Cornell & Diehl Mad Fiddler Flake

On opening the tin I find about inch and a half long thick ribbons of medium brown tobacco. Everyone has his "experience" of the tin aroma. FWIW it's like the sweet smell of fresh bread dough and mild incense. Comes moist in the tin but smokes well without drying. Whatever you think about this tobacco it's not boring. Against a solid backround of cavendish (not too sweet) and virginia (not too sweet) is the perique just at the edges and the prominent cigar leaf which is spicy and not quite floral. A very interesting smoke. Burns fairly cool, no bite. My daily smoke is Havana Daydream, so I'm no stranger to cigar leaf based pipe tobacco, but this is in a different category. If I could only use one word it would be "spicy". Not quite a "4" yet but could see how that would be others ratings.

So my first review.

I had this tin imported for me by friend who was visiting USA, as C&D blends are almost impossible to get in EU. I saved it for some special occassion, which showed, so I popped the tin with a new pipe.

First the tin aroma - to me? Heavenly. I have to oppose those that say prunes or apricots. What I smell (confirmed by wife, and I did not tell her my impression so it´s 100% her, and she can smell things I can only dream of) is sour cherry liquor pralines - sour cherries, that tangy smell of alcohol, dark chocolate, some spice, the cinnamon sounds about right, but also some more spicy tones.

To me this translated to the taste a bit, which is definitely fine by me. The smoke was nice, had to relight, but well I was impatient - out of the tin,this needed some drying time.

There´s base of virgina notes, with the peculiar taste of ... I´d say the Kasturi - something between cigar, incense, and smell of spice on tongue, assisted by the Perique in the background that adds the amount of pepper and dried fruit taste.

It got a bit rought during the end, but that I assume was the wet tobacco - as stated above, I should have given it more drying time.

Overall, I really like this blend, but be aware. I´m used to tobacco, but this one kicked my arse - sometimes, when not in good condition (hydrated and not empty stomach) I get this, and I was light headed etc. It was pretty strong.

Bought this from an online vendor as it was marketed as a non-aromatic and C and D did not list it in the aromatic categories. The tin note made me quite suspicious about the non-aromatic status.

Had it run on gcms and found that it is in fact an aromatic. First, this thing contains a big slug of propylene glycol, the artificial solvent used for flavorings. Aromatic or not, this stuff being used as a flavor carrier or as a humectant is a major disapointment to find in any tobacco and I am hopeful that I do not find it again. In this case it was a flavor solvent as the analysis detected a bunch of chemicals that have no business being in tobacco claiming to be a non aromatic such as ethyl butyrate and other fruity esters common in artificial flavorings.

The fact that this stuff is marketed as a non-aromatic, treating tobacco connoisseurs like kids looking to vape a bubblegum concoction is disappointing.

I'll be checking any blend I buy going forward as when I smoke tobacco and try to decipher and enjoy flavors I want to know that that is what I am doing and not naively interpreting the nuances of whatever toxic fruity stew in artificial solvent from some chemistry lab I'm lighting on fire.

In the trash this crap goes. No offense to those who enjoy aromatics, to each his own. But I would prefer to not smoke them and was under the impression that suppliers and dealers were honest brokers on that point. As an aromatic this stuff might be great but as a non Aromatic, as it was marketed to me, I cannot recommend it obviously.

First off, this blend's room note will not make you any friends. It is one of the few that my wife cannot stand. With that out of the way, it is a good cigar leaf blend. The tin note is unlike anything I have smelled before. It is a touch reminiscent of deer tongue blends that I've had before, but it is still odd. It is a robust smokey blend from the beginning to the end and has quite a nic hit. Every now and again, there is a sweet, grassy flavor that weaves in and out. Mad Fiddler Flake is a perfect blend for those moments when you are craving a cigar, but don't want to drop the money on a stick. I've been enjoying it in these hot summer months when a regular Balkan or English blend seems too heavy. As always, your mileage may vary; if you are not a fan of potent blends with strong room notes, then stay clear. On the other hand, this might just be your new cigar blend if you are looking for a robust one.

Mad Fiddler Flake is an enjoyable, but unique, tobacco blend from Jeremy Reeves. I find it difficult to put it into any category. Oh, there are some categories I can definitely rule out, but it's really neither fish nor fowl. Once the tin is popped, you are greeted with a a healthy topping of something like an herbal booze, if that makes sense. Cannot put my finger on it in the slightest. The topping, however, is not overwhelming to me. The flake is quite moist and can be difficult to keep lit without some drying time. I have had my tin open for over a month and it's still quite damp.

Upon lighting the blend, I was a little surprised by the flavor. It was quite unlike any tobacco I have had before; Not bad, just different. My wife smelled it when I was smoking it and asked what smelled like cloves. I assumed that it was the Kasturi in the blend, as Kasturi is supposedly used in clove cigarette manufacture. At any rate, I do really enjoy this one. It's a solid 3.5 stars. Definitely worth a try.

