Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud

I purchased this product with some reservations after experiencing the horror of Crosseyed Cricket. Once I tried Mississippi Mud, I was hooked on it.

It's a strong, full flavored smoke with a latakia/perique kick that says to the smoker, "Ok, boy. It's time to stop smoking candy tobacco".

Packs well, stays lit and is an excellent smoke for the latakia/perique lover.

I can see myself smoking a lot of this in the future

As promised on the label, this is a unique and interesting blend. The latakia is complemented with a hefty dose or perique, but the two meld together perfectly. There is a wonderful aftertaste that reminds me of a maduro cigar. This is a nice change of pace from your typical blends, and something I may stock to keep around when I am yearning for something different.

I will grant this a 3.5/4, it has not become a favourite of mine, but it is something I thoroughly enjoy smoking.

Closest pipe tobacco I have had to a cigar taste. Dark earth, cocoa and elegant sweetness. Lots of maduro-cigar character. Some spice as the bowl burns with medium nicotine. Smooth, rich nose notes and cool burning. Would be interesting to mix with this. ☆☆☆

-Spiral Out

Tin note of smoky, sour, and slightly sweet. Tobacco is dark brown and black Coarse Cut. Tobacco is moist, but not wet. No drying or prep needed. Burns normal with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and inconsistent, with notes of smoky, cedar wood, dry earth, musty floral, overly toasted bread, mild sweet tart fruit, mild bitter dark chocolate and a mild peppery retro. Latakia is leading with the cavendish and perique arguing back and forth about who's the best supporter. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is ok.

Read my review of Mississippi Mud under a previous user name... emeritus account in 2011-02-02... third one down. This sold really well for a while but sales seem to have diminished considerably over the years for some reason. I still smoke it to this day & still feel it's a crowning achievement from Craig Tarler, God rest his soul & one of the best Latakia blends ever produced. What happened?

This is based on my review ten years ago. It's unfortunate if you've never given this one a try. It's an outstanding Latakia blend...scrumptious! I haven't as yet finished the bowl but this stuff is easily judged with just one puff...it's that good. Since smoking the Gallaher's BSOM & enjoying it to the max, I've been on a quest to find a good Latakia blend that can compete with the great Balkans & English mixtures from days gone by...something that takes me back...& this one works. When one considers smoking a subsequent bowl, that's a sign of excellence.

MM, Plum Pudding SR, HH Vintage Syrian (altered w/more Yenidje, Black Cavendish & a little extra Red Ribbon) & Levant, which is my favorite are my main Latakia tobaccos I use today. MM is a black/very dark, oily looking, ready rubbed blend. Tin note is similar to SPC's Plum Pudding...leathery, hickory smoked bacon, earthy, muddy, musty like an old horse blanket, smoky, sour & fermented with a noticeable Latakia presence & the blend melds together well after one third of the bowl has burned off. MM is not a wimpy blend nor is Levant. Mississippi Mud... what a befitting name!

The tin art is beautiful... incredibly nostalgic & takes me back to the reading of Mark Twain novels. If you're looking for an outstanding Latakia blend that is unique in flavor and reminiscent of the finer English/Balkan blends from yesteryear, look no further. I liked this better than Nightcap, Artisan's Blend, Wilderness, Tree Mixture, Britt's Balkan, White Knight, Balkan Sasieni, Penzance & most all other Balkans I've tried, to name a few. This positively has a much better flavor, depth & more strength than most English/Balkan mixtures on the market today... IMO, of course. This produces tons of rich, creamy smoky flavor with "respectable" Vitamin N content & has an excellent burn rate. The aftertaste isn't all that intrusive but hangs on the palate for quite a while.

For me, this definitely ranks among the top in this genre without question. I'm approaching mid-bowl now & this biteless mixture is morphing into a sweeter, softer, milder smoke that is very tasty and bathes the palate in total bliss. One can get caught up in the smoke. I received subtle nuances of The Balkan Sobranie, MM 965 & Aperitif in the smoke. It's an incredible blending accomplishment from Craig Tarler at Cornell & Diehl. I will highly recommend this blend without reservation.

I find no need in finishing the bowl before completing this review since it just keeps getting better. I sense that the "grand finally" will be awesome...& it was! The quality of this blend is truly admirable. I have discovered a Latakia blend that ranks high in my rotation for this genre of blends & enthralls me almost as much as the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture. I also contend that if one were to add the right proportions of SG FVF, a tad of Yenidje & a very minute amount of Coumarin or pure vanilla flavoring, he'd be even closer to the famed BSOM. I will be scooping up more Mississippi Mud & cellaring plenty for future, contemplative, celestial moments.

