Cornell & Diehl - Black Duck pipe tobacco reviews

Review

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Reviewed By:	Date:	Strength:	Flavoring:	Taste:	Room Note:	Recommendation:
Showing reviews 1 through 16 of 16 reviews of this tobacco
strongirish	12/11/2009	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable
I was gifted a tin of this and for some reason, i have not cracked it open till now. I like Latakia Blends in the morning with my tea, so I cracked the tine and was immediately rewarded with an earthy, semi sweet, and musty aroma that is very typical of Latakia. THe toabbo is a rought cug flake and lighter colored ribbon cut mix, hitting the spectrum from very dark to medium brown in color. THe flakes are larger than the norm but still very easily loaded into my Peterson Irish Whiskey o3 bent pipe and it was the perfect moisture content. I love C and D Blends as they dont use anything but distilled water in their blends and it is very common for the moisture to be perfect right out of the tin. This blend was a two match light and then it stayed lit almost all the way to the bottom. One more match and it was a dark grey ash with little dottle. From the first puff, I was rewarded with a very silky, creamy, smoke with no bite at all and with the Latakia being the dominant flavor but not overwhelming in any way. By silky, I mean just that, this stuff just flows right off the tongue with a great taste but not overwhelming at all. It stays a medium flavored smoke all the way down. The room note to me is heavenly but I like the campfire aroma of Latakia, but it would not get any great comments from non smokers. But the black cavendish in this blend does give it a smoothness and roundness to the smoke and adds a sweetness to the room aroma. I liked this blend so much this morning that I have smoked several more bowls of it today and it has been a great smoke each and every time. This could easily be an all day blend without it getting too much for the palette. I can easily recommend this to anybody liking English style blends but I don't go the fourth star on this as it is somewhat one dimentional, a good one but it does not have the multi layers I give a four star blend. I will however keep this around, what a great blend this would be camping and deer hunting or soing outside chores.
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ferncourt	10/22/2009	Mild	None detected	Very Full	Very Strong
The tin notes above say it all. Was gifted five tins of this and am a very happy recipient.
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Postie	09/05/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Overwhelming	Strong
I love many of C&D's blends, but this one is sad to say, not one of them. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not the tobacco blend that is the problem, it's a strong blend more suited to someone who prefers the stronger unflavored blends. I gave the remainder of the tin to a buddy at work who loves this. So, get this if this kind of smoke is your thing, it just isn't mine.
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Dr.sadik	01/21/2009	Medium to Strong	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
strong tobacco with a strong oriental presence lataia leaves a promenet foot hold within the mixture and to tell the truth ive detectedastronger bitter taste frm this mix,,its not a typical rewarding english but the burning is slow and perfect to a clean ash tamping is required as plugs of ash will be formed from the riugh tobaco cut,,itsfor those who want a sharp taste may be it needs bit more mellowing agent but whom m i to judge,,give it a tryu might love it
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Big bad Jon	07/26/2008	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
This isn't the blend you take to a formal affair and smoke in your best Dunhill dress pipe, rather one you put in a falcon or comparable garage pipe, and go take a walk in the woods with. This blend will never make you any friends, the room note is too strong. The blend does have a lot of complexity and will make for a good companion is solidarity. The blend is a replica of the old Black Mallory and does seem to do a good job in imitation. The Turkish element is wonderful and spicy and the Latakia is cool. I only wish that it did not get a bit one dimensional twards the bottom of the bowl. I am not sure if it is a lack of flavor or whether my brain is overloaded. Overall this is one fine blend. Not perfect but darn close.
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Scottgun	07/03/2008	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong
A got a tin of this as part of an auction for a pipe I wanted. I didn?t really care about the 4 tins of C&D that came with it and I thought they would end up as trade fodder. On a lark, I decided to open up the Black Duck and give it a whirl. What a pleasant surprise! It was ready to smoke right out of the tin without needing drying. It has a lovely creamy latakia presence. It lights without a fuss and stays reasonably cool. It?s light on nicotine. I?m susceptible to tongue bite and it never happened with this blend. Only two minor things keep me from giving it four stars. As I got to the bottom of the bowl, it started to take on the flavor of burnt toast. Not overwhelming, but noticeable. Also, in the tin there were solid clumps of dark tobacco which resembled miniature charcoal briquettes. This is an excellent blend and certainly makes me want to explore more C&D offerings.
