Cornell & Diehl Yale Mixture

This blend falls into the somewhat recommended category. Nothing wrong with what it is but there are just dozens of Lat. blends I gravitate towards over this one. This has VA/lat. only. the VA's are more bread like in their sweetness much like a brown VA, with its toasted grain notes. I do get a hint of dark fruits from the Red VA, and every once in a while a grassy note from the smattering of brights that are there. The lat is Cyprian and has been added lightly and has what one would expect with notes of wood, smoke and sweetness. It does not overpower the VA's and remains in the background throughout. That said, when I reach for a VA/Lat only blend I expect the lat to be a little more forward and the VA's to pop a little more. the nic is closer to the mild side overall strength right at mild to med. The finish is med. long and will not linger throughout the day. Not bad just not a bell ringer for me. That said, I could recommend this to someone starting out or to anyone who prefers their lat on the lighter side. Still if a lighter lat blend is what I am in the mood for I find myself reaching for Dunhill's EMP (although that has oriental in it as well). Room note will not be a favorite of the wife and it does stay with you for quite a while.

While Yale Mixture is a Virginia Latakia blend, it reminds me of things like My Mixture 965, Father Dempsey and Aperitif insofar as it mixes a woodsmoke like flaovur with an incense like flavour. That surprised me -- and pleasingly so.

There's a mild nic-kick to the blend at a certain point though not significant.

It comes dry so no need to dry it out. Absolutely no trouble lighting it.

Really a very enjoyable blend.

If you want a change of pace between smokes, and you're looking for a nice, medium-bodied smoke with a little VA sweetness, and a little backup of latakia, this blend is for you.

It's very, very nice. It's very pleasant to the very bottom of the bowl. Sweet, reminiscent of some very faint citrus notes with the smokey clove-like support of the latakia. I find it funny that the sales pitch for this tobacco is that it is not so sweet. By God it is PLENTY sweet tasting (not from casing, but from the virginias in there!) Unless my tastes are off with the five bowls of this I've had (which were consistent throughout!) It's pure-and-simple, a sweet smoke with that good ol' VA tang and sweetness.

It can bite, so just puff carefully. Not nearly as dangerous as pure VA's, but it'll get you if you don't show 'er respect. A very fine tobacco. I'm surprised they don't have it tinned.

High class, nice, mild, good flavor.

83 out of 100 (Very good!)

DJM

Yale Mixture is my default smoke now. When I am not yearning for anything specific, this is what I smoke. As Tantric says above, the taste is subtle. If you don't pay attention you may not notice how nice it really is. One of its sterling characteristics is that it is very nice when you think about it, but it doesn't distract you when you are thinking about something else. I like to smoke this when I am reading or listening to music. It's delicious, consistent, and predictable, sort of like an old friend. Highly recommended.

Tin/Bag note is Latakia, smokey creosote. Some Hay like VA as well.

The flavor is really nice! First I love C&D tobacco’s because they are never wet, they come at perfect smoking moisture in most cases. Never had Craven’s Mixture so can’t comment on that but I have had Germaine’s Latakia Flake and this is very similar in taste. The Latakia has the lead by a small margin and it is lightly “campfirey” and sweet, even slightly creamy. The base of Virginias provide some earth and sweetness as well as a dried hay flavor. I would not call this complex as it stays consistent from start to finish. Great flavor from top to bottom and I couldn’t get it to bite me even when puffing like a freight train while mowing the lawn. Great sleeeper blend that you can buy I bulk and way easier to find than Germain anything.

The first time I tried it I wasn't impressed at all, revisiting it after a few months and much drier, it fared slightly better. There's a extremely mild sweet topping that comes and goes at the beginning but it's mostly a cigarette like Virginia with a light Latakia presence. It has it's campfire moments but for the most part it's a nondescript smoke. The after taste is not the best but not the worst I've had either. Beginners with Latakia mixtures might want it but there's better tobaccos out there.

Virginia lover

English Light would be a good name for this blend. That's exactly what it is. If you like a very mild English blend with the flavor of latakia but not in any way overpowering, this may be a favorite for you.

The tobacco is dry upon opening. Packs and burns very well and is reliably consistent. It's just too light for my personal taste. Honestly, it's surprising you can get a blend to behave this mildly when it's only ingredients are virginia and latakia. That speaks strongly to the proportions I suppose, and says these are really good quality virginia tobaccos. I only gave 2 stars because for me it's just too soft.

This one didn't really do much for me, although I think it's worth revisiting. To me this blend was rather plain and one dimensional, with that said it would probably make a good all day English. I am a once or twice a day smoker so I think I need something a bit more complex when it comes to my tobacco. This one is just okay, an middle of the road English with no real special characteristics.

This blend strikes me as the perfect starter for someone just moving to English style blends. And it seems a good choice for regular English smokers who enjoy more than a bowl or two or three a day. To me it is well balanced with just the tiniest hint (just barely) of natural sweetness and with no component overpowering any other. My purchase was pretty dry (which the tobacconist told me was normal for the brand) and did quickly burn though to the end. I will try this next time in the largest bowled pipe I have and will try to get a tab bit more moisture in it. Otherwise, 3 out of 4 stars, maybe a little higher

Just a short update. I grew a bit tired of this one as steady, daily smoke fare and mixed it 60/40 with C&D's Byzantium. The result was wonderful. The Byzantium punched this one up the taste scale to an old 965-like experience. I'm not one who regularly experiments with home blends, but I thought whatever could be the harm with two mixed from same blender in same genre. It worked, this time.