Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Manhattan Afternoon (Simply Elegant Series)

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2010-09-05		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

This is "sippin' leaf," for sure... A lightly topped (with honey), Virginia leaf that is smooth, cool and slow burning due to the flake cut. I smoked very slowly for best results. It'll deliver a nice palate pleasing taste but won't rattle your cage with strength.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3050)	2014-06-14		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The Virginia is a little spicy with a few tangy citrus, grass, acidic, earth notes. The honey topping is light, but noticeable. Not complex, but it's a pleasant enough smoke, though the spice is kind of tingly on the tongue, but it won't bite. At times, it disrupts the smoothness of the smoke. The strength is mild, and the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Has a very mild nic-hit. Burns fairly cool and very clean at a slow to moderate pace with a mostly consistent flavor. Requires a few relights, and needs to be sipped for full enjoyment. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Has a decent, short lived after taste, and room note. Can be an all day work and play smoke. Deserves another half star, but it's too monochromatic to be a three star blend.

-JimInks

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2013-10-31		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I first tried this blend fresh out of the tin and while a very flavorful smoke, it was a touch moist for my tastes and was hard to keep lit and it tended to be a little burning on my tongue. I left the tin open for a few days and it dried to a nice moisture content and mellowed into a very pleasant smoke. It has been pressed and cut into thick ribbon flakes and it is a medium brown in color. They are rather long flakes and can be smoked either rubbed out if you like it moist, or as is if you let it dry somewhat. It has a very sweet clean tin aroma, smelling of the straight VA that it is but you can also get a whiff of the honey flavoring added. I have found in the past that honey flavoring can make a blend smoke hot, but this is not the case with this blend. It has just a hint of sweetness to the already sweet flavor of the VA. Moist and you can pack it to tight but dried a little and it packs nice in the pipe and gives a nice slow smoke that stays lit pretty well. It burns slowly down to the bottom of the pipe with a medium grey ash and just a little dry dottle at the bottom of the bowl. The room note is a pleasant sweet VA aroma and not overwhelming at all to others. OK, here is why I did not give it a 4 star rating, while it gives pleasant smoke and my tin did seem to empty awful fast, if you smoke it even a tiny bit fast it will bite. But smoked slow, it I very satisfying. I also would have liked for it to have been cut thinner to speed up the drying process and to make it where it would be easier to roll out before smoking. Overall, this is a very enjoyable smoke, jut not among the top ones out there. Well worth a try though.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2016-08-01		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I was anxious to try this blend as it seemed to be similar to Interlude that I enjoyed a lot. I was given a pretty small sample of this one in Chicago that only worked out to be two and a half bowls, so I don't feel like I really had enough to give a solid review. This review is probably more for my own recollection rather than being helpful to others, but here I go anyway.

This is a Virginia blend touched by some honey as the description says. This is the same combination as is in interlude. I found this to be a little fuller than Interlude and not quite as enjoyable even though I still did enjoy this one. A friend of mine found the exact opposite with regard to the fullness of the vas, so I guess like anything else tobacco, we all have our own tastes.

The Virginia in this and, all the other simply elegant series, does taste like Virginia should. I say that because many C&D blends that contain Virginia tend to come off as burley tasting with some harshness. The SE series tend to give you all the hay sweetness you would expect with a good amount of nicotine as well. The honey topping is light yet does seem to heat up the blend a little as you are smoking it.

I am leaving this at three stars until I have had a chance to try out a full tin and can more accurately share my impressions.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2016-05-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Mine came as a small sample. It had a good level of hydration - maybe a hair on the dry side. I rubbed out the flakes. The pipe of choice was a GBD pot that favors Virginias.

I pick up a slight citrus and some hay. There is a hint of honey, but the topping is very mild. It is slightly sweet and smoked easily. I found the flavor consistent but with some added strength at the bottom of the bowl.

This was a satisfying and tasty smoke. It is not especially complex, but it is pleasantly satisfying. Virginias are reported to burn "hot" and this one did not for me.

For a similar smoking experience in a ribbon, try C&D Virginia Ribbon.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-02-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

This tin comes in a very easy to light, if done right, flake. It's a very long lasting light smoke.

During the entire bowl, even the end, I got a great subtle honey overtone. A greatly done casing. The main flavor was a solid C & D bright Virginia. The room note was obviously great. The wife loved it.

This blend isn't exactly as mellow as some, but I enjoyed that factor. Still an all day smoke, and one I would like to stuff a pipe with, and drive across the country. A must try.

