So my first ephiphany (couldn't resist) was that I love "Light English," or should I say this version of it. The second? I got a mild menthol note that became more pronounced in Round Two. I saw that another reviewer mentioned this. It is not unpleasant -- to the contrary -- but was, to me, unusual. Maybe that's what ties everything together. I wonder what the blend would be like without it, but I'll need to foray deeper into the C&D line to find out, and I am sure that they will be happy to oblige. If you smoke while embibing adult beverages, note that it paired very well with a Pale Ale but wasn't stout enough for my amber-colored distilled spirit of choice.

One note on the appearance of the tobacco: The description says ribbon cut, but there are a variety of different sizes and shapes in the tin, similar to the first mixture I tried. It is packed fairly loosely in the can. You may need to break up some pieces and I would air it out for a half hour before lighting. But when you do light it, you'll receive a cool, dry smoke with no bite or rough, lingering aftertaste. I've seen others mention "smoking bliss" in other reviews. Now I know what they mean.

Overall, this tobacco is a thing of beauty and grace, my new favorite. Don't hesitate to give it a try, even if you're not a fan of English blends. And thanks to all of your contributions on the forum. You've been tremendously helpful to this piper.

The cut of the blend is a nice chunky cut that is low on moisture in the tin which I certainly prefer over being quite wet. I pulled the contents out of the tin and removed a couple of stems as well as pulled apart a couple of large leaves. I promptly loaded up my Peterson 102 Army mount and put the contents back in the tin to air out a bit and then in a Mason Jar the next day.

Upon lighting up the room note struck me as one from my child hood when my dad would smoke Revelation. The taste wasn't one of individual leaves weaving in and out in taste but of a united front of burley, an English mixture and a very slight fruit like topping. It was an extremely pleasant combination which I haven't ever tasted before. The smoke remained united through the whole bowl and took on a toasty taste towards the end of the bowl that reminded me a little bit of Squadron Leader. I did experience some gurgle in my pipe but I place this squarely on the pipe being brand new and not having been broken in.

The smoke had something that I've always felt is missing from a lot of English blends: body. I enjoy burley so much precisely because it seems to have more substantial smoke than a lot of "thin" English blends. Believe me I do enjoy English blends but always come back to burleys as my baseline. This blend has a nice solid base of burley that interplays perfectly with the English components. If that wasn't enough the very slight topping adds a subtle and sweet touch that balances everything out. If you're a latakia fiend don't expect to find a huge amount of it in this blend. It's there and you can certainly taste it but just like all the other components it works well with every other leaf to make a sum greater than the whole.

I do believe that C&D hit a home run with this blend. There is something for everyone to enjoy and if I were to pick a blend that is a perfect Americanized English this would be the blend. Enjoy!

No problem at all packing and burning. This particular sample was quite dry, and because it was a gift I don't know if it came from a tin or bulk, but my guess is bulk. Makes me happy since I plan to buy a pound for aging. Seems to me this blend will only improve with some time in the cellar.

The first word that comes to mind is earthy. It starts off mild, as the description suggests. Earthy and warm, it makes for a perfect autumn outdoor morning smoke, with a mug of Starbucks at my side. I'm thinking it's the Burley that gives that earthy note, and it works perfectly in this particular blend of leaves. I'm literally tasting what I hear rustling in the branches above my head - autumn, dried leaves, fall colors. The Latakia is very mild and serves only to provide some flavoring and richness. All the ingredients meld so well that the overall end result is all that comes through. This is perhaps one of the best balanced combination of tobaccos I've had in a while.

Sweet Virginias make an occasional appearance, but most of the time it's that consistent blend of flavors that create what is in my experience a unique combination. Yes, it's a mild English, but it gains a bit of strength during the smoke to push it toward the medium part of the spectrum. About half way though I notice a toastiness that lasts the rest of the bowl. This is where it really gets good. The occasional hint of a very light topping comes through, but I can't honestly tell whether that's just natural sweetness of if they added something. For those of you who don't prefer toppings, there's nothing to fear as it's so light as to make me question whether or not it's just the natural tobacco flavors.

Yes, I will certainly acquire more of this. It's a keeper and easily earns four stars.

