Cornell & Diehl Oriental Silk
(3.42)
Perique, bright flake, Turkish flake and bright Virginia ribbon combine to make a memorable smoke.
Notes: Oriental Silk was introduced in August, 1996.
Details
| Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blended By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Oriental |
| Contents | Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | Bulk, 2 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.42 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 20 of 52 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2011 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Upon reading some of the other reviews ( which I usually don't like to do before I make my own ) I noticed a lot of conflicting information. I suspect that since this is a Bulk, there maybe differences in the moisture content and pipe types smoked. My sample is about 4 months old, smoked in a cob and on the dry side. The "fish food" cut was easy to pack, light and stay lit at a slow sip tempo. The Orientals are out front from start to finish, Perique is none existent ( maybe near the bottom) and you could have fooled me if this contains Virginia. All in all, an easy none complicated, one dimensional smoke for when you don't want anything heavy, this is spicy. I could see myself smoking this outside in public because it stays lit so well at a slow sip so you're not generating clouds of smoke. Really too light on N for me but nice once in a while.
Updated 1/2/12= I've had this cellared for about a year and I've hydrated it slightly, and what a difference. The Turkish are more subdued , the Virginias and Periques are now noticeable. Perique provides some spice and interest. For anyone who has tried P&C "Marquee Series; Sweet & Savory" this is very close, not as smooth and no maple tin aroma but close. I will think about moving this to 3 stars but have other blends that I like better, still too spicy for me.
Updated 7/12/12- I'm still having problems with the heat/spice from this blend. It just isn't smooth enough to move to 3 stars. I have to agree with reviewer ,CaptnDan 01/29/2006, in that I also get a slight taste of Burley. Smoke this fast and you get a milder Old Joe Krantz. P&C "Marquee Series; Sweet & Savory" is better than this. I won't buy again.
Updated 1/2/12= I've had this cellared for about a year and I've hydrated it slightly, and what a difference. The Turkish are more subdued , the Virginias and Periques are now noticeable. Perique provides some spice and interest. For anyone who has tried P&C "Marquee Series; Sweet & Savory" this is very close, not as smooth and no maple tin aroma but close. I will think about moving this to 3 stars but have other blends that I like better, still too spicy for me.
Updated 7/12/12- I'm still having problems with the heat/spice from this blend. It just isn't smooth enough to move to 3 stars. I have to agree with reviewer ,CaptnDan 01/29/2006, in that I also get a slight taste of Burley. Smoke this fast and you get a milder Old Joe Krantz. P&C "Marquee Series; Sweet & Savory" is better than this. I won't buy again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 09, 2018 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Cornell & Diehl - Oriental Silk.
Because I'm going through a divorce I apologise if it's contorted my thinking!
Anyhoo, as I ordered this from bulk I never had a sealed tin's moisture to contend with. But, for what it's worth, the pouch had great hydration.
I don't consider myself that much of a fan of Oriental blends, but this ain't that bad! The name suits it well; there's heaps of Oriental flavour but it doesn't seem overly bitter or sour; a touch 'silky'. As if it's been slightly Cavendish processed. I find the Perique element extremely light; don't expect a pepper-bomb. The Virginias don't go unnoticed, they freshen the flavour with a 'grassy-breeze'. Oriental Silk gives a good, fairly cool, burn, producing a bite-free smoke.
Nicotine: a spot above medium. Room-note: a touch strong; to me.
Oriental Silk? A very nice Oriental blend. But, I'll award two stars not three, as I'd rather have a VaPer or Balkan:
Somewhat recommended.
Because I'm going through a divorce I apologise if it's contorted my thinking!
Anyhoo, as I ordered this from bulk I never had a sealed tin's moisture to contend with. But, for what it's worth, the pouch had great hydration.
I don't consider myself that much of a fan of Oriental blends, but this ain't that bad! The name suits it well; there's heaps of Oriental flavour but it doesn't seem overly bitter or sour; a touch 'silky'. As if it's been slightly Cavendish processed. I find the Perique element extremely light; don't expect a pepper-bomb. The Virginias don't go unnoticed, they freshen the flavour with a 'grassy-breeze'. Oriental Silk gives a good, fairly cool, burn, producing a bite-free smoke.
Nicotine: a spot above medium. Room-note: a touch strong; to me.
Oriental Silk? A very nice Oriental blend. But, I'll award two stars not three, as I'd rather have a VaPer or Balkan:
Somewhat recommended.
Pipe Used:
Various
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 09, 2006 | Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I tried Oriental Silk after reading a review by "the Professor," and it's been my all-day smoke for over five years. The Prof said to smoke it slowly, and he understated. Smoke it even more slowly than that.
In fact, I screen it before smoking. Cornell and Diehl favors a rather fine cut (2-3 millimeters) to begin with, and the package contains a good deal of crumbs. Right out of the bag, the tobacco almost flares up, with the natural result that the smoke lacks flavor. It does indeed have some of the character of cigarette tobacco. Use a kitchen strainer (NOT the same one the wife uses--no amount of cleaning will prevent a lot of discussion) to remove most of the fines, and the blend takes on a darker, richer flavor and aroma. It's very satisfying that way.
Smoke it dry, too. Craig Tarler is famous for shipping his product without much moisture, and adding much water to this one will make it burn hotter and lose flavor. After screening, I put the tobacco in a Mason jar, add a teaspoonful of water, cap it and put it on the shelf for a month before cracking the seal. The bright Virginia gets better with age, up to perhaps 3-4 years, though of course it usually doesn't last so long.
Focus! A fill can go for an hour, hour and a half, if you concentrate. Counterintuitively, when the flavor's best, lay off for a moment rather than sucking on it. Smoking while working often means mindlessly pulling on the pipe, overheating the tobacco and getting a fairish nicotine hit but less of the subtle taste. Beginners could well choose a different blend; Oriental Silk calls for a bit of technique.
In fact, I screen it before smoking. Cornell and Diehl favors a rather fine cut (2-3 millimeters) to begin with, and the package contains a good deal of crumbs. Right out of the bag, the tobacco almost flares up, with the natural result that the smoke lacks flavor. It does indeed have some of the character of cigarette tobacco. Use a kitchen strainer (NOT the same one the wife uses--no amount of cleaning will prevent a lot of discussion) to remove most of the fines, and the blend takes on a darker, richer flavor and aroma. It's very satisfying that way.
Smoke it dry, too. Craig Tarler is famous for shipping his product without much moisture, and adding much water to this one will make it burn hotter and lose flavor. After screening, I put the tobacco in a Mason jar, add a teaspoonful of water, cap it and put it on the shelf for a month before cracking the seal. The bright Virginia gets better with age, up to perhaps 3-4 years, though of course it usually doesn't last so long.
Focus! A fill can go for an hour, hour and a half, if you concentrate. Counterintuitively, when the flavor's best, lay off for a moment rather than sucking on it. Smoking while working often means mindlessly pulling on the pipe, overheating the tobacco and getting a fairish nicotine hit but less of the subtle taste. Beginners could well choose a different blend; Oriental Silk calls for a bit of technique.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 24, 2011 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The chunks pack very easily. Pretty smooth smoke. But gets a little stronger towards the bottom of the bowl. The turkish, virginia and perique meld together to form a enjoyable smoke. I can not figure out which is dominant among the three types of tobacco. I am leaning toward the vaper with the oriental somewhat in the rear. Taste like a mild Bayou Morning with added Oriental tobaccos.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 05, 2001 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Appearance: Mostly medium tan with a fair amount of pale yellow, and a small portion of dark leaf. The cut is random with some medium width ribbon, but mostly small cut. Like most C&D blends, this is on the dry side.
Aroma: The predominant part of the aroma to me seems to be the musty smell of perique, backed by the dry "grassy" aroma of turkish. I don't detect much, if any virginia sweetness.
Packing: Packing is easy in any size pipe, owing to the smallish cut. No special care was needed to get a springy surface with just a slight drag in the draw.
Lighting: The tobacco lights easily, sometimes with one Vesta.
