Cornell & Diehl Bluegrass

I like this blend, but it took me a few bowls to decide that. There is some cigar leaf in here. Although its not overwhelming, it was a little offputting at first. But, as it dried out a bit, the cigar backed off and the kentucky got to shine a little bit.

Overall, this is a Va/Per with a kentucky backbone and a touch of cigar leaf. A nice twist, good for a little diversity when I'm feeling bored with my usual go-tos. The sweetness is very restrained, the nicotine fairly mild-med, and the tobacco is obviously very high quality. I'll keep some of this around for when I'm in the mood. I may even buy a few tins with my next order and see how it cellars....

Appearance: 2 ounce tin had a package date of "July 20, 2022." The blend itself is a roughly chopped wide banded, dominated by yellow and orange Virginia. Kentucky is considerably inferior in quantity, and perique is rare. The quality of cut is as if the tobacco was chopped by hand, in my day I cut such a wide, rough ribbon of tobacco leaf myself with a very sharp knife. Completing the resemblance to the homemade blend, the tobacco is a little dry, although it packs well into the pipe.

Flavor: even though the tobacco had been in the glass for about three months and should have weathered a bit, I was greeted from the jar with a powerful smell of figs. I was even a bit surprised, as usually this kind of smell accompanies large quantities of perique. Also, I could almost immediately smell the slight aroma of brine that sometimes accompanies perique. However, the fig abundance quickly wore off, and the overall bouquet was made more characteristic of Virginia notes - dry hay, grass, some bread, the sweetness of dried fruit, and the merest bit of citrus zest. A chocolate note from the Kentucky made its way to the overall bouquet, its nutty and woody notes remained in the background, and the smoky notes were virtually absent from the flavor, which confirmed my opinion of the relatively small amount of this tobacco in the blend. Overall, the flavor of the tobacco is quite harmonious and light, although some smokers may be misled by the strength of the tobacco by its initial strong fig note.

Taste: Certainly, the manufacturer didn't lie - my pipe had what is called a "Virginia-based” blend. First and foremost, the flavor consisted of fruity, woody, and herbal notes. The slightly Kentucky bitter-almond note was in the background and began to fade quite quickly, and the chocolate was almost imperceptible. As for the perique, its spiciness and slight allspice were almost imperceptible, but still remained in the taste. Closer to the middle of the pipe, I could tell I was smoking a mixture of Virginia and perique with a bit of Kentucky mixed in, rather than the other way around. In the bents, however, the Kentucky notes are a little more noticeable. The blend initially lacked harshness in flavor, and by about the second third, its taste could compete with some European blends in mildness - and this despite the fact that the can was sealed less than a year ago. The tobacco smokes surprisingly cool, slow, dry enough, but still leaves some moisture in the pipe, burning almost completely into an ash of almost white color. The strength of the tobacco I would classify as medium, in very large pipes it is possible to have a nicotine hit. The aftertaste is woody, a little bitter, not persistent.

The smoke from the tobacco is light, has a woody, slightly spicy smell, and is almost invisible in the room.

What's the result? A very good all-day tobacco, whose advantages I can attribute to the light flavor and good smoking temperature, which makes it a good choice for a beginner. But for the experienced pipe smoker it can be a bit boring. As for its aging - I have another tin that I intend to open after five years. Then we'll see.

I enjoy all types of pipe tobacco blends. They all have their merits, but for me, my bread and butter are the Virginia based blends. While I am certainly not a novice pipe smoker, I am very far from being an expert in any way when it comes to evaluating a tobacco blend. That being said, I can state with confidence that I have had the opportunity to experience a wide array of Virginia based tobacco blends, and while I may not be a scholar in the topic, I feel well experienced.

I can tell you this is a very fine Virginia based blend.

The description tells us this is a Virginia blend that includes perique and dark fired Kentucky. Now perique can be a main driver in a blend or really take a back seat, but usually, for me, dark fired Kentucky makes it presence known.

Upon opening the tin I get a nice sour fermented Virginia smell instead of the sweet Virginia smell that you often get. I also noticed the dark fired Kentucky in the tin note. A sweet Barbecue smell. This is a chunky ribbon cut based tobacco with various bits of flake that escaped the breaking apart process. Mostly a medium brown color with a few splashes of bright. The moisture content was perfect for me fresh form the tin and this tobacco packed and lit with ease.

I was immediately greeted with a warm Vaper type taste. Not too bright, not too dark, right in the middle. Occasionally that sweet high end Virginia would pop its head up, but these moments were fleeting. The perique is there, but not super prominent. The Kentucky I expected to get was not very prominent either. This is a well balanced blend. All of the components working together, none of which are hogging the spotlight. As the bowl progresses the DFK and perique start to pick up steam but in a nice warming way, and this is to be expected.

Overall this is a well balanced, expertly crafted blend of very fine tobaccos. That being said why am I only giving it 3 stars instead of 4? As good as this was, and I will finish it, and would buy it again someday, nothing really popped for me in a major way. Sometimes a good cup of coffee is a good cup of coffee, and sometimes the flavor nuances are mind blowing. This blend is (and pairs really well with) a good cup of coffee.

I am a bit disappointed in this blend. I was expecting it to be more flavorful and complex. I get overwhelming Kentucky taste and not much more from Bluegrass. It's harsh and rather boring to my taste. I don't care for the rough cut or the fast burn rate either. It's not the worst blend I've ever smoked but it's a Hell of a long way from the best. I won't be buying again.

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04-04-22: I was gifted a tin of Bluegrass with about 1.5 yrs. age on it. I thought what the Hell, I'll give another try. Either my taste has dramatically changed over the past months or a bit of age goes a long way with this blend. I actually enjoy it now! One of my favorite morning smokes. The overwhelming Kentucky/Burley flavor I disliked so much on my first try seems to have considerably toned down with age. Easily 3.5 stars for me.