Pipe Used: AKB Freehand Meerschaum, H.I.S Egg Bent

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Opening Night (Simply Elegant Series), Samuel Gawith - Full Virginia Flake.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2013-06-05		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Strong

After a long debauch with strong dark flakes I felt the need for a lighter virginia. Remembering C&D's sublime Opening Night I thought it might be time to crack open that five year old tin of Manhattan Afternoon I'd been cellaring and give it a try. A light Va, delicately sweetened with honey sounded like just the ticket.

The smell on opening the tin was surprisingly strong and acrid, redolent of wet hay and young plums. Smoked right from the tin gave a bitey, acrid smoke that wouldn't let me parse the flavors correctly. Letting it dry out a bit gave a much more pleasant smoke, but still not the sweet Va with a hint of honey that I was hoping for. The honey is definitely noticeable if you slow down -- a lot -- but the honey doesn't integrate with the flake so much as sit lightly on top of it. One thing is clear, though, as others have said, this must be sipped very slowly to be appreciated.

bteddy says that it "has a somewhat barn taste". I think there's something to that. That's why I think calling this blend Manhattan Afternoon is a misnomer, since there's nothing simply elegant and urbane about it. I think Morning Hayride or Podunk Barnraising would be closer to the mark.

I can understand what others see and appreciate in this flake, but it was not what I was expecting. It's not a sweet nor a creamy smoke. Still, it's not a terrible smoke, so I'll finish the tin and update my review if my opinion changes.

Update 07/17/13:

I do not find this an agreeable flake. I'm almost through the tin, and I have not had a single relaxing bowl: the cut is difficult to work with; it smokes very hot; it needed constant tending to. The flavor occupies a unique alto range that I like, but I suspect the honey turns the flake acrid rather than sweet when burning, which gives it a sharp character that is unpleasant to my tastebuds.

I've had a few sips that revealed its secrets to me, but it's too little reward for the effort: the flake requires such a slow smoking rhythm, is too acrid, and requires so much attention when burning that it's not worth the trouble.

That said, though I think it's not a smoke that most will enjoy, I suspect there are some for whom the flavor will hit the bullseye, since it is a quality flake that occupies a unique flavor profile. So I think it's worth the gamble for the serious virginia flake lover who wants to try something different in a medium-key smoke that's acrid but with hints of sweetness. But it's definitely not for me.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2017-07-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Manhattan Afternoon.

Medium brown, sweet smelling, easy to prepare, flakes.

The flavour would be perfect for a lazy day in the sun. A notable honey addition, but it isn't too strong. As well as the moderately applied sweet note, there's high quality Virginia leaf. I get no tongue bite, it burns well, and I find the temperature relatively low.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: super.

I've been looking for some blends to take on holiday with me and this will be one of them! Highly recommended:

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Three months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kaizoku (12)	2013-09-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

somewhat acrid, with a small hint of sweetness from the honey. as others have said it almost tastes like a barn.

smoking qualitys: burns very hot and needs a lot of attention whiles smoking it very slowly.

Im mostly a fan of burley, but i thought id like a light virginia for a change, cant really say im impressed by this blend unfortunatly.

appologies for my bad writing skills...this is not my native language.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PiedPiper1010 (16)	2019-01-17		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

If you are looking for a blend with a variety of tobaccos, you need NOT apply. This blend is EXACTLY what it says on the tin, i.e.; SIMPLY ELEGANT! So don't expect smokiness from latakia, or woodsy, spicy nuances of Turkish/Orientals, or undertones of dates and raisins you would get from Perique. Why you ask? Because, there are none of those tobaccos in this blend. hence the word SIMPLY, it's a derivative of simplicity. This is a Va blend with a touch of honey... that is IT. That said, this blend is for a pipe smoker who enjoys the taste and simplicity of pure Virginia tobacco. In this case Va flakes, with an added sweetness from the purest source mother nature provides us with-honey. That honey adds to the already sweet nature of the Virginia tobacco, in addition to nuances of earthiness, nuttiness, and a bit of hay. Yes HAY, like Virginia is suppose to taste like. There is a spiciness as well and I will agree there is a bit of tingle that hits your tongue, if puffed to quickly. The blend is certainly more enjoyable if smoked at a slow pace. I cannot understand why people do not take heed to what the label says. In other words, C & D did not produce this blend with any intention of it being complex, and therefore, in my humble opinion, does not take away from rating of the blend. I give a rating based on the tobacco that is in the tin, period. This tobacco does not deserve any lesser of a rating because it doesn't have the complexities of a Balkan or an English style blend. If want a burger with cheese, I order a cheeseburger. I don't order a hamburger and then complain it wasn't good because it didn't have cheese on it; it wasn't suppose to. Or, complain that Ragu or the "GRAVY' had meat in it, when I should have ordered marinara. Final word... This blend contains high quality Virginia tobacco, with a really nice added sweetness from the honey. If you are a VA lover or someone who is looking to veer off the path of just Aromatics, by all means this is an excellent blend to try. Additionally, if you are looking for a blend that is not so complex, that you don't have think too much about, that you want to take your time with and enjoy- this is it. I love all blends, I am huge fan of English and Balkan blends, and this blend was perfect for when I wanted something different from that. I could easily smoke this blend all day, it has just the right earthy, mellow blend, that if I had to sum it up in two words, for some reason "Simply Elegant" comes to mind. Wink.

