Cornell & Diehl Big n' Burley

Big n' Burley, indeed! The name serves as a fair description and fair warning, as well. Dark Burly is first out of the gate, and it holds the lead through the whole smoke. Bag note is earthy, dark chocolate over moist, slightly musty, not yet rotten leaf mulch. The mixture is short ribbons and rough chunks ranging from dark to medium brown, with some tan and some black bits. It loads, lights and smokes down just fine. The Burley comes on immediately. It’s like smoking walnuts, along with some dry, musty cigar spices that are enhanced by the other varietals. It’s somewhat rough until it’s rested some, and it’s always full. There’s just enough Latakia to make the Burley a little smoky, almost like KY, and this adds some depth to the blend. There’s enough Perique for some sour figs and some pepper, and a small amount of what I suppose to be Izmur adds some woody spices and floral notes. There is sugar added to this blend, to balance the Burley bitters. Though the bitterness is not so pronounced as white Burley, it’s still Burley, after all. I quite like the aroma of this blend. It is like the tastes but it is more open and outright fragrant to me, and it is never really rough unless you inhale too much. IMO, this blend is best served up loaded loosely in a larger bowl, at least a wider bowl. Strength builds to strong from a large bowl, but it drops back quickly during a rest. Tastes are full the way I smoke it. Again, I find the room note to be pleasant. Aftertaste is a lingering trailing off of the best of the smoke.

Though I like B&B right from the bag, I am guessing that some (probably most) will prefer it well rested, and some simply won’t like the direct tobacco blast that this blend offers, not to mention the potential for roughness. As far as recommendations, if you like Old Joe Krantz but wish it had more depth, B&B just might punch your ticket. If you are a beginner, take it slow. 4 stars from moi.

A bold blend from the Burley masters at C&D. It’s got plenty of nicotine and plenty of flavor. The flavor reminds me of OJK at times, and other times, I get the Esoterica - And So To Bed flavors (really). Your significant other is likely to abhor the cigarette room note, but that’s what private spaces and porches were made for right? It smokes dry and tends to burn all the way down to a fine gray ash with a few relights.

I’ve knocked back 4 ounces and have another 4 ounces in the jar. I love nicotine, Burley, and Perique but I do not consider this an all day smoke. My love is in another C&D blend. I enjoy BnB most when it’s late at night ad I have reading to do.

Cornell and Diehl's Big N Burley, wow, this is a heck of a blend!

Burleys are definitely an acquired taste. Big N burley was my very first encounter with Burley dominant blends, and to be honest, I would never recommend this stuff to a newbie who's just delving into Burley blends, this stuff is potent! My first smoke I only got bitter, acrid, slightly cigar like smoke that was extremely unpleasant and bity. I was almost convinced that Burley was something you either love or hate and it just wasn't for me. For some reason, I decided to give it another shot, and it suddenly started growing on me, I learned to smoke slow and savor the smoke. My first attempt I couldn't pick up any nuances in this blend and only unpleasantness. At my second shot, I could actually pick up some sweetness from the orientals. Now it's my third smoke, and I'm LOVING it! At the tin note, you get that chocolaty molasses like undertone, at the smoke, I get the same molasses and earthy or cigar like flavor from the burley, while the turkish orientals add a little woodsy sweetness and aroma to balance out the blend. I could detect a faint scent of smoky latakia only occasionally, but it's there for sure.

The blend is strong, very strong actually. That's why I can never recommend it for a new pipe smoker or even an experienced one who is just getting into Burleys. The blend is best smoked slow, and sipped in order to allow the flavors to shine through.

Beware, for nicotine lightweights, this blend packs a hefty N punch, and I could definitely feel it even as someone who vapes nicotine all day long.

The blend is complex, bold, slightly bitter in a cigar like way, but also earthy and dark. The condiment leaves balance and even things out.

The more I smoke this, the tastier it gets, hence a very acquired taste. I loved this one and will definitely get some again.

Strength : Strong Nicotine level: High Room note: Unpleasant for nonsmokers Taste: bold

I hope you found this review helpful!

When I opened the page for this blend I was surprised to see the relatively high rating it had received. Big 'n' Burley reinforced my long-held dissatisfaction with many C&D blends. This one was peppery (not in a good way) and I caught a few whiffs of cigar (which I don’t like). The smoked tasted dusty. The aforementioned and the big nicotine hit led me to discontinue smoking after a third of a bowl. I will not re-visit.

Cocoa or chocolate mixed with the orientals is the tin note. It’s a bit off-putting for me. The tobacco itself is very dry, and so is the mouthfeel of the smoke. Although It burns fast and comes pretty dry, it’s still tries to go out if you don’t pay it constant attention. There is something about a cocoa and oriental tobacco fusion that just doesn't work for me.

This tobacco packs a really good flavour, and loads of nicotine. i have not tried many burley based blends before, but this blend made me a fan!

Coarse cut and smells really good out of the bag! the first thing i noticed when i lit my pipe was the intense burley flavor, the latakia, orientals etc hangs out in the background rounding up the flavor, and then the perique lifts it up and binds it all together. Secondly you will notice that this tobacco really brings a punch, and it will help you grow a mustache!

I've been smoking B n B almost exclusively for a year -- don't get me wrong, I like other blends, but this is consistently satisfying and I come back to it daily. It's a medium strength smoke, some say heavy on the nicotine but I couldn't tell you. My gf says it smells like cigarettes so I can't give it high marks on the room note. But taste-wise is where it counts, and here it exceeds. There is a little latakia, repeat "little," so it's not uni-dimensional but it is an unapologetic burley blend. Sometimes I get a little burley hiccup with it but never tongue bite or dry mouth. There is NO aromatic component so you needn't fear some jam berry taste. The only other burley tobacco that I would smoke regularly is Butera's Kingfisher. 4 stars UPDATE 2/28/14: 5 years later and I still smoke this often though not daily. It still satisfies me in a way other tobaccos haven't

For those, like me, who love burley, this is the perfect blend. The burley is dominant and the latakia, perique and turkish just add a subtle flavor that actually enhances the burley and provides and very unique tobacco taste. Without question, a good all day smoke for any burley proponent!

I personally liked this one -- not enough to buy again, but I enjoyed the two-ounces that C&D sent as part of a sampler pack. If there was ever an example of truth in advertising, this is it, as this blend is ridiculously "big" in the taste department and it's almost completely about "burley," with just a hint of condimental leaf. As much as I enjoyed this, though, I can't in good conscience give it three stars because it strikes me as being a niche tobacco. A few of us -- those who really like obscenely powerful burleys -- will like this, but it's probably not going to be a pleasant experience for the other 99 percent of pipe smokers (if nothing else, the nicotine level is almost dangerous). I highly recommend this for folks who like strong burley flavor and effect, but not recommended at all for anyone else.