Cornell & Diehl Blockade Runner
(2.85)
C&D's true Navy cavendish crumble cake is made with hand stoved red Virginia and golden Virginia, soaked in a premium rum for seven days, then lightly stoved again, pressed and cut.
The seven days are the time it took our seagoing forefathers to sail back to New England from the Islands with the tobacco in their casks soaked with rum. The ship on the label is the Advance, the South's most successful blockade runner.
Details
| Brand | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blended By | Craig Tarler |
| Manufactured By | Cornell & Diehl |
| Blend Type | Straight Virginia |
| Contents | Virginia |
| Flavoring | Rum |
| Cut | Krumble Kake |
| Packaging | 2 ounce tin, 8 ounce tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Pleasant to Tolerable
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.85 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 41 - 50 of 75 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Jan 14, 2006 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Thank you Craig and company for giving us one of the very few true Navy blends left on Earth. This has become a favorite of mine over the past several years and I've decided to review it at last.
Appearance: A very attractive presentation awaits in a nice little cat food can. Pop the top and along with the satisfying ?whoosh? noise is a distinct blast of ripe Virginias and Rum. After a pause to get my eye patch, bandanna, parrot, wooden leg and other things ?Navy? I remove the little card tin insert, gently part the tissue paper and behold sometimes 2, sometimes 3 little loaves of tobacco. They are dense little ?crumble cakes? of delightful tobacco, very dry to the touch and aching to be crumbled into a waiting bowl. Mostly dark brown with a slight mottling of tans and reds.
Tin aroma: The first thing that is apparent when opening a tin of Blockade Runner is mature Virginias and Rum. Tangy and rich, almost like what happens when one smells a good BBQ sauce, but neither tasting or smelling anything LIKE BBQ. It just gets you in that ?spot? in the throat, and starts your mouth watering in anticipation.
If anything, this tobacco arrives dry, although when flame is applied it rapidly re-hydrates to a perfect moisture content. As peeling flakes off for insertion is next to impossible, I just tear off little chunks and rub them out roughly and pack my bowl using the 3 layered method, once like a baby, once like a lady and finally like a gentleman.
For this review, I?ve chosen a Peterson POTY 2002 Rhodesian which is used for flavored tobacco mixtures. I've pre-smoked several bowls over the course of a week on Blockade Runner in this pipe in preparation for this review.
A one match light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper. The Rum is immediately there and while a bit tangy at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. Flavors Rum and Red Virginia are dominant throughout, the Golden VA's rounding out the edges and corners so to speak.
Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while I wouldn?t call this mixture particularly complex, the Rum gradually fades completely into the background but never leave the scene. The Virginias build in depth and character there is also a very subtle sweetness just in the back ground. A nice slightly spicy stewed fruit maturity of Red Virginias is the main statement and is persistent throughout. There seems to be a high sugar content to this blend, but it does not come off candy sweet as so many others do. One should bear this in mind while smoking, as it can become hot if puffed to rapidly and tend toward tongue bite, though that's never been an issue for me. I find myself relaxing ever more deeply into my stuffed chair, smiles widening across my face.
Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. The palate is not very complex, it is however very rich and satisfying. The tangy quartet of Red and Golden VA's presented in a true Navy Cavendish style complimented by Dark Rum is fascinating and a strictly adult taste sensation. Unlike most ?Navy? blends these days, this one delivers the goods in grand style. One day, I'm going to have to smoke this blend over salt water, I've smoked it on boats over fresh water, but I'm assuming the briny air will complete the adventure. Not that I've served on a 1700's or 1800's American Navy vessel (that I'm aware of) this homespun product is exactly what I call to mind when reading what those men smoked.
Supplemental Notes: This is a regular part of my rotation as something reached for when mature adult pleasures are craved. **** 4 full stars
Appearance: A very attractive presentation awaits in a nice little cat food can. Pop the top and along with the satisfying ?whoosh? noise is a distinct blast of ripe Virginias and Rum. After a pause to get my eye patch, bandanna, parrot, wooden leg and other things ?Navy? I remove the little card tin insert, gently part the tissue paper and behold sometimes 2, sometimes 3 little loaves of tobacco. They are dense little ?crumble cakes? of delightful tobacco, very dry to the touch and aching to be crumbled into a waiting bowl. Mostly dark brown with a slight mottling of tans and reds.
Tin aroma: The first thing that is apparent when opening a tin of Blockade Runner is mature Virginias and Rum. Tangy and rich, almost like what happens when one smells a good BBQ sauce, but neither tasting or smelling anything LIKE BBQ. It just gets you in that ?spot? in the throat, and starts your mouth watering in anticipation.
