Cornell & Diehl Five O'Clock Shadow (Working Man Series)

Had my first go with Five O'clock Shadow this evening. The first thing that caught my attention was that the tin was bulging like a swollen tick! Pulling the tab resulted in a whoosh! that spooked the cats that were milling around my feet in hopes I was opening canned cat food followed by a raisin-y, tart, funky aroma coming from the tin. I cut and rubbed out about a half a bowls worth (a good thing as this blend burns S--L--O--W ) and retired to my smoking chair. For a strait from the tin baccy it took light easily and mostly stayed lit. The initial puff blasted me with a spiciness had me thinking "OK, this is a lot like Three Friars" which is fine but why add another blend to the cellar? But as I smoked something happened... A caramel like note started developing so that as I sipped on this blend I would get the tangy, spicy hit of the perique on the retrohale and then the Virginia and burley would chime in on the finish with the sweet caramel. I found it very unique and VERY enjoyable! This one is going in my cellar!

Straight pepper hits first, with an earthy leather following. It transitions in to a sweet caramel later on, that pairs well with the other flavours. Full bodied and very enjoyable, kind of like a nicaraguan cigar. I'm buying more.

Remarkable blend,well matured virginias,a generous spoon of perique and a wise touch of DFK.Close to perfection.It is some strong by the perique side,not al all because DFK.Not for all the day,but perfect for a non quite big bowl every day.Optimal combustion after an easy breaking of the most typical crumble cake.Magnificient smoke.Underrated master piece of C&D.I forgot,steady and slow burning.A dream,but not a sweet dream,a solid dream.

This is a very good smoke with an interesting evolution. The earthy, nutty, very mildly smoky Kentucky is the one consistent component throughout the bowl. The Perique starts out leading the Virginias then at the halfway point they swap places and the Virginias take the lead. It's very spicy in the first half and somewhat sweet in the second. This is a 3.5 smoke for me, but I'm going to round up to 4 due to the unique evolution. This is good stuff.

Body and Nic are medium to strong. No added flavors detected. Taste is medium to full. Burns very well.

This is one spicy S.O.B! Black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg. The Red Virginia is spicy, earthy, and subtly sweet. The Perique is spicy with some fig. And the Kentucky is spicy, with some earthyness. Tickles the tongue without biting. This is great fresh but should age phenomenally.

I got this tobacco as a sample at the Chicago Pipe Show. A C&D Rep asked me what I liked to smoke and he recommended this when I told him I liked the Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky blend. From the first light, I knew I would love this blend. The richness of the dark burley came out immediately and the Perique added just enough spice to round out the smoke. I was reminded of Chicory coffee while smoking this blend and would like to one day pair the two. I agree with other reviews that this blend smokes slowly and cool. Great blend!

Summary: a gentle topping brings out the interaction between spicy Perique and nutty Burley, sweetened by Virginias.

C&D has been leading the pack with toppings that emphasize more natural flavors that gently complement the tobacco, and this tastes like a combination between liquor, wine and citrus or something like the above. It is not intrusive and takes a background note that harmonizes with the Dark Fired Kentucky (Burley) and Perique which are the centerpiece of this blend. Like the blending Dark Fired Kentucky Burley, this leaf has been smoked less so has more of a nutty Burley flavor with barbecue undertones than the solid, Latakia-level smokiness of the usual dark fired blend. The Virginias soar in like violins behind a strong brass chorus, sweetening the mix and giving it a bit more space between these dueling flavors. With a moderate dose of Nicotine, this is a good smoke (ironically) for getting work done, and the convenient crumble cake is easy to transport and work with.

Thanks to Pipes Magazine founder Kevin Godbee and Smoking Pipes for this sample, which was gifted to me as a prize in the monthly caption contest.

Presented as a lovely "tobacco brownie“, this crumble kake is easy to prepare and is a near perfect moisture content from the tin; I packed it lightly with no drying time in a Morgan Blackjack 12 Bent Bulldog. The tin note is that of rich, fermented dark fruit. The false and true lights were all that were required to enjoy the entire bowl, which smoked to almost complete ash, only a small amount of dottle remained. (I should note this was the inaugural bowl for this pipe.) The flavor was slightly smokey and spicy with a rich dark fruit sweetness. It remained consistent through the bowl. I did feel a bit of a nic-kick, and I’m not a nicotine light weight

5 o’clock shadow I found this by chance while browsing through the extraordinary amount of tobaccos available by C&D.

This blend is a culmination of everything that says meat and potato’s, the old dark fired and Virginia play well together almost weaving off each other, smoky but somewhat sweet. The Perique in this blend adds a hint of spiciness but not sneezing fit, just tickle of the olfactory senses.

This wonderful tobacco comes in a plug/kake press and breaks apart easily, it’s easy to load and smells slightly sweet and smoky upon first opening. I good entry into the ODF, Virginia Perique triad. I really love this blend and have bought a few tins to keep in the cellar, interested to see how age will change the blend although this is perfect right out of the tin.

A meat and potato blend, that will knock you on your butt, a no non sense smoke with tons of flavor. A few of the members at the pipe club I introduced this blend to have bought tins.

5/9/21- I revisited this blend and will improve it to 4 stars, it just hits all the notes that I truly find enjoyable in a good hearty smoke.

3 star blend.