Cornell & Diehl Blockade Runner

A very nice example of a Navy Cav. A nice tang with notes of hay and dark fruit. A good bit of sweetness from the Virginias and a little more from the rum that also provides a light note of molasses. Has some body and strength to it. It's about a 3.5 smoke for my taste, but I'm gonna round up to 4 just because I want to.

Body is medium to strong. Nic is medium. Flavoring is mild (probably because I like my tobacco dry). Taste is medium. Burns very well when dry. I like McClelland's Navy Cav just a shade better than this, but this is a close second.

A really satisfying smoke. During a bowl I'm never blown away, and yet it seems to be one I crave. I'm still relatively new into the game, and I'm still purchasing lots of things to try, but this is one that I really missed when it was gone. I was initially attracted to its description as what seemed to me an authentic navy weed, Virginias cased in rum- and I think it delivered on that.

First, the tin art is nice. The presentation of the cake is great- the first one was quite dry and easily broken, the second was slightly moister and more durable as a result. The tin aroma is pure tobacco, slightly woody, with some distinct rum tones. I keep the preparation simple, merely breaking off what I need, which is then easily rubbed out. It takes the match readily, but the dry tin really packed a wallop before quickly settling down.

The flavor is full, and to me the dominant taste is of malt or unleavened biscuit. At times the Va hay notes pop up, especially on harder puffing, but more often the malt mixes with wood notes, and hints of sweetness and nuttiness. The nicotine is there, but is very well matched to the rest of the experience. It's not particularly complex, but what is there is nice and tends to flatten out towards the bottom of the bowl with a slightly ashy taste. I find I can enjoy it without wholly dedicating my attention or continually hunting for more hidden tastes. It burns very well, requires little attention other than light tamping, and smokes great outdoors even in wind. It easily suffers abuse, but the taste and nicotine content are sufficiently high to preclude the need to puff hard. The quality of the tobacco is undeniable.

This will certainly be a staple for me. Someone looking for a historically accurate mix would be very well served by this offering.

What this blend is trying to do, it does well -very well, in fact. First of all, the presentation is wonderful; the cake is very easy to break apart into a medium/fine cut by hand (it tends to peel into layers) and though it can feel quite dry at this point, resist the urge to hydrate it. This is a blend that is definitely best smoked as it comes right off the cake.

Initially, it smells strongly of rum, though in the actual smoking it is the virginias that are the main player. Dark and rich, they give this blend a lot of body without ever becoming heavy or musty as C&D virginas can sometimes be. All the while, a gentle and above all NATURAL spiced rum flavor floats around in the background. This favor is both sweet and smooth, but it also really nails the spice and pleasant mouth burn of a good rum that gives it an almost perique-like character at times. This alternating sweetness/spiciness really keeps things interesting in what would otherwise be a high-quality but fairly pedestrian straight virgina.

This blend absolutely shines in a smaller pipe, particularly in hot weather. It never bites and it generally burns right down to a light-grey ash with only one or two relights. As other reviewers have noted, aging does improve the overall experience and even as little as six months can produce a noticeable difference. Nicotine-wise, it can take some getting used to if you are sensitive... it is comparable to, say, Nightcap in strength. However, I consider this part of its charm and it seems to really fit its character as a truly great, lazy summer smoke.

This being my first Crumb cake. Upon open the tin I was hit first with Rum the with a closer sniff. It smelled like an old wet bowl of smoked tobacco. With much reluctance I cut a piece with my pocket knife and started packing my bowl. I wasn't sure how strong of a smoke this would be. If all those reviews I read were right and I would get light headed. Okay Now!!!! Ready 3 2 1 Light it Up!!!!! Much to my surprise this blend was neither over powering or load with enough nicotine to give me head spins. Now this is how I perceive this blend Blockade Runner. This is a good Rum based Cavendish with that good Ol' C&D Tobacco Flavor. This blend did not bite no matter how hard you puff. The smoke itself was very musky and smokey but with a good enough of a Rum Punch aroma and flavor as not to make this an overly sweet smoke. I truly enjoyed this blend. It Burns and lights well no relights needed. Mild enough for an all day smoke. The aroma is good and pleasing to only the pipe smoker. So room note is not applicable to this blend. If you like a change of pace and going back to those good ol' liquor cased blends then this is one you cannot pass up. and for all those who thought it was to strong then "Man Up Dudes." This blend is a medium smoke with good dimensions.

