Patrick D.
Badges

Reviews


Cornell & Diehl - Dreams of Kadath 2oz
An exotic spicy sweetness to this one.
First off I have a love/hate relationship with plug tobaccos. For some reason I can deal with ropes with much greater ease, but cutting a plug I never could get quite right. That being said this is an amazing smoke once one gets over the disappointment of uneven cuts or odd shavings. The taste of this one is someone exotic, but what it is exactly is very difficult to pin down. Whatever’s going on here it definitely works though. One reviewer described it as an earthy plum and I think this description is very apt. This smoke has a little bit of spiciness, a little bit of sweetness, and a little bit of fruitiness. The characteristics change and mature throughout the bowl and it’s one of those smokes where every puff gives you a hint of something just out of reach. This tobacco is best suited for smoking alone and undistracted, for those times where you want to do a deep dive into the exploration of taste and smell. Best smoked while deep in inner contemplation, lost in thought, and focused on spending some time contemplating what exactly it is you are tasting with every puff.

Cornell & Diehl - We Three Kings 2oz
This is by far one of the best aromatics I’ve tried, though it may be a “barely aromatic”
This isn’t an every day smoke, but one of those smokes you reach for on special occasions or when you’re in a nostalgic mood. First and foremost as far as aromatics go, this one barely fits the bill. The virginias and orientals are absolutely front seat in this blend. The expert blending on this one produces a room note that smells like you’re smoking a full aromatic blend (everyone else loves it basically), while providing a taste and smoking experience far more akin to smoking a virginia/oriental blend. The wonderful thing about this smoke is that the toppings are very light and pretty much consist of spices you’d associate with a holiday season (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg etc). The virginias provide the sweetness while the orientals further enhance the holiday spice. The overall result is that your taste buds get hints of everything from christmas cookies to spiced bread during the smoke, without ever getting the impression that you’re tasting one specific topping. The sensation steers one towards a contemplative smoke best suited to smoking in company, around a christmas fire while deep in good conversation or watching the little ones open christmas presents. Shanes video review very well sums up my personal experience with the smoke. Definitely one I’ll be smoking this upcoming thanksgiving and christmas.

Cornell & Diehl - Byzantium 2oz
Very good. I can see the appeal for most but it’s not something I’ll try again.
I picked up a 2oz tin on this to try it mostly due to me being a fan of oriental blends (GL Pease Cairo being one of my favorites). It’s quite good with deep smoky, earthy, woody and peat like notes to it. The latakia obviously is in the front seat on this smoke, so much so that for me at least it overwhelms the orientals. While I can taste the oriental and perique in the blend, they are very back seat for my palate and act more as nuances within the smoke. There is a slight sweetness to it and a touch or tartness. It does burn very well with little to no bite. The retrohale is a bit on the creamy side with no detectable spice like one would get with most perique blends. As the smoke progresses nuances of stewed fruit and a slight spice develop in the taste. Overall it’s a very good smoke which many people would love, but my personal tastes steer me elsewhere.

BriarWorks - Smokehouse 2oz
Tins smells like a BBQ, tastes like a BBQ
This is a rich and complex English blend. The jar notes smells much like a smoky BBQ and the flavor is mildly sweet, rich and smokey. This is one of those that need not have much age on it to make it a wonderful smoke, though I suspect some age will enhance the sweetness of the Virginia's. Overall something I would highly recommend.

BriarWorks - Back Down South 2oz
A very good VA/Per
After smoking this for a while I'm betting that there's a good deal of Perique in the blend. I ordered 3 jars and popped one open immediately. It's got a nice rich VA/Per scent and appears to be broken flakes. The taste is quite rich and fruity new, with a good helping of spicy and grassy sweetness in the mix. I can already say with certainty that this is one of those blends that will become amazing with some age on it. The other 2 jars are put aside and I plan on cracking one open at 3 years and the other at 5. I'll update progress when the time comes.

