Cornell & Diehl Virginia Flake

(3.21)
High-grade Virginias are pressed into Cornell & Diehl's proprietary flake/chip cut and the result is a smoke brimming with both a natural sweetness as well as a fragrance that is slightly reminiscent of orange muffins fresh from the oven. This tasty leaf packs a fine bowl straight from the bag, but also boasts excellent aging potential.
Notes: This was an Atlas Blending Corp. mixture. Cornell and Diehl bought the rights of all their old recipes.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By  
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type Straight Virginia
Contents Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Broken Flake
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

3.21 / 4
10

15

4

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 29 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 15, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
The Virginia provides some tart and tangy citrus, grass, light earth, wood and dried fruit notes. If you puff too fast, you'll get a little sharpness and lose a slight bit of sweetness, but it won't bite or get harsh. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step past the center of mild to medium. Burns clean and fairly cool at a reasonable rate with a one dimensional, very consistent, mildly sweet, earthy, grassy flavor that translates to the pleasant, short lived after taste and room note. Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl, and requires few relights. Works well as a mixer, too. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks
20 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 07, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
If you have ever wished for a Virginia version of SWR, this is it. The texture and consistency is less regular and a little larger. Mine came very dry and had a granola feel to it. I have been smoking it as shipped and have not rubbed it out or hydrated it.

This has been a very good smoke. There is a slightly tart/sharp heavy and sweet flavor. The flavor is fairly consistent but seems to pick up some earthy notes at the bottom of the bowl, and it gains a little strength then too. I did not get any of the ashiness you sometimes find with a Virginia as you finish a bowl.

This was an easy smoke. Loading was pretty much a scoop and lightly tamp. It lit readily and was not a challenge to maintain at a slow smoulder. I have smoked it in a variety of bowls, but the pot I have it in now seems to bring out the flavors.

This is a tremendous value for a smoke of this quality. It is a very good Virginia. It reminds me a little of Gold Brick without the need to slice, dry and rub out. One of my daughters likes the room note.
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 12, 2019 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Cornell & Diehl - Virginia Flake.

LOL, call me overscrupulous or pedantic, but when I buy a blend named Virginia Flake I expect, indeed, to find a Virginia Flake!

Anyhoo, nit-picking aside, the blend has been coarsely broken; I can identify it, easily, as an ex-flake. The colour's above medium brown, but sadly it arrived a little too dry. The smell is one of a coarser Virginia, as opposed to a sweet, fruity, Virginia.

Once lit, which is easy, the flavour marries upto the unlit scent well. It isn't a fruity, sweet, Virginia, but a more rustic one. So, don't expect the palate to be awash with sweetness! There's a 'touch' of sweetness, but nothing major. Mostly, the flavour's preoccupied with more of the styles which bring 'Farmyard' to mind!!!! I can't fault the burn from it; reliable, cool, and mid-speed.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not good.

Virginia Flake? It isn't too bad, but if you want a straight Va there's better out there. Somewhat recommended:

Two stars.
Pipe Used: Peterson Deluxe #03
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: 9/25/18
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 26, 2011 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
I am pretty much a virginia smoker. I tried a sample of the CD Virginia Flake and it was just what I had been looking for in a virginia. This is not a flake tobacco as I have smoked in the past. It is like little chips of tobacco. It packs easily in any type of pipe. I liked it so much I ordered 5 lbs. At $20 a pound from SmokingPipes.com, you can't beat it.

Update Note: If you don't rub this out good, it will bite you bad. Once rubbed out, very very good.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 22, 2014 Strong None Detected Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I couldn't pass this one up based on the price alone. A bulk Virginia flake by C&D for less the $25 a pound? How could I go wrong? It arrived today and I'm smoking a bowl as we speak.

It seems to be burning relatively well. I suspect rubbing these interesting "chips" out a little before packing might clear up any burn issues. Outdoors this wouldn't be a problem, however, and smoking AS IS might be the way to go.

It's surprisingly full-bodied and has many characteristics that I would normally associate with Burley. If I didn't know any better I would have guessed that there is in fact some Burley in this blend. Very nutty and tobacco-y, with the sweet tang of bright Virginias that I love.

Verdict- it's good. I suspect that it will be fantastic as a blender. My initial try is going to a 50/50 this with McClelland 5100, with a dash of Perique.

If you're looking to stock up that cellar and do it on the cheap, this could be the one.
Pipe Used: Rattray's Craggy Root
Age When Smoked: unknown
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 26, 2005 Medium to Strong None Detected Full Tolerable
I am reviewing several C+D blending tobaccos as a precursor to some blending experiments. I know not many people blend, but these reviews may provide some hints to those wanting to do so.

Full flavored and very woodsy VA flake. Tangy and warm tasting. It gets very "peat" like down the bowl. Provides substantial body and a solid nicotine hit. Could easily be smoked alone or in a blend.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
ATW
Jun 18, 2020 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
This is in fact the flake that you see added to Haunted Bookshop. Sometimes I would just pick out the flakes and smoke them straight. So I decided to order a 2 oz sample to try on its own.

The bag came too dry to smoke right away so I did the steamed towel trick to rehydrate it quickly and effectively. The bag aroma is great. Its stated that the flakes are not cased but I swear it has brown sugar. Has a sweet, spicy, and citrus like aroma.

