Cornell & Diehl - 968: Odessa pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 8 of 8 reviews of this tobacco
Michael	05/13/2010	Medium	None detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I have no reference to Balkan Sobranie White, but from a C&D perspective, I would consider Odessa "Engine 99 Lite," although Engine 99 is itself a hybrid blend. The Turkish and burley are predominant, with Latakia and perique in support roles. Overall, this is a quality, medium smoke with good nicotine content; note that the Virginia is noticably absent, and you may miss it. But if you desire something fresh, toasty and straightforward, Odessa wll fit the bill nicely. I crave it sometimes as a change of pace, usually during the weekend in the late morning with a cup of coffee or in the afternoon with a beer. C&D makes several variants of this mixture (Odessa, Red Odessa, Engine 99, Orient Express, Pirate Kake), each with its own twist. Read the ingredients and choose according to your own tastes. Or experiment with them all to see what you like best.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Big bad Jon	07/27/2008	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable
The claim that this tobacco is similar to Balkan Sobranie White is somewhat true. The tin note is almost exact, but the taste is somewhat lacking. One thing for instance is that from my recollection Balkan Sobranie White was a VA based tobacco. But these are not detractions from the tobacco unless you are buying it specifically to replace Balkan Sobranie White (which goes for a pretty penny on eBay). The tobacco is a beautiful mixture of colors and is inviting to the eye as much as the nose. The tobacco burns very well and does not ever get too hot or wet. It has a very nice Latakia note that is complimented by the Turkish and Burly. I also like the added condiment of Perique it all seems to be in quite good balance. This blend is one of my new favorites, not because it is a replica of Balkan Sobranie, but because it is a good blend in its own right. If you want to have a bowl similar to Balkan Sobranie try Smokers Haven Our Best Blend.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
berger_ar_fur	09/13/2007	Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant
WAOW What a nice blend ,a big flavour , a complex smoking taste ,a really an "all along the day" blend for me
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
loosewatches	08/26/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This is the first disappointment for me from C&D. Actually, I think it's a matter of body chemistry. The flavor is there, and I agree with most of what Talonr1701 said, but it's gets really bitter and ashy tasting towards mid bowl. I wish it weren't so, but this blend gets me all choked up, and not in a good way. Is it similar to BSW? Well, a Frankfurter is similar to a Nathan's hot dog, but not even close to the real thing. Having only finished 4 out of 8 ounces in various pipes, I may revisit this review, but doubt it. I think this is a good candidate for the next pass of the tobacco box. Off to try Star of the East.......
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Talonr1701	05/30/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
History....Thats what this reminds me of. Old english libraries on estates of well to do gentleman..... This starts with a wonderful smokey taste, metamorphasing to a blend of Turkish, burley and Cyprian latakia. Like a gourmet coffee- Dark and tasty. I'm sure the perique is there, but its a team thing- so I never noticed any one thing performing a solo act. Its not for the aromatic follower, This is an ENGLISH. I was advised by Mr. Tarler that this was his dedication to Balkan Sobranie White. Never having tried B.S.W.- Its just plain good to me. I hope people give more attention to C&D's bulk blends- Pretty packaging is nice, But there are glories out there- and some secrets are forth discovering. If you like a good balkan- You owe it to yourself... ****I have noticed this will put you to sleep if your not careful....
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Meerschaum Man	12/26/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
It's been a while since my sample arrived in a mild state of dehydration. Time and introduction to osmosis filtered water brought it back to life.My experience with this blend is favorable. The nutty sweet Burley is made user friendly by the Cavendish Cut, the Turkish and Perique. I find easy pleasure without being mindful of some of Burley's undesirable characteristics - excessive bite and a tendancy to turn bitter if smoked too fast. The Cyprian leaf provides counterpoint, much the same as harmonica in a blues band. Burning it to the bottom of the bowl will generate no regrets, nor fade of flavor. The typical heavy Balkan presence is not here. Letting it settle and marry with time is of great benefit, otherwise the smoke may be a bit harsh. Regge music seems to enhance the smoking of this multidimensional blend. It's worth a try to see if you can find some of the magic. Meerschaum Man Smoking an old signed Ural
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
CJ	08/06/2001	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
General Comment for All C&D Blends. So far, all my samples have burned clean and dry. They contain quality ingredients. If purchased fresh from C&D, I find that I must adjust the moisture content, and let them rest for 3-6 months before sampling. They change flavor dramatically in just a few months. #968 Odessa Looks like a tobacco that I would enjoy. It has a full range of colors. It has the cut and pouch aroma of the English blends that I prefer. The Turkish and Latakia dominate the pouch aroma. It has more than the average zing when blown out through the nose. All this being said, I find it lacking for me. I should find this to be a satisfying blend, but I do not. I notice that there is also a #968R, Red Odessa that substitutes Virginia for the Burley in #968. I will assume that the "R" version would be more appealing to me. In fact, one of my favorites is #99 Engine 99 which is described as a mixture of 968R and Pirate Kake. For those that find #99 a bit strong, and for those that lean to Burleys more than Virginia's, this could be a good middle of the road English blend. I will have to order the #968R version before making further comments.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
trevert	02/25/2001	Very Strong	Not Rated	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong	Not Rated
Here's a colorful tobacco, with bits ranging from pale yellow to dark black. The advertising claims it's a copy of Balkan Sobranie "White", but my taste buds can't find much relation between the two. I think Odessa is better, really, as evidenced by the 2 Star placement of BSW. It's a medium-strength smoke, with a dusty smell that reminds me of old libraries. It doesn't have the bite that Balkan does, and is a much smoother and mellower smoke. If it has faults, it's that, despite this mellowness, it can still be a little rough when compared to the 5 Star tobaccos. Also, the taste is good, but not exceptional - it's a hearty meat & potatoes supper to Winter's Tale's Chicken Madras.
Showing reviews 1 through 8 of 8 reviews of this tobacco