Cornell & Diehl Night Train

Wow, this one is different. The blend is first cut, then pressed int a solid brick. It looks like a plug, but does not need to be sliced. The brick is mottled in color, with a fairly high percentage of dark leaf showing, and has a rather pungent, fermented aroma. I approached it by pulling some off the brick, then rubbing it out. I also tried tearing small pieces to insert into the pipe. This was very hard to light, and to keep lit. When rubbed out, it lit easily, with a first impression of solid Perique. I mean, head swimming time. This is not an eye-opener for me, but rather an evening smoke. The initial blast mellowed out soon into a rich, smooth smoke with some tingle from the Perique, and a sweet balance from the Virginias. There was also, at times, a slight cigar note which I attribute to the dark Burley present in the blend. This is the most butt-kicking blend I have tasted from Craig. It stays quite pleasant until near the bottom of the bowl, then becomes a bit stronger. I feel this should be enjoyed in a smaller pipe. Definitely not for the beginner, nor for the faint of heart.

This is a Burley blend but unlike any Burley I have smoked before. this is as satisfying as most of the full English blends I usually smoke. First impression is Perique and I do mean Perique. The Perique is very strong but does not overpower the blend. the under tone seems like latakia but there is none in this blend. About half way through the bowl it smothes out and the Perique has lessened and the other flavors really begin to show. there is no bite and the blend is not exactly what I would call smooth but it is not harsh either. At the end a bit of sourness like most English blends and the next bowl I smoke will be in a small clay, this baccy has a nicotine hit. I would advise for a new smoker to wait a while before trying this and if you like your nicotine light stay away..

I was fortunate enough to receive a small sample of this tobacco from an online acquaintance, as I would otherwise not likely have decided to try it. I smoked the entire sample and made some notes for myself before looking to see what was in it; I was quite surprised at the ingredients when I did look. It was clear to me that this is a very unusual blend, very different from many others I?ve tried; but it was still an eye-opener. The aroma of my small sample is highly complex and dynamic, difficult to wholly take in during one sitting. It includes sweet, leathery, soapy/floral, and spicy notes, with spicy and ?exotic? being probably the strongest overall. It arrived as a slice of hard, pressed crumble cake about 1? wide. The leaf color runs across very dark and medium browns, with about 5 ? 10% lighter tans. The moisture is rather low, but not as dry as most C&D tobaccos. The cake is a bit tough, but packing is easy once it?s broken up. Lighting is easy, the flame causing a mound of very puffy, grey ash to quickly grow on the surface, and during the bowl I need an average number of relights. My general impression of the first third of the bowl is spicy and complex ? the flavor is as dynamic as the smell. The spice is very strong, a Perique flavor that just barely refrains from dominating but which is far from unpleasant. Under this is a sweet & dark note, with what I could swear is Latakia as well. There is a richness and fullness here that, to me, screams ?English?. The impression I get of the top notes is ?brown? and constantly changing. The smoke is not harsh, but not smooth either, and there is no bite or moisture thus far. In the second third, the Perique is not quite as forceful, but I would still describe the smoke as spicy. The dark, sweet, and rich notes are a bit stronger, perhaps from contrast, providing a satisfying smoke. There is still a great deal of complexity in the flavor. It seems to have smoothed out more as well, though there is a small amount of moisture present. With the final 1/3 the spice has finally melded with the other flavors, while remaining strong. The overall taste is dark and rich, though not quite as sweet, and I still want to call this a (semi)English blend. There is even a bit of sourness towards the very end that I normally associate with Latakia. The bottom of the pipe is dry and clean, and I never noticed any bite throughout the bowl. One other thing I notice, when I try to stand up, is that there is a good amount of nicotine in this; I plan to use a much smaller pipe next time! I only noticed this when I was done with the bowl. Overall, the flavor and complexity make this an excellent blend, as satisfying as most of the full English blends I usually frequent. Imagine my surprise to find out that this is a Burley blend! I can?t stand most Burley, and would have sworn that this was a modified English/Latakia type tobacco. Where?s the harshness? The person who sent me the sample also said that it reminded him of Latakia, so I?m pretty sure I?m not crazy, but? ME, liking a Burley blend?? Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone who dislikes most Burley, or who prefers Latakia; I?m glad I tried it, and plan to keep some around.

Virginia dominant VaBur with a healthy dose of Perique. Smoking this, I always think it'd be better as a Burley dominant blend, but that tobacco already exists and is named Old Joe Krantz.

