Cornell & Diehl Comfort

After a pleasurable experience with Longevity, and with an acknowledged affection for both burley and perique, I really had to try Comfort in the Serenity Series. Clean pipe, a Cassel 1/8 bent with a slightly larger bowl. Large glass of ice water to keep the palate fresh. Popped the lid. Great aroma, spicy warm and fresh, under aroma of something sweet, but I knew there was no casings here, it must be the black cavendish. Visually, the tobacco has pale, tan/brown, dark brown and black. Springy to the touch, with fair moisture content, a little more than I like, but very reasonable. Filled and tamped, lit twice and there was a fullness in the first tastes of the tobaccos. There is the burley, lightly present, with the virginia flake coming forward. The sense of black cavendish also, then the spicy must of perique. The perique and virginia stays through the first half, smooth on the tongue. Smooth seems to be the operative phrase. Now, I fear virginias generally, for that normally cloying sense and bite. But, that virginia taste is not here. This virginia is full and smooth, clean to the taste. The tobacco takes a relight w/o anger or bitterness, and no bite. I smoke a lot of Edgeworth RRd, and that burley has a musty fullness. This is a lighter and cleaner sweeter taste. I noticed that there is very little moisture, no tightness in the draw. The pipescleaner came out reasonable clean.

I liked this blend, enough to smoke the entire tin over four or five days. I switched pipes for each bowl, and the flavors didn't seem to leave or change discernibly with the change in pipes. Not strong to the taste, just full. I would like to say complete. Last test was in the car with She Who Speaks Loudly. She did not complain at all, in fact she asked me to bring the tin w/ me when we went to friends. High praise from a nonsmoker.