Aaron L.
Badges

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning 2oz
Excellent
This blend fits every occasion. It’s tame with a wild side. This blend did very well with 1 year of age. I believe this will be a true bombshell in 5 years. Even with a year of age on it, it’s super smooth, no bite, flavor holds up very well to a charcoal filter. I can throw this in any pipe and it performs great. If you can’t handle a Perique forward blend, this is not for you. It’s not as rich flavored as the flake version, but still a wonderful easy burning blend.

G. L. Pease - Chelsea Morning 2oz
Breakfast Blend
This blend is very well engineered. No tongue bite, no rough edges when fresh, plenty of nuanced. Can be an everyday all day blend. The Latakia in this is present and appropriately metered in. The Latakia is a component rather than a condiment. I love how it plays with the Perique and Turkish. I believe I could enjoy this year round.

Hearth & Home - El Niño 1.75oz
Great Blend
This blend is deep and rich with flavor. Great medium-full flavor profile with the great intermingling of the Kentucky and Latakia setting the tone, the Virginia Perique and cavendish are all working very well together. This blend has aged well in the year I’ve cellared it. Looking forward to more tasty smokes.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Kentucky
Blending Component
This is my second review on this, but I had to share. I throughly enjoy this blend in the morning with a cup of strong black coffee. But I was looking for a bit of a change up for the rotation. So I blended by weight 60% Kendal Kentucky and 40% Yorktown (C&D) and have made something quite extraordinary.

Ashton - Consummate Gentleman 50g
Coffee Pairing
I would put this at a mild-medium flavor profile, slightly above EMP. I will give credit to the uptick in flavor to the burleys, which are phenomenal quality in this blend. I was fully expecting these to be rough around the edges and harsh, but I am happy to report, I was wrong. Now in all fairness, my tin had a year of age on it. But wow this and EMP are my morning go-to’s.

Cornell & Diehl - Eight State Burley 2oz
Oh my…
Wow. This is a prime example of what a fantastic blender and team C&D has. This blend is a hit on multiple levels. The burleys are gentle and create minimal bite (even to a sensitive palette like mine) the casing/topping is well engineered and perfectly metered throughout. You can always taste it in the background while the components are performing. Sip it, and you’ll get the best results. We need to reflect on how good we have it thanks to C&D.

Cornell & Diehl - Comfort 2oz
Oh Sleeper
I haven’t been able to put this down since j cracked the tin. Absolutely phenomenal and, as the name suggests, comforting. Enough of everything to keep you sipping your problem away. I’ll be discretely stashing this back for future enjoyment!

Cornell & Diehl - Red Carpet 2oz
VaPer+
I do not want mislead you. When I received my tin of this, it was only 1 month old, and boy howdy, it bit the fire out of me on first light. Set it in a mason jar and waiting 4 months and it has made a tremendous impact. The bite is null and void. The flavor has bloomed and the perique is in full force. The measure of Perique in here seems to be a step down from Bayou Morning Flake. I can see this becoming an incredible blend in a year or two.

Cornell & Diehl - Sansepolcro 2oz
Dang it Bobby
This is a luscious dark rich flavor profile with almost no rough edges to be detected. Goes amazing with coffee, as any dfk blend should. Surprisingly gentle on the palette despite the robust flavor. Holds up very well to a charcoal filter.

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia 1.75oz
First Impressions:
Preface: I have a very sensitive palette, if it’s gonna bite, I’ll find it. Tin Note: fresh cut grass/hay/spring time in a can Taste is a light earthy/woody notes/subtle dark fruit influences/mild sweetness. My tin was opened with 6 months of age and I enjoyed every puff without any bite. It’s a pure and simple Virginia flake that’s well executed. Burns slow, and will be a staple for me now!

Cornell & Diehl - Blue Ridge 2oz
Wow
This blend is deep and rich. No harsh or rough edges, no bite. Goes well with or without a charcoal filter, stays lit very well. For best flavor output gently sip this blend and really get the most out of this. I do wish this were available in larger tins. Yet another home run from C&D!

Cornell & Diehl - Yorktown
Takin’ it easy
Took a chance on 4oz and I was greeted with the tangy, ketechupish, and perfectly moisturized tobacco. I can tell this doesn’t have much or any humectants added, no flavorings, just a beautiful delicate blend of Virginias that don’t bite and don’t get harsh. No need to rush this one, it’ll pass by all too soon. So take it easy and enjoy this one and unwind. You deserve it.

Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox 16oz
Old Friend
This is as reliable as that old friend you’ve had since your youth. No matter what the trouble, they’re there for you. This blend isn’t overly complicated. To it isn’t nuanced, simply isn’t true. This just has great consistency with no tongue bite or harshness. Smokes well in every shaped/size pipe I’ve put it in so far, burns well with minimal relights. Very smooth and comfortable the whole time. Very pleased to see they have a 16oz brick!