Several copy cat blends have popped up, and Epiphany remains the most referenced. It's supposedly a take on Revelation thirty years back, probably implying that the components were of a higher quality, with greater strength in body. I can't speak for the blend of that time, but of the more recent variety, I see little semblance.

Epiphany is its own blend. It's more tart and peppery than sweet and smokey. And it is certainly not mild, or fruity. The Latakia is evident, but muted. I can taste the Perique and I find that Burley exhibits an almost ubiquitous front. So call it an American English, I guess, which seems to designate these days the added presence of that leaf.

The type of idea that Epiphany conjures up appears the result of a sharp jolt to the head, like a giant book dropping on your skull rather than a soft reflection demanding greater thought to flesh out the details. It's more of a Richard Dawkins than an Albert Einstein. I can't say whether you'd favor Epiphany to Revelation, though I suppose it depends on your way of thinking.

Three of Five.

There is a very slight sweetness indicative of a very light topping. This is not an Aromatic blend. I found it pleasant and pleasing from pouch to the bottom of the bowl. I have a pound on hand and will smoke it because it is good.

Epiphany is a premium quality blend for those who desire just a spattering of Latakia (barely noticeable) and just a touch of sweetness in a tobacco that could easily be an all day smoke. Another winner from C&D. I give it three stars.

Nice rich, smooth smoking blend. It has just enough Latakia to notice and enjoy, a touch of VA for sweetness, some Perique to balance that sweetness out and Burley to round the whole thing out. The Burley provides a nice rich nutty flavor that works well with the Latakia, and IMO the VA and Perique are subtle background notes.

Overall this is a great blend. There is nothing I can say bad about it. Will stay in my rotation and my cellar. 4 stars for sure.

It is a slow burning blend, bite free unless pushed too hard, then it would bark a little. But sipped, it had a very peasant sweet smooth smoke that I enjoyed a lot. It burned down to a grey ash with just a little dottle. It was a little moister than most C and D blends I have received and this might account for that as most of Craigs blends burn to a fine ash. While I did enjoy this blend very much, i can't give it four stars as it required too many relites. But I do recommend trying it.

Epiphany is pleasing to the eye, a mixture of different sizes and colors of tan to dark brown flakes and ribbon-cuts. Packed well. Lit easily and stayed lit to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a clean light gray ash. No real bite. The flavor when smoking? Unimpressive. Toward the end of the bowl, like "hot-boxing" a strong cigarette or a cheap cigar. Peppery. I wouldn't call it sweet. Maybe it was the pipe I used, a Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo KS. Toward the very end of the bowl, the nicotine level made my head spin. Oh well. I'll try it again sometime and post an update if I notice any improvement.

Epiphany tastes pretty close to the HoW version of Revelation. However, there are distinct differences between the two blends. First of HoW Revelation contained a good amount of cube cut burley. Epiphany does not. The burley in this blend is rough cut for slow burning. Personally, I like the HoW version of Revelation better, but since it's gone the way of the dinosaur, this will be a suitable replacement.

The topping seems to be present throughout the smoke. Some describe it as a fruity topping, but I detect at least some amount of anise within it. The latakia remains muted in this blend for the most part.

This is a very good blend that brought no bite with it. Being that I really enjoyed the late HoW Revelation, I'm glad I can find this stuff with ease and at a decent price.

I did notice that allowing this blend to air out awhile prior to smoking will somewhat lessen the flavor of the topping, which could stand to be a bit less.

Ah well, I thought. Live and learn.

I went back to Epiphany a handful of times over the next few weeks and though it was more enjoyable, it was hardly revelatory.

The last few weeks, however, have been busy for me at the computer and when I'm busy at that thing, I like nothing better than to load up a few cobs with various Burleys, chomp, and puff. In that context, the delicacy and outright friendliness of Epiphany really came out. I put away the Carter Hall, put away the Old Joe Krantz, put them all away except for Epiphany. This little Americanized-English with the subtle fruit topping, almost non-existent Latakia and gentle nature had found its niche. It is, absolutely, a writer's friend.

I still don't smoke Epiphany when I want the intensity of the smoke in the foreground. For that I go to the VaPers, the Balkans and the more Latakia-heavy English mixtures. Heck, I even go to Old Joe Krantz which is, for my money, the finest Burley blend that C&D has yet produced.

