Cornell & Diehl Yorktown

Some say that Yorktown is a very under rated blend. So I decided to get some and try it out for myself. I got 2oz of Bulk. Immediately I knew from the tin note this is was very fresh and was going to need some age…serious age 8-10 years. So I jarred it up and kept a couple of pinches for a taste. The tin note was fresh and sweet. No tangy smell at all. Very much like a cigarette tobacco smell. Looks like cigarette tobacco too. Moisture was perfect and it lit up and stayed lit the entire time. As for taste…..this was very mild for me and I had to coax the flavors out of it….some bread, toast, caramel, honey, hay, grass. Nothing in your face. Very subtle….to me what’s the point? I’m working to hard on this. Maybe some age will do it some good. The tobacco is of fine quality and doesn’t bite at all. But with so many blends to try I’m going to pass on this for now. I retry in 10 yrs and see.

I bought this in bulk and it was drier than I prefer. It is a finely cut shag, which can creep into your draft hole if you're not careful. Overall I find this to be a rather bland and monochromatic Virginia, But as others have noted, it can be put to good use for blending (hence the second of two stars). I've used it 50/50 with Dunhill Durbar, which I like but is too strong for me as a regular tobacco (I guess I am not as "mature and experienced" as I thought). The result is a very pleasant smoke with more roundness and sweetness than straight Durbar. So the large amounts of both tobaccos I unwisely ordered will find a use. On its own, though, given all the truly interesting and well-made Virginias available, Yorktown is a disappointing smoke that does not show this noble leaf to good effect.

I thought I was going to love this, but to me it tasted too much like cigarettes. It has a good nic hit, which I usually love. But this tobacco put a bad taste in my mouth and stomach. Well, it was not THAT bad 🙂

Short ribbon cut of mid to light brown tobacco. My bag came tinder dry.

Bag note is wet hay and grass.

This is a mild to medium fairly sweet tobacco with a very grassy profile. I get some citrus notes but none of the dried fruit other reviewers have noted. The smoke can be a bit acidic and harsh. Tends towards the hot as might be expected from any Va in a ribbon or shag form.

This is an easy, simple smoke that might be a good starting point for a transitioning cigarette smoker. Veteran Va lovers will probably not be swayed from the numerous flakes that offer a more complex experience than Yorktown can deliver.

Not a bad smoke by any stretch, but not for me.

Hmm I had great expectations for this stuff, being a fan of C&D's VA blends and all, but I'm not sure what to make of it now that I've tried it. The aroma is very musty, like an old book. The taste, well its also reminiscent of a musty old book. I don't know if this is how it's supposed to taste. The lighter colored leaf is the color of dead grass, with black dots on it. I'm not sure if this is mold of some sort or if its just the dust from the stoved leaf. However, this combined with the overall dullness and mustiness of the tobacco makes me almost suspect that I have received some tobacco that had gotten wet and dried back out. Very strange, I'll have to order some more in the future and compare it to the rather dismal offering that I have tried.

Briar Fox is the C&D virgina I use as a guide to rate other C&D virginias. Yorktown was a little dull for me; just middle of the road. There was nothing too bright nor too strong. The tobaccos are of high quality but it was just boring. I will mix it with a touch of oriental or deer tongue to finish the batch and I will probably not purchase more. BTW, I am using the same review to rate Ridin' the Raid since I had the same experience.

I like this tobacco.

From the pouch it smells sweet and fragrant, like a pack of good quality Va cigarettes.

Lighting it up is easy, and the flavor is that of good VA. It is sweet and grassy at the beginning and builds up a darker flavor as you go.

There is that nice buttery aroma when you blow gently into the bowl.

It smokes cool but can bite if pushed. Sipping it works best.

Four Stars. Highly recommended.

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.

A straight virginia that seems to be a pretty even mix of reds and brights. That mix results in a flavor that is a little earth, bread, and hay for a mild complexity. Pretty full flavored.

It's great for real unadulterated virginia flavor or as a blender. No flavorings or extra sugar here which is a unique approach that basically only C&D and D&R are doing. Mild nicotine.