Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Epiphany

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2009-03-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It took me a while to warm up to this fine blend, I have to confess. When the big tin arrived a few months ago, I tore into it with abandon and found myself disappointed. It was kind of like sex with a perfect starlet--plenty of buildup, an aching sort of anticipation, and then the pimples, the appendix scar, the stretch marks from the weight loss. The tin aroma was gorgeous--a sort of subtle Mirabelle overlaying the frank smell of Burley. But that first smoke I found hot and bitey (speaking of that starlet). I began to resent the cut, which was neither ribbon nor broken flake nor shag nor crimp. It was a whole new thing. Haphazard, I think it's called. I resented it all.

Ah well, I thought. Live and learn.

I went back to Epiphany a handful of times over the next few weeks and though it was more enjoyable, it was hardly revelatory.

The last few weeks, however, have been busy for me at the computer and when I'm busy at that thing, I like nothing better than to load up a few cobs with various Burleys, chomp, and puff. In that context, the delicacy and outright friendliness of Epiphany really came out. I put away the Carter Hall, put away the Old Joe Krantz, put them all away except for Epiphany. This little Americanized-English with the subtle fruit topping, almost non-existent Latakia and gentle nature had found its niche. It is, absolutely, a writer's friend.

I still don't smoke Epiphany when I want the intensity of the smoke in the foreground. For that I go to the VaPers, the Balkans and the more Latakia-heavy English mixtures. Heck, I even go to Old Joe Krantz which is, for my money, the finest Burley blend that C&D has yet produced.

But if ever I choose to have an all day smoke, I suspect that it will be Epiphany--a helper for the tired, a soft nudge to the fading mind, a friend in contemplation.

Just don't judge it too quickly. I did. And I almost lost a friend.

68 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3022)	2015-01-24		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The topping is slightly rum-fruity and is always noticeable, but it doesn't sublimate the tobacco that much. The earthy, woody perique is mildly applied, mostly fig and raisin-like with barely any spice. The Cyprian Latakia is smoky, earthy, woodsy sweet, and though a minor player, it is an important presence in virtually every puff. The burleys offer some molasses and sugar, wood, earth, and nuts with a little toastiness, and well complements the tart and tangy citrusy, slightly grassy Virginias. They are the main components. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a couple of steps past the mild mark. Won't bite or get harsh, but does sports some rough edges. Burns clean and cool - though it may need a little hydration - and a tad fast with a mostly consistent sweet and savory, lightly campfire, nutty flavor, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. The topping does level off some in the last quarter of the smoke. Has a lightly lingering pleasant after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Three and a half stars.

In comparing it to the Philip Morris Revelation, which this blend was based on, I see several similarities and differences. The differences are that Epiphany is just a little sweeter with fewer Virginia grass notes, and the burley is a shade less toasty. The amount of the individual components are very close to Revelation.

-JimInks

67 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking a pipe for 35 years. In that time I have tried hundreds of different blends. As of 2 months ago I had narrowed my rotation down to Penzance, Full Va Flake, Westminster, and Opening Night. Then I tried Epiphany!! I no longer have a rotation. This is by far the best tobacco I have ever tasted. Exquisite taste, burns cool, no bite, and you can smoke it all day and NEVER tire of it. There is no other tobacco I can say that about. I held off writing this review for 2 months for fear I would tire of it. Just the opposite. I look forward to it more every day. Thank you Cornell & Diehl.

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-19		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice looking chunky cut take on Revelation. When I compared it to HOW Revelation, I found more than a few dissimilarities so I inquired, and was told that was blended to be like the old Philip Morris version. I can't comment on how close they are, but it is irrelevant to me anyway. Epiphany not only stands on its own but stands as one of the very few tobacco blends that is so perfect that it seems impossible to have been created by anything other than nature itself.

I'm finding an affinity for light "American English" blends these days. In this one, the latakia is used as a spice while the burleys and VA's rule the show. The perique is almost undetectable but it shows itself enough to indicate that this blend would be less harmonious without it. This blends strongest attribute is its balance. Nothing stands out but everything melds into a united whole. Nice nicotine hit too, for those who hold that in high esteem.

Ridiculously cheap in bulk, my 1 oz sample is being parlayed into a 2 pound purchase. Tarler and Runowski have outdone themselves! And outdone many others as well!

40 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-01-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Complex, creamy, deep and rich. This is an outstanding blend. Perfectly balanced with each component contributing ample flavor. The Virginias are fruity and sweet. The Burley, deep, creamy, and nutty. The Perique, tart, figgy, and spicy. The Latakia, creamy, woody, and smoky. A true delight for the senses. The finish is so creamy it's like smoking a milk shake. A new favorite.

Pipe Used: MM Freehand, MM General

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-09-13		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I hate when people start reviews like this but in fairness I really have to on this one. I'm not normally a huge fan of latakia blends. While the smokey taste really does appeal to me, I think body chemistry conspires against me with regard to any more than condimental levals of the camel dung weed. That said, Epiphany was spot on with regard to latakia level. Enough for that full smokey background but not too much as to cause what I like to call the latakia hangover (severe heartburn, mouth tastes like a smoldering tire, etc). This is full American English and there's no denying from the burley presence and manners that this is the handywork of Bob Runowski.

It isn't as complex as, say Riverboat Gambler but there is a fantastic complexity and fullness which is atypical of Mr. Runowski and shared by both blends. Truth be told, it just could not be done any better. It has a very full (light English, expensive cigar) taste to it but at the same time is smooth, somewhat nutty and very burley, very old school. While I never had the pleasure of sampling the original Revelation, if it was half this good, it was indeed something special. While Epiphany could easily suffice as an all day smoke, it is to me a bit heavy to use it as such for a protracted period of time. Of course, YMMV but the one thing that cannot be disputed is at the end of the day this is a very fine smoke with something for everyone from the codger burleyphile to the English blend smoker looking for something a bit smoother and a bit less acrid.

A while back, I figured out I had been way too generous with the four star rating and would only render it when it was totally warranted. No doubt it is warranted for Epiphany. In an effort to simplify my rotation, I decided I would shrink it to five blends and this made the cut. Really a very nicely done tobacco, fantastic morning or evening but probably best after a large supper, enjoying a cold drink on the porch and watching the sunset.

21 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-13		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is probably the best English tobacco I've ever had. Everything about it is perfect. I can't think of anything I'd add or take away from it. It is perfectly blended. All of the tobaccos in it are in perfect harmony with each other. They come together to form the perfect smoke. If you like English tobacco you'll want to give this a try real soon. Excellent!

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2017-01-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Epiphany.

The blend contains a myriad of cuts: there's some little pieces of broken flake, ribbons, small shags, some cube cuts and twigs; it can't be all good! My blend leans more towards the dryer side, but it has been loosely pouched for a few months so I won't hold that against it.

Whatever the fruit/citrus is it's been applied in a microscopic amount. To me it tastes more like a natural, Burley/Virginia powered blend. At first I get a little more of the Latakia compared to the Perique, it takes until a quarter of the way through a bowl for the Perique to join in. When it does, it doesn't give much of a sharpness, just a gentle hint. The Burley and Virginia are running the show throughout, with a rustic/grassiness.

The nicotine sits at medium, and the room-note's pleasant.

An easy four stars.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Milverton P'Lip

Age When Smoked: Two months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2013-07-25		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Epiphany has a sweet tin note, almost that of a lightly topped American drug store mixture. The charring light brings forth some rich flavors that were not at all what I expected. The latakia is very light yet quite noticeable in flavor and aroma. The perique component is also very much at play. Having smoked my share of latakia forward blends than contain a bit of perique (Nightcap, various GLP offerings like Blackpoint, Samarra, & Piccadilly), it's interesting to taste a blend where the roles of the latakia & perique are essentially reversed. With Epiphany the tang & spice of the perique are very forward, while the Latakia gently tempers the background adding its pleasant and familiar musty aroma.

Altogether the smoke has a rugged quality to it and nasal exhale is a bit rough, the side stream is toasty, woodsy, a touch sweet with a pungency that definitely tickles the sinuses. The Virginia and burleys are very much the low note here and by mid-pipe the hallmark brashness of the C&D burleys come through both in a subtle nuttiness and in an astringency that develops as you work your way down the bowl. In other words, the Virginias aren't present enough for this to taste like a slightly altered VaPerBur. Instead an Old-Time burley flavor seems to lead the way and the perique continues to press, intensifying in forwardness. This is not a sweet blend, and as expected the Latakia is more of an accent.

Throughout the bowl the mouth-feel is a bold medium. There are some nice complexities in the interplay between components but I wouldn't call them extraordinary. Nicotine is very much a part of the party but it's not overwhelming. Strength wise I would rate Epiphany as a firm medium/borderline medium-strong. It's good for a noticeable buzz but not a dizzy swim.

Overall the primary flavors are fairly balanced, simple and straight forward, yet somehow understated. Epiphany takes to a match fairly well but some relights are required. The burley and VA's do burn quicker than the perique and latakia creating some performance problems, but in trade this attribute does add to the complexity of the blend. It smokes cool with no bite and delivers a satisfying pipe smoke that I find to be unique and quite enjoyable. I would not categorize this as a Mild English or an everyday smoke. The value of a blend like this is in its uniqueness. This, coupled with the fact that it's pretty darned good makes it a nice mixture to keep around.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-21		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

While growing up in Richmond, Va., it was hard not to notice the influence (along with the aroma of downtown Richmond) tobacco had on it's economy, not to mention the over 500,000+ residents of the immediate area. Along with cigarettes, pipe smoking was a big influence in taste and production of many recipes. Revelation was the highlight of my father's (and later my) tobacco experiences. Now, not to sound all knowing by any means, but "Epihany" is just that. It is not only reminiscent of PM Revelation, but a slightly tastier version of that classic even down to the "fruity" topping lasting to the bottom of the bowl. This observation coming with multiple bowls, enjoying each one more than the previous, bringing back memories of the original. Epiphany has now become an elusive "all day, everyday" smoke that has been searched for for over 40 years of pipe smoking. I will stray at times to enjoy Good Morning (another reincarnation of a classic), Plantation Evening, Escudo, Erinmore Flake, Gourmet English, Univ.Flake, and a small collection of others. But there is no need for me to wander too far any longer,(at least for now).NEW BATCH=A little too much casing , masks tobacco tastes, have to let it evaporate before smoking "all day" again - tastes similar to Capt. Bobs Blend now, which is pleasant, but too "sweet" for me. Update: All is well now.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2018-01-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a mix of a medium and medium-narrow chopped ribbon. There are some "fish food" torn bits and a few pieces of mostly rubbed out flake. It is mostly tan and brown ribbons with some black tobacco in there too. The pouch note is slightly sweet and a little earthy. Moisture level seemed pretty good to me, and I smoked it as delivered.

I have tried smoking this in a variety of pipes. The best smokes were in pots and cobs that had been altered to have a wide bore ID. Initially I was a little disappointed and got what I would term a slightly "muddy" taste when sipped. The flavors were a little meh, and it was uninspiring. I tried wider bowls and that helped. Finally I tried experimenting a little with cadence.

Puffed, you get bitter from the burley, and just before the bitter arrives is the sweet spot. It is earthy and sweet with a mild rum flavor. There are fruit notes. The latakia and perique are about as prominent as they are in Chestnut. You can notice them if you are thinking about them, but if you are just puffing away (a little faster than usual), there is a just a subtle, pleasant smokiness in the background from the latakia. I claim the perique contributes to the fruit.

This is a very good "all-day" smoke if people still look for such a thing these days. There was a slight learning learning curve for me as I learned what produced the best results, but it was well worth it. It was never heavy, and the nicotine is mild-medium. It was interesting enough to smoke consecutive bowls. It is burley forward, so you have to like burley to like this. Given that warning, it is very easy for me to recommend.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (93)	2012-03-27		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I love this stuff. C & D has the best Burley blends out there, in my opinion, and this is no exception. I'm a fan of just about everything that Bob Runowsky creatively had his hands on (God rest his soul) and this is a shining example of that. No, smoking Epiphany is not a life-altering event (Car accident) and it won't grab you by the lapels, smack you in the face, and demand your attention (C & D's Byzantium).

With that said, however, Epiphany is a wonderful all-day smoke. It grows on you, like your dad's beef vegetable soup. Oh, you remember eating it for the first time and hating it, but it grew into something that you loved and made you feels comfortable. Epiphany is sort of the same way. It won't knock your socks off on your first try, but it's something that you can smoke and enjoy without pretension.

As for its likeness to the old PM Revelation, I have no idea and couldn't care less. Epiphany is an exceptional "Americanized" English worth learning to love.

EDIT (4/22/2016) - I haven't had this around in a while and I began to miss it. Just had some ordered through a friend who was making a purchase and I'm really looking forward to revisiting it. Seem to be getting excited in anticipation...

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-12-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

I really did not find Epiphany to taste like the HOW Revalation at all. I did, however, find it to be similar in many ways to HOW's Country Doctor as all of the elements are similar in both blends. HOW's Country Doctor was tastier, IMO, but Epiphany is decent. The flavor is too subdued and not enough strength for my personal tastes, but I sure see where this one can ring the chimes of those who like lighter "English" style fare.

Epiphany is easy to load, arrives at the perfect moisture level, burns easily and is a cool blend that won't nip, even when aggressive puffing is employed.

No concentration needed when smoking this simpleton. A blue collar blend all the way.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2007-12-22		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is supposed to be similar to the old Revelation mixture, as it existed 20 or 30 years ago. I never tried the original myself, so I?m unqualified to judge whether or not this hits the mark of the original formula (although I have a friend who smoked it in his youth and swears this is a deadringer for it). Instead, I?ll focus on the smoke itself and my impressions, which were overwhelmingly favorable. Based on what I?d heard about Revelation, I had expected an American-English blend with a mild berry or fruit topping. This was only half-correct. When I first light up this blend, my impressions are of sweet Virginias and fruit. The overall effect can be compared to a very mild, burley-centric version of Haddo?s Delight, although the flavors aren?t identical. This impression only grows stronger after multiple bowls are smoked in the same pipe. This continues for the first third or so of the bowl, with only a slight hint of latakia. Then the blend seems to shift and I get a more traditional American-English taste of burley and latakia with the fruit/perique notes consigned to the background for the rest of the bowl (think of a sweetened version of Morley?s Best or Junkyard Dawg). The taste is great, and the room note is okay. I at first thought this blend was a little light on the nicotine, but I?ve since changed my mind. Smoking two medium-sized bowls of this in a three-hour period had me a little dizzy. It burns extremely well, if a little fast, and like a lot of burleys will grow hot if not smoked slowly. However, it doesn?t seem to bite unless I deliberately provoke it. In fact, I?m smoking some right now while drinking a Red Rock ginger ale with no problems, which is probably as good as a sign as any that it?s not too harsh on the tongue.