Therefore, IMHO, Mississippi Mud merits four stars plus!!! Destined to become a classic. Join me at my campfire on the riverbank for a mud pie... down by the log where the catfish bite. We'll drink from the still by the pale moonlight & smoke a little mud from a corn cob pipe. Try it! You'll like it... sampled in a 2S Dunhill & a size 2 Stanwell. Pipe Used: Dunhill 2S Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin Purchased From: Pipes & cigars Similar Blends:

Note: This is a copied & revised review I did under another handle back in 2011. Since smoking the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture... my first Balkan craving, I've been on a quest to find a good Latakia blend that can compete with the great Balkans from days gone by...something that takes me back & this one works. When one considers smoking a subsequent bowl, that's a sign of excellence. This & Old Dublin are the only Latakia tobaccos I use today. MM is a black/very dark, oily looking, ready rubbed blend. Tin note is similar to SPC's Plum Pudding...leathery, hickory smoked bacon, earthy, muddy, musty like an old horse blanket, smoky, sour & fermenty with a noticeable Latakia presence & the blend melds together well after one third of the bowl has burned off.

MM is not nearly as wimpy as Penzance, which to me wasn't much different than breathing open air & so far, open air is still free. Mississippi Mud... what a befitting name! The tin art is beautiful... incredibly nostalgic & takes me back to the reading of Mark Twain novels. If you're looking for an outstanding Latakia blend that is unique in flavor and reminiscent of the finer English/Balkan blends from yesteryear, look no further. I liked this better than Nightcap, Artisan's Blend, Wilderness, Tree Mixture, Britt's Balkan, White Knight, Balkan Sasieni, Westminster & all the "Plum Puddings," ever produced etc., to name a few. This positively has a much better flavor, depth & more strength than most English/Balkan mixtures on the market today... IMO, of course.

This produces tons of rich, creamy smoky flavor with "respectable" Vitamin N content & has an excellent burn rate & the taste hangs on the palate for a while. For me, this definitely ranks among the top in this genre without question. I'm approaching mid-bowl now & this biteless mixture is morphing into a sweeter, softer, milder smoke that is very tasty and bathes the palate in total bliss. One can get caught up in the smoke. I received subtle nuances of The Balkan Sobranie, MM 965 & Aperitif in the smoke. It's an incredible blending accomplishment from Craig Tarler at Cornell & Diehl. Perique has a Chameleon affect in certain blends & can produce varying flavors when properly infused.

I find no need in finishing the bowl before completing this review since it just keeps getting better. I sense that the "grand finale" will be awesome...& it was! The quality of this blend is truly admirable. I have finally found a Latakia blend that ranks number one in my rotation for this genre of blends & enthralls me almost as much as the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture... at a fraction of the cost. FWIW, I do plan on trying the Plum Pudding Special Reserve in the very near future due to the good reviews & because of the BSOM, I've grown more accustomed to the Balkan blends but you can keep the English ones. I thought MM 965 was pretty good though but it tasted more Balkan to me than an English. Most English blends as far as I'm concerned employ too much Latakia & seem to drown out the other flavors.

I will be scooping up more Mississippi Mud & cellaring plenty for future, contemplative, celestial moments. Therefore, IMHO, Mississippi Mud merits four stars plus!!! Destined to become a classic. Join me at my campfire on the riverbank for a mud pie... down by the log where the catfish bite. We'll sip from the still by the pale moonlight & smoke a little mud from a corn cob pipe. Try it! You'll like it... sampled in a 2S Dunhill & a size 2 Stanwell.

The scent in the can is robust and savory, and very much like wood smoke pricking your nose from a neighbor's chimney.

Taste in the mouth is what the scent led me to expect-- very full, robust, smoky, savory.

The taste is somehow as "dark" as the tobacco looks.

The smoke is satisfying like chewing on steak (NOT that steak is in the flavor profile).

Certainly recommended if that's what you're looking for.

It did burn fairly hot in my cob... other reviewers found it cool, so perhaps mine was a tad dry.

Amazing sums it up. This hits you right out of the gate, in a good way. The lat and perique combine to make your mouth dance. Full bodied and tasty. Unique blend that is well worth trying if you like Lat and/or Perique. Be warned that it does have some kick to it.