Cornell & Diehl Exhausted Rooster

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.

I’m a big fan of the way C&D does kentucky tobacco. But this is different. I do love the name and tin art. My tin is two years old. Flakes are broken and tin note is very strong. Sweet liquor and black pepper aroma. Burns the nose. Adding fire brings out the same notes. The flavor is citrus Virginia and pepper spice with a topping that reminds me of a cheap liqueur. Definitely an aromatic blend. The flakes smoke hot but don’t bite. The smoke irritates my sinuses, and half way down the bowl I get a sore throat. (No I don’t inhale). I let this sit in a jar for almost a year after cracking the tin and the topping did dissipate somewhat. But the blend is still harsh and obscure.

Exhausted Rooster comes in a fairly broken flake that I found a bit of a chore to rub out. The tobacco didn't require any drying before smoking though. The tin note presents an odd ketchup like smell that I'm told is a sign of a well aged Virginia. There's also notes of fruit and baking spices.

The first thing I noticed when I lit the bowl was a fairly strong sweetness that overpowered any other flavor notes that might be present. The sweetness died down after the first quarter of the bowl and allowed the fruit and baking spice to come through, particularly clove. There is a slight hint of pepper and bread as well. In the second half of the bowl, the clove becomes more dominant and the sweetness transforms into a champagne like flavor.

I found Exhausted Rooster fairly difficult to keep lit for an extended period of time, which I'm thinking might have more to do with my inexperience. With the strength level near medium I'd consider this an afternoon smoke, and the unique flavor is a bit of an acquired taste for your average smoker.

Bow-chicka-bow. This is a good 'un. Tin note conveys port wine - sweet depth. We have the usual underlying Virginia grass - but just a bit - and more raisin and plum, dark dried fruits intermingling throughout. Strong enough to put everything in its right place. Cellar-worthy.

Exhausted Rooster remains to me as probably one of C & D's best tobacco. It's a very well balanced Virginia and Perique that, through the addition of some DFK makes it a very spicy and hearty smoke. And the Perique, being very fruity, brings an interesting contrast to the overall spiciness. I don't know if there is a topping in ER but I swear that I detect, somewhere among the fruitiness and the spiciness, something akin to a very light touch of eggnog!

From the tin this stuff smells like Haddo's Delight IMHO. Strong smell of fermented fruit, a little grass/hay, and hints of cocoa. The broken flakes are beautiful, medium to dark with flecks of gold mixed in.

Easy to load and light, whether you slightly rub the flakes a bit and stuff them in or if you rub it out all the way and pack your pipe. A light to medium packing does seem to work better for this stuff. It can burn a bit moist, which can gurgle a bit....I find slowing my puffing helps with this though. Took a few matches to light, but once rolling firm tamping will keep it going.

I know the description doesn't mention any topping, but I swear I thought, at least through the first half of the bowl, that there was chocolate added, or something similar, as a topping. It may be just the flavors combining that give it that aroma and flavor though since it's not overly sweet or like some heavily cased blends. I detected tangy, dark fruit, and sweetness from the VAs. Nuts and chocolate from the burley, with just a tad bit of wood. The perique seems more plum and fruit forward than peppery, but there is just a tiny hint of spice. now and again All these flavors blend well together to make a flavorful, enjoyable smoke. I was surprised how much I liked this tobacco, as it doesn't seem to be like any other Va/Per or Va/Bur/Per I've tried. I would almost put this in the aromatic category based upon my experience, though again it's not overly done.

This is good stuff...upgrading to 4 stars now since I haven't been able to stop smoking it since I popped the tin.

A really nice blend with some complexity. Virginia and Perique are the stars,with some nice support from the Burley.

Not as full as most top quality straight Virginias, but not bland and weak.

Strength is mild to medium.

Slightly sweet, fruity and some nuttiness.

3.5 stars

This is a great tobacco! C&D keeps me coming back for more with entertaining tin art and outstanding blends! ER grabs you from the tin opening with a fantastic fermented fruit smell. The ribbons rub out nicely and stayed lit. The taste is wonderful with the tin notes playing throughout nicely in the background. I am a pipe/cigar smoker from way back and I can say this is at the top of my list for a great smoke.

I agree with other reviewers that this smokes more like a burley than a VA. It is very smooth and subtly sweet. The perique is mildly present and pleasant. Where I disagree with other reviewers is in the strength. I'm no heavyweight, but for a C&D burley blend with perique to boot, this is very mild; not wimpy but mild.

Just as a side note, I didn't really get the name, "Exhausted Rooster." But my wife said it was rather suggestive. "Well, what do farmers normally keep roosters to do?" she asked. Maybe the blenders thougth this would be a good smoke after some hard work of egg fertilization. I'll report back and let ya'll know.