Cornell & Diehl Rajah's Court

(3.31)
Red and bright aged Virginias provide an excellent, gently sweet, base for this medium to full English blend. Turkish Oriental leaf and Latakia add layers of earthy smokiness and a mild pepperiness to the overall composition.
Notes: Reminiscent of old Dunhill Durbar.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By Craig Tarler
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type English
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 2 oz tin, 8 oz tin
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

3.31 / 4
17

13

6

0

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 36 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 28, 2013 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
The first half of the bowl reminded me of Dunhill's London Mixture. Very nice Orientals out front and center. Nice and spicy. The second half saw the Orientals fade a bit as the Latakia stepped forward and provided a nice deep creaminess to the mix. If it would have stayed this way I would have given this four stars, but the Orientals continued to fade until they became nearly invisible. What was left was just a creamy smoke with a very slight sweetness from the Virginias. Nice but I would have liked a little Oriental flavor in the finish. All in all though, a very nice blend that I enjoy smoking.
Pipe Used: Jobey Lovat, MM General
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 27, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
The ripe, tangy dark fruity red Virginia also some wood and earth, and it takes a lead over the citrusy, lightly grassy bright Virginias, though the latter is noticeable in virtually every puff to one extent or another. I notice the bright just a little less after the half way point. The Turkish Orientals are smokey, very woody, floral and spicy with a moderate sour note, and are a continually important presence. The Cyprian Latakia is smokey, earthy and woody, and mildly sweet, mostly playing a low-to-mid range back up. The nic-hit is a step past the center of mild to medium. The strength is medium, while the taste is a couple of slots past that mark. No bite. A little dry out of the tin, it burns a tad fast with few relights, and virtually leaves no moisture in the bowl. The flavor has just a little inconsistency from top to bottom; a mild creaminess with an occasional light sharpness (after the half way point), and I would not say it was harsh as it’s mostly a cool smoke. Leaves a pleasantly lingering spice after taste. The room note isn’t going to thrill your lady. Not quite an all day smoke, but worth repeating when you want it. Three and half stars.

-JimInks
17 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 03, 2014 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Rajah's Court is a nice Oriental forward light Balkan. Perfect smoking moisture right out of the tin, and smells awesome. It lights with a drynote, with citrusy spicy Oriental and then the Latakia starts amping up providing a fuller body behind the Oriental, but always staying a supporting player along with the Virginias. This is nice all dayer for me, along with Red Rapparee, both of which give me that Oriental kick I need.
Pipe Used: Digby Rhodesian, Ashton billiard
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
15 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 17, 2016 Mild None Detected Medium Very Pleasant
Exactly what it says on the tin. This is a mild, sweet English that is Orientals forward. I thought the fragrance was beautiful.

This has none of the Va complexity and nuances that are brought to, say, McC's English blends, but that is not a failing because that is not the purpose of the Virginias here, which is to provide a sweet platform that does not compete with the Orientals. The Lat here is always evident but very lightly applied. The result is light and delicate, lively even.

Comes quite dry and is a one light tobacco that burns without fuss. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, but I'm rounding up because so many blenders get heavy handed with English blends and this really is well done for the intended style.
Pipe Used: Lepeltier
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
al1
Oct 15, 2010 Medium None Detected Full Tolerable
This is a really good blend from C&D. To start with it reminds me a lot of a less latakia loaded version of G.L. Pease Caravan.

Really nice medium-small ribbon cut that packs easy and smokes well with minimal relights. Not a tobacco to rush in the smoking but it is not a punisher, I'm sure many will mistake the tongue tingle from the spice for bite. No bite here- just pure robust flavor that. And smoke that gets tastier with every puff until you end up with an empty pipe.

It starts off a little in your face in an oriental spicy way but it smooths out real nice by mid bowl. It has everything I want in a pipe tobacco. The latakia presents itself more in the last third of the bowl and it burns to a nice ash with no moisture.

Really a good smoke for folks who like a little spice in things. It builds to a really nice smooth finish. It is rare I let anyhing else go in my Caravan smoking pipe but this is welcome anytime. I think this makes it taste even better.

And the nicotine- oh it's the good kind that makes you just feel like you are melting into relaxation. Not too much but enough to make you respect and appreciate it.

It seems to be the type of tobacco that a year or two of age would make it just out of sight. So glad I tried this one.

Room note- well it's surely not an aromatic, I like the smell but don't expect others to.

I like it a lot. Surely not what I would call an "english", not sweet at all. Just spicy and so good. Reminds me more of a balkan. Not much else like this out there. Highly reccomended.
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 19, 2022 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Cornell & Diehl - Rajah's Court.

