Cornell & Diehl Irish Blessing

Irish Blessing is just as described. It burns well, and has a sweet smelling aroma. It also happens to be extremely similar to ?Z-50 Black Cordial? from Altadis, which I like. The only difference seems to be the Virginia component in Z-50. It?s like comparing wines ? Z-50 is a sweet red wine, and Irish Blessing is its slightly drier counterpart.

The flavoring is present throughout the smoke, though it seems to have been intended more as a condiment than an entrée. Also, in comparison to Z-50, it is dryer in the pipe and doesn?t turn into a sticky wad as soon as you tamp it down.

Irish Blessing is a one-dimensional experience. Sometimes this can be a good thing. In this case, it is. A well-behaved aromatic that doesn?t drive everyone from the room.

I received a pouch of this from a friend, and was pleased with how it smelled in the pouch. The scent of Irish Mist was very evident.

Lighting was no problem, it packed in well, charred well, and didn't glop together.

Taste was much milder than the local tobacconist's Cherry blend, much milder than I had expected.

The pipe smoked well, but there was a noticeable gurgling, even after slowing way down on my puffing. At the last half of the bowl I started tasting an ash-like flavor. This continued through the rest of the smoke. At the end I noticed a small dottle, not unusual in this pipe with aromatics.

Over all I liked the blend, but it's not likely to be one that I'll store all the time.

I received this sample with a recent order. It's pretty much C&D's Celtic Mist flavoring on an all Black Cavendish base. The pouch aroma is one of the best in the world and it loads and lights fairly easily. It's much wetter than any other C&D blend I've tried and a pipe cleaner is needed nearby. Flavorwise it loses quite a bit from the pouch aroma but the room aroma is pretty nice and hangs around a long time. The smoke is thick and the blend burns down to a dark gray ash. I did experience some bite but that was probably due to over-puffing trying to get a flavor to match the pouch aroma. For what it is, it's a very good blend. If something like this was around when I was smoking only heavy Aromatics, I might not have left them. A very good choice for the Black Cav fan.

This is a very satisfying unapologetic aromatic. It is a moist Cavendish with a strong aroma. No delicately flavored Virginias here. It burns cool and is unlikely to bite. It is pleasingly sweet, with an Irish Mist flavor that is consistent throughout the bowl but never overpowering. If you are a Lane's BCA fan (there are thousands) or of any Cavendish based, strongly aromatic blend, you'll like this. If you're an English or Virginia smoker who likes only the most delicate and refined aromatics this won't be for you.