Cornell & Diehl Morning Drive

I almost always smoke English blends like Dunhill MM965 and GL Pease Chelsea Morning but I wanted another, lighter tobacco to rotate in - preferably with a pleasant room note to appease The Blond Tyrant. You can't easily find Morning Drive Time (MDT) in the UK, but the very little online coverage of this tobacco intrigued and encouraged me, so I ordered some online and waited impatiently for the delivery from the US. This is my first 'proper' tobacco tasting, but I confess that I am wowed by this blend.

In the tin - I've never smelt anything like this before in a tin, and it's wonderful! Dark fruits - prunes and raisins - so full that I had to check the label to confirm that it's not an aromatic. The closest I can come is the aroma of a deep, heavy Jerez sherry I used to drink with friends in a small Spanish restaurant in Waterloo; it was incredibly good and was became known as 'alcoholic prune juice'. Rich and full with an incredible allure, but definitely for adults only. The loose ribbon cut tobacco is attractive; not moist, but not too dry.

In the pipe - MDT is supple and springy, which means that it packs well (even for this ham-fist) and it was easy to get a compact bowl. The false light was sweet on the tongue and the nose, while the true light gave me sweet, fruit, and a hint of alcohol-fresh at the back of the mouth.

Opening - As the pipe developed, the dark fruit lingered over a creamy base. It was actually tasty, with the promise of more to come. The smoke itself was light and the room note very pleasant - The Tyrant even commented on how much she liked it!

Middle - The tobacco continued to burn well and the tastes just kept on coming. The English characters came out to play, with a constant, smooth cream Burley supporting dark fruit and burnt caramel from the Latakia and occasional bursts of spice and ginger from the Perique that tingled the edge of my palette. I drank coffee with this pipe and it worked brilliantly, with MDT allowing the drink to clean my mouth rather than fighting and competing for dominance.

Close - I really didn't want this smoke to end but the Finale was superb. The base element got stronger, with a real biscuit taste. Meanwhile, the pockets of sweet, fruit, and spice blended to introduce what can only be described as Christmas cake. However, at no point did the smoke become heavy or overpowering; the whole bowl was clean, dry, and cool. There was no bite and the nic kick at the end was recognisable but discreet. As I cleaned the pipe, my mouth felt fresh and ready for more.

Technicals - The whole smoke lasted 50 minutes in a Dunhill Group 4, with minimal tamping and only 2 relights. The ash was iron-grey with pale/white flecks and the dottle was minimal. A key point to add here; the pipe I used for this always smokes hot and a little wet, but not with this tobacco. The bowl and the smoke remained cool throughout and there was no need to use the cleaner I had ready to swab out the airways.

I genuinely didn't know what to expect from Morning Drive TIme. I'd never tried Cornell & Diehls' products before and had limited knowledge of this blend. I have no doubt that other palettes will find gaps in this offering, but for me the balance, the tastes, the whole experience with MDT was sensational. I cannot recommend it highly enough.