Cornell & Diehl Captain Bob's Blend

Even after reading about this blend I was caught off guard by the grape aroma from this tobacco. Surprising and unique, it adds a wonderful flavor to a tobacco that tastes like it has tobacco flavor. The grape seems to give way to the Latakia and Perique for the last quarter of the bowl. There are other flavors in there, but that's what I notice. A nice grey ash that is never goopy and drops cleanly from the bowl. The aroma is pleasant and non-offensive. The moisture from the tin was darn near perfect for lighting with only minor breakup before stuffing. I can see how some would allot this a position in their daily rotation, I will definitely put it in my 3-4 times weekly. Uniquely flavored with real tobacco taste, it's a fresh light-up that doesn't require alot of focus to enjoy. I'd call it well-rounded and friendly. 3 1/2 stars

Got a couple of tins of this today, and after a long day of smoking, it was a refreshing taste of what tobacco is supposed to be, right out of the can. Broken flake may need a little rubbing, but even in a relatively new pipe it smoked very well. Kudos!

I believe that C & D may have another hit on their hands. Captain Bob's Blend is a very pleasing combination of at least 5 or 6 different types of tobaccos with a very very small amount of Perique and Latakia.

In the bag it has a light grape aroma which is very nice but more complex than just grape flavoring, I also smell a touch of orange. The combinations of the different tobaccos and the light topping are very complementary making it a very pleasing enjoyable smoke.

If I had 1 complaint , I just wish the topping carried over to the pipe just a bit more. The full taste of all the different tobaccos truly comes through without any heavy topping or goopy mess

I am currently on my second pound of Captain Bob's Blend and have been enjoying it as my all day, everyday staple. I truly believe this is a very light aromatic that almost all smokers would enjoy.

This one is bizarre, and being that it was custom blended for a single customer, I suppose that shouldn’t come as a shock. While some custom blends such as Presbyterian and 965 have gained mass appeal like popular recipes that get shared by friends, this one is a different animal.

The extensive and mildly disparate list of additives suggests this blend is more akin to your weird uncle’s favorite recipe for tuna salad with lime jello and Limburger cheese sandwiches. It may seem repugnant to the masses, but I suppose every third or fourth person may take a bite and nod semi-approvingly.

This blend is not a broken flake as indicated above. It is a unusual mixture of large torn black leaf, 7-8mm square cut black leaf, drab brown leaf that was wrapped/curled tightly upon itself, flake remnants, and ribbon ranging from gold/orange to tan and olive. There were a few strange pieces that resembled cardboard more than tobacco leaf. The grape and caramel are the main pouch notes. Light up gives the taste of a grape jolly rancher. There are some sour and tangy variations of this before the grape topping takes on more of a scented quality like overchewed grape gum. The grape taste is gone in the tobacco, which becomes surprisingly natural tasting after the first 10 min, but the grape essence clings to one’s beard. The Latakia is not identifiable in the taste as an independent actor. I presume this is burley based given the earthiness, nuttiness, and pleasant bitterness of the smoke. There are some sweet orange notes mid bowl.

Despite the toppings, this leaf is never sticky and arrived at usual C&D dryness. It burns dry and required few relights. This is clearly not for the masses, but if you like aromatics and don’t mind wandering way off the beaten path, this blend may be worth a try.

Last week I received several ounces of CBB in bulk and was eager to give it a try, given what I had seen from the reviews below. I thought, why not try something a little different.

The appearance definitely has the character of say a 20% latakia English, although the dark seas are from not only Latakia (broad cut) but also the Cavendish and Perique leaf combined. There are burley ribbons and either bright VA ribbon or possibly orientals (can’t quite tell and descriptions vary as to whether orientals are featured), but I can confirm there are definitely VA broken flakes, at least in the sample I have received. Overall a rough and chunky cut here, but so far easy to pack and no real issues. While others have referenced a strong grape note from the bag, my experience is a bit different because overall the moisture was a little on the dry side upon receipt, which tempered things considerably. I am convinced that this may be a good thing. The note does have the unmistakeable grape soda, but it is significantly softened by the vanilla and of course by the slightly dry moisture level, so in my case it was not in-your-face.

The same is true upon true light - again, because it was on the dry side, it lit wonderfully straight away. I could immediately detect the grape flavor done lightly, but I was also getting a bit of latakia flavor in what seemed to be a core of C&D burley. Occasional sweet notes of the VA, but more nutty burley. Nothing at all disconcerting, I found myself intrigued to explore the grape as a point of interest. In the end, I decided it was closest to a grape lollipop – like a grape Charms blow-pop, if anyone has ever had that as a kid (thanks to the lady at the bank drive-thru in the early 1980's in my home town, I had manyP-) Surprisingly nice! I was getting a pleasing melange as the bowl developed. At mid-bowl, the perique could be detected which gave the bowl a bit of a red wine flavor. Medium N, and of course the bowl grew in strength towards the bottom. For the next 10 or so smokes of my order, I will be dedicating it to this older rainy day Savinelli, given someone below warned about the potential to ghost. I can’t yet comment on whether I have found the same but I think the risk is worth the experience of the blend.

