Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath

This is a decidedly improved offering over what Old Grove was, but it is essentially Old Grove with the addition of some Kentucky (and it’s a plug, not ribboned). I suspect the topping is the same “pomegranate” that was used in Old Grove -- more sparingly perhaps -- but the tin note is nearly (if not virtually) identical to Old Grove: “a lively, zesty, sweet, tangy, almost indescribable fruitiness that is unlike any other tobacco I’ve encountered” (is what I wrote about Old Grove back in 2016). It’s a beautiful tin note, but I instinctively recoiled from it (PTSD from my previous experience with Old Grove), so I put it in a jar for a little over a year, and I’ve just now gotten back around to it. I believe this is what C&D had in mind when they initially put Old Grove together – they just missed the mark a bit – so, back to the drawing board, and Dreams of Kadath was the end result. The plug softens and becomes spongy after some time in solitary, and peels apart easily (reminds me of buckbean peat), though I did have to defrock a few stems of their leaf before removing them altogether. It is a complex blend that does indeed change, chameleon-like, from top to bottom, beginning to end. As a rule however, if I can’t retro-hale a tobacco, there is something wrong with it. It’s not the Burley or Kentucky (if I can retro-hale Irish Flake) . . . I suspect it’s the topping along with some PG which are the chemical culprits that are so caustic to my sinus membranes, hence, there is that. I will leave what remains of this (along with an additional tin) in the dark and quiet for another five or so years to see if anything miraculous occurs between now and then. But until that time, I can only muster a luke-warm, two-star recommend.

Not sure what Cornell & Dielhl were aiming at with Dreams of Kadath, but I’m pleased to report they’ve hit the bullseye in terms of the smoke! It’s nothing if not “different” from the many tobaccos I’ve smoked, and in this case, that’s mostly all to the good. Like it or not, this is a complex, multi-faceted, “kitchen sink” blend, and I find myself thinking it through again as I type this review. To begin with, my tin of DoK was filled with a very loosely pressed block or “mat” of chewed up, partial leaves (including veins and stems) that look like rejects and leftovers from other, more serious efforts. Colors range from golden tan, to British khaki, to dark brown, all very “natural”, as though the usual processing was interrupted mid-process. The leaf remnants pull off the mat quite easily, but they are tough, so they don’t easily tear into smaller pieces, and I’ll address this, anon. I was immediately smitten with the tin note, which starts as something like an exotic, fruit blossom brandy - maybe plum or pear - that I hoped would come through in the smoke. The proof-y part of the topping soon evaporates, and the tobaccos come up some, but the ethereal, plum/pear blossom thing hangs on. For my first smoke, I just ripped up some roughage as best I could to stuff a bowl. After that, I tried to have serrated utility scissors on hand, to cut the leaves into manageable pieces. Although I followed my usual protocol and smoked my first bowl right from the tin, and it can be smoked like this, I dried it out a little after that, and the actual smoking notes in this review are based on chopping, re-blending, and some drying. Chopped to size, dried some, and loosely packed, DoK lights and burns fine, and it smells and tastes great while it’s burning. Indeed, the liqueur is even more fragrant when it’s smoked, and the butt ugly leaves smell and taste like heaven, right from the match. My first few smokes were all good, also each was different from the previous smokes, owing, I supposed, to the “variety of varietals” I happened to wind up with for each smoke. Despite all the smokes were good, I finally decided to cut up and “re-blend” all the DoK before I put it into jars, “reasoning” that would “best represent” “what the blenders had in mind” (like I could know that…). Since then, I’ve dried it to suit myself and stuffed it loosely each time, in deference to the Katarini, which is always important, through all the twists and changes as other varietals rise and drop back during each smoke. For all the listed tobaccos, they speak together in tongues rather than separate or individual voices, even as the blend entire establishes its own overall character. Think, kaleidoscope. Mainly, the Katarini plus the Perique and the liqueur come across like exotic, spicy, slightly musty, woody meadow flowers and exotic fruit, both sweet and sour, with just a little meadow grass and wood resin, along with some salted, slightly smoky meat from the KY. The Burley adds nuts, butter, and some bitterness. The VAs are both smooth and piquant, quite fragrant, and sweet, and they certainly provide some needed structure to DoK. The Cavendish is both sweet and sour. The lot has some soft baking spices from top to bottom. There is tons of smoke. The most notable variable is the KY. It comes on pretty strong from time to time, adding both depth and ultimately power to the smoke. Strength is stealthy, rising slowly to strong. Tastes rise faster or slower to full. The room note strikes me as divine when I smoke this, but I know better, based on feedback on Turkish, KY and Perique. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, lingering on and on, which I suppose owes mostly to the VAs and KY.

I guess the main thing I want to say in closing is that I recommend an open mind and some patience in dealing with what is actually – in “practical” terms - sort of a weird pipe tobacco. If good weird is something you might like, give Dreams of Kadath a try. Some have mentioned that DoK is like GLP’s Temple Bar. I agree, and I’ll add that Temple Bar is to Dreams of Kadath as Thoreau is to Blake! 4 stars, and keep ‘em coming, C & D! For what it’s worth, I am betting that DoK will age very well.

The tin note smells of a CAO cigar—slightly sweetened. The Katerini first hits my senses leaving some nutmeg spiciness at the tip of the tongue. The burley is very present. The dark fired Kentucky gives off a little smoked oak flavors. The Perique gives a little spiciness but not much. The blend is a quite complex and takes time to decipher. It honestly shocked my senses at first. It definitely reminds me of the clove cigarettes that I smoked in my youth. It is not a blend I could smoke throughout a day, but a nice excursion away from my regular rotation. There is no bite.

