Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Jolly Old Saint Nicholas 2018

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2018-12-07		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

The grassy, citrusy golden Virginias are the lead component. The mildly sugary unsweetened black cavendish is a supporting player. The spicy, plummy, lightly raisiny perique is always noticeable, though it’s never forceful. There’s less of the ginger topping than there is of the orange liqueur, but the ginger is more pronounced during the first few puffs, and mostly retreats in the background. The toppings do sublimate the tobaccos to moderate extent, but they also fade a mite in the last third of the bowl. The strength is a step or two past the mild level, but settles at mild by the half way point. The taste is just shy of the center of mild to medium, and also ends up being mild by the last third of the experience. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with some inconsistency in the overall flavor. Leaves little moisture in the pipe, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste and room note. Can easily be an all day smoke. Two and a half stars because the taste changes a little too much as I mentioned earlier. Otherwise, I would give it three stars.

-JimInks

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-11-13		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

Picked this up a week ago same day it was released. Very aromatic with some gorgeous leaf in there. From bright orange to black. Smells like gran marnier and tobacco. Claims a ginger component but it’s barely detectible. Burns cool with components and topping interplaying. Doubt I would smoke this outside of holiday season but it’s appropriate for now, daughter said it smelled like Santa 2.5*

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2018-11-29		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I received this as a gift from my wife for my birthday. The cut is a narrow ribbon with a few pieces of what look like mostly rubbed out pressed black cavendish. The tin note is a mild sweet with a little orange. Moisture level was maybe a little more than I might consider ideal. I smoked it as delivered and was mindful not to overpack.

Smoked, the initial flavor is a ginger and orange. It is mild enough that it falls in the "interesting" camp instead of the "what were they thinking?" Once you start smoking it, the topping dminishes in intensity, and to me it is smoking like a mildVaBur with a few hints of orange and spice from the perique and the topping.

I know it is not supposed to have burley in it, but I think I am getting the burley notes from the cavendish. I "might" be getting a little sweet from the black cavendish, but there is no vanilla in it. I am not getting the musty I get out of many black cavendish blends.

In terms of room note, I told my wife I was smoking it and she said "that's nice" in an unconvincing way. She asked if I liked it. I am claiming the room not does not smell like most things I smoke, and she is worried I won't like the present.

This was good but pretty mild for my preferences. As a mild aromatic, it is very good, and it is a pleasant smoking experience. If you are looking for a mild aromatic, this might be just the thing you are looking for.

Pipe Used: various GBD and Grabow pots

Age When Smoked: fresh from SmokingPipes

Purchased From: gift

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2018-12-11		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Ho, Ho, Ho, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, just in time for the Holidays, and I like this gussied up VA/Per just fine! In the tin are moist, substantial ribbons and a little flotsam ranging from gold to black, reflecting sweet, flue cured VA and black Cavendish, with just a little Perique. Tin note is slightly earthy yellow cake with muted orange liqueur and allspice (yes, I read that it’s ginger). It’s smoke-able right from the tin, though it lights and burns better if it’s dried a little bit at first. I was surprised on lighting that the ample casing and topping did not subsume the tobaccos. There are some VA spices and nutty tannins (reminiscent of toasted Burley...) that keep pace with the dessert spices all through the smoke, and the VAs also provide enough body that the blend keeps its “shape” very nicely. The scant Perique is plummy and figgy, but just, and it mostly merges with and compliments the toppings. The Cav does what it’s supposed to do, rounding and adding volume to the smoke. There is a trace of vanilla and a dash of nutmeg that reminds me of eggnog! JOSN is consistent top to bottom if the temp is kept in check. Strength is mild. Tastes are a tick or two over mild. Room note is very pleasant. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, and it makes me want another bowl, toot sweet.

OK, it’s not a knock-out; but it’s a solid choice and worth finding for relaxing during the Holidays, not to mention it’s kind to civilians. And how many aromatics are based on a VA/Per blend? I’m drawing a blank. So, 3.5 stars among aromatics, rounded up to 4 for originality and timely arrival.

Pipe Used: Fair sized VA briars

Age When Smoked: Brand spanking new

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Milehighpiper (1)	2018-11-19		Mild	Very Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

I started smoking pipes about three months ago and this will be my first review.

Prior to smoking this blend I had a standard soup/sandwich lunch followed by a pint of an excellent Coffee Stout. I was ready for something sweet but did not want to reach for any snacks. Instead I headed to my local shop where I sampled and bought this blend.

The tin I tried had been open for a few days in the sample shelf of my local B&M. Even with a dozen noses a day opening and shutting the tin, the aromas in the tin were still present. The tin gives you the separate scents: Orange, ginger, holiday spices and a bucket full of sweetness. I knew this was exactly what I was in the mood for.

After lighting it and taking my first butane-free puffs, it was like solving a simple riddle. The flavors of orange and ginger were present, and the familiar Christmas baked goods sweetness and spices were accounted for. Nothing else to find. Pretty much exactly what they say is there. After a few puffs, the ginger mellowed out and the Perique worked its way out of the blend. After several more sips, I exhaled a tingly puff of spicy ginger through my nose and was immediately sold on this blend. Be aware that the orange and ginger smoke evenly for about two thirds of the bowl, then the perique takes over and you have to work a little harder to find the sweet flavors.

