Star of the East
Star of the East begins with a base of 50% Latakia and is complemented by generous layers of Turkish tobacco and naturally sweet Red Virginia Cavendish for an unusually deep and full smoke. A long-time favorite of Cornell & Diehl customers.
Characterisation:
The small, round tin Star of the East is - typically for the company - closed with a ring-pull closure and an additional plastic lid. If you want to store the opened tobacco for longer time, you should transfer it to an airtight container. Under the cover sheet you will find the mixture wrapped in cardboard again. The fibers are medium and dark brown, with a small amount of lighter tobacco. The cut is of different lengths and widths, sometimes also frizzy. If you sniff the open tin, you will notice the sweet, smoky scent that is typical of English blends with Latakia. If you let the tobacco dry a little before plugging, you will make both the preparation and the smoking process easier.
Plugging:
The Star of the East should be plugged carefully. The curly fibers require space in the pipe, so you shouldn't choose it too small. If you allow air to rise and room to develop, then a good filling will succeed.
Light up:
Slightly pre-dried and carefully plugged, the Star of the East can be easily lit. After the first flame, smooth the surface a little with the tamper and use the second flame to ensure a constant glow.
Smoking properties:
The smoke of the Star of the East is noticeably soft and cool due to the Latakia. It can also be tasted with a fine, ethereal note. The Oriental contributes a pleasant herbal spice. The Virginia comes with typical roasted bread aromas, which rounds the whole thing off nicely. Overall, the resulting taste is a rather light, but still typical English mixture. Unlike some tobaccos of this type, the Star of the East can be smoked comfortably. It also doesn't undergo any significant changes in taste and in the end you only have to clean some light ash and hardly any condensate.
Redolency:
As is usual with an English mixture, the room note of the tobacco is clearly noticeable. Although the Star of the East is not overly harsh or stressful, it is still not suitable for every company.
Conclusion:
The Star of the East is a mixture of differently sized fibers in darker shades of brown. In the smoke, however, the tobacco turns out to be rather light in color. Soft and cool, the Star of the East flatters with ethereal Latakia, herbal Oriental and the toasted bread notes of Virginia. The tobacco delivers the expected aromas of an English blend and is unobtrusive in the best sense of the word. You should only take some time to prepare, but if you master this, the Star of the East is definitely suitable for beginners. More experienced smokers will appreciate the tobacco as being well suited to any occasion.
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