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning 2oz
Easy Choice
I’ve been looking for a few blends to act as primary staples that would become my rotation. This blend does NOT punch you in the mouth with Perique, however you will take a plunge into a warm inviting bowl of it when this is selected. No bite, smooth easy burning. Will likely do phenomenal with age!

Cornell & Diehl - Kajun Kake 8oz
Brick it
To describe this blend is to describe the easement of troubles of a difficult day. The components, in this blend, upon first light give way to quality and thoughtfulness of the blender and manufacturer who created it. This smooth, slightly sweet yet robust blend is marvelous without the first sign of aggression or rough edges. The Perique quantity in this is perfectly married to the Virginias so there isn’t any overpowering or oppression that can come with heavy Perique blends. I do wish they made this in 16oz bricks.

Cornell & Diehl - Old Joe Krantz Blue Label 8oz
Default
This has become my blend I use when I cannot decide what I want to smoke. This is smooth and comforting. The flavor isn’t overly complex, but it’s as comforting as your grandmas cooking and sweet tea after a hard days work. This isn’t a sweet blend, it’s definitely a burley lovers blend. It has a rough edge or 2, but keep your cadence under control and you won’t find them. This isn’t going to blow your mind but it will be rock solid when you call upon it. Dried to a crisp or slightly moist it’s just what you were looking for!

Warped - Cloud Hopper 2oz
Va/Per/Gar
To me, first and foremost, this blend is an amazing Va/Per flake. It’s simply enhanced with cigar leaf. The cigar leaf is present, but not how you’d expect, it’s so much better than that. I am a regular cigar smoker (5-7 a week) so I can safely say this doesn’t taste like a cigar (Semois tastes more like cigar than anything). But this is an amazing Va/Per/Gar and I truly believe this blend would be missing something magnificent if the cigar leaf was removed; however still plenty amazing despite the hypothetical loss. To me the cigar adds more to the room note,mouth-feel, retrohale, and sprinkles of nuances in the after taste.. Which takes this Va/Per to a level it couldn’t achieve otherwise. This kinda tastes like Bayou Morning Flake + Cigar; and it’s fantastic.

Mac Baren - HH Burley Flake 3.5oz
Comfort Blends
This blends goes well with a good cup of coffee in the evening on a cool night with some easy listening music. I prefer this in a .80” x 1.3” bowl. This burns slow even when dried out and rubbed out. I use charcoal filters when I smoke, and this has sufficient flavor to survive the filter. Burns cool and no bite (when dried a bit) even when freight training it. Consistent flavor all the way down, and minimal relights. I suggest this blend to anyone curious in burleys.

Missouri Meerschaum - Mark Twain Bent (6mm)
Daily Driver
I swapped the stem to the “danish” style stems. I love corn cob pipes; and out of the cob styles I own, this is my favorite shape. It smokes perfectly every dang time. Matter of fact, I smoke this exact shape every other morning with my coffee. For those of you who burn out your cobs, this has good thick walls, that really help absorb heat and feel good in the palm.

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning Flake 2oz
GOOD MORNING
This blend keeps knocking my socks off. I’ve now lost 3 pairs of socks due to my shoes not being laced up very well. I smoke this with a charcoal filter (this blend has enough flavor to survive the filter) , but I’ve inadvertently smoked without one and did not have a problem with bite or discomfort. C&D have truly figured something out with this blend. Fold-n’-Stuff or rub it to pieces, it has such a good savory Perique flavor and the retro-hale is phenomenal. I was afraid the 25% Perique was going to make it unpalatable. Boy howdy, I’m glad I was wrong on that!

Cornell & Diehl - Pegasus
Quintessential
The subtle sweetness from the cavendish makes a very pleasant companion to the Burley's and Virginia’s. I feel that if I had 2 blends to introduce someone to a burley blend that they can confidently order by the pound, this is what I point to. Worth the hype, just as much as Haunted Bookshop.

Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop 8oz
Green Eggs and Ham
Worth the hype. I can go on about how cool it smokes. I can go on about how each bowl is another wonderfully rich experience. I can go on even more about how little bite it renders on a rather sensitive palate with or without a charcoal filter. I like this in a cob, I like it in a briar. Why, if I could batter it, I’d try it in my deep fryer. I like green eggs and ham, Sam I am. I will smoke it in the rain, and in the dark, and on a train, and in a car, and in a tree! It is so good, so good, you see! I will cellar it under my floor, and behind my closet door. I might even store it in my drawers!

