Cornell & Diehl Billy Budd

Tried BB two years ago, when I got back into pipesmoking after a 20+ year hiatus. At that time, I found BB to be interesting and complex, but ultimately too strong for me to enjoy. A month ago, I thought I'd give ol' Billy another try. After a couple bowlfuls, I can say Billy Budd is very tasty and complex, but prohibitively strong for me.

Full disclosure: I have also revisited Habana Daydream and enjoy it.

YMMV.

Most pipesmokers familiar with this website are proabably also familiar with the famed pipefriendchs on youtube.

Billy Budd has been his tobacco of choice for a number of years, and because of him and my love of Purple Cow. I decided to try some of this when i ordered a 5 blend sampler pack from the source.

The first bowl i smoked wasn't good, i dont know why, but all i tasted was cigar leaf. Must have not been mixed up right, or just bad bad luck or something, but i was initially disappointed.

I tried it again the next day however, and wow, it is fantastic. I have now smoked a number of bowls of it. Not as strong (at least to me) as other reviewers make it sound, but it is a very full flavored, stout, smoke.

Lots of Latakia flavor, but not a one dimensional tobacco at all; the components are nicely blended. There is always a spicy sort of cigar like note throughout the smoke and it becomes a lot more apparent at times, specially if smoked hot or fast. The virginia sweetness keeps it from being harsh, and the burly makes it a really good, complex smoke(i like little burly in english blends).

I am guilty of being a fast smoker, but i must honestly say that this blend is a whole lot better if smoked slowly.

It burns clean and dry, but a little fast, but oh well, buy it in bulk and its not drastically expensive and incredibly worth it.

I Hesitate to give it the highly recommended rating, simply because some people i would simply not recommend it to.

If one primarily enjoys the fine points of virginia flake, or the mildness of a pleasant aromatic, or even just light english blends like early morning or squadron leader, this may not be for you, but there is only one way to find out right? But, if you like a strong, full flavored, English blend, and want to try something a little unique, I really feel like you will enjoy this.

If you enjoy a good cigar you will like this blend. Well worth a smoke. This is a blend I keep on hand.

Damn, this is it. This is the smoke I've been looking for. Mouth watering flavor! This blend is delightful. It's boldly elegant with a complex flavor profile that won't overpower. It has that dry, earthy, creamy, full bodied aspect of a great cigar AND the sweet, bready, herbal smokiness of a classic English blend. I really enjoy the way the citrus from the grassy Virginia creates an elegant floral note with the Latakia. The cigar leaf is sweet, earthy, woody, and smooth. It plays well with the nutty, tangy Burley. They also contribute to a medium espresso note. It's a smooth, dry, and sweet smoke with Latakia boldly shooting right down the middle. The cigar leaf is supporting but always present, showing different faces and creating rich new flavor combinations with the other varietals. Every bowl of Billy Budd satisfies me in all ways, bold flavor, surprising complexity and a good nicotine hit. It behaves well in the pipe, burns great, no bite, no gurgle. For me personally Billy Budd is on the same level as Dunhill Night Cap. -- Highly recommended

Update 2020: After the first puff of Billy Budd my evening smokes forever changed to cigar blends. IMHO it's a superior genre to the classic Latakia based English blend. The cigar leaf adds a fantastic flavor profile and makes for a fuller and complex smoke. My favorites are Billy Budd, Robusto, Habana Daydream and Key Largo. Four towering master pieces. True works of art in the blending world.

I received a 1oz sample of this and I liked it, and it didn't last very long?. Very velvety on the tongue and somewhat sweet mid-bowl. I did have moisture issues with it though, even after standing overnight ready for the morning coffee. I hate gurgling pipes! I wish I had more to give it time to knock my socks off like the other reviewers, but it just didn't quite get the 4 stars for me. But worth trying, at least once.

I finally decided to order a 2oz. container of this after discovering it in many of my very experienced pipe smoking friend's collections. I'm very happy I did.