A pleasant English, not overbearing, but tasty nonetheless!

The tin-note's camphoraceous, a little tangy, wisps of hay. Flavoursome, but not indicative of a Lat-bomb. The mid-size ribbons are easily packed and the moisture's just right.

The Orientals lead the way. At first there's a fragrance from them, which takes until about a quarter bowl to die down; die down a little. The Latakia adds a definite flavour, peat, smoke, but doesn't take things over; a strong seasoning rather than a headstrong addition. I get a pleasant fruitiness from the red Va, which gains recognition after a third; until then the bright Va has more of a say with it's hay, citrusy flavour. The burn's good, albeit a little fast when puffed hard. I don't get any tongue-bite, whatsoever.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not too bad.

Rajah's Court? Although a pleasant smoke, it lacks the ''wow factor'' for a full house. So, a steadfast 3 stars it is:

Recommended.
Pipe Used: Peterson Lestrade
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes
Age When Smoked: New
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 10, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Tolerable
Presentation is a ribbon of mostly medium and light browns with a delicious smokey/sweet tin note of simply intoxicating Orientals and a hint of sweeter Virginia. Moisture content is just right and Rajah's Court is ready to smoke right out of the tin.

Very easy to light and get going, the initial flavors mimic the tin note: Oriental-forward with a backbone of sweet Virginia. The mouth feel is very full, rich and creamy. The Latakia here is condimental, but an important contributor to both the mouthfeel and overall smoothness. There's a truly incredible interplay of Orientals and Virginias here that I must say is one of a kind. The slight sour notes you'll experience in the bottom quarter of the bowl are not defects. Rather, think of them as the grand finale of a fireworks show.

Bursting with flavor yet smooth and cool-smoking, Rajah's Court could easily do double duty as both an all-day smoke for those favoring more assertive blends, or as a more contemplative evening bowl. Seemingly influenced by the acclaimed Dunhill blends of old, the burn on this blend is amazing: cool and slow, with nary a relight. A modern classic.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 22, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant
Just opened a tin dated '09 this morning & have tried it in 3 pipes already: a narrow, conical-bowled gr 4 full-bent meer, an old H&B Irwin Cobb half-bent, and a "disputatious" MM straight-up cherrywood. All smoked great, started out with a real Oriental spicy hit, switched to Va sweet pretty quickly w/ spicy overtones in & out, Lat came through about 1/4 bowl & drifted in-out-in all the way. The great thing about all these is that the BALANCE was about as perfect as can be. I'd call it on the light side of medium, but an all-around superb all-day one.
Pipe Used: As above
PurchasedFrom: JR
Age When Smoked: 5 yrs
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 16, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Strong
This is a hard one to classify, one only needs to read the first 20 reviews and we have a wide variety of blends we think this is similar to :" Dunhill Durbar, Dunhill EMP, G.L. Pease Caravan, Dunhill's London Mixture, Karl Erik , S.Gawith's "Squadron Leader. I'm not even going to attempt a guess, oh what the hell, I'll say Rattrays Red Rapparee mixed 50/50 with Dunhill EMP.

I would classify this as a Balkan and it is well done. A little spice, a touch of Latakia, heftier Oriental/ Turkish, some sweetness. What it doesn't have is C&D's attraction for adding Burley to every blend, they must have a pile big enough to cover a house.

So what's not to like? Well, the wife says the "smell", offensive !!!! This will be a regular for me when she's around !!!
Pipe Used: cob
Age When Smoked: 1 year vintage , open 2 weeks
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 30, 2010 Strong None Detected Very Full Tolerable to Strong
Let me give it to you straight on Rajah's Court. Unless you're one of those VA/Per guys it's all here, baby, in this order:

The bittersweet, floral Orientals out front; The leathery, woodsy Latakia right behind; And the Virginias holding it all together and adding body.

I've tried it in several pipes and it is consistently good in all of them. It packs easy, burns well, and the taste remains balanced throughout the bowl. Looks great in the tin, a beautiful mixture of light and dark ribbons.

As to Nicotine, I'm a lightweight so it has plenty for me. Some of you may find yourself wanting more.

Room note - I love it, but I'm certain my wife wouldn't. Take that as you will.

I will always have a tin of this open. It is complex and full of flavor but well balanced, unless you don't like orientals, latakia, and virginias. But if that's the case steer clear of English/Balkan blends. If you're a latakia freak I guess it might not have enough for you. Personally, I consider this a must have English blend.
4 people found this review helpful.
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