Cornell & Diehl Crooner

They say this is a love it or hate it blend, I am in the love it category. I really enjoy the contribution of the deertongue, slightly floral/sweet, it seems to lighten up what could be a heavier cubecut burley blend. More enjoyed in a cob than briars myself, I seemed to get a lot of condensation when smoked in a briar, which is unfortunate because I got a Hilson panel pipe because I was inspired by Bing's panel pipe in the movie Holiday Inn. I have since found that this blend smokes very well in a briar widetop bowl. At least give it a try, if the deertongue is too much for you then maybe try diluting it with some other cubecut burley such as SWR.

Update: I don't smoke this blend anymore. The nic hit is too much for me. C&D make another deer tongue blend that blows this one away...Gentleman Caller. I really like that one instead, much more flavor depth and not all that nic.

After reading my good friend Eric's (TallPuffO'Burley) review I was scared. lol

The pouch aroma was that of most OTC/Codger/drugstore burley blends. The green pieces of deer tongue are quite evident in this blend, and the are dispersed fairly evenly.

Initial lighting has the punch and dryness of a burley. Its harsh and acrid to me, and extremely spicy. It almost has a SG 1792 Flake aroma (which I very much enjoy that), but that's with small, tiny sips. you puff this, and here comes the burnt hair aroma Eric talked about. Leaves a weird feeling and taste on the palate. This just isn't in my wheelhouse. Sorry C&D!

Very finely chopped. Mine is considerably darker than the picture shown-Mostly dark brown/black with the tan and green bits of the Deer Tongue. The aroma was that of basic tobacco with an herbal note. If I breath deeply enough, I can just get a sniff of the liquor topping. Basic burly flavour. Tasting notes ranging from cigarettes to fig to dry grass or hay. The minty note many reviews speak of comes across as an herbal note to me- Almost Identical to the smell of an arts and crafts store grandma used to drag me to as a boy, with it's strong aroma of Potpourri and dried, lacquered grass. I only smoked this pipe half-way down. Strong nicotine with little flavour and an appalling aftertaste to match the room note. The first pipe tobacco I've had that genuinely repulses me. I will be tossing out the rest of the bag, as I can not imagine wanting this blend again. I get that it is a specific taste that appeals to some, so no offense to those who enjoy this blend, but it is not for me.

I saw some good reviews of this tobacco so I thought I would give it a try. Definitely not to my liking. Didn't pack in the bowl well (maybe was a bit dry) and needed multiple lights. From the first few puffs on I knew this was not for me. Harsh taste and bad smell. Threw out quite a bit as for me was un-smokable.

When i received this in the mail my first impression was that it looked and smelled more like tea than tobacco, it is dry, coarse, and has that mint or herb tea smell to it- interesting. For a day or two as sat on the table i would catch a wiff of the interesting aroma of the blend and think about loading up my Bing's Favorite and giving it a try, today i did, i was thoroughly disappointed. The unlit air draw blend is flavorful and reminds you of walking into a B&M pipe shop and basking in the air of all of the tobacco blends that have melded over time. Then the lit, you are hit with a harsh sinus stinging wave of smoke that truely makes you ask yourself who in their right mind would smoke this by choice? By the time i was 1/3 in on the bowl i was experiencing what felt like a heavy gas bubble in my chest and throat and decided that enough was enough. Don't know if my react was due to the Deertongue or some other added component of the blend but i can tell you that this will not go in my rotation and that it will likely just sit in my pipe room for the aroma as tobacxo potpourri.

Not for me....I'm a burley smoker. Embrace the "old Codger" tobaccos. Yes, I've done the Rattray's, Dunhill's and Frogs. I like burley. Sir Walter and the Prince are my usuals. I liked the small cube cut of Crooner, but the deer tongue was not to my liking. The nuttiness seemed to be partially erased by the nuance of the deer tongue. Have one of Bing's pipe (bought it at auction years ago), but this blend will never touch it.

Bing won Best Actor in '44 and was nominated for two others. His movies sold more tickets than any other actor save John Wayne and Clark Gable and his record sales have reportedly rivaled Elvis and the Beatles combined (Over half a billion sold!). Even today he remains the father image of the fabled White Christmas itself. Yet despite wanting to experience a little "Bing" at this yuletide season, I'm surprised that he could even carry a tune if this is what he really smoked! While it smells of vanilla out of the bag, it succeeds only in numbing the mouth with "raindeer" tongue. Upon lighting, it comes boiling out of the bowl like a "fizzy" before settling into a masterpiece of blandness. Sorry boys, I doubt that Bing really smoked this stuff. This either hast to be a sells gimmick, or should have been buried with the "Crooner" in 1977. (If this blend was even around back then). Truth is I'm a little sore at this tobacco company for tarnishing the good name of Bing with something that he never endorsed. Sorry to be such a humbug at this season, so I better go now and wash this cheap cigarette smell off of my hands and then re-tool by watching "White Christmas" while enjoying some really good tobacco like White Knight. Cheers!

Now I know why I never saw any smoke comming from Bing's pipe. I believe it is treated with a flame retardant. Grape nuts anyone? Too bad, it appears to be excellent tobacco.

The Burley cube cut from C&D is first rate. The Deers Tongue, Latin Name "Liatris Odoratissima", has a herbal vanilla fragrance. It is fair to note to the readers (as they have a right to know) that the Deers Tongue possesses a TOXIC white crystalline Lactone, C9H6O2, which in adequate doses, is diaphoretic (increases perspiration), is an anticoagulant(stops blood from clotting), diuretic, and antipyretic (reduces fever). The herb has medicinal properties, obviously, but as a stedfast purist, when it comes to tobacco products--I enjoy 100% tobacco. The Deers Tongue, in no way should be confused with "vanilla leaf", because there IS NO SUCH THING AS VANILLA LEAF. The Vanilla essence used to flavor and fragrance tobacco is derived from the Vanilla "bean" from the orchid flower that grows in tropical areas of the world. The essence is from an alcohol decoction of the vanilla bean. Some believe the best vanilla comes from Madagascar. Deers Tongue is different than vanilla. I really don't care what Mr. Bing Crosby smoked, nor do I wish to emulate what he did with his blending. I like my tobacco to be 100% tobacco, and the addition of Deers Tongue in a superior quality Burley from Cornell & Diehl is a pathetic adulteration of a great Burley Cube cut.