Cornell & Diehl Billy Budd

All of you 1-Q smokers should just do yourself a favor and keep on walking because this blend is not for you.

That being said, this is one of the best tobaccos of this genre I've ever had the pleasure of smoking. Gifted to me by an ASP'er who found the strength of this blend nausiating, I found it to be just right for my ultra-high nicotine tolerance.

Smooth and flavorful, neither the latakia or cigar leaf overwhelm this blend. It's a perfect combination of tobaccos for those who like their pipe tobacco to pack a wallop and still taste good.

No gurgle, no tongue bite and burns to a fine ash. High marks here for the blend crafted for the late Lawrence Kobak aka "Sailorman Jack".

Cigar anyone? Latakia anyone? Nicotine fix anyone? Billy Budd answers the bell on all three counts and delivers a knockout punch!

The combination of the Latakia/Cigar/Virginia/Burley makes for an unusual presentation both in the tin and at the match. The tobacco burns smoothly and cool. No sweetness here... just a plain old tobacco taste. Nothing subtle about Billy Budd either; it's combination of flavors and strength slapped me around like no other cigar leaf blend I've ever tried.

Speaking of getting slapped, don't kiss the spouse immediately after smoking this one.

This is a blend for people who complain that smoking X is "thin" or like "smoking hot air." If you want flavor this is it.

The cut is large and irregular. It came a little dry. It packs easily and burns well. It did not smoke hot for me, and there is enough flavor to keep you from puffing to try to find some.

The smoke is burley and latakia forward. It is smooth and smoky. There is a constant slightly bitter from the burley and a solid earthy foundation. There are sweet Virginia and mellow cigar notes every now and then. The cigar adds to the full flavor and backs up the latakia nicely. The Virginia is sweet and a little grassy. It works well and there is a certain chewy quality to the smoke.

Recommended for someone who is not sensitive to nicotine and wants a full flavored smoke.

I'm fond of Lat bombs so it will come as no surprise that I like Billy Budd. The cigar leaf is noticeable but for me it's only a hint not the forward flavour. In this blend that forward note would be the latakia, influenced by but not over powered by the cigar leaf.

It is a good full flavoured tobacco blend, not for the faint of heart or those who don't like Latakia.

However, if you are a cigar smoker looking for a cigar like pipe blend, you will likely be disappointed. I think cigar smokers should avoid pipe blends with some cigar qualities because expectations will probably not be met.

My favorite blend of all brands. Full flavored, complex, slightly sweet, great afternoon and evening smoke. Ages superbly.

The best cigar leaf mixture I have tried so far. The cigar taste is to the forefront but you also get some Latakia smokiness and dryness. Since I also smoke cigars, I know what to expect from such a tobacco, it's not for everyone.

With those condiment tobaccos it's impossible for me, to detect the lighter tasting Bright Virginia or Burley. I guess, those are used to help with the combustion of such a slow burning mixture.

Virginia lover

I picked up my pipes again after a few years smoking cigars exclusively. In so doing, I found most of the pipe tobaccos I started smoking again to be lacking in richness and complexity as well as smoothness. Afterreading many reviews on this sight, I sent away for among others, Billy Budd.

Well, joy was mine when I smoked this fine blend as part of a C&D sample package. I was interested in cigar leaf blends: I also compared smoked Purple Cow (C&D) and Robusto (GLPease), as well a couple aromatics.

Billy budd is a wonderfully full smoke that is the one I have been seeking. It is 50% latakia and needs some getting used to, but it is now my everyday smoke. I love the mouthfeel and rich luxury of its deep smooth full tobacco essence.

It is great! As for the other two cigar leaf blends, I find them somewhat unfocussed and uninteresting, though in matters of taste one must try for themselves.

In Billy Budd, I am pleased to have found a substantial and well blended pipe tobacco that is relaxing, powerful and pleasant. Thank you C&D.

UPDATE 2019-08-22: I am fortunate to have hoarded a bunch of tobacco years ago, now I have a stash which includes lots of ten year old leaf. After ten years in the jar, Billy Budd has become one of my all time favorites. What is amazing to me is that the Latakia smoke has greatly subsided and what is left is a smooth, incredibly well-integrated richness and toastiness that just intrigues. Refuses to bite. Delicious. Absolutely worth the effort to age for a long time!

Total refurb of my previous two star review. After about a year in the jar, this stuff has become absolutely sublime. Rich, smooth, toasty, flavorful, full, delicious! I don't believe I have ever witnessed such a dramatic change from a year of aging. I am very, very happy that I grabbed a pound of it when I did, and you can be sure I'll be stashing away a few more pounds as soon as possible. The best cigar blend I've tried to date, and one of the best blends of any kind in my cellar.

I was given a sample of this at this year's Chicago show by Chris Tarler. I have been wanting to try it for a while, but it had always slipped my mind when ordering. Anyway, I was able to get about five or six bowls of this one out of the sample.

The blend, like many of the C & D blends, is stout. The cigar, burley and lat dominate this one. It is very cigar like; moreso than Habana Daydream and I enjoyed it more than that one as well. It seems the heavy handed latakia did well to tame those earthy burleys giving a nice cool and smooth smoke.

I will definitely be ordering more of this and will leave it with three stars at present as I feel I need to smoke more to give it a fourth star.

Billy Budd reminded me, briefly, of McClelland's Coyote Classic Full, which is one of my all-time favorites, but the resemblance was ephemeral, as the unique qualities of Billy Budd came to bear, such as Burley and Cigar Leaf which Coyote Classic does not have. Conversely, Billy Budd does not contain Oriental/Turkish leaf that distinguishes Coyote Classic. Billy Budd has a rounded flavor, no sharp notes. It is Latakia forward, which is perhaps the quality that first invited my comparison with Coyote Classic, as well as the fact that the tobaccos used are premium in every respect, no inferior Burley leaf as a cost saver here. It was a little slow to stay lit, but once it was lit, it stayed lit to the bottom of a large bowl. The nicotine is, I would say, past medium bordering on strong. The Cigar Leaf is evident without giving the impression of a cigar. It is a cool smoke with no chance of a tongue bite. The room note is strong but not offensive, although some who are sensitive bystanders may disagree. It burns to a fine gray ash, with no dottle, and no moisture.