Tag: YTPC

Cornell & Diehl Reserve XXV Part I – Dawn

To celebrate 25 years in the pipe and tobacco industry, Smoking Pipes, an offshoot of their parent company Laudisi, has commissioned Cornell & Diehl with creating two celebratory premium pipe tobacco blends utilizing a rare 25-year-old Virginia tobacco that was cellared and sourced specifically for this project. 

Named appropriately for their representation on the opposite ends of the tobacco composition spectrum, Dusk and Dawn were released in late July with only 10,000 tins of each blend manufactured. With the Reserve XXV being a speciality small batch tobacco, this was a one-time run and is now not available on the regular market. However, if you are willing to pony up the funds, tins can be found on secondary market websites such as www.tinbids.com for a premium price. I would most certainly not advise paying the astronomical price tags some of these tobacco thieves are seeking, as they only purchase blends such as this to flip for a premium at a later date and time. This by no means is helpful or supportive of our amazing hobby. So if you are one of those people and are reading this….stop it! 

The following description for the Reserve XXV Dawn is from the smokingpipes.com website:

“The XXV Reserve: Dawn is a straight Virginia flake with bright highlights and a naturally sweet, bready character, perfect for enjoyment with a morning brew.”    

Info & Overview

Brand: Cornell & Diehl 

Category: Virginia

Blend Components: Virginia

Flavorings: None

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin

Price: $14.28 USD

Tin Date: 07/2025

# of Bowls Smoked for Review: 7

On to the review…  

From the Tin: Like the many other C&D blends claiming to be flakes, the XXV Reserve Dawn is NOT an actual flake, rather, a broken flake. I have no idea why these products from C&D are labeled in this manner, but I’ve come to expect it prior to purchasing. When they say flake, you’re going to get a broken flake. The color of the “flakes” is gorgeous with lots of medium and dark Virginias, and sprinkles of bright yellows throughout, similar to a seasoning on a great cut of meat. The smell from the tin showed notes of dark raisin fruits and sweet hay barn with mild earthy undertones. Out of the tin the flakes are at an almost perfect moisture level. I found giving them between 10 and 15 minutes of dry time placed them at a pinnacle moisture level for smoking.  

Flavor Notes [Taste + Aroma]: Smooth, rich, naturally sweet, and savory. Those words are the perfect description for the C&D XXV Reserve Dawn flake. The tasting and aroma notes danced around a core of molasses, sweet hay/grasses, brown sugar, and dry toast. I noticed intermittent notes of dark fruits and graham cracker sprinkled throughout several bowls. The body of the smoke was straight medium, providing you with a nice mouthfeel, and strength was also medium but can edge to medium plus if the tobacco is smoked too quickly. At no point did I ever experience any type of tongue bite or harshness on my palate while smoking. The tobacco burns down to a nice grey, white ash mix. This tobacco does show some delicacy and needs to be savored at a slower cadence than what many of us are used to. Sip slowly and enjoy!  

Overall Impression: Admittingly, I have not been impressed with the Cornell & Diehl small batch/special release portfolio in past years. I do believe the XXV Reserve Dawn has now broken that unpleasant streak. This is indeed a very enjoyable tobacco that has a uniqueness making it not only feel as though it were a top-shelf, well-aged product, but something special for the pipe tobacco enthusiast. From experience, I know that many Virginia and Virginia-Perique blends do better with some age, however, the Cornell & Diehl XXV Reserve Dawn does not need the extra time. It is ready to smoke and enjoy now. Is this due to the 25-year-old tobaccos in the blend? Possibly. But I do not foresee the couple of tins I have lasting longer than a year or two. It’s just that good! Do I wish I had gotten a few more tins? Yes. However, I hope with the larger production run, many of you were able to score a few of these special release tins and can enjoy them as much as I am. If you’ve been waiting to open them, don’t. The XXV Reserve Dawn is meant to be smoked and savored now. 

Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 Pipes

Video Review Cornell & Diehl XXV Reserve Dawn can be found on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel.

Rating Chart Score Breakdowns can be found here.

Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake

Summer of Sammy G Series – Tobacco #2

Established in 1792, Samuel Gawith tobacco company, an offshoot of Gawith Hoggarth and Company, is one of the oldest and most well-known producers of pipe tobacco and nasal snuffs in the world.  It comes as no surprise that their tobaccos have remained highly sought after by luxury tobacco enthusiast for 232 years.

