Cornell & Diehl Briar Fox

As it usually happens to me with many Cornell & Diehl?s blends, it takes sometime before I actually realize the excellence and the quality of these tobaccos. Always on the dry side?the tobaccos seem to be processed in such a way that the essential oils and the natural juices are all dried up?the first impression is of a rather raw, almost stale taste. But as you keep on puffing, the different layers of flavor slowly reveal themselves to reach a point where you become completely enraptured in the smoking experience. Briar Fox is a case in point.

This comes in crumble cake. On opening the small round tin you actually get the impres-sion of tightly compressed slices of meat loaf. It is very easy, well, to crumble, pack and light. A blend of straight Va?s., tin aroma is a bit pungent, but completely natural and unlike any other Virginia I have sampled (it is not at all sweet, winy or with a note of dried raisins, not even soapy, but sharp, earthy and straw-like).

The first few puffs yield a rather bawdy, rough tang. But this impression wears off almost immediately to produce a naturally tasty smoke, composed of different but harmonious layers. The dryness of the tobaccos allow for a wonderful burning rate and lingers on throughout the smoke. The apparent simplicity of the mixture tends to build up as you smoke it, evolving into a very agreeable, austere and natural taste. You kind of get carried away by the subtle interplay between grassy notes, a certain bitterness and a faint sour-sweetness that barley insinuates in the background. Great stuff!

This is a tobacco that can be smoked indoors (although those around you won?t be particularly enthusiastic), but I prefer to smoke it outdoors, either relaxing in a garden chair or when walking in open coun-try. Recommended as one of the most natural Virginia experiences you?ll encounter.

I don't know why it took me so long to review the wonderful tobacco. Briar Fox is the blend I use to break in all of my pipes, be they new or just new to me. The reason I use Briar Fox to break in my pipes is that it smokes the same for me in any size pipe, regardless of bowl diameter or depth, I know what I should expect from every bowl. I enjoy the sweet Red Virginia tang and the slight heft that the Burley adds to the mix. I also smoke Briar Fox, when I just need a tobacco that I don't have to think about, that's not a bad thing here, as sometimes you just want to puff away and sort of zone out! This subtlety of flavor will also quickly reveal any ghosts the pipe may have. Many smokers keep Carter Hall or Prince Albert around for those times when only a simple, uncomplicated smoke will satisfy, Briar Fox does this for me.

Man this blend is as old as the hills (well not really) but it has been around for more than a decade and i just finally got around to trying it. I just finished a tin that was fairly young so i assume that it can only get better with age as C&D does not age their tins to the extent that McClelland does. Another delicous smelling tobacco Brownie ala C&D that makes me want to take a bite.. Browns and Blonde square Brownie staring up at me just begging to be pinched into a bowl sized nugget. IMHO C&D, Uhles and Peretti have access to the best Burley grown today and the varietal used in BF is mild and nutty, not the kick you in the teeth strain used in OJK and Haunted Bookshop which lets the blonde Virginia do it's thing. A medium blend all around, not weak in the nicotine and has a very nice flavor that works well in a Dublin to amplify the taste as the bowl narrows at the end. Some Perique blends do not work well for me in these pipes as they can amplify the spicyness to a level that's off putting. A great summertime mowing the lawn / fishing , putzing around the house blend that does not bite and has a wonderful nutty old timey pipe aroma that the family did not object to. Thinking about buying the pound that comes in a Fox Ears shape to put away for future summers. It's too bad i did not try BF earlier but hey that's half the fun of piping, trying new blends every month or so which makes finding a new friend that much more special.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to try this one. I think there was some skepticism on my part that it was strong enough to satisfy me, not to mention that it is a dutch pipemakers blend. It just said light and boring to me. I'm glad that a couple of my favorite reviewers had tried it and liked it. So, I ordered an 8oz tin and gave it a whirl.

The tin had no date stamped on it, so dating is difficult. Seems to have what I would think were at least 6 months age on it. The bricks are somewhat damp though not overly so. (It was illusiory in the end, because the tobacco was at a perfect smoking humidity when rubbed out to smoke.)They also have a very nice press on them, very compacted and neatly cut. There is little shake in the tin at all even after what I can only guess was significant shipping movement. Very nice presentation. The tobacco is a beautiful reddish brown with darker and lighter highlights. The cake rubs out easily.

No problems in packing. False light smoke was delicious. True light after 15 minutes rest was one of the best virginia experiences I have ever had. True mixture of deep and bright flavors with the edge going to those that are dark and earthy. Serious cereal/grain flavors are present throughout the bowl. Black coffee, dark chocolate, dates, figs, and undefinable creamy flavors are constantly dancing in and out of the starring role. A true ensemble cast with equal strengths.

I found this to be at best a medium pace puffer. It really does shine when it is sipped, which is easy because it stays lit so beautifully. No bite whatsoever, but like I said before, medium cadence was as hard as I puffed. A longer smoke than most virginias give me and that I am thankful for. I smoke alot of bowls in a day, and the longer they last the better. The bowl smoked cool and dry to the heel. No overheating with this one.

I think this is easily an all day smoke for the hardier types such as myself, but may be a bit much for the lighter style pipesters. Although smooth and tasty, it does carry a fully medium dose of Nicotine.

I'm not sure what to make of all the negative reviews. I found this one very hard to find fault with. It should make most virginia fans pretty happy.

Cheers!