Initial flavor: I get a tingle from the perique first, followed immediately by the spicy nuttiness of the turkish. I don't get much from the virginias, they seem to be too light to contribute much weight or sweetness to the mix. The first impression is light, but quite tasty
Mid-bowl: It burns quite easily, but does not get hot unless puffed agressively. The orientals start to dominate the blend here, with the perique playing harmony, and the virginia still stays in the background. The smoke lacks density, probably because of the lack of more mature, darker virginias
Finish: Even smoked slowly, the bottom comes fairly soon. I detect a slight bitterness, and some added strength at the end. I also detect a slight dryness in my mouth when I finish the bowl. The ash is clean and pale gray.
Tried in the following pipes: Several Sasieni Family era Four Dots, a GBD Militaire.
Summary: This would be a great tobacco for warm weather, when darker virginias and latakia are too heavy for me.
Aroma: The predominant part of the aroma to me seems to be the musty smell of perique, backed by the dry "grassy" aroma of turkish. I don't detect much, if any virginia sweetness.
Packing: Packing is easy in any size pipe, owing to the smallish cut. No special care was needed to get a springy surface with just a slight drag in the draw.
Lighting: The tobacco lights easily, sometimes with one Vesta.
Initial flavor: I get a tingle from the perique first, followed immediately by the spicy nuttiness of the turkish. I don't get much from the virginias, they seem to be too light to contribute much weight or sweetness to the mix. The first impression is light, but quite tasty
Mid-bowl: It burns quite easily, but does not get hot unless puffed agressively. The orientals start to dominate the blend here, with the perique playing harmony, and the virginia still stays in the background. The smoke lacks density, probably because of the lack of more mature, darker virginias
Finish: Even smoked slowly, the bottom comes fairly soon. I detect a slight bitterness, and some added strength at the end. I also detect a slight dryness in my mouth when I finish the bowl. The ash is clean and pale gray.
Tried in the following pipes: Several Sasieni Family era Four Dots, a GBD Militaire.
Summary: This would be a great tobacco for warm weather, when darker virginias and latakia are too heavy for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 12, 2015 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
I have now smoked a fill 2 ounce baggy of this blend and I have to say I enjoyed it. It is a nice light smoke, all natural, clean burning, and flavorful. It has a sweet, fresh pouch aroma, it consists of a rough cut mix of khaki and dark brown flakes of fine cut tobaccos and in my case arrived at just the right amount of moisture to smoke right away without any drying period. It packs easily into the pipe, is very easy to light, and smokes nice and dry all the way down to the bottom of the pipe, leaving a fluffy steely grey ash. It is not biting at all on the tongue, and could easily be an all day smoke.
The flavor is a very nice mix of grassy, hay like Virginia, the sweetness of the Turkish, and just a touch of the spiciness of the perique. It overall is sweet and a little creamy. It smokes all the way down without getting harsh and keeps the character of the tobaccos for the whole bowl. The room note is pleasant, I enjoy it and I received no complaints. This is a fine example of what C and D can do with their fine tobaccos. I would highly recommend this blend to all non aromatic lovers.
The flavor is a very nice mix of grassy, hay like Virginia, the sweetness of the Turkish, and just a touch of the spiciness of the perique. It overall is sweet and a little creamy. It smokes all the way down without getting harsh and keeps the character of the tobaccos for the whole bowl. The room note is pleasant, I enjoy it and I received no complaints. This is a fine example of what C and D can do with their fine tobaccos. I would highly recommend this blend to all non aromatic lovers.
Pipe Used:
briar, cob, meers
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked:
1mo after receipt
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jul 29, 2014 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
After finding Orion's Arrow so much to my distaste I was pleasantly surprised at Oriental Silk. With ingredients seemingly so similar one would not expect such stark differences. Oriental Silk is most appropriately named. It is slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and incredibly smooth, very smooth. For those times when I do not feel like wrestling with Old Joe Krantz and also not wanting the demands of a Latakia blend, this fills the bill nicely. Everything works here; no bite at all, pleasant aftertaste. A superb all day candidate. This would make an excellent blend for someone wishing to try a non-aromatic without getting into a full on English (whether Latakia, VA Flake, or VaPer). Also recommended as a good start for a new pipe smoker who is a cigarette smoker as an introduction. A blend one can start with and remain with while checking out the array of other blends. By my own method of ratings, 4 star is only given to 3 star blends I have repurchased. But I make an exception to my personal rule here. Excellent.