If anything, this tobacco arrives dry, although when flame is applied it rapidly re-hydrates to a perfect moisture content. As peeling flakes off for insertion is next to impossible, I just tear off little chunks and rub them out roughly and pack my bowl using the 3 layered method, once like a baby, once like a lady and finally like a gentleman.
For this review, I?ve chosen a Peterson POTY 2002 Rhodesian which is used for flavored tobacco mixtures. I've pre-smoked several bowls over the course of a week on Blockade Runner in this pipe in preparation for this review.
A one match light is brings billows of rich white smoke, followed with a brief visit of the tamper. The Rum is immediately there and while a bit tangy at first becomes a nice compliment to the fine quality leaf underneath. Flavors Rum and Red Virginia are dominant throughout, the Golden VA's rounding out the edges and corners so to speak.
Mid Bowl: Approaching mid-bowl, the fullness tends to build and while I wouldn?t call this mixture particularly complex, the Rum gradually fades completely into the background but never leave the scene. The Virginias build in depth and character there is also a very subtle sweetness just in the back ground. A nice slightly spicy stewed fruit maturity of Red Virginias is the main statement and is persistent throughout. There seems to be a high sugar content to this blend, but it does not come off candy sweet as so many others do. One should bear this in mind while smoking, as it can become hot if puffed to rapidly and tend toward tongue bite, though that's never been an issue for me. I find myself relaxing ever more deeply into my stuffed chair, smiles widening across my face.
Home Stretch: As end of the bowl approaches, I find that it becomes more intense though never overpoweringly so. The palate is not very complex, it is however very rich and satisfying. The tangy quartet of Red and Golden VA's presented in a true Navy Cavendish style complimented by Dark Rum is fascinating and a strictly adult taste sensation. Unlike most ?Navy? blends these days, this one delivers the goods in grand style. One day, I'm going to have to smoke this blend over salt water, I've smoked it on boats over fresh water, but I'm assuming the briny air will complete the adventure. Not that I've served on a 1700's or 1800's American Navy vessel (that I'm aware of) this homespun product is exactly what I call to mind when reading what those men smoked.
Supplemental Notes: This is a regular part of my rotation as something reached for when mature adult pleasures are craved. **** 4 full stars
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2005 | Medium to Strong | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
BR is a krumble kake with a rum aroma. Tried as I might, I could not finish the tin. The bowls were monochromatic from beginning to end and I found the sometimes bitter taste unappealing. This tobacco also tickled my nasal passages.
A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.
I rate this tobacco 4.5 out of 10.
A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.
I rate this tobacco 4.5 out of 10.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Nov 28, 2003 | Very Mild | Mild | Mild | Very Pleasant |
Ahhh the old Navy Flake tobacco of old when I sailed the seven seas and...well we didn't get to rape and pillage, but we did shoot the Mighty Mo's sixteen inch guns quite a bit. This tobacco is fantastic.The tin arrived in the new C&D tin with plastic sealing lid. It was rather moist and needed some drying out. The tobacco is HARD pressed (crumble cake) into three neat rectangular cakes. The tin aroma was of Rum and I do mean R U M, real one hundred percent Appleton Estate type Rum. The tobacco consists of Red Virginia and Golden Virginia that has had some stoving and then soaked in RUM for seven days. One might think that this tobacco would produce hellfire on the tounge and a wet pipe. Not so, oh brother of the briar. Packing is nice as the flakes are crumbly. Lighting is an ease, and the initial taste is just right. A dry sweet Rum, sweet Virginia, cool taste.In all I'd say it's a fair navy cavendish. (This was the second tin, as I had to send the other back because it was covered in mold).
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 24, 2003 | Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I would have to agree with others that Blockade Runner is nothing like MacBaren's Navy Flake (whis is largely burley) and not that similar to McClelland's Navy Cavendish either. For one thing, C&D's Krumble Kakes are dry, and once rubbed out, are quite a different smoking experience. Plus, I find the tastes quite different. Makes one wonder in these days of market-niche awareness, "just what is a 'Navy Cavendish' anyway?" Va+rum, I guess.
The color is fairly dark for "red and golden virginias", indicating a significant stoving has taken place. The tin aroma is somewhat off-putting IMO. To me it has little of what one might call a signature virginia nose. Not what I note as a classic rum odor either. Rather, the melange smells like... well... burnt rubber. Not real strong, but not real pleasant either IMO.
