Cornell & Diehl Yorktown

Smoking now:

Bulk version: The bag note is sweet honey and a vinegar tang. Interesting. The moisture is fine and ready to go from the bag. A no thrills ready rubbed straight Virginia.

Sweet honey, slight tangy grassy lemon, white bread. That’s the dominant flavors. The retrohale is fantastic with more of the same flavor notes. It’s quite good especially if you like bready Virginias. The more of it I smoke the more I taste dry crusty white hard rolls. I rather enjoy it. Nic hit is maybe up to medium. It’s a tad rough, grassy, has some harshness, especially if puffed on, but there’s enough good Virginia flavors in here that it can be over looked. Mild easy going after taste, smoked well for a Virginia. At bulk prices this isn’t bad. Less harsh, more sweet, and bread like than Derringer.

I tend to use this as a blending tobacco combining it with Izmir as it is very one dimensional. On its own it’s not bad at all especially because I like bready Virginias. 3.5 stars.

Been putting this one off for years but finally decided to pull the trigger and try some. I'm surprised not many people talk about this one.

The bag aroma is sugary sweet with slight bread notes. Moisture level is perfect. Very consistent flavors from beginning to end with sugar, orange citrus, bread, and just a occasional slightly nuttiness. It can bite if it's chief'd on but does smoke smooth.

Overall a nice blend. Not as full flavored as I would have liked but a very nice blend that's worth having around.

Update 11/11/2021

The more I smoke Yorktown, the more I like it. After having Yorktown and Escudo in my rotation, I find that Yorktown is very similar in taste and aroma as Escudo though it's not as smooth and obviously has no perique.

Update 8-1-2022.with almost a year of age on the last batch I purchased, the flavors have deepened into a fuller flavored blend. The sweetness and orange notes are still there from the brights and stoved brights, but the reds have deepened, adding a fuller quality and almost like a cinnamon roll quality to it but more bready then cinnamon. This has really started reminding me of Elizabethan Mixture or a lighter version of Ye Olde Signe. Imagine adding around 8 to 10% perique and pressing it for a month or so.....it could be a dunhill killer.....

This is a solid Virginia blend that I enjoyed significantly more than C&D’s flagship, “opening night.” Yorktown is smoother and has more flavor. This pure Virginia blend is presented in an unusually short ribbon cut. I cannot think of any other C&D offerings that have this precise cut. The mix is an approximately equal allotment of bright gold, red, brown, and drab/tan color leaf. The initial pouch aroma upon arrival was mild, sweet, and grassy. With some oxygen and time this aroma approached that of an unlit Camel non-filter, albeit a bit sweeter.

The char light gives some light citrusy sweetness that follows into the true light. Over time, the sweetness fades and the smoke takes on a drier character. Toasted cereal grains, dried straw notes, and earthy tobacco make up the flavor profile.

Mechanically speaking, this is a dry blend that smokes dry, but requires an unusually large number of relights. Yorktown has a tendency toward burning hot, but does not punish the tongue, smoking smoothly every time.

Fantastic virginia blend. Should be talked about more often. Especially since it is available in bulk. Can't wait to try this after it has some age on it. This is a perfect mix of bright and red Virginia's. Plenty of grass and hay and just a touch of that ketchupy red virginia flavor you get from Mcclelland but not nearly as strong. Definitely worth a try for any virginia smoker. Quickly found a spot in my rotation.