Cornell & Diehl - 066: Star of the East pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
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Dr.sadik	01/09/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
well i like oreintals and lately ive been examining the poupular blends out there,,this one came in the Q,,teel u the truth when half of the blend is latakia u shouldnt judge by the composure of other tobaccos included bcz it will b overwhelmed,,its an oriental blend that i will assure the turkish leaf sweetness can make it out some times in the bowl by a slight spicy touch but i would say the red virginia is definitly there with very mellow effect,,amazingly the blend dosent have a knock you off your feet effect,,it needs a wide bowl to pack and enjoy though,,would like to try it from time to time but not constantly
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Tin Man	12/28/2008	Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
This review is on a 2 year old tin, which isn't finished yet. Wow, very nice! Light sweetness to start, combined with smoky, leathery tang. Toward mid bowl it settles in to a workmanlike tobacco flavor, with sweetness backing off. Not sure about the balance on this one. Don't know as I like this much Latakia. Have to wait and see how the tin empties out. Personally, I really like the room note, which doesn't seem to linger much. There some twigs in this stuff. They need to be removed, or you will get a poor pack and uneven burn, resulting in harshness and biting. This isn't a good candidate for DGT. It becomes acrid and flat.
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kppeterson	12/28/2008	Medium	None detected	Full	Strong
What a wonderful mixture. All that I have purchased has been in bulk and while it smokes wonderfully from the get go it gets even better after sitting in a Ball jar for as little as 3 to 6 months. It is a Balkan for sure and just slightly sweet from the Red Virginia and maybe the Orientals as well. Sweeter and less soapy (in the Latakia sense not Lakeland) than Pease's Odyssey, I like this much better. The Orientals are not nearly as acrid as in Abingdon, which I also enjoy and it may be a bit sweeter to my palate. As many reviews have mentioned this blend contains 50% Latakia but it is not overwhelming, then again I cannot smoke bowl after bowl of this either because it does tend to max out my taste buds for a time. This blend can be smoked anytime of day though I prefer it after breakfast or as my last pipe of the day, after dinner. It is wonderful with a coffee, sausage and eggs in the morning and unlike a mild English or Balkan it can stand up to a flavorful or spicy dinner as maybe your last pipe of the day. The aftertaste is definite Latakia and it stays in my beard and nostrils for quite a while keeping the Mrs. at bay so be forewarned. Though it doesn't develop substantially down the bowl it also does not get overly bitter as some Balkans do and finishes quite nicely. The cut is on the coarse side and packs well using many different methods. The slightly coarse cut make is a good candidate for outdoors but I do tend to pack it a bit tighter for those times if windy. Bowl size makes little difference though I do tend to prefer it in medium to large bowls. Smokes fairly cool though with effort can get a bit hot, so as always smoke slowly. Do not be put off or have and attitude about buying as a bulk (it can also be purchased in tins) because I would rank this with some of the favorite heavy Latakia blends out there such as Margate, Odyssey, Abingdon or Penzance and highly recommend it to lovers of such blends. UPDATE-12/28/08 Though I hate to do so I am down grading this one star as I feel it tends to burn a bit on the hot side which is a problem I also get with Margate. After spending some time with Pease's Westminster, Maltese Falcon and Abingdon all which burn quite a bit cooler I feel it is only fair. Still a wonderful tobacco that I will be stocking up on again in the future.
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Big bad Jon	08/26/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
With 50% of the blend being Latakia, I expected something a bit more strong than what I experienced. What instead of being a Latakia powerhouse was a bit milder than London Blend 1000 but stronger than Frog Morton Across the Pond. The Turkish was zesty and complimented the earthy Latakia. The sweet red VA, in my opinion, is what set this blend apart from others in the genre. The red VA seemed in my mind to be slightly sweet, but not as much as say a McClelland Christmas cheer. What I was unhappy about was the poor cut. It made loading a pipe an effort and even when effort was taken I could still notice some spots burned hotter than others. I did like this blend, but would like to have another tin with maybe a little better cut.
