Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath

Dreams of Kadath just didn’t do anything for me, the smoke tasted similar to having a lukewarm glass of unsweetened iced tea. It wasn’t really bad, it just wasn’t at all good, the spicy flavor others have noticed came across to me as an indistinct cigar store smell, I don’t know how else to phrase it. The overall taste was flat and uninspired.

Tin note of spices, mild barbeque, and sugared Rasins. The dark brown, tan and black marbled plugs need cut thin with a razor or thin sharp knife. Rubs out easily, may need a bit of drying. Burns slow with a few extra relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is medium, with notes of licorice and stone fruits?. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with complex notes of dry earth, sweet raisin bread, floral, herbal grasses, lemon zest, peaches, spice, sour plums, smoky charred wood, toasted nuts, mildly spicy, sugary background note, and a moderately peppery retro. Team Virginia & Perique are barely leading Team Katerini & Cavendish with Kentucky supporting both. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is my jam.

A plug -- not a krumble kake -- was fully expected upon opening this tin dated 08/23/19. The age, the reputation and descriptions, and the fact that it is my first plug, are what forced my hand to give this a try: I was honestly excited to use my Gerber folding knife to slice off some fine flakes.

One of the first things to note is, of course, the powerful tin note: a plummy, boozy fragrance that reminded me at once of C&D's Black Frigate. But from the first light and initial puffs, I knew this would be a very different smoke from BF.

The aroma of that smoke! That's what I'll remember most, seeing that the taste was so complex and ever changing (but never in a disjointed way) that it is hard for me to put a finger on it. I could taste the Virginias and Kentuckys at times, and the Perique, of course, though not so much the BC (which no doubt added to the rich creaminess of smoke). The Katerini, however, was likely adding some mysterious and spicy elements that I couldn't quite grasp. Perhaps if I could taste it in isolation, I'd have a better sense of what was going on.

I think I will have to come back to this one for better notes, but it is a very full flavor experience, and even stronger effect in the vitamin N department: I was glad I stuck with my smaller bowled "taster" meer for this. And I am glad I waited nearly two years to open the tin. Though I would have liked to try it a couple years down the road. I could always jar up half the cake and forget about it. Hmm, tempting ...

I'm putting this at 3.5 stars, but rounded down, noting that it is probably best for the experienced smokers, so tread lightly!

I do not understand the ratings and the reviews stating that the topping is mild or subtle. To me the berry topping is the main thing about this blend, and it is medium to strong. It is very much well done though, stays till the end, and isn't cloying. It is very sour, as forest berries tend to be. The tobaccos that lend themselves as a base to it are very good, no doubt, but because of the strength of the topping, I wasn't able to tell them apart precisely.

Many people also reported that the blend was strong, which I don't understand either. It may be one hair on the stronger side of medium. Let's say that to me Old Dark Fired is the entrance gate to the strong blends: this doesn't even compare to it.

I think reviews are useful mostly as far as one understand the taste profile of the reviewer, as likes and dislikes are very individuated. So my main point here is that the topping is very prominent and this blend to me is an aromatic. Many reviewers will consider the toppings in, say, Irish Flake and University Flake to be very mild, but to me they are already a distraction and prevent me from fully enjoying the leaves. The topping in DoK is much more front-stage and overwhelming than in these blends.

This is a unique blend. For me, it doesn't really belong to any particular genre. It has been a good after-dinner/end-of-the-day blend when I'm in the mood for something different. The taste, to me, has vibes of a mild English blend that has an added flavoring I can best describe as melon or cantaloupe. Other reviewers have described it as berry, plumb, or raisin, but to me it is distinctly melon. You smell it as soon as you open the tin and that caries through the entire bowl. That sounds weird - and it is, but in a good way. Just like Lovecraft's literature - weird, but good. It has a fairly strong nic hit and is really relaxing at the end of the day. It is extremely enjoyable.

Not for me thank you. Tin note smells likes someone pulled some sour patch kids out of a fire. Strength good, but difficult for me to get beyond the cloyingly sweet, obviously artificial topping. I do enjoy some aromatics but often add a little burley so I can taste tobacco. This was just too much for me…

I purchased this tobacco because the description said it was mysterious. Which usually means it has a mystery ingredient that they never admit to. But I'm always hoping to find a mysterious tobacco that leads to some type of otherworldly smoking experience. Well it is neither of those. It is a fairly straightforward American type non-aromatic tobacco that has a little more fruitiness this than most. It may be a topping or dressing, or may be the unique kitterini tobacco used in it. But it is definitely fruitier than Royal yacht. It doesn't have the same punch as Royal yacht either. But that's fine. This tobacco is less monochromatic. First off it comes in a very tight plug, which means you will need a sharp knife to slice through all of the layers and get a nice mixture in your bowl. It rubs out easily enough but you will end up with large pieces of tobacco mixed with small pieces. This often affects the flavor and burn rate. It lights easily enough, and it burns for quite a while. Took me about 45 minutes in a medium size corn cob pipe. There were a few lights, nothing wrong with that. In the first 5 minutes of smoking it you could detect a great number of components. Little spiciness, quite a bit of raisiny fruit, definite plum flavor, fresh cut hay. But 5 minutes later everything came together perfectly. The Sweet spot lasted a long time and it was a very satisfying smoke. Rich, full, and good. I suppose I'll be smoking more of it today and throughout the summer. But my initial impression was very positive. I like this tobacco, I like its thick smoke, and it's sweetness. And it even satisfies a little bit. I was sitting with my son and he said it smelled like the tobacco I used to smoke at Christmas when he was little. That would be Gawith and Hogarth rum flake.