Cornell & Diehl Engine 99

This is, perhaps, the best non-2friends C&D blend I've smoked. The Latakia depth reminds me of Penzance but with a different body.

Recommended!

Images evoked: a wickedly happy nightmare dancing upon the clouds of reason.

First of all let me disagree with who considers this a full blend. Not at all, according to me, neither in nicotine punch nor in taste. This is a medium blend, a pretty good one indeed, but the fullness is somewhere else. The smell upon opening the bulk reminded me of Pirate Kake, while the moisture is the usual C&D...dry! I put it into a jar with humidifier and left it there for about a week before it became at least smokable. It was still pretty dry the first times I smoked it, and it was good, smoky and very easy to keep lit. There was a fine balance between the predominant latakia and what seemed to be a good Burley content. After some time in the jar it was moist at a good level, but the taste started lacking "definition", with the flavours mixing into a strange mish-mash with a certain sourness: definitely better when dry, that's probably why most C&Ds are packed with that moisture level, it's perfect for them. One thing's for sure: it doesn't remind me of Balkan 759.

If it were more complex, I would have gone for the fourth star. As it is, it is still a very satisfying English blend. I have to say that it doesn't remind me of Sobranie 759, but no matter.

This blend is easy burning, flavorful and a worthy addition to the library of English blends. That being said, things get even better after a few weeks of allowing these leaves time to breathe - not an unusual condition for a number of C&D blends. Quality ingredients and an experienced hand are, to me hallmarks of blends that will and have endured. One of these days, I'm going to get a road trip going to visit the scene of the crime, so to speak 'cause they keep taking my money with their smooth blends. Kidding aside, this is another fine blend put out by C&D. Is there room for improvement? Maybe try a coarser flake to smooth things out even more. Good smoke, for sure.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a Yanik Meer

I would rate this higher but there are too many other Full English blends out there. I notice this is listed or described as a Balkan type. I perceived a medium English. Good but not exceptional. Good value and better quality than something like "Proper English". Recommended. Will revisit this review if needed at a later date.

C&D tobaccos have always been some of my favorites. Where else can one find such a large variety of high-quality tobaccos at such reasonable prices? Given this large selection, until now I have been unable to sample the majority of their Latakia/English selections; an oversight that I am glad I was able to partially correct, since I would now not hesitate to put these blends up against almost any competition. Engine 99 is a rather good example of the species. The bag aroma is leathery and earthy, with a hint of sweetness and spice; strong, but not so overwhelming as many Latakia-based blends. The leaf colors seem to be an equal mixture of black and medium to dark browns, with a small portion of yellow thrown in. The cut is varied, mostly medium in length and width but with many broken fragments. The moisture level is standard for C&D tobaccos ? very dry, almost requiring rehydration of some kind (for myself, anyway). Packing is easy, if the powdered fragments are first sieved away from the rest. The tobacco takes a flame very quickly and burns well, needing a below-average number of relights. In the first third, the Latakia flavor is rather strong, dominating but not overwhelming the other flavors. The smoke is complex, but not all that well-integrated, and there is a trace of harshness present. The flavor is dry and somewhat dark, pretty much free of sweetness. The harshness has lessened in the 2nd third of the bowl; otherwise, things remain much the same. There are still numerous, complex flavors, presided over by the dark Latakia: a fairly typical representation of English tobaccos. Also, there is some moisture in this part, taken care of by a single pipe cleaner. The final third is by far the best part of the bowl. The smoke is smoother, totally lacking harshness or bite, and the complex flavors have darkened and melded somewhat. I can taste that ?Sweet/Sour? note that to me is representative of high-quality English tobaccos. There is almost no moisture in the bottom of the pipe at the end. Overall, a good blend, especially towards the end. I believe that some aging would eliminate the slight harshness and allow the flavors to merge much more effectively. Nevertheless, this is a good blend even newly made, recommended to anyone who enjoys Latakia in tastefully large amounts.

This dances the line of being a latakia bomb and a balanced blend. It is very smokey, hence the name which evokes a coal-fired engine in my mind. Those who love English blends will appreciate this, especially those who prefer a lat-forward blend. Go ahead and try this, you won't be disappointed even if it doesn't become your favourite.

As a railroad fan I've looked forward to trying all 4 of the Engine Series. Now that fall is getting here (at least on the calendar in Georgia) I figured it was time to work them into my rotation.

First up is Engine 99.

Tin/Jar Note: Smell the latakia front and center. Seems really dry in the jar but it was in the bulk bag too.

Packing: no problems, standard 3 step pack. I haven't found the twigs that others have described.

Smoking: Easy to light, burns well. No tongue bite. The first 1/2 of the bowls I felt was latakia dominated. I got hints of orientals and a little pepper from the perique hiding in there somewhere. The second half of the bowls seemed to be spicier and stronger with a good flavor that lasted to the bottom of the bowl.

So far through several bowls I haven't been amazed enough to move it up to 4 stars and place in the "all-star" list, but It's a solid 3 and I think its a great value especially in bulk. (even more if you catch it on sale).

Room Note: Wife threatened bodily harm if I EVER lit this in the car again.

This is a great bulk blend for the money. It's got a good flavor and smokes cool right out of the bag. My only issue with it is it was that it was full of twigs. This is a good bang for the buck bulk.