Cornell & Diehl Pegasus

I’m not going to go into all the descriptives of this blend as they have already been stated but simply as a blend as a whole. It is the best Burley blend I have ever had in my 52 years of pipe smoking.

**Update:** All-Time-Favorite, this has grown to become MY smoke! More than 90% of the time I smoke Pegasus.. it really just is everything I want in a burley blend, period.

**Preface**

Now I see why it deserves a rather remarkably good ratio between 1/2- and 3/4-star ratings and so many positive and even raving reviews - but at the same time ask myself why it isn't one of C&D most successful Burleys? What else to say about a blend that does offer a wonderful collection of well written reviews, hitting the nail on the head for this blend to my perception! **That's why I'd like to start my review with a quote** by one of the reviews I've read:

*[...]here are a few layers of flavor within pegasus but by and large my palate is stricken with that of a bag of walnuts. Within a bag of walnuts there are many flavors depending on the nut. Some nuts are sweet, some meaty, and some carry the sharp flavor of the shell. Every now and then the VA and Cavendish blend to convey almost a cornmeal or sweet bran like flavor but is not a theme."* Very, very well put... unknown deleted user!

I'd like to add the icing of whipped cream that wriggles through the tobacco beautifully.

**Delving into the a tub of burley goodness..**

The tin note is very mellow and almost "shy", and when first opening the tin it might be a bit sour-ish.. I prefer packing the 2oz of a freshly opened tin in my jar for daily use, which is "semi-airtight" and therefor let's the tobacco "breathe"

No "flavor explosion", just a very comforting and soothing, warm scent of mostly mahogany tobacco leafs. I really have to dip my nose into the tin, to get those notes that remind me of Haunted Bookshop quite a bit - at least in the tin note! A creamy and remarkably smooth nuttiness hits me first, before I pick up those lovely oat-y, bread-y and bran-y qualities so many seem to savour about this blend. Walnuts and oat-bars hit the spot just fine! And what a bag of nuts this is... oh, what a fine flap jack, just as mamma used to never make them for me.. ;-P

Take a sit on the front porch I never had, the sun is setting already, work is done.. time for the finer things in life! Grab a guitar, tickle the strings and let the sound of the strings swinging tickle your ears and soul....

This front porch jam begins with a mild and pleasing sharpness (if you, like me, love this kind of rustic flavors), yet quickly the wonderful toasty and spicy-tart character of this blend steps up.. mhm, delicious! Loads of oat, again mammas flap jacks she never made for me, some dark bread, a richly filled bag of nuts - especially walnuts but also what reminds me of pecan if I let my imagination flow free. Paired with a pleasing spiciness that's "sweet spot" for me and the everpresent slight sharp edge I love about me burleys... oh, and of course loads, loads of cozy-warm earthiness which set the foundation, the tone, the bass for the flavor-profile!

...while at the same time offering an incredible, almost buttery creaminess and smoothness that's always underlying and underscoring to the flavors offered by the burleys. That very creamy quality amazes me and keeps me coming back! Bringin in those sweet licks that make you shiver with goosebumps. Very smooth on the tounge and palate, whilst offering a full-bodied and rather "rustic charme" of natural burley goodness. Only very mild sweetness, but what's there is just enough to bring balance to the force and I suppose it contributes to the lovely room note just as the speckles of creamy and unsweetened cavendish.

**Afterthoughts of a Front Porch Picker and Pegasus Sipper..**

Oh, but.. All-Day-Burley? As close as a C&D Burley Blend get's to "All-Day-ish".... 😉 It is rather stout, also in the nicotine departement.. but for a C&D burley blend, yes it is All-Day....ish! I smoke it 2 times a day in smaller to medium sized cobs, that's sweet spot for me.

Leaves a sensual after taste in your mouth, teasing me to load up bowl after bowl, totally forgetting about any other blend I used to like so much and frequently... Pegasus outruns them all for me! The Cavendish is what gives it it's aromatic-sweet and creamy qualities I suppose, it's a masterpiece!

As for flavoring I'm quite confused many of you rated it as "Very Mild". I feel the Cavendish is unflavored and at max. the burley's got a (exceptionally) mild nutty-ish and creamy-ish casing? So I'll settle for "extremely mild", yet underscore, that - if there's added flavors, they are only to round the tobacco's qualities off to perfection and underscore the rich flavors they offer!

Thanks Bob.. you the man when it comes to Burleys, I appreciate and feel you feel, or sadly felt (RIP) the same passion for this leaf which I've grown to love and savour so much.

