Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2009-02-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

C&D's Star of the East Flake strikes me as curiously neglected and under-rated here, especially given its similarities to one of the best loved tobaccos on this site--the venerable and venerated Penzance. They're both Latakia-heavy crumble cakes with marked Virginia sweetness. They're both easy to pack, light, and burn. And they're both delicious.

There are differences, of course. In the tin, Star of the East Flake is both sharper and dirtier than Penzance. Familiar notes of leather and Montreal smoked meat are mixed with an almost sour, bright note and a kind of sweaty, fecal, Bikram yoga-bum smell, which I personally find enormously appealing. Devotees of things like Munster, Epoisses, mature wine, properly aged duck confit, Andouillettes, smell-my-finger-games, and unsanitary bedroom practices from the rear pages of the Kama Sutra should find this immensely satisfying, perhaps even erotic.

Some tobaccos are appealing for their rustic qualities, for their lack of refinement. And this is one of 'em. I would hesitate to say that this is a better tobacco than something like Penzance, but I do think it's far more interesting. Highly recommended to all who like an unsavory quality in the things they savor.

57 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Motoyoshi (68)	2015-03-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

First things first, this is not Penzance. My tongue likes it way more ;)

It's called a flake but it's really bits of broken flake and long strands of sliced flake tobacco. The tin note is mostly red virginias and a deep, dark and musty latakia.

Rubbing out this flake is a breeze and it loads very easily, lights the same. For a C&D it's kind of moist though (for a C&D blend). Let it sit out for 10 minutes.

The first 1/4 of this bowl reminds me of black cherry vanilla ice cream. It has a delectable velvety smooth creamy touch while the latakia and orientals give off that black cherry tart and tang. Red VAs provide the sweetness. Puff slowly to get the full effect.

The beginning is mild but this pipe builds up to a full on swirl of that latakia (it's half the blend after all) and sweet sweet red VAs. There is a slight tang from the orientals/turkish that compliments the other components very well.

Something I find remarkable about this blend, unlike some other latakia foward blends is that it remains tasty to the bottom. I tend to stay away from the full on lat bombs because after the 1/2-3/4 mark they just become acrid and downright rotten. This tobacco can keep my interest from rim to heel.

Many people want to call this Penzance because of the ingredients. But the comparison ends at the recipe. This is a much different, bolder, more complicated smoke IMO. This has the punch that Penzance is simply too smooth to deliver.

Concerning the bulk version...being a flake the flavors are much more married and intense. I find the orientals/turkish in the bulk blend to be a bit spicier and the VAs to be toned down a bit.

Highly recommended to any Latakia lovers.

Pipe Used: mortas, briars, meers and cobs

Age When Smoked: 2 years old

32 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2010-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The flakes are easy to pack and load. Just rub some of the flake and it crumbles into the bowl and darned near packs itself.

Lots of Latakia in this one and the taste is rather smokey and full. Not at all sweet and enough nicotine punch to please.

Smoke it late in the evening AFTER kissing the spousal unit goodnight. Otherwise, you may get kicked out of the bed.

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3019)	2017-05-15		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is an edited version of the ribbon cut version with the differences noted in the following text. The musty Cyprian Latakia is smoky, earthy, woody, and not very sweet in a more obvious starring role in this production. The impact of the Latakia does vary at times, but even at its least obvious, it’s still the dominant component, although richer and a little more noticeable than it is as a ribbon cut. The stoved red Virginia offers tangy sugary dark fruit with some earth, bread and wood in a support role. The Turkish provides wood, earth, vegetation, herbs lightly sweet and mild sourness with minor floral, spice notes as it continually underscores the experience. The nic-hit is step closer to medium than it is to mild, which is a little stronger than the other version. The strength of the blend hits the medium threshold, and the taste level just reaches full; both are a little more potent than the ribbon cut. Burns a little slow with a cool, clean, relatively smooth (for blends in this genre) mildly sweet and sour, savory flavor. Has no dull or harsh spots, but sports a few small rough edges. Easily burns to ash, and requires some relights. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a strong, lingering after taste, and a camp fire room note. Not a complex mixture by any means, and is a little closer to being a total lat-bomb in this form. Not an all day smoke.

-JimInks

25 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-22		Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

First off, let us address the age of my tin as received. I got this one with five months on it already. How lucky am I? As a cigarette smoker from the days of yore followed immediately by pipes, the nicotine receptors in my brain have had very little rest. This blend occasionally gives me a slight buzz, thus the strong rating. I rate the room note as very pleasant because I am a very lucky man. My wife loves the smell of English blends. I am sorry if you aren't so lucky, but I have to give it to the woman for sitting in the car with me and giving me her thoughts on the nuances of particular blends. She is as curious about pipe tobacco as I am, she simply chooses not to smoke. Whatever. Star of the East Flake. More like broken flake. You will be lucky to find four solid flakes in your tin. That is the only thing bad I have to say about this beauty- but I love solid flakes. Yes, there is 50% latakia in the heart of this beast. However, with five months on a tin- the VA's balls have dropped and the roundness of this smoke is so developed that you almost don't need your glass of whiskey along side of it. Note I say almost. Also, note I don't tell you what whiskey to drink with it. I am a J&B man. Star of the East, FOR ME, pairs best with Crown Royal Black. No water, no ice. Those who have dubbed this one-dimensional have not given the VA's here enough time to mature. With proper age, this one will intensify only with your intensity, never getting out of hand. I've got five tins that I am locking up for a minimum of five years. Once Star of the East gets that moldy, crystal age that Penzance arrives with, The Star will smoke Penzance like a drug store aromatic. MAKE SURE YOU ALLOW THIS STUFF SOME DRYING TIME!!! At least 15 minutes. Otherwise You will compromise much of the flavor.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2075)	2017-01-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Star of the East Flake.

I bought this a few months ago having found their Star of the East ready rubbed a brilliant smoke, but hadn't got around to popping it open. This morning though, I couldn't take the suspense any more so off came the top! Love it.

The flakes are presented in a similar fashion to a few of their other blends, I think Burley Flake No.1 has the same cut. No further rubbing is needed, the flakes are broken enough to just take a pinch and stuff it in.

Star of the East lights easily and the smoke is faultless, in my opinion. There's heaps of rich Latakia flavour to the smoke, but also notable Orientals. I struggle to identify any Virginia, but that was the same in Star of the East ready rubbed, and quite often in a lot of rich English/Balkan blends, for me. The flavour seems about the same throughout, it's maybe a bit sharper to begin with but nothing too dramatic. A bowl burns brilliantly, giving a medium temperature, bite-free smoke.

The nicotine's just above medium, and, as strong as it is, I like the note.

I have to highly recommend Star of the East Flake!

