Cornell & Diehl Crowley's Best

(2.91)
Named for the famed Walter Crowley of Fordham's football glory days, this is a medium strength mixture of burley, Latakia, and perique in an uncommonly harmonious natural blend. (A mixture for you, the old Fordham fans!)

Details

Brand Cornell & Diehl
Blended By Cornell & Diehl
Manufactured By Cornell & Diehl
Blend Type American
Contents Burley, Latakia, Perique
Flavoring
Cut Coarse Cut
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

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

Average Rating

2.91 / 4
13

7

8

4

Reviews

Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 32 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 14, 2014 Medium to Strong Very Mild Medium to Full Pleasant
I'm really starting to like these Latakia/Burley blends and this one is superb. Starts with a good balance between the two in the first third. Second third the Burley dominates just slightly. Last third the Latakia makes a comeback bringing it back into balance. The Perique is light throughout. There is an ample amount of sweetness which is much welcome. Great smoke.
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
PurchasedFrom: smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: fresh bulk
18 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Feb 18, 2006 Mild None Detected Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Remove Virginia and insert Burley. Presto, you've got yourself an untraditional English blend that deserves a shot simply for its unique nature.

It burns cool, clean, dry, and faster than a speeding bullet with a strange although not unpleasant bitter Burley/Latakia finish.

I don't think this one qualifies as a bell ringer.
13 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 23, 2015 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
I’m not quite sure why it’s taken me so long to try this particular blend from C&D. They certainly have a myriad of blends but I tend towards burley plus “something extra”. Two perfect examples are Old Joe Krantz and Pegasus. They epitomize burley plus “something extra” but in different ways. Old Joe Krantz showcases what perique and Virginia can do in a burley blend and Pegasus focuses on Virginia and unsweetened black Cavendish additions. Both are superb but I’ve still been searching for the gap in my rotation that involves burley with latakia and “something extra”. Enter Crowley’s Best.

This blend is much like any other C&D tobacco in terms of moisture and cut. The cut is a chunky ribbon cut and the tobacco moisture is just right although I tend to load up my pipe the night before and let it sit out to help with lighting. Crowley’s Best lights easily, gives a quick burst of latakia and then quickly smooths out into a nutty (think walnut) taste backed up by a slight sweetness. The perique usually doesn’t enter into the fray until the very end of the bowl and adds a slightly spicy and musty character. The latakia is in the background and the components really do act quite harmoniously. The blend seems to burn a little fast but my pipe never gets hot and seems to smolder nicely with a slow smoking cadence. The burley is top notch and every now and again gives a nice dark chocolate note in the nose.

Crowley’s Best fills, for me, the gap that couldn’t be filled by Morley’s Best and Junkyard Dawg. Crowley’s Best is more approachable than the two aforementioned blends since Morley’s Best can be bitingly bitter at times while Junkyard Dawg can nip the tongue because of the Virginia flake. Really it’s a very good all day blend that is harmonious but with a taste that changes just enough to keep you interested throughout the bowl. Certainly a four star blend and another winner from C&D. It’s available in bulk which is good on the pocket book as well.
Pipe Used: Charatan bent pot and Tsuge billiard
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: 0-3 months
11 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 08, 2016 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
It would stand to reason that this is the first tobacco I've reviewed here. When I first began smoking the pipe, I contacted Cornell and Diehl to order a sample pack. Craig Tarler recommended five blends, four of which I smoke to this day. Crowley's Best is one of them (Pirate Kake, Plantation Evening and the now nonexistent Scottish Blend are the other three). Craig knew his stuff.

I like this blend because it is burley concentric, with latakia and perique playing the true roles of condiment tobacco. They are there, but they don't hammer your taste buds into submission. The burley is nutty, toasty and pleasant. This is indeed a harmonious blend, as the description says.

This is not a blend that I would call challenging. Rather, it is a blend that serves as an unobtrusive companion. It is my favorite while driving, reading, grilling outside, etc. because it is there keeping you company rather than demanding your attention...kind of like a loyal pet dog.

If you are looking for a comforting smoke, I highly recommend Crowley's Best. Just realize that it's not a wizz bang latakia bomb, or spicy perique blend. It's a simple burley that has been improved with a dash of "Salt and pepper."

Thanks for reading. Pipe on.
Pipe Used: Various MM cobs and Peterson briars
PurchasedFrom: C&D, pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jun 27, 2014 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Pleasant to Tolerable
Like a cool smoking complex English cigar. The deep flavored shine through with the burley. The Latakia makes it's presence known in the middle of the bowl. The perique dances on the palate making this a cool smoking, slightly sweet American English. Couldn't recommend higher. A new favorite!
Pipe Used: Savinelli Duca Carlo
PurchasedFrom: Pipesandcigars.com
Age When Smoked: Fresh
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 08, 2012 Medium Very Mild Full Unnoticeable
first impression was doubtful--- BUT i had tried it in a 'questionable' pipe--many bowls later, in pipes of proven trust i can say that this one is a very good tobacco---quite enjoyable--and the aroma and flavor is.....well; it's tobacco; plain, pure and simple tobacco--old time tobacco that a codger of my youth would recognize--

it is Burley, with sweetness being provided by Perique rather than Virginia (thank goodness)--yet the Perique isn't an in your face ordeal--it's there, but it is in no way overpowering--the Latakia adds depth and another layer of flavor--

i don't think it is quite as good as Morley's Best (for my taste), but it is a welcome addition to my self imposed limited rotation--

if you're interested in good simple tobacco flavor, give it a try--if you like codger blends i believe you'll enjoy it--you may even make a new friend--

an edit--reason i noted 'room note as unnoticable is that i smoke on an open air screened porch--there is no room note--
9 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jul 04, 2018 Medium to Strong None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable to Strong
Cornell & Diehl - Crowley's Best.

It's not really any coarser than a standard ribbon, the blend includes a few coarse-ish pieces but nothing that would appear out of the ordinary should it have been grouped as just a ribbon. The moisture's as I want from a bulk blend: it's breathed to perfection.

I admit, the first few puffs didn't exactly enthral me. But when I had to do some chores around the garden with a pipe loaded with Crowley' it made more sense; a simple, basic, 'working smoke'. I find the most activity comes from the nutty Burley, then the woody Lat's notable with ease, but the Perique gives the least taste. I detect no added flavourings, it's a natural tasting smoke. The burn's mid-temperature, but crikey it's fast. I get no tongue bite.

Nicotine: more than medium. Room-note: a bit strong.

Crowley's Best? Good for when 'on the move' and haven't the time to sit and savour. Likewise, there are plenty of better blends available when there's loads of time to sit, enjoy, and ponder. With that in mind two stars seem fair:

Somewhat recommended.
Pipe Used: Dagner Christmas 2015
PurchasedFrom: Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked: Three weeks
7 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Sep 04, 2007 Medium to Strong Mild Full Pleasant
The big problem I've had with Crowley's Best is that it tastes so good I get in a rut where I don't smoke much else for weeks on end!

Unlike some of the reviewers, I can't tell you the mix of flavors, frankly over 4 decades I have only strayed from the English/Balkan/Oriental blends long enough to try others and very quickly return! I would be the wrong person to ask about aromatics but I do know what I like, what bites me and what doesn't, as long as we are in the area of English/Balkan blends.

C&D makes so many good blends that it was difficult to decide on a favorite but slowly trying one after another and returning to two or three, Crowley's Best became my 'everyday' smoke for quite a while.

Now I rotate Crowley's Best with several of the GLP blends and Plantation Evening, Orient Express and good old Prince Albert.

This is a remarkable smoke - tasty yet smooth enough to smoke several pipes a day and not get 'burned out' or bored with it.
7 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Dec 31, 2019 Medium None Detected Mild to Medium Unnoticeable
As stated, this is an American blend with Latakia, Burley and Perique. I bought this back around Labor Day during an online sale for C&Ds bulk tobacco. This has a mild Lat note in the jar and is comprised of a mixture of medium ribbon, some cube cut and some really fine leaf like you would find at the bottom of a tin. But this is probably just due to the fact that the bottom of my bag became the top of my jar. Next time I will probably mix the tobacco of what I buy before jarring it. A mild smoking mixture, with a little wisp of Latakia in the beginning and pretty much Burley for the rest of the smoke. I could not pick up much Perique not to say that it may be lingering in the background. As I have heard others say this blend would be okay for putzing around the yard, mowing the lawn etc. Not a blend that I would smoke to relax on the porch contemplating the universe. I could not find any reference to a Walter Crowley of Fordham fame but did find some info on Wikipedia about Jim Crowley, “James Harold "Sleepy Jim" Crowley (September 10, 1902 – January 15, 1986) was an American football player and coach. at Fordham University from 1933 to 1941. ln 1939, Crowley coached Fordham in the first-ever televised football game. Maybe a typo on the name.
Pipe Used: Corn Cob
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Nov 07, 2008 Medium to Strong Mild Medium Tolerable to Strong
Yuck. Cigarette tasting with latakia and prominent perique.

I like burley... sometimes. MacBaren's Navy Flake was my burley eye-opener. Sweet and bitter. I can see the point of burley.

This? Yuck.

Smoking 4oz in bulk... why???
5 people found this review helpful.
Please login to upvote this review.

target="_blank"