Spongy, leaf pancake bar you'd expect from C&D. I feel the strength of Night Train is oversold and rate it medium to strong.

It's useful mixing with Burleys you feel need more backbone, but then you could just buy better Burleys and save the time and money.

It's ok. That pretty much sums up what I feel about C&D's whole catalog. They occasionally get one right, but their Virginias just aren't very good and most of their blends are dull.

Presentation is crumble cake, with nearly equal amounts of light, medium, and dark brown strands. Firm, but easy to work with. I like breaking off a chunk with my fingers, cramming it into my pipe, and topping with some of the broken strands. Moisture level is perfect out of the tin.

Perique is at the forefront, spicy/peppery/fruity. The Virginias add sweetness and a touch of citrus. I'm getting a good burley backbone, but not a big nutty flavor. On retrohale, burley is a bit more obvious and perique is a bit spicier. Perique spice/pepper seems to build as the bowl progresses.

Good stuff. I like it, but I don't love it. There's a bit too much perique for my tastes.

Night Train turned out to be a little different than I had imagined. I think it was a combination of some of the reviews I had read, maybe a promotional blurb or two, and the name. I was expecting a bold and powerful smoke with an onslaught of nicotine and Perique, but the experience is of a gentler variety. This is no speeding train, but rather a genuine, solid smoke.

While the tin is plain Jane, lacking C&D's often humorous art, the cake is magnificent. This is primarily bright leaf, with a beautiful yellow appearance interspersed with the dark Perique. All constituents are easily identified. It handles beautifully of coarse and can be smoked right away. A little bit of seasoning in an opened tin, resealed, really helps develop the flavor. I had the faintest whiff of strawberry when I first popped the tin. The Perique however dominates the tin aroma, and the other tobaccos are mild and sweet.

When I first smoked this I found it a little flat, with a bit of bite, but certainly not steamy. The bit of drying alleviated these issues. While this is VaBurPer, it's Virginia forward. Really, the combination of the flue cured and Cavendish dominate, with some bright fruit, some sweetness, and the barest traces of steamed sugars. The Perique is largely absent in the flavor, other than a slight pepper that is more noticeable as a feeling than a taste, but pops up on the retrohale. The burley too does not add much to flavor, but rather seems to dull the other parts some, but may contribute to a slightly doughy taste that lasts throughout the bowl. Part of my failure to get much burley may be the other blends I've been smoking lately, chiefly C&D monster burleys like Big N' Burley. The taste does intensify a little toward the end.

At times I get similar tastes to Briar Fox. Like that blend, this is quite smooth. A very nice tobacco, and a welcome interlude relative to some of their bigger products. In just about all respects this is of medium characteristic: body, strength, and taste. I'll visit this again, but later down the line, as the train I'm on is through their vast product catalog. A solid three, but just not enough steam to stand out as a four star blend.

The smell of this stuff reminds me of litter box with just a hint of cat turd...which isn't a good thing. But I know not to judge any tobacco via the smell of it out of the tin. Packing is great with the crumble cake and the moisture content was just right.

How does this taste? Amazing. There is so much going on here it's difficult to put into words. I was really impressed by how much flavor is packed into this. I get a wonderful taste of clove, raisin, cocoa and coffee. This is one of those tobaccos that you have 'buyers regret' when you first open it and smell it and it makes you realize how wrong your initial judgement can be.

This is an excellent, flavorful blend.

Wife note is good too!

Wow! Have my tastes changed. I remember trying this back in the late nineties and I remember thinking - meh!

But here it is 2015 and I have retried it and I have to say as far as VaPers go this could be one of my favorites.

Smooth, complex and semi sweet - what more could you ask for? For those Folks who love VaPers and are looking for something different - give this one a try!

Not much I can add that had not been said already. My personal take is one of highly favoring this over most Vapers thanks to the Kake preserving the freshness of the Perique. I too think it smokes best in a larger cob pipe that will keep things cool and handle the moisture of the Kake. It's a very complex blend that I enjoy with strong coffee. It does bring a vision of relaxing in an old steam engine train coach chugging along in the old south on a sultry summer night. I can see myself puffing on my old cob or clay under the lamplight as the scenery goes by under the light of a full moon and the strong smells of the night blend with my pipe smoke. Nice vision, classic 4 star blend.