Cornell & Diehl Americana

FUN WITH C&D SAMPLES, Vol III, No V

Sort of a chunky chop cut that I find in so many C&D burlies. Nice mix of lighter and darker tobaccos. I could pretty much pour it into my bowl and it smoked just fine. I did have an occasional issue with it plugging up the draft bore, but a simple pipe cleaner through the stem into the bowl solved that issue expeditiously.

Is there such a flavor as OTC? I think there is, but I don't know what causes it. This one reminded me of some of the natural, unflavored OTC's I've smoked but did not bring Barking Dog to mind. The best I could do is think of Union Leader with some latakia added, just a lightish amount. It was driving me crazy so I asked Bob Runowski, who informed me that this one was inspired by Gridiron Club, a popular OTC that has been extinct for almost half a century. So much for my memories.

This one was mild for a C&D burley and had that sweet/sour mulled cider flavor that I noted in Union Leader, but it wasn't as sharp. The latakia made this a nice, round blend. There was a hint of spice prevalent and a bit of nuttiness but the burley was of the earthy variety that C&D does so well. But if you're thinking this is like their Burley Flakes or Kelly's Coin, it's not. It's more like their Burley Straight (or ERR'd) but with that sweet/sour OTC flavor and added latakia. Sorry for the redundancy, but suffice it to say that I am most enamored with this one. If you like the flavor of those old-time OTC's, you HAVE to try this one. The nostalgia factor is very high and that musty smell/taste reminds me of old books and mags, but this is simply a great tasting smoke all the way down the bowl, and has made my regular rotation. I can't say if Bob succeeded in his quest to recall Gridiron Club... but to me, that is irrelevant, as this one stands on its own.

Very similar to the old HOW Barking Dog, except for the cut (this is broken flake rather than cube). Both are "American English" in composition (Burley added), and both are light in the taste/strength departments.

If you cotton to Burley/Virginia leaf and want a change of pace, this one will trip your trigger. It does burn cool and dry and you will notice the Latakia (although it won't jump up and bite you).

With Americana, C&D puts a flavorful spin on the codger Burley genre. It should appeal to a broad spectrum of smokers who can tolerate the judicious use of both Latakia and unsweetened black Cavendish.

From first light through mid-bowl and beyond the Latakia is prominent, but reserved; while the Cavendish strikes just the right note to create a suitably dark and balanced foundation for the Burley-Va components. The result is a smoke loaded with tobacco flavor that is very gently sweet, earthy and smoky. The blend is essentially Burley, with the other components serving merely as condiments.

Toward the end of the bowl the smokiness of the Latakia fades and the Cavendish carries the pedal notes for the remainder of the smoke. I would recommend a mid-size pipe bowl in order to feature the Burley-Va character of this blend. In my experience larger bowls emphasize this blend's dark side -- which is not bad, but could be tiring since one also ends up with a correspondingly longer smoke.

If you're a Latakia lover searching for a Burley blend that can produce the "plum pudding" orgasm of a rich British blend, don't bother. You'll not find that much oomph in Americana. If you enjoy the no-nonsense character of Prince Albert, but occasionally wish it had more, uh, pizzazz, then give this a try. I think you'll like it a lot.

This is one of the better American blends out there. The twist here is that the Burley and the Cavendish both come through strong and really play off each other. I also like that the Latakia is more in the background with this one. I love big, full Lat blends, but for some reason I find too much Latakia in Burley based American blends spoils the party. There is a right amount, and it's as a secondary player.

This one meets that criteria. It smokes like a Burley, and the Cavendish adds an element that makes it different than your other favorite C&D Burleys. This and Old College are kind of similar, with the Latakia being much more pronounced in Old College. I like Old College a lot too, but more often I find myself having one of those really great smokes with Americana.

I've been smoking through every C&D Burley, and this is one of the really good ones. Doesn't replace Epiphany for me, but so far this one and Morley's Best are two I keep coming back to and they may be worth cellaring small amounts of as an alternative to Epiphany so that I don't burn myself out on it.

