kaiser83
Well-known member
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- Feb 22, 2012
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I decided that since our good buddy KV is out of here soon I should pop open something special to smoke this evening. It just so happens I had a tin on Cornell & Diehl's Sunset Harbor Flake from 2006 that has been busting at the seems begging to be opened. Away with that pesky plastic lid and up with the tab and man was there a major "woosh" coming out of that tin along with quite a pungent smell. Now according to the description on tobaccoreviews.com this blend is:
For those who love the sea few things in life are more satisfying after a long day on the salt than dropping anchor in a quiet harbor and enjoying a beautiful sunset. C&D invites you to enhance the experience with a bowl of Sunset Harbor Flake, a classic Balkan style blend made with the finest Izmir Oriental to add a touch of spice to the end of a perfect day.
Consisting of:
Latakia
Perique
Oriental
Turkish
Looking at the reviews it looks as though this one should have a "tolerable" room note and be about a 3/4 Stars....eh heck here's the darn link, look for yourselves http://tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=S&TID=2768
Okay so inside the tin was this little wrapped up pouch sealed with scotch tape which is darn cool (okay so it's my first time seeing one like this). The smell is really rather strong this soon after the tin opening but I assume it will peter off here soon. As I opened the pouch I was greeted with a few little crumbles that wanted to fall on out and into the tin. Opening the pouch all the way it is definitely a flake (some in the reviews called it a broken flake although it just looks like a normal flake for the most part to me), but there is one rather large piece in it that is just a chunk normal length and width but about 1/3 of an inch thick. That pungent aroma has already gotten quite a bit more mild and the couple flakes I pulled out seem just about ready to be smoked. Seeing as my Peterson Irish Made Army shape 69 has been giving me superb smokes lately I am going to load it up and give her a go early on today as well as later this evening. I will be writing this review based on this first smoke and if I notice anything different this evening I will post it as a response.
Ooh buddy, trying to get it ready for the pipe was an experience. No folding and stuffing available. I don't know if it is due to the age or not, but it just sort of crumbles away in your hands as you pick it up, so this one is definitely getting about a half rub before loading. Not even really a rub, more I picked it up in my fingers a few times and dropped it back down and it just crumbled apart. Sitting outside it is slightly breezy and in the low to mid 70's right now. Oh man, the initial light was easy on this blend after the 15 or so minutes I gave the two flakes to dry a little. It's not a white smoke like Gandalf might have, more of a very light grey. That initial light was bountiful in flavor and I am immediately taken to thoughts of sitting on the banks of the Mississippi watching the tip of my rod for a catfish nibble. After just a few minutes the latakia has mellowed out and the spiciness of the perique and orientals have started to hit my tongue, but not cause any real bite. On TR pipesutd mentioned Izmir in here which is mostly used for cigarettes (tobacco growing book was informative). KV woke up from his nap and came out and can smell a slight scent of cigarette/cigar to the blend. The breeze sort of whipped around just now and let me inhale some of my smoke back into my nose and it definitely has that hand-rolled cigarette smell, but not the old Phillip Morris crap smell.
About a third of the way into the bowl it still has that spice, but has mellowed out quite a bit. If I am remembering right that should be the Turkish tobaccos coming more into play to mellow this blend out. The latakia is there but ever so subtle and more outweighed by the perique which is unfortunate. With the spiciness it isn't so much a catfishing blend as more something that would keep you attentive while casting for Northern Pike or Walleye (because let's face it trolling is just plain boring).
:idea: :study: Okay so I was interested in the actual definition of Balkan blends and did some reading http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-news/the-mystery-of-balkan-blends/ Apparently latakia is supposed to be the dominating force in those blends but in this blend that is most assuredly not the case in my opinion. Seeing as Russ, Greg, and the late Mr. Tarler only mostly agreed but still had some discrepancies (my take on the reading) I am still marginally left at a loss for the true definition of a "Balkan blend" (I have to agree with Mr. Tate that "the World May Never Know"). :scratch: :?:
Okay so disclaimer here..."I am a NOOB now, I will be a NOOB tomorrow, and I will be a NOOB to the world of tobacco when I reach brother Monbla's ancestral age of 107 :lol: "
Okay so I am now 4/5 of the way through the bowl and the spiciness is still there, but much more pleasant and tolerable the second half of the bowl than it was the first. If you make it through the first half of the bowl you will not be disappointed by the second half, and now I can retract my statement about it not being a good evening smoke, because the flavor now would be great to end your night with. Actually if you were smoking other blends during the day and wanted to really taste them I would suggest smoking this very last for the day because I think this flavor will last long beyond a couple brushings of the teeth. :rabbit:
Okay the bowl is gone now, smoked down to a fine white ash off the initial light :cheers: I think I will grab 2 more tins, one to smoke fresh and one to try again in ten years, but beyond that it isn't going to be a staple in my cellar by any means...no offense to C&D but they have definitely done better blends. Definitely a way better blend than C&D Evening Rise (the only blend I will NEVER smoke again). It is worth a try to those who enjoy their Orientals (Monbla I think you would probably dig this blend).
