Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning

First of all, this is a very aptly named tobacco. It actually has a sweet aroma that reminded me of a morning on the bayou in Louisiana.

If you are looking for a nice light Va/Per smoke where the Perique doesn't overpower the Va leaf, this could be it.

Not overly complex, this is a good all-day smoke, as advertised.

Like a morning on the bayou, it's relaxed and easy.

A perfect companion to Three Friars, but markedly different. Here the Virginias are brown and toasty, and the overall taste is sweeter on the back of the tongue. The Perique is there, but I find it restrained. The flavor and quality of the tobacco are extraordinarily good. I detect a sweetener that is probably not neutral, but it is used so sparingly that it is difficult to identify. Yet, it adds a nuance that complements the Virginia. The overall effect is a sweet, mild, toasty Virginia with a light Perique tang and no bite. This is also a beautiful tobacco to handle and pack, as is Three Friars. It is a bit on the dry side, and can take a firm pack, and it burns a long, long time. This is a slow sipping Va./Perique lovers tobacco. Midway through the smoke we are hitting the Perique zone and getting very, very close to Escudo. Bayou Morning and Three Friars are likely to become my first choices for a ribbon cut Va./Perique. Blast! Now I am compelled to sample even more of the C&D tobaccos, especially their Perique blends. Highly recommended. Paddy.

My first approach was following the name that invites me to smoke on a Sunday morning with very nice results. The combinations of Virginia create a nice basis for the perique in the blend, very well balanced. Some pepper and typical Virginias flavors can be found in the nose. A very pleasant and clean mixture of Virginias with perique. Recommended.

Strange thing, before I picked up some straight perique for identification and comparison purposes, this was one of my favorites. Now that I can identify the perique and separate it in my mind from the Virginia somewhat, this isn't coming across as anything special. The perique isn't even coming across all that strong, and I get none of the fetid notes I've noticed in other perique blends (and certainly the straight perique). A lot of pepper, but not a lot of the other and relatively few good things I sometimes get from perique, like fruit. There's some grassiness and creaminess, but little sweetness. The second hand smoke/room note is also a little harsh, and not justified by the blend's merits.

All that said, it's not terrible, just disappointing after having expanded my horizons a little bit. My disappointment is obviously also a product of my personal taste. If this were a nicotine bomb I could see it having some utility because it's not entirely unpleasant, it's cheap, and comes in an easy-to-work-with ribbon cut, but the nicotine content isn't spectacular either. If you like it enough to want to smoke a bunch of it, I'm sure you'd find the nicotine content satisfactory. I could see someone loving this, but I just don't.

When you open the tin, the typical aroma of ferment, cheese and vinegar of the perique appears that C & D usually uses in their mixes. Taking a pinch of tobacco shows that it comes a little on the dry side. When you light the pipe you immediately notice the good dose of perique that it contains, but without overwhelming ... as long as you like perique. My tastes may change in the future, but at this point in my life as a pipe smoker the ones I enjoy the most are those who have a good perique presence from beginning to end. I thought it might be similar to Bayou Morning Flake (which is one of my favorites), but the only thing they are alike is in the name ... Here the perique is the protagonist and makes this a fruity, sweet, greedy, and also more monotone than the “Flake” version. However, this is not a problem for me when the flavor is rich, so I am enjoying when I smoke this, although I think the reviewers who claim it maintains the same flavor from start to finish are right. Like I say, this is not a problem for me. If it is not a problem for you either and you like the perique, maybe you should not miss the opportunity to try it. Of course, I have already gotten some tin for the reserve ...

This tobacco seems to me a very good option for those who are starting to smoke a pipe and want to appreciate the perique that they cannot find in other mixtures.

12/09/2021: I have noticed that I do not go to this tobacco as often as others that are in my rotation, that's why I am lowering it a star, but without much conviction in my decision. Certainly, I think it is not an everyday tobacco, as its flavor potency is somewhat overwhelming. However, I still find it interesting to smoke from time to time ...

If for you who are reading this, it is also too powerful in taste, I recommend you smoke it in a pipe with the longest mouthpiece. I don't know if it's something psychological or has some scientific basis, but I think it softens the flavors. Accompanying it with a whiskey also enhances the experience. Works for me...

The alchemy that must go into a blend like this reveals the genius of the late BR. I am continually baffled as to how so much Perique could behave so well, playing harmoniously with the VA, yet not blowing one’s head clean off. I concur with the comparison to butter, not in a dairy sense, but in the incredibly smooth mouthfeel. Dark citrus, toast, earthy vaguely sweet virginias. Not much spice or plumminess here, but there is a pleasant barnyard funk in the sidestream. Does well with DGT and I would guess this would age superbly. This blend did smolder a bit on the hot side, but I did not get any tongue bite.

My review is based of a bulk purchase that I smoked through, and plan to order more.

Smoked fast - tastes like poop. Sipped slowly - tastes like smarties candy a little bit. I get a more sweet note from the tobacco, especially on the retro. I do get a little spice feeling on the tongue, but no actual spicy flavor. Butter? Nope. Grass? Not unless it’s sweetened lemon grass. Perhaps some citrus notes in there... so, almost a sweet/sour thing happening but balanced - like a smartie.

I haven’t tried every va/per out there, but of the ones I have I think I enjoy this one the most at the moment. This does a little better if it sits a while as I smoked some when I first got it and then over time kept digging in the couple ounces I got. I’ll likely get enough of this on the re-order to jar some up and store away for a while.

I think everyone should try this out at least once. If nothing else the va/pers help slow you down which then benefits everything else you smoke, at least IMO.

I purchased the bulk and did not care for it right away. I tucked it in a jar for a year and came back to revisit it.

The perique definitely comes through in the tin note. It is a strong funky and fermented smell that I love. The flavor profile is dark fruit, tang, earth, and peppery spice. I like this blend a lot and it fills a nice role within my rotation. Also, the fact that it comes in bulk is a big plus. Definitely check this one out if you are looking for a VaPer with a bit more body and nicotine than the average offering.

I got this because I wanted to explore VaPers more, as my go-to ones are Elizabethan Mixture and Orlik Golden Sliced.

This is closer to Elizabethan Mixture in that it's more on the savoury side. The Perique is definitely dominant, but if you puff VERY SLOWLY, you can pick up the sweetness from the Virginia's (someone mentioned butter, and I agree. Think very light hit of sweet cream butter. It's nice). Overall, I'd say that this is like smoking a blend of spicy seasonings with a healthy amount of Tobasco and cayenne pepper, whereas, you get more of the meat and potatoes with Orlik and a more balanced mixing with Elizabethan Mixture

I would recommend letting this age some. I smoked this when I got it in the post, and it was overwhelming. After a few weeks, it became a bit more pleasant. So, I'm looking forward to what a year can do.