Pipe Used:
Corncobs, briars
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh production
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 29, 2006 | Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Oriental Silk is not a very 'interesting' blend. That doesn't mean it's bad - just that there isn't much going on as you smoke it. If you don't like the beginning of the bowl, you won't like the rest.
Definitely not one for the beginner, I believe that a bit of inattentiveness could produce a serious bite.
The Perique lends a nice backdrop for the interplay between the Va and the spicy Turkish. Neither the Va nor the Turkish dominate, rather they seem to meld into a spicy sweetness that at times produces an aftertaste that almost suggests the presence of Burley.
I realize that a good balance between the various typed of leaf is desireable, but in this case, the balance is almost too good. What could have been an interesting blend turns out to be a bit cloying.
Definitely not one for the beginner, I believe that a bit of inattentiveness could produce a serious bite.
The Perique lends a nice backdrop for the interplay between the Va and the spicy Turkish. Neither the Va nor the Turkish dominate, rather they seem to meld into a spicy sweetness that at times produces an aftertaste that almost suggests the presence of Burley.
I realize that a good balance between the various typed of leaf is desireable, but in this case, the balance is almost too good. What could have been an interesting blend turns out to be a bit cloying.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 18, 2019 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
C&D Oriental Silk is a perfect example of how Turkish tobaccos can elevate a VaPer to a higher level and turn it into something unique. It is also representative of old school English blends, which relied primarily on Virginias, perique and orientals for flavor, instead of Latakia (see http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-news/english-blends-and-latakia-blends-one-in-the-same/).
The buttery, flowery and slightly sour orientals balance perfectly high-quality sweet and citrusy Virginias. The perique in this blend is of the raisinous rather than the spicy kind. It is used with a light touch, which enables it complement the fruitiness of the other tobaccos and add depth to the flavor, while remaining in the background. The balance is so good that you will struggle to identify the different tobaccos, being presented instead with a harmonious blend of its constituents.
As delivered, the tobacco is fairly dry, so it lights easily and burns cleanly, requiring no relights if you keep it going. It won't bite if smoked fast, but to really enjoy it you should sip it slowly and savor it. If you do, you will be rewarded by a long, sweet and rich smoke. It also has enough nicotine to satisfy most smokers without threatening to over power you.
If you want to learn why pipe tobacco manufacturers add orientals in their blends, try Oriental Silk. You won't be disappointed.
The buttery, flowery and slightly sour orientals balance perfectly high-quality sweet and citrusy Virginias. The perique in this blend is of the raisinous rather than the spicy kind. It is used with a light touch, which enables it complement the fruitiness of the other tobaccos and add depth to the flavor, while remaining in the background. The balance is so good that you will struggle to identify the different tobaccos, being presented instead with a harmonious blend of its constituents.
As delivered, the tobacco is fairly dry, so it lights easily and burns cleanly, requiring no relights if you keep it going. It won't bite if smoked fast, but to really enjoy it you should sip it slowly and savor it. If you do, you will be rewarded by a long, sweet and rich smoke. It also has enough nicotine to satisfy most smokers without threatening to over power you.
If you want to learn why pipe tobacco manufacturers add orientals in their blends, try Oriental Silk. You won't be disappointed.
Pipe Used:
Various briars
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & Cigars
Age When Smoked:
1 year old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 14, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Oriental Silk is definitely amongst the better offerings from Cornell & Diehl. The tin/bag note is sour, almost off putting. The cut is a nice ribbon and easy to pack, easy to light. It's a tad dry out of the bag, so no drying time necessary. At first light, it's very grassy and you get that sour note from the orientals. As the bowl progresses it turns buttery, a smooth oriental forward blend with a slight undercurrent of sweetness. The perique is almost imperceptible, providing a bit of body and adding to the play of spice in this blend. Although rich in flavor, I found this blend a bit "airy" and dry in the mouth; rich in flavor, yet this is a mild-medium blend. Not a favorite, but it's growing on me. 3.4 stars. Recommended.
Pipe Used:
MM Cob and briars
PurchasedFrom:
smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
less than a year
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