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kenmare X220 P'lip

Age When Smoked: Three months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Star of the East ready rubbed..

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-02-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I will take this blend over Penzance anyday. It packs nice, and I don't suck in those little tiny pieces like I do with Penzance.

I don't know what it is about C&D, but they can do English blends like no other! I prefer this when I don't need as much Latakia as Pirate Kake has to offer.

9 out of 10.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PKT (30)	2020-07-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A wonderful traditional full Latakia. Has the depth and strength of a Washington state Syrah with the leathery, musty, dark cherry flavors of a well aged Pinot Noir. Smokes cool and slow when sipped. One of my regular evening smokes that is particularly good in a medium to large meerschaum.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 years

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes et al

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jt100 (8)	2020-02-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Wow. Just WOW! I’m fairly new to pipe smoking after coming from cigars. I started with some aromatics to ease my wife into my new hobby, but they didn’t quite scratch the itch. This and GL Pease Westminster are totally in my wheelhouse. First the tin aroma. Smokey, savory, rich, complex. Upon lighting latakia smoky, bbq, campfire richness. It then settles into a nice exotic, nutty, spicy smoke. The spice isn’t peppery, just very pleasant in a exotic spice market kind of way. Will have to order more of this. Perfect for the winter chill or sitting around a campfire in the summer. Well done.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dublin 221, Savinelli Roma 673

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old German puffer (106)	2015-07-08		Very Strong	Strong	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

I was turned on to Star of the East by simple chance. It now sits in my top 5 rotation as a daily smoke. It is a wonderful smoke full of flavor. It took me two try to figure out the best way to smoke it. Thanks to the rep for giving me five 1oz samples to try it out. Now I have it in tin and bulk. Open. Let sit and breath. Roll in your bowl to pack. Avoid two or three pinch. The roll really helps the burn stay even and breath. Lights well and burns clean.

Pipe Used: Dutch, Comoy, Peterson

Age When Smoked: Tin - 2 years plus

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-10-15		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is about as much latakia as I can handle and my go to full English no tricks just good strait forward tobacco

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2018-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I purchased this tin along with a 2 oz sample of Star of the East. This will be my review of the Flake by itself and compared to the ribbon cut.

Opening the tin, the Flake are at a good moisture. Not too much to steam my tongue but not too little to make it burn fast. The tin aroma is smoky, earthy and a very slight sweetness. The tin note is a lot more earthy and damp then Star of the east. The flavors changed quite a bit throughout the bowl. Smoky with the graham cracker note like Star of the East but not as heavy on the graham cracker. A damp earthy flavor and slight mustiness kept popping up throughout the bowl with the graham cracker fading in and out along with it. The end started to become more roasted. No tongue bite and burned clean.

Comparing Star of the East Flake vs. Star of the East, I find the Flake is more heavy and earthy. They both have very close flavor profiles. I find the Flake to be a end of the day smoke vs the ribbon cut. Both a vary enjoyable. But due to the ability of possibly overpowering your palate, the Flake is better at last smoke of the night.

That being said, it was great! Much stronger flavors then any English I've had. Will definitely be stocking up on more along with the ribbon cut.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There have been more than a few comparisons to Penzance, but this is much fuller and bolder to me, a somewhat "fresher" and younger version whose huge portion of Latakia is counterbalanced by rich, tangy and sweet Virginia and some Turkish. This is a rustic, Americanized Balkan -- not a bruiser per se, but full bodied and full of flavor, with the Latakia delivering an almost smoked-meat essence.

It is less "melded" than Penzance, perhaps because the aging is abbreviated or the processing is different. You can readily point out the constituent tobaccos, which taste so natural and clean.

The mixture is ready-rubbed in thick strips out of the tin. I rub them out thoroughly and allow them to dry before loading. Like all C&D blends, it is well-behaved in the bowl, requiring only a few relights and it burns beautifully. A must try for full English lovers.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Group 3s and Ashton XX and XXX

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Autumn joy (47)	2015-02-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This product was recommended to me as an alternate if not better then penzance. I unfortunately missed the penzance train but will review what's in front of me. This product upon smell has that solid earthy rich burnt wood smell in it all of course from the Latakia. The tobacco was purchased in bulk so it was very easy to work with and smoked like a champ. This tobacco is an English blend and was one of the smoothest English tobaccos I have smoked lately a very solid buy from cornell and diehl. I would highly recommend this as an all day everyday smoke it is just a joy and has a good tobacco taste. I guess the only input as far as compared to penzance for me would be it's better mainly because it is available. I think that's what's hard with reviews sometimes having blends that aren't available or are limited. Overall a great smoke for this one I would give it a 3.5 if that was an option.

Pipe Used: Calabash

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Www.4noggins.com

Similar Blends: Penzance.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2013-04-18		Strong	Medium	Very Full	Very Strong

The mixture I tried was bulk blend. The flakes and tinned versions might not be a lat bomb but the bulk mixture certainly is. As others have remarked in their reviews, it turns sour and/or bitter halfway through the bowl. I haven't been impressed with C & D blends.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paul S. (10)	2018-08-29		Medium	None Detected	Very Full	Unnoticeable

From the tin, the smell is beautiful: strong latakia and an almost olive-like sourness. The taste is rich, smoky, and nutty throughout, and the burn is slow and cool. The bottom of the bowl is where this blend really comes together; it's sweet, creamy, leathery, and spicy with the virginias taking centre stage. I have noticed there can be a faint ammonia taste behind these last flavours, which can spoil some moments. This blend is medium strength in terms of nicotine.

I am not a very big fan of Cornell and Diehl's straight virginia or burley offerings, but from what little I've tried, they get latakia blends right.

Age When Smoked: One Year

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-12-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Well, there is God for the lovers of Latakia! 50% Cyprian Latakia with some Izmir and stoved red Virginia.

Tobacco form: Broken Flake.

Humidity: A lot, needs drying.

With 50% Latakia the aroma is quite smoky (a friend described it as bacon-y). The tobacco has a full and nice taste that fills your taste buds and makes them happy. The flavor is sometimes smoky (because of Latakia)and sometimes sweet (because of the Virginia). Nicotine levels fall into the medium to low category. Smoke it slowly and relaxed because anxious puffing tickles your tongue. The room note is strong and some people may find it unpleasant.

It is an enjoyable smoke especially for the Latakia lovers. The only drawback is that it is a quite flat blend. No surprises here. Nevertheless, it is a quite good tobacco and I truly recommend it!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2011-01-02		Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Tolerable

Have been enjoying this blend for the past six mos., and has become my preferred Latakia cake/flake over Penzance and Fairmorn Lancer Slices.

