Cornell & Diehl The Beast
(2.76)
Legend has it that Aleister Crowley, famed adept of the Order of the Golden Dawn and founder of the Ordo Templi Orientis, is purported to have made a habit of smoking rum-soaked perique as a meditative aid.
To date, many a dabbler has pursued his own manifestation of this concoction out of sheer curiosity. We have too. And so in the spirit of the nefarious occultist himself, we sought to tame the Beast with our own rendering of the recipe, soaked for seven days in spiced rum, so that we might share our vision of it with the most inquisitive and brave of pipe smokers.
Notes: From Cornell & Diehl website: The Beast features 51% Perique, soaked in spiced rum for seven days and supported by C&D's proprietary Red Virginia Cavendish, unsweetened Black Cavendish, and a whisper of Dark-Fired Kentucky. Given Perique's naturally high nicotine levels, its majority presence makes for quite a robust smoke, yet as a mixture, it's exceedingly complex: The modest addition of Dark-Fired Kentucky lends the blend a subtle, tangy note of mesquite smoke, with the Red Virginia and unsweetened Black Cavendish supporting the Perique's natural flavors of stone fruits and piquant spice.
Details
| Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
| Series | Small Batch |
| Blended By | Jeremy Reeves |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia/Perique |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Kentucky, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Mixture |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Re-release |
Profile
Strength
Medium to Strong
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Strong
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Full
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.76 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 11 - 17 of 17 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2021 | Very Strong | Strong | Extra Full | Tolerable to Strong |
8-25-22 update I jarred this up in 21 when I did my initial review and forgot about it in the back of a drawer. Pulling it out I still found it very moist but the rum isn't as strong. The tobacco strength still is though and I'm finding it satisfying for my after dinner smoke. Still leaves lots of moisture during the smoke and requires several pipe cleaners per bowl.
Nice dark rich tobacco taste but not something I'll smoke back to back bowls of. .
2021 C&D re-released "The Beast" in Feb 2021 with a 2500 tin limited run that sold out on-line within hours. The first run was 777 tins in 2016.
This review is on the 2021 production as I missed the 2016 version.
Upon opening, the first thing I noticed is that is very moist for a C&D blend. It's damp to the touch. The tin note is rum and earth. At First, I tried smoking straight out of the tin without drying. It took multiple lights to get burning due to the moisture.
The smoke has a strong rum note to it (missing from most rum blends I've tried), a spicy undernote (From the KY or perique) with very little sweetness. It's a very robust smoke to me, requiring smoking after a meal to avoid the effects of the strength.
It leaves quite a bit of moisture in the pipe when smoked requiring a few cleaners during a bowl. It's not something that I can smoke multiple bowls of.
This one fills a space in the spectrum for those who really enjoy perique and very strong tobaccos. It's something that I'll enjoy having jarred for when I want a real strong smoke.
Nice dark rich tobacco taste but not something I'll smoke back to back bowls of. .
2021 C&D re-released "The Beast" in Feb 2021 with a 2500 tin limited run that sold out on-line within hours. The first run was 777 tins in 2016.
This review is on the 2021 production as I missed the 2016 version.
Upon opening, the first thing I noticed is that is very moist for a C&D blend. It's damp to the touch. The tin note is rum and earth. At First, I tried smoking straight out of the tin without drying. It took multiple lights to get burning due to the moisture.
The smoke has a strong rum note to it (missing from most rum blends I've tried), a spicy undernote (From the KY or perique) with very little sweetness. It's a very robust smoke to me, requiring smoking after a meal to avoid the effects of the strength.
It leaves quite a bit of moisture in the pipe when smoked requiring a few cleaners during a bowl. It's not something that I can smoke multiple bowls of.
This one fills a space in the spectrum for those who really enjoy perique and very strong tobaccos. It's something that I'll enjoy having jarred for when I want a real strong smoke.
Pipe Used:
sav 320, fat authors
PurchasedFrom:
Tobaccopipes.com
Age When Smoked:
1 month
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 04, 2016 | Very Strong | Strong | Very Full | Strong |
This is crazy stuff! I was gifted a good sample from a friend of mine. Smells like perique and spiced rum. Loads easy and lights easy. Behaves well in the pipe.
