C&D's Epiphany

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jj1015

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This review is after four ounces of this blend (and draws somewhat on a review I posted on tobaccoreviews.com shortly after it was released):

As I understand it, Epiphany was developed to be reminiscent of the original "Revelation" mixture, the same blend that was widely available 30 years ago and was the favorite smoke of Einstein. I've never tried the original, although my dad smoked it when I was a kid and the room note of Epiphany is a dead ringer for what I smelled way back them. The version available today is supposedly quite different from the original product, but as I've never smoked any incarnation of Revelation I have no way to compare them.

According to the manufacturer's description, Epiphany contains "Va, Burleys, Latakia and Perique" and seems to be an attempt at creating an all-day smoke. The presentation is of a pretty standard ribbon cut, mostly dark brown with occasional bits of bright yellow and black (Va bright and latakia, I believe). This blend is clearly flavored with some kind of fruit topping, and I've heard that this flavor is plum and was an integral part of the original Revelation mixture.

When I first loaded my pipe, I was expecting a typical American-English blend with a mild berry or fruit topping. I was pleasantly surprised when the first flavors that hit my tongue after applying a match were perique and virginia! The burley and latakia chimed in soon afterward, but the first third of the bowl reminded me strongly of Haddo's Delight -- the flavors aren't identical, but there's definitely a family resemblance here. Slowly, however, the fruity taste fades into the background to be replaced by the familiar nuttiness of burley and the smokiness of latakia. The last third of the bowl, in fact, is pretty close to what I'd initially expected, kind of a sweetened version of Junkyard Dawg or Morley's Best. Unlike many other burley concoctions, this one never turns bitter -- it keeps its flavor to the very bottom of the bowl, which signals (to me) that the proportion of burley is far less than what I'd anticipated. Repeated bowls have been exactly the same -- it's very consistent, but not boring.

It seems to do well in every briar I've smoked it in but really excels in a cob, which is often the case with this type of tobacco. Despite the flavoring, it doesn't seem to leave much of a "ghost" in any of my pipes but I'd still recommend either dedicating a briar or sticking with cobs, as I'm not always the best judge of such things. There's a respectable amount of nicotine, and the room note is pleasant. It burns easily, if a little faster than I'd like, but doesn't grow hot unless puffed too quickly. There doesn't seem to be much potential for tongue bite -- I usually smoke this with a pretty strong ginger ale and haven't noticed any adverse effects, even when I've grown careless with my technique.

Conclusion: This is a very impressive "all day" smoke. It clearly falls under the category of an old-fashioned American blend, which means it can be smoked often without much in the way of mouth fatigue. Unlike other mixtures of its type, however, the combination of tobaccos produces an unusual degree of complexity -- it's no Balkan, but it's also a far cry from Prince Albert or my normal faves in this genre, Old Joe Krantz and Morley's Best. The last couple of months have reinforced my initial impressions, and while I don't smoke it every day it has become an essential part of my rotation. It's available for a very reasonable price ($34.50 a pound from C&D), which makes it a great bargain, too!

Highly recommended.
 
Great review JJ1015 :cheers:

I had a bowl of this in the recent box pass. I enjoyed it too but I didn't get the fruit essense that you mentioned. Perhaps I need to work my way through an entire tin! :D

Epiphany was very salty tasting to me, which is something that I had not yet encountered in pipe tobacco. I should have had a beer with it. It was very easy going, a real no thinker if you know what I mean. I can see how it could be an all day or daily smoke for someone. I'll have to pick up a tin or two next time.

Thanks for the reminder. :mrgreen:
 
Epiphany has become a favorite of mine after smoking a couple of oz. I don't really detect the Perique and it doesn't really taste like Haddo's to me. Probably just a difference in taste buds. I occasionally detect the topping but more often it's the burley and Latakia that speak to me. I'd call it a cousin to Morley's in taste.

Smokey
 
Great review JJ1015! I am looking forward to trying this blend.
 
smokey422":uixeh245 said:
Epiphany has become a favorite of mine after smoking a couple of oz. I don't really detect the Perique and it doesn't really taste like Haddo's to me. Probably just a difference in taste buds. I occasionally detect the topping but more often it's the burley and Latakia that speak to me. I'd call it a cousin to Morley's in taste.

