Cornell & Diehl Night Train

This blend tastes absolutely delicious. Quality tobacco's only here! All those virginia's blend together for quite a taste sensation. The perique plays along perfectly. Sensational from start to finish. Top notch!

Update++++ Okay, I got a half pound of this and another half pound of Old Joe Krantz through the mail and I've been smoking them both for about two weeks now. I've got two pipes locked into one groove, two into the other. This is the winner for me, not necessarily better tobacco as they are both simply top notch, but the better tasting of the two for my tastes. I have also found, as others, that it will work better in larger bowls about one third in to the end, slowly. This is an awesome tobacco, one that has almost a sour lemony/grassy flavor. My favorite of all time right now. Enjoy. Unlike my earlier review, I'm going to have to say the Virginias are really what make this, and possibly the cavendish burley, but I don't know what that is, man! probably sweeter than burley I'd guess.

Old Review: This one is definitely a toe tingler. What surprises me most is the Burley. I used to not like Burley much, due to my penchant for dramatically eye-watering draws off the pipe. Burley generally does not reward this eccentric behavior as it will taste a little sour. Well, my smoking technique has developed a little since those days. The tobacco's taste is much more sweet, rich and earthy if one employs a little restraint and draws slowly off the pipe. An amazing combination of tobaccos and flavors. Overall, one of the tastiest blends I've puffed on. I can't wait to get a larger amount as I only picked up an ounce and a half.

After smoking a lot of Haddos and Bayou Night these past few months, Night Train reminds me a bit more of traditional Va/P mixtures. Still, it is another wonderful and unique offering from C&D, and outclasses and outguns many of the European produced Va/Ps, which to me often come off as slightly tasteless or bland, not strong enough and unexciting.

No blandness here. There is a delicious fruity character which reminds me of apples or apple cider, and more than a touch of VA sweetness with some Burley body. And then of course, the big P.

The only caveat I have is it seems as if it could bite, so I go more gingerly than I do with Haddos or Bayou Night. No reason to buy expensive imported blends by the 1.75 oz with stuff like this around, as long as you like your VA/P to be on the strong side, as I do. Yes, I am sure proper aging will make it even better, as C&D tobaccos are all shipped a little young.

If Kajun Kake was a Milky Way Dark, This is a regular Milky Way. Sort of a variation on a theme. Don't get me wrong, I like it- Virginias and Perique make a sweet fruity spicey body- With the Burlies filling out body. comes pressed in a block, which I love. Much more fun to tear a chunk off. Smoke a chunk for those relaxing times, break one up for a quicker burning smoke. This can be strong- So watch yourself.

Well, another excellent blend from the good folks at C&D. A nice strong tobacco, naturally sweet from the Virginias used, a strong perique presence, which I like in some blends, but not others, and have yet to discover why that is... Whatever the reason, the chemistry is right on in this blend, and it is given perfect strength and balance by the Cavendish cut burley. I have to watch my pace with this one or I get a little bite, but that is true with me and almost any Virginia blend... I tend to be an aggressive puffer, but this blend is worth slowing down to enjoy!

I wonder if that's what Guns'n'Roses were smoking when they wrote "I'm on the Night Train, I love that stuff, I'm on the Night Train, and I can never get enough"? .... nah, probably not, but you will not go wrong with this blend if you like stout VaPers!

I may raise the rating after further contemplation but for now this is three and one fourth out of four. Too strong for me. Kudos to C & D for making this though.

4/11/2005: I cut this plug tobacco into small cubes. After drying a while in a zip-lock baggy this tobac is pretty good. A strong un-flavored straight ahead tobacco. An occasional indulgence. Three and one half stars.

Delicious, very strong blend. The Burleys hit first with toasty, oaty flavors, immediately followed by sweet rich Virginia and Cavendish. The Perique becomes more and more pronounced throughout the smoke.

Can bite just a tad if smoked too fast, but it's hard to slow this exquisite train down. Strongest nic hit of any blend in my rotation. Absolute four star blend.

Switching from latakia blends to VaPers, this is so far my favorite blend I have come across.

This blend tastes good in a MM corncob and it probably would taste good in a narrow chambered (around .81" inside diameter) briar.

I have tried this in a wide chambered briar and I was ready to throw out both the pipe and the blend! It brought out TOO much flavor and it became an almost aromatic in a wide chamber.

I guess if you love aromatics, you could smoke this in a wide chamber and be perfectly happy.

Very nice Burley blend, one of CD better blends imho. Fairly strong so be forewarned. Not cubed but flake cut, easy to fill bowl and burns well.