Cornell & Diehl Exhausted Rooster

Open a tin of Exhausted Rooster and you might think they've mislabeled it. The tin note is a bit fruity for this sort of blend. When I first popped the seal, it smelled pretty strongly of berries; almost like a blueberry pie with fresh tobacco on the side. After a few days of smoking and smelling it (a lot), the initially strong berry aroma has faded, and is now part of the mix of smells I get which are mainly that of Burleys and Viriginas. Additionally, its presentation is much nicer than most C&D "flakes" I've had. These flakes are mostly intact, which I certainly prefer over messy broken flakes and flecks.

The flavor is what's most interesting here, as Exhausted Rooster is a true flavor monster. Burley is the main thing I taste in this, with Virginias pretty close behind, and those flavors are followed up—and supported with that peppery sweet flavor—by what seems to be a perfect amount of Perique. The casings and/or toppings bring the flavor profile to whole other level by adding just enough of a "dark fruit" taste (I taste blackberry and raisin), and a hint of what could be rum. The twist that the casing or topping adds to this blend is a head-scratcher, but it's delicious. It just adds a touch; it's not a berry-flavored aromatic blend, not by any means.

The final notes are on nicotine and tongue bite. As with nearly every C&D blend I've had (around 30 by now), the latter isn't an issue at all. On the nicotine front; as C&D is well-known for their "biteless" blends, they're also well-known for making some strong blends, and Exhausted Rooster is no exception. It's not as strong as some others of theirs, but it's got a noticeable kick. Overall, an excellent blend which I definitely recommend. Mr. Tarler's a very talented blender. However I must admit to a bit of bias though, as I really love C&D's products—both their house blends as well as the Greg Pease recipes.

Being new to pipes, Exhausted Rooster was my first experience outside of the standard drugstore brands. C&D jumped out at me with their tin art so I made them my first purchase of a quality tobacco. When I opened the tin, I was blown away by the amazing smell of fermented fruits. It was mouth watering. Rubbing out the flake was a fun experience for a newbie like me as well. After filling my cob and lighting it, I was amazed at the smooth and mellow taste it brought forth. The smell from the tin comes out very light in the smoke but even an inexperienced piper like me could pick it up; very pleasing. I'm sorry to say that I'm smoking the last of it as I write this review. Although there are a ton of tobaccos I'm still waiting to try, I know this one will be part of my budding rotation for a while.I almost hope nobody else picks up on how good this blend is so I can have it all to myself lol!! Give it a try.

I'll most likely come back and update this after a few more bowls in different pipes. I've smoked it in three different pipes thus far and will today fire up a deep and narrow bowl in one of my favorites. This, like most others, reacts differently to different bowls. So far it is a major thumbs up - for lovers of Burley. I prefer Bluegrass Melody (best fresh), Solani Aged Burley Flake as well as the Wessex stuff, Gawaith's shaggy Kendal Kentucky, Cumberland...you know, the darker Burley blends, unflavored thank you. While E. Rooster isn't exactly unflavored (the very slight whatever it is adds to the tobacco experience instead of sitting as a seperate flavor) the main experience is that of dark Burley with just a hint of Perique (a little less would have been OK - but it doesn't detract) and some VA to sweeten things out a bit. If you've ever smoked a really straight dark Burley you know it needs "something" to hang it's hat on. To complete that analogy, this is a dark brown fedora with a cocoa band pulled down over one eye with a wink and a knowing smile - a HIT right in the 9 ring...very, very good stuff.

Update: Two notes: One: This works VERY well in deep large bowls. I tried this twice yesterday in a monster sized cherrywood poker (long shank stem) and it was sublime. Two: While working on a trade to get MORE of this I discovered that C & D are now doing 8 and 16 oz. tins via their website. currently the pounders are going for $50 - to me, for this quality, it's a steal!

Prep: Arrives a bit on the wet side but about 15-30min with the tin open is sufficient.