Smokey
I might need to re-word that somewhat. It doesn't really taste like Haddo's to me, either, but as I was casting about in my memory trying to find a comparison it was the only thing that I came up with. Basically, the way the topping interacts with the perique and Va. for some reason creates a sensation to me that's akin to what Haddo's provides -- like I said, there's a family resemblance (at least to my taste buds). Hmmm ... the fact that no one else seems to detect this makes me wonder, though. My thoughts on this blend have been based completely on a single large bulk batch that I got right after it was released. Maybe they added a little extra sauce to that one at the factory? Or maybe this is just one of those instances where my taste buds just don't mesh with anyone else's. That's part of what makes this hobby so much fun, IMHO -- the majority of us only rarely agree on anything! I'm glad to hear you like it, too, though -- it's great stuff.
 
thanks JJ and others for reviews of Epiphany. I've smoked only about an ounce, and while I am not a big fan of burley, I did enjoy this. I taste a topping of subtle fruit of some kind. I also don't find it similar to Haddo's. I would have liked some Virginia in it, or if there is any, a bit more. Still, a nice, pleasant old-time slightly aromatic smoke.

thanks again,

TC
 
jj1015 said:

quote:

"When I first loaded my pipe, I was expecting a typical American-English blend with a mild berry or fruit topping. I was pleasantly surprised when the first flavors that hit my tongue after applying a match were perique and virginia! The burley and latakia chimed in soon afterward, but the first third of the bowl reminded me strongly of Haddo's Delight -- the flavors aren't identical, but there's definitely a family resemblance here. Slowly, however, the fruity taste fades into the background to be replaced by the familiar nuttiness of burley and the smokiness of latakia. The last third of the bowl, in fact, is pretty close to what I'd initially expected, kind of a sweetened version of Junkyard Dawg or Morley's Best."

Great review, jj1015!

I exchanged a few email with Craig Tarler about the blend, the gist that although the number of tobaccos in it would, from my examining the tin notes, mean complexity, in his view it smoked straight-forwardly.

It's interesting that you note complexity.
 
I have smoked a little over an ounce of this blend and I love it! This is the first time I have tried an english blend with a topping on it. I am now going to try all of the C&D aromatic latikia blends. You guys are right when you say it is straight forward but, with the added topping it gives it more life. I still think C&D are the best in the biz!!!!
 
I have only had 1 bowl from the West boxpass. But it certainly evokes memories of old. It's very good. If it's Haddos-like, it's milder. I was also reminded of Home From the Hills.
 
Carlos, I wouldn't be surprised that HftH came to mind. When I originally blended HftH, Revelation was in my mind, same basic components, and I wasn't pleased with the HoW product. It wasn't difficult to move toward the Epiphany formula after that.
 
morleysson":p9ojlh8y said:
Carlos, I wouldn't be surprised that HftH came to mind. When I originally blended HftH, Revelation was in my mind, same basic components, and I wasn't pleased with the HoW product. It wasn't difficult to move toward the Epiphany formula after that.
Nice to know my brain and tongue were on the same page at the same time for a change. :D I really like Home From the Hills, and have a bit of that blended with the now famous lost Syrian latakia. It's great with either Cyprian or Syrian.

I am going to have to call Patty soon and stock up on Epiphany.
 
alfredo_buscatti":t5n7lkr5 said:
jj1015 said:

quote:

"When I first loaded my pipe, I was expecting a typical American-English blend with a mild berry or fruit topping. I was pleasantly surprised when the first flavors that hit my tongue after applying a match were perique and virginia! The burley and latakia chimed in soon afterward, but the first third of the bowl reminded me strongly of Haddo's Delight -- the flavors aren't identical, but there's definitely a family resemblance here. Slowly, however, the fruity taste fades into the background to be replaced by the familiar nuttiness of burley and the smokiness of latakia. The last third of the bowl, in fact, is pretty close to what I'd initially expected, kind of a sweetened version of Junkyard Dawg or Morley's Best."

Great review, jj1015!

I exchanged a few email with Craig Tarler about the blend, the gist that although the number of tobaccos in it would, from my examining the tin notes, mean complexity, in his view it smoked straight-forwardly.

It's interesting that you note complexity.
It guess it just goes to show how our tastes differ! Also, "complexity" is a relative thing. I don't find Epiphany to be complex at all in the way that a good Va/Per or Balkan is complex. But for a burley-based "all-day" kind of smoke, it's the most complex I've tasted. It IS pretty straightforward in a way, but I've noticed that large bowls and slow smoking tend to really accentuate certain flavors as it progresses down the bowl, with the burley, Va-Perique, and latakia chiming in at different points with different strengths. It ain't Odyssey, but it's not Old Joe Krantz either (another blend which I love, but as one saavy reviewer pointed out at tobaccoreviews.com, one that's about as enigmatic as Brittany Spears).
In any case, kudos to the blenders! I've been smoking at least a bowl of this each day since it came out, and I've yet to grow tired of it.
 
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