Cornell & Diehl Oriental Silk

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.

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.

Appearance: The 2 oz tin of tobacco had a production date of "April 06, 2022." Considering that this tobacco is sold by bulk in the United States, a year is plenty of time for it to age. The blend is quite bright in shades of red, yellow and light brown, and the individual components are easily distinguishable. The cut of this tobacco (a wide and short chopped ribbon of Virginia broken flake and a narrower ribbon of oriental with small pieces of perique) is similar to a cigarette, which hints at a relatively hot combustion. Also, the tobacco is a bit dry. It's easy to stuff, easy to light, doesn't require drying and doesn't go out.

Flavor: The leading notes are spice, frankincense and citrus, but the raisin and fig notes of perique are also a serious support. The flavor is uneven and if you sniff it for a long time, the hay and grassy notes of Virginia occasionally become stronger, and then disappear into the background again. Barely noticeable woody notes complement the overall bouquet, adding volume to the blend, but in total, the flavor of tobacco is quite light.

Taste: Initially, the set of spices with a sour hint of lemon and badian prevails in the bouquet, accompanied by a mild spice of perique, with almost no room left for the sweetness of Virginia. Overall, the flavor is simple and not overly expressive. Gradually, the blend gains density with the support of sweet and biscuit notes, but remains, to my taste, not bright enough. Around the middle of the pipe, the blend becomes softer, the spiciness of the perique goes into the background, the flavor weaves into a unified bouquet - not too complex, but pleasant. The tobacco behaves about the same in different forms. By the way, the blend is somewhat critical to the smoking temperature - if you overheat, the sweetness immediately disappears, and, although the mixture does not bite, it in a moment loses all the charm, turning into a fairly faceless tobacco with medium strength and almost cigarette taste. The blend burns into a light gray ash, leaving almost no moisture in the bowl. The aftertaste is sweet, not persistent.

The smoke from the mixture has a smell of sandalwood and spices, it easily disperses.

What's the bottom line? If you're looking for a replacement for the prematurely departed McClelland and their Grand Orientals series, Oriental Silk is obviously not the right tobacco. Virginia is a filler, so the manufacturer skimped on it by using a rather cheap variety. In addition, the perique in the blend argues for attention with orientals, although, as a result, it has to concede. Overall, however, this is an appropriate blend for every day. I, however, would prefer less perique and more oriental. There are plenty of good Virginia-perique blends on the market, but good quality Virginia/Oriental blends are rare.

The name may mislead one to expect another twist on C&D's Bijou. But those two blends are fairly unlike each other.

Oriental Silk features bright Virginias instead of the red in Bijou, and Turkish Orientals instead of Katerini. This means you shouldn't expect the usual tangy, sour, floral oriental you are used to in Balkan leaf.

Oriental Silk has notes of black pepper, acorns, spices, licorice, anise, some fruit (somewhere between grapes and dried figs), a hint of vanilla sweetness. At times it feels almost medicinal. It's woody and nutty but not in the burley kind of way, brighter and lighter.

I wouldn't actually call it silky despite the name. Yes, it doesn't bite but the aftertaste can be quite ashy. I'd recommend treating it like a straight Virginia with the little extra and smoke it slowly.

It becomes deeper, richer and a tad spicier after the first third, after which it develops its true character and shows its best side.
2.5 stars