Conclusion: This stuff is very nice, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. There are points when I?ve thought a little more latakia would be in order, but other times I've thought it's perfect just as it is. Only time will tell, but I?m inclined to think that this will hold up far better over time than most American English blends, if for no other reason than it's quite a bit more complex but just as easy to smoke.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	churchwarden398 (19)	2008-12-12		Medium	Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: mostly medium brown mottled with black and flecks of white. This is my first foray into American-English blends and to blends by Cornell & Diehl. First off, my senses were hit. They were hit by a sharp note. It threw me for a loop at first. Was I experiencing tongue-bite? Surely not with the burley in there. When I thought about it it came to me - it was the Perique and Virginias acting like a Va./Per. As that came to me, so did an epiphany; it tasted like Dunhill's Elizabethan Mixture. That was when Dunhill was still Dunhll (almost thirty years ago now). At about mid-bowl the burleys and the latakia kicked in. This grew on me - and HOW!(he,he). No, really, I never had either the HoW version or the original. Yet if this is anything like either one it is no wonder it put The Great Physicist or anyone else for that matter in the mood for contemplation. Although my taste runs to Balkans or Scottish blends Epiphany has certainly earned a spot in my rotation.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-03-22		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I hadn't the pleasure of trying the original Revelation, but if it was half as good as its imitation, then there's no wonder Einstein was a fan of it.

Being a English/Balkan/Virginia smoker, I don't enjoy "American-English" mixtures, but this one has entered my rotation for good. It's a perfectly balanced, mildly cocoa and vanilla flavored tobacco that developes through the bowl, the topping fading slowly until you end up with an exceptional traditional English mixture in the last third of the smoke. I think this is what SG Perfection was supposed to be, being a good baccy on its own.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Talltree (31)	2018-05-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Well, by golly, this tobacco is a sweet surprise. Lately I've been smoking virginia / burley aromatics. I like Latakia in mild doses but my regular "Frog Morton Cellar" is no longer made. So, I've been looking for a mild aromatic light english to take its place. Must have read a couple of thousand reviews before settling on this.

Here I am smoking my first bowl in a brand new corncob and I have to say, I like it. It's mild, and moderately sweet, and lightly aromatic. The thing that otherwise stands out is a light spiciness - probably the perique. It pleasantly tingles the nose just a bit. Leaves a nice taste on the palate. I can't really taste the topping yet but maybe when I've broken in the pipe. It doesn't do to tamp it down too much. It needs to breathe in the bowl.

I'm on my second bowlful. Very consistent. Don't feel a nic hit til I'm halfway through the bowl and not too much... this is a very contemplative smoke. Like all the English blends I have tried it tends to be acrid if it gets too dry in the pouch. I can't taste the toppings but it probably is making the smoke sweeter. I like it but I don't know if will take a place in my rotation. Good quality tobacco. All-day sort of flavor. First impression three stars.

I'm well into the pouch now and have been smoking it more. I'll probably keep this in my rotation. Nice and smooth. This is supposed to be a match for Einstein's favorite - Revelation. It's nice to have a connection to that peerless scientist. I still can't taste the toppings. I keep it slightly moist so that there is no bite.

Pipe Used: corn cob

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com, in bulk

Similar Blends: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, but sweeter and more mild..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-08-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Nice harmony of tobaccos. As listed this is a "light" English blend. Epiphany acts like a typical English in smell and texture when lit, but on the first draw it starts to take a right turn into the lighter side. My tongue expected the fullness of the "other tobaccos" to kick in but they never did. It stays light and holds the first impression and never waivers as it burns deeper into the bowl. I can see why English smokers would like this one. I find it a bit weak in the flavor department for my particular taste. I also found it too dry leaving behind a taste of a harsh dryness to my mouth.

Pipe Used: Basket pipe, and Corn Cob

Purchased From: PipesandCigars

Similar Blends: Nightcap without the fullbodied flavour and punch..

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-09		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'd like to let this one cellar for a bit, but I'll give my initial impressions. By some, this has been generically billed as a burley blend. I would tend to disagree with that. As I have mentioned in other reviews, I prefer burley blends. For me, the Latakia and Perique were very up front, although I could sense the burley. (I will admit that I may have been puffing a bit too hard, and this may have brought the smokiness and spiciness to the front.)

Generally speaking, I found this to have a mild burley flavor with an assertive smoky and peppery taste. Vitamin N needs should be satisfied for most of us -- -- certainly not overwhelming though. Some others have mentioned a fruity taste, perhaps raisin or figs. I did not detect any fruitiness, although I'm not bothered by that at all. I will continue to smoke and purchase this blend, although I am going to cellar a portion of mine for later comparison. This does not bite and smokes pretty cool.

Recommended for those who enjoy burley, yet want something with a bit more punch.

UPDATE (10/15/11): I'd like to add a few additional insights that have made this a more enjoyable blend for me.

1. Despite the C&D reputation for relative dryness, I like to spread each bowl on a small saucer for about 20 minutes prior to smoking.

2. I smoke this one in smaller/medium bowls. Not one for the big boys.

3. I usually don't smoke a bowl full of this one. I've found that if I do that, the last third is not pleasant. I usually load a half to two-thirds of a bowl.

With the above approach, this blend tastes fresher and more multi-dimensional (for this blend). Hot-boxing a full bowl will, of course, not be a pleasant experience. (It never is, right?) I'd pair this with a nice, full bodied, black coffee (one sugar).

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WmZiggy (81)	2011-07-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I enjoyed this blend. It is not a Latakia "dump", rather a nice blend of what I call an "American mixture" given it contains Burley and no Oriental (if you exclude Latakia) leaf. I never smoked Revelation, but assume it's a close match given the fine work of C&D. It is, as the tin description attests, a light blend. It provides a complex smoke that provides a subtle sweetness from the Virginia, inter-mixed with the spice of Perique and nuttiness of the Burley. They all marry nicely. The mixture is far from a ribbon cut. I would call it a chop cut. It does light easily and stays lit providing a cool and relaxing smoke. Moisture content is perfect. I will keep Epiphany in my rotation and highly recommend it to lovers of American blends.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2012-09-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

By in large, a pipe smoker of strong Virginia plugs/flake tobaccos, I have spent the last several weeks smoking a variety of old American OTC tobaccos...Back in the 1960's I smoked the PM Revelation and decided to try the other "Revelation" match tobaccos as well...

...this C&D version is a solid tobacco...rounder than the HOW version,a bit more refined than Altadis R-Blend, and not as "rich" as Painter Hills, 4 Noggins version... That said, each version has its own characteristics, and I've enjoyed all these versions...

For an "Americanized" light english mixture, any one of these will do...however, my top two choices are Epiphany and Painter Hills...

Easily an all day smoke, Epiphany is well put-together with quality leaf, and I believe will age quite well...

...a pipe is to be savored...

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kyrob (41)	2011-09-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Opening this year old tin of Epiphany revealed loose, uniform ribbons in dominating shades of brown with some black thrown in for good measure. The tin aroma was fruity, and I could definitely smell the latakia component. The tobacco was a little dry, and clean to the touch.

Since my sample was aged for a year, the taste may be different when this blend is younger. An unlit sip brought a faint hint of the fruitiness, and the charring light brought almost a plum taste with some of the latakia making its appearance. Overall it seemed the nuttiness of the burley played in the background like the drone on a bagpipe with the latakia and fruity/plum flavors of the Virginia going in and out with each puff. The perique occasionally adds a hint of spice, but only rarely. Epiphany burned to a gray ash leaving a pleasant room note and a short finish. I have never tried the original Revelation that this blend was supposed to be emulating, so I have no opinion on how close the two blends are.

I enjoyed smoking this blend. I found it to be a milder English blend than what I am used to, but I really enjoyed the Virginia and burley components. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a blend containing latakia when it is not dominating the smoke. I will probably be buying more of this in the future.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-10-14		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Epiphany? I suppose it may be, depending on what you were looking for. If you are searching for a very mild (very little Latakia) English blend, well this is it. I prefer a bit more Latakia in a mild English blend, myself.

There is a very slight sweetness indicative of a very light topping. This is not an Aromatic blend. I found it pleasant and pleasing from pouch to the bottom of the bowl. I have a pound on hand and will smoke it because it is good.

Epiphany is a premium quality blend for those who desire just a spattering of Latakia (barely noticeable) and just a touch of sweetness in a tobacco that could easily be an all day smoke. Another winner from C&D. I give it four stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Irishlefty (22)	2008-01-19		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Damn you Tarler and Runowski!! Now I have to add another blend to my regular list of purchases.

After my first bowl of Epiphany in a Peterson's Kapet I thought it was a nice, pleasant light english blend with no bite. By the third bowl I had fallen in love with the blend. I smoked three bowls within a 4 hour period and still had no bite and wasn't tired of the taste!

Packs easy, lights easy, stays lit, good taste without any overpowering features, good nico effect, non-offensive room aroma, no bad aftertaste. This is neither sweet nor harsh. Just a nice, cool, even smoke for those of us who like English/Balkan blends.

This is a lighter smoke then my all time favorites - Nightcap, Odyssey, Crowley's Best but will join Peterson's Irish Whiskey as a must have smoke on a daily basis. Good for the 3 or 4 bowls in between the heavier blends.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2014-10-02		Medium	Medium	Mild	Tolerable

When opening the tin I get a strong fermented fruit smell. I like the thick ribbon cut and the moisture level is good to smoke right away. Unfortunately this American/English is very disappointing. The tobacco is more cased than it's topped, I get this annoying cherry and honey taste way more than the tobaccos. A boring mixture for pipers who prefer their smoke as uncased as possible. A possible hit for aromatic smokers. It's a good thing that I can pass those mixtures around to fellow pipe smokers, who knows sometimes they find a keeper.

Virginia lover

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-04-23		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find Epiphany to be mainly a Burley/Virginia blend with just a very small amount of Latakia and Perique. Of the four tobaccos, the Burley is the most dominate but not overpowering. Each component seems to be added in a way that compliments the others. Seeing the large number of reviews that rate the “flavoring” i.e. casing at medium, a level usually commonly reserved for full aromatics, I was a little slow to smoke this blend. Epiphany is a very well blended tobacco, and it burns smooth and cool. I notice the fruit topping the most around mid-bowl but never overtakes the tobacco flavor. There is some complexity in this blend too. But I don’t consider this to be an English blend. I’m not a regular smoker of Burley forward blends and Epiphany isn’t going to change that fact for me, but I think that many will find this very much to their liking as it is very well done.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-09-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a blend that I have been meaning to try forever, for some reason i have not until now. I am a huge fan of Einstein and of C and D Blends so it makes since that i would like this blend. I also think that Craig produces some of the best burleys in the business, just love the taste. This blend has a somewhat spicy pouch aroma, with the Latakia and perique rising to the task here along with a top dressing that is somewhat fruity. It is a very mixed bag in appearance in the pouch, from a lot of very blonde collored flakes running through the browns darker to the Latakia. It has a ot of very large cut burley in it so one has to be careful packing at to not make the draw too hard. One loaded, I found I had to light it often and had to relite several times during the bowl. But, it was worth it. It had a very nice, creamy flavor, the topping giving it a sweetness that was not over the top, but just right, the burley giving it plenty of body and the perique and latakia, giving it a spice that changed back and forth as the bowl burned down.

It is a slow burning blend, bite free unless pushed too hard, then it would bark a little. But sipped, it had a very peasant sweet smooth smoke that I enjoyed a lot. It burned down to a grey ash with just a little dottle. It was a little moister than most C and D blends I have received and this might account for that as most of Craigs blends burn to a fine ash. While I did enjoy this blend very much, i can't give it four stars as it required too many relites. But I do recommend trying it.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-05-31		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

C&D- Ephiphany

Tin dated 17Feb20. Tin note: plummy sweet smoky and earthy, I let this dry for a few minutes prior to smoking but found the moisture to have minimal effect on lighting.

Upon first light greeted with a nice touch of smokiness from the Latakia, and the first few sips follow along, as the bowl progresses I’m met with less Latakia and more nuttiness from the burley and pepper spice from the Perique. I pick up a slight citrus/plum topping, though not overly sweet does add to the dynamic of the blend, you may on occasion stumble upon a slight VA flavor, though it’s not ever overly apparent.

This is well blended and it’s combined parts provide a nice smoke, I can see why Einstein was a fan of the original and if it is anything like this it’s a thinkers blend.

Thinkers blend as in its flavor changes throughout the smoke, compliments each other well and on occasion you get a bit of the topping that just makes you go there it is.

A perfect all day blend for those who smoke a pipe and read or write, as I did today working my way through the western the searchers.

I find this to be a much better composed version of edward g Robinson by sutliff.

Pipe Used: Falcon system pipe

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Sutliff Tobacco Company - Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haebar (52)	2015-11-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought 4 ounces of Epiphany about a year ago when I was looking for Burley-forward blends to try. This one is a blend of many different types of tobaccos and the balance of flavors is very equitable. There is both considerable depth and complexity to be found here; Epiphany has a cacaphony of tobacco flavors. The appearance is of mostly medium reddish-brown color with a fair amount of lighter leaf with some dark tobacco in the mix. The cut is mixed with some short ribbons and other random pieces. There were a couple of tough stem-like midrib pieces in the small portion that I pulled out for my bowls. I had jarred this tobacco in Mason jars a year ago and it was at the same moisture level as when it was when it was stored, which was just right for smoking. The initial flavor was Perique and Burley; the Latakia and Virginias kept a low profile. In mid-bowl the Virginias and Latakia made their presence known. The finish is pretty much like the middle third of the bowl, an almost perfect harmony of the four types of tobaccos. The high point of the bowl was the middle third when all of the tobacco flavors were in full array. This tobacco is of medium intensity, not overpowering but not a light blend by any means. The nicotine strength is medium as well. It is rich but not sweet; if there is any flavoring/casing, it is in harmony with the Virginias and Perique. Epiphany burns cool and dry. I smoked it in a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman and a Comoy's Guildhall billiard.

Pipe Used: Comoy's Guildhall billiard, MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2015-09-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was the second of three tins I got at the end of our NASPC show this year; half empty but smokeable. I'm going to be blunt - I didn't enjoy this blend. It's tin aroma was somewhat weak and the smoking aroma was the same. I found it to be a dull and boring experience. There was nothing to make it stand out, among all of the stronger blends available to us, in the upper two thirds of the bowl. The bottom third of the bowl was, basically, tasteless and somewhat hot and ashy. Then it dawned on me; this was very much like how I remembered Revelation to be back in that dimly lit past of the early sixties. It was one of the OTC blends that I purchased from my main supplier at that time - my local Rexall Drug Store. I didn't care for it then and, similarly, I don't care for its current C&D emulation which, by the way, is rather accurate in it's formulation. Be careful what you wish for - two stars.