Recap of how the Summer of Sammy G Series Started

As I came across a recent drop of their pipe tobacco blends on smokingpipes.com, I had a crazy idea to purchase one of each available tin and do a simultaneous review of the entire portfolio (or at least those I could access and purchase).  As of the writing of this review, the Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco portfolio, according to tobaccoreviews.com has included 117 blends since their inception.  For this Summer of Sammy G Series, I will be smoking through and reviewing 15 of these blends in search of the best of the best in their current production portfolio.    

The second tobacco we will examine in the Summer of Sammy G Series will be Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake.  For reference, I plan on doing pop-the-top tin reviews on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel and following up those initial impressions with a full review here on The Pipe Professor website once I finish each tin.  If you would like to view my Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake first impressions video prior to reading the following full review below, the video may be accessed here: https://youtu.be/kq-vqngeTZE

Continue to check back as I will be posting reviews of the Samuel Gawith pipe tobaccos on a regular basis throughout the summer and beginning of fall. 

Info & Overview

Brand: Samuel Gawith

Category: Straight Virginia

Blend Components: Virginia

Flavorings: None

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin

Price: $14.15 USD

On to the review…  

From the Tin: Once again we are presented with a beautiful stack of thinly cut dark brown flakes.  From the tin we are provided smells of Earth, barnyard, sweet and sour vinegar, leather, and roasted honeycomb.  A very pleasant and complex aroma package!  Furthermore, and similar to Full Virginia Flake, the tobacco is extremely moist and needs plenty of time to dry before smoking.  

Tasting Notes: Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake will provide the pipe smoker with a light pepper spice (tingle on the palate), dried fig, and brown sugar, all wrapped around a tight nutty core.  On the retro-hale you will get an aged leather characteristic that is not present in the tastes while puffing.  Aromas are a rye bread and maple syrup mix.  An overarching chocolate scent will also be found by those with a keen sense of smell.  A wonderfully sweet and subtle smoke.  Regarding performance, the tobacco presents a warm smoke that is medium bodied and mild/medium in strength.  Best Brown Flake is a very slow burning tobacco.  Easily approachable and crafted for those who enjoy loading a bowl and sitting back to puff on a fine pipe tobacco for an extended period of time.  In fact, my palate just kept wanting me to puff on this one.  It is truly unique, delicious, and savory.  With that being said, I did have a hard time keeping it lit and figured out that a minimum of one hour drying time was needed prior to packing and lighting this beautiful creation.

Overall Impression: Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake is a timeless tobacco that continues to perform at an ultra-superior level.  In fact, to provide a small confession to my readers, I went and purchased several more tins after smoking through my first, as this tobacco has not only found its way into my regular rotation, Best Brown Flake is now a desired taste for this old pipe smoking professor.  

Admittingly, I was worried when I first tried the tobacco as a cigarette like essence was present on my original pop-the-top experience, but it quickly dissipated, and I never had that same characteristic the remainder of the tin.  Not sure what prompted the sensory memory the first go around (see my pop-the-top tin review on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel for details) but it never occurred again.  Overall, I found Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake to be just a smidge more enjoyable than the Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake.  Personally, this was due to Best Brown being a much more approachable, easier to smoke tobacco, and not as full force in body and strength as Full Virginia Flake.  Because it’s more of an all-day smoke, I’m going to give it a nudge higher rating than Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake.  We continue the excellence in our Summer of Sammy G Series with a potential top 5 pipe tobacco for 2024, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake.      

Tobacco Score: 4 ½ out of 5 pipes

Interested in seeing the video review for this blend? Visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at the following link for video review of this tobacco: https://youtu.be/kq-vqngeTZE

This review is a part of the Summer of Sammy G Pipe Tobacco Review Series.  More information on this project and other Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco reviews can be found here: https://youtu.be/bniYy0MJmwI?si=lBjqfkSe5iPcSnLB

Until next time, don’t forget to slow down, simplify, and smoke a pipe.  Cheers!

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

Summer of Sammy G Series – Tobacco #1

Established in 1792, Samuel Gawith tobacco company, an offshoot of Gawith Hoggarth and Company, is one of the oldest and most well-known producers of pipe tobacco and nasal snuffs in the world.  It comes as no surprise that their tobaccos have remained highly sought after by luxury tobacco enthusiast for 232 years.

As I came across a recent drop of their pipe tobacco blends on smokingpipes.com, I had a crazy idea to purchase one of each available tin and do a simultaneous review of the entire portfolio (or at least those I could access and purchase).  As of the writing of this review, the Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco portfolio, according to tobaccoreviews.com has included 117 blends since their inception.  For this Summer of Sammy G Series, I will be smoking through and reviewing 15 of these blends in search of the best of the best in their current production portfolio.    

