Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning

This is literally the only "VaPer" I smoke. I've tried OGS and St. James Woods, Sixpence...all hot air. Bayou Morning has enough perique nose tickle to make it a great first bowl of the day, but not the heaviness of a burley based or latakia tinged smoke. It is especially tasty in a cob, I find.

The flake version of bayou morning is VERY different from the ribbon. Totally different vapers, so dont assume one is like the other -- at all!

The ribbon has big hay, grass, and red pepper spices. Its raw, clear as day, clean sharp flavors. The perique comes through so spicy it's almost tobasco sauce hot, particularly prior to some jar time. It can get some sweetness but requires a year or so in the tin to get there, and even then it's not an overwhelming sweetness.

The flake is much more rounded, creamier, sweeter, and richer. The grassy/hay flavors are reduced in favor of a buttery richness. The sweetness is bolder and comes out stronger. The spiciness is not as intense and is plummier, although it's still spicier than escudo.

Both are excellent vapers, both unique and special, but for very different reasons and moods. I have never found a vaper with the raw hot pepper spice of the ribbon (think elizabethan with a kick), and have found very few with the rich every day smoking potential of the flake (similar to cabbies mixture or aged escudo). Both will stay in large quantities in my cellar.

This is a perique forward blend. It will start at the front and stay there all the way. It is spicy, a little sweet with plumb and fig notes and I do get an occasional note of oak here and there too. The VA's are bold enough to stay up with the perique. The reds are tangy with dark fruit notes and sweet. The browns are earthy and have a bread like sweetness about them with a note of roasted grain. Although the notes say there is bright in here and I do see them, the grassy note is way, way in the background and I get no citrus note at all. The mouth feel is a little rough around the edges, it is not a smooth smoke but I doubt that smooth was what C&D were looking for with this one. While rough, it does not bite but it will get harsh if pushed. I place that at a 3.5 stars. For those looking for a perique forward va/per that does not completely overpower the VA's this one is a must try. Personally, the perique is a little too forward for me but it may merit further investigation later down the road.

25 per cent perique sounds like a lot, and I was half-expecting this to be too strong and sour for my taste. So I was surprised that the virginias are so prominent. More of the earthy and fruity kind rather than the grassy and citrusy, they really give a lot of virginian goodness and complexity. The perique comes forth after a while, peppery and with dark notes of dried fruit, but the blend is always in good balance. A few relights might be necessary, and you really should not be in a hurry when you smoke this. Leaves nothing but grey ash.

Creamy with kick. This makes my head sweat.

I really like the sweet tobacco smell from the tin. Also, it just looks like high grade fresh tobacco. If fresh can be a descriptive term for tobacco, I'd use it here. It looks and smells fresh and high grade out of the tin.

As for the smoke. It's a lot of pepper. The smoke has a full texture I've heard reviewed as creamy or buttery, which I'd agree with. I taste the nice bright and sweet Virginia, but its enveloped in a peppery kick.

I've smoked Elizabethan and Dunhill Navy roll which to me is like just a pinch or two of pepper on my scrambled eggs in the morning. It's there, but just as a tad as a bit of flavoring. This would be more like a good dousing with some Tobasco maybe. So, if you are like me and have grown up with spicy Mexican food and Cajun cuisine, you may just love Tobasco on your eggs and that is how you like it.

Sensitivity to spice is very subjective. I like my Virginia doused in some kick, so this works for me. That's how I perceive this baccy. If you are sensitive to kick though, you might miss the Virginia flavoring altogether though. Depends on your palette. May want to try before you buy. I'm giving it a high rating because if I'm going to smoke a vaper this is it, but vaper's really are just something I want every now and again as an english/latakia lover.

Edit update: This has become my summer morning go to. Perfect way to start the day with a great cup of joe.

Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning is a blend that I wanted to try because it is unflavored and it has Perique. Not to mention, I like Cornell & Diehl blends in general. It has a varied appearance with some reddish brown, light brown, and light tan leaf. The cut is random, with some rough cut evident. It is drier than most blends that I have seen, but it is just right for smoking out of the bag. It packs fairly easily, with some shoving necessary as some of the leaf pieces are big enough to confound the process. It lights very easily with some upward heaving of the tobacco upon the initial lighting. Thereafter tamping, it burns well at the moisture level I had. Perique is in abundant measure in this blend and it dominates the flavor of the smoke but does not block out the Virginias. This blend is of medium-strong nicotine strength with a generous intensity of flavor. There is not much in the way of depth or complexity, nor is there much of a balance of flavors. This is a Perique showcase blend and there is pleasant spice to be found for Perique lovers. The high point of the bowl in the middle "half". It burns relatively cool, unless you are smoking it in an old-fashioned clay cutty and you puff a little too much too fast. In briars and cobs, my smoking experience with this blend was pleasantly cool and dry. I smoked it in an Orlik (Captain Black) billiard, a Sunrise Canadian, a MM Country Gentleman and in an old-fashioned clay. If you are not a lover of Perique, it is best to avoid this tobacco blend.