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Kleophrades	08/10/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium	Strong
A nice light Balkan with emphasis on the (tame) latakia. The other main taste is the Turkish; a tasty combination. But the red Virginia doesn't do much -- it certainly doesn't sweeten the smoke, the C&D blurb notwithstanding. As a result, Star of the East is a well-balanced but ultimately rather limited blend; it certainly doesn't develop significantly as you go down the bowl. Good for when you want a Balkan that won't wallop you on the head, and definitely worth a try. But I can't see buying it much in the future.
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Fumatore	06/07/2008	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Tolerable
I find I like this one better than most of the Balkan/?Lots of Lat? blends. I don?t get a Penzance feel or taste from ?Star? at all, but it is a heavy smoke. Pease?s English blends (while excellent) taste lighter too, or not as rich to me. To my taste, the stoved Virginias tame the Latakia and Turkish to make a cool but complex smoke. A solid smoke that I can recommend.
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Latakia	06/06/2008	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
A bit too much latakia for me but if you want a latakia blend that is smooth, this could be it. Reminded me of Odessy or Balkan Sasieni....both which I found very good and heavy on the latakia. Contrary to there brands though, SOTE is much easier to keep lit. Will put a little humidor disk in it and let it age as it should age well. Will return to it when I want a latakia overdose. Not bad but I wouldn't buy it again. Decided to go back to the review and give it a higher rating than I intially did. I began to like the high latakia content and see where this can be a special latakia smoke when wanting a full taste.
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DoctorThoss	12/16/2007	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
The most outstanding thing about this tobacco is that it's a bulk blend and priced accordingly. It's basically a medium-strength Balkan, not as complex or full-bodied as Odyssey but with a similar flavor profile (and the bonus trait of being easy to keep lit). I like the flake version of this more, but this is a pretty decent (and easy to smoke) blend. I would rate it higher, but there are many blends of this sort on the market that I enjoy far more. YMMV.
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Big Blue Jazzman	09/04/2007	Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Strong
Star Of The East will reward you with pure tobacco pleasure from start to finish. Lot's of Latakia and a good nicotine punch. Burns cool and like Mr. Chesterfield used to say, satisfies. I've got to try the flake, I'll bet it's even better. This is a man's smoke, and brother, it's a good one.
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1968Billy	06/25/2007	Mild	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant
Easier to keep lit than Odyssey, with a better, fuller taste. I can understand where both are going, just doesn't burn well enough to get me there. Merits at least 2.5 stars. The orientials add enormnous complexities (cool & smooth) just seem hard to keep lit up?
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Spike	11/25/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Strong
10/02/2004: I give this four stars even though it isn't one I smoke frequently. Too heavy on the Latakia for frequent use. Excellent stuff though for you Latikia hounds. I selected tolerable room note, but I doubt it. You S.O. will most likely protest this indoors. 11/25/2006 Update: Drop to three stars. Not in the same league as Penzance or GLP Latakia blends.
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Talonr1701	11/25/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium	Tolerable
**Update* The new version of this is in flake form, and has a substitution of Izmir turkish for the original receipe..... While this bears the same name, the blend has been significantly changed. The change of form to flake has married the flavors in a more unified way. The change to Izmir has added a spice and body that makes this a new and improved animal..... I like it and very much recomend it. The sample I got did need a bit of drying for my taste, but an hour and it was ready to go. Burning characteristics were good- Needing an occasional relight- But the blend did not suffer from DGT. Stayed tasty to the end with no bitterness. As a side note- the tin art for C&D is improving, and they are fun to leave out rather than hide them on some shelf. Kudos to the artist as well. All in all a great experience..... Ran across this is the local tobaconist in my search for something wonderful. Found this to be a great balkan. The latakia lends a great stage for the turkish and Va. to play in. Can be strong if smoked early in the am for me, but a great smoke when your in the mood for an exotic taste. Its always in my rotation. As with C&D, can be dry- throw a humidor disk in with it and let it rehydrate if you find this too be true and enjoy...