The first tobacco we will examine in the Summer of Sammy G Series will be Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake.  For reference, I plan on doing pop-the-top tin reviews on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel and following up those initial impressions with a full review here on The Pipe Professor website once I finish each tin.  If you would like to view my Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake first impressions video prior to reading the following full review below, the video may be accessed here: https://youtu.be/Wfm-8KQZgFM?si=usBOVO2ZqfMwYdxN

Continue to check back as I will be posting reviews of the Samuel Gawith pipe tobaccos on a regular basis throughout the summer and beginning of fall. 

Info & Overview

Brand: Samuel Gawith

Category: Virginia

Blend Components: Virginia

Flavorings: None

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin or 250g bag

Price: $14.15 USD

On to the review…  

From the Tin: Beautiful presentation of thinly stacked dark brown flakes.  The colors of the tobacco remind me of a mosaic with hints of light and medium browns sprinkled throughout a canvas of rich, dark Virginia tobaccos.  The smell from the tin is a dry grassy straw barn with mild earth and dried prunes.  The flakes are extremely moist and need plenty of time to be prepared and dried out. 

Tasting Notes: The tobacco is very deep, dark, and rich for a Virginia flake.  When the name says full, they mean it.  The body and strength of the smoke were both in the full range with a noticeable nicotine punch being present.  Note, if you are a veteran tobacco user, and have established a nicotine tolerance, you will be fine, however, newbie pipe smokers be warned.  This one can, and does, pack a punch in the nicotine department.  

Flavors of the tobacco were very enjoyable with tastes of ripe dark fruits, earth, tangy citrus, and new oak barrel to match an aroma of baked brown sugar, biscuit/bread, and molasses. The tobacco burns down to a nice white, gray ash mix and due to the high moisture content level, this tobacco must be smoked with a slower cadence to avoid tongue bite.  There were several instances, when smoking, where my tongue reminded me that he is no superhero, and that I needed to slow down or pay the price.      

Overall Impression: Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake is a classic tobacco that continues to perform at a superior level.  With a market that is constantly being assaulted with new blends that are “the best ever” or “super rare and small batch” any sensible pipe smoker would be silly to not gravitate toward Full Virginia Flake.  I guarantee you won’t be dealing with mold issues due to poor manufacturing practices and will enjoy the savory smoke that this tobacco offers in every time.  I recommend that all pipe smokers try Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake at least once and am confident that more will be purchase once its classic characteristics are experienced.  I will certainly continue to have a few tins in my cellar for rotation and enjoyment for many years to come.  If you come across this tobacco, pick a tin or two up.  I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the distinctions this tobacco has to offer.  Excellent start to the Summer of Sammy G Series!          

Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 pipes

Interested in seeing the video review for this blend? Visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at the following link for a first impressions video review of this tobacco: https://youtu.be/Wfm-8KQZgFM?si=usBOVO2ZqfMwYdxN

This review is a part of the Summer of Sammy G Pipe Tobacco Review Series.  More information on this project and other Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco reviews can be found here: https://youtu.be/bniYy0MJmwI?si=lBjqfkSe5iPcSnLB

Until next time, don’t forget to slow down, simplify, and smoke a pipe.  Cheers!

A Study in OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouches 

The Introduction & Pouch #1: Sir Walter Raleigh Original

A few weeks ago, I came across a sale on the Pipes & Cigars website for pouch tobaccos.  As I looked through the prices on the pouch tobaccos, I began to wonder why I had never actually tried any of the staple Over the Counter (OTC) pipe tobacco pouch blends during my pipe smoking tenure.  After lighting a bowl of something not OTC, I reminisced on the fact that I started pipe smoking with my local tobacconist blends (Schwab’s Pipes N Stuff Ideal and Big Blue Blend) and immediately moved into Cornell & Diehl blends, Dunhill EMP, McClelland Frog Morton Series, and at the time Tewksbury’s Hobbits Weed (Rest in Peace).  

I concluded that my pipe smoking journey had completely by-passed where a lot of pipe smokers start the hobby.My thinking further reasoned that many of these blends are highly revered and have stood the test of time, some for a century or more.  If folks have been enjoying these blends for that long, maybe I really am missing out on something spectacular.  I knew I couldn’t just let the opportunity pass without at least trying some of the blends, so, after moving through another bowl or two, I decided to place a large order with P&C and catch up on the pouches I have missed out on during my pipe smoking journey. 

 

So, where to begin?  In all fairness, I decided to put all the pouches (plus some others I already had in my cellar, unopened) in a large bag and do a random pull to begin smoking my way through each to see what these infamous OTC blends all are about.  I detailed the process for this little experiment on my YouTube channel with a video called Introduction to A Study in OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouches.  You can view the video here or I will quickly review the process and guidelines below.

