Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop

Beginning: I can’t even lie, this tobacco knocked me on my ass the first time we met. I had been smoking aromatics and had tried one Virginia based blend that I didn’t really care for at the time so the full bodied smoke and healthy dose of nicotine (especially on an empty stomach) really hit me. But it’s just what I had been looking for. I wanted tobacco that TASTED as good as it smelled. And boy does HB deliver.

Middle: It smelled musty, dusty, with a hint of figgy, nutty, sweetness in the background. Not that bready kinda sweetness of VAs. Not as subdued with the citrusy lightness of Virginia’s. Nothing like I had ever had before. I loaded up a bowl with a cup of coffee by my side and it was *a whole newww world*. Burley world, that is! I was in love!

End: The taste is akin to a cigar in terms of its intensity. But the flavor itself is a rounded, nutty, peppery smoke that pairs so well with coffee! Smoked slowly, you really get more nuanced flavors of each of the particular components mingling around in your bowl.

Now, to be fair, I had been watching a few Matches860 videos before trying this out. And his love of the blend was 100% the driving force behind me trying it. But I can’t say I regret caving into his peer pressure. It changed my Smoking life.

Who this blend is for: Cigar lovers looking to break into pipes. Lovers of big bold flavors. Call me crazy but besides Carter Hall, I might even recommend HB as a first burley blend to other smokers. If you don’t like it, then chances are you aren’t going to like any burley blends any time soon. But luckily, it’s a cheap standby that’s readily available. So whenever you’re feeling the itch to try it again, you can always come back for more.

Who this blend is not for: If you aren’t into burley, you will not enjoy this. Period. BUT! Give it some time. Our tastes changed, pallets get tired and interests get piqued. Come back to HB if you’ve tried and weren’t a fan. Smoke it slower than you did before, try it in a cob! Try it with coffee! And whatever you do, enjoy yourself!

Happy smokes everyone

-Toto

I got a 2 oz. bulk of Haunted Bookshop to try out. I really enjoyed the tobacco, although I did not buy more *yet*. It consists of a couple different genres that I like to smoke all in one tobacco. It has a deep burley taste with a Va/Per twang & kick.

In the bag it has an earthy barn-like quality with a little spice note. Upon initial light I got a bit of a harshness that died down as I smoked. It was ready to go from the minute I opened the bag, no dry time needed & stayed lit very easy. I got some bite when I got overzealous, but that helped me to slow down & enjoy all of the flavor profiles. There's a good dose of perique mixed with a decent burley flavor rounded out with a touch virginia in the background. It burns down to the bottom of the bowl with very little dottle if any. The room note is not something a non-smoker will enjoy, but will wow tobacco lovers for sure.

For me it is definitely a strong full tasting tobacco, but not too overwhelming if taken slowly. It's best to smoke after a meal, the nic will get ya if you're not used to it. Overall it's a good smoke, but not something I can smoke all day.

I found this blend to be somewhat of a challenge, and after smoking my fair share of it I have decided that it isn't quite to my taste. Haunted Bookshop is not without its merits. It does have ample strength, and those that enjoy strong burley with plenty of structure will likely appreciate it. However, I think that it lacks the counter sweetness of its big brother blend Old Joe Krantz. The flavor carries a light hint of burnt tire rubber and as well as an astringent bitter quality. However, minus OJK's higher percentage of Virginia leaf, Haunted Bookshop has a drier flavor and presents a smoke that's a bit lighter in body but more rough on the tongue. It's not as spicy, flavorful, or as inspired as OJK and as a result, not as interesting. The flavors improve towards mid bowl and smooth out quite a bit once a good layer of ash is formed, but altogether I just can't find the same enjoyment or wow factor that I found in Joe Krantz.

UPDATE 4/24/15 - I am bumping this up a star. It seems over the last month that I have developed a taste for Haunted Bookshop. I won't pretend to understand exactly why; all I know is I have been continually reaching for this blend. That said, the thing that I enjoy the most about this mixture is how skillfully the perique is applied. With each sip of the pipe it provides a polite piquant sting and if I draw a little harder, the spiciness intensifies and the flavor noticeably deepens. With several bowls under my belt, my palate has adjusted to Haunted Bookshop's earthy bitterness and the nicotine level is near perfect. Now, I still find Old Joe Krantz a bit more interesting, but from the standpoint of strength, Haunted Bookshop is more accessible and not as stout.

The flavor jumps around pretty nicely.

I don't taste the burley so "up front" throughout the bowl as most reviews have noted.

I taste the Va within all the time and it is the dominant weed in the first third. Burley does come through more there after and is the main character with perigue giving that pepper and fruit flavor in-and-out like a non-perique dominated smoke should, this blend progresses very nicely.

Nice tobacco and a blend I can see smoldering in some pipes all day.

I have smoked "fresh" and currently a tin I opened with 3 1/2 years age. I feel the aged tin has a more Va feel, but don't think this is one you must age to be satisfied. "beeftip" sums it up quite nicely.

Well I thought I'd review a blend that has very polarizing reviews: Haunted Bookshop. I've heard plenty that hate it saying it tastes like cigarettes, and I've heard plenty say it's their favorite smoke and an all day blend. Burley is the key component in most cigarettes, and I understand why that might turn off some from buying a blend that might remind them of cigarettes. The truth is as you will see that Burley can be a very satisfying smoke.

