Cornell & Diehl Briar Fox

One of my favorite tobaccos. Light mustard, which is not approved by many, I really like. Smoked from different pipes, at different times of the year - amazing!

This is a staple VA for me when I want sturdy VA taste, no danger of bite, and a no fuss pack and burn. Great stuff, tho maybe a bit different than what you are used to.

This has more upfront flavor than most straight Virginias I've tried. I like it. It will bite you if get too excited though. I love the smell in the tin; like sweet, slightly fermented hay. I like the room note also, but I don't think everyone would. The moisture level in my tin was absolutely perfect.

A quick update: I cracked two tins of Briar Fox last night that have been aging since September of '06. I put the two seemingly - small bricks into a Mason jar. This morning, I rubbed some out, and have to say - this ages magnificently. What I tasted this morning was one of the very best straight VA's that I've enjoyed to date. I like this when it's fresh and young, but like so many VA's, aging transforms this into something quite different. If you have the luxury (and patience) to set some tins of this aside, I would highly recommend doing so!

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A top-quality Virginia. Neat Krumble Kake, rubs out well, or does fine just lightly stuffed in a larger bowl. Equally wonderful in any sized bowl, I've found. Nutty, rich, really satisfying. Just great stuff. If this was the first VA I'd ever tried, I might not have switched mostly to latakias. Moisture content from the tin is fine with me, possibly just a little dryer than I'd prefer, but it just works down fine with nothing but a little ash left. Cool, dry, and packed with flavor. Four stars with no reservation.

NapaWineLover nails this one in his review. I'll just add my own three cheers for this flavorful Virginia offering.

The price of a tin is a little steep, but it's woth the money.

This is a good Virginia straight out of the can. I like the C&D dryness, it seems like they are playing fair and not selling watered hams like even the nicest butchers do these days. (yes, tobacconists are butchers, vegetable butchers. It's not a put down, just an analogy). Anyway, Briar Fox is good stuff. But with and little age and, more importantly, the tiniest bit of rehydration, it is a great blend. Hydration is a big deal with this stuff. It can be Great. Not spectcular, but still 4 stars. And because this is a cake and not so heavily pressed, there is more variation of flavors throughout the bowl than in, say, Full Virginia Flake, or Marlin. . A very good all-dayer.

This is terrific stuff - earthy and deep. It has given me new appreciation for Virginias and for the pipe in general.

Okay, I will join the debate.

First, I am always amazed at how different folks feel about the same tobacco. Kinda gives a new meaning to "truth", and pardon the philosophy.

I find this tobacco to be a wonderful blend, worthy of those special moments, when you want to settle into something really tasty, and you have the time to do so.

In the tin, this blend has a really earthy, almost farm-like quality to it. That is the first hint I might like it.

It is a nice cake, that crumbles and rubs out easily. Initially, out of the can, I think it needs just a small amount of hydration, which I do with one of those little aluminum pouch hydrator things, which I keep in the can.

Upon my first try, I had the sense this tobacco was too dry, and had too much nicotine, but first impressions are not always the best impressions. Sometimes you just gotta get to know something better.

Upon subsequent tries, this tobacco came to life. A little hydration, a calm, slow, relaxed, and purposeful smoke brought out the best in this gem. And smoked slowly, the nicotine will leave you alone. Rush this, and it is another story

Rich, ever so slightly sweet, and full bodied Virginia flavors envelop you for the duration of your smoke. Just good solid tobacco flavors here folks, the likes of which will keep you returning again and again. Just relax, enjoy it slowly, and smile. This one is a winner. Highly recommended.

P.S. I am learning now to smoke pipe tobacco more slowly, more purposefully, and with a more relaxed attitude. The reward for doing so is finding all those flavors and nuances that have always been there, but that can definitely be missed by too fast and too vigorous puffing. Likewise, smoke it right, and you will be left with all the impressions a great tobacco can leave, rather than the haze the nicotine can immerse you in!!!

I found Briar Fox in a sample pack I had ordered through C&D. I had several very good tobaccos in this package, but saved the Briar Fox till the end because it came tucked away in a can. Well, long story short, I eventually opened the can, smoked two bowlfuls, and immediately rushed the can to my friend, Joe, who happens to be my friendly neighborhood tobacconist.

"You gotta try this, Joe. I got this in a sample pack from Cornell and Diehl"

"Okay, sure, I'll give it a try."

Within a few minutes Joe's eyes had the same look of pleasure that I imagined I had when I first sampled the tobacco.

"Hey! This is good! It has kind of a "woody-nutty" taste!"

"That's exactly what I said, except I thought it had a "nutty-woody" taste!"

Long story short, Briar Fox became a staple of the store. Any newcomer who longed to try a "good Virginian" was referred to this blend. Soon, even Latakia smokers were seen purchasing a can of the Briar Fox!

In addition to tasting "nutty-woody" this tobacco also has the advantage of coming in convenient crumble cake form. I find the cakes sufficiently moist and easy to rub out. Many of my fellow pipe smokers tend to rub a cake or two out upon openning the can. My experience is that it stays moist enough to "pre-rub" for a surprisingly long time, but I got into the habit of grabbing a piece of the cake a little at a time.

My only warning is that, because this blend is pure Virginia, it burns on the hot side and should definitely be smoked slowly.

So....judge for yourself....is Briar Fox "woody-nutty" or "nutty-woody"? Tastes great....or less filling?