Pipe Used: LX half bent Ashton Pebble Grain billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year old

Purchased From: gifted at the 2015 NASPC show

Similar Blends: Revelation, as I remember it.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigNick (59)	2015-03-30		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

These are my initial impressions of this blend, I've only had a few bowlfuls of this stuff but in these few bowls, a lot of character can be picked up in this tabac. The tin note was very fig like, maybe raisins or prunes. Assorted black/brown/ruddy red colors. It packs well and takes to a light extremely well out of the tin. Tons of transitions in flavor are abundant with this blend. I instantly pull out a fruity/dried fig flavor. Then I can really feel the spicy notes of the perique, it actually took me by surprise because all the other flavors are smooth and the perique periodically plants itself in your nose. From other reviews discussing the minimal addition of perique, I really didn't expect it to be as pronounced. The Latakia drops in once in a while and adds a little depth and body to it, kinda rounds it all out. I got a nice little nic hit from it mid-bowl. It burns very easily, no dottle and white ash. I'm really happy with this blend, I highly recommend.

Pipe Used: MM Washington, CPF Bulldog meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: David's Gifts and Tobaccos, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Demetri (113)	2014-06-02		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

It is going some distance for me to give any flavored blend three stars, especially English ones. I only bought this as I thought I could not think I had done the complete C&D Bulk English offerings and not taste it. At the same time I also bought a tin of Sutliff Private Stock R Blend (their version of Revelation) for comparison. Not having any idea of Einsteins favorite I can only test this and the Sutliff against each other and in my own biased way.

Opening the package and jarring Epiphany was a sensory assault - the unlit aroma recalled Bazooka Bubblegum and Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum from my youth. I prepared to be disappointed. In appearance it looked to be a standard English blend in the C&D style of ribbon cut. Not exactly elegant but it IS a bulk... Component wise it has all the goodies I like so I packed a Kaywoodie (with stinger) and fired it up. First light, bubblegum does not come through the smoke but some fruity sweetness does. It is considerably smokey in taste and heavier than the Sutliff in Latakia, much heavier. Flavor also reminds me of some light vanilla and maple with a berry base of some sort. For me at least the salty nature of this blend saves it.

For a non-aro guy it goes some for me to say I'll keep some of this around. My 4 ounce sampling is about gone, more to come soon, I'm sure. It is superior to the Sutliff (but that's another review).

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: New production

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Sutliff Tobacco Company - R Blend (Sutliff Private Stock).

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-04-21		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Friend of mine sent this sample, with some others.

Pouch smells of an oddly familiar, yet completely unable to recollect fruit. I'd put it somewhere between grapes and plums, with a little berry as well. I can detect some smokiness but not very much. The blend smells very, very sweet.

Initial char is pleasantly spicy upfront, wait, this is an "English"? First few draws are spicy as well, with little-to-none of that fruity sweet aromatic smell coming out. I'm getting a little burley burp (the back of the throat lumping) but no bite other than the spice. A snork and french inhale tell me there is a topping, but I just cannot put my finger on it... again some strange plum/grape flavor that's really hard to pin down. The latakia is fairly subdued here, I get a hint of it early on and it does get a bit more pronounced as the bowl goes on, but just enough to be mildly smoky...

Midway through the bowl, I'm now getting a bit more lat and that unique fruit flavor... and it's actually got a surprising sweetness... I'm still scratching my head, waiting for that Epiphany of "name that topping", and it's pretty wonderful playing the guessing game with it. Oh, and it's still spicy. Even with the lat emerging it's not in the potency that I would put on par with Squadron Leader or Nightcap.

After finishing the bowl and letting my cob cool down, I sniffed it to try one last time to figure out the topping and came back with "fruit punch". Considering every kind of fruit imaginable is in fruit punch, it really didn't help me.

That's all I got. It's good, mildly complex, and pretty tasty. Not life changing, but a good smoke.

Pipe Used: MM Legend

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Unknown (gifted)

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (632)	2013-10-07		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Update 11/23/2015

Well, I bit the bullet and paid big bucks for a sealed tin of Philip Morris Revelation from the 50's(?) I think. The tin was sealed with a red tape around the opening. Inside, it seemed to be in an envelope that resembled the texture of parchment paper. I am assuming that this was ideal storage at the time this was produced.

My point of stating all this is that the stuff was not that good at all. The topping had flashed, there was nothing much left in way of latakia and the blend took on that cardboard taste that old stale blends tend to take on. Having experienced this, I think that is impossible to actually compare this blend to what is being made for a match today.

I shared this with a couple of fellow reviewers here and they, in turn, shared some matches with me. One gave me the sutliff match, and the other, some Epiphany as it had been a while since I tried it. The Sutliff match was much better than the other blend I had previously tried by them. I think it was R Blend that is their other earlier match. However, the Epiphany was head and shoulders above all of these.

The sample I tried seemed to scream four stars to me and I can't decide if this is due to my taste and experience improving since I last tried it or a problem with consistency on part of C&D. In any case, I am not changing this from its three stars, but will definitely be buying more and may add a star to this one later as I really enjoyed the generous sample I just finished.

Original Review 10/7/2013

I never had revelation and likely never will. Not that it matters as this is a fine tobacco on its own. It must have been quite a blend to have inspired so many knockoffs from so many blenders. This is one of the better ones in my opinion. The Sutliffe version, Man's Best friend, is terrible by comparison.

To me this is good, but not great. It is reliable and can be smoked all day without a problem and will also fill a contemplative itch quite well. Like many of the C&D blends it relies heavily on their fine burleys. The perique is prevalent and the Lat is but a whisper in the background. The topping is light enough not to encroach on the natural tobacco flavor, but strong enough to make an impact on the blend. There is great balance amongst the components in this blend with none really stealing the show.

My hunting buddy loves this stuff and is more responsible for finishing off my 8 ounces than myself over the past few hunting seasons as he just can't get enough of it. He is in for a disappointment this November as I don't intend to buy any more any time soon. Just too much of other stuff in the cellar.

So I do recommend this one, particularly as a crossover to those looking to get into english blends. So three stars as it just doesn't jump in to must have territory for me.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cgar (37)	2012-04-16		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After several tins of this stuff, I'm just now going to try and shed some light on this baccy. Epiphany is something special but odd. Like an earlier reviewer stated it is a smoke that will at first have you feeling a bit annoyed, but after a few more bowls you will begin to warm up to it and then feel like its something you need to keep around. The tin presentation is typical C&D well balanced and top grade leafs, the smell is a bit different, sort of like a kids cereal with a hint of smokiness lingering in the background (Toasted Lucky Charms comes to mind). The vitamin N is there throughout and should be respected b/c it will jump on you fast. Experienced 0 tongue bite, but did notice it like to heat up just a bit. I found around mid bowl this baccy really begins to shine and seems offer moments that kept me coming back for more. Overall a nice smoke that gives you a little something different.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Txspurgeon (8)	2010-09-03		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like this blend. Bob Runowski did a great job recreating the Philip Morris Revelation. I have some to compare it to! ..Anyways, The taste is almost SPOT ON...BUT...and a very BIG but...the room note is different. Revelation has a nice sweetish/earthy room note. Epiphany is lacking it. I really wish he could have captured that. Other than that, I love it. Good all day smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-05-31		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

C & D is certainly the most adventurous tobacco company operating in this PC, nicotine-hating world we live in today. And I am glad they have the gumption to recreate blends from the past which seem to be disappearing faster than new ones are showing up on tobacconists' shelves every day. Their newest blend, EPIPHANY, is a noble effort to recapture the "heavenly" REVELATION from House of Windsor, often described as a "drugstore" blend (not in any drugstore I knew of, though). As for appearance, Epiphany and Revelation are virtually identical, a black, brown and tan chopped ribbon; and likewise the casing/dressing tantalizes with a deep aroma of Juicy Fruit chewing gum with not a little menthol thrown into the mix to anesthetize the tastebuds (Yes, menthol!). I'd say the perique ratio is about the same as in the original, but, perhaps, of higher quality, i.e., more winey, raisiny. But here's the kicker... Maybe in earlier incarnations, Revelation contained much larger proportions of latakia, and, if that's the case, Epiphany is a more faithful replication of the original. Whereas Revelation offers but a soft whisper of latakia, in Epiphany it's a Rebel Yell! Many will prefer this---I don't. Epiphany arrived very moist in the tin and required a substantial drying out. Still, I would recommend this to any pipe smoker on both sides of the latakia fence (love it or hate it). There's really nothing else like it on the market today. For you Revelation junkies out there going through withdrawal, also try C & D's COMFORT blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	InTheBiz (4)	2008-02-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Over the years, there's been 3 different versions of Revelation. 1) The original Phillip Morris version (The best, in my opinion.) 2) The early House of Windsor version (visually different, but possessed the same basic flavor). 3) The last House of Windsor version (Large, chunky cube cut, fruit top note non-existent at times, difficult to keep lit, harsh on the tongue).

Cornell & Diehl's Epiphany is a virtual copy of the original Phillip Morris product. A near perfect blending of Burleys, Virginias, with a touch of Latakia and Perique. The fruit top note is done with restraint, yet is evident for the entire bowl. A visually interesting mixture of small cubes, long cut Virginia, black bits of Latakia and Perique, and flakes of Bright Virginia. Beautiful! The pouch aroma is typical, old fashioned "pipe tobacco", reminiscent of times past.

Flavor is creamy, nutty and smooth, with no single tobacco taking center stage. The sweet top dressing is a bit pronounced at first light, but settles down nicely, never interfering with the base tobacco flavor. Little to no bite is detected, even with vigorous puffing. Burning qualities are excellent, with very few re-lights needed.

I've smoked bowl after bowl in various pipes, and never tire of the taste, always anticipating the next bowl. I can't say that about most blends I've tried. Usually, one bowl is enough, then on to something different. Not so with Epiphany.

Overall, an outstanding rendition of an old, classic mixture. Craig Tarler and company have created yet another masterpiece. Bravo!

Highly Recommended!!!

CACooper

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Potwell (10)	2019-04-03		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I admit to seeing Einstein associated with Revelation and to wanting the experience of such a storied blend no longer available today. Let me offer my thoughts on this blend. First of all, I should say that I am generally averse to aromatic blends, ... being more a fan of unadulterated tobacco flavor. With few exceptions, my experience with aros were that they smell delicious but tend to be wet and therefore bite, and no matter how inviting the tin aroma and room note, the taste was often a crude distortion. Enough said.. Fast forward to this blend - given it’s from C&D, a house proving time and time again to offer well-executed blends of high-quality tobacco - How could I not give it a try? I bought a few ounces in bulk, and upon receipt of the bag, I noticed that there appeared to be varying colors of dusty brown, with only a small amount of blackish Latakia and Perique specs to be found. I could smell a dark cherry note, but also a very natural tobacco smell. Very ragged cut-Burley form the base by volume, with what appear to be broken flakes of VA, smelling more pungently of dark fruit – not sure if the topping was applied to the whole blend or if concentrated in one or more constituents. Small Latakia tips and bits of Perique formed the darker islands in the dusty brown body. I was intrigued and quickly loaded up a wide and tall Rhodesian, which I find to suit well for burley-based American style blends. On the charring light, a dark cherry note and a bit of campfire from the Latakia hit my nostrils. After true light, this leveled off to the sandy nutty flavor of the Burley, with added complexity from the slightly sweet stewed cherry topping. The first third progressed relatively consistently in this way. I found myself tasting the Latakia, but only as a smokey edge to the burley - I would miss it if not present, but not the focal point in any way. At mid-bowl, Latakia gave way to Perique. The flavor was now as if Latakia had been infused into the smoke, but I no longer noticed new crisp flashes. The cherry top note seemed to give way to apricot, as the raisin notes of Perique entered the frame to meld with the C&D sandy Burley. Near the end of the bowl, the topping became more and more muted, and the strength and body of the smoke markedly stronger (along with the N which had been steadily increasing since the half-way point). The finish was strong and reasonably dry, but with duller individual notes to identify, and a very slight cigarette feel. When I threw my hat in, I was surprised to see a good bit more dottle topple out than I would have thought was left, perhaps due to the pipe I was smoking. Overall, I really enjoyed this tobacco and its quality nutty Burleys, and tellingly, I felt the need to revisit this same blend later that evening (something I rarely do). If you like American blends, I recommend trying Epiphany, even if you are strongly anti-aromatic, as it may show you that there is less to fear and more to enjoy than you may have realized. Similarly, Kramer’s Cary Grant has shown me that I may have written off aromatics too soon. Keep an open mind and give it a try. As for Einstein, I can’t claim that the first bowl sparked in me his genius, but I plan to work on it in earnest, as I move through the remaining ounces of my order.

Pipe Used: savinelli

Age When Smoked: 1month

Purchased From: smokingpipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2019-01-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I have to say that my take on this one is quite different from so many others. I would love to add another great review of this blend but alas it is not in the cards. I honestly cannot comment on it too much because here is what happens for me . . . on lighting I get the fruity top note nice enough, a little of the smokiness of the lat. a tiny amount of pepper from the perique and then I exhale, which comes out sour. Its all sour no nuance at all. The sourness just lingers and the more I puff the more pronounced that sourness gets. By the half way point sour is all I can taste and then it gets astringent and constricts my nasal passages I mean I can actually feel them getting tighter. I don't know what would cause this and this is the only blend that has ever done this to me. I have over the course of the last 6 weeks tried this 5 different times with the same result. I cannot finish the sample. I am glad that several reviews really enjoy this and I hope that they continue to do so it is just not smoke able for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TerseHopefulDjinn (2)	2018-12-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A good quality, classic American English blend. One that I greatly enjoy. It did take a few smokes and some age for me to warm up to it, however.

This is a match for the blend Revelation, a favorite of the great Albert Einstein. I've never had any variation of Revelation, new or aged. I cannot speak on this blend as a match, only as it stands on its own.

The latakia is minor in the blend but is noticed in every puff, a smoky flavor that plays very nicely with the other components and the flavoring added. I don't get much spice from the Perique, mostly the figgy fruit side of it. The burley is nutty and earthy, one of the dominant players of the tin. Quality burley, as is par for the course for C&D. I barely pick up on the Virginia, the sweetness is noticeable, though I occasionally pick up on citrus notes, which I assume comes from the Virginias, but could be the topping as well. The topping is very light, playing a minimal background part.

Very good stuff, a good classic Aromatic English, an old-school American blend, like the grandfathers and great-grandfathers of yesteryear, enjoyed.

Pipe Used: Nording Great Dane freehand

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin, 6 months jarred

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2016-10-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a very nice, easy going, all day smoke. It is very similar to both Haunted Bookshop and Pegasus, but with very discreet amounts of Latakia and Pèrique added. Thus it is a tad stronger and has more body than the other two, yet it is still mild enough (in the friendly sense of the term) to be smoked through out the day. The Latakia does not impart the strong burnt-leaf aroma that many wives hate. The Pèrique imparts a gentle sour-sweet after taste that is very "cozy". I was greatly surprised and, unlike the other two, will be ordering more in the future.

Pipe Used: Comoy's Stadium

Age When Smoked: N/A

Purchased From: Joshua Ward.

Similar Blends: Pegasus, Haunted Bookshop and, to a lesser extent, Red Rapparee..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2016-01-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Summary: a light American English where all flavors are in balance, producing a light fruity and nutty blend.