Pipe Used: Petersons

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokling pipes

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2016-07-27		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Although monochromatic, the flavor is pretty nice. Hay and a touch of citrus with the honey adding sweetness and a very mild floral note. Heat and bite are the biggest problems. I managed to avoid both by either sipping or taking long, gentle draws and slowing my normal cadence by just a little. It's basically a pain in the ass for me to smoke. 2 stars.

Mild in body. Very mild flavoring. Mild to medium in taste. Burn isn't a problem at all.

Pipe Used: Ropp Tomato, MM Dwarf, MM Little Devil Cutty

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-02-15		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Yet another fantastic virginia blend from the Simply Elegant Series. Smooth, Sweet with a bold spice that lingers on your tongue. This blend is an excellent example of why virginia flake tobaccos are so popular. The addition of honey makes this a mouth wateringly sweet smoke while still retaining that spicy tang that C&D virginias are known for. An excellent all day smoke. Light, Sweet and interesting.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-04-16		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The blenders at C&D, not to mention their many happy customers, must have very different palates to mine. I won't judge their taste, and trust they'll extend me the same courtesy. This was yet again a disappointment to me. Imagine making a sandwich out of untoasted white bread and hay. That's about the flavor I got from this, no matter how dry or wet or rubbed out I smoked it. Toward the end of the tin, after it had dried out too much and had to be re-hydrated, there was more sweetness (perhaps really a muting of the other flavors, allowing the sweetness to come to the forefront) and more nicotene. That was better, but still nothing to write home about. I still have some C&D blends in my cellar and in my list to try, but so far my luck with them is dismal.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeKing David (134)	2008-11-09		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Good tobacco; basically Briar Fox with a light honey casing. The honey seems to mute any underlying complexity. So don't expect nuances of flavor. But it burns pretty well and doesn't bite. All in all, a solid choice but not a bell-ringer.

This somewhat reminds me of MacBaren burleys, but I like the Macs better because I find they have more depth. The Macs are, to me, just more interesting and satisfying.

Govern Yourself Accordingly,

SmokeKing David

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2018-07-17		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Had this particular tin since 06/07. Somehow this escaped being reviewed! Been smoking through this tin the last few days, and I am quite happy with how it has aged. Tin notes of pure tobacco and sour Virginas, with that honey sweetness in the background. Even at 11 years old, these flake are still moist and must be dried a bit after rubbing out. Packs nice and firm, the initial charring light requires a few attempts. Sipped slowly, this flake is nice and sweet, grassy VA notes with some tanginess. I had some company stop by while I was writing this review, so I set my pipe down for about an hour. This also DGT'd quite well. It can sting the tongue a bit if puffed too hard, even with this amount of age on it. If you love sweet and sour Va's, I have no doubt you'll enjoy this flake.

Age When Smoked: 11 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.Jones (9)	2017-12-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I must divide this review in two parts. I was impatient and I first smoked it fresh out of the tin: the taste was nothing to write home about, too plain. It burned too hot, I found the nicotine content to be too strong...I finished the bowl and the bad expience was certainly my fault, I didn't let it dry enough, but it left a bad impression.

I stored the flakes in a mason jar with the rest and forgot about it for five years.

Second try. I rubbed a flake -now very dry, but still ready to smoke-, packed the pipe and lighted it. The smoke was nice: mild taste, sweetness and grass, a rich smoke. The true surprise came at the middle of the bowl, when I truly detected some light hints of honey that persisted until the end. The pipe needed only a couple of relights, but other than this, it burned well and cool until the end and left just a light gray ash.

