General impression: The tin smell is very pleasant, with latakia (rather than cigar leaf) in the forefront. The taste when smoked is...unusual for pipe tobacco. The first half of the bowl is actually quite nice and feels like you are smoking a strong, spicy, smoky maduro cigar in your pipe. However, after that the taste begins to lean a little more toward the kind you get when you reach the very END of a good cigar and it's time to let it go out.

Who should buy this stuff: You feel adventurous and you like cigars. You want to try something unique and you like strong tobaccos.

Final notes: I actually think this is a well-blended tobacco and that any faults with it lie mainly with the inherent nature of cigar leaf. I did not regret purchasing it (although I probably will not get it again - I would rather spend that money on a real cigar). I recommend smoking this in pipe that you won't feel bad about throwing out a lot of unsmoked tobacco (like a corn cob).

Nice robbon cut that was a bit dry when I opened the can. Packs nicely but does burn quickly...probably because of the dry nature of the tobacco.

Was a very nice smoke with the burleys and Vriginan mixing nicely with the latakia. The maduo leaf gives it a spicy touch. I didn't think I was going to like the same leaf I like smoking in a cigar out of a briar. Pleasantly surpirsed. Never overwhelms the smoke though. Since I broke in one of the new pipes with the blend, will try it in a nicely broken pipe to get a cushioned smoke.

Purple Cow is available in 2, 8, and 16 oz. tins and has a rather humorous logo with a pipe smoking purple cow and a farmer with an astonished look on his face. I tested the 2 oz. tin. The cut is a rather wide ribbon. There are several shades of brown and some black in the tobacco.

PC seems to like a rather firm pack in the pipe, perhaps because of the cut. One charring light gets it going, then the smoker is treated to a mix of the burley flavor with the Latakia in the background, perhaps not as prominent as in a tobacco like Morley's Best. The VA is there but plays a minor role, however this one can nip your tongue if puffed too fast. The maduro leaf appears to become more prominent as the tobacco is smoked down and adds a cigar note to the mix. PC burns well and down to the bottom of the pipe with no dottle.

I did require a few relights while smoking it, but that is par for the course with me, I've never been a "one match" smoker. PC was smoked in six different pipes and seemed to prefer larger ones, particularly my XL Lannes Johnson.

Overall I enjoyed Purple Cow and will definitely purchase it again. Bob, you did good!

Scores for Purple Cow: Taste-16 of 20; lighting and burn- 7 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 31 pts. gets Purple Cow a high *** rating.

Basically, this blend makes me think of a souped-up, slightly musty version of Frog Morton, which isn't a bad thing. It's not that they taste alike (the flavor profiles are different), but they both feature lots of latakia, lots of sweetness, and are exceptionally easy on the tongue. I think that fans of the Frog Morton line might like this one a lot, but folks who primarily smoke full-bodied English blends might want to give it a pass.

Had it not been for the Ogden Nash reference and the name of Bob Runowski attached to this blend, I doubt if I would have ever given Purple Cow a moments thought. All cigars taste the same to me, that is to say taste bad, and I have never understood the intention behind grinding them up and putting them in otherwise pure, unoffending pipe tobacco. The name Runowski, however will always give me pause. This man is responsible for all of my favorite blends from Cornell & Diehl. His Pegasus and Haunted Bookshop are my constant companions because he understands the wonders of Burley, and thus the fullness of what tobacco can offer. Whether a blend contains cigars or cough syrup; if Bob Runowski had a hand in it I'll give it a shot.

Once again, the good gentleman has delivered. This is one of two blends with both wonderful Burley and questionable Latakia wherein I can taste both of them and they both taste right. The soft, toasty Burley starts out the smoke, the meaty yet well-mannered Latakia drops in to say hello now and again, just as it should be. Virginia provides a reassuring tang throughout the smoke but never takes over. The cigar leaf is the greatest accomplishment of all. It comes into the overall smoke now and again. When it does, the taste is like that of a cigar when it is first ignited, which I actually find somewhat pleasant. The joy of the cigar leaf in Purple Cow is that this flavor endures throughout and never takes on that taste that comes about in all other cigars and cigar leaf blends I have had, which is something like overcooked zucchini.

I never saw a Purple Cow.

I hope I never see one,

But count myself a lucky bloke

In that I have now have smoked one.

P.S This blend does burn faster than most. A medium bowl lasts approximately 20 minutes. That's the only reason it didn't get 4 stars.

Yes, it does hav a slight cigar taste, but who said that's a bad thing? It isn't.

A qualification on the room note: I live alone, so what I consider "tolerable" may be a bit more than what others tolerate. On the whole, it's pleasant.

To sum up: this is a very pleasant smoke indeed. Just the thing for accompanying cerebral activities.