Virginias and Burleys harmonize to form a backdrop for a light Latakia English with Perique barely detectable in the background. The Burleys make the flavor solid where the Virginias sweeten and the Perique gives it a fruity flavor which plays with the Burley to create a sensation almost a fig Newton with some tangy spice in the background. The different flavors do not so much contrast as balance, creating a single note from which different highlights emerge, united with a mild rum/fruit topping that complements those flavors. The result is an English that is more mild than spicy which favors casual, lengthy smokes.

Thanks to Pipes Magazine forum member "fnord" for this sample.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greg V (1)	2015-11-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I heard about Einstein smoking Revelation and how Epiphany is similar. I've seen Epiphany before at my LTS and decided to get it for the novelty. After smoking one bowl in a hardwood pipe I really liked it. Being new to smoking pipes, this was way different for me when comparing this to a full English Blend and would recommend others to give it a shot if you have a few dollars to give it a go.

Even buying it in bulk, it was fairly dry but smoked really well. No tongue bite and the flavors are very enjoyable. I could taste perique with very little latakia, which seemed to be a secondary characteristic which made this blend very balanced. The virginia and burleys were also evident in the flavor, adding a sweetness and nuttiness with the perique adding a pepperiness and very little smokiness from the latakia. Overall quite sweet in flavor for the overall mildness of this blend.

I'll probably keep this on my normal rotation of pipe tobaccos until something else is found to replace it, which will be hard to do, I've also purchased another tobacco from the LTS from the clerk who recommended it, since it was similar and said it was better in his opinion. Well Epiphany won out for my taste so it could be hit or miss to some people depending on their palate.

Pipe Used: Hardwood (M.M. variety)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zachchandler92 (5)	2013-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is probably my favorite English style blend. It does not have a very complex flavor to meditate on, the smell is tolerable, the spice from the latakia and perique don't really interfere with the smoke and act more as condiments. It tends to smoke a little hot, but stays dry pretty well. I can smoke it for about an hour, then I'm done with it.

Tin note: typical English, campfire smell

Room note: same as tin note

Taste: pretty mild for an English, but tastes just like every English ever made.

Overall: I like it. The can was pretty cheap, the smell isn't overpowering, and it tastes like an English. It's really just not a complex flavor.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Armac (10)	2011-10-10		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't often review tobaccos but I feel I should comment only because of some comments and part of the description that refers to Revelation and Einstein. I suspect Einstein smoked other tobaccos but Revelation was his favorite. I've seen pictures of him at his desk with a large tin of Revelation in front of him. I smoked a lot of Revelation in the late 1950s and early 1960s and unless my memory is completely shot, neither this nor the House Of Windsor recreations are much like the old Revelation. The original Revelation was produced by Contenental Tobacco and then sometime about 1940 Phillip Morris acquired Revelation at the same time as Bond Street. I've seen some comments about Einstein smoking HOW Revelation which was impossible of course. The HOW version was produced after 2000 and Einstein died in 1955. He smoked the Phillip Morris Blend.

Having said all that, this is a good blend, though heavier in Latakia than the PM version. Its essentially an American English with a Burley base. At first light, the Latakia aroma is prominent then fades somewhat. This tobacco shines at about half bowl when the nutty flavor and aroma of the Burley begins to dominate. It can get a little bitter at the bottom of the bowl. Someone commented that it is a good transition tobacco for those who want to move from aromatics to English or a more natural blend and I would agree. Its certainly worth trying.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-25		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I called in to C&D, and spoke to a gent about switching into their English blends from some other light english, and a few lingering aromatics. I ordered a sample pack of 6 blends, and this led the list. Being that what little they've forgotten about blends is probably more than I know, I simply asked the gent to pick out 6 of the "light english / all day" variety to sample (C&D sent 015, 068, 101, 412A, Bed & Breakfast, and Good Morning)

The order on Monday morning arrived on a Wednesday afternoon via US Priority Mail. The sample packaging was in heavy duty ziplock bags with a Cornell and Diehl label, see uploaded photo.

I gave this tobacco it's first firing in a good sized meerschaum that was well cleaned prior to smoking, to attempt to narrow down the flavor, etc. to this blend alone. (this is what I prefer, for a first go with any new tobac)

The taste was decent, the smoke appealing, and like the other quality tobaccos I've used the ash was fine and gray. Tongue bite for me was noticeably absent at my standard relaxed pace, though I did not attempt to mindlessly huff it to see if I could get the bite.

The aroma was certainly tolerable, the taste was decent to my palate. I have no experience with either of the two variants that inspired this blend. I will continue with this blend . . .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-02-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I agree very much with Pipestud's review of this blend: a tasty, hearty, simple tobacco that can be enjoyed regularly and doesn't require much attention.

Sure, Revelation was better and more unique... but you really can't complain! It's nutty, moderately sweet, full of bold and pleasant nuances. A great balance between burley nuttiness, Latakia smokiness and leathery taste, slight Virginia sweetness and just a bit of Perique tang.

It's stout but not heavy, not as nicotine-laden as some other C&D burley based blends. Very interesting for cigarette AND pipe smokers, it really fixes the occasional craving for a cigarette.

Truly low-maintenance tobacco, in the good meaning of the term: it burns great, quite quick but never hot or with nasty aftertaste if you overpuff it. Absolutely no bad-burley bitterness here!

Not a masterpiece of originality or class, but a very delicious tobacco for the real smoker.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (178)	2007-12-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is what it is - a light aromatic, American English. Smoked most all of a tin in a Benton and the remaining bowlfulls in an estate Dunhill. A little sweeter in the Benton.

Looks and smells to me (and a friend) in the tin a little like the IRC Three Star series, but this does not have that level of sweetness.

Nice burley with bright Virginias and some red added. Spiced a wee bit with both latakia and some Perique. It packs, lights, and burns easy and dry.

The mild, fruity note is per the blender, plumb, as apparently the original version was. That's the main new information I can add to these reviews.

Though the fruit note is light and balances with the tobacco taste, it does stay with the bowl to the end. The last half of the bowl picks up a little more of the spices from the condimentals. But it's not heavy by any means.

So something for everyone -- burley, virginia, condimentals, and some added sweetness. It introduces the aromatic fan to a bit of spice, and provides some fragrance to a natural smoker.

I found it an interesting change of pace, and could be a frequent to all day smoke for some. I give it three stars for its civility, but it is better than that really; just not designed to knock your socks off.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DavyCrockettwashere (33)	2021-07-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased 0.5lbs. of this about a year ago. I put the bag away, and revisited the blend this morning. I smoked a bowl while driving in to work. This is fantastic! All ingredients form a different taste than you’d expect. It’s mouth watering good! Sipped slowly, and even to large puffs the flavor is the same. There is a mild richness, with an aroma that is handsome and not sugary sweet but more like burning hickory from a whole hog barbecue fire. Burned to the absolute bottom without a re-light and didn’t leave a goopy mess. Delicious.

Pipe Used: Larry Comeaux Billiard

Age When Smoked: 1 year old

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phillip Ellis (14)	2020-04-23		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Burley in my opinion over powers the blend and the Latakia just takes a back seat. If you are not a fan of burley don't put yourself though trying this.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob & Comoys

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Havana Port Cigars

Similar Blends: NONE.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falliver (42)	2019-01-21		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

From the tin citric, complimented by the Latakia present in the blend, but mellowed by the other tobaccos in the blend.

Produces a medium bodied smoke with a taste very much like the tin aroma. A highly enjoyable Latakia blend.

Originally bought as a fan of Einstein, hoping Epiphany would be similar enough to Revelations to grant me passing-powers on my exams. Disclaimer: it did not, but is still a bloody good smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bibliopiper (9)	2018-12-14		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Tolerable

The cut really is a jumble, as others have mentioned, but still not difficult to work with. However I did find the smoking experience disappointing. I’m not a burley lover. This tasted mostly of just that with just a hint of Latakia to make it something like an English. I don’t tast the perique at all in my sample. The pouch note is a bit smoky with a sort of citrusy hint, neither of which really come across in the smoking. It’s obviously not low quality tobacco but is one of my least favorites blends so far.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2017-12-20		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I can see why this tobacco was Einstein's favorite. Epiphany is an ideal all day smoke: not complex, but far from uninteresting - quite the opposite. The main element is Burley in various cuts, delivering some nuttiness and a decent burning rate. Combined with just enough Virginias, a whisper of Perique and Latakia, Epiphany reaches a fine balance with the added sweetness and spiciness which makes it pleasant to smoke all day without having to focus on it to appreciate it. The added fruit/citrus topping provides a refreshing touch that is very unusual but pleasant. The nicotine, at Medium to Strong, must have kept Einstein going....because it sure keeps me going. ;-)

Age When Smoked: 4 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-12-13		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Solid blend, somewhere between fruity-sweet and spicy Cold aroma is fruity, spicy, smoky. Somewhere between Burley, Latakia and mild Aromatic notes. Very interesting and quite unique to me.

In the smoke you get the Latakia in every puff, but really just as a seasoning condiment, adding spice, leather, smoke and wood to a peppery and fruity Perique to make for an intersting spice. The richly earthy, slightly nutty Burley and citrusy fresh, midly sweet Virginias are the base of the blend and are dominating the taste for me. The flavouring is very mild and emphazises the Periques fruity sides as well as a slight rum-ish note. All of the components result in a synergetic, smooth as silk and delicious blend, that may not only appeal to english lovers, but also to Burley-Brothers and people whol ike midly aromatized blends.

This blend will reward you using wide bowls with maximized flavours, like with virutally all English blends, but I guess English smokers do know that anyways! 3.5 out of 4 stars!

Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars, Morta

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haroldt (26)	2017-11-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The first several bowls of Epiphany was not a good experience. I seemed to have an allergic tingling feeling and felt a tad drunk. (I have found blends with Perique does this to me.) I decided to use it as a mixer with other blends. Doing so eliminated the effects.

A year or so later, still having some straight Epiphany in a jar, I decided to try it again. Sha-Zam! What a great blend to sit and enjoy.

I don't know if the time mellowed the effects, or I just grew up and put on some "big boy pants." What, I find this to be a very nice smoke. Smooth, mellow to medium taste.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darren (6)	2017-10-13		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just bought a pound of Epiphany and WOW! I normally smoke mild English which I believe they have changed the name to smooth English, anyway this stuff is awesome. I've found a new favorite. Just finished my first bowl of it and it is absolutely the best blend I've ever stuffed in my pipe. It is everything smooth English is but better. A little stronger and slightly more bitey but truely delicious. I'll be switching to this blend as my all day smoke. I understand this blend is a copycat of Einstien's favorite tobacco. I don't know about that but if it's true the man has impeccable taste in tobacco. Definitely 5 stars here. The best tobacco I've ever tasted

Pipe Used: Peterson bent egg

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Smooth English but a bit stronger.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigSwede (88)	2017-04-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I get the nutty sweet burley and the almost sweet VA a bit forward and suspect by themselves would be a good smoke. The latakia is very mild but always present, the perique is not quite spicy but, as one reviewer noted, a bit like raisins. The topping is what I call "berry-ish" but lightly present so as to not cover the very nice tobacco flavors. A real American blend, soft and very smooth without a bite. The flavors deepen over time but remained balanced. I do the first light by holding the match high enough to see the individual ribbons catch on and keep the pace slow. A very good blend with a nice old timey room note.

Pipe Used: Generic briars

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-02-26		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Not a big aromatic fan.. I will say this blend however Is a wonderful switch up kind of blend for me. It's not syrupy nor soapy like some other aro's.. it's a fine English blend with some body that gives forth slightly exotic fruit flavoring (think pomegranate) in a clean manner. Between this and SG chocolate flake pretty much the only aromatics I've gone back to.

Pipe Used: MM- wizard, diplomat, Washington. 1

Age When Smoked: 1yr

Purchased From: B&M

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sjdugi (22)	2016-10-11		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Tried this blend solely because of the fact that it was inspired by what Einstein smoked. That being said, this blend unfortunately did not make me any smarter. I found the tin note to be kind of odd and overpowering at first but after airing it out/smoking it, it's not too bad. The blend is quite tasty and I felt like it packed a pretty good nicotine punch. I don't think none smokers would enjoy the scent of this blend so I'd suggest keeping this one to yourself. This has a great blend of several tobaccos but I found the latakia and perique to be most noticeable.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Author

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Pipe & Leaf

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puss n' pipes (27)	2016-09-18		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For once i think labelling this baccy as "American" is right in all sense. Because if just adding Latakia to something makes it English, then it is not the case at all here. In my radar, if i detect Latakia but it doesnt make it to be more than an sporadic player then the play is not English, it is just something else. For a blend to be English in a proper sense Latakia must be a first player (not necesarily overhelming) but enough to be important and never a second dish.

In this sense, this is more likely a Burley blend. In which Burley plays first role and let the Latakia appears as a condiment. Burley in the ignition, Burley in the mid of the bowl and upfront Burley nuttyness in the last third. Therefore in a proper labelling it should be the obvious, a Burley blend, some may call this American, due to the predilection towards Burley that Americans used to have back in the golden days of pipe smoking.

In the tin we can appreciate notes of ferment, citrus, grassy, distant prunes and figs, also woods and even leather. In mouth it has mid strength, very round contour, due to Burley and spicy in the retrohale due to Perique. Virginias add a little bitter-sweet and dry aspect and latakia a delicate smoothness and bare smokiness.

It is a tasty blend, no brainer, manly, serious and polite. Medium nic content and round flavour of almond, woods and grass. It is understandable why Einstein may have liked the counterpart "revelation", as this is a very insightful tobacco without being "complicated", maintains subtlety in understandable proportions and is easy going in the transition. Recommended for the lovers of Burley especially.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum calabash, Jeantet deluxe, Butz Choquin

Age When Smoked: 4 years can

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	r (34)	2016-09-02		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Very Strong

I really wanted to call this blend a favorite, but I can't. The Perique is borderline scandalous, and the flavoring can err on the side of thick molasses every now and then . But if you are willing to get past those inconveniences, there is a lot to enjoy here. The Burley and Latakia mix really work well in here, with a strong tobacco flavor dominating in the middle. For most of the smoke, there is a bit of rum and citrus note that makes things interesting. I get a hint of Latakia every puff. This blend smokes cool and creamy.

