Cornell & Diehl Longevity

Yet another krumble kake from C&D, this one a Balkan blend. They say it has virgnia "ribbon" but it all seems crumbly to me. Now, I kind of like the krumble kake koncept, 'cause it is fun to play with, but this sure can be messy to load while on the go, unless previously rubbed out.

This mixture is quite on the dry side, typical for C&D. That makes it easy to light and keep lit, plus allows for great billows of smoke.

I have lately taken to stuffing a chunk of this un-rubbed into one of my "english-only" pipes (no, this is not a political statement) and lighting. There is evidently enough pore space in the kake to allow for some air to draw through. Doesn't stay lit very well in this form though. So, after a couple of lights, I gently break up the chunk with a pipe tool and lightly tamp. The next light brings an explosion of flavor. Pretty cool. (An aside, this peculiar technique does NOT seem to work with other krumble kakes, e,g, Pirate Kake, for some reason.)

From here on in, the blend burns well down to the bottom, with a consistent flavor. Gets a tad bitter at the bottom, but for a hearty Balkan, this is a tolerable price to pay for the robust flavor. I think that the relative dryness and the crumbly-fine texture of the various C&D kakes tends to make them: 1) kind of one dimensional, and 2) more intense in flavor than the same ingredients mixed as a moister ribbon-cut would be. This is part of the C&D krumble kake experience which keeps me from smoking them more regularly, but adds to the experience when I do.

Longevity is not as strong as Bow-legged Bear, due to that blend's perique, or as intense as Pirate Kake due that blend's high latakia content, and it lacks the cloying aroma of Cross-Eyed Cricket. It clearly fills a unique niche in C&D's lineup.

What this has to do with "longevity" I will never understand, but "serenity" fits for this blend. This will always be in my large rotation of good english/balkan blends.

A very tasty Balkan-style crumble cake. Very easy to break-up and put in your pipe. Very easy to keep lit and burns to a clean ash.

The taste is fairly mild (I guess that's why C & D calls it a "middle-weight") with just enough Latakia to satisfy Latakia fans. Even though it is pressed, it is not dark/rich/sweet like Penzance. Instead, Longevity is more in the style of a traditional English/Balkan blend. In some ways, it might be what you would expect if you pressed the old Balkan Sobranie into cakes. A nice balanced natural tobacco with smokey Latakia undertones. Suitable for regular smoking and not just that occasional treat.

I also think this would be a good introduction to English blends. There is just nothing not to like (assuming you like English blends).

I do think the tobacco would benefit from some time in the tin. I have put a few tins down for resting and will be interested to see how they are in a year or 2.

This is a very flavorful Balkan crumble cake that, like most C & D's, comes on the dry side compared to most tobaccos. I found it to be at the perfect moisture level for me. This blend breaks out into rather small flakes that pack easily. I found the burning characteristics to be exceptional. It lit and burned particularly well all the way to the bottom and left a fine white ash.

The flavor is well balanced, not being dominated by the latakia. I do not find that it builds up flavor in the bottom third, nor does it present a range of flavors as it is smoked. It basically maintains the same flavor the whole way.

This is one of the better players in the Balkan field and I recommend it.