Cornell & Diehl Sea Dog (Scoundrel Series) claims to be an English blend. That’s where my confusion about it starts. While it does contain some tobacco commonly found in English blends, the proportions seem to be all wrong. Most English blends I know contain Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia – in that order of use. Sea Dog missed the memo on what English blends contain.
I looked at the tin and on tobaccoreviews.com and they both say Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia. Now, when I think English blend, I think Latakia heavy blends with Virginias and Oriental/Turkish leaf as a condiment. Of course, that is wrong thinking. I recently surveyed the contents of some English Blends I smoke and found they are all different except for the Latakia. English blends may contain Virginias or they don’t, for example. Some may have Cavendish and some don’t. You find Orientals/Turkish or Perique in some English blends and don’t in others. (One of these days I will have to do a study on just what makes an English blend.)
I opened my tin of Sea Dog (purchased from smokingpipes.com) in January and have less than half a jar left. When I open the jar, I smell a wonderful aroma of a sweet, smoky tobacco with just a hint of grassiness. If not for the Latakia, to my nose, it’s reminiscent of Amphora (without the topping) or Prince Albert. Take out the burley and I find something very close to Rattray’s Red Rapparee which is a Scottish blend.
What I think of Sea Dog
Sea Dog is a good ribbon cut that I have no problem packing into a bowl. The first couple of puffs upon lighting is the smoky Latakia and Oriental/Turkish leaf floating on top of the burley and black Cavendish. After the initial puffs, the Oriental/Turkish melds into the background to me, sort of like putting a half teaspoon of sugar into a cup of black coffee. The Virginias appears as a slight sourness at the backend of the puff.
I didn’t notice enough of a change in flavor or aroma in the top 2/3rds of the bowl, but I do get something different from the bottom third. The first time, I thought it was turning ashy but the more I smoke it, the more I start thinking of a good Connecticut wrapper cigar. I found it to be of medium strength that builds to a stronger nicotine hit as I get to the bottom of the bowl.
Sea Dog is one of three blends in the Scoundrel Series produced by Cornell & Diehl. Pirate Kake and Privateer are the other two blends and basically, they are very similar to each other. While I found Pirate Kake reviews dating back to 2004, there are no reviews for Privateer and Sea Dog. Where Sea Dog contains Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish and Virginia, Privateer doesn’t have the Oriental/Turkish leaf and Pirate Kake leaves out the black Cavendish and Virginia. As soon as I can, I plan on smoking all three on the same day to do a comparison.
I will buy Sea Dog again. It may not be an everyday smoke for me, but then again, I don’t smoke English blends daily.
Disclaimer:
Of course, these are my opinions based on my smoking Sea Dog in different pipes – clay, meerschaum, briar and corn cob – at different times of the day and different weather conditions. Your results and/or opinion may differ.
(© J. Gibson Creative Services, April 4, 2018)