Purchased From: Hemingway (Palo Alto)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-08-26		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm a fan of these American English blends. I think burley is a great addition to the Latakia blend formula. There seems to be a large amount of cube-cut burley in here with some ribbon as well. It is nutty with some subtle chocolate. The Virginia is smooth with a mild grassy note. The Latakia never dominates and provides its smokey woodsy notes in the background. I think the Perique content is probably pretty low here. Some spice is noticeable. The topping is mild and fruity with some citrusy notes. It always fades away about halfway through the bowl. I had fun smoking Epiphany in different pipes. Much more burley forward in a corn cob than in briar or meerschaum.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stu (14)	2016-02-16		Very Strong	Mild	Very Full	Tolerable

I bought a few ounces of this in bulk just based on the ingredients, which include fragrant Latakia and Perique with rich Virginia and Burley. I have so many blends with Orientals and wanted to find something in between a VaPer and a "Balkan". This fits the bill quite well. The Virginia and Burley combo provide a very solid foundation for a rich amount of Perique, with the Latakia hovering on top as a smoky condiment. In the jar the Perique gives off strong fermented fruit aromas, but there also seems to be a bit of an Anice type casing involved. The overall smoking experience is very classic, with a pure Burley/Virginia taste but the real star is the Perique which is complex, fruity earthy and peppery. It has a very "pipe" aroma that takes you back in time which is where I detect the casing. There's enough going on to keep it interesting and enjoyable, but it refrains from trying to do too much, rendering a solid smoke that gives me more richness than a VaPer without going into sour Oriental territory. Also, this feels noticeably stronger in Nicotine than anything else I puff on. The Einstein marketing angle, please... also, the Burley/casing combo was tricky, the first bowl I lit immediately popped with the Burley and fruity aroma, and I had a flashback to something from a pouch, expecting this to fall flat like a drug store aromatic but it didn't at all; it's way beyond those, and not cheap tasting in any way. I would say this is for a more experience piper.

Pipe Used: MM Cob

Age When Smoked: new, bulk

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Dunhill Royal Yacht, G.L. Pease Sixpence.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2015-10-20		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Revised 2016-7/24- I finally bought a TIN of this and there is a big difference in the amount of topping noticeable over the bulk. The topping reminds me of a Chocolate cherry liqueur. I actually like the bulk better . This should improve as the topping dissipates.

Revised 2016-6-3 I've been trying to get my hands on a TIN of this for months , so instead I just order some more Bulk. I've actually grown quite fond of this, yes, it's still old school American and no, I still can't find much topping, but, it's smooth, with just enough flavor to make it interesting and can be smoked all day long. If it's ok with Einstein, it's 3 stars bye me.

Original review- I'm having reservations about making this review as I don't agree with anyone of the previous "helpfulness" reviewers ??? I bought this in bulk and I'm thinking they sent me "Old Joe Krantz" . I don't get ANY citrus or topping, the strength is strong and it's boring, no way near the 4 stars.

Has anyone else had this problem with the BULK ?

Pipe Used: cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month Bulk/ one week Tin

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (182)	2015-05-08		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Revelation as per House of Windsor was not a favorite of mine, but I had to try Epiphany as it was described to be a good duplicate of Phillip Morris Revelation. Opening the tin the smell reminded me of Sir Walter Raleigh , which is not a bad thing in itself. That similarity ended there Tobacco packed well into the pipe, lit well and smoked like a dream. This is one of those smokes that left me wondering why the bowl wasn't bigger! No one tobacco or flavor dominates this blend, it is well balanced in everything but cut. While it is a little chunky, it is consistent. Solid smoke, highly recommended! Will smoke this one for many years to come!!!

Pipe Used: GatlinBurlier House Military Bulldog

Age When Smoked: New Tin

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Nothing does compare!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	balkan_boy (49)	2015-03-10		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Epiphany is one of the few English/American style tobaccos that are enjoyable. The cut is very strange, undefined type. In the tin it smells bad, the smell reminds of Esoterica And So To Bed. But similarities with Esoterica's ASTB go for the first third of the bowl, and stop there. I don't like scented English blends, and here it's not an exception. First third of the bowl the flavoring is present and pretty much plays the main role. Some reviewers claim that the flavoring stays throughout the whole pipe, but in my case I never noticed it past the first third, sometimes even earlier. It fades away and disappears completely very soon, which is a good thing. And when is present it's subtle and although bothers a little, it's bearable. Virginias give body to the smoke, but aren't distinguish, at least not to me. There are too many other spicy condiments and flavoring, so sweet Virginia isn't something that can be distinguished easily. Latakia never plays the main role, and it's presence comes to mind somewhere when the aromatic flavoring goes away. At that point the smoke shapes as a decent English. Perique is notable all the time, maybe it's too much, the peppery thing pinches your nose all the time from the first puff to the last one. Perique gives sharpness to the smoke and creates an impression of strength. Flavor and aroma pattern changes dramatically, and is totally different at different stages of the pipe. Whether it is a good or bad thing, everyone decides for themselves. At least it doesn't get boring. It's not too complex, resembles a bit to the 4noggins nutty professor, but it's deeper and more Periquish if I may say so. Room note doesn't do perpetual damages unlike some Latakia loaded blends. I smoke it often in my office for that reason. If it wasn't for the flavoring, I'd give it 4 stars.

Pipe Used: briars and mortas

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incognitopoet (37)	2014-09-27		Medium	Extra Strong	Medium	Tolerable

I decided to try this blend, with the goal of finding a very light aromatic for after dinner. Evidently the presence of any topping at all is offensive to my pallette, because the cherry flavor just made me sick. For some reason the taste of burning cherry isn't attractive to me, especially in the context of latekia.

I can't stand flavored coffee, so I guess I just have a strong aversion to artificial flavors. If the tobacco itself is unable to present an alluring flavor, why smoke it?

That having been said, I have a friend who does enjoy aromatic / flavored blends, and he enjoys a bowl every time he drops by for a smoke. If you are looking for a hybrid of a cherry drugstore with an English blend, this might be an option for you.

Pipe Used: Churchwarden briar

Age When Smoked: 3 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LannarkGent (145)	2014-08-21		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I have an English style palate. This runs somewhat sweet for my taste, Even smoking, this might be a good smoke for someone who wants to try something that has an English feel to it, I like other blends much more.

On the other hand, this is a dependable smoke, that most will find pleasant.

Pipe Used: My English Grabow Briar

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Indian Traders Grand Rapids MI

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldmanpipe (62)	2013-04-20		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Upon discovering this C&D blend, I sadly learned of the passing of Craig Tarler. All of us have lost a friend, in the REAL sense. We might not like everything a friend has to offer, but we always respect him and always know his heart is in the right place.

Blended with the assistance of the late Bob Runowski, Epiphany is touted to be like the ORIGINAL Revelation Mixture. It isn't. The original Revelation, created by Phillip Morris, had a delightful dollop of deer tongue. Epiphany doesn't. In fact, it has none at all.

However, it has much in its own right to recommend it. Epiphany is an honest, quite smokeable old-style American natural blend that, interestingly, gets tastier the longer the can is left open.

Well worth a try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2013-02-22		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is great stuff if executed correctly. I have no experience with HoW or PM Revelation, so Im judging Epiphany on its own merits. I first tried this in a larger bowl Cavicchi and it was the wrong choice. The fruit topping was all I tasted initially, followed by a peppery Perique overdrive, then a wet burley sourness at end of bowl. No Latakia tasted whatsoever.

The second and all subsequent bowls have been from a 3/4" chamber diam. Peterson system pipe. Totally different experience and amazing. The fruity aroma gives way to a delightful interplay of Latakia smokiness and Perique stewed fruit sitting on the shoulders of a meaty burley.Peppery on the nasal exhale. Sipped slowly and carefully it stays in this zone awhile. Stays lit. Can be harsher than most tobaccos near the end, progressive relights in an effort to consume all this tobacco will yield no returns.

Ample Nicotine. Best on full stomach. Pairs well with hot tea or a cold Root beer. Unique and enjoyable. Craving it now. Quality components and flavors. Plan to age and revisit. 3 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2012-10-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Not much to say about this one. No drama, no outlying features. Just a very satisfying tobacco. I wish I could pick up a pouch of this at the supermarket every week. If this is what the original Revelation was like, then the pipe smokers of the previous generation had it good indeed.

Edit: 7/24/13

I just purchased some more Epiphany and this time I'm struck by the strength. I originally had "mild to medium" but now I'm definitely feeling it as medium to strong. Also, it mixes beautifully with a pinch of heavy latakia blends, and the resultant mixture is reminiscent of Dunhill's Nightcap.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tleek (51)	2012-06-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

==Update #2=== Two years since my review. I ordered a couple more ounces of epiphany from smokingpipes and found it completely different. I honestly believe that I got either the last bit of the batch or that it was mixed right. If this is how the tobacco is now than that is upsetting. I taste almost nothing but perique. The blend is a lot darker than it used to be, and I cannot take the pepperyness. I am not going to change my rating until I try it again, as I had smoked 4 ounces of the good stuff and honestly believe that I just got a batch not completely mixed this time around. Just putting this out there, if more people feel the same it should become apparent in the reviews and we will know the blend has changed. =Update= Okay, this tobacco has grew on me heavily over a short amunt of time. Just recently I rated it two stars, and had confused feeling about it. The first two times i packed a bowl, i couldn't even finish it it was so appalling to me, but now I am just about out of my two ounce sample, after smoking it daily for a couple of weeks. It is a fantastic morning smoke. I still feel the burly is sometimes too dominant, but the other flavors are now a lot more prevalent. Fantastic "American Light English" is the best way of me describing it. Give it a try, and if you don't like it at first, go back to it periodically and watch it evolve into the delicious blend it will become.

=Original review this one is a little bit hard for me to review. If you love Burly blends, I am positive you will be a fan. The quality and flavor of the burly is perhaps the best i have tasted, but, it is completely dominant. The first couple bowls of Epiphany that i smoked i was completely disappointed. I am not the biggest fan of straight burly blends, but i enjoy, and actually prefer burly in my english blends, to give that nutty sort of backbone. The first few bows however tasted of nothing but burly, with something weird going on behind the scenes that i couldn't quite put my finger on. I am guessing that i tasted the other ingredients, but so slightly that i couldn't pick them out. After a couple more bowls though, I am beginning taste something a little more complex, the Virginia and the Latakia are coming up to the surface, then fading away, and then returning again.I think the perique is becoming apparent as well, but definitely in a supporting role, and is hardly detectable. I am not sure if it is a coincidence, or if it is because I made sure i got the blend real mixed up and made sure some black leaves were being packed, but it is now pretty enjoyable.

In conclusion, if you love burly, you will love this, but if you are expecting a sort of Early Morning Pipe type light english, you are probably going to be as confused as I am =)

If this blend continues to grow in complexity, i will have no problems bumping it up a star. currently **

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-02-27		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Epiphany has a base of burley with some Virginia, spiced up with Latakia and Perique. There is a sharp tasting topping that I cannot identify.

I really wanted to like this blend, given the Revelation story, Einstein and all. But try as I may, I cannot tolerate it. The odd flavored topping is not to my liking, plus it gives me tongue bite every time.

What IS that flavoring agent? Anyone know?

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheWoodwose (22)	2012-01-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Update

I have smoked multiple bowls of the stuff now. It does seem to have improved in my estimation. I don't know if I have just gotten more used to the vitamin-N. I smoke mostly more mild aromatics like Sillems Copenhagen, and C&D's Founding Fathers. But I also smoke Billy Budd on occasion. This blend fits somewhere in the middle. Still has a nice room note when lit, but has a more "manly" taste to it.

I would give this a higher rating if it didn't have a such a strong nicotine hit! I've smoked 3 or 4 bowls and even if I slowly sip this thing I am light headed within minutes. If I puff it somewhat aggressively my I feel like my head is spinning!

It has a bit of a pungent smell before lit but it smokes more like an aromatic during the smoke. Kind of interesting really.

I don't like anything that messes with my head though.

But, if you like a nice kick then you will probably enjoy this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

My first experience with this blend was a bit disappointing, I was just coming down off of a run of stronger English and Balkan blends and so this one came off to me as bland and rather tasteless to my charred pallet at the time. With that said, I put it away and came back to it later. My second go at this blend was rather different, I had been smoking more mild Va, burley, perique blends and my pallet at this point had come back to being able to taste more mild flavors not being so charred from heavy Latakia. I found this blend to be a good English for those who don't smoke much Latakia or those looking for an all day English smoke. It has a soft and rather smooth flavor with a light latakia, va, burley sort of taste. I may have picked up hints of vanilla although I'm not really sure. This is definitely not a smoke for the Latakia bomb lovers, but it is nice none the less with a rather enjoyable room note for an English blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2010-09-26		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my second offering from C&D and I find that this seems to be a really good all around blend. I find all the different tobaccos in this blend really come together nicely. The cut seems more of a coarse cut than ribbon as is listed in the description. Not that this really matters in the grand scheme of things. The strength of Vitamin N is right about in the middle of the road. It lit and stayed lit quite easily without much ado. There seems to be a nice amount of smoke from this as well. There is not any gurgle if you don't push it too hard. I would say this is in the pleasant to tolerable range of room note, because of the latakia content. The wife was not too impressed with the aroma, althought no pigeons dropped off the roof. It smokes down to a nice ash in the bottom of the bowl. I would recommend this to other smokers wanting to try the English genre.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-08-06		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I tried to like this in the worst way.Pouch smell is nice---a little fruit a little Latakia,so far so good.Takes the match well,burn down to ash,pretty dry.I guess where it takes a wrong turn for me,is where it strikes a chord with so many others.It has a lot going on and for me---maybe just me---too much.Its both fish and fowl,and instead of balancing each other,for my tastes,too much competing to the point of being boring.I'm not against American/English blends,just not so much for this one.To me its OK,and I guess I just wanted more.More fruit,more Latakia,more Perique...more something.If this truly is what The Professor would puff away on,I can see why he was able to think deep thoughts so clearly---he was not destracted by his pipe.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fubber (14)	2010-05-12		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

to my palate, and despite the presence of burley and lack of virginias, the taste is very similar to the classic Presbyterian mixture. I have tried many of the C&D 'English' blends and I love this one. A really nice cool smoke which gave me an unexpectedly welcome kick. I recommend it highly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first foray into the realm of English blends, this tobacco (technically considered an "American English") opened my eyes to a new, personal revelation: non-aromatics, and more specifically, latakia. Upon opening the tin, my nostrils were filled with the burning tire sensation so many have described here -- I knew immediately that it was the latakia I was smelling. A bit of swelling on light up, probably due to my horrible packing technique. My tongue was swaddled with my first taste of unadulterated burley, latakia, and perique, and I knew I would never return to the land of aromatics -- yes, it was epiphanic. As lame as that may sound, it truly was a revelation for me as far as tastes are concerned: the tobaccos slowly coalesced into one fine, thick pot of mellow goodness; all the flavors of the peppery perique, the creamy (or soapy) latakia, the sweetness of the virginias and burley. . . I doubt even the original Revelation was this good, but if this tobacco is any testament of its model, it is truly well named.

UPDATE:

I have had several more bowls of this and it seemed inconsistent in flavor. After a deep pipe clean days ago, I came back to it this morning and had the same joyous experience as the one above. Could just be the alignment of mood/climate/time of day, but I cannot get enough of this blend. Very contemplative and special to me as I would not have continued my journey into the land of non-aromatics were it not for this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	7formy1911 (37)	2010-01-15		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I opened up the tin on New Years day in celebration of the new year. The tin note was one of both burley and an English blend with an extremely faint smell of some type of fruity topping. I remember my dad smoking Revelation when I was a kid but I don't remember if it was the Philip Morris version or the House of Windsor version. Most probably the HOW version since I'm not that old.