Before I get into this blend,let me explain the issues I've had with a few C&D blends as if late. Mold, that's right mold. It happened with Burley flake #1 and although I couldn't visually see it the odor was there and it ghosted one of my pipes. It took a few good cleanings to get that out of the pipe but eventually it went away. Of course Smoking Pipes stood good for it as they are a top notch company to deal with. Now onto Bayou Morning. After opening the tin it had the same mold smell as the Burley Flake #1 so I let it air for a while. After a day or so it seemed to lessen some so I loaded up after a mild rub out and some dry time. What I mostly got was Perique with little if any Virginia? I again tried in various pipes and bowl sizes but the same results Perique. I like Perique when used as a condiment, but that was all I got ,the spice of the Perique and nothing more? If you like Perique you may love this. I personally have nothing against Cornell & Diehl however, have they gotten so big that they may be rushing things to fill orders? Are they using water as moisturizer to keep their tobacco moist? And since their tins aren't vacuum sealed is it allowing mold to ferment in the tins during storage? I think I'll stick to bulk ordering with them from now on. Just my two cents.

Lager

I am starting to get a hunch that deep within Cornell & Diehl’s (C&D) Carolina-based blending kitchen, some exuberant soul has a compellingly strong penchant for the taste of Louisiana Perique. Consider your Old Joe Krantz and Haunted Bookshop, for instance, as they do exemplify the base argument that I am about make here. Where there is smoke there is fire as the saying goes.

Let’s face it, if left unchecked, Perique is one of those strains that can easily dominate within a mixed profile, declaring its flamboyant self with such total disregard to modesty or gentility towards one’s upper anatomy. If this statement does not ring true, then please drop some pure Perique into your favorite briar for a simple tasting excursion. One, it’s a fantastic practice to accurately sensitize your palate to the native nuances of Perique flavor, but more importantly, you’ll come to understand or rather feel my point of view; that much I guarantee. Look at it this way, bare naked Louisiana Perique is about as silky and tender as Tennessee White Lightening; get my point?

Using this varietal as an essential complementary element, most head tobacco chefs tend to season their soups with about 2-5% Perique on par, as a rule of thumb. Understanding and tethering the subtilties of the proper Perique let-down ratio, respective to all other mixture constituents, is critical to achieving a desirable fusion of lively taste and original impressions of a blend’s design. The act of de-scalping an unsuspecting pipe smoker via Acadian annihilation is no way to make friends nor secure repetitive sales I dare say.

Now I don’t believe that the good folks at Cornell & Diehl are unwise or misinformed by any means. However, I must intentionally ask what’s up with this Bayou Morning? Essentially here comes yet another striking C&D concoction, all be it a VaPer, that largely features the infamous crop hailing from down Saint James Parish way. Rolling from the backwoods bay, Bayou Morning’s hoodoo hosts an impressive 25% Perique content. One can only conclude that the degree of Perique zeal on C&D’s part is a decisive measure designed to achieve a specific effect. Having now finished a fourth bowl, I can attest to the fact that, yes, it does do that quite effectively.

Initially when I pulled out the tightly rolled bag of tobacco, I assumed a mistake had been made. Namely the volume contained looked too plentiful for a mere ounce. Setting it to a scale, I stood corrected as it weighed true to what I had ordered. For a one-ounce sample pack, the amount of product supplied delighted me to no end.

Opening the baggie, the reason for this observation became clear to me. Chiefly, Bayou Morning is dense and plentiful in mass. Nested within was a drawing matte of red-brown-golden-copper fluff righteously peppered with generous seedy black tufts of haughty Perique. A thick and chewy mix of toothy Red and Bright ribbon and coarse inky grit. Some proclaim this blend is marginalized in appearance, I say have your eyes checked. Bayou Morning’s expression is serious without doubt but charming and most inviting in truth. Additionally, the moisture is quite ideal for a straightforward drop and burn, so there you have it.

Coming across with well-defined character, the pouch note commands a substantial air of deliciously tart woody Red Virginia. A knuckled punch of stinging dark fruity zest quickly lands from the Perique making a cheeky introduction as a passive smattering of Bright grassy tang and raisins float in the shadows. Interestingly there is such an acerbic oily overtone to the whole fragrance that it manifests in an almost balsamic flair. With that I quickly surmised this one would be, let’s say, a memorable emprise.

