Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Elegant Emu (Simply Elegant Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-01-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This blend was my first encounter with cubed white burley. I only wish i'd found this blend sooner. The white burley is the prominent flavor in the blend. A sweet hay-ish flavor. The latakia and perique add undertones of smoke and spice while the cavendish smooths the edges. This blend tastes like a summer afternoon by the lake. Come summer time I will be enjoying a cob full of Elegant Emu while out fishing. Just a lovely blend for those relaxing moments in life.

Pipe Used: Cob

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	7formy1911 (37)	2012-09-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I recently cracked open a two year old tin of Elegant Emu from Cornell & Diehl and I can say that I certainly find this to be an appealing blend that is quite cohesive and smooth. First and foremost it's definitely a burley blend with cubed burley and unsweetened black cavendish setting the tone with a nutty, slightly sweet base. On that base is added some red Virginia which adds a bit more sweetness and fruitiness along with perique that builds throughout the bowl and provides some stewed fruit and nose tickle at the end. There is latakia in there but it only comes in wisps and is definitely in a supporting role. If you're looking for latakia in any quantity then this will not provide that but if you only like it in condimental quantities then this will appeal to you.

The nicotine strength is right in the medium range and definitely satisfies but does not overload. Most of all this blend is very well integrated and smooth. If you're looking for complexity you will not find it here but the smoke does change gradually throughout the bowl with the perique coming into the forefront at the end. I enjoy perique in my burley blends so this is a plus for me. There is no tongue bite to speak of and this blend does well in a nice large bowl. Overall a great blend that I definitely recommend. If you're a fan of Old Joe Krantz then this is a great blend as well that has the addition of two other types of tobacco. I'll certainly be ordering more!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2009-01-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An American light English.... almost. This one has Perique, Burley and Cavendish as the headliners with Latakia only playing a limited supporting role. The flavor is not heavy but this one does have some strength. It is easy to pack and keep lit due to the cut and barely there moisture content.

Not as powerful as an Ostrich, but indeed resembling the lighter and more elegant Emu.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2021-11-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Pipe smokers are continuing to thin down their holdings. In a fortunate buy just prior to our 2021 NASPC show, a single tin of Cornell and Diehl Elegant Emu came my way. I put it on my tables thinking that it would certainly disappear, but, it didn't. So, I'm opening it now. After fourteen years of shelf aging, there was little evidence of off gassing pressure and plenty of evidence that some wonderful type of chemistry had occurred in the tin. This blend was so aroma filled that I thought it must be an aromatic. Rereading the ingredients list proved otherwise; it had the profile of an American English. It tricked me into thinking that it was an apple flavored blend with some roasted nut aromas in the background. Nope, as this is what a White Burley that has aged into "ripeness" gives us and my tin had it to the four star level. Eventually, as time passed, the tin off gassed most of this wonderful aroma. Those first smokes were five star quality and subsequent bowls showed that the White Burley had sweetened into a soft American English four star smoke. I like American English blends and this one rocketed into my top five right away. I don't know if all fourteen year old Elegant Emu tins smoke this way, but, if one ever comes around - I'm buying it!

Pipe Used: Ashton LX Sovereign bent octagon billiard

Age When Smoked: tinned 7/19/07

Purchased From: a fellow pipe smoker

Similar Blends: Nothing I remember off hand, as this blend is so dominated and mellowed by the White Burley the blenders used..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-01-27		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Yes. Yet another C & D favorite. I bought this blend reading the description expecting a very complex mix. However it seems very simple now. In my opinion I taste an excellent burley with supporting latakias. The other tobaccos included just give it an even wider taste.

The strength is also less than your average english tobacco. It's one I feel like, as an experienced english smoker, I could smoke all day every day. Which I might.

The casing was not existent. The taste however was something gorgeous. Very simple and almost sweet.

The room note is also a lot more tolerable than your average english. A very simple smell with an english overtone.