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	11/20/2006	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
If you can imagine Penzance not in flake form this would be it.This is an incredibly rich tobacco.Although it is 50% Latakia the Turkish and Virginias make their presence known.This is in line with Nat Sherman #536 with a lot more Latakia.It produces a very buttery and full flavor.Some people might detect a bitterness,and it will make itself quite apparent if smoked on the dry side. This is best "SHPRITZED" with distilled water and then allowed to sit for about 2 weeks.When this is done it will provide a wonderful after dinner companion for you and your pipe.It actually has a stong similarity to "Old Ironsides".I truly enjoy this blend about 5 times a week (after dinner). It will best be appreciated when not smoked before a meal.The room note for some odd reason is actually quite nice and dissipates quickly. 4 of 4 Latakia stars!
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dualkarnain	09/03/2006	Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong
This is a great sleeper blend that somehow hid in the back of my shelf without a thought for the past nine months. The Latakia/Oriental blending has a very interesting depth that is hard for me to describe. Praeterdimensional, I'll call it. The VA sweetens it up and the orientals are more amped up than in many blends. This is a good thing. Check it out! Images evoked: a band of marauder mercenaries, following the successful completion of a big job, visiting a house of negotiable affection.
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Pipepundit	04/11/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable
An excellent middle of the road Balkan. Satisfying in taste and nicotine, Star Of The East has a generous mouth-filling quality. It can stand up to many mixtures which are priced much higher. It lacks a certain je ne sait quoi that keeps it from being a great mixture, but it comes close to it.
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jackhackett	01/20/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
A remarkably just-right balance of components makes this an outstanding and harmonious blend; a light touch with the VA really works perfectly here. SOTE doesn't provide the heavy dose of nicotine you might expect from first inspection, though (but certainly enough for my taste personally). As usual, C&D uses quality leaf and a skilled hand, and it shows here. SOTE was a great find---thanks, SP 8-sampler pack---and I'll definitely be keeping some on hand.
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Adguru	12/21/2005	Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Strong
I love latakia better than a hog loves slop. So I read these reviews and I reach for my drool bib. Because the reviews make SOTE sound like King Latakia. Its like if Latakia was the volume control on a amp, SOTE would be pegged at 12. And, always before, I labored under a simple equation, the more latakia, the better I like a blend. Well, guess what. They were right, and I was wrong. This does have a huge amount of latakia, and no my equation no longer works, I don't like it. I'm in the boat with Devonshire. This blend is a mess. Nothing interesting, nothing satisfying, nothing to the blend. Might as well be smoking straight latakia. Anyone want to trade 8oz?
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Devonshire	09/08/2005	Strong	None detected	Very Full	Strong
I'm obviously in the minority here, but I could never learn to like SOTE. I purchased about 12oz bulk and found it to be harsh, grating, and full, without being flavourful. There was no complexity, just a smoky, burning mess. I can't figure out why others love it so. Maybe I just got a bad batch of bulk.
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Wartooth	07/11/2005	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Very Strong
This is everything I am looking for in a tobacco ... lots of latakia and turkish. Something seems out of balance, however. It has the expected C&D quality in the cut of the tobacco and the moisture level also. Burns easily. Lots of smoke. But within moments, it gets somewhat sour and bitter ... this increases as the smoke continues. Unlike other turkish blends (Durbar, etc), the bitterness overwhelms all the other components. Well worth a try to those who favor orientals.
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sasha	07/05/2005	Medium	None detected	Full	Pleasant
Nice blend, recommended for the latakia heads. Full, tasty, it doesn't evolve in a particular way during the bowl and doesn't need to do so. It's pretty straightforward from the beginning, it gives you what you want from this kind of blend without any particular jump, mantaining an high standard from the beginning to the end of the bowl.
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