Let it dry a bit and smoke slowly, this flake will reward you with a cool, light and pleasant smoke. It's not strong and lacks the deep rich flavour of english blends, but it's a great mellow tobacco.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-02-24		Very Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Not what I expected, there are many better Virginia blends on the market, this was way too mild for my taste with hardly any note of honey. Has a somewhat barn taste - like wet grass clippings, didn't even finish the bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-03-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Searching through hordes of aromatics, I finally found a tobacco that could be smoked indoors, yet that still retained the "pure" tobacco taste. I enjoy a true aromatic on occasion, but this is great--it just straddles the line between aromatic and straight virginia, and allows me to get away with smoking it in the home without offending company. The flakes in the tin I received were lovely to look at, but did fall apart fairly easily. I will admit I am still a flake rookie, but I was able to get a nice bowl going. Upon lighting up, I was surprised to find that although the golden virginias were prominent, the honey was also more noticeable than I expected. However, this is not a negative trait about this tobacco--the honey and the golden virginia marry very nicely together and the experience as a whole was both pleasant and calming. The honey was by no means overpowering and lent itself nicely to a pleasing room note. This might still be too mild for some, and the virginias might not be "unspoilt" enough for the virginia purist. Still, I consistently enjoy it when it is too cold to smoke one of my more robust blends and makes for a nice variation and a peaceful evening. If you are interested in flakes, virginias, and don't mind a drop of honey in your pipe, do try this.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-11-14		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An anecdote: I sat on the landing over my building's mailboxes waiting for the postman to arrive. This is a blend I've wanted to try for six months, and yet I couldn't wait for it to get here.

The tin: I prefer the European-style screw-lid tins, and this was my first American tin. The artwork is lovely, and the neat little note inside made me overjoyed to try know the work that went into this blend. I took a big whiff. Plums plums plums. Almost the same smell as opening a bag of prunes. The flakes are thick and mostly intact, which I can't say from when I buy loose flakes from my tobacconist.

Packing and lighting: the flakes were moist and springy. I usually like mine a bit drier, but went ahead anyway...too excited to wait. They folded well and crumbled a bit, which made it easier to get into a small conical Kirsten bowl. It took a little work getting it lit, but it stayed lit and burned evenly.

The smoke: Again, plums. A very rich taste. No sign of any honey that I can detect. this burns very cool and no bite (my tongue is sensitive, so that's saying a lot), with no drying. Occasional hints of citrus, and a little bit of hay, but not as much as PS Luxury Navy, my usual go-to. Burns to a grey-white ash.

Room note: I gave that rating because I find that inevitably, with a few exceptions, pipe smoke goes stale very fast: aromatics smell like acrid chemicals and virginias smell a bit like cigarettes, so I'm being more objective than the average piper. The sidestream is strong, but the room during the smoke is leafy and sweet and really adds to the experience.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2009-08-28		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a very nice Virginian flake. The flakes rubbed out easily and the moisture content was just right.

In both the tin and in the smoke the Honey casing is barely noticeable but, it adds a subtle sweetness to your pallete. Try it with some Drambuie or nice cup of tea to enhance the honey effect even more. I got to bite at all from this one.

This is a nice light blend to relax with and enjoy your surroundings.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-07-22		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Another winner Flake from C&D. I love them all! The "honey" note comes through ever so slight as you smoke. This is all natural,delicious and sweet Golden Virginia tobacco. Pressed and sliced to perfection. Slices were completely intact and moisture was perfect. An easy rub, crumble and pack. I packed a large bowl two-thirds full and smoked for an hour and a half. It was perfection all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

I love Flake tobaccos, the way they burn, smell and taste. You can't go wrong with this one, either. A classic prepared to perfection. Four Stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	chgo.piper (37)	2009-03-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

sweet, light and tastey. pretty good smoke volume for being a lighter blend. To mild for me though.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2020-08-25		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Every time I say I’m giving up on Virginia’s, I find myself trying another. Seems I’m in search for a straight Virginia that can deliver an above average taste. This comes closer than most, but still falls short.

Right out of the tin, it looks better than most. Packs well. Lights very well. It might be the honey that allows it to deliver a bit more taste than most virginias. Alas, it doesn’t deliver enough for me to warrant a recommend.

No tongue bite and stays lit. Room not is OK for a non-aromatic.

I’ll enjoy the rest of the tin, but will not purchase again.