When you get your tin open the first thing noticed is a pretty even ribbon cut. There are a few stray stems but the blend packs well and comes at a reasonable dryness for smoking. The blend smells toasty, nutty and chocolaty. Lighting is pretty simple and the blend tends to burn pretty well without getting too hot. This blend does best when puffed slow, fast puffing will yield an ashy taste.

Once lit I taste the Burley's nuttiness, some chocolate, some earthiness. There are other components in this blend like Perique that add interesting characteristics. I definitely get the spice from the Perique and some dark fruits. There is Virginia in here and I'm going to assume it's a red, it adds breadiness, and hay to the mix. The Perique is quite strong in the nose on the retrohale.

The taste here is a solid medium. I feel the smoke has an average easy characteristic to it. As to strength Lady N doesn't know what she wants. I want to give this a medium edging onto medium-strong. The amount of Perique in here could easily warrant something being eaten before smoking this. All in all I think it is a decent blend that I return to every now and again. Three Stars.

For a Latakia-friendly version you can try Haunted Pirate Ship which is: 50% Haunted Bookshop 50% Pirate Cake.

Musty , spicy and earthy in almost a cigar like sense. Nutty and toasted, robust flavor from start to finish with strong/dry after taste. If you’re grandpa was a macho ranch hand type...this was his burley smoke. It’s rugged and unabashedly American as a pair of wrangler jeans...and just as unpretentious and practical.

Need a smoke that tastes like tobacco? Haunted bookshop. In need of a nicotine fix? Haunted bookshop. Looking to please non/smokers with a pleasant room note? Not Haunted Bookshop.

I was hoping for something a bit different due to all the hype, but as a rugged, unpretentious burley blend...this one is successful . It does smell rather haunted in the bag/tin, evoking a sensory experience similar to entering an antique store - equally musty and dusty.

I’m summary, it’s moderately strong and a grizzled tobacco man’s kind of smoke. I like that about haunted bookshop, and you just might too.

Okay, so before anything this is the first non aromatic I have ever tried. I have been trying aromatic blend after blend, but never had that special moment where my vision of what pipe smoking would be, suddenly became reality. I have been hesitant to try a natural flavor tobacco because of things I have read, like soapy, cigarettey, ashy etc. but ultimately I wanted to see for myself. I started watching matches860 on YouTube and he loves this stuff so I figured I’ll give it a try for my first. Tonight I sat down on my back porch and suspiciously loaded a bowl thinking “I won’t like this, I know it.” But, to my surprise I had that Aha! moment where vision became reality. To me it had a little bite to it, like some cayenne, a little nuttiness, and hint of sweetness. No cigarette taste to me as I’ve read from others. Oh and the best part was how well it burned for me. I can tell that this tobacco is going to be a friend for life and constantly in rotation. Rip matches860, I now understand why you cherished this blend so much, and thanks for the introduction. To anyone thinking about trying this blend, but are hesitant, just give it a shot like I did. You might love it!

INTRO: Burley is such a versatile creature. I think of it as the rice of tobaccos. Alone it is nutty, full, creamy and higher in nicotine than its condimental counterparts. Used properly in a blend it will take on any flavor thrown at it like a chameleon running across paint swatches. When used improperly, it is bitter, harsh and just plain nasty. Haunted Bookshop is one of those blends where prime leaf is used and used very well. The burley base retains much of its nutty flavors yet gets along very nicely with the red Virginia and Perique.

CAUTION: The cut is rather fine and upon inspection the visual appearance looks like something you would see in a little jar of seasoning. Due to this cut, I have noticed a lot of "dust" in the tins which makes packing tedious as one tends to get tiny particles of tobacco in the mouth when testing the draw and lighting up. Lightly shaking the tin helps to settle a lot of the finer particles which helps to avoid having a sandstorm hit your tongue.

CHARACTERISTICS: Haunted Bookshop burns faster than most other blends. It also makes a lot of powdery ash that usually requires dumping halfway through the bowl. Tamp this tobacco lightly and you should have no problems. It burns dry, bites very little and leaves the pipe clean. It will "color" your pipe on the first bowl so avoid trying this in a favorite pipe to avoid ghosts.

SMOKING: On the initial light you taste the cigar-like flavor of the burley and Perique. Throughout the bowl the cigar flavor trades places with the subtle sweetness of the red Virginia. The nutty flavors are there and the prune-like presence of the Perique speaks its voice each time you sip it softly. When puffed hard the burley flexes some muscle and you get a big bold bass note with a sidekick of nicotine.

SUMMARY: This blend is similar in the vein of "Old Joe Krantz" but with more high notes, sweetness and less nicotine. It is strong enough to satisfy a nicotine craving, yet light enough to be enjoyed all day.

Haunted Bookshop is a natural blend reminiscent of the old-school blends of a time when a man came home to a clean house, a hot meal and a happy family. No fancy tricks here, just good honest tobaccos skillfully put together to form a delightful and relaxing smoke. Well done!

Definitely an earthy tin note upon opening. Stays lit without any noticable issues and was the perfect moisture out of the tin

It has a sweet and spicy taste with the spice being especially noticable on the retrohale. Not a complex smoke, but that isn't a negative, sometimes it is nice to know what you're getting so the brain can stay wandering to other thoughts. The room note is not a knock your socks off experience as most of you who smoke these kinds of blends have come to expect.

If you're looking for a simple smoke that lets your mind wander other places, look no further.

As an added note: i didnt pick up on a super strong amount of nicotine, but years sailing has basically given me an immunity to the "buzz" so dont take my word for strength.