Cornell & Diehl Morley's Best

Bob, you rock.

I never even heard of burley/VA/latakia until I read about this blend here. English? It doesn't fit a category well, does it? I'd be proud to call it a non-aromatic American. I guess this is closest to HOW's Barking Dog, but with more class, richer and sweeter from the VA component. Remarkably well balanced, this blend took some thought and development. Each component can be tasted when sought and none predominate; the sum is greater than the parts. A master blender has been at work.

Moisture and cut are perfect for loose packing and it stays lit without attention. I have yet to be irritated or bit, it is very well behaved. My tin is scarcely 10 weeks old and is eminently smokable; cellaring is unnecessary but may yet improve it.

I normally smoke this in a big meer. A cob trial is forthcoming; all my cobs are currently dedicated to others, but this blend cries out for a cob. Wonderful smoke, this stuff, and thanks to the reviewers who nudged me to get a pound of this.

I opened my pouch of Morley's Best and the aroma was quite mild. I could smell a little latakia but it was masked by the burley. There was a mix of ribbon and cube cut leaves. I picked out one of my favorite pipes, a large Charatan Dublin, and filled the bowl. The burley dominated the flavor, which I found to be on the light side. I found myself looking for more latakia, or perhaps it was the Virginia base that I am used to that I was seeking. A little more flavor was evident toward the end of the bowl. Cleaning the pipe I saw that all the tobacco burned to a fine ash. After resting for a spell I chose a smaller pipe, A Comoy pebble grain bulldog. The smoke was similar to the larger bowled pipe with more flavor coming through at the end. I noticed the after taste to be quite refreshing.



After I put this blend away for a spell, I remembered that Bob likes to blend for a large bowled pipe. So I revisited the Morley's Best in an extra-large Tilshead. I have to admit that I noticed a greater depth of flavor that I didn't taste in a bowl that was merely large.

Not a whole lot to say, actually. Many years ago, when I was merely oldmanpipe, I wrote a more-than-scathing review of this blend, yet complemented the late Bob Runowski for making a spot-on copy of Blue Boar Mixture. Fifty years ago, when I first began smoking a pipe, Blue Boar was an early misadventure. My tongue burned, my head spun, and the coughing went on and on. When I encountered Morley's Best, I couldn't believe anything could be as rough as the original. It was. At least it made me feel 18 again for a few minutes. For reasons still unexplainable, I bought 1oz. with my latest order from Smoking Pipes this week. This is not what it once was. The color appears darker, the cut is finer, and I'm at a loss to find any cube-cut Burley. But it is somehow more palatable. No bite, no hacking, and the nicotine is moderate. The taste? Not much there. The Burley is about all that's discernable. That Latakia pops in and out, and the Virginia might be adding something, and would most likely be detected by its absence. The only way I can think to describe the taste is Edward G Robinson, without the fruit casing. The mechanics of the smoke are excellent. It lights quickly, stays lit, and leaves only dry ash at the end. The ideal road trip tobacco. Will I reorder? The jury's still out.

UPDATE: Though I'm still at a loss to explain myself, I did, in fact, reorder. I simply found this a comfortable and versatile smoke. It mixes well with Plantation Evening, or C&D's Crooner. It also benefits from a little infusion of Gawith, Hogarth #7 Broken Flake, as well as various combinations of any and all of the above. Interesting stuff. Fifty years ago, I fell for a drugstore blend called Brush Creek, and have been trying for the last 45 years to recreate it. Haven't succeeded yet, but Morley's Best, properly doctored, is pretty good. I detected no moldy taste, as another reviewer suggested, and certainly detected no cocaine, so that leaves beard dandruff. Maybe. Worth another star

I’m not very experienced with burley Latakia mixtures so this one surprised me. I usually smoke Balkan and just don’t associate the Latakia flavors with nutty chocolate burly notes. I’ve always been confused but intrigued by the components in Gawith’s Bob’s chocolate flake which apparently includes Latakia but have never purchased (rarely available and I don’t smoke many flavored blends). After playing around with Morely’s best I can attest that Latakia does work with natural burley nutty chocolate. I don’t detect a topping so I can’t say if it would work with with a chocolate flavored blend but the Latakia actually brings out the natural chocolate flavor of the burley. Burns exceptionally cool and the nic hit is medium. Been smoking it in the hot weather in a cob. Not sure I would buy it again as when I’m in the mood for Latakia I’m generally in the mood for a Balkan. But I’m glad I had the pleasure to enjoy what turned out to be a learning experience.

Just got my order of Morleys Best. Filled my pipe and WOW! What a kick. This blend of bur/Lat is a very nice combo. A little strong in flavor I'm assuming because it's a burley base, but a really nice flavor. The Lat mixes very well with this blend and is very noticeable so you really have to like Latakia to like this blend, which I do. Very pleased with Morleys best and will likely buy it again.

Morley's Best is an average blend through and through. No high notes, nothing that really stands out as being a reason not to smoke it. The burley is the leading player with earth, nuttiness, maybe a hint of sorghum? and they also have a little spice and can be slightly rough around the edges. The Lat. comes next and it is smokey and slightly sweet. The VA's are way in the background and have notes of hay and citrus. This all sounds good but the overall effect left me initially saying to myself there is something odd here. I think it may be a topping perhaps licorice root extra and something else coffee maybe. In any case there was just an overall wrongness to the smoke that I could not get away from. That aside I also get a little bored with it in the end.

Burley based with a strong Latakia touch. I really didn't taste the Virginia. Lights well and stays lit. Makes plenty of smoke. A decent smoke I'll let it rest for a while and see if the Latakia mellows out.

Morley's Best is a Burley blend with small portions of virginia and latakia. Burley is all over in my opinion, and a bit hot and harsh. Only a touch of latakia comes through after the middle of a bowl. It does not get good first impression from me.

This blend when first lit seemed strong in the Latakia sense, but the Latakia very much calmed down almost immediately.

In my opinion it almost seemed over complicated, too many tastes to distinguish one that stands out.

It does burn extremely well and tobaccos are even.

Sometimes a Burley stands out and has an incredible C & D taste, which I do have the up-most respect for.

Edit. After smoking again, bumped up some more, but it does take a lot of thought while smoking, especially to review.