In the end, one of my new favorite C & D blends, a must have.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob (Large), Nording Freehand

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fife&Drum (34)	2011-11-23		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is my third go of C&D mixture. First was Pennington Gap, then Black Duck. Some are saying below that they detect a lot of Latakia in this blend, whereas I think the Latakia plays a supporting role that takes the background against the predominant Burley, Virginia, Cavendish and Perique. In the tin I smell a very slight fermented and yeasty quality suggesting a small addition of whiskey and on the whole smells like raisin bread without the cinnamon. While smoking the flavor is even with the fruity notes from the Virginias, nutty Burley, and piquant Perique. The Perique gives a slight peppery raisin flavor backed up by the deeper richness and spiciness from the Cavendish and Latakia. The side stream smoke off the bowl has a slight chocolaty scent from the Latakia as well. Overall, I taste the Perique the most out of the five components of this mixture. The nicotine kick ( I think mostly from the Perique) comes into play near the end of the bowl for me. While most have said that C&D blends are too dry in the tin, I think the moisture is perfect. Overall a nice blend. I wouldn't categorize this as an full blown "English" blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2011-06-08		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable to Strong

An outstanding combination of tobaccos, Elegant Emu is velvety, smoky and smooth. According to the description, one could define this as an "American English" mixture, but it tastes as a classic English with a dominance of Latakia, spiced by a subtle favor that enhances the taste of Virginias and Latakia, providing a character that is seldom found in English mixtures.

Highly recommended. The best Latakia mixture I've tried from C&D, along with Billy Budd.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-08-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one of those betwixt and between blends i fear. Its not a traditional English blend...or rather its a very very light english if you prefer. Its one of those the whole is less than the some of the parts. Its not very memorable but the quality of the ingredients is certainly above average. Solid nic hit. Can burn a bit hot if your not careful.

Purchased From: 4noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-03-11		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I only smoked a small sample of this, but I didn't really care for it. I'm not a huge burley fan and I don't tend to like mixes of Latakia and Perique with Burley although I do enjoy the first two without Burley. For me the blend was just kind of all over the place, it was kind of like when you mix too many colors of paint together and you just get this sort of mud color, that's how it tasted to me. May be better for others, or perhaps I didn't give it a strong enough go, only having a small sample.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-12-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Strong

At last, my friend “erinmore” suggested to me a tobacco that I didn't like. Proportion 1/10. I will continue to trust him of course. We went for a coffee with my friend “tso-giannis” and I realized the room note was very very bad. This mixture contains Latakia, Virginia, Black Cavendish and Perique. The Latakia is intense in the tin aroma but not in the flavor, when you smoke it. Overall I would say that it is not so easily detected. While opening the tin a scent of vinegar overwhelms you, but it fades away if you live it open for about 15 minutes. It should be left open even more because it is rather soggy. It is cut fairly thickly, which assists it not to burn so easily. It does, though, light very easily too. I was stuffed by its flavor, which I found rather intensely sour.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2009-12-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am writing this review based ona tin with three years age. Forgot I had this in the back of the cellar really. It was a pleasure to find it as I was eager to try something new.

Th blend has a perfect moisture level and packs almost too easily. I have had a couple of problems with draw stoppage. My fault, not the tobaccos. Takes fire well after the char and burns nicely once lit.

The cavendish is a little bit of a turnoff here. The flavors are very nice in total, but the cav. gives this a sweetness that I think is too much. Just a wee bit too much, not over the top. The latakia is mild and tasty. The va. and burley add to the overall body. The perique is not all that noticable and is used here for purely condimental purposes.

All in all a nice smoke, but not worthy of four stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Croaker (13)	2008-07-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Elegant Emu is a moderately full-bodied blend. I produce clouds of smoke with this well balanced Virginian, burley, and spice tobacco blend and it never bites my tongue. Like my previous experience with C&D blends, I found Elegant Emu quite dry from the tin. It burns wonderfully down to a fine ash and has more strength than I expected.

I have only recently sampled the burley dominated blends which some categorize as ?American.? I have found American blends to be quite enjoyable if a bit one-dimensional. Elegant Emu improves on the simple(?) American recipe; it balances a pleasant latakia smokiness with a Virginia and burley base. Though, the Perique may be a bit too dominant toward the end of the bowl, this tobacco is eminently enjoyable.

