the taste level just reaches full; both are a little more potent than the ribbon cut. Burns a little slow with a cool, clean, relatively smooth (for blends in this genre) mildly sweet and sour, savory flavor. Has no dull or harsh spots, but sports a few small rough edges. Easily burns to ash, and requires some relights. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a strong, lingering after taste, and a camp fire room note. Not a complex mixture by any means, and is a little closer to being a total lat-bomb in this form. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 16, 2010 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
The flakes are easy to pack and load. Just rub some of the flake and it crumbles into the bowl and darned near packs itself.

Lots of Latakia in this one and the taste is rather smokey and full. Not at all sweet and enough nicotine punch to please.

Smoke it late in the evening AFTER kissing the spousal unit goodnight. Otherwise, you may get kicked out of the bed.
28 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 22, 2011 Strong None Detected Full Very Pleasant
First off, let us address the age of my tin as received. I got this one with five months on it already. How lucky am I? As a cigarette smoker from the days of yore followed immediately by pipes, the nicotine receptors in my brain have had very little rest. This blend occasionally gives me a slight buzz, thus the strong rating. I rate the room note as very pleasant because I am a very lucky man. My wife loves the smell of English blends. I am sorry if you aren't so lucky, but I have to give it to the woman for sitting in the car with me and giving me her thoughts on the nuances of particular blends. She is as curious about pipe tobacco as I am, she simply chooses not to smoke. Whatever. Star of the East Flake. More like broken flake. You will be lucky to find four solid flakes in your tin. That is the only thing bad I have to say about this beauty- but I love solid flakes. Yes, there is 50% latakia in the heart of this beast. However, with five months on a tin- the VA's balls have dropped and the roundness of this smoke is so developed that you almost don't need your glass of whiskey along side of it. Note I say almost. Also, note I don't tell you what whiskey to drink with it. I am a J&B man. Star of the East, FOR ME, pairs best with Crown Royal Black. No water, no ice. Those who have dubbed this one-dimensional have not given the VA's here enough time to mature. With proper age, this one will intensify only with your intensity, never getting out of hand. I've got five tins that I am locking up for a minimum of five years. Once Star of the East gets that moldy, crystal age that Penzance arrives with, The Star will smoke Penzance like a drug store aromatic. MAKE SURE YOU ALLOW THIS STUFF SOME DRYING TIME!!! At least 15 minutes. Otherwise You will compromise much of the flavor.
21 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 05, 2017 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake.

I bought this a few months ago having found their Star of the East ready rubbed a brilliant smoke, but hadn't got around to popping it open. This morning though, I couldn't take the suspense any more so off came the top! Love it.

The flakes are presented in a similar fashion to a few of their other blends, I think Burley Flake No.1 has the same cut. No further rubbing is needed, the flakes are broken enough to just take a pinch and stuff it in.

Star of the East lights easily and the smoke is faultless, in my opinion. There's heaps of rich Latakia flavour to the smoke, but also notable Orientals. I struggle to identify any Virginia, but that was the same in Star of the East ready rubbed, and quite often in a lot of rich English/Balkan blends, for me. The flavour seems about the same throughout, it's maybe a bit sharper to begin with but nothing too dramatic. A bowl burns brilliantly, giving a medium temperature, bite-free smoke.

The nicotine's just above medium, and, as strong as it is, I like the note.

I have to highly recommend Star of the East Flake!

Four stars.
Pipe Used: Peterson Kenmare X220 P'lip
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Three months
19 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 12, 2011 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
I will take this blend over Penzance anyday. It packs nice, and I don't suck in those little tiny pieces like I do with Penzance.

I don't know what it is about C&D, but they can do English blends like no other! I prefer this when I don't need as much Latakia as Pirate Kake has to offer.

9 out of 10.
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
PKT
Jul 28, 2020 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Pleasant
A wonderful traditional full Latakia. Has the depth and strength of a Washington state Syrah with the leathery, musty, dark cherry flavors of a well aged Pinot Noir. Smokes cool and slow when sipped. One of my regular evening smokes that is particularly good in a medium to large meerschaum.
Pipe Used: Many
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes et al
Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 years
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 25, 2020 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Wow. Just WOW! I’m fairly new to pipe smoking after coming from cigars. I started with some aromatics to ease my wife into my new hobby, but they didn’t quite scratch the itch. This and GL Pease Westminster are totally in my wheelhouse. First the tin aroma. Smokey, savory, rich, complex. Upon lighting latakia smoky, bbq, campfire richness. It then settles into a nice exotic, nutty, spicy smoke. The spice isn’t peppery, just very pleasant in a exotic spice market kind of way. Will have to order more of this. Perfect for the winter chill or sitting around a campfire in the summer. Well done.
Pipe Used: Peterson Dublin 221, Savinelli Roma 673
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 08, 2015 Very Strong Strong Very Full Tolerable to Strong
I was turned on to Star of the East by simple chance. It now sits in my top 5 rotation as a daily smoke. It is a wonderful smoke full of flavor. It took me two try to figure out the best way to smoke it. Thanks to the rep for giving me five 1oz samples to try it out. Now I have it in tin and bulk. Open. Let sit and breath. Roll in your bowl to pack. Avoid two or three pinch. The roll really helps the burn stay even and breath. Lights well and burns clean.
Pipe Used: Dutch, Comoy, Peterson
PurchasedFrom: Pipes and Cigars
Age When Smoked: Tin - 2 years plus
9 people found this review helpful.
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