From first light to half the bowl it is sweet, spicy, zesty with a good amount of orange citrus. In the last half, the sweetness turns to a brown sugar, the orange citrus has a more darker tone, and the zest tones down some. A nice creaminess comes out closer to the bottom of the bowl. Burns cool and clean. The nicotine isn't very noticeable as with most high sugar content virginias.

Another excellent Virginia. None of that grassy, hay crap. Well worth stocking up on and aging. This is a hidden gem that is right up there with the best McClelland Virignias.

Update 4/16/2021. I've been having issues getting more Virginia Flake in bulk, so I've been getting it in tins instead. Every tin I've had is just as dry as the bulk form. I highly suggest if you want to long term age Virginia Flake to not do it in the tin since it's too dry to even do anything. The right amount of moisture is key in aging. Crack your tins open, hydrate and age in Mason jars. It just won't make a difference in the tin with no moisture.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 15, 2015 Medium None Detected Full Pleasant
I have made a mistake. I ordered only an ounce of this stuff. Looks like I will be making another order this month, because this tobacco is wonderful. The cut reminded me of my grandfather's Sir Walter Raleigh. It is very thick flakes that have been cut into chunky cubes. I didn't rub it out. The moisture content was fine. The texture makes it easy to load, and it stays pretty cool. No bite at all. The bag smells like really good cocoa. The flavor is just good honest Virginia, but perhaps less tangy and more earthy.

Pipe Used: Nording freehand
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 01, 2015 Medium Mild to Medium Medium Pleasant
Update Dec.16th/2015: I feel the need to add this information since my original review as I don't wish to be held accountable for any misguided purchases nor scrutinized for an inaccurate review. Now C&D has either changed this blend all together, or ive bought 2 bad pounds months apart from each other, either scenario is leaving me apprehensive about buying more in the future, or any C&D blend for that matter. The cut is now a mishmash of ready rubbed, cavendish, loose ribbons, slender broken flakes and cubes throughout and is quite moist to the touch. It now burns hot and on the wet side and has lost its sweetness, not like the old stock of wide and thick continental flake cuts that were dry and crispy for the last 5 odd years that I've been smoking it. I also think there is far more red Virginia than brights which again was never the case prior. Add this to the list of steady reliable blends that have been bastardized or eliminated on the market, a shame really. My original review and rating shall stay, but let it be known those thoughts and opinions are not for the current production of this blend. The picture seen above is not a reflection of this tobacco's current state.

Original Review:

A superb blend of bright Virginias presented in a thick and wide America broken flake. Our piping brothers across the pond in Europe and Britain may be mislead by the name, this isnt the long thin symmetrical and moist flake cut that you may be used to. It's akin to a large cube cut, or really course crushed plug and is served very dry right out of the pouch. Others here have attributed it's appearance and texture to that of granola and im at a loss to describe it any better than that. It might be best to store it out of the kitchen and labeled well, otherwise it may end up in a bowl with some milk. Some pieces are quite large (about the size of an Almond, and about as dense) it's advisable to rub those ones out a tad otherwise this blend is fine filler as received. I find it burns at optimal performance when packed on the looser end of the scale, but individual preferences will prevail. Flavour is that of pure sweet Virginia with a clover/floral sugar note and stays that way the whole way through. Excellent dose of vitamin N and medium in body from start to finish. Terrific on its own, and I think it will age quite well. This flake cut Virginia can be dressed up with nearly anything and taken anywhere. If you are VA/PER smoker it's quite good with a quarter Perique, or just add a pinch of green river vanilla to make a it a lady pleaser. Also pairs nicely with a sliced burley. A well put together blend, continental in nature and an American institution in my books. Every VA smoker should try it.
Pipe Used: MM country gentleman, Capri billiard c
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: current bulk
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
AC
Jun 29, 2020 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
This broken flake comes as other well-known selections from C&D, with perfect moisture and easy and cool burning. As you progressed through the bowl, it soon picks up strength, easily reaching the "medium" level. It burns with nice white ash, and consistently so throughout the bowl. As such, the overall behavior of this Virginia (broken) Flake is quite good. However, it lacks taste and sweetness. You know you are smoking something there with some good strength and quality (like a glass os sparkling water), but it does not rise to the palate with noticeable features, save of a regular bready, hay, slightly citrus, and even "farmy" kind of tobacco with a tiny hint of sweetness. It does get a little bit better towards the end, but in general. It does not satisfy the overall taste experience for me. Likely, it is a good tobacco for blending, especially with burleys. It leaves a fairly good taste in the mouth after the smoke. This is not for me though, but maybe I will try blending something with it.

UPDATE: Ok, I did say I was thinking of using it as part of a blend. Well, inspired by a review here (DeathMetal.org (158) 2019-04-25), I decided to blend 50%-50% of this Virginia Flake with a (4-year-old) C&D Ribbon Burley, plus a "dust" of C&D granulated Perique. The result is a nice medium fruity & bready kind of VaBur, which is quite pleasing, but nothing fantastic for sure. Certainly, this blend makes this Virginia at least useful now, thus deserving an upgrade in the stars. I'll continue trying things with it. We'll see...
Pipe Used: Chacom Club Billiard / Tracy Mincer Billiard
PurchasedFrom: www.smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
3 people found this review helpful.
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