Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop

This blend sealed is just not for me. I pick up nutty, woody, and earthy notes that are associated with Burley. Its molasses character comes through as well. The dark prune note from the Perique adds a bit more nuance to the character spectrum and it is consistent in its pepperiness.

The flavor is fairly full and the nic level is near strong.

I have a great enjoyment of Burley Flakes but this blend leaves me quite wanting in flavor and actually gives a bad after taste. Out of respect for its reputation and Matches860, I give it a 6/10. Unless I add additional Virginia to it (which I'll probably do), I wont return to it.

Tin note is all natural but very intense, very yeasty with aromas of natural tobacco fermentation. It is mushroomy, it also has notes of fruit. Quite complex and promising.

It is a nice ribbon cut that loads easily and as moisture is optimal (to the point of being dry-ish), it can be enjoyed without further preparation. Now the smoke itself is exceptional from the first whiff. Pure, natural Burley taste, potent, tasty and yet smooth. I think I can discern notes of chocolate and cigar leaf. Now, as a predominantly Burley blend it lacks the sweetness Virginias have and the addition of red Virginia here is very subtle. On the other hand the Perique is quite evident both as spiciness and dark stewed fruitiness. It depends on personal taste whether you will like it or not but it is certain that this is a quality blend. To my taste a it needs some more sweetness and this I achieved by blending a little more Virginia to it. Burns cool, is not exceedingly strong but room note is quite heavy for nonsmokers.

I resisted the urge to try this blend for as long as I could. It would appear to be what all the cool kids are smoking, if you browse reddit or FB groups. Sometimes a very popular tobacco will really exceed my expectations, and that just makes my day. Sadly, with HB, that did not happen. This was a huge disappointment for me. From the moment I opened the tin, the aroma just hit me like a freight train: cigarettes. The ribbon cut was nice, but the moisture level was extremely dry. I was dubious before I had even packed my pipe. This stuff smokes like a jet engine. Part of that is me, as I tend to tug a little bit greedily at times. This left me feeling like I was smoking a really cheap cigar or a bad cigarette. And I have never smoked even one cigar or cigarette in my entire life. Pipes only! So, if you are a reformed (or closet) cigarette smoker, you will love this Burley bomb. I love a full English, don't mistake my disgust with this baccy for being faint of heart. I absolutely love strong tobacco and I only occasionally smoke Aromatics (mainly to keep wifey happy!) I smoked this when the wifey was out of town, which was a good move, as she would have protested LOUDLY! LOL. I think this is a mediocre tobacco that has a great name. Like many other great names (true for beer, wine whiskey, ect.) People tend to get sucked in and convince themselves something is better than it actually is. And I am definitely guilty of that as well! But sadly, Haunted Bookshop's cool name was not enough to dissuade me. This blend is complete garbage for me. I smoked one bowl of this weed and I was completely turned off. Now I am stuck with nearly a full tin. Message me with your address and I will ship it to you.

Tin note: I get nutty wheat/oats and raisins. Flavor/aroma: Earthy. Nutty. Hay. A little fruit. Pepper. I taste the subtle sweetness of the Virginia the more it ages. Haunted Bookshop is definitely one of my top 5. I am a burley lover, and a deep appreciator of virginias, especially red, and perique. This blend is perfect for what it is. The aroma is pleasant. Cigaretty here and there if you puff aggressively, but even then, only what you’d expect from a premium cigarette, if there is a cigarette of that level of quality these days. It’s never bitten me. Smoked this stuff in every kind of pipe pleasantly. Gets world’s better with 6-months aging in your cellar or more. It’s cool smoking and fairly slow smoking even when it’s slightly dry. Won’t bite. The vitamin N is past medium, edging on strong, but if you’re sensitive, you might rate it stronger.

Like smoking old books covered in dust. Absolutely delicious of course. Lots of burley nuttiness and some spiced potpourri in the background. Quite a heavy wack in the gob, but when you get it in the zone it makes up for it.

On trying this for the first time, I wasn't all that impressed. But now that I've had the chance to smoke around 4 ounces, I've found this blend has gotten a whole lot better. It grows on you. The flavors are subtle, and not even close to overpowering. I smoke a lot of Burley blends, and though this one isn't my favorite, down the road I may order some more, and cellar it for awhile...

Not exactly crazy about this one. I'm new to a pipe but have smoked Camel cigs for years. This blend tastes more like my old Camel cigs than any blend I've tried up until now. I find I have to really sip this blend to enjoy it. I'm trying to find the right tobacco for me right now and the closest I've come to that blend so far is C&D Mild English. There's something in it that is really pleasing to me. Especially toward the bottom of the bowl. Maybe it's the Latakia. Think I'm gonna order some straight Latakia and try to fix this batch to my liking. Hope it works. I'm looking for the perfect blend that has that same taste but more of it. I know that burley is used in cigs more than any other, so I'll try something with less burley next time. HB has a bitter nut taste to me which is ok but it's not the reason I took up a pipe. It seems the further down the bowl I get the more it taste like cigarettes. I'll finish this batch and try again. Unfortunately I bought a pound of HB, so It looks like I'll be smoking this for a while. Maybe the Lat will make it more suitable to my palate.

As a long time smoker of Haunted Bookshop I highly recommend it for those seeking an extremely well mixed Burley Blend. It can easily become an all day smoke without wearing your tongue out.

The haunted bookshop I smoked to write this review was cellared in 2008, so be aware that this is the well aged version of this blend.

Haunted bookshop is a very interesting tobacco in the sense that it really separates the pipe smoking community. People seem to absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it. I don't mind it but it is not a favorite.

I have smoked this in the past and remember it being alot more brash and acerbic, but this ages sample was nice and mellow. The tobacco is pretty dry by today's standard but I find this to be the case with most C&D blends.

This blend lit well and stayed lit well. The first half of the bowl had this fragrant perfume like taste, but only in a natural tobacco kind of way, there is by no means any flavoring added here. That fragrant flavor that I loved eventually transitioned in to a nice mellow nutty burley flavor. Not bad.