Gatlin-Burlier Cade's Cove Cavendish

This is a sweet aromatic that has served an an introduction into pipe smoking for a lot of folks in East Tennessee as well as plenty of visitors who pass through Gatlinburg. My taste has veered sharply away from aromatics over the years, but I still like to keep a couple of ounces of this around for nostalgia reasons. For aromatic smokers, this is bliss -- it burns cool, doesn't bite, and has a notably sweet flavor that reminds me at times of vanilla or cotton candy. It's a couple of steps up from most bulk tobaccos of its type. I wouldn't recommend this for non-aromatic smokers and I have since encountered aromatics I prefer over this one (Autumn Evening, for one), but it's still well worth trying.

As other reviewers have noted, the staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and anyone passing through this neck of the woods should make it a point to drop by Gatlin-Burler.

The Gatlinburlier Smoke Shop in Tennessee got a lot of play in the 90s in the old Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris as a go to shop for terrific tobacco. I remember calling in and placing an order for a half dozen of their house blends after reading about some of them. Cade's Cove Cavendish tasted like Lane's IQ to me. Lots of lighter and dark Cavendish smothered in all kinds of tasty sauce. The blend was light, didn't bite, stayed lit well and was creamy good. Like smoking the smell of grandma's kitchen when she was baking cookies and cakes.

A gentle sweet smoke with a flavor range that includes brown and white sugar, a hint of honey, vanilla, and a very, very mild oat note. Tastes like something a sweet bread company would make, and smells like it just came out of the oven. Has almost no nicotine, and there's no chance of bite. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a consistent taste. Needs an average number of relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a very pleasant after taste. Not much taste of the tobacco itself here. It could be considered a beginner's blend because it is so mild, but regular smokers of aromatics may find this a pleasing all day smoke that may take their minds off more intensely flavored aros.

-JimInks

This is just kind of an overall mild blend. It is definitely enjoyable, but the black cavendish takes the front seat. Is pretty darn sweet, but I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. This is the only blend I have smoked in my truck since I don't want it to smell of tobacco. It leaves the same extremely plesant room not, reminescent of freshly baked sugar cookies. As mentioned before, it does have a pretty strong vanilla taste. I would recommend it for somebody starting pipe smoking since it is a good mild blend. However, those with more refined taste may find this blend too "run of the mill".

After nearly forty years avoiding Cavendish blends, I have tried a few lately. I had the treat of being in Gatlingburg this past weekend and was able to stop in at the thoroughly enjoyable Gatlin-Burlier (a nice, old-fashioned tobacconist that is very well stocked.)

This is perhaps the most enjoyable Cavendish I have ever smoked. It is exceeding smooooooth. It is a bit springy to pack, but well worth the extra moment or two that it takes to fill a pipe. I will be buying more.

Good stuff! A nice, cool, mellow, & rather flavorable smoke ... the kind of blend that rings an aromatic smoker's bell! To me this blend is not simply 1Q with a private label ... it has a more refined flavor & room note. I like that GB's aromatics don't just jump out of the pouch & slap you with a heavy artificial sweet aroma or flavor ... but when you light it up you're in for a real treat. Highly recommended for the ARO crowd!

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the folks at the Gatlin-Burlier for the first time last Christmas and I was welcomed like an old friend. The folks there are extremely friendly and make you feel quite at home. As an aside, their house pipes are of an exceptional quality - quite the good value.

On to the tobacco: Like all their blends, CCC, has an excellent burn quality especially for an aromatic. The blend is too sweet for my taste but if that's what your after, then this blend is up your alley.

IQ by another name? I'm not sure exactly, but with a description of fire-cured, it is very similar in looks, taste and appearance. That's okay though, it's a good smoke and one that I go back to again and again when I'm looking for something sweet. If you like to experiment, take a pinch of Penzance or some other heavy latakia blend and mix it into the bowl. The flavors will really pop out at you.

There are no fine tobacconists near my home. We have a couple of shopping mall tobacconists within driving range. But these shops employ college kids who run the place as a typical retail establishment. When you talk to these people, you had better say "cigar, pipe tobacco, etc. Because if you say Latakia, burley, etc you will get nothing but a blank stare. The tobacco isn't the highest quality there either. So I buy most of my tobacco online. I was searching the internet for a new tobacconist when I came across the Gatlin-Burlier. I had used Tobaccodirect, Just for Him, and other well known tobacconists in the past, but this was a shop I have visited once. I bought a sampler with 3 blends, incuding Cades Cove Cavendish. When I opened the bag, the aroma was more candy than tobacco. It was overly moist but the tobacco looked nice. It packed easily. It took a while to light, but once it was lit it stayed lit throughout the whole smoke. The taste was incredible. The furst puff was flavorful with a sweetness that only enhanced the flavor of the tobacco. Later, the sweetness gave way to a spiciness that resembled a Jalapeno's heat (the nicotene maybe??). When the spiciness comes, the bowl seems to become wet with a syrup-y sweet/spicy liquid that tends to gurgle in the bottom of the pipe. Maybe my mouth is just watering a little too much at the tobacco's flavor, but I think it's more likely the flavoring (anyone else experience this?). It's happened every time I have smoked this blend. Therefore, I have begun smoking this with a filter pipe to block the liquid from travelling down the pipe stem and becoming a problem. This is an impressive aromatic with a wonderful room note. It's one of only about 3 blends that I am allowed to smoke in the house. My wife loves it. I love it. I will be buying this in bulk soon.