Cornell & Diehl Oriental Silk

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.

Simply put, Delicious! A keeper for anyone who enjoys the flavor of turkish tobacco. Extremely well blended.

C&D- Oriental Silk . Let me start by saying I was so impressed by C&D Smokinpipes.com 20th anniversary XX flake that has Bright Virginias. 2 orientals and Perique that I searched for other blends that had the same tobaccos. Oriental Silk was the first blend that came up . This one is more turkish - Oriental forward though . The Orientals have a buttery, creamy and very mild sourness that is delicious. The Virginias are always present with sweetness, hay and citrus and I think add to the floral notes. The Perique is fairly light as a condiment but is there with pepper spice and a little fruitiness . Glad I bought 8oz as I thought I may like it . There is a satisfactory nic nit and just a great flavor to it . Right up there with Haunted Bookshop and I think Some Turkish and Burley leaf have some similarities in flavor profile . Four stars , would definitely buy again !

I plan to keep this in my smoking rotation. The Turkish (Izmir?) is definitely dominant. It has a sour and spicy quality that I really enjoy. The bright Virginia and Perique work well together. The Virginia provides its hay and slight sweetness with the Perique offering mostly spice and pepper with a little fig taste. I don't know the proportions of this blend but it tastes like about 50% Bright VA, 15% Perique and 35% Izmir. A simple yet complex blend that highlights the fine qualities of Turkish tobacco.

(Edit) Definitely not 35% Izmir! More like 10%.

Just the right amount of exotic tobaccos blended with one of my favorite Virginias. Smokes cool and clean and doesn’t bite. An all day smoke for sure.

Bought in bulk. The baggie note is nice, with raisins in front. When lit, I got a strong buttery note off the bat. Afterwards, I'd describe this as a good Balkan, but with Perique instead of Latakia. Or, if you prefer, a nice Va/Per with some fragrant Orientals thrown in. There's no question that the Orientals assert themselves here, but the Perique isn't far behind. Not exactly what I was looking for when I ordered this, but at the same time it was better than I expected. Burns cool, no bite, not too strong to smoke throughout the day. Nicotine is mild-medium. Unless you hate Perique and/or incense-like perfume, but not the Lakelands flowery type perfume because it isn't like that, I can't think of anything that's unlikeable here. Plus it's cheap as dirt.

Tart tangy tin aroma hinting of Perique and a solid base of Virginia tobacco. I find the Oriental forward genre not only tasty but the range of flavor that an Oriental blend can take on. They can be buttery and savory, all the way to dry, woody and spicy. They can be a great morning smoke or a final smoke of the day. I prefer the more subtle and buttery ones for the morning, McClelland Grand Oriental Series or Bijou, and smokes like these later in the day. I really like this blend, let's get that out of the way. This is a unique blend in the way they marry Perique with Orientals on a back drop of high quality bright VA. Vibrant, spicy, earthy and toasty are adjectives that come to mind to describe the flavor. The tobacco's marry beautifully and produce a complexity of flavor that I normally don't associate with a "lighter" tasting blend. There is some mild sweetness underpinning the experience but this is not a sweet blend. At time toasty and at others dark fruit and earth dominate. Always spicy, mild white pepper and hints of cloves. Great smoke if you are a fan of Orientals.

This blend is absolutely magnificent! I was not expecting this blend to be as good as it is based on description alone, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

So as you can tell, I really like this blend and it has become a regular in my rotation. The tin note is grassy with a bit of fruity sweetness, but then the orientals play in the background giving off some sort of nutty, tangy, earthy smell that I can't really describe (the Perique may be contributing to that tangy smell).

On first light I am bombarded with the virgina. It is a Virginia forward blend (which makes it perfect for me). The oriental settles in pretty quickly providing that nutty mysterious flavor throughout most of the bowl. The perique though is what really keeps the whole thing interesting. It's not as perique heavy as other blends in my opinion, but its just enough to warm the senses with its spicy flavor. What is impressive to me is that it smokes just like a good old Va/Per, for an all day smoke if you'd like, but you can also sit down and tease out the different nuances and enjoy the blend. It is just a great over all blend that I especially will enjoy in the warm summer months.

Mechanically, I've never had any relighting issues except those caused by user error. The blend smokes down to a fine white ash every time. I did get it to bite me once when I was really puffing hard on a short smoke break, but it was an extreme scenario. I don't think you will experience tongue bite in most normal situations.

I'll be picking up a pound of this sometime this year to cellar. I bet this will get better over the years to come.

Well balanced blend that delivers through the bowl. Orientals are sharp, but not harsh, particularly on retrohale. Sipping fills the palate with a pleasant sweet flavor. Burns clean to the end. Definite four star blend!