Briar Fox is not only a tobacco, but a well executed concept. From it's rustic Virginia leaf ingredients, to the presentation, the tin art and the name, I find it to be complete and whole in all ways. I like the clever name -- a play on words that alludes to the unceasing conspirator from Uncle Remus' folklore, Song of the South, Br'er Fox. I had the tales of Uncle Remus on a 45 lp when I was a kid as many of you may have (or your kids had it)...but that ain't the point, so let's talk about what matters:

Presented as a crumble cake, briar fox couldn't be easier, or more fun, to rub out and load. No knife needed, just tear off a suitably sized flake and rub out completely, or stuff straight into the bowl. Consists mostly of Red Va, with some bright leaf and just a few fleck of very dark, almost black leaf. This stuff was born to burn. Easily, it is the best burning tobacco I have yet to smoke and it does so very dry at that. When I purchased the tin, I was lucky enough to catch a review that mentioned direct correspondence with Craig Tarler wherein he recommended aging the blend six months in the tin. At first I was bummed, my gratification needing substantial delay, but I waited the requisite period and I'm glad I did. I wonder if folks who didn't enjoy the blend would have had a better experience with a little age. I can imagine it being a bit bitter without properly developed sugars.

Because this blend is more earthy than any other Va's I've smoked, I suspected perhaps a small amount of burley. I checked into it by asking someone who would definitely know and from his response I assume that there is almost nothing but Va's. Very impressive. There is a noticeable sweetness, but less so than opening night. Apparently, it was developed by Craig and Peter Heeschen with Peter's briars in mind. These guys know there stuff, in my opinion.

Briar Fox is tangy, earthy, and sweet with a quick, dry finish. It has a little nicotine, but not enough to satisfy someone who likes a kick in the stomach. That isn't me, so I do fine with it. Flavor wise, I could still recommend this to folks who prefer burley over VA due to that rustic, earthiness that characterizes the blend. Alas, it is still a "VA show" and for that it gets my hearty endorsement.

Maximum star value for this smoker.

C&D's Briar Fox is a Burley and Virginia blend that has a very storied history, being the favorite (and sometimes, not-so-favorite) of many pipe smokers then and now. I may be a bit out of bounds to suggest this, but for me at least, Briar Fox can act as a sort of test to see exactly what an individual smoker prefers in their smoke, largely because BF is so decidedly old-fashioned in its approach.

The tin note immediately lets you know the burley is the star of the show, with earthy and slightly nutty notes hitting the nose immediately. The crumble cake is firm but easily pliable, and as such is enjoyable to prepare any way the user sees fit.

C&D states that BF starts with a strong tobacco taste, with more complex notes being apparent mid-bowl and spicier notes on the back end. This largely holds true. There are no toppings here to muddle the tobacco flavor, and the Virginias largely complement the Burleys by adding a brightness to the mix, but never upstaging the Burleys. More nutty flavors do emerge mid-bowl, but the promised spiciness at the end is touch-and-go, but it is there (mostly).

I suggested earlier that this blend can really reveal what an individual smoker prefers. What I mean by that is that for those who prefer complex blends with a multitude of flavors playing harmoniously with another will likely find BF to be boring. But for those who prefer simplicity in their blends, where individual components are not upstaged or interdependent on a multitude of leaves and methods, and instead each component has its time to shine and gracefully bows out at the right time, then this blend is likely to satisfy. And for those who prefer their tobacco old-fashioned, which is to say, they want their tobacco to taste like tobacco, then BF will likely be akin to seeing an old friend again. For me, BF scratched an itch, and it stays in rotation because of that. Are there better or more complex burley-forward blends out there? Certainly. But few are as consistent, easy to enjoy, and readily available as this old fox.

Review of free 1/2 oz sample...First of all, be careful when breaking up this kake as it may contain a few sharp woody bits. Bag note is sweet Virginia at it's best! Moisture level is perfect; ready to smoke soon after crumbling. 95% good quality tobacco with just a few woody or stemy bits to pick over. Very tasty sweet Virg from charring light to bottom of bowl; more of a fig like sweetness, less raisiny than Old Gowrie. That great C&D Burley is present and makes for a bit quicker/hotter burn than a straight Virg. Very well behaved in my pipe; no fuss and smokes to a fine clean ash. N level is medium- and very predictable. I've enjoyed this stuff quite a bit and feel that it makes a great morning smoke. I'll be buying some soon. Hope this helps.

This is going to be a regular rotation in the cold winter months, especially during hunting season. I found it to smoke warm. But it had a nice full flavor and a great heady satisfying smoke. A very strange smoke to me. Not the typical virginia. Not the expected sweetness, but something really quite good.

A cake with quite subtle aromas, perhaps a certain farmyard smell predominates. Humidity is perfect for immediate charging. It turns on very easily and hardly needs re-ignition. Everything flows easily from the first flame to the end of the pipe. I don't appreciate any kind of coverage. On the contrary, its qualities seem those of a totally natural tobacco.

There may be just "a hint of burley" as the presentation says, but its earthiness and flavor feels like there is a superior amount. Either that, or the tobacco-making process makes the burley outshine the virginia. It has a strong, good-quality cigarette flavor and is quite dry. Six years of aging does not appear to have changed the properties of Briar Fox relative to other reviews here on younger tin. In the mouth and in the pipe it behaves perfectly, without a trace of bite or moisture, not even when you accelerate the speed of the smoke.

If you are a Burley lover, you will probably like this one a lot ...