For me, this tobacco needs some time to air and is just too moist out of the cans I've opened. Packing a pipe and letting it sit overnight, or letting some sit on a paper plate for a few hrs. before smoking is my routine. Have experimented with this stuff in wider and narrow gauge pipes. Like it rubbed out a bit more than it comes in the can, and in a wider bowl. Everyone has a different preference.

Do not find this to be a Latakia bombshell. There is a unique creamy thickness to this blend in the mouth. Very full. It is also subtly sweet in my opinion. No doubt there's Latakia in there, but the salty smokiness of Latakia does not overwhelm the tastebuds at any point. Very balanced with the Red Virginia and Izmir components.

Tobacco is consistent from top to bottom of bowl. 3 stars.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2020-10-14		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Strong

I was expecting an instant classic and instead I got a bland, nondescript mixture. Quite a shame actually, the name, the tin artwork, the cut, the smell off the tin and the reviews were really promising.

Smoking it off the tin, I was ready to drop it in a trash can. Since I almost always give second chances, I packed a second pipe and left the tobacco to dry for almost two days. This time it fared better, the Latakia is the main player here and the Red Virginia and Oriental only manage to change its taste from time to time. The smoke is overall dry and mellow but not creamy, bland when puffed fast and mild when sipped.

The Latakia is smoky and leathery but surprisingly for a 50% mixture, it's quite mellow. The Red Virginia attaches itself to the Latakia in spades and gives it some very subdued brioche accents. When the Virginia recedes, the Oriental gives a slight sour and floral note. All this happens by mid bowl, the best part. The last third rejoins the first part as a bland and nondescript mixture.

I somewhat recommend it because the leaf is of decent quality and it has no topping I can taste of. Maybe good for a beginner with Latakia mixtures but there's better to be found. Disappointing but no matter, G.L. Pease Kensington awaits.

Virginia lover

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eddie (11)	2020-07-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Strong

I need you guys to help me here. I have a pound of Penzance and it can't outperform The Star of the East... initially. Let me explain: this tobacco has a creaminess that just soothes the soul. It is the closest thing to a Latakia putting. Slightly sweet, just a little spicy, and leathery full. HOWEVER, I'm puzzled at its behavior half way into the bowl. It consistently switches from Penzance killing goodness to a strong ash tray /cigarette butt flavor as if there was a line drawn midway into the bowl. Never fails. It ruins the moment. I can't sip it, so i dump it out. What's going on here? My pipe is a deep bowl grabow. Is it that?

Age When Smoked: 4 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-04-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a hearty blend of 50% Latakia with Turkish and Virginia. It's considered the poor mans penzance and for good reason as it's very similar albeit with different sourced tobacco, processing techniques, & age I'm sure. More Latakia forward than penzance and a bit spicier without the depth of the virginias. My tin had 4 months of age on it, I will be purchasing quite a few more to age as it can only get better and better. Kind of has that Oreo cookies and cream thing going on. With some subtle stewed fruit notes from the stoved red virginias. Buttery and slight woodsiness from the Turkish Izmir. Very earthy, packs and burns well with a few re-lights necessary. Does call for 10-15 minutes of dry time as the flakes come with some moisture. Unique for C&D and a place in the rotation for sure. 3 stars only because penzance does the same thing better.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyeWhiskey (43)	2013-07-14		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium	Strong

MMM, the joy of opening a tin with Orientals and Latakia! This is such a blend. The tobacco is in nice broken, flake format. The latakia is present and the smell of the tin is smokey with a bit of peppery tinge. The tobacco burns nicely and the latakia comes through in volumes of smoke. My tin wasn't overly wet, I smoked it fine out of the tin, and it's even better now. The orientals come through some, but it really is a Latakia 1st blend. If you like it, you'll try this, though there are others out there that are better, this has it's own personal mystique that will keep me having a tin around, after tin.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakiafile (9)	2012-12-13		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This had a good smoky aroma out of the tin. I had never smoked a broken flake before and I found it interesting it produced a nice full flavorful smoke that I really enjoyed. Thi swas not for me the Latakia bomb that others have reported. Star of the East isn't as strong as odyssey though it is more complex. If you have smoked the bulk version you owe it to yourself to try this it is really good stuff and I will be buying more

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-05-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a great Balkan blend that requires a degree of finesse to obtain the best results. Please don't do what I did. When this tin arrived I was rather anxious to take it for a spin, having read the reviews below. My first impression on opening the tin was that it was dry enough to smoke NOW. Wishful thinking ! So I rubbed and stuffed a nice bowlful into a large straight billiard and proceeded to fire it up.

Now I expected, from a blend that touts itself as 50% Latakia, to experience a certain degree of Latakia bomb. What I obtained was a Latakia thermo-nuclear device. Whoa ! Basically nothing present but Latakia, tongue bite, and an unsweetened, salty licorice coating on the tongue. No Virginia sweetness, no Oriental spice, no nothing....'cept Latakia. Ok. I knew something was wrong and went back to the reviews. What did I miss? Obviously....dry time,dry time, dry time. So after letting my tongue and palate heal for a couple of days. I tried again.

Round 2: About 1 hour of dry time on paper, followed by a gentle rub, I loaded a smaller bent billiard bowl with what seemed like VERY dry tobacco. There was a powder left on the white paper that looked like powdered graphite. Did I overdo it?

NO. This time I had a GREAT smoke. Lots of Latakia and yes, Santa Claus, there IS Virginia. And Oriental, in this blend. Experienced a very pleasant creaminess behind the Latakia, along with some nice spicy sparks from the Oriental.

Is this a all-day smoke? Not unless you have a tongue that resembles a razor strop. Is it an everyday smoke? Not for me. I'll be reserving this for after big dinners or when I crave an extra hit of Latakia. It's a very nice, quality blend that I will keep on the shelf.....for occasional use only.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2010-12-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of my all time favorite potent english blends. Potent not in nicotine content but in flavor. For you Latakia hounds, this will be right up your alley - full flavor, but with the Oriental and Virginia leaf very present and active in the experience. For a very full-flavored, Latakia-rich experience, I often reach for this, Commonwealth, Lancer's Slices, or recently for Quiet Nights.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2009-03-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

What a mighty and beautiful elegant blend! It gives full, sweet and rich smoking pleasure.

Humidity is just right and even beginner may smoke it to white ash.

Flakes are easy to crumble, although hands may need to wash after filling pipe.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-12-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable

SOTEF is very smooth and rich. It is superbly spicy, tangy, creamy, smoky, and flavorful. The complete blend is one of the most satisfying and tasty English/Balkans I have smoked. Easy to rub out. DGT is average.

