I'm pleased to be able to inaugurate this forum section with a short review of one of my favorite blends. In fact, Cumberland was the first blend that really wowed me.
There's nothing quite like Cumberland. If Cornell & Diehl's Old Joe Krantz is the ultimate rural American blend, then Cumberland is OJK's sophisticated city cousin. Like OJK, it starts out with fine red Virginias, sweet and tangy. Then the top-shelf Perique chimes in, but not quite as strongly as it does in OJK, adding its unique black-pepper-and-stewed-fruit flavor. But instead of a premium air-cured Burley, Greg Pease was inspired to add 20-year-old Kentucky (fire-cured Burley) to round out this blend, giving it a robust, smooth character all it's own.
The end result is complex, earthy but suave, potent, and comfortable. Cumberland is a tobacco to be slowly savored like a fine wine. It has a hefty nicotine punch, so there's no need to rush. Being a Burley-dominant blend, many like to fill a cob with Cumberland, and it does indeed taste very good in a Missouri Meerschaum. But I prefer to load up a Bjarne bent brandy and have a nice long relaxing session of contemplation and enjoyment. Whatever type of pipe you prefer, you can count on a satisfying smoke with this masterfully made blend.
There's nothing quite like Cumberland. If Cornell & Diehl's Old Joe Krantz is the ultimate rural American blend, then Cumberland is OJK's sophisticated city cousin. Like OJK, it starts out with fine red Virginias, sweet and tangy. Then the top-shelf Perique chimes in, but not quite as strongly as it does in OJK, adding its unique black-pepper-and-stewed-fruit flavor. But instead of a premium air-cured Burley, Greg Pease was inspired to add 20-year-old Kentucky (fire-cured Burley) to round out this blend, giving it a robust, smooth character all it's own.
The end result is complex, earthy but suave, potent, and comfortable. Cumberland is a tobacco to be slowly savored like a fine wine. It has a hefty nicotine punch, so there's no need to rush. Being a Burley-dominant blend, many like to fill a cob with Cumberland, and it does indeed taste very good in a Missouri Meerschaum. But I prefer to load up a Bjarne bent brandy and have a nice long relaxing session of contemplation and enjoyment. Whatever type of pipe you prefer, you can count on a satisfying smoke with this masterfully made blend.
