Cornell & Diehl Christmas Blend 2014 (We Three Kings)
(2.17)
Inspired by the Christmas carol penned in 1857, the first Christmas carol written in the US to achieve widespread popularity, "We Three Kings" is C&D's 2014 Yuletide tobacco offering and alludes to the magi who traveled to the nativity bearing exotic spices and treasures. One part black Cavendish is met with equal measures of the "Three Kings" of red Virginia, bright Virginia, and Katerini Turkish, transforming this blend into true holiday magic with flavors of allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Details
| Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blended By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Cinnamon, Vanilla |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 2oz, 8oz Tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.17 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 2017 | Mild to Medium | Medium | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Cornell & Diehl - We Three Kings.
A small amount of the mix is on the cusp of being a broken flake. It's prominently ribbons but some of the blend is coarser/quite rugged. The black Cavendish is the lesser of the three, about 20%. The smell from it exemplifies the spices more so than the vanilla. Like Golden Days of Yore which I reviewed a few days back the moisture's perfect, but unlike Golden Days' I'm not a fan.
The black Cavendish proffers the least flavour, the Virginia and Katerini are running the show. Being fair, the initial flavour's better than the subsequent part. I can taste a lot more vanilla for the first quarter, but this becomes overpowered by the cinnamon and sharp/floral Virginia and Katerini flavours. The over all taste is quite sharp and bitter. It burns good enough, causing no tongue bite, and is relatively cool.
Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: not a fan.
We Three Kings? I don't like it and won't rate it with any more than one star:
Not recommended.
A small amount of the mix is on the cusp of being a broken flake. It's prominently ribbons but some of the blend is coarser/quite rugged. The black Cavendish is the lesser of the three, about 20%. The smell from it exemplifies the spices more so than the vanilla. Like Golden Days of Yore which I reviewed a few days back the moisture's perfect, but unlike Golden Days' I'm not a fan.
The black Cavendish proffers the least flavour, the Virginia and Katerini are running the show. Being fair, the initial flavour's better than the subsequent part. I can taste a lot more vanilla for the first quarter, but this becomes overpowered by the cinnamon and sharp/floral Virginia and Katerini flavours. The over all taste is quite sharp and bitter. It burns good enough, causing no tongue bite, and is relatively cool.
Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: not a fan.
We Three Kings? I don't like it and won't rate it with any more than one star:
Not recommended.
Pipe Used:
Peder Jeppesen Free Hand
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2021 | Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Unnoticeable |
2021 Version.
Sample bag came pre dried the way I like it. Smells like vanilla, Virginia, and spices. I suspect the bag aroma would be more if it wasn’t dried however I smoke aromatics on the dry side.
The taste is weird. It definitely has a spice eminent to it. Some people didn’t pick up cinnamon and allspice but I sure did. Had a dry unsweetened ginger bread taste. The room note however I’m told did not transfer over. While smoking this at work I was told it had an neutral smell. The Orientals come though and are very noticeable. A vegetative, herbal, wood flavor. The Virginias are earthy, bready, not too sweet. The cavendish was not very sweet. The retrohale is spicy. It’s a change of pace, not something I would reach for again. Although it did remind me of Christmas so there’s that.
Sample bag came pre dried the way I like it. Smells like vanilla, Virginia, and spices. I suspect the bag aroma would be more if it wasn’t dried however I smoke aromatics on the dry side.
The taste is weird. It definitely has a spice eminent to it. Some people didn’t pick up cinnamon and allspice but I sure did. Had a dry unsweetened ginger bread taste. The room note however I’m told did not transfer over. While smoking this at work I was told it had an neutral smell. The Orientals come though and are very noticeable. A vegetative, herbal, wood flavor. The Virginias are earthy, bready, not too sweet. The cavendish was not very sweet. The retrohale is spicy. It’s a change of pace, not something I would reach for again. Although it did remind me of Christmas so there’s that.
Pipe Used:
Briar
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2018 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The C&D Christmas blends have been hit and miss for me and this is unfortunately a miss. Upon opening the tin you smell various baking spices and what I would swear is a base of GL Pease’s Vanilla Cream, if it’s not, it real close. The first few puffs are pleasant enough and the room note was very nice I was told. After about 1/3 of the bowl it just turns flat, then ”cigarettey”. I was hoping for a fragrant blend to smoke during the cold nights ahead, but this was very disappointing.
Pipe Used:
Various Meerschaums
PurchasedFrom:
Local B&M
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 2014 | Medium | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable |
What a disappointment! I expected better from Cornell & Diehl. Not the slightest hint of vanilla, cinnamon or allspice. The Virginia and Katarini overpower everything...including the Cavendish. I've tried two bowls and I'm not sure if I will throw it away or try to blend it with something. Sad, just sad.
Pipe Used:
Falcon Meer-lined Istanbul
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes Ltd.
Age When Smoked:
Fresh from tin
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 06, 2014 | Very Mild | Extremely Mild | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Unnoticeable |
Wow, what a disappointing blend this is. About the only thing that stands out to me about this blend is the Turkish tobac in here. This is a very bland blend, not delivering on it's "holiday magic with flavors of allspice, cinnamon and vanilla" at all. Skip it.
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 13, 2023 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Strong |
Tin note is sweet holiday spice cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, and others. I think some of the tobacco must have been pressed at some point as some of the cuts are small pieces of flake mixed in with the ribbon. Packs easily and the moisture content is just right. The smell does not translate into the smoke at all. I am hoping that the tin I have is just a fluke. All I can taste is cavendish and Turkish. On top of that its quite harsh even with a very lite cadence. My expectations were very high initially as the tin smell was very nice. This tin I have tastes like a very old camel cigarette. Based on this tin I can't recommend this to any pipe smoker. I will let it sit in a jar for a few months and try again.
Pipe Used:
custom long stem cob
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes and cigars.com
Age When Smoked:
tin says 11/4/2021
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 05, 2021 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild | Tolerable |
Smells good in the tin but once lit it lacks any of the aromatic flavors I expect from a holiday blend. I feel like the virginias take a back seat and the cavendish is pretty much undetectable. It is a very cigarette tasting blend. Quite disappointed.
PurchasedFrom:
2021
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
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