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akaiser77	10/06/2007	Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant
This is a blend that rarely gets mentioned, but deserves a much wider fanbase. It's C&D's tribute to the old Black Mallory (which I never had the opportunity to try) and one of Craig Tarler's best creations. Anyone who likes medium English blends with a lot of orientals should like this one. It's unusual in that it consists of unsweetened black cavendish, Turkish, and latakia. It comes in a wide, chunky cut, and thus smokes exceptionally cool. If this isn't an all-day blend, I don't know what is. It's smooth, rich, and spicy, but mild enough that I like it as my first pipe of the day. The unsweetened cavendish lends a slightly salty taste to the smoke, which I like. I usually smoke 2-3 bowls of this daily and it's very consistent from tin to tin. If you haven't tried Black Duck yet, do youself a favor and buy some. It's well worth it.
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Fumeur	05/16/2007	Mild	None detected	Mild
The flavor of this is that of a pretty straightforward Latakia, with very little complexity. As such it's nice enough. The problem for me was the fact that it tends to smoke hot and wet. Wetness is the bigger problem, and it actually gooped up the bowl of one of my pipes. I got some bite from this as well, which was disappointing, as I enjoyed the flavour. I probably won't be getting any more of this.
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A. Morley Jaques	08/19/2006	Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
Black Duck has managed to present me with something I long sought, but never expected to find: a base of Burley and a proportion of Latakia which allowed me to taste to comforting and much-beloved earthiness of the Burley with the exotic note of Latakia. I have tried many Burley blends with Latakia and all have come up short, usually because of the Latakia, which I found to totally overtake any Burley flavor that could be asserted. Somehow, someway though, Mr. Tarler has managed to do what I had become convinced was impossible. The Burley is there, moreso at the start of the bowl, but noticeable throughout and like unto Carter Hall or Edgeworth Slices; the Latakia provides a hearty, almost musty backup that would seem perfect smoking for a cool autumn, even if I did smoke all of my tin during the summer months. What?s even more interesting is how the Latakia, which I have oft' had a problem with in burning hot, is, in Black Duck, cool smoking and outright gentlemanly. What surprised me was that there were so damned many other things in this blend as well. For the life of me, I could detect no characteristics of Cavendish or Oriental or anything else but the pleasing combination of Burley and Latakia. This may well be because the tin I smoked was rather old and a bit on the dry and powdery side. All the same, this tobacco is highly recommended. Regards, A. Morley Jaques
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sasha	03/03/2006	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable
The thing I admire the most about Cornell & Diehl is their ability to mix many different leaves and make a well balanced and tasteful tobacco. This, as Bow-legged Bear, is a clear example: there's a distinct base of kentucky burley, which gives body and a nutty-cigarish toasted flavour, while the orientals and latakia are present but not overwhelming. The appearance is very dark, with few orange-light brown flecks, the cut is pretty rough and mixed, I suggest to work it a little to shred it into similar ribbons to pack it easier. The burning is good, even, though it can be hot and wet if rushed. It comes very dry in the tin, so it will be better to humidify it into a jar for a couple of days. This isn't a refined and elegant blend, but it's a good companion when you look for a strong flavour without a lot of subtleties.
