A Review of Cornell and Diehl's Byzantium
Back when I first got in to pipe smoking (summer of 2021, iirc), I started smoking with a corncob and a bag of Backwoods Red pipe tobacco. Probably like a lot of new pipe smokers, I smoked way too fast and way too hot, and I burned the hell out of my tongue. I smoked through the whole bag of Backwoods Red, getting horrible tongue bite essentially every time. Then, I tried a bag of Redwoods Blue. Blue was supposedly a mellower and smoother blend, which I assumed meant it would be easier on my tongue. It's hard to remember that far back, but I don't think switching colors helped me all that much.
During that time, I did a bit of Googling on my phone and my computer about how to negate the tongue bite problem. Surely this wasn't a common problem? Because who the hell would smoke a pipe if it caused so much damage to their mouth?! Well, searching on Google gave me the solution: obviously the Virginias and/or the burley was the problem. "Well, I guess I better start buying blends without that crap in it," I decided.
So, a bit of Googling and searching on PipesAndCigars.com provided me with a list of blends with little or none of the tobaccos I was convinced was making pipe smoking miserable. I bought a handful of 1oz samples of some bulk blends and maybe some tins (I dont remember exactly what I bought waaaayyyy back then, and I'm not searching through 4ish years of P&C order history to figure it out :D ).
One of the blends in this first order was a 1oz baggie of Cornell and Diehl's Byzantium, a blend with NO Virginia and burley. I enjoyed it enough to buy more and look for more blends like it, which I learned were blends labelled as English and Balkan blends. Since then, I've tried more blends than I can remember, but Byzantium has been at the top of the list of my favorite blends since the beginning stages of my pipe smoking journey.
Now that I've bored everyone with an overly long introduction out of the way, I guess it's time for the review. This specific review is a review of Byzantium that has been sealed away in a jar since October 4th, 2022, so it's got about 2.5ish years of age on it on the day I'm making this review. Ageing tobacco is a discussion for another post, and I'm not going to bore anyone with the pros and cons of such a thing (and pipe smokers who've been smoking for any length of time probably have their own opinions on it, anyway, so there's no need to throw my own in to the mix).
The tin (jar? :D) note is quite strong. Just getting my nose anywhere near the opened jar is met with a strong musty pruny or plummy scent. Hiding underneath is a bit of leatheriness and smokiness. It definitely smells overwhelming, but I feel like it's a much more approachable blend than you'd guess just from smelling it.
For this review, I smoked it out of a Ranz Freehand pipe that I bought recently at the Muletown Pipe Show in Columbia, Tennessee. Once lit, I get earthy, and smokey notes. A bit of sourness comes across, too. Mingling with the flavors of the latakia and orientals is the same dark fruity flavor that's prominent in the tin note, a fairly noticeable pruny kind of flavor, which I assume is the allegedly sizable dose of Perique.
A bit further in to the bowl, the Perique seems to fade to a more spicy, peppery flavor. About this point in the smoke, I feel like the flavor was more savory than the beginning? But this might just be me trying too hard for things to write down than an actual flavor phenomenon.
Byzantium, in my opinion, is a smooth and blend that's strong in flavor. With about 2.5 years of age on it, I feel like it's much mellower and smoother than it is fresh. Fresh, if my memory serves me correctly, it has a bit more harshness and is a bit rougher around the edges. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to consider if it's a blend that's new to you. If you're not a fan of it fresh, put it in a mason jar and let it hang out a bit. Try it again in a few months and then in a few more until it's gone. Maybe you'll find out you like it better once it mellows out a bit. Or maybe you wont. Either way, you've learned this is a tobacco worth keeping around or not. And if you really just hate it, send me a DM and I'll pay the shipping cost so you can send it to me :D .
I feel like there's not a lot of complexity in the flavors of Byzantium. Yeah, the flavors are strong, but you can taste them easily and know what ingredients are causing the flavors. All in all, it's a strong in flavor but smooth blend that I can't ever imagine not having in my meager tobacco cellar. If you're a fan of English or Balkan blends, it's definitely worth pitting an oz or two in your next online order (or in person order if you're fortunate enough to live near a good pipe and cigar shop)
My professionally labeled jar of Byzantium from my tobacco cellar
The Ranz Freehand pipe I smoked it out of
Byzantium blend tobacco: exotically dark and fragrant
2087
jacobvanloon
dededos
kianamaiart
annaxmalina