It is not bitter or sour at times like the original SOTE bulk.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (212)	2022-02-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl Star Of The East Flake - I have heard a lot of pipe smokers compare this to Penzance and I have to agree. Smooth and creamy . Soft smokey delicious Latakia . Fair amount of sweetness and dark fruit from the Virginias. The Izmir - Turkish is savory and buttery . Not that spicy at all . Slightly sour . I get some citrus notes I assume are from the turkish ? My tin is almost 4 yrs old . I am glad I put a tin away and forgot about it . Smoking this every night and really enjoying it . I would give Penzance a slight edge for a little more fruity sweetness from the Virginias and tastier Turkish leaf . Instead of Izmir maybe C&D could have used Macedonian varieties with Yendije? It is a great blend though and highly recommend you try it if you like Penzance or Quiet Nights. 4

Age When Smoked: 4 yrs old tin

Similar Blends: Penzance.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2021-12-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

I bought this about a month ago I suppose while at the pipe club. Opened it there had a bowl and set it aside until this evening. The tin is dated 031021, fairly fresh I suppose. This has the C&D broken flake rather than a real chewing gum size flake when I think of the word flake. The tin note is that of mild, sweet leather. This is a really good flake to smoke with the 50% Latakia very noticeable. I must have read at least a half dozen references to Esoterica Penzance. Not sure how that started, it may be similar but it has been so long since I have smoked Penzance I cannot say one way or the other. If my memory serves me correct, I do believe the flake version of this has a heavier, smokiness to it than the Star of the East ribbon which I also like. If you like full Latakia blends then this one will be right up your alley. I do not regret buying this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Singularis (17)	2021-11-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I have saved up my one tin of SOTE Flake for about two years now, and based on the date sticker, it’s about 2 and half years old. Originally purchased because it was compared favorably with Penzance, which I smoked many, many moons ago before I knew that it would pass into unobtanium status among pipe smoking afficionados everywhere. So, +1 for being readily available compared to Penzance.

Having now smoked three bowls, I think I’m finding my groove with it. The tin aroma greets with deep bass notes of fermented plum, leather and incense. At a heavy 50% latakia, it is indeed a rather full taste and aroma, but quite smokable (if not repeatable). The orientals play a necessary supporting role with their slightly sour, cedar wood notes. The virginias add just enough sweetness to satisfy and round out the bowl. It almost feels like there is some perique in there, but without any hint of spice or pepper.

I’m definitely a huge fan of this and will enjoy smoking it throughout the cold, snowy months here in northern Wisconsin. Would definitely be open to buying more some day to pack away for even longer cellaring. But for now, I’ve got enough English/latakia blends to choke a horse, including Quiet Nights, with which it shares a lot of positive qualities. For my part, I be more accustomed to smoking Quiet Nights regularly, as it is smoother, sweeter, and less smoky.

Easy 4 out of 4 stars.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: Over 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights (Old London Series).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WelshPiper (3)	2021-08-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Lovely stuff. Seemed a tad dry compared with comparable local offerings (McConnell Oxford Street and Oriental Square) but rubs out and fluffs up a beaut. Have to agree with a prior reviewer, tin note is reminiscent of a well licked arsehole, but don't let that put you off. Smokes clean and dry, nary a gurgle or a bite and leaves the pipe dry with little ash. Some bowls seemed higher in nicotine than others (maybe a reflection on the flake layers) but the taste is consistently good. I really like this.

Pipe Used: MM country gent, Parker Prince, Savinelli.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Relatives bought it over from US for me.

Similar Blends: Winter bonfires I had as a kid. That smell left behind after all your dreams are turned to ash..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Robby the Belgian (24)	2021-01-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

My Saturday morning routine, to properly start off my weekend, involves having a nice coffee (courtesy of my wife), breakfast, and then going outside for a smoke while reading. Star of the East is perfect for this.

A lovely broken flake, which I like to bunch together, fold, and stuff down my pipe. The tin note promises smoky, woody, slightly floral Latakia with some spice and a wonderful aroma, and the tobacco sure delivers.

As a flake, it can require a few relights. Perhaps rubbing it into ribbons might help with this, but I like having the flake and don't mind occasionally relighting.

The key component is the Latakia, but it doesn't overshadow other flavors. Overall, the different components blend wonderfully together. I get a combination of smokiness, pine and heather. The Virginias add just enough sweetness to blend it all together.

A full flavor, and velvet texture to the smoke.

The tobacco is strong enough to give me a little buzz, which puts me in the right mood for a relaxing weekend.

Pipe Used: Brebbia 6000

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrAcula (62)	2020-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Presentation: Iconic tin with the train on the front.

Cut: Comes in a thick, broken flake. Very easy to rub out, and right in the middle moisture level.

Tin note: Smells mildly sweet and mildly smoky. I might smell some bread or wood but it's hard to pick out specific notes with certainty. Now that I think about it, it kind of reminds me of Key Largo's tin note.

Tasting notes: Smokiness will be the main thing you taste but it's not overpowering. There will also be moderately sweet bread, nuts, earth, wood. Every puff is not the same with this blend, it is remarkably balanced and keeps you interested for the entirety of the bowl.

Mechanics: Cool, slow burning blend. Requires a faster than normal cadence to keep lit.

Extra Remarks: This is an excellent blend. It took me longer than it should have to get around to trying it. I actually find myself liking it so much that I tend to smoke it too fast, then I have to set the pipe down and reel myself back. I could see anyone from novice to expert finding this blend enjoyable. 4 stars.

Pipe Used: IMP Author Reverse Calabash Meer, Bent Apple Meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin to about 4 months

Similar Blends: G. L. Pease - Meridian (Old London Series).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wally Frank Collector (46)	2020-07-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This was a gift from a friend. Thank you for this my friend! Excited for I have another Lat Bomb English Blend to smoke. I enjoyed the last one immensely which was Pirate Kake. Wondered what this Lat Bomb would be like...

This one is 50% Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Red Virginia I opened the bag and was greeted by a Rich Smoky aroma backed up by a strong earthy and woody aroma. This comes in a flake and I rubbed it out into smaller pieces and let it dry for a half hour. Loading was nice after it was rubbed out. This lit sort of hard and I had a bit of a time getting it going, but once it did it burned slow, consistent and had no bite, no moisture and left a pleasant camp fire room note. This was a medium to thick smoke that was creamy. While this didn't bite if pushed it had some rough edges This was a full tasting smoke with a slightly sour and sweet taste after taste that became sweeter as the smoke progressed and left a nice similar aftertaste for over a half hour after the smoke was done. Not an all day smoke and give on a good nic hit. This tobacco did not swell when lit as much as Crooner and Pirate Kake did.

