Cornell & Diehl Innsmouth

I’m really enjoying this blend. I might just make it a favorite.

When I cracked the tin, I got a sweet cocoa note. The tin note was so sweet I almost thought this blend was supposed to be an aromatic. After an hour or two of airing out, it transitioned into a natural va/per/or blend similar to McC’s Tudor Castle or Pease’s Cairo. This blend has a beautiful ribbon cut that almost rival’s Dunhill’s, and a moisture content that is ready to smoke after a few minutes of dry time. The smoke is fantastic. It starts with woody and spicy Perique and oriental notes, with a subtle sweetness. After mid-bowl, the sweet and tangy Virginia’s take over. I’m almost through my first tin, and I’m ready to order more. I haven’t had a blend grab me this quickly in awhile. I’m looking forward to seeing if it stands the test of time. Four stars so far...

It's late and I'm pushing my 70th b'day. Short post. I've been smoking a pipe for almost 50 years. This is my favorite tobacco ever. My tastes have moved towards the light Balkan blends, then towards the same mixtures without any latakia. I need about 5 tobaccos (though I may have 500+ stored) -- Provost, H&Hs, Red R., etc. Anyway, my favorite tobacco from first light to finishing puff.

Innsmouth, from Wikipedia is a fictional town created by American author H. P. Lovecraft as a setting for one of his horror stories. From www.sekesa.com, “The Katerini Tobacco variety is known to be one of the finest in the world. It grows in very few regions of the world, one of which is Katerini region of Greece. Katerini Tobacco belongs to the "flavoring" tobacco types and is used by tobacco industries mainly to add flavor.” Now that the history lesson is out of the way, on with the review. I bought this tin the other day dated 080818 which gave it a good year of age already. The tin note is a strong, sweet, slightly sour-ish smell. It appears to be your typical ribbon cut and is easy to pack into your pipe. The smoke is of a sweet, cigarette (Turkish) taste that is really light tasting to the palate, in other words, no Latakia in this blend. You can really taste the Katerini and I find this one a refreshing change of pace. Kind of in a category of its own. I might even buy a couple for down the road. If you are looking for something different and like Macedonian leaf give this one a try.

Bourbon and vanilla with your Orientals? Me neither; or so I thought before I tried this blend. My tin of C&D’s Innsmouth was just over a year old when I popped it. It smelled like cocoa laced granola, with attitude, with some vanilla, but no "Bourbon". The moist, short ribbons range from khaki to light and medium reddish browns, to medium and very dark brown, nearly black, reflecting the listed varietals. I’ve had no trouble with loading, lighting or smoking it right down, although it is very sooty, so I recommend having a couple of pipe cleaners at hand when smoking Innsmouth. For me, the “right pipe” for Innsmouth is a large-ish one that’s free from Latakia or DFK, and that’s also had a prep bowl or two run through it. This way, there are nice, subtle side notes along with the main themes. If I hadn’t been told otherwise, I would have supposed Innsmouth contains some codger-ish Burley, because it is slightly floral and earthy in that way, and there is also some tannic sharpness and bitterness, not overwhelming, but “bracing”, for sure. Absent this, I look next to the VA’s, which seem to be stout, also vaguely musty and earthy, a little grassy, and more grain-y. After the pipe is prepped, there is a nice balance of savory, woody kabob and sour Middle Eastern bakery spices from the Orientals and some sour, spicy prune from the Perique, which pretty much stays melded with the Orientals throughout the smoke. The Cav may well smooth things, but “smooth” is not the first word that comes to mind for Innsmouth, as it is rather “prickly”, or “sparkly”, through the smoke. The Cav also amplifies by contrast the sourness from the Orientals while adding some sweetness, and it may well be the source of the cocoa, which fades considerably soon after the tin is opened. As for the "Bourbon and vanilla sauce", it is very restrained, indeed, but whatever it really is it remains throughout the smoke in fragrance and in tastes, and it works for me, reversing my initial misgivings. Despite Innsmouth burns quickly, I leave it fairly loose in the bowl, in deference to the Orientals, and I’ve gotten to where I puff away, once it’s well lit, pressing but holding on to the complexities. For me, smoking it like this, the strength is past medium, and the tastes are also past medium. I like the room note, but it’s probably enjoyed by pipe smokers only. The aftertaste is a fairly fast trailing off of the best of the smoke. FWIW, I suspect this blend will age well, and rest certainly has not hurt it, so far. Rounded up to 4 stars.

Update: 02-05-20: With this much rest, I'm thinking the "strange" additive is tonquin. Not so much as 1792, for instance, but it's there, all right. First Oriental blend with tonquin I can remember trying.