Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath

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.