Upon Lighting I was met by a nice medium to thick creamy smoke that did disappear at a medium pace. The flavors shone forth with the Rich Smoky flavor first and in a strong support role were a heavy earthy flavor and a strong woody flavor. Behind them were a slightly tangy flavor joined by light herbs and spices and a mild musty and light nuttiness. The flavors worked well together but the Smokiness was definitely in the lead. A mild sweet and sour taste was there also and it became sweeter as the smoke progressed.

This was a very, very nice smoke that I enjoyed quite a bit. It was full in flavor and well balanced so that the smokiness did not obliterate the other flavors. This one is a full smoking experience that leaves one feeling fulfilled when done. If pushed it will give off some rough flavoring but sipped it is a nice strong smoke that is very enjoyable. I give this a 3.5 out of 4 stars. If you like strong English blends you will love this, if you like a full flavored smoke you will enjoy this. Definitely on my list of favorites to smoke on special occasions.

Pipe Used: John Middleton Oyster Rusticated Author

Age When Smoked: 1 year old

Purchased From: Gift from friend

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2020-01-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This blend was interesting. When you say high amounts of latakia what you is just that. Latakia strong and in your face but smooth and mild. That's what got me was how smooth and creamy the taste was. Flakes are whole but break apart as soon as you touch them. Lights and burn easy to a nice fine ash. It is never harsh, but you do get a little sour and bitter from the Orential. Nicotine is mild. Can be easily enjoyed multiple times in a day.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran Pot

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Maybe LJ Peretti Omega..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (216)	2019-01-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I have smoked this side by side with the ribbon version so this review focuses on the differences of the two. The review of the ribbon may also be helpful for those interested.

The lat is very dominate in this blend as should be expected in any blend claiming half of it being lat. It is smokey with a little leather and campfire note and a little sweet. It is more pronounced here than in the ribbon version and quickly takes over the blend. The red VA has some dark fruit sweetness and just a slight note of earthiness and falls way behind the lat. Still in this version the VA seems a little richer but just a little. The Turkish is woody like fresh sawdust a little sweet with a buttermilk like sourness and a very slight floral note that comes in on the rare occasion. When it is there there is also an incense like note that must be due to it and the lat combining. Overall this is a blend that changes enough to keep my interest but unfortunately the lat completely takes over very early during the smoke and overpowers all the other elements. Smaller pipes seem to help with the flake more so than with the ribbon and the lat does not become a one dimensional bomb quite as quickly. Still a good blend overall. Personally the lat is too dominate here and this is more of a 2.5 star blend but since I was expecting this with such a high amount of lat I am rounding up to 3 stars but I will not be revising this one.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Robykeys82 (25)	2018-04-06		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my favourite tobacco, by a long margin. It's simply awesome from start (tin note) to finish! Smoky, earthy, it screams "Quality" and "Luxury". Fantastic Tin art and packaging. The Red Virginias and the Latakia form a great combination. This tobacco is very easy to pack and stays lit very easily. I highly recommend it to all those who love Latakia and also to those who want a great blend to start their journey on the road of English style tobaccos. Only con: not available in Italy!

Pipe Used: Various Peterson Pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WyoSmoke (3)	2017-02-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Complex, spicy, smokey. First time trying this tobacco. A little creamy, and very mellow. Almost a vanilla sweetness, but I don't think a topping was added. A little moist, lights and burns perfectly after 15 minutes from being rubbed. Very attractive medium length short flakes. Instantly one of my favorite English like blends, I'd like to try this blend with some age on it. A sophisticated smoke

Pipe Used: Scholz poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: P&C

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2016-10-12		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Opening a 3 year old tin... At times I like the use of superlatives, but this has got to be the nicest smelling "raw" Latakia blend I've had the pleasure to ever open. Extremely dark broken flakes with a tangy smokey molasses like sweetness and a bunch of delicious Latakia/Virginia/Turkish leaf goodness.

Packing and lighting was optimal and easy. From the very first puffs, I knew this was the real deal. I was enchanted and tickled by this blend. The virginias are sweetly sublime, the Latakia heavenly, strong yet not overpowering, and the Izmir irresistibly perfumy. This mixture will definitely remain in my rotation. Kudos to C&D for this very remarkable blend.

Pipe Used: Morta

Age When Smoked: 3

Purchased From: Besson, Lausanne, Switzerland

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigCasino (27)	2013-12-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

A very fowrard blend of latakia, a strong smokiness, but with enough sweetness to finish it off, but definitely is a bit darker than most English blends

Pipe Used: La Rocca, Fantasia

Age When Smoked: unknown

Similar Blends: Pirate Kake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gladi8tor96 (143)	2011-02-18		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is more of a broken flake and is dark black to dark brown with a bit of medium brown mixed in. Smells like smoke, leather, wood, and fermented dank earth. Loads and lights easily and remains so with very gentle tamping.

Flavors of smoke and wood are strong from the Latakia and the Izmir provides some incense and slight floral tones here and there. All of these flavors mix together very well balanced by some sweet, sour, and tangy VA. Though the smokey, woodsy flavors are definitely more pronounced.

Original Review Good strong and rich English blend! Latakia abounds...it takes control of the train and doesn't let up. It's delicious though and is a great deviation from my normal english blends. It is a bit monochromatic, though still a great smoke!

This is my first C&D blend. I'm impressed and will be trying and reviewing more from C&D.

Pipe Used: Bent Billard

Age When Smoked: New from store - 1-3 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Esoterica Tobacciana - Penzance.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried this flake after already having tried the normal ribbon cut version and I must say I vastly preferred the flake. It is not one of my absolute favorite english blends, but it made a distinct impression on me as a decent blend. I liked it enough to pass it on to a friend in England so that he could get a taste of what something from the US tastes like. With that said I do recommend it, I found it to be a nice medium to full English, I also noted that I felt the flavors intermingled very well in flake form. I only had a sample of this one that I got from a visit to the C&D factory this summer, smoked about half of it and gave the rest away. I would like to buy another tin or two for the purpose of aging and also just so I can give the blend another try and hopefully expound upon this review at some point.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

If you like English Latakia blends then by all means you need to give Star of the East a try. Broke it open last night and oh boy what a feast...with coffee this morning the flavor was even better after leaving it out overnight in a pipe packed last night. I've read on this review site there are no sweet notes to this blend, but they were there this morning...mild, sweet chocolate. If the taste was my imagination, then I hope that imagination is intact tonight! Four stars award in my book.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A true masterpiece. Has all characteristics a good pipe tobacco should have: tasty, burns evenly, white ash, plenty of not too strong latakia, virginias,turkish. Can be smoked in hot weather, has a nice room note, not too strong and nice packaging. A must for lovers of Penzance, Balkan Flakes, Westminster, and so on and so forth. Just a suggestion, enjoy in rather small pipes.4 full stars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-05-09		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is by far one of my favorite blends to smoke. The flake breaks apart easily and has just the right amount of moisture out of the tin. The tobacco has a rather strong latakia flavor which I really enjoy. This blend is not for the faint of heart. It is rich and is a tobacco to be smoked with a meal in my opinion. I have several tins of this put away to age. I will try to rate it a year or two into the process.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A nice strong latakia with a slight spice note to round it out. The broken flakes pack easy and burn slow and cool.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2010-03-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

