Cornell & Diehl Engine 99

This is an awesome blend. As with most C&D blends, it's not straight by the book like let's say Dunhill English mixtures. First part of the bowl, you get some unusual taste that goes away after few puffs. It's like dried out latakia with Perique in a bad way. After that you catch the Burley here and there, Latakia in the background, followed by some very fine sweetness and oriental deliciousness. Perique isn't peppery and for my account, it's not even detectable. Maybe it brings just a little sharpness to the blend. It develops a wide spectrum of flavors from the beginning to the end. Smoky leathery latakia on one end, aromatic orientals in the middle (although faint), metal nuttyness of the Burley and sweetness of the virginia on the other end. Perique just enough for to avoid blandness. And they all play in harmony. And it's not a picky tobacco either. It's good in every occasion. Just stuff it into your pipe, and enjoy it, either as a connoisseur, or just for relax, it's good. I love C&D blends. They never fail.

I've got to say this is a very good English blend. Whatever the mix, it really agrees with me. All it took was one day drying. Smells great and balanced moisture right out of the container. The texture turns a bit ashy quickly. The smell and taste are "deep", if such a word can be used to describe smell and taste. Perhaps "sophisticated" is better. Definitely smooth and rich. Anyway, bite was minimal. Packing and lighting was easy. Also, I try to get inside the name of the blend and make associations. This definitely evoked a sense of the heyday of steam engines. Very cool, very classy. This might become a favorite of mine.

Very nice and mild English for my tastes. This and Star of the east very much comprises my English/Balkan rotation. Tin note and aroma is just wonderful.

Excellent! One of the best English style mixtures I've smoked in a while, with rich earthy and woodsy flavors and gentle nuances of sweetness and spice. A glimpse of perfection.

What briars are made for.

I find the balance of this to be spot on.

A luscious English blend with all the right components. Nothing over done, nothing lacking.

Cool, dry smoker, with flavour and complexity...it’s what you dream you’ll one day be smoking when you start off enjoying a pipe.

Produces a luscious smoke with a mouthfeel that just left me quietly smiling.

Easy to tame in the bowl, minimal lights, zero tongue bite...just about the most enjoyable smoke I’ve had in quite awhile.

It is gentler/smoother/richer than I recall some of my older Dunhill blends...just as robust, but with a subtle refinement...the best of old with the hard edges burnished in all the right ways.

I highly recommend this blend with absolute confidence in your enjoyment with it.

Damn fine blend that can be had for cheap in bulk, which is how I came to a 4 Oz purchase. Bought exclusively on aroma alone and was tickled it was a mix of Pirate Kake and Odessa. Really is a buttery smooth Balkan and I find no fault in it whatsoever. Fantastic in a shorter pipe. Some may find the room aroma offensive as there’s a fair whack of Latakia present. A worthy investment.

*Edit* This is becoming a my defacto house blend. Terrific.

I don't have a lot to say other than I really like this and it's great value. I just wanted to vote it up and you can't do that without commenting. I bought both C&D's Star of the East and Engine 99. Perhaps they're different things ... I dunno, Balkan, English, Oriental ... I don't know! All I know is I like tobacco with latakia and with some ooomph. SOTE doesn't do it for me, while Engine 99 is a great, full, flavourful tobacco! And they're both cheap. So, if you're like me and want to buy a reasonably priced tobacco in bulk that has an authentic English taste, get yourself a couple of ounces of this and skip the SOTE. Wish I'd bought more of this.

I am on my ninth bowl of this new purchase - ninth in 36 hours, which is a long time for me to smoke one blend only (ever since Finck's English changed). This is a sleeper, and a surprise for me. It's been on the shelf at El Fumador -Sewickley, PA- every time I've been in over the last six months and I just passed it over (maybe the name of the blend did not resonate for me). However I finally bought 4 ounces last Wednesday afternoon on way into work. I cleaned out a still-warm partial bowl of a McClelland Grand Oriental in order to give this an immediate test; this was the wrong thing to do as my first taste might be ghosted by the Classic Samsun (as indeed it was). At lunch at tried another bowl to better effect. On way home yet another, followed by yet another two hours later. If one gets the impression that I was impressed with this blend then one would be correct. Obviously Engine 99 is an evolutionary blend of two other C&D blends one of which itself is a variation of yet another. But is works well. The blend is poised with no one component fighting any other, but all complementing each other. Contrary to smoke other opinions I find this to be a complex experience with a lot happening in the bowl and all of that is just plain good and tasty. It is also what I call a thinking man's smoke- extremely pleasant without being distracting. Perfect smoke for times of other tasks such as creative writing or programming...or just thinking (if indeed that is what I do). I've only had one bowl of Balkan Sobraine in my life - traded with my college roommate for a bowl of my Dunhill #965 and hence I have virtually no experience with which to liken this to any other. For Room Note, I had to guess as Tester (wife) was not within nose range this morning and made no unsolicited comment.

Temporary rating of 3 stars - might go to four later.

Update: OK, after 17 bowls, this gets kicked up a notch to 4 stars.

You love Latakia or English blend? This is definitely for you! It is a perfect definition of a strong latakia blend. I used to love nightcap and didn't want to try a similar blend, but this one has totally got my attention. Great loose cut, very easy and fun to pack. Latakia is the dominant flavour here, with a noticable perique hit when retrohaling. Very recomended for all english and latakia lovers out there.

Wish you all a happy smoke!