Two Friends Valle Crucis

There are some who find the ginger element of this fine tobacco as a bit "off-putting" but it appears to me to be so delicately flavored that it adds to the enjoyment. The Cavendish component seems to me to be unsweetened and adds a "roundness" to the blend, while the Virginias add a subtle sweetness that develops slightly as the bowl is consumed. The main flavor and aroma one gets from Valle Crucis is the Cyprian Latakia and the Orientals add a bit of pungency.

I find myself returning to this blend again and again as VC offers more than just the typical Lat-Bomb experience. Subtly sweet, and very satisfying in my opinion. DO NOT confuse this with your typical aromatic tobacco - VC is FAR FROM any of the lower quality tobaccos masked with cloying sauces and soups. If you like Latakia, there is enough here for you, unless you are ready for the Betty Ford Clinic for the Latakia addicted...

I was reluctant to try this blend for several reasons. Smokeasaurus' comment "This is very akin to Esoterica's "And So To Bed" in flavor except for the ginger spicyness..." really put me off. Out of the tin, And So To Bed, just doesn't cut it for me. (Aged a few years is another matter.) The thedstnguishdgntlmn calls this an aromatic.With very few exceptions, I don't like blends with added flavors, and especially those that are aromatics.

The fact it was blended by G L Pease and Craig Tarler compelled me to give it whirl. If you like what these two do with other blends, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try. I'm not sure if this is cased with Chinese ginger liquer or topped with ground ginger. Whatever is done, is done with subtlety. This is a very flavorful blend that I can enjoy from time to time. Too much is like too much of a favorite dessert. A most distinguished blend unlike anything else I've tried.

Another Cornell & Diehl product I got a chance to sample at the Chicago P & T, and I'm so glad I did. This is a very refreshing change of pace. Interesting name, and the reason for it is explained by Cap'n Dan below. The pouch aroma reminds me of something I've tried way back when, though I can't put my finger on what it was. I really taste the Virginias, though the latakia is more for the nose than the tongue. I have trouble picking out perique. Unless someone told me it was there, I don't detect it. The ginger must add that musty, teasing quality to it. It certainly rounds the flavor out nicely. Room note tends to be a bit stinky, but it dissapates very quickly. At first sight, the whole look of the tobaccos exude a purety akin to all of Pease's blends. As you proceed down the bowl, the experience changes from sweetness to spice to just the right hint of tangy mellowness. This is an American J.F.Germain ala King Charles, with that briny, peaty quality. Unique and one I'd like to return to every now and again. These are two friends who know what they're doing.

Three and half of five stars

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september 2006

I have been storing a tin of this for awhile and just opened it now that the weather is a bit cooler. Still two great friends making a superior product. A wonderful late summer/autumnal blend with lots of spicyness and probably the finest figgy/pruney perique you'll ever enjoy - and i'm not even a perique lover. A beautiful, speckled tobacco the way I remember Dunhill's Elizabethan or Aperitif to be prior to their EU outsourcing. The ginger adds the crowning finish to pure, unadulterated tobacco. Still one of my favorite English crossovers that is deserving of the true tobacco lover's attention.

Four and a half of five stars

Having enjoyed the efforts of both Craig Tarler and Gregory Pease individually, I knew I had to try the Two Friends offerings.

The first Pease Influence I noted was the name. ?Valle Crucis? translates to ?Valley of the Cross?. Valle Crucis Abbey is in North East Wales, near Llangollen. The abbey was founded in a remote location particularly suitable for the Cistercian order. Valle Crucis was founded in 1201 but some rebuilding of the church was necessary after a mid 13th century fire. The Abbey is in a very picturesque setting. The kind of place where you could really lose yourself in your surroundings and your pipe. No wonder the monks chose it.

The tobacco is attractive, with a nicely balanced contrast in color. The aroma is sweet with an underlying scent of the Latakia. It packed well, and lit easily.

The ginger topnote is present throughout the smoke, but never overpowering. It plays well with the Latakia and Oreintal with the Virginia adding that hint of sweetness. The real treat though is when the ginger combines with the hint of Perique to create a taste that just can?t be adequately described.

