Cornell & Diehl Oak Alley

The tin say its estimated peak is 10-15 years. Ha. The batch I am smoking was 7 months old when I received it, now 9 as I sit and polish it off to write this. Has a pleasant tin-note of cedar and vingared greens. It consisted of one large cake and a smaller one tucked in beside it. Moisture is perfect upon opening. Crumbles, packs, and lights easily, burns evenly down to a clean powder. The nicotine kick is also decent enough.

Much of the cedar and vinegar in the tin translates into the taste of the smoke. The nuttiness and oily tang of the Burley seems to be the strongest component to me, but it does not mask the sweet hay of the Virginia - both are readily apparent. I get frequent hints of the sour and papery Turkish, but some of that could also be due to the fusion of the former two. I also wonder if that Turkish isn’t the major contributing factor in the delicious and pervading flavor of cedar, but then I think it could also be a combination of all the aforementioned. The Perique presents itself as a ponderous musk not too far in the background, and it no doubt contributes to the taste of vinegar, and to the overall warmth and pepper.

Oak Alley is an exceptionally well-blended and complex smoke, one I look forward to and always come away from satisfied. I am told it “smells like good pipe tobacco”, and it leaves a pleasant taste in my mouth that only lingers for a few minutes. I must say, though - it can be a bit harsh. Even after 7 months, my first impressions were that my batch needed to smooth out a bit. Nah - I would imagine much of that impression was due to the framing of this batch being “nowhere near its peak”, and this is C&D, so I can live with the usual roughness if that also means it’s raw and untampered with. On relights, it can occasionally produce a brief and foul taste somewhat akin to a dirty sock. Perhaps that’s the Perique. Having said all that, though, I still love this stuff - I doubt I’ll ever see it reach its peak, so I’m giving it a high recommendation regardless of these faults. It’s interesting, unique, and packed with flavor, even when it’s still too young.

It is a decent blend, I wouldn't smoke it a lot for two reasons: one, it rather costly for the quantity you get to not bring the richness that one desires in such a claimed tobacco; two, it has a luring, faint hint of the oak and spice one wants, without the fulfillment in richness and quantity that one desires.

It is a nice party tobacco, sitting around and conversing. A decent "time and place" tobacco, but not necessarily something you would write home about.

I would honestly go with something else if I had the opportunity.

Moisture level is just nice. It is quite ready to smoke out of the tin. The tin was 2.5 years old. The aroma is not as rich as a virginia flake. The crumble cake is easy to load and lights on easily. It burns faster than a flake but it is still quite slow. Initially you will see mostly the virginia, but after a few minutes the burley backbone will show up. The sweet and sour mix is extremely well balanced. The taste is rich but not overwelming the virginia. It is so good that makes you a bit addicted. The nicotine is not so high, a stop down the medium grade. I was never tired of it. Perique and orientals are there but I cannot say how much they contribute to the overall taste. When the tin is open it is difficult to go for something different. It is easy to keep alight. For me after nearly 50 years smoking the pipe is one of the best ever. It is like a truffle. If you like it you will never get enough. Complex and rich I had some my best smokes ever.

This may be my favorite Cornell & Diehl blend. I would love to know what the leaf percentages are. Unless the Perique and Katerini are doing the heavy lifting, I suspect there is a greater percentage of VA leaf than in many of C&D's Burley-based offerings. It's a sweet and sour offering with some nice fermented fruit notes. Extremely well-balanced. I do not notice any added flavorings, but that doesn't mean there are none. I would consider it medium in flavor, and medium-full in nicotine strength and body. Presentation is a crumble cake, which is exceedingly easy to prepare and smokes very well. All my experiences with this blend have been with younger tins, but I will put a few away to experiment with in the future. This would be a good choice for those who find some of the other C&D Burley-based tobacco, such as Old Joe Krantz or Haunted Bookshop, a bit too rough or plain tasting.

It comes in wedge-formed kake which rubs out easily to slim ribbons. Easy to handle and load and at optimum moisture. The tin smells of fermentation with sour notes like yoghurt. Not very appealing initially, but I guess it will change somewhat with time to breathe. The smoke is quite dry tasting, as a Burley blend is expected to do. It has some body which I believe it is the Virginias that impart it as they do add a background of subtle honeyed sweetness which serves as a nice counterpoint to the dry nuttiness of the Burleys. Perique spicyness is also evident as a black peppery tinge. Now for the Katerini I cannot really tell what it contributes, but the blend overall is quite complex and that is probably due to the Katerini as well. Strength is medium and mouthfeel smooth. As a predominantly Burley blend it leaves a bitter aftertaste which is also to be expected. Overall Oak Alley is an intriguing blend, very well crafted, one that will satisfy the Burley fans out there.

Okay, I'm a Cornell & Diehl “celebrant” (without a medal), but with so many good blends that this brand produces, my “title” has no merit.

Once the best rated review here to date is so good, (I mean Shane Ireland's), that it can be complemented with that of “moniker”, which I also fully subscribe, I am shy about repeating or copying what is in they have been said. I refer to those reviews adding only a few small details to mine.

The truncated pyramid-shaped kake has a certain farmyard aroma, with slightly spicy notes and some vinegar. To crumble it I pinch the tobacco flakes that come with a perfect degree of humidity to load immediately, and this makes it burn without the need for many re-ignitions and without any hint of bite. It can be misleading, because although it may not seem like it in the first few puffs, it is not without robustness. Nicotinic strength and flavor are a couple of steps ahead of average. It has a good range of flavors ranging from sweet and sour to salty, depending on the puff, and it is very tasty without being overwhelming, which is why I smoke it every day. I would highly recommend it to any smoker who enjoys a good blend of Virginia and Burley.

I paraphrase moniker paying homage to this Cornell & Diehl mix in what is my 100th review on this page.

I don't know how this blend hasn't received more reviews. I've tried over 80 tobaccos, and this is my #1 favorite, hands down. It's rich, subtly sweet and full of amazing complex flavor.

Pack a bowl, sit back and enjoy, in my opinion, one of the absolute best blends out there.