Tobacco Review: C&D Murphy's Mistake

Back in the JFH days, we sold a ton of Cornell & Diehl pipe tobacco. I first met Craig and Patti at the St. Louis pipe show in 1995 (I believe--the years run together sometimes) where I first tried some of their blends. They had some great blends with such whimsical names as Bow-Legged Bear, Cross-Eyed Cricket and Junk Yard Dawg. To this day I still enjoy the Cross-eyed Cricket and Pennington Gap both of which I tried at that show. Of course I also enjoy many of their newer blends; in fact I just bought a pound of Autumn Evening.

When I decided to introduce Cornell & Diehl blends at the store, Craig and Patti were very kind and sent 10 different jars full of samples for the customers to try. There were always friendly and eager to help with any ideas or problems I had and I truly believe that they are some of the finest folks in the tobacco business. One day, I may actually get out to their new blending facilities and see what all they are blending now.

Murphy's Mistake is simply that--a mistake in a blending run. A few years earlier, Cornell & Diehl had similar batch they named "Santa's Mistake" (released around Christmas) that is now quite collectible. This time, they tinned and released Murphy's Mistake in March '09 to cater to the St Patrick's Day crowd and it is starting to be just as sought after. Here's the manufacturer's description:

We can’t tell you which blend it was supposed to be but we can say it’s a full English that’s smooth and creamy and, just like with Santa’s Mistake, while different from what it was supposed to be Murphy’s is an excellent blend in its own right. We can’t say it enough, quantities are limited so call or e-mail for yours today!

Review
This blend is attractive with black Cavendish cuts with what appears to be red and golden Virginia ribbons as well as dark latakia. The blend was a wonderful sweet-sour aroma and this flavor develops throughout the bowl. The 'baccy takes to the match and is easy to light even though it is moist. As the bowl progresses, the flavor develops a creamy, malty texture that has a sweet citrus hint that is delightful. Throughout the smoke, the lively flavors shift between sweet and sour and well a tangy, salty and creamy. As it burns down to a heavy mottled gray ash, the flavors stay lively and true to the first light while the room note reminds me distinctly of burning leaves in autumn.

This is a great, smooth, rich, full English blend that is complex and certainly keeps your interest throughout the bowl. I would recommend that you grab a tin while they are still relatively cheap. I like it!

Rating: 4 Puffs out of 5

-Safari Bob