Plenty of flavor without being strong, and more than its share of complexity make this a very pleasant smoke. Hats off to Greg and Craig. I will be enjoying the fruits of their labors for some time to come.

Valle Crucis was my introduction to the Two Friends line. I was given a jar by a fellow smoker which had quite a bit of age on it.

Ginger in a pipe tobacco was an interesting idea to me and this one really seems to work. The tobacco was fairly dry so ready to pack without any need for drying out. Always seems to shine the best in a smaller, taller bowl. It works really good in a Radiator Pipe and I always seem to make sure I have some with me when I travel.

The ginger is there from beginning to end but doesn't overwhelm the blend. It gives it a little bit of a "bite" like a good quality Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer (which it pairs perfectly with).

I've been through 3 tins so far and it has a solid place in the aro portion of my regular rotation and I really seem to enjoy it in the Summer and Fall. I bought a couple of the larger tins to put away in the cellar to make sure that I always have some around to enjoy.

Long after I abondoned most purely aromatic blends for "real tobacco", I still didn't have the proper nose or palate for Latakia blends... they all smelled like, well, old sweat socks, to me... and then I tried Valle Crucis. As this was my first ever enjoyed Latakia blend, it holds a special place in my tobacco smoking heart, despite the ginger casing, which seems to meld nicely with the rest of the blend.

This tobacco is smooth and flavorful, the Latakia appropriately smokey while the VA and Perique combine to level the blend out. The Cavendish adds a nice "toasty" flavor which the oriental and ginger seem to accentuate.

While this isn't your garden variety English/Balkan blend, it is a nice starting off point for those smokers who have generally turned their noses up to most other Latakia blends. It certainly made me a believer while opening up yet another wonderful door to the wold of pipes and tobaccos that I had steered clear of for far too long.

This is wonderful blend. It does not overpower, but it is subtle with a distinctive flavor. Among so many unmemorible but good English blends, this one carves out a niche for itself. When I want an English, but light on the latakia, VC is a worthy choice. It is easy to pack, burns very evenly, and smells very nice to those who like the smell of English. To the non English smokers, it is not as offensive as most English blends. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, a solid 8.

My congratulations and appreciation to C&D and GLP for creating this blend. Most English mixtures with aromatic additions fail me as the aromatic overwhelms the blend disguising the taste of the tobaccos. This blend follows its description to the mark. Visually, it looks like a good English mixture. All the pieces, cuts and colors are there. The pouch aroma is also a typical English aroma with an extra whiff of ginger. The ginger adds to the blend rather than disguise it. It simply is an extra ingredient as if it were another tobacco element. Throughout the smoke, it tastes like a good quality medium to strong English mixture of Virginia, Oriental, Latakia, Perique with an addition of ginger just as advertised. The underlying tobacco blend comes through loud and clear. What I refer to as the C&D zing when exhaling through the nose is present. The ginger waifs around the tongue adding a spicy tingle. I can only assume that it adds a pleasing element to the room aroma. I seldom can smell what I am smoking. The end of the bowl was a light grey ash. This blend, in my package, was just a bit on the moist side fresh from the pouch, and it did produce a gurgle about halfway down. One pipe cleaner took care of that. The only negative was that it became a bit too strong at the bottom of the bowl. Most likely, this will cure itself overtime. As with most C&D tobaccos, it probably will improve and mellow after a few months of aging. I definitely recommend Valle Crucis. I do a lot of cooking with fresh ginger, so this blend may be more at home for me than to others.

I am not one for aromatics, but this is simply an amazing blend. The flavoring here is mighty tasty, I reckon it is Cantonese Ginger Wine, but I cannot say for sure. It is noticeable in the pouch aroma, and is a bit sickly sweet there, but settles down nicely in the smoking. On the first puff, I can't tste anytihng but Ginger, but after that, the Latakia and Perique poke thier heads out and make themselves known. I had a hard time discerning any Oriental leaf under the stronger Perique and Latakia, and the flavoring, but no matter, the three 'big' flavors of this blend need no help to provide an enjoyable smoke. The taste intensifies a bit as the bowl winds down, and the last puff is always the same as the first, nothing but Ginger. I don't know if it was designed that way or not, but it is a pretty neat trick if so.