I am consciously giving Elegant Emu three stars instead of four because I want to sample more American-English blends -- mostly from C&D -- before I settle on the one that will enter my permanent rotation.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2008-03-03		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This is the latest in C&D's long line of American-English hybrids, which also includes Morley's Best, Bailey's Front Porch, Old Hollywood, Home From the Hills, Purple Cow, Easy Times, Junkyard Dawg, plus I'm sure a few more that I haven't tried. I would've thought by now that C&D would have exhausted the potentials of this genre, but to their credit they keep coming up with worthwhile variations on this theme.

This one is somewhat unique in that the latakia flavor seems a bit more muted than in its companion blends -- there's a lot more of a burley taste here, and the cavendish initially adds a lot of sweetness that dissipates as the bowl progresses. When you get to the last half or third of the bowl (about when the perique becomes noticeable) the ingredients all seem to meld together to produce a decidedly unique taste, sort of a musty sweet/sour flavor and aroma.

On the plus side, when this blend is packed loose, it burns flawlessly to the end (it's almost in the same league as Prince Albert, in fact). It also doesn't get too hot unless you abuse it. On the negative side, though, it can bite you, and I'm not at all sure how I feel about the perique component. Don't get me wrong -- I love perique (Old Joe Krantz is my daily standy), but I'm undecided as to whether it adds or subtracts to the overall experience in this particular mixture. Also, the nicotine level is considerably higher than I'd expected here -- not unpleasant, just surprising.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2010-02-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is correct blend, although my tin had very dry tobacco so maybe taste was not so full and accurate as it was planned.

Easy to smoke to white ash.

My rate: 3.8

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-03-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am a new pipe smoker.(some would say still green)but I have tried several different tobaccos already. bearing in mind that my palate may not be as refined as some of yours, I submit my first ever review. I reached for the Emu after I realized that I hate aromatics, and after smoking a couple of mac baren's straight up baccy's. (London blend burley and Mature virgina)what I found in the emu was a very well rounded tobacco with an ecclectic collection of flavors. Simply stated, it reminded me of Frog Morton's roughneck big brother. similar smell, almost as smooth, but hit me a little harder. I liked it alot. Hope my 1st review was helpfull to someone.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Latakia (70)	2008-06-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Another award winning tin by C&D. The latakia is not upfront and adds a nice smooth taste to the blend. My first pipe full, was not overly impressed but subsequently, liked the light touch of latakia with burely and black cavenidsh. Will continue this review as nothing sticks right out imeediately.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-11-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

At one point a few years ago, nearly gave up on Cornell & Dielhl blends, after trying a couple in succession, Canal Boat and Cumberland. We could not find a way to get along.

While visiting our son in North Carolina, my wife and I visited the Cornell & Diehl shop. Yes, they do have emus in the front pasture. Craig and his wife Peggy (I believe) along with their staff were wonderful hosts.

Among the freebies I left with was a tin of Elegant Emu. It is an absolutely delightful blend. I found the nicotine content mild, the taste was very satisfying throughout the bowel. The taste is hard to describe: sweet/sour/nutty/woodsy and pleasant throughout the bowel.

Everything one expects of a premium tobacco was present: moisture content was near perfect, no re-lights, no wet heal, no harshness, etc.

Highly recommended.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-08-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I really like some of the C+D cubed blends with cubed burley such as pennington Gap and Easy times. This fit right in with those two. The burley predominates, the perique and latakia are present in just the right amounts. What I really enjoyed was what began to happen near the finish. Everything just melded together and it was trancelike.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-07-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is an easy-going all day smoke with a refreshing hint of natural sweetness, a moderate amount of Latakia goodness, and a trace of spice from the Perique. Everything is nicely rounded and smoothed out by the burley and black cavendish. This won't light up the lives of those Balkan aficionados who like to drone on about complexity and layers and the like, but it will serve you well in its own right, as would some of the other similar C&D blends sold in bulk at a lower price point.

Nobody has rated this review yet.