Good blend if you are in the mood for something sweet. I enjoy a variety of blends from English to aromatics and this has its place in my small collection of blends.

3 stars because I would like for the orange and ginger flavors to continue throughout the entire bowl.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kapp Royal Straight Apple

Age When Smoked: Several Days

Purchased From: Local B&M

Similar Blends: I have not tried any similar blends..

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2018-12-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.

Since Christmas blends are the 'go to' for reviews this time of year I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon!

Appearance: it contains a higher proportion of Virginia compared to black Cavendish but the Cavendish has been cut coarser. The Virginias are simple ribbons, but there's a few chunkier pieces of black Cavendish. The tin-note makes certain that this is an orange, ginger, aromatic. My tin's moisture was good.

The orange liqueur and ginger collaborate to form quite a sharp, redolent, zesty, top note. The orange liqueur outweighs the ginger, easily. Especially for the final quarter. Of the tobaccos I get the most flavour from the Virginias, with the black Cavendish taking the role of 2nd place. The Perique sits right in the back row at first, but becomes more noticeable after a third of a bowl; from here on the flavour becomes heavier, and a little richer. It burns well, necessitating only minimal maintenance.

Nicotine: not as mild as many Christmas aromatics. Room-note: nice.

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas? A nice smoke, but not the best Christmas blend I've piped. Ergo, it falls short of four stars and can only have three:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Butz Choquin Calabash Super Junior

Age When Smoked: 10/23/18

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (184)	2018-12-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Top drawer tobaccos in this blend as usual with C&D. Tin note for me is a well made whiskey sour. Notes of the orange liqueur and ginger come through on the initial light and throughout the smoke. No harsh spots or gunk. Smokes fairly dry and had no bite for this smoker. Has a almost numbing mouth feel due to the liqueur and ginger, Perique adds a bit of fruit as well. Not too sweet, just a pleasant Christmas blend that, in my humble opinion is C&D’s best thus far.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fireside Philosopher (2)	2018-12-01		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Caveat, I'm not an aromatic smoker. Dunhill English mixtures are more my speed. With that out of the way, I cracked it open this afternoon... and the tin note put me right back to being 9 years old at the family gathering with marvelous smells coming out of the kitchen - a promise of the feast to come. As the accurate tin description states there's a dose of Orange Liqueur and hints of Ginger in the mixture. I pick up a vanilla and a cranberry in there as well but that could be associative with the memories this evoked. My tin was slightly moist and while it smoked well, it required multiple relights. About a half hour's drying time would be advised. Did not bite or turn harsh through multiple bowls. Smooth, mild and creamy smoke with a marvelous flavor and aroma. Again, this is listed as an aromatic and it should be, but it's a very light aro - not cloying or overpowering at all. I couldn't detect any perique in the smoke, so if it's in there (and I'm sure it is) it's a minor-player. Bright and bronze finely cut Virginia ribbons and some coarser brown and black ribbons of the cavendish. Packs well, lights well and smokes okay right out of the tin...with the aforementioned drying time it should be perfect. This won't be an everyday smoke for me but as a holiday mixture it's a winner.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Nordic, MM Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2018-12-23		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This is a really pleasant aromatic! The citrusy orange topping mixes perfectly with the bright Virginia’s hay notes. The ginger taste is very subtle but it’s usually present for the first half of the bowl. The perique here gives a bit of spice which mixes with the brown sugar taste from the black cavendish. This is a very smooth, cool-smoking blend with no bite whatsoever. It’s mild in both taste and strength and has a nice room-note. Not many aromatics have this much complexity it’s worth picking up a tin or two!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RMB (7)	2018-11-22		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

Not your typical aromatic, the orange and ginger play very well with the perique, sweet and spicy, and very well matching its name and the season. Burns well, not hot, no tongue bite for me. As a usual smoke I'd probably give it a 3, but this Thanksgiving and how well this matches my holiday feeling I'm giving it a 4!

Pipe Used: Cobs and meerschaum

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kissphantom05 (22)	2018-12-20		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Smells like a Fig Newton.

I am pretty smitten by this blend. We all know that Santa Claus smokes a pipe. I imagine that the smoke that encircles his head (like a wreathe) perhaps smells like this. The taste is not quite as pronounced as the aroma, but it is still quite lovely.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Humidor Fine Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perdurabo (26)	2018-11-29		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

A Nice Malty Bed of Golden Virginias, Black Cavemdish, and a dash of perique. The Orange Liqueur topping offers wonderful nuances of orange/cognac/mulled wine, with a spiced sweet ginger lingering throughout the tobacco. The cavendish initially turned me off, but I began to noticed a toasted pecan note that I determined must be the cavendish. The perique gives the smoke some balls. I don’t believe this one will ghost a briar beyond a good busting, with something like Haunted Bookshop in you arsenal. A pipe needs to be dedicated to this blend to get the full smoking pleasure. I’ve gone from sitting on the fence to loving Old St Nick. Maybe not something for everyone, but with the tin art and the aroma, Jolly Old St. Nicolas is a wonderful addition to the Holiday smoking rotation.

