Jim's C&D Straight Up English Small Batch Review.
The folks at Cornell & Diehl are releasing a new line of products called “Small Batch”, meaning that a limited number of 400 two ounce tins are manufactured for this first entry in the series, Straight Up English. I was sent a sample for this review. The blend will be available on March 17.
The bright Virginia is very citrusy sweet with a light grass, sharp spice note. The red Virginia is ripe, tangy dark fruit sweet with some earth, and a hint of spice as second lead, though I seem to notice it a little more at the start than at the finish. The white burley is ten percent of the blend; woody with a minor sharp note here and there as it provides a little complexity and strength in an important support role. The very smoky and woody sweet Cyprian latakia is seventeen percent of the blend as it provides enough body to make interesting without diminishing the effect of the other components. The nic-hit is mild. The strength is half way between mild and medium while the taste falls just shy of the medium level. The strength of the taste is partly due to the sweetness of the Virginias. Won’t bite. The moisture level of the tobacco is optimal for a ready smoke. Burns well with few relights, and a cool, clean, fairly consistent flavor as it easily burns to ash without any dampness in the bowl. Has no harsh or dull spots. Has a nice after taste and campfire sweet, light spice room note. It was designed for the English smoker who wants a lighter latakia mixture in the genre, but experienced smokers may consider it to be a nice, sweet change of pace.
