Cornell & Diehl - Strathspey pipe tobacco reviews

Review

Please log in to add or edit a review. If you do not have an account yet, you can sign up for one here.

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco
wdsmith	12/21/2009	Very Mild	Extra Strong	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable to Strong
Do not waste your money with this one. Out of the tin, it smells like the oranges that recently went bad in my fridge. When lit it is even worse. I tried letting it aire out for three weeks and still the smell is sickening.... The flavoring will light your tongue on fire at the least provocation and it completely overshadows the natural aroma of its components. When a blend is "heavy" with latakia and other orientals, and one cannot even detect a trace of that aroma when burning, then someone at the blenders has made a serious blunder. With blends that I do not care for I will usually finish out the tin or pass it on to someone who does care for it; waste not, want not, right?... This, however, is going straight to the garbage bin. 0 of four stars. If you are looking for a nice Scot's blend try Rattray's Highland Targe or Jocks Mixture. Even Mac Baren's Mixture Scottish is better than this wretched menage.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
p4p4	12/21/2008	Medium	Very Strong	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
Sorry, this is not for me ! Too much flavored.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
SirLoirn	09/26/2008	Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Tin: Mix of dark tan, with flecks of olive, ribbon and black wide cut. Latakia and butterscotch essence smell. Since it is dry, it isn't sticky. Lighting: It has burn qualities characteristic of aromatics, requiring relights, tamping, and puffing, even considering it is quite dry. Another trait of aromatics, it does give some tongue bite, even though the smoke remains fairly cool. Aroma: Soft, mellow, woodsy butterscotch. Taste: Not much at all Nicotine: mild Room Note: Similar to aroma, a little tangy, natural aroma persisting for a short while. Overall: If it's essence of butterscotch, I must like aromatics, which I smoked for years, before turning to tins. Strathspey seemed like a decent tobacco, but might not be worth a premium price. Aired Strathspey: Two weeks after opening the tin, the original aromatic blend has transformed into a true light Cavendish blend. The butterscotch flavoring has diminished, wafted off, leaving a quality light cavendish blend. Aroma & Taste: Complex, soft, mellow, woodsy, the interference of the flavoring essence no longer dominant; less tongue bite also. Originally, the flavoring essence overpowers the qualities of the tobacco leaf. Aired out, the blend displays quite good qualities of a light English blend with a good Cavendish base.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Redd	05/31/2008	Strong	Strong	Full	Very Pleasant
I am giving this blend 4 stars based on what not only what it claims to be but what it is. A classic Scotish blend. The Tin Aroam is wonderful a whiskey aroama with orientals. The latkia is there as well. It starts of with the oriental coming into play the Scotch flavor is there ever so softly and then the Latakia comes in. With a smokey blast. But the cavandish keeps it just a little mellow. Definetly not a blend for all. A must for the scottish blend smoker. A little on the sweet side but definetly a Good stuff not for everyone. You have to like all the ingredients Load of Latkia, Oriental, Cavandish & Scotch. If not then this will not be the blend for you. And who dosen't like scotch and latakia? A perfect match. Good stuf packs well lits easy and dose not loose flavor through out the bowl. Great Aroma
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Talonr1701	07/30/2006	Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Think this stuff is getting the short end of the reviews....Its pretty good I thought. Nice scottish blend- Fun to smoke- taste is pleasent. Its a sit and contemplate or take a leasurely walk kind of smoke. For me the flavors meld nicely, the scent is nice- It's not a powerhouse like the Dunhills, But a great time in the eve. Funny- It puts a friend of mine to sleep.... Try it if your new to english blends- its a great primer. *************Update. Sorry to sound like a broken record, But I have to concurr with recent opinions. My first tin of this had the picture on the top- So I never considered the date really- and I love it. Got a tin at J&R with the pic on the side, and had two bowls and hated every breath. I put it away thinking it needed time to mellow or something, But seeing these reviews- Now it clicks. Its not scotch anymore, but Butterscotch. Just tried it again to see if I felt any different- Just want to throw the pipe away with the tin. Sad....Hope He announces on the C&D website when he goes back to the original receipe. Thats when I'll try this again.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
The Unknown Piper	07/23/2006	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
emmbee	04/05/2006	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable
Too bad this tobacco doesn't get better reviews. However, I think it has to do with the fact that this blend like the single malt scotch that flavors it, is an acquired taste. There is more than a wee dram of scotch added, but unlike most other liquored blends I've tried, C & D has the mastery to marry fine whiskey with an excellent tobacco product. No other blender I've encountered is as good at it or even comes close. The scotch resembles 'Strathisla', which straddles the boundary between a heathery Speyside and a smokey, briny Islay. The tin aroma will appeal only to those who enjoy fine single malts. If this is not your taste or aroma, you probably won't like it. The true Scotch quality of the taste reminds me of the dark flintiness of 'Presbyterian Mixture' though there is no stoved Virginia, a heavier dosage of Oriental & just the right amount of spicy Latakia to keep everyone happy. The whiskey subtly adds to the bewitching taste and contemplative aroma. This is definitely one of my new favorites. I must try this with a dram of Aardbeg or Talisker. It's smooth, refined, elegant, in essence C & D perfection. Haunting & mesmerizing as the Scottish highlands, Strathspey is a gem no serious afficionado of scotch & pipe tobacco can afford to miss. A thousand accolades to what I believe more and more is possibly the world's finest tobacco blender. Magnificent! Five of five stars -------------------------- april 5, 2006 - update A friend suggested that I submit a totally new review on this one, but I prefer an update, so readers may compare the before and after. Besides that, I'm waiting for C & D to redeem itself and change the blend back so that I may write another glowing report. I share the same sentiments as distinguished's recent review. Something bad happened here. The tin I purchased at Uhle's Milwaukee was several years old and it was magnificent. Hence, my review was so different from all the others posted here. Apparently, they have only tried the recent incarnation and not the way Strathspey used to be made. There is no single malt scotch in this blend. This is ##### cologne with some type of food flavor enmeshed. The tin aroma immediately gives it away. The burn is hot, one dimensional and the taste is crappy all the way around. The room note is that of cheap booze and stale fart. Craig Tarler, if you're reading this, you've definitely saddened some loyal fans by cheapening a once unique product. If you're trying to save money, I don't see how you're doing it. If you're appealing to mass tastes, what mass tastes could there be among the eccentric world of pipe smokers? A horrible disappointment to downgrade from A+ to F-! One of five stars
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
thedstnguishdgntlmn	03/29/2006	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant
I'll keep this one short. I am writing an entirely new and different review of this blend. I had a tin dated 2003. It was great! I had a tin dated 2005. It was horrible. No single malt Scotch- just crappy liquor topping. I am becoming weary of companies constantly SCHTUPPING my wallet! They get you to like something then change it to suit the masses ( ALTHOUGH MASSES OF WHAT IN THIS CASE?).This is a prime example. If you like sweet,cheap booze, well hey then! This is your blend! A major $9.00 disappointment! Garbage! Burns hot,coats the tongue, and generally leaves one feeling outraged for buying this! 1 star. SHAME ON C&D FOR THIS!
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
CaptnDan	08/11/2004	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
Strathspey is an interesting blend from C&D. In the bag, it smelled odd ? kind of like something you should be putting around the plants in the garden, not in your pipe. But the object of this exercise is to smoke it ? and smoke it I did. One thing I thought of every time I smoked Strathspey was how much it reminded me of Syrian Trawler. Seems to be the same Latakia types and proportions. The flavor is dry, only a slight a hint of sweetness. A bold flavor without being too strong, I felt that it lacked roundness and body. The Scotch topping was very subdued, and was probably too busy working behind the scenes to come to the fore. The room note will not win friends. You will probably get ushered to the porch before you get too far past the charring light. I wouldn?t put Strrathspey in the normal categories. It?s unusual. The English + topping is done much better with this one than with Cross Eyed Cricket, but nowhere as good as Mephisto.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Big Guy	07/25/2004	Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable
I can just detect a faint hint of Scotch in this. Starts a little harsh, but finishes well and is actually quite nice. Watch your tongue on those first few puffs. Comes a little dry like all C&D products. Will look elsewhere, but may come back to.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
chaplikc	02/13/2004	Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
This one of the blends that alot of people would call a crossover blend. The aromatic agent in this is a good one to me in that it sits in the back and is a nice addition.I do not usually like blends that are heavy aromatics so I thought this was done tastefuly and some people would argue whether or not it is an aromatic or not. Either way I enjoy this . It is not a regular smoke to me, however, sometimes I get in the mood for this and am satisfied while smoking it. A high quality blend that may not work for everybody but is definately Worth a try.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