Cornell & Diehl - Awakened Elder 2oz
So far all the lovecraftian blends have been worth trying.
To date I've tried Innsmouth, Miskatonic and Awakened Elder and all are quite good. Awakened Elder here is mildly sweet with a tad of smokiness and spice. The cigar leaf gives this blend a little umph and the Katsuri adds an interesting flavor profile to the overall blend. This is one of those blends that matures and changes mildly throughout the smoke. It's an interesting smoke, not consistent from one bowl to the next. This isn't about any variation of the leaf but it's more like each bowl you smoke you zero in on different nuances of the smoke. Overall this is a very interesting blend best suited for quiet contemplation. Would be a fantastic smoke while reading one of Lovecrafts novels.

Capstan - Flake Blue 1.75oz
Been waiting a while to write this review.
Capstan blue has long been one of my favorites. I'll admit I originally tried it because I'm a Tolkien fan, but kept coming back to it due to it's sweet, smoky, delectable taste. It's not a cheap tin, but it's well worth it if you know what your getting into. First and foremost, this is a straight Virginia. Like every straight Virginia or VA/Per that I've ever had, age is your friend. A fresh tin is good, but not amazing. A tin with 3 years on it is absolutely fantastic. A tin with 5 or more years on it is God Like. The only downside to this is that it's getting harder and harder to find and with MacBaren being bought out the future of this amazing little tin is uncertain. If you see this in stock I'd advise picking up a few tins and just let them sit for a few years before treating yourself to possibly the best pipe experience of your life.

Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri Leather Tobacco Pouch Deluxe - Olive/Chestnut
Love this pouch.
The pocket on the inside fits my old boy nicely and it stores a few ounces of typically my favorite tobaccos for when I’m on the go. The leather and quality are absolutely gorgeous and it’s clearly a finely constructed item. Matches my other olive/chestnut Albieri items too.

Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri Origami Keychain - Olive/Dark Brown
So useful I own 4 of them.
Doubles as a pipe stand and a tobacco mat. The stand works on 90+% of my pipes without any issue and the portable tobacco mat is essential for when you need a little drying time or a place to rub out some flakes before loading up. One lives in my single pipe roll-up, my 3 pipe bag and my 4 pipe bag. I consider them just as essential as my old boy and my pipe knife.

Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri 1-Pipe Roll Up - Olive/Chestnut
My go-to roll up.
I’ve had many pipe roll-ups, small sacks, bags, and other transport methods to take my hobby with me but Claudio Albieri is by far makes some of the best quality stuff out there. The designs are simple but effective and the leather and stitching are top notch. The olive/chestnut color scheme strongly appeals to me and I find myself collecting all his products in this color scheme.

Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri Italian Leather Backpack for 3 Pipes Olive/Chestnut
Fantastic
I’m sorry to see these discontinued because it’s a great pipe bag. Holds 3 pipes in slots on the inside and plenty of room for tools, tobacco and even a book. It’s got a bit of a new urban style to it too. By far one of the nicest looking backpack type pipe bags out there and the olive/chestnut color scheme is amazing.

Tobacco Jars - 2-Liter CVault Humidified Tobacco Container
Holds a pound of loose tobacco - Perfect for long term storage.
First thing one must know about these. Clean then thoroughly with alcohol or similar before use. The manufacturing process can leave some residue which must be removed prior to use. Now that the important parts said I find these seal extremely well and while I check them periodically, I find that the boveda pack lasts quite some time when they remain sealed. I have smaller cvaults that I use for travel and larger ones like these that I use for cellaring tobaccos. So long as you clean them out before use I have no complaints.

Stands & Pouches - Neal Yarm 7 Pipe Stand - Tilt Head Oak with Bocote Strip
Beautiful hardwood and solidly built.
I was seeking a good pipe stand for my desk and this perfectly fit the bill. It’s a little pricey but you get what you pay for. This currently holds my go-to pipes that I smoke while working. Highly recommended.