Fortunately, the flavor does NOT resemble the tin aroma. While this may be an aromatic, it is not noticably sweetened beyond the natural sugars the virginias provide. C&D often does a good job on "dry" (vs. sweet) aromatics. Initially (first third of bowl), I have a hard time identifying the rum in the flavor. Early on, the taste is kind of a dryed-out virginia flavor, nothing prize-winning. There is a bit of a slightly bitter bite, which may be due to the rum topping volatilizing as the tobacco heats. As the bowl progresses, the flavor increases considerably. Still not sure that I taste rum, though the sweetness is much more evident. The flavors are in the low range- no tanginess of virginias here.
The pulverized nature of the rubbed-out kake makes for a potentially very hot smoke, so a bit of care is in order. Even though I use a cadence that would keep a partially rubbed-out flake smoldering- my preferred virginia technique- BR still burns like a house-a-fire towards the second half of the bowl, producing billows of smoke. However, though the pipe warms right up, I have not experienced the expected bite.Yay! Because of the rapid combustion rate, a bowl of BR burns pretty rapidly. The nicotine is noticible as well, probably accentuated by the rapid burn, but not over the top. The finish comes rapidly without any nasty ashy, bitter flavor. I am often surprised that it is over already.
I classify this as an atypical virginia offering, but certainly enjoyable on an occasional basis when I am looking for a change of pace.
The color is fairly dark for "red and golden virginias", indicating a significant stoving has taken place. The tin aroma is somewhat off-putting IMO. To me it has little of what one might call a signature virginia nose. Not what I note as a classic rum odor either. Rather, the melange smells like... well... burnt rubber. Not real strong, but not real pleasant either IMO.
Fortunately, the flavor does NOT resemble the tin aroma. While this may be an aromatic, it is not noticably sweetened beyond the natural sugars the virginias provide. C&D often does a good job on "dry" (vs. sweet) aromatics. Initially (first third of bowl), I have a hard time identifying the rum in the flavor. Early on, the taste is kind of a dryed-out virginia flavor, nothing prize-winning. There is a bit of a slightly bitter bite, which may be due to the rum topping volatilizing as the tobacco heats. As the bowl progresses, the flavor increases considerably. Still not sure that I taste rum, though the sweetness is much more evident. The flavors are in the low range- no tanginess of virginias here.
The pulverized nature of the rubbed-out kake makes for a potentially very hot smoke, so a bit of care is in order. Even though I use a cadence that would keep a partially rubbed-out flake smoldering- my preferred virginia technique- BR still burns like a house-a-fire towards the second half of the bowl, producing billows of smoke. However, though the pipe warms right up, I have not experienced the expected bite.Yay! Because of the rapid combustion rate, a bowl of BR burns pretty rapidly. The nicotine is noticible as well, probably accentuated by the rapid burn, but not over the top. The finish comes rapidly without any nasty ashy, bitter flavor. I am often surprised that it is over already.
I classify this as an atypical virginia offering, but certainly enjoyable on an occasional basis when I am looking for a change of pace.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Aug 24, 2001 | Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The above reviews do this tobacco justice, just a couple of notes for those of you who enjoy Navy Flakes. This tobacco is nothing like MacBaren Navy Flake. Since Macbaren was my first exposure to Navy, I wanted to try some others. Blockade runner is very good, but not the same type of product. I think of it as a good aged Virginia with a little sweetness and no bite. The flavors are deep, not bright. It is a good rainy day smoke. Also, the ash is the finest I have encountered in any blend, which would lend itself to building cake quickly.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Mar 11, 2001 | Mild | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Pouch Aroma: Dry and grassy with a light sweetness.
Appearance: 70% medium brown, 20% light yellow-gold, 10% dark brown and black. I like my tobacco on the dry side, but this arrived almost crumbly. It's so finely broken that I fear a hot and dusty smoke unless I take much extra care. It appears to be mostly VA with perhaps a touch of Turkish, all in small broken-up flakes with a considerable amount of dust in the bottom.
Between the cut, the dryness and the pouch aroma, this tobacco just screams "Cornell and Diehl".
Packing and Lighting: I decided to pack this into an old 1967 Dunhill pot - it's the best-caked pipe in my collection and always smokes dry and cool to the bottom of the bowl. The packing went easily enough, and the match raised quite a crown as the bowl lit. The first puffs are very creamy and mild with very little sugary sweetness, and a quick tamp and relight has a coal well-laid and smoldering nicely.