Pipe Used: Stanwell & Cob

Age When Smoked: 10-2018

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2018-11-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas tastes mostly of black cavendish and orange oil, with a ginger ale aftertaste. The cavendish gives the blend a sugary sweetness that is pleasant in a holiday blend. The orange flavor is a darker/stronger orange oil flavor, not candy sweet orange and the ginger hit me on the exhale with a slight ginger bite on the tongue and lips. I wouldn’t nessarily want this blend very often, but it would be a nice treat for the holidays.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BlueDog1950 (17)	2018-12-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Another “seasonal blend”, difficult to understand why blenders choose to add what apparently is considered Christmas flavors to what otherwise could be a good tobacco. But heck, I bought it.

Golden Virginias, perique and black Cavendish with a pronounced orange liqueur and ginger topping. Ribbon cut, moist in tin.

Burns even, soft smoke but with an unpleasant aftertaste, I think it’s the ginger but not really sure.

Probably not a fair review, as I am not an aromatic fan. Smoking an orange is not something that makes sense to me, but I am not the target consumer I guess.

Pipe Used: Nording

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Synther (1)	2018-12-16		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The Orange Liqueur comes through fairly well and is enhanced with a Whiskey & 7. I found the Perique to be fairly faint and the Virginias to be almost overpowering. I failed to catch any hint of ginger. The room notes are far less tolerable than a lot of custom blends I've smoked, though I've noticed that my wife's eyes water less with St. Nicholas than they do with Bill's Blend (a custom blend) from Rich's Tobacco. However, she prefers the scent of Bill's Blend significantly (Vanilla and Black Cav). The flavor of St. Nicholas is good for a break during daily activities, but I don't know that I'd want it for a deep bowl/slow-burn/all-day-smoke. I get an after taste similar to smoking a cigarette, though this could be from my pipes. I thoroughly clean them, but I can not discount them in this. Oddly, the after taste changes to a bright orange, almost like sucking on an orange flavored candy, with a sip of whiskey. I would definitely recommend this to any pipe smoker. It is clearly a complex blend.

Pipe Used: Savinelli, Dr. Grabow

Age When Smoked: 45

Purchased From: 82nd Ave Pipe and Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2018-11-30		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very interesting tin note and I picked up immediately the Orange and Ginger in the tin.

Ribbon cut, easy to pack, easy to light. Moisture from tin seems just right.

I picked up the orange at the beginning more then more ginger in the middle. A friend of mine I gave a bowl too was almost "overwhelmed" by the ginger at his light but got more orange as he smoked.

This is not a goopy aromatic and the ginger portion of it reminded me of Valle Crucis out of the Two Friends collection.

I jarred the tin and will enjoy through the holidays and winter as a nice change of pace from my usual blends.

Pipe Used: various

Age When Smoked: Fresh from Tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Two Friends - Valle Crucis.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kcpipedpiper (9)	2022-12-23		Mild	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Preface: I'm not a typical aro smoker. That said, this is pretty good. I am smoking the 2018 blend in Dec. 2022. It has dried out quit a bit...not at all bone dry though. Frankly its perfect, moisture wise, at this point. It, for an aro, has aged well. The flavoring/topping is still there and pleasant and the tobaccos have a little age on them and have improved, not that they were bad fresh out of the tin. But, a lot of c&d leaf is pretty green when opened right after purchase as you all know.

So, out of the tin, there is light brown ribbon and small chunks of dark leaf. Smelling the tin is pretty typical for an aromatic. But, if i were to try to discern what im smelling of the flavoring, probably more of the ginger than orange but the sharp orange peel is there if you put your mind to it. But, more ginger.

Smoking, at this point there is no tongue bite. Very smooth. The orange flavor is more present and the virginias are the main player on the tobacco end which is very nice. The perique is adding to the fruit notes, dark fruit, raisin plum notes are def there when sought out.

The room note must be pleasant, my nose is toast due to retro. But, its going to be very pleasant to a none smoker, no doubt. I'm enjoying what I can for sure. I'm almost to the bottom of the bowl which is not typical for an aro for me. The only other aromatics I'll smoke to the bottom is Petersons sunset breeze and cult blood red moon.

All in all...next time they sell this(probably a few years) I'll be sure to get another tin. Worth the buy and worth a little age on it surprisingly.

Pipe Used: Various cobs

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cam91 (23)	2019-09-28		Mild	Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

It would be really wonderful if this tasted the same way it smelled, because it smells fantastic. But the added flavoring just does not hold up to combustion. I cannot taste the perique. This really tastes like chemicals to me, although it is mild compared to other aromatics. Not quite as harsh as other aromatics, but definitely not worth ten bucks for two ounces. Seems like it would make an excellent potpourri.

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs

Nobody has rated this review yet.