One of my top English mixtures. Although from time to time Latakia overpowers its companions, the wonderful interplay of Virginias and Orientals makes this a velvety and sweet smoke which reminds me of a campfire in the woods. A full English mixture with no subtetlies. If you enjoy Latakia there's little chance that you won't love this tobacco.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kilmarnock Piper (250)	2009-10-04		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Too much Latakia for me. There's no arguing with quality, however. I do like to pull it out once in a while when I crave that smoky campfire goodness. Rich and smooth, but I feel like I've been shot in the face with a shotgun shell full of that unique spice. I get what I need from Latakia in smaller proportions.

Edit 12-16-12: High-Latakia blends have grown on me, and I even like Pirate Kake! Smoking this by now somewhat aged sample, and enjoying it immensely.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	p4p4 (59)	2008-09-15		Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Star of the East is a very strange blend. Cornell&Diehl declare 50% latakia, but when you open the tin the first flavor is a strong vinagred-matured virginia. Very strange. It burn easy, and you'll appeciate it for the great smoothness and fine orientals. Latakia is good but not too much smoky. The strenght is strong. Very fine tobacco !

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-01-30		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I like this one alot and ditto the other positive reviews. I also notice it smokes nice and dry. I would recommend this to a new smoker that wants to try Latakia because it is SO noticable. I think it is not awesome, but a good baccy that I will certainly revisit.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wnclee (2)	2021-11-02		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is by far one of the best Latakia-blended tobaccos I've tried. Probably one of the best. Of course, there is 50% Latakia in the mix; which I absolutely love. You can clearly taste the Lat of course, but the other component tobaccos do stand through-out the entire bowl. This will definitely be in my daily rotation as a mid-afternoon smoke...

Pipe Used: Savinelli 320 Author

Age When Smoked: 6 mos.

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Pirate Kake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir John Moore (27)	2021-09-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

A bold blend if it is 50% Latakia. If the dryness of the flakes and tin note are anything to go by then it is safe to assume so. The flakes hold their shape quite well though the Latakia has a tendency to crumble into dust if you are not careful when rubbing out.

The smokey woodsy note is dominant throughout but the buttery Cedar flavour of the orientals comes through supported by the dark fruity sweetness of the Virginias. This is a strong consistent blend though and may benefit from some aging to hone its more rambunctious elements toning down the Latakia and bringing the Orientals to the fore.

I have never had Penzance so it would be unfair to compare the two however Star of the East Flake does have the advantage of actually being available. So there's that.

Pipe Used: Peterson 306, Corncob, Falcon

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin when new and Six Months jarred.

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2021-04-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

As I expand my experience of English blends I thought SoTE flake sounded interesting so I had a go. From the tin description it is a pretty heavy hitter in the Latakia department, 50% to be exact. I have had other Lat bombs before, notably Pirate Kake so this isn't my first experience.

The tin art is pleasing and interesting enough that I would grab it from a shelf if I didn't know what it was. When the tin is opened you find a nice semi-broken flake that is a gorgeous dark brown in color. The smell is soft, smokey Latakia, sour Orientals, and bready Red Virginias. They come a little moist so a little dry time may help. They stuff well and light well.

The taste is Latakia forward: smooth, creamy, smokey and slightly woody to my taste. Next I taste the Orientals. They are herbal, sour, tangy and give off a little of that incense flavor at the back. The Red Virginia adds a bakery aroma in the back to hold everything else up. This smokes incredibly slow. It reminds me of Black House in an odd way.

The taste is a medium-full. The Latakia is not here to play around and the taste coats your mouth in a pleasing way. The strength is a medium and as full as it is on taste I'm not sure I would want any more that that. Nice and cool burning even when puffed hard. A great smoke for a cooler day, though it can be easily enjoyed at any time.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Hercules Bulldog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bucivs (15)	2021-02-28		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Strong

Yes generous, spicy and smooth, this tobacco brings you into a siberian night at Christmas Eve. Let it burn slowly in your briar and nothing else will matters.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: 7

Purchased From: Dubini

Similar Blends: McClelland Arcadia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nuvoleazzurre (36)	2021-01-31		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Questo tabacco è un regalo prezioso dei Master Blender della Cornell & Dihel, una ottima miscela in cui gioca il ruolo principe un gran Latakia. Sebbene sia il fratello del meno conosciuto dello Star of the East (ribbon) questo tabacco ha nella tipologia di taglio il modo migliore per esprimersi. E' una Stella e come tale va conosciuta, cortegiata e attesa. Se prendiamo una latta e la apriamo avremo un tipo di tabacco, Latakioso, di corpo e forza, ma se aspettiamo, almeno sei mesi dopo l'apertura, ben conservato nel giusto ambiente (Bormioli) e umidità si svelerà una vera Stella, una Principessa, che ci ammalierà con le note di terra e affumicatura, cuoio e paglia, con la dolce fioritura di fini cristalli sulla superficie che durante la fumata regaleranno docezza alla miscela virile e indomita.

Andiamo per gradi, la latta, presenta un disegno accattivante nel pieno stile americano della ditta; gli aromi a crudo sono pervasi dall'affumicato del Latkia, solo in sottofondo si percepiscono gli Orientali, mentre il Virginia è soffocato; questa la latta fresca. Dopo la conservazione... Si precepisce un aroma di camino: il legno dell'affumicatura, mescolato al sentore agre e speziato dei gran orientali (Agonya e Basma), mente il Virginia fa timido capolino, l'ottimo Flake nero (Latakia) e variamente paglierino (Orientali e Virginia) presenta sparsi, fini cristalli zuccherini; il dono che la nostra stella regala al suo vassallo che ha saputo attendere.

Arrotoliamo con pazienza i filamenti nel fornello della pipa, che dovrà essere bella ampia, e accendiamo; nota pratica per agevolare l'accensione alcuni piccoli filamenti li metto verticali, faranno da "miccia". Lo so è un processo lungo questo tipo di caricamento, ma non si deve corteggiare una bella signora? Non si deve attendere il momento magico dell'accensione? Quel momento in cui il tabacco torna vivo, crepita, si muove e cresce sotto il calore del fuoco?

