Cornell & Diehl Star of the East

This is another one I bought last year, tried it and shelved it like I do them all. I think my hobby is buying pipe tobacco rather than smoking it. The pound bag was dated 7-13-18. This one says it has 50 percent Latakia and the tin note has a nice strong Latakia smell. This one is not as sweet as Pirate Kake but billows out a lot of white smoky clouds. I tend to notice the Oriental/Turkish tobaccos in this one more so than others. One reviewer suggested smoking this in a larger bowl so I switched and did notice somewhat of a more varied flavor profile. Really strong-tasting blend and I enjoy it with a cup of coffee, morning or night. If I did have to choose one, I probably would go with the Pirate Kake but give this one a try also if you like lots of Latakia.

I bought a one ounce sample of this a while back and finally got around to trying it. In fact, it was my truck tobacco. That being the one that I keep in the truck with a dedicated pipe. I did not like this much, but could see how it would appeal to others who may be more into the Turkish leaf used.

First off, this is a lat bomb and that is fine with me as there are several lat bombs that I enjoy. The one common quotient with each of those that I enjoy is that they provide a creamy smooth type of smoking experience. SOTE did not do that to me. It was tangy and had all kinds of sharp edges presumably this was coming from the Turkish leaf.

There are some people who love this kind of tanginess in their smoke and perhaps I would too if it were paired against a Virginia and a burley, but I found it not to my liking with this particular blend.

One thing I found interesting is that this is the first, what I would call, true Balkan blend made by C&D that I have tried. Typically they just can't hold back from adding burley to their lat blends. This is not the case with SOTE. It is a standard VLO with the Turkish out front. The Virginia is there to provide sweetness, but is really subdued behind the Lat and Turkish.

Two stars for me.

This is my first C&D mixture that I have had the chance to try. I find upon opening the tin, that the moisture level was perfect for smoking straight away. The aroma from the tin was just wonderful. It lit and stayed lit easily enough. Tastes just like an English is supposed to. It will not endear you to the wife/girlfriend because of the Latakia content, which is why it got the dreaded "Tolerable" rating here. If you are looking for a good place to start off on your English journey, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended to one and all.

well i like oreintals and lately ive been examining the poupular blends out there,,this one came in the Q,,teel u the truth when half of the blend is latakia u shouldnt judge by the composure of other tobaccos included bcz it will b overwhelmed,,its an oriental blend that i will assure the turkish leaf sweetness can make it out some times in the bowl by a slight spicy touch but i would say the red virginia is definitly there with very mellow effect,,amazingly the blend dosent have a knock you off your feet effect,,it needs a wide bowl to pack and enjoy though,,would like to try it from time to time but not constantly

A bit too much latakia for me but if you want a latakia blend that is smooth, this could be it. Reminded me of Odessy or Balkan Sasieni....both which I found very good and heavy on the latakia. Contrary to there brands though, SOTE is much easier to keep lit. Will put a little humidor disk in it and let it age as it should age well. Will return to it when I want a latakia overdose. Not bad but I wouldn't buy it again.

Decided to go back to the review and give it a higher rating than I intially did. I began to like the high latakia content and see where this can be a special latakia smoke when wanting a full taste.

The most outstanding thing about this tobacco is that it's a bulk blend and priced accordingly. It's basically a medium-strength Balkan, not as complex or full-bodied as Odyssey but with a similar flavor profile (and the bonus trait of being easy to keep lit). I like the flake version of this more, but this is a pretty decent (and easy to smoke) blend. I would rate it higher, but there are many blends of this sort on the market that I enjoy far more. YMMV.

Star Of The East will reward you with pure tobacco pleasure from start to finish. Lot's of Latakia and a good nicotine punch. Burns cool and like Mr. Chesterfield used to say, satisfies. I've got to try the flake, I'll bet it's even better. This is a man's smoke, and brother, it's a good one.

I'm obviously in the minority here, but I could never learn to like SOTE. I purchased about 12oz bulk and found it to be harsh, grating, and full, without being flavourful. There was no complexity, just a smoky, burning mess. I can't figure out why others love it so. Maybe I just got a bad batch of bulk.

Revised 05-17-2005

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Beautiful medium cut ribbon. Lots of reds, browns, and black. It smells delicious! It reminds me of a delicious filet mignon cooking!

Packing and lighting: C&D blends are usually a bit dry, but this one was a little moist. Packs easily as the ribbons are not too long.

Initial Flavor: Delicious! This blend reminds me of Raven's wing sans the Syrian.

Mid-Bowl:A delicious fullness, every leaf can be tasted, there is a nice spicyness from the red VA.

Bottom of Bowl: It develops flavor strength in a quick crescendo and all that is left is a gery mottled ash. You immediately want to pack another bowl of this fine blend.

Overall: For a bulk blend, this is a good choice. It is on the fuller side of English blends with it bordering on being a Balkan blend. Nevertheless can be smoked all day without fatigue. It does taste very similar to Raven's Wing, but does not fatigue me like that blend can. Because of the quality of the leaf, I think this blend will lend itself to aging very well and now that it comes in 8 oz. tins will make it to my cellar.