Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning Flake

Delectable blend for the Perique lover. The stinky smell of fermentation when you open the tin. The Perique is equally plummy and figgy, as well as peppery and spicy. It's the whole kit and caboodle! This is everything Kajun Kake should be, but isn't. The Red Virginias bring some sweetness that balances out the tinge of bitterness that comes with introducing this much perique. There's also a mellow earthiness that comes with that sweet bread of the Red Virginias. Despite being strong in Vitamin N, this smokes smooth as silk. It can be an all day smoke for the experienced smoker. The flakes mean this blend won't be drying out on you too quick and you won't lose any of that zesty Perique flavour. I aged this one for a year, but I cannot wait to find out how putting multiple years on this blend would elevate it. Get Bajou Morning now, my fellow Perique lovers! - 4/4

I was surprised to find that BMF is vastly different from BM. BMF has a depth of flavor not found in bm and is smoother. BMF puts forth profound notes of fig and raisin, rich hay and tang, earth and a pleasant sweetness, all punctuated by a bit of satisfying pepper. You'll even find a chocolate note or two in the aftertaste. I'm sure the 3 years of age on the tin was tremendously beneficial. BMF is a top notch smoke and easily compares and competes with the best VaPers available today. 4 stars.

I will confess, I'm rather confused as to why this is at all linked with Bayou Morning. If I were to rework the C&D lineup, this one would be called Bayou Night, and the current Bayou Night would be something else entirely. After discovering how much I loved the Bayou Morning ribbon, I ordered two tins of this; one to smoke right away, one to age. The tin note was nothing outstanding; woody, some dark fruit, and the cheesy note of fresher perique. Like many of C&D's "Flake" offerings, it's more of a loose broken flake. Perfect moisture content upon opening. The unaged version was... Not great. I wasn't expecting a sweet Va/Per, but this was almost overwhelmingly woody and earthy, somewhat bitter, and had a tendency to be unpleasantly spicy. Considering Chenet's Cake is my all-time favorite, that means something. I soldiered through the remainder of the tin, and intentionally forgot about the other tin for a year. Given that that year was 2020, there were many other things to think about. Digging through my aged tins last week, I came across that tin again. The memory of pain fades, and I decided to give it another try. My word, what a difference a year can make. The smoke was now richly fruity, toasty, and still quite earthy, reminiscent in some ways of Boston Brown Bread. Still properly spicy, but not in a brash way as it was before. With at least a year of age, this becomes a fantastic smoke for a perique lover like myself. Doesn't bite, pretty decent nicotine content, room note is unpleasant if you don't smoke Va/Pers yourself. I will give three stars for the aged product; in that form, it warrants 4. However, I must subtract one star, as that is not the form it arrives in. I would be willing to pay more for it if it were aged prior to shipping. Addendum 04/22: Giving back the fourth star. I'm beginning to think the first tin I got was an anomaly; I've been through 3x 8 oz tins in record time. This is quickly becoming my favorite VaPer, and making a strong case for favorite blend overall.

Go ahead, I cannot compare it with its ribbon version because I have not tried it yet, although it will not take long to do it, since it seems like an interesting exercise.

When you open the tin, a broken flake cut appears in dark tones that gives off a very rich aroma of stewed fruits and some vinegar. Although tobacco comes a bit wet, it burns really well without the need to dry it and it can be smoked easily and carelessly without the danger of biting your tongue. The flake pieces crumble very easily, making this tobacco very easy to handle. Once lit, it burns slowly, providing a relatively long-lasting smoke.

Despite containing a not inconsiderable dose of perique, it does not feel overwhelming. As it cannot be otherwise, its presence is noticeable, but I would say that it is not even dominant, but rather it seems that it is very well integrated with the virgina that accompanies it. In taste it is less sweet than most va / per that I have smoked. In my opinion, it is dominated by earthy and slightly sour notes, sometimes salty, making it tasty and different. At times I have also found that I perceive a slightly wine-like taste. In relation to the amount of nicotine it has, I agree with the majority of reviewers on this page: its presence is noticeable.

As an anecdote I will say that I thought I was going to "dispatch" this review with a few lines, but finally I have been coming up with more things to write than I originally thought. I don't know why this has happened, but I will ponder the smoke-shrouded matter of this Bayou Morning Flake.

02/14/2022: I recently had the happy experience of smoking a 17-year-old can of BMF and it turned out to be what I expected: exquisite. The perique increased its potency giving it robustness and more sour notes. If you have a chance to get a tin, you should not miss the opportunity. I also smoked “Bayou Morning” and discovered that it is not a ribbon version as it has nothing to do with BMF. They only look alike in name...

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.

I don't know why this doesn't have more 4 star reviews. This is my go to tobacco right now. The Virginia is sweet and of high quality. The perique has a nice nicotine kick. It burns smooth. Has little bite. Just really good tobacco. I think this is better than both Elizabethan Mixture and Acadian Perique. If you like VaPers or just Virginia based blends in general you will like this. The nicotine may be more than some can handle. But this has been my favorite blend as of late. It can be an all day smoke, but it will get a bit nippy if you go crazy with it like I do.

Oh, my! This is my first perique. Very tasty, almost chewy. Tried some in my Peterson Shannon #3. A mouthful of smoke leaves my mouth tasting almost like I have just eaten something satisfying. And did I detect a slight hint of black pepper?

It gurgled a bit towards the bottom, but I put that down to not packing my pipe well.

I'm fortunate enough to work out of doors most of the time, so it's easy for me to grab a smoke during the day. I'll be keeping my tin of Bayou Morning in my tool chest for an all-day smoke.

Very nice plain smoke and I like nice plain smokes. There is absolutely no bite and I smoke this tobacco after a day of virginias when the mouth and tongue are sore. BMF comes through every time. The perique lets its presence known from the first puff but it is not overwhelming. Try mixing BMF with Briar Fox (50/50). It's great. I call it Bayou Morning Fox.

Addendum 02/10/05 -

With 3 months of aging the sweet notes remain through out the entire smoke - underscoring the cigar and pepper tones. The cigar like notes, the slight "oily" flavor, and the texture of the leaves once rubbed out points to some burley added into the blend, even if it is in very small measure.

With age the blend pulls away from similarities to 2015 and becomes closer to St. James Woods in subtle textures. In fact I believe overall I prefer this tobacco to the McClelland pressed VA/P offerings - though it is less smooth and more cigar like.

Do beware - the strength of the perique rivals Haddos Delight in intensity. For me, this is a nearly perfect VA/P pressed flake.

More than a Bayou Morning, I believe I sense a murky bayou night in this blend.

I've only smoked from a freshly opened tin with a few hours drying time, so this review will likely shift over the coming months. I've found the "freshly mixed" nature of the C+D blends offers a great opportunity to try a blend while young, and really get a sense of its maturation.

The dark mottled red and brown flakes are luxurious to break up and pack. That process releases a sweet and tangy aroma. The drying seems to get the cake to just the right texture and burning time. A little seems to go a long way, and a light pack is recommended.

Like many pressed VA/P blends I find that initially it seems a bit raw and flat in youth. I like strong perique but the intensity of the initial few puffs caught me off guard. Once the smoke settles in it evens out to a nice tobacco flavor with the perique heightening and waning in "pep". Someone described it as "peaty"...a perfect notation.

As far as room note, my significant other described it as smelling like "old arm pits". I think that about sums up the reaction it will usually engender in a closed house.

It is a completely different animal from the revered Bayou Morning (probably *the* blend I think of when going for VA/P).

More high marks for C+D. I look forward to tasting the blend after some maturity.