Light of the Universe (Or Olam)
Posted: 06 Oct 2022, 07:36
Light of the Universe (Or Olam) by Cornell & Diehl takes me back to a very singular experience.
About the series as a whole: I enjoy the Hebraica series by Cornell & Diehl. I like the whole lot immensely and believe these to be some of the most overlooked and underrated blends. These are all "full" blends with some assertive characteristics and subtle nuances; all a bit similar, obviously belonging together, yet each distinctive and possessing its own personality. The series comes from a collaboration between the late Craig Tarler and his long time friend William Serad. In collaboration, the two have created a number of C&D classics. William Serad was also a friend of Rabbi Ira Stone who asked Serad to put some blends together for him based on his favorites: Burley, Oriental and Perique. Thus the foundation of the series. I also like the themed tin art - I like the way the series has a particular tin aesthetic.
Paraphrased from the tin: Or Olam, or Light of the Universe is a take on the classic Virginia-Perique blend, marrying red and golden Virginias to spicy perique with added notes of exotic orientals and a touch of red Virginia Cavendish for a smooth, sweet finish.
Upon opening the tin one finds natural red, yellow, and brown tobaccos interspersed with black flecks and strands. The cut is classic C&D/Pease tending toward broad cut but finer than the C&D bulk cuts of the 90's. The scent is musty-sweet owing mostly, I imagine, to the Virginia and Orientals.
The first half of the bowl is a really interesting interplay between spicy and sweet notes from the Virginias, figgy and raisiny notes from the Perique and exotic spices from the Orientals. It's quite a dance and leave one's head spinning a bit if trying to pin this down to one particular flavor or profile. It's very interesting.
The second half of the bowl becomes much more harmonized and I'll liken the flavor to a slightly spicy root beer or sarsaparilla. Still interesting and flavorful but more settled allowing your head to clear.
Now, for that singular experience to which Or Olam takes me back: Dunhill blends have been many things over the years. When I started smoking a pipe in the early 90's I very quickly gravitated toward Dunhill tinned blends and believed those to be "Dunhill blends". They were not. They were made for Dunhill by Murray's, and not made by Dunhill. Later on, in the new millennium, BAT had the blends made by Scandinavian Tobacco Group after Murray's closed. The important take away here is that I am not likening this blend to any of those iterations. I made a point about 15 years ago, to try each of the Dunhill blends as they were made "by Dunhill" and not "for Dunhill". In the process I had some very interesting tobacco experiences. Or Olam takes me back to one of those tins: Early Morning Pipe made by Dunhill. That EMP by Dunhill tin had a fullness I'll never forget and wonderfully exotic flavors. It was like no other tobacco I had tried to date and like none I've tried since. Or Olam is not exactly like that blend but takes me back to it, more so than any other blend I've smoked. That is remarkable.
If you like natural spicy/sweet blends I'd give the whole Hebraica series a try, but I would certainly recommend trying Light of the Universe (Or Olam). I'd also give the blend time. The tobacco holds up in the tin a long, long time and may be more to your liking after a few months or a year as compared to when then tin was first opened. Put the lid on the tin to close it, then push down the center of the lid to squeeze a little more air out, then run your thumb with some pressure around the edge of the lid - that's kept C&D tobacco fresh, for me, for a year or more.