But if ever I choose to have an all day smoke, I suspect that it will be Epiphany--a helper for the tired, a soft nudge to the fading mind, a friend in contemplation.

Just don't judge it too quickly. I did. And I almost lost a friend.

Being a English/Balkan/Virginia smoker, I don't enjoy "American-English" mixtures, but this one has entered my rotation for good. It's a perfectly balanced, mildly cocoa and vanilla flavored tobacco that developes through the bowl, the topping fading slowly until you end up with an exceptional traditional English mixture in the last third of the smoke. I think this is what SG Perfection was supposed to be, being a good baccy on its own.

It isn't as complex as, say Riverboat Gambler but there is a fantastic complexity and fullness which is atypical of Mr. Runowski and shared by both blends. Truth be told, it just could not be done any better. It has a very full (light English, expensive cigar) taste to it but at the same time is smooth, somewhat nutty and very burley, very old school. While I never had the pleasure of sampling the original Revelation, if it was half this good, it was indeed something special. While Epiphany could easily suffice as an all day smoke, it is to me a bit heavy to use it as such for a protracted period of time. Of course, YMMV but the one thing that cannot be disputed is at the end of the day this is a very fine smoke with something for everyone from the codger burleyphile to the English blend smoker looking for something a bit smoother and a bit less acrid.

A while back, I figured out I had been way too generous with the four star rating and would only render it when it was totally warranted. No doubt it is warranted for Epiphany. In an effort to simplify my rotation, I decided I would shrink it to five blends and this made the cut. Really a very nicely done tobacco, fantastic morning or evening but probably best after a large supper, enjoying a cold drink on the porch and watching the sunset.

I tried at first to compare to HOW version, which is all I have to reference as far as Revelation is concerned, it doesn't compare at all.

The only experiences I have of the "ol' american" style of tobacco is what blenders like C&D, have recreated for me. I have tried and liked Baily's Front Porch by C&D which was "like" Revelation as well.

This though actually reminds me of Yale mixture alot. And that is a good thing. There is a deep wine-like chararistic to this from the Latakia and Va mix.

Tin - Smokey, sausauge smell

1st light - As wonderful english style,the flavors of the Lat, VA and the burley make themselves known in a well blended way. Clean and smokey

Mid bowl - This is "meaty" and as I mentioned "Wine-like" at the same time. the Va is playing pivot to the Lat and then to the burley. at times it tastes like a great Va/Lat smoke, and the next minute it tastes like a Va/Bur smoke with Lat in it.

Bottom Bowl - Nicotine is good and solid now. the blend has come together and no longer varying. grey ash. no gurgle. I am one with the pipe, as you could say. Very good smoke, responsive like a cigar.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Not much to add to the other excellent reviews here, but I did want to make a couple of points. The burley seems quite pronounced to me. I find it a very refreshing change from my usual blends.

The applied topping is very well done, not at all over the top. It adds a delightful top note that blends very well with the fruity notes of the perique. The latakia is fully present but not overbearing.

There was a little bitterness at times in some of my smaller pipes, but it was a black coffee sort of thing, not at all unpleasant. This was much less apparent in larger bowls, or with a lighter packing technique.

In my humble opinion, the burley gets lost in the virginia and rather strong latakia.

A good smoke, I find the Latakia strong enough to dictate this be only an occasional smoke for me. I would compare it to bitter stout (which, by the way, it goes very well with): it's nice on a cold night and when you're in certain moods, but you wouldn't want it all the time. Definitely not an all-day or (for me) every-day smoke.

In the pouch, Epiphany is a pretty finely chopped ribbon that has an aroma that reminds me a little of apple cider with a Latakia aroma in the background. This probably comes partly from the topping and also from the VAs. It has an acceptable room note, not particularly aromatic but not pungent, either. Due to the cut, it packs, lights, and burns very well.

Flavorwise, the burley nuttiness and the slight sweetness of the VAs are the first things noted, with a bit of sweetness also coming from the topping. Farher down the bowl, the Latakia shows up with its' smokiness in a supporting role. To me, the topping has been done exactly right, letting the natural tobacco flavors shine through.

C&D's prices have gone up since Feb. 1st, reflecting increasing costs for both tobacco and taxes. I still consider their blends a bargain compared to many other premium blends on the market.