I primi puff regalano subito il torbato, ma questo è un istante, il tabacco si fa subito rotondo nel completo equilibrio delle tipologie. Si mescolano, come in un gran cocktail, gli aromi. Il fumo è cremoso, pieno, e si alterna l'affumicato e torbato collo speziato, mentre il fruttato-paglierino del Virginai è il collante della miscela.

Eccolo! Il dolce, lo zuccherino che amalgama e inebria, è l'esaltazione orgasmica della miscela. Quando crediamo di essere all'apice del piacere il Latakia ci dona l'estremo godimento delle note d'incenso. Ora si che siamo al Nirvana dello "Star of the East". Tutte queste beatitudini sono regalate solo al quel fumatore che ha saputo avere la pazienza di fumare a "fil di respiro" senza mai surriscaldare, che ha usato il pigino quando lo si deve usare e quindi non ha mai riacceso.

La forza va conosciuta perchè tende a crescere e quindi chi non è esperto può ricevere una botta nicotinica.

Un tbacco da meditazione, un tabacco di coppia: il fumatore e la sua pipa; un fumo da meditazione, contemplazione.

La nota ambientale è particolare molto affumicata, che non a tutti piò risultare gradevole.

A chi è dedicato? Al fumatore oramai esperto che conosce gli aromi e ad essi vuoel dedicare il suo tempo.

Giudizio? 5/5. Altamente raccomandato.

Purchased From: Dubini Tabaccheria Chiasso (CH)

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2020-04-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin description says, it contains 50% of Latakia, plus Turkish and Red Virginia. The cut is that of a Broken Flake. Very easy to loosen and load your pipe.

I am a fan of heavy English mixtures with a lot of Latakia and ample Orientals. I love aromas of leather, horse-stables and campfire. Having this in mind, this blend is not really for me. This blend is mainly a game between a smoky (not woody/campfire-y/leathery) Latakia and the Red Virginias. The Turkish is definitely on stage too and donates a spicy twist, not consistently throughout the bowl though.

No matter in which pipe, it always needs several re-lights. This mixture does not keep me interested enough. I will not buy it again. I have other Latakia and Oriental favourites. Giving two stars I still call it “somewhat recommended”.

Age When Smoked: New, out of tin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KenM (1)	2019-09-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Not smoked lots of Latakia blends but I am really starting to like them. I could not sleep tonite so I gave this a spin. Tin date was 9/30/17. Popped it open to a smoky sweet aroma. The broken flake was dark with streaks of light tobacco dispersed lightly throughout.

I got my scissors and cube cut the flake and gravity loaded my Bing’s Favorite. I gave it a charring light tamped it and waited a minute and gave it a full light. I was met with a smoky sweetness that was extremely pleasant and not overwhelming. As I continued the tobacco mellowed and became sweeter. The Virginia sweetened the Latakia campfire notes and the spicy sour notes from the Oriental tobacco became evident on the retro inhale.

The basic flavor never really changed dramatically but had rather subtle nuisance changes. It required a few relights but burned cleanly leaving a trace of moisture in the bottom of the bowl. The nicotine was on the lower side of medium.

This tobacco has been compared to Penzance. Having had both I prefer the SOTE. Not all all day smoke but it’s really nice to close out your day. Pick some up. You won’t be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Bing’s Favorite

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Got it in a trade

Similar Blends: Penzance...Only better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-09-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Strong

The presentation is nice. It comes in a fairly neat (for C&D) broken flake. It smells of tangy smoke.

The taste is just all tangy wood, charred wood, tangy fruit, like stone fruit, leather and smoke, and it's just delicious. The Latakia is refined and not as brazen as you might expect. It's pretty silky. It's not the most complex of blends containing these components, but it's good at what it does with its own thing going for it. There are more complex blends out there with the same components, but this is just a solid blend. I really enjoyed it when I had it. I plan to get more in the future.

It burns okay, and there will be re-lights. The taste is medium to full. The strength is medium. The nicotine is noticeable, but it won't knock you over.

I recommend this to the lover of English and Balkan blends.

Pipe Used: lumberman, canadian

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2018-11-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I am doing this to even out the stars. I don't know why I didn't review this blend before... Typical tin note, not typical taste. It seems that all the usual descriptions of the components are, as usual, applicable. What I love about this "flake" is that THEY ALL SEEM STRONGER than usual. The front flavor keeps shifting about, which often drives me nuts, but here it's great. No bite, cool smooth and sharp at once.

Pipe Used: Pete barrel CW, belgique

Age When Smoked: 1 ytr

Purchased From: ?

Similar Blends: Better than 99% of what's out there, LOVE IT.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-10-13		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Opened tin revealed broken flakes not long strips or anything. Didn’t mind honestly because that’s how they were going to be dealt with for combustion.

This is an absolute superb tobacco. I’ve not tried the original so I can’t compare but this quickly shot up my list of faves. I couldn’t stop puffing, a 2 Oz tin lasted 3 days. More was ordered, I recommend you do the same.

EDIT: picked up four Oz of the original non flake version (10/14/18) today and very curious to compare the two.

Pipe Used: All the pipes, smokes great in anything

Age When Smoked: 3 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Adam Z (18)	2018-06-24		Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

If you don't like latakia-heavy blends, then stay away. Containing 50% latakia, this tasty blend will give you the kind of campfire-mouth that will ruin your palate and repel your wife for HOURS. Smoking this one in the house is also a major no-no.

I always think broken flake cut tobacco is some of the easiest to pack - you pretty much cannot pack it wrong. I find that I enjoy the first half of the bowl more than the 2nd half with this blend. The strength and flavor are just right from the start, but by the time I get down to that last 25-30% of the bowl it seems somewhat harsh. I don't know if it's that it's less flavorful, or just that I can no longer taste it (or anything else) correctly.

I've heard it said that the flake version is better than the ribbon cut version of this blend, and I've also heard this blend compared to Penzance. At the time of this review I have not smoked Penzance, so I cannot attest to the accuracy of that comparison, but it's worth mentioning. YMMV.

While I enjoyed the 2 oz tin I had, this is not an all-day smoke, and not likely to ever be an everyday smoke for me.. I would buy it again, however, I feel like I've had my fill of it for now, having fired this up in over 50% of the bowls I've smoked in the last month. I'm ready to take a break from it now - I might revisit it in the future, but I'm in no hurry to place an order.

Pipe Used: Peterson 999 & assorted MM Cobs

Age When Smoked: unknown

Similar Blends: Penzance (so I'm told).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crazy owl (74)	2016-01-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Truly different from the bulk ribbon with the same name.More density of smoke,more flavour,more sweetness,simply more.Turkish,Esmirna,lies on the background not very noticeable itself but softening the whole blend.Good burning,too.A nice experience but also by C&D you can find Sunset Harbor more spicy and original.Glad to meet it but there are more interesant options out there.Good to cellaring and to return sometime.

