Cornell & Diehl Billy Budd

the first time I had this tobacco...

It was Labor Day weekend I was seventeen I bought a Coke and some Billy Budd And I drove out to the county fair When I saw her for the first time She was standing there in the ticket line And it all started right then and there Oh, a smoker's sky made a perfect sunset And that's the day I'll never forget

I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt She was killing me in that miniskirt Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks She had a suntan line and Dunhill Pipe I worked so hard for that first smoke And a heart don't forget something like that

Well it was five years later on a southbound plane I was headed down to New Orleans To meet some friends of mine for Mardi Gras When I smelled a smoke from the past Comin' from a few rows back And when I looked, I couldn't believe just what I saw She said I bet you don't remember me And I said only every other memory

I had a barbeque stain on my white tee shirt You were killing me in that miniskirt Skippin' rocks on the river by the railroad tracks You had a suntan line and Dunhill Pipe I worked so hard for that first smoke And a heart don't forget something like that

Like an old photograph Time can make a feeling fade But the memory of a first smoke Never fades away

I had a barbecue stain on my white tee shirt She was killing me in that miniskirt Smokkin' pipes on the river by the railroad tracks She had a sun tan line and dunhill Pipe I worked so hard for that first smoke A heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget I said a heart don't forget something like that Oh, not something like that

Given the short span of time I have had the pleasure of savoring this blend from C&D, Billy Budd has indeed outshined my modest shelf. Naturally, I tend to gravitate to Va/Pers or Burleys, yet this first foray into Latakia has been a pleasure.

BB begins with a nice toasty and smoky aroma with the tobacco lurking just below the surface to give a nice reminder of it's prescence. Roughly midway, the kick and flavor encapsulate your senses into the cigar-esque traits of this blend. The maduro and burley accentuate the Latakia (or the other way around) to allow a nice base note of sweetness from the Virginias to show.

Overall, BB pleases this smoker with it's rounded full flavor, decent strength, and modest profile. Recommended, though a good light roast coffee or dark tea goes quite well alongside this blend. A staple, if not a permanent fixture.

Wow, yet another winner from our friends at C&D. Sailorman Jack really knew how to smoke, cause this stuff is the "bee's knees". Not an all day, or even everyday smoke for me, but definitely in my list of tobacco to stockpile.

I ordered a sample of this from one of the e-tailers that offers bulk samples. It is hard to find bulk samples of the C&D blends, but they are out there. It came a bit dry and with shipping for the 4 oz. was quite pricey. I tossed a few moisture discs into the bag and let it sit for a couple days. I wasn't looking for wet, but just a bit more moisture to make sure the tobacco didn't burn like a hay field.

You can see the cigar leaf in this blend. Though it isn't predominant, it is noticeable in the blended ribbons. The smell of the bag is delicious, but I love strong blends and I enjoy a good cigar here and there. The tobacco packs easy, burns well and will leave just ash in the bottom of your bowl. This one packs a wallop, there is a lot of flavor and if you don't like cigars, don't buy it. I don't think you will make any friends with the room note either, so use caution when smoking around crowds. Overall, a good stout blend. A lot smoother than I expected.

If you are a lover of strong, rich tobacco, you should enjoy this, if you don't like cigars, stay away. Those that say it tastes too much like a cigar ... It's a cigar blend, hello!

Update 2/6/2010:

Raising my recommendation to 4 stars. Time is very kind to this blend. I have a mason jar full which is 2 years old and boy is it great. The sweetness is a bit greater, it is utterly biteless, and the latakia more balanced by the other tobaccos. I also think the nicotine is a bit more subdued, but it could also be I have a higher tolerance. Smoke it in a large bore pipe and it will burn well and taste great with big billows of smoke. Definitely one for cellaring.

Original review 12/30/2008:

This is about as full and in your face as a tobacco can get, kind of like America's answer to Dunhill Nightcap. The burley, latakia, and cigar leaf really marry together well, though latakia runs the show despite all the cigar leaf I see in there. This is a manly, meaty, tough-guy smoke which is full and rich yet very smooth on the palate. The aroma will clear a room full of non-smokers in an instant, though I love the scent of the latakia and cigar leaf. The high nicotine level will have you up and jumping in no time.

I have had this tobacco in both pressed and loose form and recommend you get it pressed as it is immediately ready to smoke (a first for C&D). In loose form, you really need to age it for at least 6 months or it will have some bite to it. After 6 months, it tastes pretty much the same as when pressed, so you might as well take the shortcut.

My only criticism of this blend is the crazy cut. There are 6" strips of cigar leaf mixed with big chunks of other tobaccos, making this difficult to evenly pack and pretty much impossible to pack into a small bore pipe. Still, this is one of the better cigar leaf blends I've tried, far better than GL Pease Robusto or Mclelland's offerings. It's use of burley really sets it apart from the crowd. I would rank it third behind the now defunct Mr. Alfred's Own and Peretti's Cuban Mix. Goes great with a Guinness Stout.

Okay, I admit it, I do not have a palate and don't taste all the exquisite flavors some of the guys on this forum do. Normally tobacco tastes like tobacco. However, if I might digress a moment I did taste what seemed to be toasted oats in this mixture. That was the only flavor I had but the blend has a lot of wonderful things going for it. It's easy to pack, burns with few relights and has a teriffic cigar note. It doesn't bite and has a nice finish with no aftertaste in your mouth. It burned to a nice white ash. It was an all around wonderful smoke. Oh, and before I forget it, where does everyone get off saying how strong the Nic hit is on this blend. To me it was mild to medium at best. I remember having to crawl off the floor with Dunhill's Nightcap. Anyways, I think this blend should be rated highly and that's just what I did.

This is my go-to blend when I'm ready for a full, broad, no-holds-barred smoke. Lots of latakia smokiness and the burley adds a wonderful sharpness. I always have this in my rotation.

This tobacco is not to be underestimated -- strong, rich, complex -- good strength and powerful aroma. I picked up an ounce from my tobacconist after taking a few whiffs. Packs well, smokes well, and so far my favorite English blend.

A warning: my girlfriend describes it as an "old man" tobacco and doesn't let me smoke it around her!

my favorite of the so-called cigar blends. It has abit too much latakia in it for me to enjoy bowl after bowl. I have mixed it with other blends such as Stogie, Carter Hall, John Bull and Strikeforce. I prefer this blend in my larger size corn cob pipes. Excellent.

a bang on the head,,,full tobaccobody and awonderful blend the latakia is present with a wonderful impact tth wont implicate the bitter taste cigar leafs add the required touch burning qualities are very nice,,leaves a thick solid ash tht needs tamping and a wider bowl to get godd quantity of air,,well balanced contents one of the best cigar blended mixtures,,go for it