Scores for Epiphany: flavor- 17 of 20; lighting and burn- 9 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 34 points equals a good **** rating. This has become another one of my regular smokes. Nice work, Craig and Bob!

Sure, Revelation was better and more unique... but you really can't complain! It's nutty, moderately sweet, full of bold and pleasant nuances. A great balance between burley nuttiness, Latakia smokiness and leathery taste, slight Virginia sweetness and just a bit of Perique tang.

It's stout but not heavy, not as nicotine-laden as some other C&D burley based blends. Very interesting for cigarette AND pipe smokers, it really fixes the occasional craving for a cigarette.

Truly low-maintenance tobacco, in the good meaning of the term: it burns great, quite quick but never hot or with nasty aftertaste if you overpuff it. Absolutely no bad-burley bitterness here!

Not a masterpiece of originality or class, but a very delicious tobacco for the real smoker.

Cornell & Diehl's Epiphany is a virtual copy of the original Phillip Morris product. A near perfect blending of Burleys, Virginias, with a touch of Latakia and Perique. The fruit top note is done with restraint, yet is evident for the entire bowl. A visually interesting mixture of small cubes, long cut Virginia, black bits of Latakia and Perique, and flakes of Bright Virginia. Beautiful! The pouch aroma is typical, old fashioned "pipe tobacco", reminiscent of times past.

Flavor is creamy, nutty and smooth, with no single tobacco taking center stage. The sweet top dressing is a bit pronounced at first light, but settles down nicely, never interfering with the base tobacco flavor. Little to no bite is detected, even with vigorous puffing. Burning qualities are excellent, with very few re-lights needed.

I've smoked bowl after bowl in various pipes, and never tire of the taste, always anticipating the next bowl. I can't say that about most blends I've tried. Usually, one bowl is enough, then on to something different. Not so with Epiphany.

Overall, an outstanding rendition of an old, classic mixture. Craig Tarler and company have created yet another masterpiece. Bravo!

Highly Recommended!!!

CACooper

After my first bowl of Epiphany in a Peterson's Kapet I thought it was a nice, pleasant light english blend with no bite. By the third bowl I had fallen in love with the blend. I smoked three bowls within a 4 hour period and still had no bite and wasn't tired of the taste!

Packs easy, lights easy, stays lit, good taste without any overpowering features, good nico effect, non-offensive room aroma, no bad aftertaste. This is neither sweet nor harsh. Just a nice, cool, even smoke for those of us who like English/Balkan blends.

This is a lighter smoke then my all time favorites - Nightcap, Odyssey, Crowley's Best but will join Peterson's Irish Whiskey as a must have smoke on a daily basis. Good for the 3 or 4 bowls in between the heavier blends.

Looks and smells to me (and a friend) in the tin a little like the IRC Three Star series, but this does not have that level of sweetness.

Nice burley with bright Virginias and some red added. Spiced a wee bit with both latakia and some Perique. It packs, lights, and burns easy and dry.

The mild, fruity note is per the blender, plumb, as apparently the original version was. That's the main new information I can add to these reviews.

Though the fruit note is light and balances with the tobacco taste, it does stay with the bowl to the end. The last half of the bowl picks up a little more of the spices from the condimentals. But it's not heavy by any means.

So something for everyone -- burley, virginia, condimentals, and some added sweetness. It introduces the aromatic fan to a bit of spice, and provides some fragrance to a natural smoker.

I found it an interesting change of pace, and could be a frequent to all day smoke for some. I give it three stars for its civility, but it is better than that really; just not designed to knock your socks off.

Epiphany is easy to load, arrives at the perfect moisture level, burns easily and is a cool blend that won't nip, even when aggressive puffing is employed.

No concentration needed when smoking this simpleton. A blue collar blend all the way.

Conclusion: This stuff is EXCELLENT. There are points when I?ve thought a little more latakia would be in order, but other times I?ve thought it?s perfect just as is. I?ve been using it as an all-day smoke in place of my usual standbys, which are Old Joe Krantz, Morley?s Best, Gatlin-Burley, and 50/50 Prince Albert-Carter Hall. Only time will tell, but I?m inclined to think that this will hold its own with those other blends, if for no other reason than it?s quite a bit more complex but just as easy to smoke.