Cornell & Diehl Rocking Chair

(2.57)
A classic Burley blend with a touch of Latakia and Perique to add zest plus stoved red Virginia for sweetness.
Notes: Discontinued Blend.

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Series Yahoo! Pipe Smokers Club
Blended By Yahoo! Pipe Smoking Group
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type American
Contents Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Ribbon
Packaging 2oz Tin, Bulk
Country United States
Production No longer in production

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.57 / 4
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Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 11, 2014 Mild None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
It is always strange to review a limited-production blend that is no longer being made, as you know that not very many people will be smoking it and not that many people will be reading your review, but here goes. I bought this tin on e-bay at a higher price than I normally pay ($15.50) based mainly on the wonderful tin art. I subsequently put it on my table for sale at the 2013 NASPC show at a fifty-cent loss price, but no one paid any attention to it. I took it with me to the 2014 St. Louis show and put it out on my table at $10.00 - no one paid any attention to it! So, I took it home and decided to open it at my first opportunity.

I don't have that much experience with burley-based blends, so I didn't quite know what to expect as I popped the top. Hmm - a blend that was uniformly solid tobacco brown in color - none of the varigation mentioned by another reviewer. The cut was interesting - mostly thicker short strands with a portion of rolled-up ball-like components that seemed, to my touch, wetter than the strands. The aroma was wonderful with a sort of mild sourness overlaying the normal tobacco aromas. I thought "this is going to be interesting". It wasn't. The taste and smoke aroma of this blend were weak and somewhat thin and I didn't understand it. I puffed and I puffed but just a weak and thin smoke - not at all the burley lion I imagined it was going to be. In this aspect, I seem to be in total agreement with the other three reviewers - not a bad blend, just a weak blend. That's why I'm rating it two stars.

Now for the part that saves this blend. I am an english microblender and I discovered that Rocking Chair worked beautifully in the blending process, giving my little blends a wonderful burley component to their aromas that was truly enjoyable. RC has caused me to think about using other burley-based blends in microblending and, if I ever get another chance to buy more tins of it - I will.

And, oh, to Backwoods Piper's question about the qualities of an aged tin; zip - the additional years didn't improve on the blend's weakness and thin taste at all.
Pipe Used: Jacono four-square saddle-bit billiard
PurchasedFrom: an internet seller in 2013
Age When Smoked: 12 yrs. old
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 29, 2017 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant
I've not posted any reviews of C&D blends over the past couple of years although I have nearly 100 of them in my personal tobacco log. So, I am running through them as I get time to transcribe here on my favorite place to hang out and blab with my fingers. (-;

I don't mind telling you that I loved this Rocking Chair and smoked it many years ago when it was in production and I was a contributing member of the Yahoo group it was made for. Latakia and Burley prevail and the Perique fans its gill plates with every puff. A nicotine laden blend that some found over the top. I joyously poured it over the top of my pipes as I crammed that good stuff in there. Strength and flavor in that Rocking Chair. And yes, you know you had a VaPer with Latakia when you smoked it.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
May 14, 2018 Medium None Detected Full Tolerable
What a nice and unique blend this is...., and what a shame it's discontinued! The stars in here are the Burleys and Perique, and I suspect the red Virginias to play an important role to the flavor, just as the Latakia is an important condiment for me.

The tin-note is that of a typical C&D burley blend: Richly earthy, slightly nutty, and due to the addition of Latakia it also holds a subtle woodsy smokiness, that albeit of its mild addition has quite an impact on this blend. Just a hint of sweetness, and you can already make out the Perique with its peppery spice in the back.

It takes a few puffs to develop its full complexity and depth, but when it does... oh my.. buckle up.. a most pleasing ride is awaiting the Burley lover! Starting out with the intense earthiness which I love about the C&D Burley leafs, the blend quickly gains nuances and depth. The smoky Latakia is everpresent, yet always in the back, rounding and enhancing the Burleys tart characteristics. Then the Perique kicks in and here it get's magical: In interplay with the smoothly sweet red Virginias, the Perique offers a lot of fruitiness and spice. In combination with the Burley it's like having a bag of nuts and dried fruits in your pipe. Delicious nuttiness, paired with the slightly fermented fruit quality of the Perique - it works so damn well for me! Underscored by the slight smokiness the Latakia offers it's like having nuts and dried fruits with a smoky Scotch alongside. Don't get this wrong, its not alcohol-ish in taste! But the hint of smoke and wood gives this Whiskey-y/Scotch-y feeling to me.