Exposition: Although a bit milder than I prefer first thing in the morning, it's quite a tasty smoke. The smoke is very smooth and creamy on the palate with mildly spicy undertones and a room aroma that reminds me of . . . pancakes. No really, I'm not kidding.
Once I've smoked it down a bit I'm sensing a bit of nicotine kicking in while the flavor is deepening and losing some of its sweetness. It's a bit light for me right now as I've been smoking much heavier tobaccos than usual lately, but that's no fault of either tobacco or blender.
The Story: Approaching the halfway mark, I'm picking up an interesting sourish note which complements the remaining sweetness, and I can feel the tingle of nicotine on my upper palate. The creaminess is still there in force, and the room aroma hasn't changed. This is a nice, no-nonsense tobacco that doesn't smell offensive and smokes well and easily while remaining quite satisfying for such a mild tobacco.
I am finding it a bit difficult to smoke slowly enough to avoid condensation, but there's been not a hint of bite or burn yet. Next time I'll add just a touch of moisture and see what that does to the burning properties. This looks like it's going to be a two-cleaner smoke thus far.
Denouement: A rest and a relight have done nothing but good for the flavor of this tobacco, adding extra fullness and a small amount of sharpness that makes for a nice, spicy finish. This quality stayed until I was down to ash before I realized it.
Pros: Good flavor and burning properties, nice room aroma and it left a very clean smell in my pipe. It smoked surprisingly cool considering its cut and low level of moisture.
Cons: I had a bit of trouble with condensation but I think that was mostly my fault for puffing too fast. I think I was compensating for the lightness of the smoke since this is the first non-Gawith, Hoggarth & Co tobacco I've smoked in two weeks and I got quite used to their body and richness. I doubt I'd buy this again as I have better tobaccos of this type around, but it was a pleasant experience and a nice change for me.
Appearance: 70% medium brown, 20% light yellow-gold, 10% dark brown and black. I like my tobacco on the dry side, but this arrived almost crumbly. It's so finely broken that I fear a hot and dusty smoke unless I take much extra care. It appears to be mostly VA with perhaps a touch of Turkish, all in small broken-up flakes with a considerable amount of dust in the bottom.
Between the cut, the dryness and the pouch aroma, this tobacco just screams "Cornell and Diehl".
Packing and Lighting: I decided to pack this into an old 1967 Dunhill pot - it's the best-caked pipe in my collection and always smokes dry and cool to the bottom of the bowl. The packing went easily enough, and the match raised quite a crown as the bowl lit. The first puffs are very creamy and mild with very little sugary sweetness, and a quick tamp and relight has a coal well-laid and smoldering nicely.
Exposition: Although a bit milder than I prefer first thing in the morning, it's quite a tasty smoke. The smoke is very smooth and creamy on the palate with mildly spicy undertones and a room aroma that reminds me of . . . pancakes. No really, I'm not kidding.
Once I've smoked it down a bit I'm sensing a bit of nicotine kicking in while the flavor is deepening and losing some of its sweetness. It's a bit light for me right now as I've been smoking much heavier tobaccos than usual lately, but that's no fault of either tobacco or blender.
The Story: Approaching the halfway mark, I'm picking up an interesting sourish note which complements the remaining sweetness, and I can feel the tingle of nicotine on my upper palate. The creaminess is still there in force, and the room aroma hasn't changed. This is a nice, no-nonsense tobacco that doesn't smell offensive and smokes well and easily while remaining quite satisfying for such a mild tobacco.
I am finding it a bit difficult to smoke slowly enough to avoid condensation, but there's been not a hint of bite or burn yet. Next time I'll add just a touch of moisture and see what that does to the burning properties. This looks like it's going to be a two-cleaner smoke thus far.
Denouement: A rest and a relight have done nothing but good for the flavor of this tobacco, adding extra fullness and a small amount of sharpness that makes for a nice, spicy finish. This quality stayed until I was down to ash before I realized it.
Pros: Good flavor and burning properties, nice room aroma and it left a very clean smell in my pipe. It smoked surprisingly cool considering its cut and low level of moisture.
Cons: I had a bit of trouble with condensation but I think that was mostly my fault for puffing too fast. I think I was compensating for the lightness of the smoke since this is the first non-Gawith, Hoggarth & Co tobacco I've smoked in two weeks and I got quite used to their body and richness. I doubt I'd buy this again as I have better tobaccos of this type around, but it was a pleasant experience and a nice change for me.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Sep 06, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
My tin is just 2 months old. I was not a fan of Black Frigate so i never bothered to purchase Blockade Runner. I sure wish I did years ago.
