As for me, I had a tin of this weed open for more than two years. I tried a bowl and found it to be like smoking Hawaiian Punch (the red kind), but not in the good way (is there a good way?). Instead of the harmonious blending of rich flavors that I get from other C. and D. blends in which each taste supports and enhances the others, in Cricket the flavors clash in a cacophany of nastiness. Over the course of two years, I tried the stuff over and over, each time hoping that I'd find something about it to like, and each time I got the same horror. After more than two years, with about 1/4 of the tin remaining, a carpeting of mold appeared on what was left and I finally had an excuse to toss the thing out. I have subsequently tried Cricket several more times, at pipe shows, just in case I'd gotten a bad tin. But, no, they're all bad.

Curious? Try it, you may just enjoy it!

Fruity flavors dilute as the bowl progresses. About a quarter of the way into the pipe, it did remind me of those fruity, syrupy rum drinks they’re always handing you on cruises. The spice tobaccos reach through the casing, clearly discernable underneath the Luden’s Cough Drops and blackberry wine. The lighter dose of casing, and the fine tobaccos being allowed to show themselves, make this a fun and interesting smoke.

My only complaint is the strength is a little on the weak side. And in my opinion, the whole thing could have benefited from a dose of matured Virginia to prop up the Cavendish and whip the berries into shape.

The tin was opened three days ago, I smoked it with my Karl Erik freehand pipe. It may require some lights at the beginning, and once it is lit, it is easily burned through the bowl, giving adequate tamping from time to time of course.

The flavory is excellent. This is so far the first Latakia tobacco I smoked and I like it very much. This will absolutely be on my next purchase list. Highly recommended when you watch a videos and would like to have something to smoke.

=== Updated on 28th Dec. 2008. ===

Ok, I have had some second thoughts about this blend. I have finished most of the tin. But the pleasure that I have had during my first bowl is gone. Now it seems a little more spicy than before. Maybe because the leaves are not well mixed. When I packed my first bowl there were only large leaves but there are littles ones hidden beneath the huge-leaf layers. Perique I assume? It is still good tobacco and is good to enjoy a bowl from time to time, but it definetly will not be my everyday blend any more.

Downgraded to 3 stars.

It is not a crossover like the tin will tell you. Maybe it is a crossover in a sense that I do not understand such as production technique, but it is an all out aro in flavor.

I only bought this because it was on sale. I would normally not try anything that I thought might be an aro except Autumn Evening which is the only aro that I have liked.

It has changed a bit over the years, Cornell & Diehl has changed packaging also, my first tin of this was in a brass colored tin with the ?coffee filter?, the second two tins came with a 16mm film canister with a vacuum sealed bag (traded for a tin of McCranie?s ?83 red ribbon) and now the tin is like the one McClelland?s use. Also, this use to be a pressed cake form (have an old tin to prove it) now it is a ribbon. The one thing that hasn?t changed?the tobaccos (however it seems to have more Turkish and less Latakia) and ?lightly flavored with rum punch? topping.

Now for the review, this is heavily cased in a fruit punch concoction that has a musty smell from the Latakia and a spice from the Perique when the tin is opened. However, the smoking qualities are a bit different. When you first light this, the palate and room is overwhelmed by the fruity nature of the casing and the Turkish leaps out at you. (At least in the latest blend tin; labeled on the bottom as #120705 I guess that means it was tinned 07/05?) Then you get a very tasty smoke down to about the halfway point if you smoke it quickly you will get bitten so in that respect I cannot give this four stars. Then this morphs into a wicked Perique war on the senses, spice, nicotine and a clearing of the punch with a whole separate punch. The smoke finished with a mottled grey and dark grey ash with absolutely no ?goop?.

This is a pipe tobacco that in my opinion has to be tried by all aromatic smokers, but the pure VA and English smokers might want to try this as a change of pace or to please the ladies.

Update: What a fun blend. There are some that will disagree, but what fun is that?