Tastes like spicy dark fruit with a bit of BBQ and pepper mixed in. You can discern the rum and it does remind me of spiced rum burning. Very strong tobacco, make sure you are sitting to smoke it. The entire flavor profile is quite difficult to describe. It's not unpleasant, but it's also not outstandingly awesome.
Tastes like spicy dark fruit with a bit of BBQ and pepper mixed in. You can discern the rum and it does remind me of spiced rum burning. Very strong tobacco, make sure you are sitting to smoke it. The entire flavor profile is quite difficult to describe. It's not unpleasant, but it's also not outstandingly awesome.
Pipe Used:
Bent Brandy
PurchasedFrom:
Gifted
Age When Smoked:
Gifted/Unknown
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 02, 2016 | Very Strong | Strong | Very Full | Strong |
My first impression of this blend, which is still pretty close to what I get now: First impression totally wrong. Spiced rum gave an aromatic topnote. This is not an aromatic. It's like Five Brothers made of good leaf. Have to smoke it shirtless, cause it puts that much hair on your chest. Dayumn. Tastes like a pinch of real good Virginia with perique, breaded with dark fired, dipped in rum and set on fire. Can't get the Cavendish, think it's just keeping the perique from actually murdering me, but this is like a second bowl anyway. Spicy, but not too spicy. Kick like a mule though. Dayumn.
Pipe Used:
Cob, briar, clay. Cob or briar both fine.
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
None whatsoever.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2016 | Very Strong | Very Strong | Very Full | Extra Strong |
I kind of figured when I ordered this one that it would be over the top. It was definitely that and more. First off, Perique is a pretty potent tobacco. Then it's joined by Dark Fired Kentucky, which seems overkill. then, drenched in a boozy flavor, which I would describe as more brandy-like than rum. I'm a sucker for a gimmick, though, and I bought two tins of the stuff.
I have had nothing but good results with Cornell & Diehl products. Even if I didn't like something, it was still smokable. I understand that this was created as a kind of novelty item and I do appreciate that fact. It just has very few redeeming qualities. It's good leaf, of course, just utilized in the wrong way.
The rest of the tin, after I smoked about 5 bowl's worth, was left at the Country Squire as a sample. I don't know if I did someone a favor or made someone sick. I'll sit on the second tin, but I don't know if I will ever smoke it.
I have had nothing but good results with Cornell & Diehl products. Even if I didn't like something, it was still smokable. I understand that this was created as a kind of novelty item and I do appreciate that fact. It just has very few redeeming qualities. It's good leaf, of course, just utilized in the wrong way.
The rest of the tin, after I smoked about 5 bowl's worth, was left at the Country Squire as a sample. I don't know if I did someone a favor or made someone sick. I'll sit on the second tin, but I don't know if I will ever smoke it.
Pipe Used:
Custom-Bilt Billiard
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2016 | Medium to Strong | Mild to Medium | Full | Tolerable |
Very moist in the tin. Figgy aroma mixed with rum. Starts with a fruity spice flavor. Around midway through the bowl it changes to pure perique spice with a strong, but not unpleasant, flavor. Burns a little moister than most C&D blends despite 30 minutes drying. A very unique smoking experience. I'm glad I had the chance to try it, but it is quite one dimensional. I'm also glad I only bought one tin.
I would also like to add that, in my opinion, if this were not a limited release product I think reviews would be less positive. Mine included.
I would also like to add that, in my opinion, if this were not a limited release product I think reviews would be less positive. Mine included.
PurchasedFrom:
CPCC
Age When Smoked:
New
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Apr 10, 2023 | Strong | Strong | Full | Strong |
I am not going to go into verbiage, the only thing I can tell you is that do not invest your money, this nonsense is a mixture that could keep you away from the pipe forever, indescribable and disappointing.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 18, 2016 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Very Full | Pleasant |
I can generally agree with JimInks' and Fr Tom's reviews. I didn't find the N as strong, but this is a full smoke. For me, it did burn very fast, but there was no bite. Compared to other VaPers I especially like (GH Louisiana Flake, Bad Nun II), yes, the Perique comes through a bit more more, but it's not overwhelming, nor is the rum any stronger than (the much sweeter) GH Rum Flake. I like it, but not as much as the blends mentioned above, but there is something very addicting about it. As for the room note, while strong, it is also pleasant (IMO).
Pipe Used:
briars, cobs, and meers
PurchasedFrom:
smoking pipes
Age When Smoked:
1 month
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