Im still a relative newbie at 18 months, so my palate is still very much a work in progress. This blend though is so very complex to me. May I just suggest to new smokers like myself, give this a try, it’s worth the effort just to try to identify the myriad of flavours. A wonderfully contemplative exercise. And isn’t that what pipe smoking is all about? A note of thanks to all the other more experienced reviewers here, too. Your reviews really help us newbies to find these surprisingly lovely blends.

As a fan of Cornell & Diehl in general, as well as trying new and different-style tobaccos -particularly in summer when Latakia-based blends can sometimes feel a bit "hot", I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it hit well wide of the mark for me in several ways.

As other reviewers have noted, Dreams of Kadath does have a fruit topping, but reminiscent of the way red wine can have a fruity essence. Initially, it is unusual and somewhat intriguing. By mid-bowl, however, this fruitiness turns decidedly soapy, much like a scented bar hand soap, and this will be the dominant flavor for the remainder of the smoke. It does burn cool and without bite, but can be a challenge to keep lit and is prone to gurgle. Care must also be taken not to be overzealous with the tamper, as it can easily become compressed. Add in that this is a plug, which requires some significant preparation time, and the experience simply isn't worth the effort.

It's a "heady" smoke (made more so with occasional required hard-puffing) and the tobaccos are no doubt of very high quality, but I did not find the topping to be as subtle as others have suggested and after a time the prominent scented-soap character was all I could discern. Sadly, it's not something I can recommend even to the more adventurous pipe smoker.

"Dreams" and I started off on the wrong foot. When I first opened the tin, I was overwhelmed by the boozy topping that almost slapped me in the face. After opening a tin that had about five months or more in age, I cut the plug into thin flakes and stuck them I my pipe. At first blush, all I could taste was the topping. It settled down a little bit, but was still overwhelmingly present. I tried another bowl the next day and left the top off overnight. The topping was less pungent than before, so I tried it again the following day. The third time was nearly identical to the second. I was at a loss and didn't mess with it for a while after that.

I had nearly given up on it and threw it into a mason jar. Several months later, I saw the jar and decided to give it a whirl. The topping, though still present, was quite subdued and enhanced the tobaccos, rather than obscuring them. I found "Dreams" to be a quite nice Virginia?Oriental plug with some strength and unique flavor. I really like the stuff now and have been smoking a bowl at least once a week for the past couple months. I have another tin sitting in the closet with the rest of my "cellared" tobaccos. It now has close to two years on it, so when I finish the jar of "Dreams" that I am dipping into, I will open it up and start with it not long afterward. I'll see if I have to leave the lid off the tin for at least a night again. All in all, a really interesting and enjoyable tobacco. Just needs some preparation. At least for me, anyway.

Recommended! I don't think I can give this blend more than 3 stars. the preparation required to get it to the point that I enjoy it is a bit much. However, once it's at that point, I find it a rich, satisfying, and enjoyable smoke. It won't replace Temple Bar as one of my top plug Virginia/Oriental blends, however.

The aroma from the tin is delightful, it reminds me of apple cider with sherry notes. Of course it’s an added aroma, but yet it smells very natural. The plug is not very hard and its rather easy to cut, though not in perfect flakes as the plug is quite soft offering little resistance. After that, a little rubbing is needed and the tobacco is ready to let dry a few minutes and then smoke. I find that a little drying is essential to Dreams of Kaddath.

The plug (or rather cake) consists of leafs pressed on upon another which can also be pealed off and then torn apart with the fingers. It’s a wonderful tobacco, real tobacco taste with the added aroma which complements and does not overwhelm though it has some bitter notes. It’s only a once in a while tobacco for me, but I quite enjoy a bowl here and now. Dreams of Kaddath is a blend which will appeal to smokers of plain and flavoured blends alike. Unlike most aromatics it smokes to end very nicely and the ghosting does not last for long.

The tin note was a raisin/dried apricot aroma. It wasn't overpowering, but it was snappy. My immediate reaction: "this is going to smoke like a bowl of apricot jam... yuck!" I was wrong - The cake is more like a plug, albeit moist and reminded me of the old "Days O's Work" plug chaw. It was moist and pulled apart/rubbed easy. Again, the Apricot aroma was up front during these manipulations... I was reluctant to break-in my new Molina Barrasso Unfinished with a sweet aromatic, but I dove in. To complete the experience, I put on Ian Gordon's audible version of HP Lovecraft's The Shunned House. The bowl packed easy but not tight. Charring light needed to be a bit more sustained to get the ruby. Tamping and re-lighting was probably not the best approach, but the pick worked well. I had several re-lights throughout the bowl, but not a problem. It is floral and not overly sweet. The tin note and the apricot faded into the background - gone! Replaced by orientals. This was really a unique smoke. I would give it a week to dry out a bit and it should be improved. It was a cool smoke and not complex. Had some finish notes of English quality like a charcoal fire. I like it and would probably buy it again.

Dreams of Kadath: Pushing the bounds of pipe tobacco blending in the best possible way

With Dreams of Kadath, I was pleasantly surprised by new flavors I had not tasted in pipe tobacco. C&D's use of Katerini is exquisite. It adds a pleasant sourness and a bit of spice. The Virginia varietals provide a tangy, grassy, and slightly sweet foundation. The burley, perique, and dark-fired add to the body of the smoke. The dark-fired leaf adds an oak-fired flavor to the blend and plays well with the tanginess of the red Virginia leaf and the spice of the Katerini. The perique adds a little spice but remains mostly in the background. Together, the tobaccos offer a pleasant earthy, sweet, and interesting smoke that behaves well.