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2020-06-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

While at first I wasnt a big fan of this much like interlude, it grew on me. It is fuller in flavor then any other bright virginia with none of the grassy, hay notes that I usually get. The honey isn't noticeable but it does help add depth to the sweetness. Honestly I'd much prefer this over G L Pease Union Square. Its smoother and deeper and very creamy. It's a lot different then any other bright Virginia's that I've had. Definitely something to cellar back as it would age really well.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2020-01-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first venture into the Simply Elegant line. Tin doesn't have much age on it yet (3 months). Nice big broken flake pieces. Like the tin art which sets the mood for this one.

Tin note is hay/grass. Easy to stuff and fold a few broken flakes into one of my Virginia Flake pipes. Moisture straight from the tin seems fine, didn't require any drying time. Lighting was easy and it seemed to burn really well.

The honey sweetness was evident when lit. Reminded me of Sun Bear (which I love) but less complex without the tequila notes that one has.

As many of the other reviewers have mentioned this one burns a little hot. A sipping blend for sure which pairs up great with a glass of Bourbon on the Rocks or maybe even a Manhattan.

After a couple of bowls, I'll jar the rest up until this summer to give it a little time to age and I'll grab a few more tins to put in the cellar for later.

Pipe Used: sav 320, fat authors

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Sun Bear (Small Batch Series).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Yerna Fumpf (4)	2017-10-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Conjures a Spring afternoon in the country. An exceptionally refreshing experience. Manhattan Afternoon, despite the incongruent moniker, is a well-prepared flake of deep golden to very light whisky color, seems straight off a colonial farmer's homestead. Body is there, but flavor can be a little bland over time. Sometimes this is needed. I've packed it both by folding and rubbing out. There's a bit of residual moisture, so the prep can make a difference in burning. This is the perfect contrast if you generally smoke English blends as do I, and also an excellent relief from Aromatics. (The most I'll go there is Davidoff Danish.) It also blends amazingly well 60/40 with Yale Mixture, an English reputed to be the heir to old Craven mixture. Sue me if I blaspheme. Or try what you will. End of the day, this is a necessary in the cupboard.

Pipe Used: Barling Olde Wood billiard

Age When Smoked: 11 months

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: A straight All-American Virginia, similar though not identical to Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perdurabo (26)	2015-07-15		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Manhattan Afternoon is a golden Virginia with a touch of honey. Not very complex but inviting, the tin note reveals notes of Mead and Chardonnay. The tobacco arrived as a broken flake, with 4 to 5 flakes left intact, and dry.

The Virginia's in this blend do develop into a medium body smoke, but starts out with light hints of spice and hay notes. The honey topping isn't very prominent but reveals itself when the bready aromas develop midway to the end of the bowl. This flake needs to be sipped, not because of tongue bite but for the coaxing of flavors from the tobaccos. Probably not the Virginia for a Neophtyte.

Manhattan Afternnoon tends to give me the hiccups and the tightning of the throat, but not really packing a huge punch of Nicotine.

It's Golden Virginia's and if that's what your after, Manhattan Afternoon deliver's with a Simply Elegant Cornell and Diehl Style.

Pipe Used: Briar and Cobbs

Age When Smoked: Tin not dated

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mskywalker2000 (11)	2010-08-30		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bright Virginia, muted by honey. Honey does not particularly stick out.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2008-08-13		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Looked like an interesting Virginia flake but smoked too hot for me due to all the brights and honey added. Tried to age it for many months, but stayed about the same.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (306)	2007-11-26		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

These nicely prepared flakes are typical of the C&D craft and had an ideal moisture content from the tin for packing. It smoked cool and without bite from start to finish without any further rubout. In my larger sized bowls (5+), some condensation developed in the bottom 1/3 which spoiled the smoke. I didn't taste the honey but enjoyed the sweet tobacco taste. However, overall the smoke was one dimensional but may improve with aging.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-07-18		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

My dear wife and flew down to Charlotte, NC to visit our youngest son. And while there we drove up to Ashville, visited there and came down through the mountains on a secondary road, through Morganton, home on Cornell & Diehl.

Our visit to the Tarler's shop was the highlight of the excursion. The Tarlers are a delightful couple, and their crew was friendly and and informative. Craig walked me through their operation, explaining the different machines and processes, all the while quizzing me on the tobaccos I like, handing me tins to try.

One of those tins was Manhattan Afternoon. I have had several bowls and it is a very nice smoke. I just did not click with some other Cornell & Diehl blends in the past. Lately, I have been on a winning streak with them. Manhattan Afternoon is one of the winners.

If you try it, I think you will find it enjoyable. I also highly recommend a side trip to Morganton if you are ever in NC. Just call or email ahead to let them know you would like to visit. It is worth the time and gas.