The tin aroma is, you guessed it, rum. But there is a slightly stoved bready/fermented aroma just under the boozy smell of the rum. The crumble cake was in one solid chunk and the moisture is perfect.
For the most part the flavor is consistent, but there are just a few changes here and there. The rum is present all the way through, but it doesn't overpower. It mostly leaves a nice light brown sugar note. The Virigina's are sugary, nutty, bready, with a very light, if any, spice. At times I do get a caramel/coffee note. Burns cool, clean, and dry with no tongue bite. Medium body at the most, but not dull or airy.
Overall, a very nice Navy blend that is a good candidate to smoke all day long.
The tin aroma is, you guessed it, rum. But there is a slightly stoved bready/fermented aroma just under the boozy smell of the rum. The crumble cake was in one solid chunk and the moisture is perfect.
For the most part the flavor is consistent, but there are just a few changes here and there. The rum is present all the way through, but it doesn't overpower. It mostly leaves a nice light brown sugar note. The Virigina's are sugary, nutty, bready, with a very light, if any, spice. At times I do get a caramel/coffee note. Burns cool, clean, and dry with no tongue bite. Medium body at the most, but not dull or airy.
Overall, a very nice Navy blend that is a good candidate to smoke all day long.
Pipe Used:
Royal Comoy 625 volcano
Age When Smoked:
2 months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2023 | Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This can smoke good and then grab it again and it is bitter. I find it to be picky about the pipe used.
C & D have heavily invested in red Virginia and so almost everything they produce (almost) has red as the base. I find their stock uneven, often overly woody and verging on bitter - like walnut pith.
When it’s good, Blockade Runner is very sweet and graham like. I think it needs more bright leaf and a lot more time in the can to be it’s best.
C & D have heavily invested in red Virginia and so almost everything they produce (almost) has red as the base. I find their stock uneven, often overly woody and verging on bitter - like walnut pith.
When it’s good, Blockade Runner is very sweet and graham like. I think it needs more bright leaf and a lot more time in the can to be it’s best.
Pipe Used:
Bent poker, billiards, Falcon
PurchasedFrom:
Iwan Ries
Age When Smoked:
Fresh to 2 years
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 01, 2022 | Medium | Medium | Medium | Tolerable |
I should note that when I first got this blend, I found it a bit harsh on the nose. After a few months sitting in a canning jar it dramatically changed how the blend smoked and curbed some of the things I didn't like about my initial experience. So this review will focus on how the tobacco tastes now, after it's set a spell instead of how it tasted right out of the tin.
If you would have told me when I first started smoking a pipe that the things I didn't like about boutique blends would be what I found most enjoyable about them I would have called you crazy. When I started, the point of pipe tobacco for me was to have the most comfortable and relaxing smoke possible, which I found in milder codger and OTC blends that generally used a lot of white burley. If you would have handed me Blockade Runner when I was fresh into pipe smoking, I would have probably hated it or at best not gotten it. You could have told me it was using higher quality leaf all day and I still wouldn't have been able to appreciate it simply because my taste for it hadn't been developed yet. Now, I'm tasting that finer leaf and finding it to be extremely pleasant and nuanced, whereas before I would have likely thought it too strong and possibly even found it off-putting.
If you would have told me when I first started smoking a pipe that the things I didn't like about boutique blends would be what I found most enjoyable about them I would have called you crazy. When I started, the point of pipe tobacco for me was to have the most comfortable and relaxing smoke possible, which I found in milder codger and OTC blends that generally used a lot of white burley. If you would have handed me Blockade Runner when I was fresh into pipe smoking, I would have probably hated it or at best not gotten it. You could have told me it was using higher quality leaf all day and I still wouldn't have been able to appreciate it simply because my taste for it hadn't been developed yet. Now, I'm tasting that finer leaf and finding it to be extremely pleasant and nuanced, whereas before I would have likely thought it too strong and possibly even found it off-putting.
Pipe Used:
MM Cobs, Peterson Dublin Filters 106 & 107
PurchasedFrom:
Smokingpipes.com
Age When Smoked:
New - A few months
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2019 | Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Unnoticeable |
Smoke this not that! Bellowing clouds of Virginia leaf burn carefully and dry with only a hint of rum that lingers in the tin. Puff gently as you dream of clipper ships sailing from your lounge. Nicely packed cakes await you to sail on..
Pipe Used:
Corn cob
PurchasedFrom:
C&D
Age When Smoked:
2018
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