Cornell & Diehl Briar Fox
(3.02)
An exceptionally smooth crumble cake of Virginias and burleys.
Notes: The personal blend of well-known Danish pipe maker, the late Peter Heeschen. One of C&D's most popular tobaccos, Briar Fox is pressed into an old fashioned crumble cake.
According to Cornell & Diehl head blender Chris Tarler, there was a little Burley in it.
Details
| Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blended By | Peter Heeschen |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Virginia Based |
| Contents | Burley, Virginia |
| Flavoring | |
| Cut | Krumble Kake |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
3.02 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 31 - 40 of 179 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 04, 2017 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild | Tolerable |
I had high hopes for this blend, considering my last name is Fox, lol. But, I must say I find it to be a bit of a disappointment. I feel like I should give this at least two stars, somewhat recommended, but for me, it is a 1-1.5 star tobacco. It isn't horrible on the palate, nor a poor quality tobacco; it is simply a bit too absent on the palate. Rather bland and mild. One of those two can be okay, but both bland and mild in one dose won't do for me. This would be an excellent choice for a cigarette smoker to use to make the transition and ditch the sticks, though (I'm an ex-Camel non-filtered smoker). So for that person, this would be at least a three star tobacco.
To qualify all of that, the one VaBur in my rotation to which I am comparing Briar Fox is Tilbury (I am fortunate to have a Tobacconist that has bags of several Esoterica tobaccos on the shelf), and I really like that VaBur - and it is a much fuller and more flavorful smoke. I also prefer straight Va, Va/Oriental, and VaPers to VaBurs in general, with McClelland's treatment of the Virginia Leaf being what I consider the standard by which to judge, so a VaBur aficionado may appreciate this more than I. But, if you are a VaBur passer-by and just exploring, this is, well, a rather bland and mild one to me that is a little cigartetty (in a good way with quality).
A tin I'll finish, but not replace ...
To qualify all of that, the one VaBur in my rotation to which I am comparing Briar Fox is Tilbury (I am fortunate to have a Tobacconist that has bags of several Esoterica tobaccos on the shelf), and I really like that VaBur - and it is a much fuller and more flavorful smoke. I also prefer straight Va, Va/Oriental, and VaPers to VaBurs in general, with McClelland's treatment of the Virginia Leaf being what I consider the standard by which to judge, so a VaBur aficionado may appreciate this more than I. But, if you are a VaBur passer-by and just exploring, this is, well, a rather bland and mild one to me that is a little cigartetty (in a good way with quality).
A tin I'll finish, but not replace ...
Pipe Used:
Nuttin' but Cobs for me ...
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 09, 2016 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a text book crumble cake. Pouch aroma of nuts, a bit of fruit sweetness, raisin and sorghum molasses smell. Preparing was super easy; break a chunk off, and rub it out with ease. Moisture content seemed a bit low for a crumble cake, almost makes you wonder how it stays pressed like it does. Takes a few relights along the way. Smoke is silky smooth for a partial burley blend. I love the room note! I can't say there is anything I can compare this to so far, it seems like a fairly unique blend. I'm sure this ages nicely too!
Age When Smoked:
2-4 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 25, 2016 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Briar Fox has the smell, taste, and throat hit of cheap cigarettes. Any one of those might be unforgivable by itself, and the combination is quite unpleasant. The Virginia tastes like it's been poorly treated, and the Burley tastes dirty.
I want to say something kind about a blend I dislike this much, so I will mention that this seems like the perfect format for these loosely-pressed cakes. The tobacco is appropriately dry, so I can break it off in pieces to fit whatever pipe I'm smoking it in and get a good pack easily. It also rubs out with no effort if that's your preference.
It smokes cool and fast to the end - an hourlong smoke of good flake takes maybe 1/2 hour with Briar Fox. If the cigarette quality and taste isn't a problem for you, this might be an excellent fire-and-forget smoke.
I want to say something kind about a blend I dislike this much, so I will mention that this seems like the perfect format for these loosely-pressed cakes. The tobacco is appropriately dry, so I can break it off in pieces to fit whatever pipe I'm smoking it in and get a good pack easily. It also rubs out with no effort if that's your preference.
It smokes cool and fast to the end - an hourlong smoke of good flake takes maybe 1/2 hour with Briar Fox. If the cigarette quality and taste isn't a problem for you, this might be an excellent fire-and-forget smoke.
Pipe Used:
basket pipe
Age When Smoked:
maybe way too fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 17, 2012 | Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I want to like this tobacco more than I do. By the description, and by the other reviews here, it sounded right up my alley; unfortunately, I was disappointed.
I love the cake form, which rubs out and packs nicely, and the tobacco came at almost a perfect humidity. Burn is even and relatively cool. Smell in the tin is not totally unpleasant, but it does smell like quite a bit like sour milk.