Pipe Used: peterson system

Age When Smoked: current production

Purchased From: smokingpipes

Similar Blends: Sunset Harbor.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (120)	2012-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I found this to be a nice, full bodied latakia smoke. Not a "heavy-latkia-bomb" by any means but stronger than usual latikia-english blends. A solid performer but not a superstar.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brogreggblues (45)	2012-04-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I thoroughly enjoyed smoking this blend, for the first five minutes. After that, things went south really fast.

Maybe I just had a bad batch, but my experience with this blend was very mixed. At first light, this blend was hearty but not heavy, spicy but didn't bite. Lots of good, full VA/Lat flavor. Then it soured, and hard! Once the honeymoon was over, I didn't want to continue. The flavor just kept getting worse, to the point where I had to put it down, about 2/3 way through the bowl.

I may try more of this in the future, just because the first part of the bowl was so good. YMMV

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bteddy (23)	2012-03-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I would have thought the amount of Latakia was much more than the advertised 50%. Hits hard and has a complex taste. Can't do this all day long, but for those occasions when you want a blast of full flavor, this is the one to turn to. Not recommended for beginners. I find this to be not as full as Ten Russians, but more flavorful.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-11-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

i have like all the C&D latakia blends i have had to date. this blend was good i like FM and old ironside better but its better than alot of latakia blends that i have smoked it burns good and you get alot of smoke out of it. i like the flavor its a nice smooth flavor that doesnt change bowl to bowl it stays consistent

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

One of C&D's better offerings in this genre. Very smooth and easy to smoke. The previous reviews cover pretty much all of the other attributes, so I'll just say it is very good.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This blend seems to be similar to the bulk star of the east. The difference is that the Flake form makes the flavors marry a bit better. The Latakia while prominent is not exceptionally stout. The Oriental tobacco gives this blend a tang that really pushes the blend into a recommended category. What I wished this blend had was more complexity.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2009-03-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is a very nice Balkan flake, loaded to the point of overload with latakia but still containing some Va sweetness and a hefty load of oriental spice. The tobacco is beautifully presented and has good smoking characteristics, all around. I toyed with the idea of giving this 4 stars, but in the end I just don't it's quite special enough to justify that high a rating. On the other hand, I can think of absolutely nothing negative to say here -- this is a fine smoke, especially for those of us who really enjoy Balkans.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2008-12-15		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I gave a away a tin of SOTE mixture, as I found it too "one note" for my liking. Then I found a tin of the flake in my locker and decided to give it another try. Not really a flake, in my estimation, more of a loose press, it crumbles easily and lights fairly well, although it could use some drying time. Much more balanced then the mixture, I really enjoyed the two bowls I've had so far. When this is gone, I'm fairly sure I'll reorder, just to make sure I have a tin on hand when the urge for a Latakia bomb arises.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2007-08-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Notwithstanding the fact that this blend is 50% latakia, I was surprised how well balanced this blend is. I generally don't like blends that contain so much latakia, but this is an exception.

Star of the East Flake will not replace Odyssey, among others, but will be one that I will turn to from time to time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-12-09		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The new version of this is in flake form, and has a substitution of Izmir turkish for the original receipe..... While this bears the same name, the blend has been significantly changed. The change of form to flake has married the flavors in a more unified way. The change to Izmir has added a spice and body that makes this a new and improved animal..... I like it and very much recomend it. The sample I got did need a bit of drying for my taste, but an hour and it was ready to go. Burning characteristics were good- Needing an occasional relight- But the blend did not suffer from DGT. Stayed tasty to the end with no bitterness. As a side note- the tin art for C&D is improving, and they are fun to leave out rather than hide them on some shelf. Kudos to the artist as well. All in all a great experience.....

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Anthony Caridi (30)	2022-07-25		Medium	Very Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

The Latakia is very heavy with a very smooth, actually creamy feel. I want to say soft and silky all the way around. Though all the high quality Latakia notes are present- smoke, light incense, etc. I get a heavy whipping creamer verses a half&half sensation on the tongue. Not knowing much about blending I'm amazed how much a heavy Latakia forward blend can be this smooth. Burst forth with great flavor. I would think the pressing must help along with superb Virginia's and oriental's. A wee bit of pepper. Just enough to add nuance to this exceptional smoke. 5 stars if I could. But I'm a Latakia freak! Much better and refined than regular SOTE.

Pipe Used: Winslow Xtra large Canadian E

Age When Smoked: 2years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tzinc (12)	2021-12-13		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

For me it is solid but nothing special. I much prefer something like Quiet Nights to this. I was expecting more complexity more flavour given the reviews but it is just okay. Strong Latakia flavour along with a grassy note. There are much better Englishes out there imo but like I said this is still solid.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2019-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This was the first flake I tried when getting back into smoking in early 2017. I found out later that is more of a broken ribbon (C&D does a lot of these it seems) than a true flake.

The 50% latakia really is the star of this one. The Orientals are kept in the background. It is easy to pack being a broken ribbon and lighting it is a breeze compared to some other true flakes.

I prefer it over the regular Star of the East bulk as I think the processing does something for it. I do like the Gold version which allows the orientals to come forward, just wish they did that one in a similar broken flake.

Pipe Used: Radiator and Canadians

Age When Smoked: New to Year and Half

Purchased From: Gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Some people considers it similar to Penzance or at least an alternative to the rare Esoterica. Of course, the composition, the cut, the color is very similar; the excellent combustion, the smoothness make SOTEF a very good tobacco. However I find that it is a little bit flat, more uncomplicated and less rich of Penzance. Orientals begin to emerge, though little, after the first third of the bowl. I had much greater expectations from SOTEF. 4,0/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2006-12-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Change the name! It is nothing like Star of the East at all! I buy SOR in bulk at Cigar King in Skokie, Illinois and it is wonderful! I had the misfortune of trying a sample of this flake and was not impressed. It is bland, and just a run of the mill Latakia flake. Take a pass.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (433)	2022-11-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Tin note of stewed sour fruit and campfire. Tobacco Flakes are dark brown and black. Tobacco is somewhat dry, rubs out easy and no drying needed. Burns slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild-medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and consistent, with notes of oak campfire, earth, bread, herbal spices, floral, mild sweet fruit, mild lemon grass, and a moderate peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Izmir Turkish supporting and stoved Red Virginia in the background. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is excellent.

Pipe Used: Castello Sea Rock Briar SC 31

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-10-19		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I do not not like this at all. too much latakia and not much else for my taste. I got it in bulk. Maybe i'll mix it up and try it again.

Nobody has rated this review yet.