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
Please login to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2016 | Very Strong | Strong | Extra Full | Very Strong |
The spicy, richly deep sweet rum and the tingly pepper from the earthy, woody, plumy, sugary and slight sour St. James Acadian perique are the first things that hit you as you light up. That sensation lasts from start to finish as this blend has a very consistent flavor. The topping never weakens, which doesn’t surprise me as the mixture was soaked in that rum for a week. The perique is likely to be around sixty percent of the product, and also offers some plum and figs. The aged red Virginia (from one particular 2003 North Carolina crop) has a fermented ripe dark fruitiness, wood, bread, vegetation, and earth, and is noticeable much of the time in a supporting role. Just as obvious in a back up position is the woody, nutty, earthy, herbal, vegetative, floral, sour and barbecue sweet dark fired Kentucky, whose spiciness often separates itself from that of the perique. I don’t really notice much from the Dominican Republic black cavendish, which is used to add a little smoothness, and is present in a small amount. Has a medium to strong nic-hit. The strength and taste are strong and very filling. I recommend you take your time smoking this for best effect, and don’t use a big or narrow bowl.
The tobacco was a little moist when I opened the tin, but I saw no need to dry it. The burn rate was slow to moderate, and required a few relights. It will leave a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. I experienced no bite, but your tongue will tingle some from the spice content. Despite its strength, it wasn't harsh at any time nor did it burn hot. Most assuredly, this is a blend for the experienced smoker, and is not an all day smoke as by design. For that type of smoker, I rate it at three stars out of four.
-JimInks
The tobacco was a little moist when I opened the tin, but I saw no need to dry it. The burn rate was slow to moderate, and required a few relights. It will leave a little moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. I experienced no bite, but your tongue will tingle some from the spice content. Despite its strength, it wasn't harsh at any time nor did it burn hot. Most assuredly, this is a blend for the experienced smoker, and is not an all day smoke as by design. For that type of smoker, I rate it at three stars out of four.
-JimInks
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 01, 2016 | Strong | Medium | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
I have been smoking this in cobs and a clay for fear of ghosting. It might seem that a priest would feel more comfortable banishing a ghost, but as I rule I am cautious and try to avoid problems when I can.
The tin note is rum and a little perique silage. It seemed too moist, so I aired a bowl's worth before loading the first pipe. After that I smoked it straight from the tin. Smokability was about the same, and the rum may have been more pronounced when not aired.
W00t! is about all I can say. This is heavy and spicy. There is a sweet from the Virginia/perique combo that reminds me of fruit that is just a little overripe. I am not sure I am distinguishing where the perique ends and the DFK begins, and perhaps I should say the spice/pepper is very well melded. The rum comes through in every puff.
This is a stout smoke, and it is full of flavor. It does not hold back on the nicotine, and is up there with OJK and Irish Flake.
In terms of taste and strength, not everyone is ready for shots of spiced rum and Tabasco sauce. They are better served with rum -n- coke and some Texas Pete for the nachos. This blend is not going to be well suited to every smoker, but it is very tasty.
This blend is easy to recommend to the person whose smoking tastes are willing to wander to the "nothing exceeds like excess" end of the C&D spectrum.
The tin note is rum and a little perique silage. It seemed too moist, so I aired a bowl's worth before loading the first pipe. After that I smoked it straight from the tin. Smokability was about the same, and the rum may have been more pronounced when not aired.
W00t! is about all I can say. This is heavy and spicy. There is a sweet from the Virginia/perique combo that reminds me of fruit that is just a little overripe. I am not sure I am distinguishing where the perique ends and the DFK begins, and perhaps I should say the spice/pepper is very well melded. The rum comes through in every puff.
This is a stout smoke, and it is full of flavor. It does not hold back on the nicotine, and is up there with OJK and Irish Flake.
In terms of taste and strength, not everyone is ready for shots of spiced rum and Tabasco sauce. They are better served with rum -n- coke and some Texas Pete for the nachos. This blend is not going to be well suited to every smoker, but it is very tasty.
This blend is easy to recommend to the person whose smoking tastes are willing to wander to the "nothing exceeds like excess" end of the C&D spectrum.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
target="_blank"