The smell when you open the tin isn't great, but often times tobacco doesn't taste close to how it smells. The flavor is wonderful. I'm not a fan of heavy latakia usage, and I feel there is just the right amount in Billy Budd. I like the taste, but not when it's the ONLY taste. When puffing, the first few seconds after exhale are predominately latakia, which nicely fades into sweeter and milder flavors with the cigar leaf gently coming in without being over-powering at all. The after taste is EXCELLENT. I wouldn't have minded more of a cigar punch since I came from cigars, I just mention this to let non cigar smokers know that it's not a punch to the face.

It burns excellently after I air it out for about 10-15 minutes. I also pack my pipes more loosely than many, so I don't know how this burn when packed more firmly. So far this is the best tobacco I've tried in the year I've been smoking pipes. Aromatics are simply too boring and droll to enjoy, and everything I've ever smoked with latakia has been far to latakia- ish, so I'm happy to say I've found something that isn't too weak or too strong.

This is an everyday smoker for me and one I'll have in my collection for as long as it's in production.

It took a while but I finally got around to trying this stuff. The rave reviews it has received are totally justified. In short, this is an exceptional pipe tobacco and I'm jumping on the bandwagon!

Generally, I don't care much for latakia in more than very condimental levels. This one is the exception, the pouch note had me worried because the aroma was predominantly the new tire-like aroma of the camel dung weed. Much to my surprise though, when set afire, the other tobaccos in the blend seemed to balance everything out and the result was an absolutely wonderful smoke. Still very heavy in latakia mind you but it didn't come across as excessively so like in, say, Mountain Camp or Edwards Special Balkan. Much to my delight, Billy Budd didn't give me the "latakia hangover" even when smoked all day exclusively. You know, the latakia hangover, you wake up the morning after a day of heavy latakia smoking and your mouth tastes like a gym sock, your chest feels like someone is standing on it and your heartburn is booming beyond description. Nope none of that here, just a good full flavored, smoke that can and has proceeded directly to the front of the class.

I doubt it, or anything else will ever unseat OJK as top of the heep but this comes close and provides a wonderful one two punch with OJK. Both very full, somewhat similar but at the same time, totally different. If you're a reformed cigar smoker, burleyphile or just someone who enjoys a good full flavored pipe tobacco, this one is must try

I received this as a sample from the local tobacconist. I was looking for something to enjoy on a cool evening when I came across this. I loaded up my Peterson bent apple, grabbed an ale, and sat down to see what the deal was.

I like this tobacco. Rather, I really want to like this tobacco. There's plenty of latakia, but not too much. I found cedar, spice, and a variety of subtleties that reminded me somewhat of Penzance while still remaining distinctly different. It smokes a tad hot. When I settled down and smoked it gently, I enjoyed the flavors. However, there's something about Billy Budd that doesn't quite fill out completely... Being a VaPer guy, I might be slightly put off by the cigar leaf (I like cigars, just not in my pipe) so I can't really say I love this blend. It was just "okay" for me.

For English smokers out there, or VaPer fans who're interested in something a little different, I recommend this. For 'dyed-in-the-wool' VaPer folks, this could end up being a miss. My $.02.

A pipe tobacco as subtle as Chuck Norris.

I didn't know what to expect from this, but I was curious to try it.

First and foremost, I did enjoy this. But I am a bit surprised by the effusive praise others have lavished on it.

It is very full-flavored, and by that I mean this is a roundhouse kick. This fulness of flavor is matched by a full and heavy texture. While the cigar leaf is only a condiment here, its presence is very evident from the first light. The marriage of Latakia and cigar leaf is mostly a pleasant combination, but to my palate is slightly discordant.

I detected not a hint of sweetness in this smoke, only a rich abundance of savory, leathery and peppery flavors. And I do mean a rich abundance of flavors. Did I mention this is full-flavored?

I liked it.