Guidelines to the Study

  1. Pouches will be reviewed in a random order, one per week, until all pouches have been sampled.
  2. Each tobacco will be smoked a minimum of four times; once in an unfiltered Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman Corn Cob pipe, once in a Missouri Meerschaum Pride filtered Corn Cob pipe, once in an unfiltered Huck Finn Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob pipe, and once in a Ropp Superior paneled briar pipe.
  3. I will capture my initial impressions for each tobacco in video format on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel and provide my final assessment here on The Pipe Professor webpage after smoking the blend a minimum of four times throughout the week in the various pipes.  
  4. As I smoke through each blend, I will place them in rank order, updated with each review here on the webpage.  Blends will move up and down the list until I have smoked through all the OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouch blends.  
  5. Similar to other pipe tobacco reviews, I will rate each blend using the Five Pipes scoring rubric.  

Without further ado, let’s jump in to our first OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouch, Sir Walter Raleigh Original.

Sir Walter Raleigh Original

Let’s be honest, if you are a pipe smoker or have ever smoked a pipe, you have more than likely heard of Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco.  I was excited that this pouch was the first random draw to come out of my bag.  Supposedly having been around since 1927, this name and tobacco blend is easily a staple in our timeless hobby.  With a blend that has survived almost a full century, I was eager to experience the successes that have carried this blend forward for 91 years.  Similar to other pipe tobacco enthusiast, I headed to the Tobacco Reviews webpage to read the description and find out more about the tobacco.  From the Tobacco Reviews website:

“An aromatic burley blend with hints of cocoa and Oriental spice, the Sir Walter Raleigh regular mixture has been a popular favorite of countless smokers for generations. A traditional blend of burley tobaccos made in Kentucky.”

This description sounds wonderful and lovely making me want to jump right into smoking.  Before doing so, let’s take a look at the blend breakdown.

Info & Overview

Brand/Manufacturer: Sir Walter Raleigh/Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) 

Category: Aromatic Burley

Blend Components: Burley

Flavorings: Anisette and Sweet Sugar

Cut Type: Course Cut

Available Packaging: 1.5 oz pouch/7 oz can/14 oz can

Price: $4.62 USD per pouch/$20.04 per 7oz can/$38.18 per 14 oz can

On to the review…

(Sir Walter Raleigh Pipe Tobacco First Impressions YouTube video can be found here)

From the Pouch: Upon opening the seal I am met with a very rich, pleasant tobacco smell, similar to Red Man or Levi Garret chewing tobacco with prominent notes of chocolate.  The tobacco color consists of dark browns and the cut was more shag than course in my opinion.  Moisture content out of the pouch was perfect, however, I did find a few stems that needed to be removed before packing and smoking.      

Smoking Notes: The tobacco was easy to pack and light.  In fact, the burn and performance of the tobacco was not bad at all.  I had no problem keeping each bowl lit and the tobacco burned at a nice pace.  The strength of the tobacco was mild and the body was an overall mild + (almost medium bodied).  The major problem with this tobacco is the taste and aroma.  They are both non-existent.  I ended up smoking a total of six bowls of Sir Walter Raleigh Original (four in the cobs and two in the briar).  Not one single smoking experience provided me with any flavor.  Truly, not once did I get any tastes good or bad from this smoke.  It was just….there.  The room note at times did hint toward a chocolate essence, however, I’m honestly not sure if that was real or my mind hoping for it.  Granted, it is important for a tobacco to perform well in the bowl, however, I smoke to enjoy great tastes and smells in from my pipes and tobaccos.  I got neither from this blend.  

Overall Impression: 91 years of blandness.  Maybe I missed something, but I never got anything from this blend….nothing!  Flavor was non-existent, at times the room note hinted at a coco chocolate but rarely developed, and the strength of the tobacco was very mild.  The tobacco did burn well and stayed lit easily, so that is one positive.  If I am going to spend money on tobacco and put forth the time and effort of enjoying a pipe, it will not be on Sir Walter Raleigh Original pipe tobacco.  This will easily be my first and only pouch of this tobacco.  91 years this blend has survived!  Wow, my mind is blown on why and how.        

Tobacco Score: (2 out of 5 pipes)

Stay tuned as we study a different OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouch next week. Until then don’t forget to slow down, simplify, and sip on a pipe. Cheers!

Current Order of OTC Pipe Tobacco Pouch Enjoyment 

  1. Sir Walter Raleigh (it’s the only one I’ve smoked thus far and won’t be here long, guaranteed!)