The cut of the blend is a nice chunky cut that is low on moisture in the tin which I certainly prefer over being quite wet. I pulled the contents out of the tin and removed a couple of stems as well as pulled apart a couple of large leaves. I promptly loaded up my Peterson 102 Army mount and put the contents back in the tin to air out a bit and then in a Mason Jar the next day.

Upon lighting up the room note struck me as one from my child hood when my dad would smoke Revelation. The taste wasn't one of individual leaves weaving in and out in taste but of a united front of burley, an English mixture and a very slight fruit like topping. It was an extremely pleasant combination which I haven't ever tasted before. The smoke remained united through the whole bowl and took on a toasty taste towards the end of the bowl that reminded me a little bit of Squadron Leader. I did experience some gurgle in my pipe but I place this squarely on the pipe being brand new and not having been broken in.

The smoke had something that I've always felt is missing from a lot of English blends: body. I enjoy burley so much precisely because it seems to have more substantial smoke than a lot of "thin" English blends. Believe me I do enjoy English blends but always come back to burleys as my baseline. This blend has a nice solid base of burley that interplays perfectly with the English components. If that wasn't enough the very slight topping adds a subtle and sweet touch that balances everything out. If you're a latakia fiend don't expect to find a huge amount of it in this blend. It's there and you can certainly taste it but just like all the other components it works well with every other leaf to make a sum greater than the whole.

I do believe that C&D hit a home run with this blend. There is something for everyone to enjoy and if I were to pick a blend that is a perfect Americanized English this would be the blend. Enjoy!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FALCON (12)	2009-12-04		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is the best tobacco i ever tried i no longer have a rotation i only smoke epiphany now this is my tobacco.5 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-11-29		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When the breeze blows through the autumn leaves still drying on the trees, it makes a different sound than during the hot humid days of summer. The rustling in the boughs this warm overcast morning made me contemplative, the perfect mood for a bowl of Epiphany.

No problem at all packing and burning. This particular sample was quite dry, and because it was a gift I don't know if it came from a tin or bulk, but my guess is bulk. Makes me happy since I plan to buy a pound for aging. Seems to me this blend will only improve with some time in the cellar.

The first word that comes to mind is earthy. It starts off mild, as the description suggests. Earthy and warm, it makes for a perfect autumn outdoor morning smoke, with a mug of Starbucks at my side. I'm thinking it's the Burley that gives that earthy note, and it works perfectly in this particular blend of leaves. I'm literally tasting what I hear rustling in the branches above my head - autumn, dried leaves, fall colors. The Latakia is very mild and serves only to provide some flavoring and richness. All the ingredients meld so well that the overall end result is all that comes through. This is perhaps one of the best balanced combination of tobaccos I've had in a while.

Sweet Virginias make an occasional appearance, but most of the time it's that consistent blend of flavors that create what is in my experience a unique combination. Yes, it's a mild English, but it gains a bit of strength during the smoke to push it toward the medium part of the spectrum. About half way though I notice a toastiness that lasts the rest of the bowl. This is where it really gets good. The occasional hint of a very light topping comes through, but I can't honestly tell whether that's just natural sweetness of if they added something. For those of you who don't prefer toppings, there's nothing to fear as it's so light as to make me question whether or not it's just the natural tobacco flavors.

Yes, I will certainly acquire more of this. It's a keeper and easily earns four stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2009-10-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

A two ounce sample a couple of years back, that's all I've had of the legendary Revelation. I liked it. Was definitely a mild blend, but it was tasty, and the fruit topping made it even more intriguing. But then the supply began to dry up, and I kept reading about House of Windsor denying they were in any sort of trouble. Well, we know how that turned out.

Several copy cat blends have popped up, and Epiphany remains the most referenced. It's supposedly a take on Revelation thirty years back, probably implying that the components were of a higher quality, with greater strength in body. I can't speak for the blend of that time, but of the more recent variety, I see little semblance.

Epiphany is its own blend. It's more tart and peppery than sweet and smokey. And it is certainly not mild, or fruity. The Latakia is evident, but muted. I can taste the Perique and I find that Burley exhibits an almost ubiquitous front. So call it an American English, I guess, which seems to designate these days the added presence of that leaf.

The type of idea that Epiphany conjures up appears the result of a sharp jolt to the head, like a giant book dropping on your skull rather than a soft reflection demanding greater thought to flesh out the details. It's more of a Richard Dawkins than an Albert Einstein. I can't say whether you'd favor Epiphany to Revelation, though I suppose it depends on your way of thinking.

Three of Five.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sparks (7)	2009-10-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is my go-to English blend. What makes it so? It can be smoked all day without tiring of it. Once again, C&D hits the nail on the head. Maybe I'm a bit partial because my 3 favorite blends are C&D, but this one is a winner in my book.

Nice rich, smooth smoking blend. It has just enough Latakia to notice and enjoy, a touch of VA for sweetness, some Perique to balance that sweetness out and Burley to round the whole thing out. The Burley provides a nice rich nutty flavor that works well with the Latakia, and IMO the VA and Perique are subtle background notes.

Overall this is a great blend. There is nothing I can say bad about it. Will stay in my rotation and my cellar. 4 stars for sure.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2009-09-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I usually complaint when tobaccos re not consistent from bowl to bowl but with this tobacco I don't seem to mind at all for the most part in the first third of the bowl you get a sweetness I don't think is cherry or peach but maybe molasses that really bring out the sweetness of the virginia use on the is blend the latakia weaves in an out never overwhelming what's going on the bowl the second third of the bowl burley takes control although the virginia still noticeable; the flavoring agent is still there but the latakia is mostly gone; the last third of the bowl is nothing but burley almost like smoking lucky strike of two timer. Is almost impossible to get tongue bite but the burleys will get bitter if you;re puffing to hard. the inconsistency is that sometimes there is no latakia on some of the bowls that I've smoke but if you are like me who likes latakia in very little doses you would not mind this at all. I have stashed a pound of this and it has make me consider buying the other 2 brands that I know that claim to match the old revelation which I never try.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeadMensPipes (38)	2009-09-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

All the glowing reviews made me decide to buy a few ounces of this blend. Maybe after a couple more bowlfuls, I will have an epiphany and see the light - but so far, I am not all that impressed. Upon opening the zip-lock bag my shipment arrived in, I was impressed by the wonderful initial aroma which drifted away, with a very faint scent of fine tobacco. There is also a hint of that "ketchupy" scent normally associated with MacBaren blends like HH Mature Virginia.

Epiphany is pleasing to the eye, a mixture of different sizes and colors of tan to dark brown flakes and chop-cuts. Packed well. Lit easily and stayed lit to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a clean light gray ash. No real bite. The flavor when smoking? Unimpressive. Toward the end of the bowl, like "hot-boxing" a strong cigarette or a cheap cigar. Peppery. I wouldn't call it sweet. Creamy? Fruity topping? Didn't detect any of that.

Maybe it was the pipe I used, a Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo KS. Toward the very end of the bowl, the nicotine level made my head spin. Oh well. I'll try it again sometime and post an update if I notice any improvement.

UPDATE: 03/23/2013 - Well, it's been almost four years since I left the 4 oz. bag sitting in a big glass jar humidor, next to some Dunhill bulk "My Mixture." Wow. What a difference some aging makes! This stuff has vastly improved. Maybe it picked up some aroma from the Dunhill's by osmosis, who knows? No more ketchupy smell. Smokes and tastes like a true English blend. Still do not detect any "fruity topping", thank God. A wonderful smoke. IMPROVED RATING: 3.5 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Some who remember the original Phillip Morris Revelation say that this blend is a spot on copy. I cannot make the comparison myself, but I can compare it to the House of Windsor reincarnation of Albert Einstein's favorite blend.

Epiphany tastes pretty close to the HoW version of Revelation. However, there are distinct differences between the two blends. First of HoW Revelation contained a good amount of cube cut burley. Epiphany does not. The burley in this blend is rough cut for slow burning. Personally, I like the HoW version of Revelation better, but since it's gone the way of the dinosaur, this will be a suitable replacement.

The topping seems to be present throughout the smoke. Some describe it as a fruity topping, but I detect at least some amount of anise within it. The latakia remains muted in this blend for the most part.

This is a very good blend that brought no bite with it. Being that I really enjoyed the late HoW Revelation, I'm glad I can find this stuff with ease and at a decent price.

I did notice that allowing this blend to air out awhile prior to smoking will somewhat lessen the flavor of the topping, which could stand to be a bit less.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Max1a (38)	2008-08-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking this tobacco regularly for close to three years now. I find it to be a unique, tasty and rewarding smoke. I can't really agree that it is like Revelation, but it certainly is like nothing else on the market today. I was tempted to give it 4 stars but then I realized that for die hard English fans it will come up short and for aromatic fans it will not please their sweet tooth. I like my tobacco, beer and spirits to be quality, and can enjoy just about anything if it shows quality. This is indeed a quality blend that shows that alot of thought went into it. If you are a middle of the road smoker, you owe it to yourself to try this one.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-04-01		Medium	Mild	Full	Tolerable

UPDATE: I've gone back to this one after a year or so, and am now smoking it in warmer Mississippi spring temps. It's found a home here. Warm weather makes me appreciate the coolness of this smoke- something I didn't notice during my previous winter trial. Plenty of smoke, not too fast a burn rate. Raised to four stars - it deserves every one..

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Not much to add to the other excellent reviews here, but I did want to make a couple of points. The burley seems quite pronounced to me. I find it a very refreshing change from my usual blends.

The applied topping is very well done, not at all over the top. It adds a delightful top note that blends very well with the fruity notes of the perique. The latakia is fully present but not overbearing.

There was a little bitterness at times in some of my smaller pipes, but it was a black coffee sort of thing, not at all unpleasant. This was much less apparent in larger bowls, or with a lighter packing technique.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-19		Medium	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable

Epiphany is said to be an accurate copy of the original Revelation mixture. Never having smoked that particular blend, I can't make the comparison but can say that this is one very tasty smoke.

In the pouch, Epiphany is a pretty finely chopped ribbon that has an aroma that reminds me a little of apple cider with a Latakia aroma in the background. This probably comes partly from the topping and also from the VAs. It has an acceptable room note, not particularly aromatic but not pungent, either. Due to the cut, it packs, lights, and burns very well.

Flavorwise, the burley nuttiness and the slight sweetness of the VAs are the first things noted, with a bit of sweetness also coming from the topping. Farher down the bowl, the Latakia shows up with its' smokiness in a supporting role. To me, the topping has been done exactly right, letting the natural tobacco flavors shine through.

C&D's prices have gone up since Feb. 1st, reflecting increasing costs for both tobacco and taxes. I still consider their blends a bargain compared to many other premium blends on the market.

Scores for Epiphany: flavor- 17 of 20; lighting and burn- 9 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 34 points equals a good ** rating. This has become another one of my regular smokes. Nice work, Craig and Bob!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-12-22		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Bob & Craig prove once again that the old classics never have to fade into the past have given us what they claim to be an Homage to the original Revelation. I don't know about that-Was before my time. I will say that what they HAVE given us is a Classic. My sample came in a chopped format. A pretty mix of White ,black , yellows and a lovely Fruit smell- Like Vanilla and peach? Not overly sweet mind you like the recent Revelation- Who's Berry topping for me was a little over the top. Curiously the smell only translates to a sweetening of the natural mixture of the tobacco flavor to me. It did take a bit of drying, But took to flame nicely in a Mark Tinski rendition of the classic Kaywoodie 99B. The intial flavor was All American. No dominant flavor, just a loevly parfait of Virginias, Burleys, latakia (playing well in the background) and a bit of sweetness. All the way through the bowl I kept thinking of times I never got to be part of- Better times, Simpler times. I lost a pleasant hour on my backporch with this blend. This is a great all the time smoke. The room note is nice and not overpowering for the non-smokers. The Nicotine level is just right. You can't go wrong here. An enthusiastic thmbs up

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lawyertodd (36)	2023-02-09		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

Not much in the flavor department. Bought does blend in bulk and can only pray it improves in the jar over the years. Pretty underwhelming .

Pipe Used: Charatan

Age When Smoked: Bulk just received

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peterson314 (39)	2022-10-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I did not like this blend at first. Retrospectively, the first time I tried it, I was trying it outside in relatively high winds that burned this hot. When hot, it tastes like it's topped with grapefruit, which is rather unpleasant.

I tried this again in no wind, and it's now supremely better. The citrus topping, which I still think is grapefruit, is much more subtle. To me, it's earthy and toasty and reminds me of a woodshop. It's very well blended with no particular tobacco trying to stand out. Nothing rough about this blend.

This blend is noticeably dryer in the back of my palate than other blends. I felt the nicotine come on about mid-bowl, and I was good for the day after just one.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 673

Age When Smoked: 1 month

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-07-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: the half-pound tin I opened had a production date of "December 13, 2016." The blend looks like finely chopped ribbons of several varieties of Virginia, well mixed with equally finely chopped burley, flakes of latakia and perique. The individual tobaccos are clearly distinguishable even after six years in the tin, although the light Virginia has darkened somewhat and taken on a shade of pine chaff instead of straw. Very little perique, a bit more latakia, about the same amount of birch and different varieties of Virginia.

Flavor: Even after six years I was greeted with a fairly strong dose of citrus (mostly lemon) flavor - which nevertheless - as it turned out later - has almost no effect on the taste. In order to capture all the other notes, I had to soak the mixture in the fresh air for at least half an hour. But even then, the citrus notes, enhanced by Virginia, deceptively present this blend as an ordinary English blend, with a small amount of latakia, which struggles to make its way through this citrus riot. In fact, after a while, together with a light aroma of peat from the latakia, you get some notes of burley - a soft nutty touch to the bright citrus, slight earthiness, woody notes. Perique, on the other hand, remains almost imperceptible in this bouquet.

Taste: surprisingly (for me, as I'm quite picky and rarely smoke American blends), a soft base of red Virginia and Burley: sweet wheat bread and treacle notes, woody note and walnut play almost equally, light Virginia with its grassy flavor and latakia supporting it with a creamy, smoky density. Perique adds a little spice in the first third of the pipe. The citrus topping, so powerful in the flavor when you open the tin, hardly participates in the flavor, being almost unnoticeable while smoking. Closer to the middle of the pipe the burley notes start to come to the foreground, the tobacco acquires tangible woody-walnut flavor. Perique slowly fades in the flavor and leaves only a faint spice by the end of the pipe. Latakia notes merge into the bouquet of burley and Virginia, not intensifying, but on the contrary, smoothing out the overall flavor, which becomes more even, but burley prevails, showing the true nature of the blend. At the same time, the bent notes of the burley are less pronounced than in the straight forms. Despite the thin cut, the tobacco smokes smoothly and quite cool, doesn't bite, has almost no uneven moments in the taste, but it is quite demanding on the burn rate. The strength of the tobacco is just below average, in very large pipes, nicotine kick is possible. The tobacco burns into a fine light gray ash with a subtle brownish hue. The aftertaste of the tobacco is pronounced, sweet and woody.