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emmbee	09/19/2005	Medium	None detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant
I purchased this one upon recommendation of a friend. I had tried the magnificent Cordial (see my review) by C & D, but unfortunately, that one is only available in sampler packs or in bulk directly from the manufacturer. I believe C & D needs to tin that one & make it more widely available. Nevertheless, I was told that this is in the same vein as Cordial without the sweetened Cavendish. I agree; this is excellent, though a bit on the dry side. I've wetted it with distilled water, but now it's smoking a bit moist. A couple more days and it should be fine. It has the characteristic nuttiness & tangy flavor/aroma of the Cordial, but there's just slightly something lacking: probably the curing of the Cavendish or a slight topping. This reminds of a toned down Two Friends blend. Yes, the Orientals & Burley play the center stage, while the Latakia hums softly in the background. How C & D manages to take the same types of tobacco leaves & make hundreds of interesting variations on them is anyone's guess. That's the mystery & pleasure of pipe smoking. For the time being, I'll enjoy Black Duck as a very fine substitute to the even richer, more delightful Cordial. Three and a half of five stars
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thedstnguishdgntlmn	06/17/2005	Mild to Medium	None detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable
I really liked this one! My tin was dated 2002, and oh,it was good!The minute you open the tin you smell nothing but pure Turkish leaf.The latakia comes second and then the sweet note of the cavendish.Upon lighting the bowl the flavors you experience follow the same order.This is really a blend for Turkish lovers who don't need a lot of Latakia.It is understated and smooth.I have a feeling this is as close to a NATURAL-non cased aromatic you will find.An extremely unique taste that will pretty much only appeal to Turkish/Oriental afficianados.If you fall in this category give it a try.Excellent and mild! 3.5 of 4 Turkish stars!
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RCUSElder	06/17/2003	Medium	None detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong
I am a fan of C&D and this blend while showing the commitment to quality that C&D is known for, just didn't do it for me. It smells wonderful in the tin, you are greeted by medium cut dark and medium brown leaf. It lights easy, stays lit, you may need one swipe of a pipe cleaner in your pipe while you smoke this. The reason it didn't do it for me was that the flavor just did not mix well with me. I think that there is too much of the cavendish in it . The latakia and burley just never came out and said "here I am!". The turkish never came out either. I tried this blend in different sized pipes to see if it was size sensitive, but to no avail. On the positive, there was no tongue-bite, smoked cool, left no dottle, is as advertized: a straight forward blend. I will go back to "Canal Boat", "Longevity", and "Da Vinci" instead. Sorry........
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Pipestud	04/23/2002	Extremely Strong	None detected	Extra Full	Overwhelming
This is an honest blend. It does not tout itself as elegant or refined. It certainly is neither and as far as I'm concerned, this duck can fly south for the winter and never come back! It packs easily because it is ground into what looks like charcoal. It tastes like charcoal too! I detected a burnt, smokey taste the moment I got it lit, and the taste and smell never let up. If you smoke this blend outdoors, somebody's gonna call the fire department! The taste lingers in your mouth and in the room for hours, so, be prepared to sleep alone.
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Noorrmm	01/29/2002	Medium	None detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong
Appearance: Mostly dark, some ribbons and some random pieces. Aroma: Very full Latakia aroma with goodly amounts of darker Va, and black Cavendish (unsweetened). Some Turkish in the background. Packing: Seemed to pack best in larger pipes, with a light touch needed. Lighting: Took flame readily when not overpacked Initial flavor: Very big, rich and mellow. The Cavendish led the parade with its smooth nutty taste, the Latakia lent it a smokiness that was just right. Mid-bowl: No single flavor dominated the mixture, but all of them weighed in to form a nicely layered, complex, undemanding smoke. Cool at all times, can be enjoyed alone or with any beverage of your choice. Finish: No surprises at the end, just a bit more Latakia presence. Summary: This tastes like a clone of Black Mallory (Mallory---Mallard---.Duck?). Bad pun, good tobacco. Thank you, Craig.
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Dizz	09/04/2001	Medium to Strong	None detected	Full	Strong
I've dedicated a pipe to this blend for over a month now, and have noticed a difference from my first reaction to this blend. As I found to begin with, it ends flat, but the real complexity of the blend is now apparent from the charring light. It starts out with an earthy body but a noticeably mossy-sweet overtone. (This combination of tastes somehow reminds me of sweet beef jerky.) These qualities of earthiness and sweetness play at each other throughout most of the smoke, but by the very last portion of the bowl the play is dead and the smoke becomes boring. I don't find this blend to be exactly pleasant, nor do I find it repugnant. Black Duck is, for the most part, intriguing--the interplay of contrasting flavors keeps my attention through most of the bowl. I would recommend trying C&D's _Black Duck_, but be willing to let your pipe and palate adjust if you don't like it at first.
Showing reviews 1 through 16 of 16 reviews of this tobacco