Cornell & Diehl Tins - Nutcracker 2oz
Pleasantly Surprised
It’s been my luck, that I have not enjoyed these promo offerings. However, this blend has been quite pleasant. Great burley flavor, not harsh, minimal rough edges. If I could buy this year round, I’d keep a tin or two! Update: this blend has completely won me over. This is my favorite burley flake thus far. It’s not too over the top on flavor or strength. But it’s sufficient enough to survive a charcoal filter. Goes great on a cold evening with a dram.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Kendal Kentucky
Deep
This has just enough vitamin N to really put you in that deep contemplative mood. The mood where you can really relax and breathe easy for a bit, and maybe read the rest of that book you’ve been wanting to pick up. Or perhaps just write an extensive review on this heavenly tobacco as you listen to some of your favorite music. It pairs so well with black coffee, it nearly draws a tear of thankfulness. It has a full robust flavor, burns well (with a little bit of dry time) and makes for such a darn good time. I will make every effort to put some in my cart every time I place an order on here. I get tongue bite just thinking about tongue bite. Yet this hasn’t yielded any. Even if it did, I’d probably just take some ibuprofen and deal with it.

Tabac De La Semois - Reserve du Patron 3.5oz
Amazing
This reminds me of the characteristics of Nicaraguan tobacco. I can think of a particular blender who uses leaf with similar nuances. Despite the common nuances, it most certainly isn’t cigar, make no mistake. Rather, this is a stand alone product with the strength and power of a medium-full/full bodied cigar. With flavor notes similar to that of a cigar, but on a completely different melody and octave, that you’d never find in a cigar. It’s amazingly refreshing. Even if you misbehave and get carried away into the sunset with this, it will let you know your doing something wrong, but it’ll still let you have some fun anyway.

Lighters - Rattray's Pipe Lighter - Bel Black Matte
Essential Equipment
This lighter is perfectly sized. Flame is easily dialed in to your desired intensity and reach. Holds a good amount of fuel. Easy to light. Feels wonderful in the hand and looks good!

BriarWorks - Country Lawyer 2oz
Cognitive Catalyst
I've let this blend dwell in my cellar for a 5 months now. I come back to this blend after a round of English blends that sing the same tune every bowl. When I come back to this blend I can rely on new flavors that unfold and develop as I enjoy this in my Savinelli 122 or my Peterson 606. I find these to be great companions for this blend due to their inability to distort or dilute the flavor in a negative way. For all the components that are housed in this blend, it offers no bite to be had (and I smoke this like there's a pot of gold at the bottom of my bowl). As predisposed as I am to tongue bite, my tongue is only swaddled by the medley of flavors. Despite this sounding like a daily burner, I do reserve this for when I get quiet and just want to do some flavor spotting.

Peter Stokkebye - PS17 English Luxury
Not too bad!
There is nothing more that tickles my fancy than a full bodied English that has a plethora of nuances that all play together. To me, this does beautifully in my Savinelli 122 or Peterson 606. The wider bowls really help this blend open up and show all of its potential like a well conducted orchestra. It also does just fine in narrower bowl, but that performs more like an unfold plot which is quite enjoyable too. The burley and black cavendish, to me, dance around in this blend and bring it a unique flavor experience. It does tend to bite a bit. I will come back after a couple years and revisit.

Kramer's - Father Dempsey
Morning Companion
I just thought I had a beautiful English blend picked out for my morning cups of coffee. Then I had this, and completely changed my coffee companion. This blend smokes, to me, best in a .80" or wider bowl. **update** This blend is comes to life using the Delayed Gratification method.

Sutliff - 504C Aromatic English
Bliss
I was looking for an English blend that had a pleasant aroma so I could enjoy this around my family. The room note on this is intoxicatingly good. The taste is exceptional, burn is marvelous. I am VERY prone to tongue bite, fortunately this had none to be found, and I was quite viciously sipping at this! I will be buying more to cellar. For the cost, availability, and overall experience, this was a win for me. This does require some additional dry due to the topping/casing.

Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening
Front Porch Delight
I have a bowl of this in a dedicated corn cob pipe for this blend only, and I truly enjoy this blend in the morning. This blend is a good medium bodied flavor. Negligible amount of Vitamin N, so I often enjoy on an empty stomach with a cup of coffee and some solitude.

Sutliff - Cringle Flake 2022 1.5oz
Great blend
This was my 2nd ever pipe tobacco to smoke. Even with my poor piping skills, this made for a very good learning curve experience. Lit well, tasted great. Will be buying more to cellar!

Cobblestone - Outdoors Hiking 1.75oz
She's a Keeper
This wonderful medley of burley was my 1st pipe tobacco ever. And even with the severe magnitude of my piping incompetence, it was still absolutely delightful. Thank you, veteran pipe smokers for rating this so highly, you solidified my new found hobby.