Cornell & Diehl Good Morning

The tin I opened had the date "December 13, 2016" and was slightly bloated. In general, bloating, after several years, of tins produced by Cornell & Diehl is not uncommon - the company does not practice vacuuming and sterilizing so that the tobacco continues to ferment. I have seen photos of 20-year-old tins of this kind - the shape was very far from the ideal cylinder, but the tobacco in them remained in excellent condition.

Appearance: a mixture of small, almost cigarette ribbon-cut Virginias of a fairly uniform bright brownish-red hue of dark apricots, in which finely chopped latakia and orientals are mixed. There is very little latakia at all. The mixture from the tin is almost dry, although it doesn't dust or crumble.

The flavor from the just opened tin - a powerful tomato flavor, so strong that at first I regretted that I bought this tobacco. Smoking it right away didn't seem like the best idea, so I immediately closed the tin. But when I opened it again four hours later, I was surprised to find that the "ketchup" had weathered off quite a bit. Certainly, some of the tomato sauce was still there, but it was no longer dominant, but was adjacent to the smells of stale hay, citrus skins, and tanned leather. The smoked latakia note opened up in the background, which, frankly, lacked density (on the other hand, where could it come from with such a small amount?). Given the absence of perique in the mix, I'm inclined to think that the tomato smell is the result of tobacco saucing.

The taste is a woody-sunny note (with a lean woody flavor), some sweet and sour boiled fruit from the compote (most like boiled pears), a bit of earthiness, and a very slight hint of smokiness. The tobacco slowly changes its taste while smoking: the sweetness of the fruit disappears completely, and the earthiness increases, plus there is a spicy note, like a mix of nutmeg and coriander. The deceptive initial lightness of the tobacco also disappears - in fact, it is medium strength, but at first this is not felt. A slight nicotine kick can be caught in large pipes. Tobacco does not tolerate rush - due to the fine cut and dry consistency, the blend burns relatively hot. If you get carried away, the temperature in the pipe quickly rises to the discomfort, and the tobacco itself becomes more harsh to the taste, although it does not bite. The tobacco burns into a dusty ash of an even light gray color, leaving almost no moisture in the pipe. The aftertaste of the tobacco is spicy and woody.

The smoke has a woody-spicy flavor, quite light, it is almost not felt in the room.

Bottom line: The aged blend left a very good impression - it's high quality and not overly complex. It is just a very good blend to smoke. Once again, I point out that the material for the review was a mixture that is more than five years old, because some of the reviews on the web for a fresh mixture are far from ecstatic. But while acknowledging its quality, I can't help feeling that it lacks some zest. Is it similar to Early Morning Pipe? There's certainly something. But there's every opportunity to get to know the original now. Besides, despite its name, it doesn't cheer me up, but has a diametrically opposite effect. The picture on the label of the tin quite reflects my state of mind after smoking a pipe with it.

What should be noted upfront is that this blend deserves to be reviewed without a comparison to EMP. The fruity, red Virginas and the light, citrusy, light Virginas form the base of this blend (with the reds standing out more). The Latakias are lightly added from my taste, yet playing well enough of a part to obtain the smoky/woody notes throughout the bowl. The Orientals, coming in 2nd place, deliver their tanginess and distinct sweetness themselves.Can be a somewhat a wet smoke and certainly an all day blend.

A strong recommendation for those desiring a lighter English or a Virginia blend with nuance.

This is a really great all day English blend. I’ve smoked so many “match” blends and I’m always disappointed when I smoke them as a substitute. I now go into match blends with the caveat that it is it’s own blend. This very well may be just like EMP- I don’t know. But what I do know is it’s a very enjoyable smoke to start a day with! With a cup of coffee it’s hard to beat. The Virginia’s are really the star to me. They are the classic C&D Virginia. They always remind me of semi sweetened Baked goods in the room note. Very much reminds me of the Virginia’s in C&D poplar camp. There’s just enough Latakia to know it’s there. Honestly I get more Latakia in the “beard note” after I’m done smoking, than when I am smoking it. The orientals are really perfectly balanced, too. Perfectly balanced is a great 2 word review of this blend. I think any fan of a light English will be very happy with good morning.

