Cornell & Diehl Solace

Based on half an ounce gifted to me, so please don't give this "review" much credence, as you really need to smoke at least a couple ounces to get to know a blend well enough to review it. This was mottled in color - mostly dark brown but with some black pieces and some straw-colored pieces as well. Tin nose of musty burley, a bit of latakia and the faintest amount of chocolate. The tin was dated March 2004.

The cubed burley takes the lead and provides earth, nuts, wood, toast, and some molasses. I noticed the latakia next and it sported smoke, wood, leather and mustiness. It was light in character but noticeable in each puff. The virginia showed some citrus, tang, grass, vegetation (but not like dandelions, snakeroot or mushroom), and a bit of earth in what was clearly a supporting role. The perique was well to the rear but showed off a piquant wood, plum, fig, raisin, date and other dark fruit (if there is dark fruit aside from those mentioned!). More fruity than spicy. The dark cavendish has a slight chocolate flavor but mostly offered brown sugar and body. Finally, the oriental raised its head only occasionally but provided incense, sourness, wood, smoke and earth. This was a fairly complex mixture that was about low-medium on the nicotine scale. Required an average number of tamps and could be an all-day smoke, or at least repeatable for the experienced puffer. This is an older C&D blend and I experienced none of the shortcomings of the leaf that they put out today. Even so, I can only slightly recommend this, as the constituent tobaccos and varietals seem to be cancelled out by one another. They all show the characteristics noted above but this one was simply too watered down to please a smoker that wants excitement. If you prefer something mellower and milder and you can find this, it's worth a try.