Really nice taste, I love it! All components melt into a very unique, very tasteful and richly complex smoke. Earthy and nutty Burley in the front, closely followed by the Perique's pepper and rich fruitiness, a touch of smoe from the Latakia and balanced out by the smooth Virginia sweetness. This one really hit me by surprise. I didn't had any expectations smoking this, but it turned out to be a hidden gem for my palate. It's a pity this blend is no longer in production, and I'll savour my 2oz tin as long as I can! If you can get ahold of a tin - try it!
Pipe Used: Clays, Cobs, Briars, Morta, Meer
Age When Smoked: tin from 2016
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 25, 2009 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Well, I will never be converted to burley, but Cornell & Diehl comes the closest. Had a well-aged bowl with a cheap Merlot tonight, and the bitterness and down-home rustic nature of this blend hit the spot. Can't say I love it, like I love Sunday Picnic, but I will enjoy my tin as a change-up smoke. The Latakia and Perique are in the background, as is the Virginia-burley predominates. I would stick to Virginias, but C&D makes such interesting burley blends that I can't resist-and you can't beat the tin art. However, this one does not seem to be their most interesting burley blend. Oh yes-despite the bitter/stale nut taste of the burley, this smokes clean and smooth.

1-18-10 Had a big bowl of this today. Burley, burley, burley! As to Backwoods Piper below wanting to know what an aged tin tastes like, my tin is seven years old. It tastes like burley. Seems a bit age-mellowed, but then I have never had a fresh tin of this one. It is higher quality than PA, but not by too much, considering that is five times the price. For my next bowl, I am going to wash out my mouth with a nice sweet Virginia.

4-20-10 Finishing the tin. I still feel pretty much the same about it, but nevertheless am upgrading to three stars. The quality is there, it's just not my favorite style of tobacco.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 10, 2006 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild Tolerable
I am writing this review while smoking my first bowlful of this blend. This is my first experience with Cornell & Diehl tobaccos. I have heard and read so many good things about C&D I had to give them a try.

I have never been a big fan of straight non topped or non cased burly blends. This one however is ok. Upon opening the tin I was quite happy with the aroma of Latakia and Perique. Visually it was easy to discern its a predominantly burly tobacco with some added kicks. Colors ranging from almost black to dark and predominantly light browns with a faint haze of red. The light up of this blend is very easy, humidity just right. It burns well with volumes of smoke. The flavor however at first impression is a bit flat relative to the tin aroma. Upon the finish it seems almost mild cigar like. It burned to a nice mottled grey ash. The room note was pleasant to me and probably tolerable to most.

I am looking forward to subsequent bowls of this blend. I just received an order of new cobs and think this blend may fare well to a dedicated cobb. I will definitely update this review and try a few more C&D favorites!

Update


I have smoked a third of this tin.....its taken a while. I guess this blend is not for me. This blend is a burly that just doesn't satisfy. Every bowlful has left me hangin. I keep expecting more flavor and it just never delivers. It must be smoked slower like a good English. When smoked too fast it just gets hot and tastes rather sour but when sipped never delivers the satisfaction I am looking for from slow smoking relaxation blend. I have given this one a whirl in a Cob, nicely caked Savinelli Brier (dedicated to English blends) and my Danish Freehand and experienced the same results.

In summary, its not poor enough to give or throw away but I don't see myself buying this blend again or making it part of my rotation. Perhaps a good aging would help this blend out. If anyone tries I would enjoy seeing your summary and review of the aged version.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 03, 2022 Mild to Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
As I work through my stash I guess I am destined to write reviews of pipe tobacco which is no longer produced. This tin was 12 years old and while I don't think the age hurt it, don't feel like it added much either. This is a burley forward blend with virginia, perique and latakia used as condiments. Burley is definitely driving this bus. The other flavors are there, but they seem to make brief appearances throughout the smoke. The smoke seemed a little thin, I expected more from this combo. Not bad and I will certainly finish the tin but would not make my rotation if it was still around. If you find an available tin still around somewhere I can only assume it would be way over priced for the smoke you are getting. It's more interesting than a straight up burley but that's about it.
Pipe Used: Savinelli
PurchasedFrom: Smoking Pipes
Age When Smoked: 12 years
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 22, 2009 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild Pleasant to Tolerable
This is a somewhat bland American-English mixture that is, sadly, a pale shadow of C&D's blends in this category. It's not at all bad, but it simply has very little in the way of flavor. Morley's Best, Old Hollywood, and Walter Franklin are far superior products and two of them are available in bulk.
1 person found this review helpful.
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