Cornell & Diehl Star of the East Flake

The new version of this is in flake form, and has a substitution of Izmir turkish for the original receipe..... While this bears the same name, the blend has been significantly changed. The change of form to flake has married the flavors in a more unified way. The change to Izmir has added a spice and body that makes this a new and improved animal..... I like it and very much recomend it. The sample I got did need a bit of drying for my taste, but an hour and it was ready to go. Burning characteristics were good- Needing an occasional relight- But the blend did not suffer from DGT. Stayed tasty to the end with no bitterness. As a side note- the tin art for C&D is improving, and they are fun to leave out rather than hide them on some shelf. Kudos to the artist as well. All in all a great experience.....

Star of the East Cornell & Diehl I am frankly tired of the almost constant compulsion in the pipe community to compare this or that blend with some older beloved brand. Of course, whether we actually remember the beloved brand accurately is at issue as is whether we actually loved it. Humans want want they can’t have. Enter the scammers who found a tin of now unobtainable beloved blend and fill it with nothing and tell you it is the lost treasure of Atlantis for just you at an incredible steal of a price. Up for discussion to avoid regulations around overt tobacco sales. Blah blah blah. Star of the East is a Latakia-forward English blend that is just fine on its own. It has a lot of the chewy, smoky Cyprian lat and even though it has less Latakia by percentage than Pirate Kake, it tastes more Latakia centered. So, if you like Latakia, this is a good blend for you. The Turkish leaf gives sone spice and balance. The Virginia adds a touch of natural sweetness. But make no mistake — Latakia is the star in this roadshow. I like it but it’s not nuanced. More in your face. Strong but not complex. Like doing shots of Laphroaig. Bengal Slices, Quiet Nights, Nightcap are all just as strong but each in its turn tastes more complex. 3 out of 4 stars.

The Orientals are the star in this blend. Immediately upon lighting the bowl, their flavours lead the charge, then blossom inside your palette, aided by the red Virginias to offer a rye note with the characteristic subtle sourness that we seek from Turkish orientals. The Latakia despite being 50% of this blend is overtaken by the sheer aromatic power of the Orientals, and don't reveal their full presence until towards the end of the bowl. This is a blend that evolves in the pipe and offers a unique experience in the English category.

4/4 - This is highly recommended, and I feel compelled to age a tin and see how a little time expresses itself with these tobaccos.

The Latakia is very heavy with a very smooth, actually creamy feel. I want to say soft and silky all the way around. Though all the high quality Latakia notes are present- smoke, light incense, etc. I get a heavy whipping creamer verses a half&half sensation on the tongue. Not knowing much about blending I'm amazed how much a heavy Latakia forward blend can be this smooth. Burst forth with great flavor. I would think the pressing must help along with superb Virginia's and oriental's. A wee bit of pepper. Just enough to add nuance to this exceptional smoke. 5 stars if I could. But I'm a Latakia freak! Much better and refined than regular SOTE.

For me it is solid but nothing special. I much prefer something like Quiet Nights to this. I was expecting more complexity more flavour given the reviews but it is just okay. Strong Latakia flavour along with a grassy note. There are much better Englishes out there imo but like I said this is still solid.

This was the first flake I tried when getting back into smoking in early 2017. I found out later that is more of a broken ribbon (C&D does a lot of these it seems) than a true flake.

The 50% latakia really is the star of this one. The Orientals are kept in the background. It is easy to pack being a broken ribbon and lighting it is a breeze compared to some other true flakes.

I prefer it over the regular Star of the East bulk as I think the processing does something for it. I do like the Gold version which allows the orientals to come forward, just wish they did that one in a similar broken flake.

Some people considers it similar to Penzance or at least an alternative to the rare Esoterica. Of course, the composition, the cut, the color is very similar; the excellent combustion, the smoothness make SOTEF a very good tobacco. However I find that it is a little bit flat, more uncomplicated and less rich of Penzance. Orientals begin to emerge, though little, after the first third of the bowl. I had much greater expectations from SOTEF. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Change the name! It is nothing like Star of the East at all! I buy SOR in bulk at Cigar King in Skokie, Illinois and it is wonderful! I had the misfortune of trying a sample of this flake and was not impressed. It is bland, and just a run of the mill Latakia flake. Take a pass.

Dark, latakia heavy, slightly moist flake. Easily broken for a short drying period. Nothing harsh, good evening smoke. Definitely not an all day tobacco. A touch one dimensional, but still worth it if you like latakia. Good burn, only a lover of tobacco room odor.