Flavor is tangy, spicy, and chimeric. The Virginias are not as sweet as I expected - mostly just tangy, sometimes with a pronounced nuttiness. Oftentimes, I could swear I was burning sandalwood. Overall, it is airy and light tasting; seems fair to set it in the daytime / desk work category. The perique undertone gives it an interesting, complex flavor and is well-proportioned relative to the other flavors. Smoking very gently helps to bring out a balanced complexity; puff too hard or too long, and it just tastes ashy and dirty, like a cheap burley.
This likes a small bowl, which is not a problem because it is quite slow-burning.
I'm right on the border of giving this 3 stars - it's a quality tobacco, and I know there are people who will love this. Nevertheless, I am not one of those people. I'll smoke it up, but won't buy again.
I love the cake form, which rubs out and packs nicely, and the tobacco came at almost a perfect humidity. Burn is even and relatively cool. Smell in the tin is not totally unpleasant, but it does smell like quite a bit like sour milk.
Flavor is tangy, spicy, and chimeric. The Virginias are not as sweet as I expected - mostly just tangy, sometimes with a pronounced nuttiness. Oftentimes, I could swear I was burning sandalwood. Overall, it is airy and light tasting; seems fair to set it in the daytime / desk work category. The perique undertone gives it an interesting, complex flavor and is well-proportioned relative to the other flavors. Smoking very gently helps to bring out a balanced complexity; puff too hard or too long, and it just tastes ashy and dirty, like a cheap burley.
This likes a small bowl, which is not a problem because it is quite slow-burning.
I'm right on the border of giving this 3 stars - it's a quality tobacco, and I know there are people who will love this. Nevertheless, I am not one of those people. I'll smoke it up, but won't buy again.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Dec 31, 2008 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
When I first popped the lid on this tin (20 months old), it reminded me of Kajun Kake, both in presentation and aroma (I smell brownies).
The tobacco is very dry, so I have to smoke it rubbed out whether I like it or not.
My biggest issue with this tobacco is the consistency of taste throughout the bowl. It starts out well enough but gets more bitter as the bowl goes on. I have tried new pipes and carefully cleaned pipes and I still get the same result. I also find that DGT does not work well with this blend either.
Actually, when I smoke straight Virginia tobacco, I prefer some sweetness such as found in McClelland #27, Dark Star or Christmas Cheer. There is very little sweetness here.
It is not a bad tobacco, I am just less impressed every time I smoke it. Maybe a 4 or 5 year old tin will yield better results for me.
The tobacco is very dry, so I have to smoke it rubbed out whether I like it or not.
My biggest issue with this tobacco is the consistency of taste throughout the bowl. It starts out well enough but gets more bitter as the bowl goes on. I have tried new pipes and carefully cleaned pipes and I still get the same result. I also find that DGT does not work well with this blend either.
Actually, when I smoke straight Virginia tobacco, I prefer some sweetness such as found in McClelland #27, Dark Star or Christmas Cheer. There is very little sweetness here.
It is not a bad tobacco, I am just less impressed every time I smoke it. Maybe a 4 or 5 year old tin will yield better results for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Oct 17, 2007 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant |
Update*** After a few months of leaving this one alone and trying it again, I'm going to up my rating after all. It's made of a predominance of brown Virginias (really don't see many yellows or brights), and I wouldn't doubt some Burley to contradict my earlier review (especially since the blend has hardly any bite). A fine nutty smoke, with a slight bitter edge, I mean real slight because it's mostly sweet and nutty, without too much of the grassy quality of many Virginia blends. Love it. C&D is really spoiling me.
**old one***I guess I'm mostly in line with the reviews here. This is an obviously carefully prepared and cared for tobacco. I'm not sure why the wax paper exactly, but it makes it feel like you're opening a present or some ancient artefact the first time. I think that's half the experience, at least the first few times. Given the regalia, one would hope for a more overwhelming smoke, but let me say, it's definitely not bad. Just not all that might be promised. It's smooth, but almost to a frustrating degree, at least for me. I mean, I guess I'm left feeling it needs just a little more spice or something, maybe just a dash of Perique or, dare I say, a touch of some not too crazy Burley perhaps. I'm still holding out hope for this one, however, and I will try to update soon.
**old one***I guess I'm mostly in line with the reviews here. This is an obviously carefully prepared and cared for tobacco. I'm not sure why the wax paper exactly, but it makes it feel like you're opening a present or some ancient artefact the first time. I think that's half the experience, at least the first few times. Given the regalia, one would hope for a more overwhelming smoke, but let me say, it's definitely not bad. Just not all that might be promised. It's smooth, but almost to a frustrating degree, at least for me. I mean, I guess I'm left feeling it needs just a little more spice or something, maybe just a dash of Perique or, dare I say, a touch of some not too crazy Burley perhaps. I'm still holding out hope for this one, however, and I will try to update soon.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| May 22, 2004 | Mild to Medium | None Detected | Very Mild | Tolerable |
I have smoked nearly an entire tin of BF and I have come to a few conclusions not only about BF but C&D in general. Their tobacco is of high quality -- so is this. Their tobacco typically comes pretty dry -- so does this. Their tobacco falls into a love it or hate it group with me -- there just hasn't been any in-between with me so far. This one I hate. I reach for straight VA's and VA/P blends most often. However, this one is so tasteless, hot and so uninteresting, that I just cannot justify the price of it anymore.
