Cornell & Diehl Epiphany

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.