Notes: The Virginias bring forth a nice combination of dark fruit and tangy/citrusy notes. The Kentucky is evident with its woody, earthy spice but I dont find it overbearing at all. The perique makes itself more evident with its plumy, raisiny, peppery character. 8/10 https://youtu.be/ZIs-XAiLDrY

Ever since the lamentable closing of McClelland Tobacco's, I have been in search of something to replace Dark Star. Exhausted Rooster comes very close to fitting that bill for me. The tin note is not entirely like that ketchup smell that one remembers with McClelland blends. However, it is very dark, fruity, and reminiscent of those blends of yore. The blend needs considerable drying time, and its flake is too loose to use the fold and stuff method of packing. I tend to rub this one out and wait for thirty minutes or so. Upon first light, a medley of sweet fruit and grass flavors fills the palate. The sweet Virginias play off a light nutty flavor from the burleys. A little time for contemplation, and you can find those flavors more and more. I could knock a star for the mechanics of this blend, but will instead note that it is a blend that requires relighting and can be a touch challenging to keep going if drying time is not given. However, if you are looking for a replacement for some of the McClelland Virginia's, this is not a significant issue. If you are a fan of sweet, dark Virginia's, give this one a try.

A very unique blend, and one that appeals to those who favor a stout and flavorful smoke. This rough flake is burley-forward, with sweet Virginia notes and a dark Perique spice. The brandy/plum topping is noticeable, but is very complimentary to the tobacco flavor profile. C&D has a huge catalog, and it can be difficult to approach their vast selections. To me, this is one of the blends that they should push as a “flagship” offering. It reminds me of Royal Yacht. It doesn’t quite fit into any of the traditional categories, but it is a memorable smoke that could stand on its own reputation.

I get a distinct flavor of Rum, similar to Barbary Coast, this is even better, to me this is a wonderful burley blend, a good dose of nicotine, with the VA/per taking a solid place alongside... solid natural tobacco tastes, a top strong Burley/VA Flake.

Opening the tin, I was suprised with a nice fruity-like aroma coming from the beautifull tobaccos wich is pretty intense. The virginia dominates then the perique. I fully rubbed out two flakes and put into my pipe. Light my pipe the virginia and perique dominates playing with the dark fired burley till the end. The tobacco is slow burning becouse of his humidity. I smoked it outdoors, smoking indoors I let a pipefull dry out for 30 minutes after rubbed it out. It's fine to have "a dash" of perique in this blend, more will be to much. This blend is a true masterblend and all components are in the right proportions. Enjoy the magic coming from C&D! Highly recommended!

The fact that I almost didn't have enough tobacco left for the review because I smoked it all so fast speaks for itself. This is a winner blend.

Tin Note: Plum, sweet, mellow. No spice nor sharp notes come through.

While some indicated the Kentucky taking a lead, for me this is very much a full Virginia blend with a bit of a condiment of Kentucky and even less Perique. The Kentucky only takes some lead somewhere in the middle of the smoke. But aside from that, The Kentucky gives the blend more of a Virginia/Burley feeling, a bit like Peterson's University Flake. I'm not sure which Virginias are used, but I guess more on the red side. Not much of sweetness, but rather a mature and bready taste to it.

The alcohol topping, if it's even there and not just in my head, is extremely mild and doesn't really carry much flavor, but can be felt way in the back. I believe we could also do without it.

Some spiciness from the Perique comes in around the end of the first third of the bowl. As the Red Virginia opens up, it brings its own bit of spice (yes, I get a bit of spice from the Red Virginia) and strength in Nicotine. But despite the ingredients, this is not very strong in Nicotine. It's just where it should be for me.

It's one of those blends that have the right amount of complexity for an all-day quality blend. Not boring by any means, but not over-complex that you have to stop and think about it either. You get you base of Virginias, a bit of Perique spice, and a medium-full body thanks to the Kentucky. And that's it.

I like to crumble it all and have it ready rubbed whenever I want to smoke it. It's then easily packed and smoked. A bit on the moist side, could use 15-20 minutes of drying time.

Burns at a slow pace, down all the way. I usually need one relight towards the end. Easily an everyday, all-day blend. It's a fantastic blend.

While I almost never use a wider bowl for Virginia blends, this one worked well with a wider, Apple-shaped pipe as well as a narrow bowl. I do get the best result in the smaller bowls, though.

To sum this up, this is just a great blend. If they sold it in bulk, I'd buy a whole lot. But for now, 8oz tins for aging will do. This rooster has been working very hard and deserves 4 stars.