Cornell & Diehl Vieux Carré

The brown Virginia provides a bit of ripe dark fruit and earth with a touch of citrus and a couple blades of grass. The lighter Virginia is citrusy with a hint of tartness and grass in a minor position. They form the base of the blend. The dry, woody, mildly floral and spicy, lightly buttery sweet and sour Izmir is an ever present supporting player. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a moderate presence that mostly underscores the experience, though there are times it does just a little tad more than that. It never competes with the other varietals as it tends to be a complimentary addition. The deeply rich whiskey does tone down the tobaccos a little with a sweet smoothness without overwhelming the tobaccos, making this lean toward being an aromatic English. No chance of bite or harshness even when pushed. The nic-hit is mild. The strength is slightly past the mild to medium level while the taste borders on medium. Well blended, it burns at a reasonable pace for a broken flake, cool and clean with a very smoothly consistent flavor from start to finish. Leaves very little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights for a cut of this kind. Burns to ash with little trouble. Has a very pleasant, slightly lingering after taste and room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks