The tin aroma is a fantastic, leafy potpourri - sweet and perique-y. I don’t know the technical term for the type of cut given to the tobacco, but it’s smallish, easy to load, and burns well right out of the tin. I like to let it air for a few minutes, though. When it comes to strength, Old Joe Krantz is one cantankerous ol’ timer YOU DO NOT want to mess with. Why? Because he’ll kick your arse, that’s why. And it it’ll be embarrassing.

The virginia element is masterfully done, allowing it to be truly a burley feature blend, but definitely providing a high quality sweetness haven into which you can dive if feeling a bit blown over by the burley and perique pistons that drive the engine. I have smoked now about 6 blends that are made up of these same 3 primary components. Of course, each one probably uses different leaf and hopes to achieve it’s own identity, but as far as I’m concerned, most of them still stand and shiver beneath the great and looming shadow of Old Joe Krantz.

Now I am a neophyte and every time I say a certain blend is strong, someone else chimes in with, ahh that’s nuthin’. Well, if OJK isn’t strong I don’t know what is. In fact, it’s too strong for me to smoke regularly; but I recognize and enjoy from time to time the archetypal burley pipe blend that is Cornell & Diehl’s Old Joe Krantz.

This blend is by far one of the best blends I have ever smoked. It is the top of my rotation and is being stocked in my cellar.

Try this if you enjoy natural burley taste with one hell of a lot of perique thrown in, and you're not into nuances or subtleties. Yowch!

The beginning is a little rough but by the first tamp, the nice nuttiness of the burley comes through. The VAs are subtle and add a hint of sweetness to the burley and the nice soapy flavor of the perique. I had no problems with bite, though this blend lends itself to sitting back and taking your time. It really is a relaxing smoke.

About mid bowl, it reaches it peak. I'm a big fan of the burley. It has such great interplay with the perique. It's just delicious! Exhaling through the nose is wonderful, but a warning to inhalers! I french inhale and perique and smokiness will almost knock you down.

It burned fairly well and I had minimal relights. The moisture in my can was a little on the dry side, but since I smoke a lot of 2015, it was probably the correct moisture content. Not much gurgle and the ash was grey/black. Very limited dottle.

I struggle between highly recommended and just recommended. I'd probably give it 3.4 *s. OJK is a very good blend that could probably use a dedicated pipe (or at least a pipe that smokes the soapier periques). If you're a VaPer fan, you should definitely try it.

Difficult to keep lit, Keeps raising up at the start and then as the bowl progresses, requires constant attention to keep lit. The taste is harsh with nothing that I can consider flavorful. No distinctive slipstream odor or room note. The worst part is a terrible after odor and taste left in the pipe after just one bowl, and the taste and odor just linger and linger if the bowl is not swabbed. My wife also says that after smoking this blend, I should immediately brush my teeth and use minted mouthwash.

Sorry to all you OJK lovers, this is just not for me.

I love a good cigar and if there is one more thing attractive and unique about this blend, it's the woody, cigar-like quality of the flavor's finish.

The only drawback with this blend is its extraordinary springiness at first light. It lifts itself out of the pipe like a chin-up artist and seems to need extra attention with the tamper. But such idiosyncrasies are easily forgiven in the face of such flavor. Highly recommended for part-time pipesters with penchants for stogies, trail mix and acrobats.

And it's particularly nice with an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.

This hit the spot for me - heavy in nicotine so I didn't have to reach for a cigarette or two in between bowls! Tastier then most with this high a nicotine content and if the other reviews are correct, the taste's will come out further with some aging.

I put it alongside Irish Flake and Erinmore as a tobacco that can satisfy those of us who require the nicotine punch yet like some flavor to their smoke.

I know that a lot of people love this blend but it is just not for me.

5-20-07: After months of letting this age in a jar, I've gone through about three ounces in the last couple of weeks. Either my tastes have changed or this batch of OJK has made a complete turnaround. The perique no longer tastes overwhelming and "harsh" is one of the last words I'd use to describe this tobacco. The components all come together seamlessly, the nicotine level is perfect, and I'm not sure it's possible to make it bite. This is simply one of the best burley blends on the market -- highly recommended.

Original review:

As much as I like C&D, this one missed the mark. I had fully expected to like this blend, but the burlies struck me as overpowering and harsh while the perique was WAY over the top (and I usually enjoy perique). On the positive side, this tobacco has extremely good burning characteristics and is unlikely to bite, even when provoked. I've also found that SMALL amounts mix well with sweet VA blends (Two Friend's Heritage is a good example).

It packs easily, smokes cool and burns completely to a fine white ash. You will find no dottle here. Another winning attribute is that it burns very slow yet stays lit.

Those of you who are aromatic smokers beware. This is no candy tobacco. This is a man's smoke. A delicious burley blend with enough Virginia tobacco to take out the bitterness of the burley and enough perique to add just a touch of spice. The nicotine content is high.

Reasonably priced,I'd give this blend 10 stars if I could.

OJK is easy to pack, I usually just put the pipe in the pouch and scoop until it's full, then tamp down rather firmly on top. It seems to go especially well with my Lannes Johnson XL billiard. Lighting and burn is also good, you shouldn't need a lof of relights with this one. It leaves the walls of the pipe clean at the end of the smoke, not at all goopy.

Scores for OJK: taste- 16 of 20, lighting and burn- 9 of 10, value- 8 of 10. A total of 33 gives OJK a **** rating. Another good job from Bob Runowski and Craig Tarler.

Perique?s fig-like fermented character shines with OJK. You get the peppery character too, but raisiney, stewed prune flavor isn?t lost among the other flavors like it is with some other blends.

The overall taste is no-nonsense and one dimensional. I?m not saying that like its a bad thing. Very sturdy - it borders on harsh but doesn?t cross that line. Its robust, its in your face, and doesn?t pretend to be gentle, but it doesn?t abuse you either. All that Perique cools the blend down - tongue bite should never be a problem. OJK is a great source of Vitamin N and one bowl might even exceed your daily allowance.

The blend comes in a cut that is very easy to pack and smoke. It rates high on my smoke-ability scale. Puff on it all you want. It might knock you on your ass, but it won?t leave any bruises.

Nevertheless, I never got around to trying OJK for one reason or another yesterday, and I found myself unable to sleep well last night. Whether it was because I had neglected to try OJK or not I don't know, but for many hours lying awake and reading last night, I was not able to get out of my head how great a pipeful of my new tobacco sounded. So, I eventually gave in and had some of that tobacco, a little early for me as I normally don't really smoke in the morning, usually until 10 or 11. Well, at 7 I lit up in the cloudy hazy morning, and leisurely displaced hours of frustrations. So maybe all this has something to do with the fact that I really really enjoyed the flavors of this tobacco, the interplay especially between the nutty Burleys and the tangy Perique, and with the fact that I'm now writing this glowing review. Hats off, Cornell and Diehl, hats off and thank you for this really great, really interesting tobacco. And I must also thank PipesandCigars.com, from which said tobacco arrived in perfect condition and at the proper humidity level, etc.

Although not busting at the seams with nicotine, there was enough of of that drug in this tobacco to perk me up.

Easy to load, light and keep lit; Old Joe Kranz offers a pleasant Burley taste with just enough Virginia to mellow out the flavor. Personally, I think OJK would be even better with no Perique at all, but as it is, I'll sure take a free tin anytime!

When I look through the tobacco, I don't find any cube cut to speak of, but I'm not sure if that is typical or not. The tobacco seems to burn reasonably well, only few relight's on a bowl at most, but it does have a tendency to burn down to an ashy taste at the end, with black dottle.

One thing I will concure on, with the other reviews I have seen is that this has a high amount of nic, holding onto your chair arms, feet planted on the floor strong.

I don't see buying this again honestly, apparently this blend does not work with my chemistry.

BUT - it is very strong in nicotine, and sneaks up on you. In that way it reminds me of Two Friends Redwood - a blend that doesn't seem like it would be that strong, but which Greg Pease describes with "that stuff knocks me over."

Not much in common taste wise, but like Redwood this tobacco also smokes easy, with no bite. So its tempting to smoke quickly...Which will knock YOU over.

Keep this in a small bowl.

But then, all of a sudden there is a BAM, followed a SLAM, a BOP, a BIFF, and...a CRASH. Perique has entered the premises. From where, you don't know, but it is there, all right, and it has taken control. From then on this is a heady, exotic, Crowley-style blend that takes you to weird, mystic places and does not bring you home until it is damn good and ready. I'm not even sure if I have gotten back yet. All the same, Old Joe Krantz treats you cruel in a decent way. Regards,

A. Morley Jaques

Appearance and Tin Aroma: This smells like figs, sweet. There's lots o'perique in this blend! Cubes of burley are readily visible, lots of mohagany leaf (Kentucky?), red Va as well.

Packing and Lighting: This one is a little more moist than the usual C&D offerrings, but still perfect for immediate smoking. 2-3 lights max.

Initial Flavor: Once the match is lit, you are directly confronted with a mellow Burley-Perique symphony. I am allergic to Perique, but this one does not trigger my allergy right away.

Mid-Bowl: This is deliciously warm, round, and sweet in a natural way. Yumm.

Bottom of Bowl: Most Perique blends get very spicy at this point, but this one stayed shy of a peppery assualt. Rather it gave a nice "Tadum" ending to the smoke.

Overall: In spite of my allergy to Perique, I will continue to smoke this blend as an occassional delight. It did cause my lips to swell a little (and I already have big lips!) and a few pimples formed around my lips, but it did not cause a reaction in my throat or tongue. This blend once again showcases what can be done with Burley. Of course, you must like Burley to begin with.This burns to a nice, fine, grey ash with no moisture issues and leaves a fine grey dusting in the bowl as well. Thank you C&D...

As with all C&D blends I've tried so far, packing, lighting, and smoking OJK are all easily accomplished with little effort; usually only requires one or two relights mid-bowl, if then.

Unfortunately, Old Joe disappointed me. I found the blend quite out of balance; the scales tipped way over with Perique. The burley had a fleeting whisper of presence, and the Virginia never let out a note. My tongue was convinced I had a mouthful of peppercorns. I wasn't able to finish the sampler, as she lays. As I do a bit of blending, I was able to salvage the remainder, and in the process, come up with some decent variants.

I can only recommend this blend to those pipesters with an unqualified fondness of Perique.

While this is a quality blend and the burley/red virginia are top notch, I truly enjoyed the several bowls I smoked and wanted more! But my allergy to perique prevented me from truly enjoying this as much as I wanted to. If I did not have an allergy to perique, I would make this blend part of my regular rotation.

Solid 3 out of 4 stars. 8-)

Rating: 8/10

I don't know if this is genuine St James Perique or not but who cares ? The taste reminds me of a richer, more rustic tasting Elizabethan Mixture with the addition of nutty, smooth and simple burley. I detect maybe the smallest amount of topnote or added flavoring. The Perique in this blend is more piquant than peppery; the aroma when smoking is outstanding (at least to me, not to my wife). A definite treat or an all day smoke, it is light enough in taste to smoke early in the morning, but still has a nice kick. Smokes well in autumn on the back porch.

A decent smoke, but nothing particular to recommend.

The tobac was nice and dry, at what I would consider a perfect moisture for smoking. I packed it a bit on the loose side the first time out. It?s a mistake I decided not to repeat. It was hot, harsh, and I didn?t like it. I realized what I had done and tightened it up with the tamper, and it was like night and day. Subsequent bowls were packed the same as I would pack a straight Virginia.

The smoke has a delightful flavor, a hint of Perique compliments the burley and provides a bit of depth. In my humid environment, I believe the heel of the pipe was drier after the smoke than it was before I packed it. At the end, there is nothing left but fine ash and a pleasant memory. The finish is semi-sweet as is the rest of the bowl, and it never got bitter on me.

I have decided that I like Old Joe. I think I?ll visit him more in the future.

Amazingly complex and a bit heavier on the burley than say - Three Friars or Cumberland - which it tastes quite a bit like at points. Other times, it has an undefineable, unique taste. I could never quite warm up to Haunted Book Shop, but *could* keep some Old Joe around for when I crave it.