The smoke from tobacco has a distinctive scent of smoldering wood. I'm not sure that it can be called pleasant to others, but it is easily dispelled.

What's the bottom line? A rare tobacco with a relatively large amount of burley, which I frankly liked. The sweetish notes in the beginning even made me question the fact that there wasn't a cavendish added in there. I thoroughly enjoyed smoking almost the entire half-pound can before I realized I never wrote a review of the blend. But the important thing is to catch on in time. Luckily, I have one more half-pound tin on my shelf.

Pipe Used: Peterson 69, 106, 999, POTY 2007

Age When Smoked: 2016

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc pipes (107)	2022-03-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Warning…This is a long (winded)awaited review 11 years in the making. I fell in love with Epiphany back in 2011, finding it to be unique in its judicious use of Latakia and fruity mysterious topping. I had actually liked this one so much that I dedicated a pipe to it. When I first bought a tin, Chuck at Iwan Ries had this IRC Blackruf meerschaum lined billiard laying around. The store had it custom made by Genod back in the sixties. This specimen was imperfect and remained unsold. It was unsmoked but had a minor ding around the rim. Sold. Many tins of Epiphany were run through that pipe. I had cellared a tin and moved onto other blends. Years later in 2018, I purchased some bulk that went into canning jars.

I recently decided to dip into the 2018 vintage. This reminded me so little of what I loved about epiphany back in 2011. The tobacco blend itself may not have changed appreciably, but the topping, which was once plummy floral vanilla, was nearly nonexistent. I chalked this up to evaporation of volatiles over time and decided to buy some fresh supply. The 2022 fresh bulk is quite similar in appearance to the 2018. Both vintages have a mix of cube cut, broken flake, and ribbon cut. Neither of these samples had the clownishly wide ribbon that pre-Laudisi C&D was known for. The flake in the 2018 was mahogany and quite firmly pressed. The newer iteration is unsurprisingly lighter in color, but the flakes are much more loosely pressed.

There is a small scent of topping evident on the fresh bulk I’ve just purchased. This seems to be anise, possibly some vanilla. There is no topping detectable in the 2018 jar aroma, just the lightly smoky Latakia and some mustiness from the burleys. This is a burley centric blend and the Latakia is used in perfect condimental harmony. The Latakia adds some bass to the burley yielding some smoky and meaty undertones. In both the 4 year and the fresh tobacco, I only noted the topping lightly on the sidestream and rarely in the snork. There was more peppery Perique noted in the 4 year old blend.

So, while I do enjoy this tobacco, and think it is a solid all day burley blend, I cannot give it more than two stars given the incredible heights this one has fallen from per my tastes. What I really enjoyed about Tarler era Epiphany was the interaction between topping and tobacco. Both were phenomenal and quite synergistic to create a very special unified blend. While this is good, it ain’t what it used to be. The topping is nearly non existent, and a quick survey of previous reviews demonstrates a weak relationship of decreased perceived flavoring over time. Hell, look at the above bar graph for “flavoring” , it’s all over the board.

The fresh and 4 year aged bulk are solid burley blends that are nothing to write home about. I cannot say I noted much improvement with aging either.

Pipe Used: genod IRC Blackruf

Age When Smoked: New, 4 years

Purchased From: Numerous

Similar Blends: E Hoffman’s Distinguished Gentleman and Edward G Robinson’s blend fill the same sort of mid 20th century American English genre..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-31		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opening the tin/jar... there is a sort of a strange creamy fruity topping scent. It's nice, but it does have a bit of what whisky drinkers call "baby sick" scent. Basically, it's referring to baby vomit, and it's technically the scent of butyric acid. It sounds terrible, but it's a fairly commonly used "tasting note". Hershey's chocolate bars have butyric acid in them as well. It can be best described as a faintly sour milk scent, but with a tiny bit of sweet fruit edge to it. I get that from Epiphany's tin note.

First few puffs... an interesting blend. The Virginia's are up front, tangy and sweet. But after that, it's fairly complex. It's at a crossroad between Va/Per, Va/Bur, and Virginia/Latakia blends. The Burley's work nicely to temper the tart Virginia's adding a smoother, more even earthiness. And the Perique adds a bit of dry fruit or figgy flavor with very little pepper/spice. And it also helps even out the Virginia tang. The Latakia is quite scarce, adding only a slight mustiness. The fruit (or is it rum?) topping is there too, adding a subtle creaminess throughout. If puffed too fast, the creamy/fruity note can pass over into a slightly "baby sick" flavor again. There's no bite, and it burns smoothly.

This is blend that is on the 2/3 star boundary for me. And if I can't decide between 2 or 3... then it's a 2.

Bottom line: A complex blend that isn't an English, or a Va/Per, or a Va/Bur... but somewhere in the middle. It has an ok, creamy fruit topping. It's meh. Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson System Premier

Age When Smoked: ~2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cakeanddottle (105)	2021-07-19		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I wouldn't call this an American blend. The Latakia here is just a condiment. More than Big n Burley, but still not forward. It also diminishes the longer you store it.

Probably the sweetest of all the C&D Burleys. Sweeter to me than Pegasus for sure. It may or may not have some sort of fruit topping, but it is barely to not detectable. Same goes for the Latakia, you only really notice it when you're looking for it, and I doubt it'd be enough to ghost a briar. It's more obvious it's there when the tobacco is fresh, but still not on American blend levels.

I would recommend Epiphany to anyone who likes Burley but can't handle the strength of Big n Burley or OJK. I don't think I've given any Bob Runowski or John Patton tobacco more than 3 stars, but that doesn't tell the whole story of how highly I regard these blends. They are simple, delicious, repeatable tobaccos that perpetuate the history of pipe smoking in America. If you love Burley they should all be on your list of tobaccos to try. I feel that from the C&D catalog, Epiphany and OJK sit at the very top.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (82)	2020-06-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I've had my ups and downs with this blend. Sometimes we fight and I leave it for couple of weeks, but then I always come back. And when I do, we're inseparable.

While you immediately notice the Latakia, it only plays a true condiment role, just to add a smoky piece to the full picture. The sweet and dry-fruit Virginias also come out from time to time. But the main profile is of the cocoa nutty Burley and the spicy Perique.

If there are any toppings they must be extremely mild because I don't detect any. Strength is a notch above medium.

All four ingredients add to a medium-full flavored piece of art that despite a certain complexity and some strength, it can be smoked and enjoyed all day.

And I mean all day. When we get back together, I smoke her first thing in the morning and last thing before I close my eyes.

"C&D" ribbon cut with random broken flakes, easy to pack and smoke, doesn't leave moisture, and doesn't usually require relights.

I have no idea how other people smell it, but my guess is that this is what people mean when they say that it smells like pipe tobacco.

We're not a perfect couple. But I'm gonna keep her for a long long time.

Pipe Used: Brewster billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhmiller216 (2)	2019-11-24		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I want to preface this review with a couple notes. I am not a big fan of burley tobacco, at best I tolerate it. However, when a blend uses all of its ingredients to create an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts, anything can become enjoyable. So starting off with the burley, this blend uses it masterfully as a main player yet simple baseline for the condiments to build on. The slight nuttiness and unmistakable earthiness provide the foundation for the other ingredients to thrive upon. The Virginia's are present as an oh so critical balance to off set the flavors of the burley, while also adding a very welcome fruitiness that compliments the complex and surely flavors of the tobacco. Where I believe this blend truly shines is in both the perique and Latakia. As you smoke this fine tobacco, the perique slowly wafts in and out providing a nice additional earthy savory flavor and unmistakable spiciness, while not ever overpowering the smoke. The Latakia differs greatly from most English blends by remaining constantly in the background. It provides a delicious smoky leathery taste that serves to constantly remind the smoker that this is an old fashioned blend. Together all of these components create a beautiful unique smoke that will always serve to satisfy me when I put it in my pipe. The smoking qualities are that of Wich any pipe smoker desires. It packs and burns very well and the smoke has just enough body without overwhelming the smoker with a rich velvety texture often plagued by most English tobacco's. It is very much enjoyed both in the morning and at night and it never seems to burn too hot. On the retrohale the smoke can seem a bit harsh, as is common with a lot of burley blends, but it is well worth it to really get an extra kick of Latakia flavor. Overall this is a top tier blend perfect as an all day smoke and I can see it being easily enjoyed by both the English lover and someone looking to try one for the first time.

A few notes to add:

This blend pairs excillent with tea and is best enjoyed as such. To really get the most out of the flavors it is crucial to smoke this blend slowly as I find it is better smoked on the dryer side.

Room note: while I find the room note to be pleasent, I can see why it could bother some.

One more thing to note is that for me I always find the strength of the nicotine to be a bit higher than what is commenly reported for this blend.

Pipe Used: Unknown antique briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Local B and M

Similar Blends: This blend can be considered similar to any light English, however I feel that it should be noted that it achieves the light English flavor profile perfectly and therefore is quite unique..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	troyniss (38)	2019-11-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Presentation: A plethora of different tobaccos jumping around. Some slightly rubbed out flakes, dark perique, light burleys and a few strands of latakia mixed in.

Palate: A mix of different flavors that had my tongue guessing what I was tasting. At times you get the nice sweetness of the Virginias, the nutty and semi-sweet chocolate burleys or the white peppery perique with a touch of prune. For most of my smokes, I tasted mainly perique and burley and occasionally the gently applied top note, which I believe to be a rum or plum wine. I detect no Latakia even though it being present in the blend. I feel like if more latakia was added it might add a star to this. It's not a terrible tasting blend, but Epiphany is something to be appreciated over time with multiple bowls over the years.

Performance: The burn quality of this is great, actually. The cut of the blend makes it easy to stick your pipe bowl into your pouch or jar/tin and load it up codger style. Some of the the slightly rubbed out flakes may need a helping hand, but for the most part it doesn't prevent you from having a good smoke. The burn rate is a little fast for me but overall not bad. Nicotine hit is mild and can be an all day smoke.

Conclusion: I was in search for an all day blend that I could throw into my Erik Stokkebye Zipper Pouch for my EDC pipe kit. I bought 1oz in bulk to try it out and for a reason of that it was a re-creation of A.E's blend. I wasn't overwhelmingly fascinated with this and even though it uses high quality leaf, between the flavor applied and the mostly perique and burley taste I experienced, I won't be buying this blend again. Some revere this blend and I can see why, possibly due to the homage of A.E, and others simply because they enjoy it. I know that with some blends you really have to sit and think about the components and it takes experience to figure out what the heck it is, but for that, I will choose MacBaren Scottish Mixture as an all day, which surprisingly has a very similar cut to this.

Pipe Used: Morgan Bones Thick Bulldog

Age When Smoked: N/A- Bulk

Purchased From: SP

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chili guy (14)	2019-04-26		Medium to Strong	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

After many tries, I’ve concluded that I’m not a Perique lover and to my taste buds, it’s a dominant aspect of this blend. I still enjoy it and it appears to be at its best in a tall narrow bowl. It’s a regular along with Haunted Bookshop, PA and Granger as I’m pretty much a dedicated Burley lover. I have a large tin that I will smoke occasionally over the next few months. I’d like it better if it were a bit sweeter and stronger...more Virginia and Burley. As is, I’m happy enough and for many, I’m sure this could be a regular addition...charming but not an overwhelming favorite.

Pipe Used: Various briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Not similar to anything else I’ve smoked. Never smoked Revelation..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lingo (39)	2019-03-18		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Too much, when it’s too much. This tobacco is so complex that the balance obtained by the blender is a sort of miracle.

But I’m afraid this success in balancing goes too much toward the “american soap”, meaning that super-hamburger-with-all-available-sauces taste. You get pepper, dry figues, barbecue, smoke, latakia, a cavendish sweetness mixed to the earthy burley in the back... too much, no “epiphany” happened for me. I happened to reach for it when I was relentant to stare at my cellar choosing the tin to open: “just grab Epiphany, something for your buds will be finally found in the bowl... “ I did not like Mississippi Mud that much, while Epiphany somehow “corrects and enhances” the MM taste to my buds, with less latakia and more (and better?) Perique.

Though pleasant to smoke, it will not be in my rotation (where only very few EMs have a place, to be honest...)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-03-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Epiphany did not seduce me but it's far from being bad. I find the fruit casing to be pleasant and it does work. I would have liked to see a bit less Burley and more Latakia; but I guess, without having been able to try it, this change in proportions would not have made Epiphany a recreation of Revelation, wouldn't it? I can't even say Epiphany is a light English as the Latakia is really too light. I can't say I detect the Périque, either. This being said, taken on its own merit, it does remain a nice change of pace and it does burn well. It does smoke a bit harsh during the last third of the bowl, which makes it lack elegance. I will finish my tin if this harshness does not persist smoke after smoke; but I will not be tempted to buy anymore. I don't think I am a fan of these American-English blends because the presence of Burleys dominates too much. And no, I will not try it in a Cob. Beurk.

Age When Smoked: 2 YO

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kokinhenik (93)	2015-06-21		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great balanced blend. This is a hit. Latakia, burleys and VA's play well. The perique shows itself enough to please. Nice nicotine is favorable. Bulk and cheap!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-06-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Guess I should take some time to adapt to C&D's Burley blend. It seems Burley is their core and all the blends are just variations. However, this one is rather smooth and perique and latakia blending in a good way.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StrongMixturesOnly (17)	2013-08-04		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This is, by far, the blandest English tobacco I have yet sampled. It is neither potent nor pleasing to the pallet nor to the scent. I smoked through a full ounce and it was an unsatisfactory experience every time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2013-03-30		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not a complex blend but a great smoke in its own simple way , Burley is the main player the other leafs just make everything works and the Perique gives the smoke a little bit of spice!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rogermugs (14)	2013-03-21		Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Becoming one of my favorite English blends. Up there with squadron leader. I'm a fan. No bite at all. A decent nic kick. And delightful all around. No idea what revelation was like, but this is wonderful in its own right.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-01-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first tin and I'm making notes as I smoke thru it. I will add more soon. So far it is pretty tasty and not to complex but plenty of flavor.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2012-10-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Not sure what to think of this blend. It smelled like a ton of figs, raisins, and other fruits, but not aromatic. While smoking it there were hints of that same fruity smell, but very subtle. Seemed kind of flat. I didn't detected latakia though the blend indicates that it's there. I'm going to let it age and try again.

Tried it a few more times after a couple years of age. Still doesn't tickle my fancy, though I really wanted it to. Has quite a good N-kick. It's not a bad tobacco, but just wasn't impressing my taste/nose buds.

