Cornell & Diehl Billy Budd

This tobacco was actually my first taste of English, and my first love along that line. The pouch smell can drop a bull (or your wife) from 20 feet, but the taste is just superb. I know this is called a cigar blend, but the cigar content is just a small accent on this very tasty mix. I've tried many other English blends since and there is just something extra that sticks out with this one. It smokes cool and woodsy with really no tongue bite. I recommend that you designate a good briar for this blend though as it can definitely leave a ghost in the machine! If you order this in bulk it tends to come overly dry for some reason. I'm still working on a pound that I ordered, so I have no idea whether a tinned version of this will contain more moisture content or not. Overall, this is a terrific blend for kicking back camping among the pine trees, or hanging out with a fishing line and waiting for the next big fish that got away.

If you like English/cigar blends then this one is for you. It's hard to describe other than that it's well balanced and has equal elements of spicy pungentness, bitterness, and virginia sweetness. It is not boring to say the least and will keep your tongue entertained for a long time. Don't smoke it in the house though. You'll get a bad "wife rating".

I called in to C&D, and spoke to a gent about switching into their English blends from some other light english, and a few lingering aromatics. I ordered a sample pack of 6 blends, and this led the list. Being that what little they've forgotten about blends is probably more than I know, I simply asked the gent to pick out 6 of the "light english / all day" variety to sample (C&D sent 015, 068, 101, 412A, Bed & Breakfast, and Good Morning)

The order on Monday morning arrived on a Wednesday afternoon via US Priority Mail. The sample packaging was in heavy duty ziplock bags with a Cornell and Diehl label, see uploaded photo.

I gave this tobacco it's first firing in one of my good sized meerschaums that was well cleaned prior to smoking, to attempt to narrow down the flavor, etc. to this blend alone. (my preference, for a first go with any new tobac)

The taste was full but good, the smoke a blue haze . . . Tongue bite for me was noticeably absent at my standard relaxed pace, which surprised me a bit considering the fullness.

The aroma was certainly tolerable to me, but I am not at all sure it would be so to non-pipe folks. I was surprised at this choice given what I'd asked for, but found that I certainly like it. I will definitely continue with this blend . . .

Every C&D blend I have tried has been weak in every aspect. In fact, the only one that comes close to a good smoke is the Pirate Cake. As for the rest however, forget it... Wish they were better!

Original Review: If I were to have to choose between a good cigar and a good pipe, and if money were no object, I believe I would choose a cigar. With that in mind, this pipe tobacco has to be the best of the cigar leaf blends. The blend is rich and full, for those who appreciate a strong cigar. And contrary to some other reviews, I find myself reaching for it throughout the day, especially when I don't have time to just sit down and relax with a fine pipe tobacco blend (and 90% of my cellar is English). If you have tried other cigar leaf blends but did not care for them, and assuming you like a stout Maduro cigar, you owe to yourself to try a couple of ounces of Billy Budd. The only negative I could find with this blend is that the very bottom of the bowl can be fairly rough of the taste buds.

From the get go this was a blend I thought I'd like. Latakia and Cigar leaf, what's not to love? I first bought this in a 2oz tin and now I buy it in bulk. When I open it up the ribbon is a course cut with lots of browns and black Latakia. The smell is divine: sweet, smokey, rich, and earthy. It smells like a robust English mixture. The blend comes at a good moisture level and it takes a light rather readily.

She's a slow sipper but wow is this a rewarding smoke. As soon as I light up the Latakia jumps to the front. It's very creamy, silky and earthy. The Virginias give this blend a very pleasant sweet touch. The cigar gives an almost floral hit similar to an Oriental leaf. This is a very cool and slow burning smoke. Taste wise this smoke fills your mouth and has a pleasant aftertaste. Strength wise, Lady N has come to take you out, she isn't holding you in your chair, but her grip is a bit stronger than normal.

Overall I think this a great example of blending. It is a Lat-Bomb, but one with decent nuance. For those questioning the cigar leaf, I think it really adds something interesting to this blend. All in all I give this five stars, it's one that has been in my regular rotation for a while now.

Package note of sharply sour and smoky. Tobacco is a ribbon of dark brown, brown and light brown with a little black mixed in. Moisture content is great. No drying/prep needed. Burns moderate with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and mostly consistent, with notes of smoky, sour peaty vegetation, bitter incense, floral spices, pine wood, earthy, toast, dry herbal grassy, spicy cigar, a pine nut and tart citrus background note, and a very peppery retro. Latakia is leading with Burley, Cigar and Virginia supporting. Room note is tolerable to strong, and aftertaste is good.

I was looking for a mixture that contained a cigar leaf and I decided to open this one, getting it right.

The aroma in the tin is of a typical English / Balkan mix, with a predominance of wood and old leather odors from the Latakia. I did not find the cube cut that some people talk about, but a totally homogeneous ribbon.

Once the tobacco is lit, its flavor is intense and the smoke it produces is velvety, dense, in such a way that at times it almost seems that it could be chewed due to its creaminess. The flavor is full and is maintained from beginning to end. Although the main ingredient is latakia, it always appears well balanced with the accompaniment of other tobaccos. The cigar leaf can be felt at times and gives it an interesting dose of body, differentiating it notably from other blends that lack this component, but without being anything burdensome (I am not a cigar smoker). Virginias provide a significant amount of sweetness.

In short, a very tasty mixture that I will try to stock up on several more tins to repeat.

People usually don't recomend latakia blends for newcomers, like myself, but inadvertently, this was my first non aromatic tobacco.

Yes, a 50% latakia blend. Everything could have gone terrible from that day onward and my pipe affair may had ended right there. But no, I'm actually thankful It started in that manner. Surely, I cannot lie, the first smoke was horrible l and regretful but from the second one onward only increasigly great.

The heavy latakia proportion is rightfully embodied by the cigar leaf with a sweet tingle Virginia in the back. It shows some complexity and diversity, but not too much. I do take one Star off by the fact that some 3 times the cigar leafs, burleys and virginias burned earlier and the final third of the bowl was 100% slower burning latakias which comprised in a definite unpleasurable smoke.

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Review Edit.

By packing not so tight, and by smoking slow, the 100% latakia ending is gone. Lifting a star.