Perhaps you will have better luck. But for me, I'll stick with C&D's latakia blends or Bayou Flake -- I suspect that will make you happier as well.
Perhaps you will have better luck. But for me, I'll stick with C&D's latakia blends or Bayou Flake -- I suspect that will make you happier as well.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 18, 2022 | Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Not really a burley forward fan, but picked up a tin of this because of the unique tin art and the "best seller" label. The date on the bottom was 5-2019 making it almost 3 years old. I had put the tin away for a few months and recently I noticed the tin was slightly bulging, so I decided to crack it open and try a few bowls.
The tin note us sharp, sour, woodsy, or earthy and I could tell the burley was there. Was perfect moisture and lit easily. A somewhat dark fruit Virginia flavor comes through, as well as the woody like burley flavor. Not sweet, but just a little sour tang. No trouble keeping it lit, and no bite. Nice simple blend that's easy to smoke. Probably benefited from the tin being slightly aged.
Overall, recommended, but one I personally will only reach for every so often.
The tin note us sharp, sour, woodsy, or earthy and I could tell the burley was there. Was perfect moisture and lit easily. A somewhat dark fruit Virginia flavor comes through, as well as the woody like burley flavor. Not sweet, but just a little sour tang. No trouble keeping it lit, and no bite. Nice simple blend that's easy to smoke. Probably benefited from the tin being slightly aged.
Overall, recommended, but one I personally will only reach for every so often.
Pipe Used:
Savinelli Caramella & Cobs
PurchasedFrom:
Barclay Pipe, Tobacco, & Cigar (Columbus, OH)
Age When Smoked:
3 years old
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2021 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
C&D cakes are my favorite. Perfect moisture (usually), easy to work with, and a well married flavor. Briar fox is no exception.
The VA and burley trade blows throughout the bowl. Sometimes it's mild citrus and dried fruit, sometimes it's cocoa powder, almonds, malt, and earth, sometimes it's everything at once. A savory bread/wheat note is present throughout the bowl as well. Toward the middle and finish a bit of spice kicks in. Burns a little hot as burley blends tend to, but will burn to the bottom of the bowl with minimal re-lights, not much thinking/maintenance involved. I have to try pretty hard to get any bite. Nice bit of strength allthough nothing unreasonable.
Not a bad "I don't know what to smoke" blend. Pretty basic and relatively unexciting, but quality tobacco. I feel like people who try this are going to be pretty divided on whether this is "Boring" or "Simple yet delicious".
The VA and burley trade blows throughout the bowl. Sometimes it's mild citrus and dried fruit, sometimes it's cocoa powder, almonds, malt, and earth, sometimes it's everything at once. A savory bread/wheat note is present throughout the bowl as well. Toward the middle and finish a bit of spice kicks in. Burns a little hot as burley blends tend to, but will burn to the bottom of the bowl with minimal re-lights, not much thinking/maintenance involved. I have to try pretty hard to get any bite. Nice bit of strength allthough nothing unreasonable.
Not a bad "I don't know what to smoke" blend. Pretty basic and relatively unexciting, but quality tobacco. I feel like people who try this are going to be pretty divided on whether this is "Boring" or "Simple yet delicious".
Pipe Used:
MM cobs, various billiards
PurchasedFrom:
Pipes & cigars
Age When Smoked:
Fresh
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2020 | Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Smoking now from a corn cob.
The perfectly square brownie style cake looks fantastic. It smells like how the woods smell after it rains and has a wonderful sour citrus note. Lights and smokes easy. Non offensive however can give a slight bite if smoked too fast, keep it slow, and have a drink with it. A wonderful earthy, grassy, slight tang taste. After taste isn’t the best but it’s not too offensive. This is a blend to smoke when the wife and kids are not around. Room note is stronger.
Can’t wait to age some of this and try it next summer. I hope with age this gets better.
The perfectly square brownie style cake looks fantastic. It smells like how the woods smell after it rains and has a wonderful sour citrus note. Lights and smokes easy. Non offensive however can give a slight bite if smoked too fast, keep it slow, and have a drink with it. A wonderful earthy, grassy, slight tang taste. After taste isn’t the best but it’s not too offensive. This is a blend to smoke when the wife and kids are not around. Room note is stronger.
Can’t wait to age some of this and try it next summer. I hope with age this gets better.
Pipe Used:
Missouri Meerschaum Legend.
PurchasedFrom:
P&C
Age When Smoked:
May 2020
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