Cornell & Diehl - Oriental Silk 2oz
An exotic spicy smoke.
Some reviewers have commented that this is a very spicy smoke. I don't find that to be the case. It does have a mildly exotic spice to it though that is pleasant, but in no way overpowering (at least for my tastes). It's mildly sweet (bready sweetness) with a mildly spicy undertone thats a bit difficult to pin down. While it's a very smooth smoke for me that requires few relights it is not my overall favorite. I could absolutely see this being very popular for a large number of people though. Updates: while I mentioned it’s not my favorite I find it’s growing on me. Still not my favorite, but upping the rating by a star. Maybe my taste buds just needed some time to figure this one out.

G. L. Pease - Ashbury 8oz
A lighter Balkan blend
An exceptional tobacco, but a bit on the lighter side. I tend to prefer blends which are a bit heavier, but this one makes for an excellent all day smoke. It's mildly sweet and malty with very mild smoky flavor.

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Very good VA/Per flake
I will have to second the many people that have commented that this is good, but it's not the same as Sutliffs 507C. That doesn't mean that this doesn't deserve a spot in one's rotation though. I don't find this particular blend very sweet, but it is mildly spicy. I believe someone stated that this is a bit of a work horse blend in that it makes for an excellent all day smoke and I will have to second this opinion. There are better blends out there, but none of them in bulk. This is one of those Va/Per blends you can smoke all day, then save the special stuff for when you get home and switch to relaxation mode. This stuff does benefit greatly from some age though. This is one of the best aspects of this blend is since you can buy it in bulk, buy about 6-10 lbs of it and let it age for a few years.

Peter Stokkebye - PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
Decent, but nothing exceptional for me.
This is a good smoke, but nothing exceptional about it. I suspect this may benefit from a few years in the cellar, but have not given it enough time to test this out. I'll update in the future as I have several pounds of it. It's a mildly sweet Va?Per blend with a touch of creaminess on top. The black cavendish seems to be the unsweetened type. It makes for an interesting smoke, and isn't disagreeable in any way, but it's not exceptional. Overall I much prefer the ES Evening Flake over this.

Drucquer & Sons - Levant Mixture 200g
Absolutely exceptional.
I did a review of Blairgowrie and while it was an excellent smoke, it was a little too balanced and though pleasurable, didn’t really call out to me. It was pleasant enough though to look for other blends and I happened across this one. This one is outstanding. This one is full of flavor and has a little bit of everything in abundance. It’s got some sweetness to it, plenty of smokiness, tartness and fruity/floral background notes. It’s got a wonderful smoky creaminess on the retrohale. A full flavored smoke I could enjoy this all day and it’s in my top 3 daily smokes now. I purchased a few tins and look forward to seeing how it ages. This is the perfect tobacco for those NOT seeking a mild or mellow smoke but wanting a full out flavor fest in every bowl. This is one of the few blends that if I had nothing else available I could smoke this happily and be content.

Cornell & Diehl - The Beast 2oz
There’s a reason this sells out so quickly.
Spicy and sweet. This is a perique lovers dream. There’s a spicy that provides a spicy background that grows and ebbs repeatedly throughout the smoke. A natural sweetness permeates and provides a sort of counterpoint to the peppery spiciness. There are almost hints of fruit, sort of like a dried fruit that may remind you of the fruit in fruit cake. Some smoky notes, BBQ like qualities crop up from time to time like a hint of sweet BBQ ribs. It’s just plain good.

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia 16oz
Just a good Virginia
As with all pure Virginias, there is no complexity or depth, but a consistent bready, grassy sweetness from start to finish. Burns well and remains consistent from char to the very end. I would highly recommend. Best to let it sit for about 6 or more months before smoking.