I am liking this immensely. Nice and tangy. I've heard it likened to Haunted Bookshop (which I don't love) without the perique. I do like perique, however. At any rate, this is very tasty stuff.

PS: I now like Haunted Bookshop.

A remarkable tobacco. I cannot say enough good things about this blend; however if you pick it up and expect to have a reveletory experience you are likely to be disappointed. My love of this blend grew slowly into the steadfast one i now feel. I like the genre of american style burley. I more often than not like the blending of C&D. So i expected to like this blend. However, i didn't so much, initially.

I mostly smoke burleys from smallish cobs. At the match there is an astringency that i didn't expect. To borrow a phrase from another reviewer, i tasted the hull of walnuts. Tannin heavy and a bit rough. This never entirely disappears, but it does soften and weave in and out of the smoke. And the flavor deepens, always with the rough edge present, to include very slight wisps of sweetness from both va and the cavendish. It is a deep, rough, barely sweet flavor that is remarkably walnut-ey. And that's it. Unpleasant as it initially was to me, i began to desire it throughout the day. I am a smoker who indulges his desires. More and more often i desired the experience and flavor. It does have depth and nuance too, it is just all crammed into a bassy spectrum. When at a smolder in a larger than average bowl, it satisfies something for me that few other blends do. I truly find it exceptional, roughness and all. Has a decent (medium) amount of nicotine. Excellent stuff. Don't be put off by the inclusion of cavendish or the name Pegasus. This is a burly burley for a burly pipe urge itchin.

Wow! This surprised me. I bought an 8oz tin on description alone and really like it as a go to blend at any time of the day. Great aroma, perfect burn, flavor that is nutty with a faint background sweetness. I will be devouring this over the summer and will definitely be stocking some for the future. Great price too for the half pound tin.

Pegasus isn't complex, and I don't think it’s intended to be either. I held off on doing a review for a while because I wanted to really "get" the blend. The other reviews here are pretty high, so I thought I was missing something. In the end, Pegasus simplicity is its highest attribute. I believe it was blended to be an all day smoke, and all day smokes are seldom complex powerhouses. It's burley forward, and has a nice medium earthiness with some light pepper spice to keep it interesting. The pepper could be mistaken for a touch of perique, but it’s probably the dark burley tobacco. The cavendish is detectable, and adds a mild toastiness that always reminds me of a burnt marshmallow. The cavendish also does a lot to improve the room note. Nicotine is not overpowering, especially for an C&D burley offering. Which makes this a great all day smoke in my opinion.

I have been a huge fan of Bob's blends since the early 2000's and was really saddened at his passing, but like all legends, his blends live on for future generations to enjoy. Pegasus came packaged dry with the usual C&D Burley rough cuts (wild cuts) and a fresh hay, almost vegetal aroma in the tin, no aromatic essence whatsoever. Whereas OJK and Haunted Bookshop can beat you up with their Burley and Perique 1-2 punch, Pegasus keeps things subdued with the addition of unflavored Cavendish. The Burleys, Virginia and Cavendish all work in harmony to make a Medium strength Burley blend that has an OK room note but not one in which you will win any friends within smelling distance. I think Haunted Bookshop could benefit from having a little of this Cavendish added or perhaps adding a little Perique to Pegasus, either way I feel I am missing a little spice in this blend but it is pretty good otherwise.

An apparently simple, yet very rich and flavourful mixture of three classic tobaccos. To begin with, the black Cavendish in the blend is not artificially sweet (i.e, vanilla or licorice tasting). It adds a deep, rather bitter but palatable undertone, that helps harness the Virginia acidity and complements the Burley's natural chocolate taste. It is not, however, the main component.

The interplay of the Virginias and Burleys is very nice, having the latter the leading role. I find it an unpretentious, well balanced, easy smoking mixture. It's tasty, medium strength and uncomplicated. Earthy, woodsy, with a pleasant aroma and an excellent burning rate. A good companion when writing or doing odd jobs in the yard.

Kudos to Mr. Bob Runowski!

This is an awesome burley-based blend. Not quite a set and forget blend for me, when I pay attention is when I see this tobaccos charm most. The three burleys are nutty and toasty with oats. The Virginia is bright and grassy sweet. I get a honey sweetness from the black cavendish which brings the whole blend together. I taste honey-nut cheerios when I smoke this one. Great combustability, room note, and consistent flavor.