Cornell & Diehl Easy Times

Another home run from Bob Runowski and C&D!

I should start by saying that I'm a big fan of heavy Latakia and Balkan blends. Usually, the stouter, the better. C&D Pirate Kake and GL Pease Odyssey are among my favorites, for example.

It gets pretty warm in Texas for a goodly part of the year, though, and sometimes the palate wants something lighter. Burley is my choice, as it is the choice of many warm-weather smokers. In looking for the perfect Burley blend, one is naturally drawn to the American/English blends that C&D have become so known for.

I have smoked 8 or 9 tins of Easy Times now, and it still has the ability to be somewhat surprising to me. Yes, Burley is a major player here, but the Red Virginia sweetness plays well with the leathery Latakia, both weaving in and out of the nutty bitterness that the Burley provides. The flavor is reminicent of GL Pease Cumberland with a Latakia kick.

Easy Times can be rather picky about the pipe it likes, so trying it in a number of pipes can be a rewarding experience.

Packing is also important with this blend. It has the tendency to burn too hot if not packed correctly, so I suggest the Franck method of packing to get all that this one has to offer.

The high amount of Red Virginia in this blend also makes it a prime candidate for aging. I have found that even six month makes a big difference.

The only thing keeping this from being a superb all-day smoke is the price. In this class I would recommend another C&D/Runowski effort, Morley's Best.

Highly recommended for the Burley lover. Recommended for the English smoker for a change of pace.

Easy Times is a mixture that Bob Runowski created for the purpose of an all day smoke. Such things are hard to come by, it seems to me, but Easy Times is a great example of an "all-day" smoke. The latakia plays a supporting role in this blend. Therefore, the latakiaholics will no doubt find this lacking as the latakias are gently measured so as to be condimental. I cannot for the life of me understand why a person would want to smoke blends over-laden with condiments (like latakia) any more than I could understand why a person submerges their french fries with ketchup. This mixture majors in wonderfully rich burlies and semi-sweet virginias. It is a delight to smoke. I smoked more of this tobacoo in 2003 than all but three others in my TAD cabinet. I love this stuff. Unless you love ketchup dipped in french fries, you will as well.

Highest rec's on this one.

I really love this simple and bold Burley smoke with some Latakia and Virginia. Cool burning and lots of taste

Tin note of smoky, mild barbeque and mildly tangy fruit. Tobacco is rough cut, with brown, dark brown and black. Tobacco is on the dry side, no prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium to strong and nic is Medium. No favoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes of very woody, very spicy, dry earth, musty leather, mild fermented dark fruit, mild spices, mildly smoky, mild lemon grass, bitter cigar, a sweet nutty background note, and a very peppery retro. Kentucky is leading with Burley supporting more than the Virginias. Latakia is dancing somewhere in the background. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

I was always a careful jar-labeler, and care about the "vintage" of my pipe tobaccos, so I can tell you that my sample of this was tinned in April of 2005, and opened by me in June of 2016, 6-6-16 to be exact; kinda scary, 666 and all that. Must not have impressed me too much back then, and I'm mainly a Virginia smoker, but one who will try anything.

Revisited it in the last couple days, and I absolutely love it! Strange that it is called Easy Times, because the dark-fired Kentucky gives it a bit of a punch, but what a nice melding of flavors from that 11 years in the tin and 6 years in the (only recently opened) jar! Sure, another reviewer likened it to ugly pencil shavings, and it has a strange, fluffy texture, but it turns out to be a great burner, and I really like an "English" with the inclusion of that Kentucky, and this is that "famed 20 year old Kentucky stock' mentioned in the blend description.

I don't have a new tin to compare it to, but if you try it and like it, buy a couple tins to cellar, because it ages well.

A nutty tobacco. For my taste, red virginia and kentucky are the flagships of this tobacco. Latakia provides an incense complement, which helps to enhance the sweetness of virginia. Kentucky is full-bodied, providing a very pleasant buttery smoke. I confess that I had trouble understanding this tobacco in the first 4 bowls. It was difficult to unravel it, especially in terms of burning. It has a fast burn, therefore demanding greater compaction in the oven (this is the secret). Smoke in a big oven and you will have a better experience. Nicotine, however, is moderate to high, so this strategy is not recommended for smokers who are sensitive to nic-hits. An original, unique tobacco that requires patience to be understood and appreciated. Note 4.

- Germano @pipesnuffscience

I typically do not like classic English or bulkan blends, they just seems bowling to me, but there is something about the American English blends that just tickle my fancy. This blend does that in spades. The fist thing that sticks out to me about Easy Times is how perfectly this is blended. It has the perfect amount of eash ingredient making this a wonderfuly harmonious blend with each component complimenting each other. It's smooth and easy with some edges of excitement and nuances. Not to get too poetic about a tobacco blend. But I think this tobacco really tells the story of the 2 old gents on the tin. It's smooth and easy like sharing a drink and smoke with a old friend, but at the same time posesing the zest, strength and character of conversation and story telling. Boasting flavors of wood, spice, zest, bitterness, smokie was, and a bit of mustiness. It is a smooth easy smoke but does not lack any character. It needs no attention. Lights easy and burns all the way down, with no moisture. Easy peasy. I hope to never be with out this blend. Absolutely marvelous. Give a sneaky little nic hit as well as a added bonus.

This is a very enjoyable blend with an earthy woody burley base, dark stewed fruit red Virginia, savory and sometimes spicy kentucky and smoky, woody latakia. This is a smoke that I rather enjoy and I find myself drawn to it when I want a nore noticable red Virginia flavor. I am partial to burley based latakia blends and this is my preference when red Virginia is in order. Love it in a Dublin.