Pipe Used: Apple, Corn Cob, Billard

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-2 years

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2012-05-17		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

On the whole, I have to concur with cgar's review. There was something odd tasting in the first few bowls, which I am either getting used to or which has partially dissipated. It's also a bit more burley-forward for me than I thought it would be. On the whole, though, an interesting smoke, well worth trying. Since I know there are many tobaccos out there I would rate a 4, the question arises would I rebuy this particular tobacco, assuming my tastes don't change much more. In this case, the answer is not while Painter Hills is available.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-07		Extremely Strong	Extremely Mild	Extra Full	Tolerable

this blend is great with a relaxing overwhelming feeling of bliss when smoked a must try, this blend was discontinued by CnD brought is back,not for the aromatic smokers but for those who love great tasting blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-09-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I Really like Epiphany. It is a great Burley blend that burns clean and dry with a lack of complexity that makes it for me a good all day smoke. I prefer smoking this in cold weather for some reason. I find the consistency of this blend to be good from tin to tin to tin without ever having a tin that was too dry (something that happens with the C&D English blends in my opinion - maybe Burley holds moisture better? - naw that doesn't make sense). Never tried the original Revelation bt this blend is good enough in its own right to now have to trade on the old HoW name anyway. Good job C&D.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-07-29		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Here we go! A short review for Epiphany. It taste nothing like The Revelation I remember. It's rather bland and sour when smoked. I won't be buying anymore.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-17		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This being my first English blend, also only my second blend, I'm not sure how to really pick between different types of tobacco, though nothing stood out to me. When I opened the tin I was taken in by the smell. It was not a strong smell, but very captivating, with a kind of sweetness. Upon lighting I was a bit turned off, but decided to finish my bowl, and I am glad I did. I have definitely found something that I could smoke throughout the day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-12-01		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I have no opportunity to compare it with mixture, which Epiphany is considered to inspired by. But for its own, Epiphany should be rated very highly. It is surprisingly complex tobacco, with non-offensive, subtle aroma. This mixture is very well composed and inquisiting it for proportion, blend, etc, seems somewhat ridiculous. True master blend for all day smoke. I didn't mark it as "highly recommended" only because I am not familiar enough with this mixture yet.

Additional information: I've just ordered 8 oz of this. Recently it is my all day smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-02		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have no basis to compare Epiphany with Revelation. I feel that Epiphany is a tobacco all its own and stands on its own. Honestly, there is nothing outstanding about this tobacco, but it is what it says it is "in perfect balance and harmony." No one component stands out on its own. All components are balanced and create a very satisfying smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-08-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

This blend just did not do anything for me. No flavor, no strength. Tasted like I was smoking a stale cigarette. Tried smoking the blend in different pipes but nothing. 1 star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	chetking (54)	2010-08-05		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

A difficult review as Epiphany, ostensibly a Revelation match, is a reviewers' favorite. And its tough to buck the history on this one - it was one of Dr. Albert Einstein's top choices. Challenging credentials to contest.

I've wrestled off on on throughout my life to like this blend. I really wanted to like it, but just never been able to do it.

As teenagers we managed to illicitly acquire a few supermarket blends like Holiday, Rum and Maple, Prince Albert and Hickory, but Revelation was one of those finds we'd obsess over. The Burley, Virginia, Latakia and Perique configuration made it intriguing and a joy to have around. It smelled different and exciting. But as I recollect none of my pals ever actually smoked Revelation much because it was just an unpleasant encounter, bitter and biting, like Popa's Camel cigarettes.

And things haven't changed for me. Acquired 8 ounces recently in another attempt to embrace this icon tobac only to find it still smells great, but that is where the adventure ends. It smokes hot, has a tendency to require multiple relites, tastes bitter, is hard on the throat, and ghosts any pipe I ever put it in including the cobs. I'm relegated to using it as a mixer and for me that is where its salvaging grace lies. I give it ** stars in deference to all good Revelation lovers out there.

Sorry Dr. Einstein but your passion for it athwarts a dimension I have never been able to enter.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-31		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The previous reviewer is right in that this is a shag cut, not a ribbon. But no matter. It is a very well balanced English blend. Hints of natural sweetness coming together with spicy Latakia. MM MM good! I bought a whole pound of this and stored it in mason jars. When you get to the crumbs at the very bottom of the mason jar, it tends to smoke ashy and strong. So buy a big bulk amount so you can get the good stuff. You save a lot of money that way too! Only about $30/pound.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeteSavinelli (8)	2010-03-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, I have to say that I think I must've gotten my 2 ounces from the bottom of the bulk jar. This was supposed to be a "ribbon" cut but really I all got were tiny little flakes and dust. This, of course, made it impossible to smoke in my favorite cob as I kept sucking the flakes through the stem into my mouth. So, I switched to my Savinelli bent apple. This was a slight improvement but as the bowl wore on, the unburnt flakes started to pack themselves against the draw hole.

As for the smoke itself I got some smokiness (i.e. Latakia) in the bag but this didn't really transfer to the bowl where I found mainly burley and perique. The lack of latakia made it a little too spicy for me and because it lacked the smokiness of the latakia, the burley and perique just sort of hung there with nothing to support it. In the words of the 42nd president of the USA, there really was no "there" there.

I blended some in various ratios with 1Q and will see what that does in a week or so. I'll order some BCA and blend it with that, too, and see what happens.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-02		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A friend gave me a sample of Epiphany and Billy Budd, my first experience with Cornell and Diehl. Epiphany has many reviews so there is not much I can add except I like this one, even though I like a little more Latakia in my English Blends. A good amount of burley gives this one a bit of a kick, but not anywhere near as powerful as Billy Budd. No bite, a nice change from my usual English blends.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-11-26		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The taste is quite multi-dimensional. Early in the bowl the tobacco is slightly sweet with a slight rooty taste (not quite licorice but difficult to put a finger on) later in the bowl the sweetness wanes, giving way to medium woodiness. There is a spiciness throughout. It is reminiscent of an eastern chai tea and can really be experienced if exhaled through the nostrils. Overall it is something that all smokers should try, but not my absolute favorite (it leaves my mouth pasty and somewhat dry). It will always have a place on my shelf.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Moe (46)	2009-11-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I do kinda like this blend, however I get that black Cavendish mouth paste feeling that keeps me from reaching for it very often. I also notice an added flavoring or maybe its just the flavoring that's present in most C&D burleys that Ive smoked. C&D is one of my favorite blenders but black Cavendish will ruin any blend for me. 2 stars because I will smoke the rest I have but not re-up when its gone.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Being a relatively new pipe tobacco smoker and a ex cigarette smoker. I don't have the expertise or knowledge that most have here. That being said, I liked this tobacco. It has a nice flavor. I'm still discovering what certain tobacco tastes like what, but I have figured out what latakia tastes like and i like it. As far as nicotine, I'm not a good judge on that. The more nicotine the better for me. This brand definitely curbed my cigarette cravings so, it must have a good amount of nicotine.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-16		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

OK, I'm updating my review from one star to three, I found that in the pound I received that I stored two quart jars and took the last bit on the bottom and put it in a jelly jar for my immediate use, only problem is that it seems that this tobacco wasn't mixed up good enough and I got mostly burly in my first pipe full. It's a rather large cut for my small pipe, probably better smoked in a larger pipe for consistency.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-09-18		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I knew the old Phillip Morris blend, "Revelation." It was a friend of mine. This is no "Revelation." The original invariably arrived dry in the can. It had only a hint of latakia, and was primarily a heap of flake-cut, low-quality virginias and burleys. It never rose above the drug store pedigree. It burned way too hot and could be a scorcher. But what a marvelous room note! It reminded me of apple orchards in the spring and birch groves in the fall. My favorite English teacher smoked it constantly. I never tired of the aroma. Ironically, "Ephiphany" is way better than the old "Revelation" in every respect except the most important respect. It is high quality stuff. It has plenty of latakia strength. It packs and smokes well. It tastes better than "Revelation" ever did. But where is the apple orchard, the birch grove? They live only in the mind. Even a mind as powerful as Einstein's can't bring them back.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-05-04		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great smoke. bottom line.

I tried at first to compare to HOW version, which is all I have to reference as far as Revelation is concerned, it doesn't compare at all.

The only experiences I have of the "ol' american" style of tobacco is what blenders like C&D, have recreated for me. I have tried and liked Baily's Front Porch by C&D which was "like" Revelation as well.

This though actually reminds me of Yale mixture alot. And that is a good thing. There is a deep wine-like chararistic to this from the Latakia and Va mix.

Tin - Smokey, sausauge smell

1st light - As wonderful english style,the flavors of the Lat, VA and the burley make themselves known in a well blended way. Clean and smokey

Mid bowl - This is "meaty" and as I mentioned "Wine-like" at the same time. the Va is playing pivot to the Lat and then to the burley. at times it tastes like a great Va/Lat smoke, and the next minute it tastes like a Va/Bur smoke with Lat in it.

Bottom Bowl - Nicotine is good and solid now. the blend has come together and no longer varying. grey ash. no gurgle. I am one with the pipe, as you could say. Very good smoke, responsive like a cigar.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-03-31		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is indeed a fine tobacco. The nicotine is not overwhelming but still makes its presence known. It burns very cool and doesn't bite, even when puffed hard. Stays lit very easily, as do many burley blends, and leaves a nice fine ash.

In my humble opinion, the burley gets lost in the virginia and rather strong latakia.

A good smoke, I find the Latakia strong enough to dictate this be only an occasional smoke for me. I would compare it to bitter stout (which, by the way, it goes very well with): it's nice on a cold night and when you're in certain moods, but you wouldn't want it all the time. Definitely not an all-day or (for me) every-day smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (60)	2023-02-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend is the gift that keeps on giving. The flavours change throughout the bowl, sometimes offering the Virginias, Periques or the Burleys, and especially the Latakia towards the end. It is always harmonious and never unbalanced at any point during the smoke. The orange flavouring persists throughout and offers an anchor to the blend. One can see why Einstein contemplated over this tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Creek (17)	2023-01-24		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

The nose is strong hay in a barn. The taste is better than the nose, but below fair. I’m an aromatic man though and prefer sweetness in a pipe.

Pipe Used: Cob

Similar Blends: Hay.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	atomicbuster (79)	2022-01-19		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is an OK blend. I got the tin with the white paper label. It's an "American" but I can't quite define for myself what that means. Yet. It has a little bit of everything. So one could say it tastes like everything, or conversely, that there's nothing distinctive about it. I tend to let it smoke hot because I keep trying to draw some particular flavor out of it, but I don't get either a revelation or an epiphany. Drawing slowly produces a decently cool and pleasant smoke. It burns well with just a couple of re-lights. I will likely not get another tin, but I wouldn't refuse if someone offered it to me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2021-06-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A friend brought over a batch of Einstein's brainy blend to try, and while the tin had been opened for a bit, and the contents were likely dryer than when it was first opened, the smoke likely wasn't too off from a fresh tin.

The open tin was quite alive with a sour, nose tingly spiciness that was inviting. The ribbons were of course somewhat dry, small, and kinda crumbly. The smoke was dry and I barely noticed any fruit/citrus, but on a whole it was a satisfying Burley experience.

I could see why other would enjoy it more than I did, but as an Aromatic smoker at heart, it was just... fine.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jorge Soler (202)	2021-05-30		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I think there is a gap in the C&D burley chart for this kind of blend, but I do not see it as an everyday tobacco, no matter how much I like it. It fits in quite nicely in the Big n' Burley, Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz, etc., lineup, but this one is more medium than full. The burley leaf is still there, but it seems to lean more onto the English aspects of this blend. Not a latakia bomb by any stretch of the imagination, but it will progress to fuller and fuller every quarter of your bowl. I personally would not have added any topping to it, but it is not horrible anyway. In addition to this, the perique is barely noticeable. The Virginia leaf combines quite nicely adding a sweet/creamy back note to it difficult to miss. I seem to enjoy it more as moist, producing little to almost no smoke. In the last quarter it seems to lose some of its character, but all and all it is a good blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2021-05-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I open the tin, I am struck by the typical aroma of mixes containing rum coating (this happens to me because I have not previously read the reviews here). I had only seen the tab for this blend where it appears: “Flavoring - Fruit / Citrus”. Tobaccos with rum coverage are not my preference, so perhaps I am not the best one to take as a reference in my evaluation. It's not that I don't like them or that I can't get to enjoy them, but that I prefer other types of mixes. An exception here would be McClelland's Navy Cavendish, which I find very tasty.

It took me a bit to keep it on since I am one of those who hardly dry any tobacco, except those that come almost dripping. For this reason it worked best when the tin had been open for several weeks. For my taste, the coating covers the flavor of the ingredients more than I would like. I smoke it from time to time, like a change of pace in between my rotation, but I think anyone who likes this kind of mix will have a lot of fun with this one.

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kaisersoze (10)	2021-05-02		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The first time I smoked this I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The burleys were very nutty, and they with the Virginia’s stood out the most. The Latakia was there but only every now and then and the perique was basically non existent to me. The casing was subtle af first and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but after a few bowls I have come to the conclusion that it’s cherry. I really liked this blend and though I am not an all day smoker, I did consider at one point that this could be an all day smoke. I’ve smoked and smoked on this blend for a week now and I am now rethinking my original impressions. At first it was a winner but the more I smoke of it the more I get this dark NyQuil flavor, so much so that it’s sickening and I can’t even get pick out the flavors I once tasted. Maybe I just need to set this aside for a while and come back to it in a few weeks as it’s like that feeling you get when you eat to much desert. Still gonna give it three stars because the first few impressions stuck with me the most and they were of a well balanced, slightly sweet, nutty smoke.

Pipe Used: Cob

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ticktocker (9)	2020-09-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I usually stay away from blends that claim Latakia as a major ingredient. Epiphany is far from your normal Latakia blend. Everything comes together and forms a mellow, almost aromatic note that is easy to smoke and the room note is not that of a strong Latakia smoke. It is one of a delightful tobacco scent with a hit of Latakia. Just perfect for my palate.

Pipe Used: Several meerschaum and briars

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: 4Noggins

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-07-20		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Of the several English blends I've tried this is my least favorite. I really tried to like this too, and I'm not a novice to English blends. I guess that it just wasn't my thing. I tried it in several pipes with the same outcome in all, just a "I can't get into this" feeling. I gave my left over 4 oz. to a friend who absolutely loves it. I think the Perique is what is throwing me off, at least from my perception of what a true English blend should be.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-01-12		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Compared to the HoW version of Revelation, this one fails to hit the mark. I'll smoke the rest of the tin over time, but won't buy more of it.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-10-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I feel a little let down by this blend. Was expecting a little more from it. All and all though a decent smoke. Take out the perique so the other flavors could come through more and I would probably like it better.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-17		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Even after trying a couple of different pipes and comming back after a couple on months I just can not get into this tobacco. It is obviously a quality blend though too strong for me. I'll place into storage and see if my palate changes.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

My preference is for smooth mild smokes with flavors that are balanced and well blended. I found this mix to be much to strong for my taste, harsh, biting, with a disagreeable long lasting bitter aftertaste. My 4 ounce bag is out killing beetles on the roses. If you like ElRay del Mondo cigars over Montecristo Whites give it a try.

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