Don't let the tepid reviews keep you from trying this pleasant, mildly sweet, Anglo-American blend.

Typically C&D dry, this burns easily, and while not exciting, it is a very comforting smoke for me. It has hints of walnuts, and sugar, (but nothing cloying). The Latakia is well balanced in the condimental role, but is present, without being heavy. No bite for me either.

It has been cool here in Florida, so this has been a fine companion during the early morning hours, as well as the evening.

Certainly worth trying if you like this sort of Old School blend.

Destined to become a popular favorite? Perhaps. It tastes just like those old "American-English" blends that one used to get bulk at Wilke's or Barclay-Rex. I would not be surprised if this were being sold under cute proprietary names out of tobacconists' jars all over. Is the world crying out for another by-the-numbers blend of this sort? Being C & D, it tastes like quality ingredients; I just fail to gather up any excitement while sampling it, though.

This will not become one of my favorites. It is somewhat like a House of Windsor Burley blend. Good stuff for those who want an American Burley with a little added extra. Like a suprisingly good Drugstore pouch tobacco. A good puffer and plenty of satisfaction.

Americana has grown to be one of my favorite tobaccos recently. It first caught my eye as I was looking to expand my tobacco horizons. I had enjoyed English and Balkan blends, as well as Scottish and VaPers, and was looking into Burley.

I figured that an American English might be a good place to start, and so a tin was ordered from P&C.

This stuff is good. I'm a little bit of a Lat head, so wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the lesser presence of Latakia in this blend. It is certainly condimental in this blend, however, it really shines. The flavor is noticeable, but it plays incredibly well with the other components. Due to the presence of Burley and Cavendish, the blend builds body without having to stock up on Lat and opens new nuances of flavor.

The Burley is the dominant player, Cavendish is a close second. You get a smooth, earthy flavor, with some smoky notes from the minimal latakia. The Virginia is very mild, and I don't really pick up on it, other than a general sweetness. The overall flavor I'd describe as a smoky, creamy natural goodness, with plenty of natural tobacco flavor.

It burns easy and cool, few relights required, and I found it the perfect moisture from the tin. Burley as the main player means that if you dislike C&D Burley, you may not enjoy this one as much. Very smooth blend.

Others have said that it is reminiscent of OTC/codger blends. I'd agree, though also state that the tobacco is higher quality than a lot of OTC and value bags. But it is classic, simple. This isn't a dig, sometimes you want a good, honest, straightforward and tasty smoke, just like grandpa used to smoke.

I like this blend more than Eulenberg does, but I agree with him that it does not excite me. Cornell and Diehl are producing a lot of burley blends that are just wonderful. My favorite is Morley's Best; others prefer Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz, or some other one. C&D have found a definite niche for themselves with burley blends -- no one is doing them any better.

This is another good example. Americana is made with quality tobaccos, comes quite dry like a good C&D blend should, smells very mild in the pouch, and burns cleanly to a fine ash. In taste, it's a fairly standard American-style burley blend that many smokers will like and, if burleys light your fire, you should give it a try. It may turn out to be your favorite. I probably won't order any more of it immediately because there are lots of other choices but I would never turn it down, either. ---Sept 2009 -- I have smoked more of this, and I find it boring. It does not have the unique character of many other C&D burleys. I have lowered the rating accordingly.

This is quite unremarkable. The Latakia is undetectable and the burley is decent, although not as prominent as I like.

Morley's Best is by far a superior blend to my tastebuds but I think it caters to a different audience.

Images evoked include an leper-zombie breakdancer doing the wave and having a thumb fall off.

*Update* After sitting in a mason jar for the past 8 years I am giving this another shot: it tastes *MUCH* better and more cohesive. Upgrading to 2.5 stars.

New images evoked include an undead trombone player piping out the GOTEAM jingle for an Austrian swingers' competitive tennis exhibition.