One could make the argument that Bayou Morning epitomizes an unusually vibrant Perique forward blend. With first light, the immediacy of the blend’s eternal contest surfaces as the Red and Perique tussle for eminent domain. This interesting clash stands consistently for the entire smoke with the Perique moving boldly to the forefront more than not. In general, the essential taste profile conveys as a deeply peppered earthy wood.

Characteristic of the Red Virginia, the registration forms with a charred and smoky woodiness that is brawny while being accented by streams of stewed tea. The Bright is extremely docile within the complex, functioning as a distant tertiary complement that inspires the image of a citrusy-lemon meadow. Quaint highlights of subtle floral and hushed brown sugar are tendered atop the lessened grassy note as well. And for the Perique, being fully protrusive, a funky resonance of musty prune overtones melds richly with the assertive belt of steamy pepperiness; impactfully sharp and bald.

As the smoking duration progressed, the resoluteness of the flavor proceeds to become darker, deeper, and stronger. Towards the end of the bowl the gusto is so powerful and full that the taste impression is profoundly different than that of the top 2/3; much bolder. With an aftertaste marked by intense wooded tarty spice, the entire palate dances with excitement and the sinus cavity vibrates with active stimulation.

Moreover, the nicotine effect demonstrated is of the medium-strong potency. My face became fully flushed, and a mild case of the jitters smartly set in with the blend’s encounter. As such, I would not suggest that this VaPer should be construed as a simple all-day smoke. There is most definitely tooth here, and one does genuinely feel it’s residual influence.

Although the tobacco burns evenly, I do feel that it has a propensity to get a little warm at times, yet it did not bite whatsoever. Therefore, I recommend deploying the breathing method to avoid the escalation of heat and to stave off a bit of rambunctiousness that occasionally attempts to harsh the favorable savor. Additionally, burning the mix through a cob produced a significantly mellower experience and the smoke texture itself tended to be creamier to the extent of being conventionally smooth.

Producing a concentrated plume of immoderate smoke, Bayou Morning leaves an opaque rendering of spent essence. A forceful and sustained aroma of soured, spicy, blackened hardwood engulfs the room masking no delusions regarding the blend’s inherent vitality and strength. Bayou Morning’s fragranced intensity may not be a welcomed companion to the sensitive type.

So, what are my final thoughts on this blend? Personally, I truly liked the experience which is kind of surprising. Generally, I am a Perique conservative by nature. Perhaps this expansion of my boundary of tolerance signifies a re-culturing of the palate? In practical terms, the price tag on Bayou Morning is significantly more attractive than my treasured Escudo. What is more this flavorful mix is available in a bulk, making Bayou Morning’s heightened curb appeal undeniable. And once again, a lot of dense tobacco for the money.

Finally, I think it’s fair to say that this simple, yet exhilarating, Bayou Morning recipe is well-crafted to deliver on a grand scale. Clearly C&D’s objective was to develop a bold and distinctive VaPer, that surpassed a mere “me too” product offering. Based upon my assessment, their achieved results are quite commendable and successful on that endeavor. Furthermore, Bayou Morning counters beautifully on all the standard genre attributes and presents a strong game against competing VaPer mixtures. If you take nothing else away from my babble, plainly, this blend shines brightly in Perique lover bliss. Drop a bowl and see if that colorful and unique Bayou spirit grabs you as it did for me.

Hanna Subjective Ranking: 3.2 Objective scoring (mechanics, standard genre attributes, cost) : 138.2 out of 145 @ 95%

If you're a Va/Per fan, you owe it to yourself to at least give this a try.

I'm not a man of many words, a poet, or anything else of the like. So, I'll try to keep this short and easy to read.

This Tobacco has a very pleasant tin note - full, but not offensive or overwhelming. It's a bit on the dry side - not quite crisp, but not overly moist. It makes for easy packing in the bowl. After a charing light, it burns easily, with just a relight or two along the way. After finishing the bowl, there was no dottle - just fine white ash.

It starts out very peppery - the perique takes center stage. It's a very full, rich smoke. Not an oily full like you would expect from, say, Dunhill's Nightcap . . . but full and rich nonetheless. As the bowl smokes down, the perique stays in the smoke, but starts to mellow out. The flavor remains full and delicious until the end.

I'm sure I could liken it to some musical piece, or multi-course meal. But, I'll just say that after the bowl is finished, I enjoy smoking another one!