RCUSElder	09/06/2003	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This is definitely a different blend! It is in the vein of "Mephisto" in that it is not an aromatic per se, but rather an "Scottish" blend with real scotch added to it. Upon opening the tin you are instantly aware of the alcoholic topping. I recommend airing out before packing. Packing is easy, lighting is easy. Don't puff this one too quick or it will toast your tongue. I also found it is more tasty and cooler in a larger pipe.(worked well in a large Ferndown)Toward the end of the bowl a little bitterness developed but not enough to make you quit. The ash was suprisingly dry and fluffy. Bottom of the bowl was dry too. All in all this is a blend for those times you are in the mood for something different (maybe while reading John Knox's history of the reformation in Scotland?)It is not too sweet, has decent complexity. 3.5 ot of 5 points. Enjoy...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Pipestud	05/31/2003	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
Well, the first 10 or 12 puffs were good. A unique sweetness to go along with the Latakia. Then the sweetness bade me farewell and the Latakia became harsh and bitter. I smoked just one bowl of this and will now share the rest with my pipe club members. Perhaps some of them will appreciate this stuff -- I don't.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
kcook	02/02/2003	Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
smokey	11/23/2002	Medium to Strong	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
blends with latakia and orientals are among my favorites, and this is a good one. both are very evident in the first 2/3 of the bowl, with the cavendish providing just the tiniest bit of background note. the scotch casing is just detectable, which is fine with me as i like good scotch whiskey. the only slight flaw i have found is a tiny bit of harshness in the bottom of the bowl, maybe from the cavendish. it's not bad, just enough to knock this one back to a 3-star rating. my wife likes the room note, although she is much more tolerant than most women (i can smoke full latakia blends like pirate kake in the house! am i a lucky guy, or what?). it's a good tobacco that deserves consideration from any smoker wanting a scottish blend that is acceptable to others in the same room.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
BostonPipe	04/11/2002	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
An interesting blend, although a bit coarse in taste. This is definitely not a blend for the fast puffer, as a bite will appear to the front of the experience rather quickly. The farther down one goes, the greater the likelihood of this occurance. The scotch in this blend is an after thought as opposed to an active participant. While the Latakia and Turkish are present and noted, my focus is constantly on not overheating this blend. This blend could use some smoothing out, perhaps the addition of burley. For a smoother "scotch" blend, I would recommend Orlik's Scotch Blend.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
lustra	01/29/2002	Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable
Strathspey is an interesting "crossover" English; that is, a mild or medium English with some kind of aromatic dressing. In this case, the Latakia and Turkish are "civilized" with cavendish and a Scotch top dressing. In the can, this is a very short ribbon cut with a fair amount of dust showing a good balance between darker and lighter leaf. As with many C&D blends, this came too dry for my tastes, so I popped a pouch button in the can and let it sit for several weeks. The can aroma is definitely that of Latakia, but with a sweet, almost candy-like, top note. At first lighting, I notice the Latakia, but also a sweet deep undertone to the smoke that's quite pleasant. This is a smoke with a lot of "bottom end." As the bowl progresses, I notice less and less of the sweetness and more and more Latakia with even a bit of bitterness. As the smoke progresses, this blend smokes hotter and more bitterly and sort of never recovers its early promise. A good smoke gone bad...
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
bobcat13	03/19/2001	Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
This is another of C&D?s flavored Latakia blends, but this is not really an aromatic like Brigadier and Cross-Eyed Cricket are. I would put in the same category as Esoterica?s Pembroke in that it?s really an English blend with an added alcohol topping. This blend contains Latakia, Orientals, and black and light pressed Cavendish topped with Scotch. The tin aroma is a bit like butterscotch, with a rich sweetness, but the Latakia is quite apparent as well. The taste is fairly complex, with the Latakia in the fore, but the Orientals provide some nuttiness. The Scotch isn?t apparent in the taste, but it may provide some background sweetness. I really like the way this tastes. It?s biggest drawback is that it can be sharp on the tongue?deceptively so, actually, as you?re not expecting it from such a full-tasting English.
Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
trevert	02/25/2001	Medium to Strong	Not Rated	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong	Not Rated
Here's an interesting, zesty blend that works well as a change-of-pace tobacco for me. It reminds me of another C&D blend called Scot Heather, but I don't find it quite as good. While the flavor is very unique, it comes off a bit crude and direct and it's not the sort of thing I'd spend a whole evening smoking.
Showing reviews 1 through 19 of 19 reviews of this tobacco