Drucquer & Sons - Blairgowrie 200g
Balanced and fairly complex, but nothing dominant.
This is a great blend, but it may be too balanced for my tastes. I normally prefer something being a dominant note in my smoke, but this one doesn’t seem to have it. There’s grassy virginias, spicy perique, smoky Latakia and fruity orientals, but all in a nearly perfect balance. The quality of the flake is exceptional, but since it’s all balanced out no notes take a drivers seat. This may appeal more to someone with a more nuanced sense of taste, but for me I need something the edges out the other flavors. Definitely worth trying though.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Irish X
A Perfect Tobacco?
No toppings, no complexity, no competing flavors; Just the most perfect smoking experience one could ask for. This is smooth, cool, slightly smoky and delectably sweet. The sweetness is purely natural and contains no hints of anything topping or artificial flavors. The room note is very pleasant, but not the same as aros. It’s by no means disagreeable to those in the area. The natural sweetness shines through with very slight woody, smoky, almost mushroom like notes. The amazing taste remains consistent from the charing light to the end of the bowl. Being a rope it holds moisture very well and one may need to dry it out after cutting it and rubbing it out, but I’ve not had to dry it for more than 15 minutes or so before loading up my bowl. If not allowed a little air time after prep it can be hard to keep lit. If I had only 1 tobacco to smoke for the rest of my life it would be this one and that’s a hard milestone to top. In the 30 years since I took up my hobby this tobacco is so good I find myself looking at my other reviews and having to consider notching them all down a star or so. What I had previously thought as a 5 star now only rates a 4 when compared to this beauty.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Brown Flake Aromatic
Just Delicious
I picked up 500g boxes of both the brown aromatic and dark aromatic flakes from G&H. Had you asked me ahead of time which one I was likely to prefer I would have sworn the dark would have won out as I’m a far bigger fan of maple than of fig. While it turned out the dark was amazing, the brown however is superior. The room note is fantastic, but I expect that from aros. Smoking this is just wonderfully sweet and balanced. The virginia sweetness shines through, with subtle backing of the toppings enhancing the smoke for an almost desert like quality. Likely too sweet for an all day smoke, it’s just simply delicious and I find myself turning to it whenever I want a desert. Likely far healthier to smoke this than to actually eat something sweet. The sweetness is predominant, but not artificial in any way. It’s not gunky, just a wonderfully sweet virginia with mild flavoring. It’s not over the top in any way. This smoke is so delicious that the biggest issue I have is slowing down while smoking. This is something I would highly recommend you pick up and try. One reviewer described it as a superior tobacco with a robust sweetness and this description is very fitting. Unquestionable 5 of 5 stars on this one.

Cornell & Diehl - Nutty Irishman 8oz
A wonderfully delightful aromatic.
I picked up a tin of this because it sounded interesting, and wow am I glad I did. For aromatics I usually go for the mild variants with a predominant tobacco taste and this isn’t one of those. It’s creamy, nutty with the toppings clearly center stage. Unlike most heavy aros I’ve tried this one doesn’t goop up or smoke hot. While I don’t get the whiskey I do get some herbal tones, clear hazelnut flavoring and a creamy goodness that is just delicious. The room note is amazing and the flavoring consistent throughout the bowl. It’s an easy smoke and new pipe smokers should give this one a try. This aro doesn’t bite back. Easy enough to be an all day smoke. I’m a poor judge of nic levels but I’d consider this a low to medium nicotine strength. The burley nuttiness is the only tobacco notes I can detect. Smoking this is almost like drinking hazelnut flavored cream. Likely not for everyone, but definitely something everyone should try. Glad to see this one offered in bulk because this is something that I will keep consistently in stock now that I found it.

G. L. Pease - Cairo 8oz
An excellent introduction to orientals.
The orientals are strong with this blend but not so strong as to overpower the virginias. This is a wonderfully balanced blend with natural sweetness, breadiness and hay light virginia qualities marry with a natural tart, semi fruity taste of the orientals. This is one of my favorite blends, light enough to be an all day smoke, complex enough to keep me coming back wanting more.

Cornell & Diehl - Innsmouth 2oz
Similar to Miskatonic, but less sweet.
I’m a larger fan the Miskatonic as I believe the additional sweetness from the sweet black cavendish brings out and enhances the oriental flavors significantly, but this is a good smoke and I would recommend trying it out if you haven’t already. While I find the Miskatonic a better mixture, others may not feel the same way. This blend has a more dry creaminess akin to coconut milk.