Like G. L. Pease's Chelsea Morning, C & D's Good Morning is trying to fill the EMP gap. I find it extremely well done. It is more Virginia-oriented that Chelsea Morning and there is only a hint of Latakia. The result is a sweeter blend of Virginias and Orientals that is perfect for a first pipe. It would be a bit too light for me as an all day blend but is great with morning coffee. Unlike some of C & D's ribbon cuts, GM is easy to keep lit and doesn't arrive too wet in the tin.

Good Morning is likely to get lost in the huge mass of C & D blends but is really worth a try for those who appreciate a light Balkan as a day-starter.

Edit 04/06/2011: I don't smoke this blend anymore as Classic Burley Kake has taken over as my AM smoke. It's still a great tobacco and maybe I'll revisit it again in the future. Downgraded to 3 stars.

WOW... all I can say is wow! Having had the chance years ago to smoke Dunhill EMP I can say that I really think they nailed the flavour with this blend. This is a definate keeper in my storage and one that I smoke every morning with my coffee... which is really what it's ment for. The flavour is extremely well balanced with many nuances jumping out at you as you slowly puff away. My second tin had 1 year of age on it and had developed some nice notes of plum, prune and apricots. If I could give it 5 stars I would, I just don't think 4 stars does it justice.

Tin: Appearance is similar to EMP, a very light brown hue with blonde, brown, and black here and there. A rather varied cut, thick broad cut to medium ribbon, with pieces of flake intermixed. Light smoky latakia and musty smells. Practically dry. Tin date on bottom: 042709.

Packing & Burning: Packing was a small concern, with the varied cut. Produces moisture from time to time that is bitter. Takes two relights down the bowl and puffing effort.

Taste & Aroma: Initially mild, slowly becoming somewhat richer. Smoky latakia does not stand out. An herbal spicy oriental is present. It is a refreshing and sweet aroma that is incense-like. The orientals take center stage, but while they are refreshing, there is a raw edge or green taste. Something tasted vaguely green or immature. Maybe it is the variety of oriental used. My reference for orientals is McClelland's Blending Oriental. While BO is tasty sweet, almost carmelized, GM is mildly sweet but green. While BO is fragrant and mellow, GM is also slightly bitter or tangy.

McClelland's Blended Turkish Ribbon is close to the flavor of the oriental variety used in GM, I suspect mostly Izmir.

The VA's in GM are lightly stoved, more like browned, because a toasty flavor provides the background.

In the last 1/3, it does settle down and become a little creamy, the green taste diminishing.

Nicotine: Rather mild to somewhat medium

Room Note: Pleasant

Overall: A toasty herbal incense predominates but seems green or unaged. This seems to be characteristic of the oriental variety used, as it is close to McClelland's BTR, as opposed to BO. Compared to EMP, well-aged EMP was richer, spicier, and smokier. Auld lang syne. 3.2 stars.

Cornell & Diehl - Good Morning.

Over the past week or so I've enjoyed trying some of my English/Balkans. So, C+D Good Morning?

The mixture incorporates, as well as ribbons, a few larger broken flakes. It's mostly medium and light browns with far lesser black pieces. My tin was a little underhydrated.

To me the smoke would be good throughout the day, not just in the mornings. It's a well rounded, fairly medium bodied, English. The Latakia 'seasons' the smoke without taking it over. Unlike a lot of English blends the Virginia and Oriental tobaccos don't vie for attention; they are DEFINITE additions. The sweet, almost velvety, Orientals collaborate with the Virginias to form a shared flavour. The reliability of the burn goes without question, albeit, although independent, it goes a bit fast. Also, because it arrived dry, it can be warm.

Nicotine: a speck below medium. Room-note: not too bad.

Good Morning? A lovely taste but the dehydration removes a star. Recommended:

Three stars.

Delving into the mysteries of the C&D blends, i tried this on a whim with my morning coffee. It delivers nicely with an almost earthy taste that i found to be creamy and spicy all at the same time. The sweetened virginias dominate this to a satisfying degree without it interferring with a dose or two of Latakia along with a dash of perique. Orientals are abundant here as the taste will tell when you savour its satisfying flavour. I like this in the morning as a wakeup blend to start my day off. Not bad at all for a mild English and is not particular of certain briars.

Light good first morning smoke. Not wet. Fresh open tin smell very good. Pretty dry in the tin. And I am no expert to these descriptions. P