C+D, and their associates, *are* masters of the rustic Americana pipe smoke that many connect with humid antebellum evenings and cool New England summers. My own grandfather - the first pipe smoker I knew - would have loved this blend.

Aroma: Great nutty Burley aroma right on top, with some sweet Virginia and sour Perique peeking out.

Packing: Packs well in all but the smallest bowls, which need a lighter touch.

Lighting: Lights exceptionally easily, sometimes one match and a tamp with no relight.

Initial flavor: A simple blend to the palate. Just what you expect from the aroma. Lots of flavor, and lots of mouth feel. A perfect balance of the ingredients. Burns readily, but not hot.

Mid-bowl: The Perique really comes on more assertively, with just enough Virginia sweetness to keep in under control. The nutty Burley flavor hangs in there as a strong component, never in the background, but never in total dominance either. Stays quite cool at reasonable puffing rates. I haven't ever gotten it to burn hot.

Finish: Well behaved to the last, burns to a clean dark gray ash with no soggy bottom.

Summary: Although I'm not a "Burley Guy" as a rule, I do appreciate a well made Burley blend as a change from Virginias and Orientals. This is definitely at the top of the genre. Richer in flavor than it's close cousin Haunted Bookshop, which I also love. Another wonderful effort from Bob, the king of the burley blenders.

Highest marks - Gretchen gives this 5 barks and a wag of her tail.

The blend itself includes a wide variety of tobacco cuts in a wild style, from fairly small pieces to pieces over ½ inch square. I received a sample from a friend and it contained a very appropriate moisture level.

Burning characteristics are very good, as are packing qualities. The tobacco packs nicely into narrow bowls as well as those with a wider bore.

The flavor character of this blend suggests a fairly heavy hand with the Perique, and the burley is the predominate flavor. Sweetness is present and adequate without being overdone. The perique balances nicely with the VA, and provides a fruity sense. The general sense if a fairly full flavor, on par with, or fuller than Cumberland. There is almost a sense of cigar leaf in this blend, although that is not mentioned in the description. This blend is produces a bit of a nasal burn during the first third of the bowl, but mouth irritation is relatively low. This latter characteristic is what has motivated me to try blends of this type, Burley/VA/Perique.

Overall: a reasonable smoke with good burning qualities, enough complexity to remain interesting in an American style. This might be somewhat bland for smokers of English blends, but would be welcome for those who like this style.

November 2002.

The tobacco is loose cut, mainly light brown and blond with a small amount of dark ribbons. The moisture level is medium dry. OJK is no trick to pack nicely and smokes to the bottom without demanding very much mechanical interaction.

Lighting the pipe happens easily, tamping and relighting results in a smooth smoke that blends the good parts of Virginia?s sweetness with the nutty solid flavor of Burley. The Perique component is obvious, but not overwhelming, acting as a good spice should to bring out the other flavors. This blend is a must have for people who enjoy Burley but don?t want a boring taste. It has earned a Tupperware container of its own in my mostly tinned repertoire of top smokes. OJK is a very traditional blend that will appeal to smokers who want a real tobacco flavor that smokes cool and doesn?t repel the spouse. It is truly an all day smoke to those so inclined, it is certainly one of my top smokes.

This is a ribbon and coarse cut blend of four basic American tobaccos: dark and cubecut burleys, red virginia and perique. It lacks the sophisticated nature of many contemporary blends. The pouch aroma is typical of C&D's great burleys, warm and earthy with a strong note of perique's mustiness. There's a springy quality to the packing, and it required two charring lights before the tobacco lit. The first few minutes was all burleys, the dark cigar tones and the natural sweetness of the cubecut. But, because the red virginia and perique are in ample quantity, their presence is noted and welcomed. The nose tingled but no bite through the smoke. It was a full-bodied smoke of fairly consistent quality to the bottom of the bowl. A large bowl Ben Wade Brogue was a great complement to the tobaccos. Very little moisture through the smoke as well. The pipe drew easily with light tamping.

I like this blend a great deal, because of its straightforward quality and its fullness of smoke. Since it doesn't bite the tongue at all, it can be an all day smoke. But, because of the hefty portion of perique (25%), the blend may not appeal to everyone.