Cornell & Diehl - Miskatonic Mixture 2oz
Similar to Innsmouth, but sweeter and tastier.
I purchased this and innsmouth at the same time. Both blends appear to be similar but the Miskatonic states it uses sweet black cavendish and it’s obvious in the blend. This blend has a slightly tart, full tasty smoke with hints of fruitiness. The slight sweetness of this mixture over Innsmouth adds a huge amount of depth.

Mac Baren - Vanilla Flake 16oz
Quality virginia with vanilla.
This is a nice mellow smoke for me. The virginia is evident throughout the smoke but never overwhelming. Room note is very pleasant like any aromatic should be. It would likely benefit from some age. The flakes rub out wonderfully and have about a perfect moisture content right out of the tin. This really is a fantastic smoke, but it’s not anything special. It’s exactly what a vanilla aromatic should be though.

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Night 8oz
A very complex smoke with layers of smoky and spice.
The perique is obvious in this blend, but while it has spicy undertones I get a huge amount of complexity and flavors from this excellent blend. Not for the faint of heart, this blend has spicy, smokiness, subtle sweetness (think more like BBQ rib type sweet than candy) and the occasional tangy/tarty notes from the orientals. It’s incredibly well balanced in such a way that while each draw I know I’ll get smoky and spicy, but I also get hints of so much more that evolve slowly throughout the smoke. A full flavored smoke with plenty of nicotine. I’d highly recommend trying out a bit if you’re interested. They also sell 2 oz tins along with bulk too.

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning 8oz
Sweet and Spicy.
With the high perique content in this tobacco it’s a powerful and spicy smoke. As with most VA/Pers it’s not incredibly complex, but then again most VA/Pers smokers aren’t looking for that. It has some sweet background notes common with virginias, along with some hay/bready taste but it’s the perique that shines on this one. This is a favorite but not something I find myself smoking daily. It’s best suited to those occasions where I’m looking for something spicy. Excellent smoke on warm nights with a good book or good company.

Samuel Gawith - Fire Dance Plug 8oz
One of my daily smokers
I love this stuff. It starts with notes of blackberry and a hint of brandy. The vanilla is barely noticeable but every now and then I get a hint of it. The notes of blackberry and brandy appear regularly throughout the smoke but remain very light and in no way take away or diminish from the virginias, which are clearly present throughout the bowl. The toppings serve to enhance the virginias and give a little bit of complexity to the smoke. Room note is very pleasant. I have not yet received a single complaint in regard to the room note. If you like virginias but are seeking a little more from your virginias try this one out.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Bosun Plug
Heavy Clove Taste
First off, I love cloves. If you don’t like cloves you likely will hate this blend. But for clover lovers this stuff is amazing. It has a very prominent clove taste and room note with floral backgrounds. There is a background natural sweetness from the virginias that is present throughout the bowl. This tobacco has plenty of taste and an extremely pleasant aftertaste. It’s a rich smoke that burns wonderfully to the end leaving a fine grey ash. This is one of my favorite blends. Hopefully smokingpipes gets this back in stock soon. In the meantime I have 1000 grams of it cellaring and may update my review in a year or so to see how it ages. In the meantime it’s a wonderful tobacco right out of the bag.

Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation - Evening Flake
Excellent Virginia with a tad bit of Perique.
For a bulk VA/Per flake, this is about the best I’ve found. AS with most VA/Pers this will benefit with aging for some time. Perfect moisture content and the flakes can easily be folded or rubbed out. I always prefer to rub them out a bit over folding and stuffing into my bowl.Citrus tones are predominant when new with notes of hay, grass and freshly baked bread. A mild and very natural sweetness with every puff. There is definitely Perique in the background and it lends a light peppery undertone to the mix. Pleasant aftertaste. As with most VA/Pers this can bite if you get too excited while smoking, but this mellows out with some age. I’d recommend purchasing enough to cellar for a few years and smoke through the stages of aging.

Favorite Products