Pipe Smoking 101 Videos – Introduction to Pipe Smoking

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Opening Night by Cornell and Diehl

By Guest Blogger Steve Laug

Just finished a sample package of C&D's Opening Night. They bill it as "a delicious blend of the finest Red and Bright Virginias pressed to perfection and sliced into flakes." My sample was very dry, which is fine by me.

It came as flakes (similar to FVF) and crumbled very easily for me. Packing in the bowl was simple. After an initial charring light it lit with great ease and was no issue to keep it burning. I smoked it on the way home from work in the Brissett apple that I just received. It smoked dry and cool throughout the smoke. It has the characteristic grassy va taste (one I like for sure).

The flavor was consistent from first light to the end of the bowl. Nothing remarkable or wonderful stood out for me with this blend. It was just a simple good Red Va. In comparison say to my favourite Red Flake from McCranies this one is far more mild. I can see that if it is not smoked slowly it would bite. The flavour was no where near as intense and flavourful as the RF.

It was good but not excellent. The tang of the RF that I associate with red virginia was absent for me. To me it tasted like a flake version of other C&D Virginias. It is probably not one I will buy tins of to cellar as I have others I like far better. The final bit of the bowl remained constant and the end was a soft grey ash and no dottle or mess.

Tags: virginia
Posted in Cornell & Diehl, Pipe Tobacco Reviews by Brand, Smoking Pipe Tobacco on Oct 24th, 2008, 12:15 pm by steve

Comments (1)

One Response

Ed Anderson

November 6th, 2008 | 3:54 am

Hi Steve! Love ya’ like a brother pal but my take on Opening Night is a bit different. First off, I’ll have to confess that I’m one of those people that simply cannot smoke McClelland tobacco and they tin the McCranies tobaccos. It’s that ketchup thing, so that may explain my difference of opinion.

With Opening Night I discovered my love of Red Virginia tobaccos. My first tin was a gift from a fellow Smokers Forums member that said it was “too strong” for him. It was love at first light! I find that no matter how I smoke it there is no tongue bite and subsequently have found that true of all the Cornell & Diehl Red Virginias that I have tried.

Like you say Steve, it burns dry to a fine ash and is consistent in flavor to the end. If, like me you have problems with McClelland tobaccos then Opening Night is for you and if you want something more “in your face” then try C&D Red Carpet. It adds Perique and Izmir Oriental to spice up the Red Virginia.