Yeah it's lengthy and boring so now feel free to post a response consisting of only 's
For those who love the sea few things in life are more satisfying after a long day on the salt than dropping anchor in a quiet harbor and enjoying a beautiful sunset. C&D invites you to enhance the experience with a bowl of Sunset Harbor Flake, a classic Balkan style blend made with the finest Izmir Oriental to add a touch of spice to the end of a perfect day.
Consisting of:
Latakia
Perique
Oriental
Turkish
Looking at the reviews it looks as though this one should have a "tolerable" room note and be about a 3/4 Stars....eh heck here's the darn link, look for yourselves http://tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=S&TID=2768
Okay so inside the tin was this little wrapped up pouch sealed with scotch tape which is darn cool (okay so it's my first time seeing one like this). The smell is really rather strong this soon after the tin opening but I assume it will peter off here soon. As I opened the pouch I was greeted with a few little crumbles that wanted to fall on out and into the tin. Opening the pouch all the way it is definitely a flake (some in the reviews called it a broken flake although it just looks like a normal flake for the most part to me), but there is one rather large piece in it that is just a chunk normal length and width but about 1/3 of an inch thick. That pungent aroma has already gotten quite a bit more mild and the couple flakes I pulled out seem just about ready to be smoked. Seeing as my Peterson Irish Made Army shape 69 has been giving me superb smokes lately I am going to load it up and give her a go early on today as well as later this evening. I will be writing this review based on this first smoke and if I notice anything different this evening I will post it as a response.
Ooh buddy, trying to get it ready for the pipe was an experience. No folding and stuffing available. I don't know if it is due to the age or not, but it just sort of crumbles away in your hands as you pick it up, so this one is definitely getting about a half rub before loading. Not even really a rub, more I picked it up in my fingers a few times and dropped it back down and it just crumbled apart. Sitting outside it is slightly breezy and in the low to mid 70's right now. Oh man, the initial light was easy on this blend after the 15 or so minutes I gave the two flakes to dry a little. It's not a white smoke like Gandalf might have, more of a very light grey. That initial light was bountiful in flavor and I am immediately taken to thoughts of sitting on the banks of the Mississippi watching the tip of my rod for a catfish nibble. After just a few minutes the latakia has mellowed out and the spiciness of the perique and orientals have started to hit my tongue, but not cause any real bite. On TR pipesutd mentioned Izmir in here which is mostly used for cigarettes (tobacco growing book was informative). KV woke up from his nap and came out and can smell a slight scent of cigarette/cigar to the blend. The breeze sort of whipped around just now and let me inhale some of my smoke back into my nose and it definitely has that hand-rolled cigarette smell, but not the old Phillip Morris crap smell.
About a third of the way into the bowl it still has that spice, but has mellowed out quite a bit. If I am remembering right that should be the Turkish tobaccos coming more into play to mellow this blend out. The latakia is there but ever so subtle and more outweighed by the perique which is unfortunate. With the spiciness it isn't so much a catfishing blend as more something that would keep you attentive while casting for Northern Pike or Walleye (because let's face it trolling is just plain boring).
:idea: :study: Okay so I was interested in the actual definition of Balkan blends and did some reading http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-news/the-mystery-of-balkan-blends/ Apparently latakia is supposed to be the dominating force in those blends but in this blend that is most assuredly not the case in my opinion. Seeing as Russ, Greg, and the late Mr. Tarler only mostly agreed but still had some discrepancies (my take on the reading) I am still marginally left at a loss for the true definition of a "Balkan blend" (I have to agree with Mr. Tate that "the World May Never Know"). :scratch: :?:
Okay so disclaimer here..."I am a NOOB now, I will be a NOOB tomorrow, and I will be a NOOB to the world of tobacco when I reach brother Monbla's ancestral age of 107 :lol: "
Okay so I am now 4/5 of the way through the bowl and the spiciness is still there, but much more pleasant and tolerable the second half of the bowl than it was the first. If you make it through the first half of the bowl you will not be disappointed by the second half, and now I can retract my statement about it not being a good evening smoke, because the flavor now would be great to end your night with. Actually if you were smoking other blends during the day and wanted to really taste them I would suggest smoking this very last for the day because I think this flavor will last long beyond a couple brushings of the teeth. :rabbit:
Okay the bowl is gone now, smoked down to a fine white ash off the initial light :cheers: I think I will grab 2 more tins, one to smoke fresh and one to try again in ten years, but beyond that it isn't going to be a staple in my cellar by any means...no offense to C&D but they have definitely done better blends. Definitely a way better blend than C&D Evening Rise (the only blend I will NEVER smoke again). It is worth a try to those who enjoy their Orientals (Monbla I think you would probably dig this blend).
Yeah it's lengthy and boring so now feel free to post a response consisting of only 's