I bought this at our pipe club the other day and have been smoking it some throughout this week. Upon opening the tin dated 042518 I was hit with a very strong pungent smell that some other reviewers have described as spicy. The broken flake was very moist. For not being an aromatic this sure was pretending to be one so far. This has cigar leaf in it and since I am not a tobacco leaf expert, I googled Kasturi and one of the first things that popped up was deer musk. My first thought was I have had Musk Cologne but never in a pipe tobacco. I searched a little further and find this link, https://www.wholeaf.com/wholesale-tobacco/tobacco-leaves/cigar-tobacco-filler-leaf/indonesian-kasturi-cigar-filler/. Kasturi is an Indonesian cigar filler leaf that is primarily used to produce local Kretek (clove) cigarettes as stated on this website. So, with that dilemma resolved I fired it up. The tin note does not transpire much into the smoke but I also read this could be a ghoster so I used pipes that I was comfortable with in taking the chance. This to me is an odd blend and though I am sure good quality leaf and blending expertise I cannot begin a love affair with this one. So, I am giving this a two star only because I just don’t dig it that much. Glad I got to try it I may add but that is as far as it goes.

Hmm... A most Eldritch blend. VaPer-ish, but not really. There is pepper, there is stewed fruit and bread, but there is something... Other. Sweet spices, leather, and a sweet woodiness wend in and out. Perhaps that's the Kasturi? Refuses to bite, but the spice can get a tad overwhelming if pushed too fast. The room note is something you will have to try to judge; my wife is not a fan, but many customers at my part-time job (A B&M that sadly doesn't carry this) adore it. Strength is another factor that can be polarizing; this is a stronger Tobacco (though not in the same category as 1792, there are notable similarities in the taste), and one just he sure to fill your belly and a glass of water at hand. I cannot determine if there is in fact a top-note; the tin note is intoxicating, rather like a fine holiday fruitcake. Because of this, there may be some added top note, although it may be the combination of the tobaccos. Regardless, this has become my new favorite of The Old Ones, and is becoming one of my favored blends; enough so to cellar en masse. Much like the manic notes of Erich Zann, it is at the same time alien, unsettling, and deeply fascinating. Update 11/02/21: I still have this constantly on hand, but I will make a disclaimer: it benefits immensely from at least 6 months of age. Fresh off the line, it has an unpleasantly sweaty/cheesy smell that carries into the smoke. Green Perique, I would wager. Just means I need to plan ahead and keep at least 3 tins in reserve at all times.

If you like complex blends that tend to make other people run, this one is for you. The tin note immediately made me think of SG 1782. There is a little.something extra there in the fruits and spices department. It smells and tastes so familiar one one hand, but then you can only come close.to describing which actual fruits you taste. Plum? Maybe. Prune? Closer but not quite so dried. Spices are close to cinnamon, but not really. Whiskey soaked raisins? Maybe. Bready for sure. None of these flavors can be 100% identifiable which is what makes it so enjoyable. There is a background tangy vinegar or yeasty feel like drinking a porter. Earthy and damp like walking in a mossy hardwood forest. Straight from the tin with no dry time it lights right up. Stays lit and has a nice slow and cool burn. Baby soft on the palate, but by no means mushy or goopy. Just very soft and round. The complexity is amazing as throughout the bowl it brings you on a roller coaster of flavors and sensations in your mouth. Whatever you do, I wouldn't dry it very much. It loses something if you do. Have your self a cold beverage on hand and enjoy the journey. Deep narrow bowls are best.

Ce tabac ne ressemble à aucun autre. L'odeur dans la boîte est très singulière, sentant fort la terre retournée, le fungus, les feuilles macérées, un peu d'épices comme de la pomme cannelle. S'allume facilement dans la pipe. L'odeur est très plaisante, envoûtante même si elle peut désarçonner au début. Chacune des pipes fumées avec ce tabac étaient légèrement différente de la dernière. Globalement, en bouche, j'ai un goût de terre légèrement différent de celle de la boîte, boisé, mais toujours avec cette impression de fungus. Globalement très très agréable, avec une "ombre" en fond. J'ai toujours du mal à trouver avec exactitude les goûts ressentis, c'est vraiment un tabac qui n'a pas de pareil. C'est le premier de la série The Old Ones que je fume, et c'est un tabac que je rachèterai par la suite, propice à l'introspection et à la méditation. Le fait que le tabac ait attendu un an doit jouer dans cette impression d'ensemble de sensations plutôt que des à-coups de saveurs. Note : c'est un des seuls tabacs que je fume sans filtre, et il est assez fort, qui va crescendo lors du fumage, et dont il faut un peu se méfier, à ne pas fumer trop vite. Chose qui me frappe : à chaque fumage, c'est toujours avec une certaine déception que je constate que la pipe est finie.

Edit : Je viens de terminer la boîte, et ce tabac m'a quand même surpris, j'ai fait un choc nicotinique alors que j'en ai fumé un grand bol en n'ayant pas mangé.