Cornell & Diehl Exhausted Rooster

Man this rooster really crows! Opening the tin I was smelling some kind of sweet liquor, almost had me relapsin'. A broken flake that I find easy to rub out and smoke right away. I did find though if she dries out some it gets like it wants to bite ya. But then when you mess with an Exhausted Rooster ya just might get an adverse reaction.

I like to smoke this blend slowly and boy is it rewarding and the taste stays with me for a while afterward. Just long enough to tell me to grab another pipe and have saome more if time allows. If not, I'm lookin' for anyother chance to fire some up. This blend seems to work best in a medium to small bowl. With a big bowl the rooster just crow too loudly and gets a little bity with all the flavoring burning in there. Yeah , this is a really nice blend and there are several tins under my belt and more on the way.

This one gets FOUR stars without a doubt!

This is an unequivocal 4-star smoke to me. It thwarted and then exceeded my expectations, which were high to begin with. I've long been a fan of C&D, but I would also say that only a few of their blends are flat-out spectacular. This, I am happy to say, is one of them.

The presentation and burning characteristics are typical of a well-prepared flake tobacco. They fold, stuff, or rub out easily. They are a bit moist, so I recommend drying them for a little while before loading your pipe.

There is a definite topping applied here. I'm not sure what it is, but it immediately reminds me of Haddo's Delight -- it's not identical, but very similar. Upon first light, the flavors of sweet VA dominate the bowl. As the smoke progresses, the burleys begin to assert themselves more along with the perique. This blend isn't exactly complex, but there are some subtle nuances that may at first escape your attention. There's a decent nicotine hit here, and absolutely no hint of bite. The flakes smoke cool and don't require much in the way of relighting.

This strikes me as being -- in effect, if not in design -- a toned-down flake version of Haddo's Delight. It's not quite as sweet or tangy as Haddo's but it's considerably easier to smoke. This is not a bad thing. It won't completely replace Haddo's in my rotation, but it's a great alternative on days when I'm wanting something not quite as full yet equally tasty (which, for the record, means most days).

First this is a flake-ish type tobacco for me. I suppose it is a flake, but it easily separates for those who like to break their flakes down. I found it enjoyable whether I folded and stuffed a flake or if I broke it down to be gravity filled.

The aroma right from the tin packs a big sweet, almost fruity, punch, giving a promise of what it may smoke like. The VA's definitely provide a pronounced sweet taste, so much so that I want to say there is a coating on this baccy. The perique does not present itself until later in the bowl and the burley was hardly present for me, other than as a side note that helped add balance to the blend.

This particular blend seemed to fair better in larger bowls, which allowed the nuances to come to the forefront. The strong scent of the the tobacco that is present at first does tend to lay back a bit as the perique comes forth. This could be an everyday smoker for some, just not me. I did enjoy it quite a bit though and will smoke it quite regularly.

Well, this one surprised me! I was expecting a sweet flavored aromatic, could swear I smell a sweet topping on this one by smelling it in the bag, but it never developed in the smoke at all. The smoke from this blend just tasted nice and VA sweet, fuller bodied than a VaPer because of the burley and the perique moves in and out during the bowl, there but not dominating. It is rich and creamy and I enjoyed this bowl all the way down to a nice dark grey ash at the bottom of the bowl. It comes in a nice slightly loose flake, feels someehat damp when handling, which is different for a C and D blend, but several hours of drying in a tray and it was perfect1 Rubbed out easy, packed easy, lit easy and was just a joy to smoke. I only had to relite once about halfway down. For a Vaper fan, and I am, that wantes to try something a little fuller bodied but still taste the sweet hay flavor of the Va and with perique used as a spice, it would be hard to beat this one. Highly recommended!

To me this is a nice anytime tobacco. I detected what I thought to be a scent of a topping in the tin, but it never transfers into the smoke. The flakes are the right moisture level for me. Packs and lights well after rubbing out. The perique is nicely balanced with the Burley and Virginia. Smokes cool, dry and slow. A solid choice in the VaBurPer realm.

A great all time tobacco for my tastes. The perique addition is very well balanced, so it doesn't adds a unpleasant strength and pepperness to the taste. I detected a very subtle fruity freshness of the pure Virginia. Many of the pipe smokers may consider this flavor a casing. From my point of view this nice flavor comes out from the pure, high quality Virginia. The flakes have a suitable moisture degree, althouh you may dry them a bit to suit your personal preferences. The tobacco packs and lights well. Smokes nicely and slowly. A top shelf choice for all the Va-Per lovers which will also enjoy the Burley addition here.

Upon opening the tin the first time I was shocked by the aroma of, eggnog? I didn't let this deter me. The dark brown flakes are a good size and hold together well. ER is a bit moist right out of the tin. After about an hour of sitting out a flake is ready. These flakes pack easily. It's a little work to get lit (2 or 3 charring lights) but no problems after that. It has a sweet taste that is to be expected from a Virginia. There is also a taste I can't put my finger on, kind of like malt. I can still taste ER half an hour after finishing a bowl. All in all I would say ER is pretty good stuff. G

A very nice VaBur flake. The topping was a bit like eggnog, but not overpowering in any way. I loved puffing on this, and finished the tin pretty quick. Nice tin, as one would expect from C&D. Sometimes they let you down, but often the artwork approaches that of classic cartoons. The burley let itself be a little too well known for my tastes when I puffed it hard, which I was tempted to do because of the sweet Virginia element. I did not taste much perique, perhaps it was there. Sometimes I like heavy perique, so perhaps I'm jaded. I wouldn't put any more perique in this, though; it's fine the way it is. I do like what C&D does with burley; sometimes they could almost convert me.

1-20-10 Just ordered the 8oz can, along with the new Merde de Cheval (horse shit) by F&K. I want to see if the rooster crows as sweetly for me as he did before!

5-3-11 Aging nicely in the jar. I don't smoke this all the time, but enjoy it when I do. It can be a bit of a strong one if you want it to be!

A true VaPer this is not. The Burley is forward facing, with support from the Virginia and more subtly by the Perique.

I am bewildered by some of the “Flavoring” ratings here...makes me chuckle. To me...a definite Egg Nog or Rum ‘n Raisin, heavily laden, casing. Think rum extract used in baking, versus the alcoholic drink. It is definitely perceptible in the flavor when smoked...particularly the first third of the bowl. This surprisingly does burn off, and some nuttiness of the Burley eventually becomes evident...absolute pleasure for the last two thirds of the bowl.

Rubbing it our further, and letting it dry on a side-board for a couple of hours was desirable. I blew through this 2oz can rather quickly...I must have liked it a lot.

Recommended.

A companion infusion: Pumpkin Spiced Latte.