I wish I had found this tobacco when I started smoking a pipe many years ago. It would have saved me so much money, and my cellar would be deeper than it is wide. This is by far, the best Navy Cavendish blend I have ever smoked.

Upon opening the tin, I found the biggest block of tobacco I had ever seen (besides Wessex). a good 1.5 inches by almost 2 inches long, the cake weighed in at 2 and 1/8 oz.

Intoxicating aroma of high quality rum, along with great moisture content. Crumbled as a Crumble Cake should, loaded nicely. Initial lighting is easy, if sipped at an even, slow pace, the rum lasts throughout the bowl. Burns clean flavorful down to the bottom. Most Navy Cavs I have smoked burned the hell out of my mouth and became harsh after mid-way. Not Blockade runner! Never a hint at biting.

If you are looking for a great Navy Cavendish, look no further. I can see this blend taking over as my most smoked tobacco of all time. It may even surpass Escudo!!!!!

I love rum. Ever since I had 18 year old Cuban Rum in Mexico I can't get enough of it along with well made sipping Tequila. Something about the innate smoothness, the caramel, toffee, and spice that makes me think of fond memories. Mind you. I never set foot on a beach when I was there, but rather sat at the local bars, went on the town, and tried to get a wholesome experience. So the idea of a VA cake that has been pressed with rum sounded right up my alley.

The tin is fun, with a steamboat alluding to all the boats that would anchor off in international waters during the years of prohibition. When you open up the first time the cake has yellow/brownish tinge, but after 2 years that changes to a brown/red. The tin note smells of raisins, oats, citrus and hay with some rummy sweetness as an undercurrent. It's easy to rub out and pack. It has some wetness, but not enough to need serious dry time. It takes to a light pretty well.

Right off the bat, I taste lovely bakery/bread notes. There is a well matured sweetness that hangs on to the citrus notes of the bright Virginias. The hay doesn't come through on taste as much as it does on smell. Plenty of dark fruit and a mild oatiness coming from the Red Virginias. This isn't a blend that will walk up and slap you with RUM. I can barely taste it until I puff very slowly. When I do the spice and sweetness of the rum marries perfectly with the other tobaccos. It doesn't want to dominate.

The taste is a medium. Slow puffing will be rewarded. Lady N wants to take a backseat. I find the strength a mild-medium. This blend on a hot day, with a cold drink is what dreams are made of. I find this really enjoyable, but it's not an everyday sort of blend for me, I typically smoke it when I have time to relax. I give this four stars. It does what it says it will and its really enjoyable.

I opened the fresh tin and was greeted with the aroma of rum and the tobacco. A pungent tin note that was not anticipated but not bad.

Appearance is a cake. I just used my fingers to break off enough for a bowl. Packed well. Not dry and not overly moist. It required two relights.

I found this tobacco to be unlike any other tobacco with a rum additive. Excellent flavor. Not overly strong in nicotine but it scratched the itch well.

This one is going into my regular rotation and I highly recommend it if you are a fancier of tobacco with a rum flavor.

Well done, C&D!

Blockade runner, Comes in a crumble cake form. When starting a fresh tin, I do the crumbling outside to minimize the mess. There is some dust, so I smoke this stuff in a filtered cob or a Dr. Grabow (1/2 a filter does the job) Smoking this while active is a waste, this is a recliner smoke to be savored, and what a smoke it is. Burns great, has just the right amount of Nic. and has a flavor profile that leads the pack in its genre. This is no small admission, coming from a guy that prefers burleys. If VA's are your thing, this blend is a must try. 4 stars My personal raing 3/5

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