The first reviewer gives a more thorough, analytical review than mine, check it out for the details. My less detailed judgment? "Two thumbs up."

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-07-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am honored to be the first to review this fine tobacco as well as to have sampled it during the Chicagoland 2007 show. I have already purchased and cellared alot of this tobac and for good reason; I believe that it can rate with the classics of virginias.

At this time, the tobacco is young but, with a couple of years aging, it shall get better and sweeter. There are similarities between Manhattan Afternoon (MA), SG's Best Brown Flake, SG's FVF, McClelland's Organically Grown Flake, and McClelland's Christmas Cheer. The latter four, in my opinion, are the gold standard for virginias. However, MA is a little anemic now and needs some age. Given that the virginias are all golden, this should be like smoking candy in 2009 and 2010. Nice hay-like smell. I'm excited!

aj

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-02-15		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

A pleasant, mild smoke.

The honey is not overwhelming and this one burns to nice, white ash.

I prefer my Virginias with a little more moxie but would not hesitate to recommend Manhattan Afternoon to someone looking for a milder, sweet smoke.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-09-13		Mild	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

I'm going to be presumptious and review MA and Interlude at the same time since they are quite similar and I'm giving them both three stars, even though neither of them is really my thing. They are both obviously well made of high quality tobaccos. Unlike at least one of my fellow reviewers, I like the semi-broken flakes. For me, though, the flavoring is just too strong to enjoy smoking either of them regularly. Someone with a better pallate might be able to taste the subtlties of the tobaccos through the casing through the flavoring but I really can't. Like others have said, though, this would be a great introduction to "real tobacco" for an aromatic smoker Plus, if I ever win the lottery, I will be buying several pounds of one of these to smooth out some of the the over latakiaed or overly nicotined blends that haunt my tobacco shelf.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-07-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

it smokes cool and smooth. the flavor is great. it has just enough honey to complement the tobacco but not overpower the subtle sweet flavor. i've been looking for an alternative to hal o' the wynd b/c of it's immense nicotine content. this blend is a good alternative yet not quite as fine as hal which to me is the bench mark.

the only downside is the absolutely BONKERS cut that C&D use for their flake tobacco. it would be nice to rub out into ribbons but instead you get tiny useless specks of tobacco. i've found smoking small pieces to burn faster and produce harsh bitter smoke. you must smoke this tobacco in broken flake form or fold large half flakes into your bowl. C&D should just sell this as a crumble cake like briar fox, blockade runner, etc. that's how the tobacco is cut anyway. at least then there would be a logical reason for the odd cut.

even with the wierd cut this is still a fantastic blend and well worth checking out.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-12-16		Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This has quickly become one of my favorites. I find it very mellow and delicious, a good relaxing smoke. I can't add much more to the favorable reviews ahead of me. No bite, no bitterness, just a good sweet Virginia.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-01-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

The fastest I've ever gone through a tin. This was my go to smoke for quite a while. Light and tasty. Highly recommended.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-01-01		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A nice, slightly sweet tobacco without being overly sweet. It takes awhile to get the packing of this one down correctly, but it burns very nice once you do. Light honey flavoring comes through and is very light. The taste of the tobacco is at the forefront, and is naturally sweet in and of itself. A nice Virginia.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-08-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

C&D's "Simply Elegant Series" is............. Yet another winner from the Tarler's at C&D. This is the sixth blend I have tried from this GREAT blender of fine tobaccos. I have rated each one 3-4 stars. M A is simply a fine golden Va. I detect no casing, only sweet mild tobacco. After drying and rubbing out I find that M A packs, lights easily, and burns cool. Briar Fox, and Sunday Picnic may be slightly better, but I will be buying more of this for now, and the cellar. It will only get better.........for now a give this one a solid *

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-10-25		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Of course, sweet gold Virginia leaf with a dose of honey in the flake. A very good Virginia, with a very beautiful, sweet and natural flavor, which makes me be sure that I was in a hurry to characterize FVF. It is a tobacco of high level which we have to supply in a good quantity and keep him at least 1-2 years. As the reviewers say, when it gets more mature, it will become more enjoyable. Dry till the end, it does not warm up the bowl, no coughing at all. P.S. I need a Joker guys, so I can visit their laboratory. The more you smoke, you understand that it is a TOBACCO. These kind of tobaccos, define to a large extend the smoking philosophy of each country. Americans smoke in a different way than the Europeans and the British.

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