What I find particularly pleasing is the novel note, but this blend still exhibits all of the components we have grown to love in an English. I have been smoking it on the 15 block walk from the train to my office building each morning. Air quality in New York City is temporarily improved from one smokestack - pleasing emissions from periodic wafts escaping my coveted Italian briar chimney… A nice change of pace and would like to try the same from the tin for slightly more intensity in contrast to the bulk order I received.

I received a sample of CBB in my tin society box and looked forward to giving it a try.

The bag note reminded me of Capt Black Grape aka the Purple Monster.

It was easily packed and fairly easy to get lit.

The initial taste was the grape front and center. However as I smoked the bowl I definitely can taste perique and the Burley base. It tended to smoke a little hot but with a slow pace was fine. I was worrying about tongue bite but no problems there.

Retrohale brought out some subtle notes of cream or vanilla. I never picked out much of the Latakia.

All in all I think it is a good smoke and quite different than most blends. It won't make my rotation.

A nice change of pace, this weed is unique and very good, its nothing like those bland aromatics that tastes like hot air, this stuff is flavorfull , Burley, Virginias with some Latakia and Perique cased with a delicious flavor that dont mask the tobacco. Well done guys.

PS: i lost my old TR account so iam copying some of my old reviews and uppdating them if my perceptions about a blend changes.

This one is still delicious and refreshing.
AP

From the blending hangar of the great Cornell & Diehl comes the irreverent and brash aromatic mixture Captain Bob’s Blend. Calling this enlivened combination an “original” would a most critical understatement. A proper endeavor of skilled carpet-bombing, more aptly, unfolds from within the burning bowl that keeps one guessing as to what in “h…” is going on! Unruly and decidedly eccentric to be spot on, so lower the googles and grab on to that control stick.

Soaring upward with magnum thrust, this bizarre specimen contrives to keep you barrel-rolling in glazed stupor with just a plethora of compounded ingredients. Featuring a base mix of stark Burley, strong Virginia, and modest amounts of Latakia and Acadian Perique, the toothy disjointed tobacco throws an awe-inspiring display of disheveled broken flake, ribbon, and rough-cut chunks.

In dire need of a buzz and shave, Captain Bob presents a shaggy mug of dense tan-brown tones, reddish-gold and racy ebon delight. The interminable list of additive flavorings for this hairy recipe includes a lively swirl of caramel, maple, grape, orange/citrus, passive vanilla, walnut, miscellaneous other unmentionables clustered in shameless abandon.

Frankly, the pouch nose on Captain Bob was more than a little off-putting with the initial encounter. More specifically a boisterous acrid aroma emanating from the unopened bag zapped my olfactory mellow unmercifully. Upon it’s unsealing, a wave of dungy bitterness churned with the overtly sweet influence of candied grape, sugary citrus, buttery caramel, as they flushed preeminently over some definitive pungent funk, resolute woodiness, and tart grass. Effectually repelling, yet I felt compelled to see what’s up despite this one’s apparent peculiarity.

Onward to the taste profile, where should I start? Complex and elusive, Captain Bob’s standard character, if you want to call it that, starts with individualizing the featured flavorings with impressive clarity, a virtual buffet of moving tastefully sweet seasonings. At the same time the blend extends ample notability to the base native varietals, giving the overall flavor a balanced and rounded complexion, which is no small feat considering the intricacy of the challenge presented with this curious recipe.

Initially the grape and orange additives fight for controlling dominance bringing a meld that was quite pleasing. Hm? Ultimately the grape pulls forward as the prominent lead component for most of the session. Mid-range accents come in the form of light caramel and buttery maple as they cavort randomly in the distant finishing note, double yum! Some misty vanilla and bright lemon tones pop in occasionally to add some additional colorization to the registration. Finally witness of sugary walnut highlights advances along with an unusual seltzer-carbonated soda type affluence; quite strange. And so is this random pattern unfolds making Captain Bob somewhat baffling but fun aromatic excursion.

As I alluded to the native tobaccos are given proper equity lending the mixture vital depth in lieu of the rancorous commotion happening with the aforenoted additive. Essentially the Virginias and Burley confluence provides a base line flavor that is characteristically heady and woody in temperament.

Mainly a band of zesty wood and tart grassy hay emerge from the Virginia as the principal bottom spirit. This was steadily embellished by a gingerly sweet, dense Burley toasted nut-wood earthiness reminiscent of the horse-kicking gentility of a Five Brothers. Fleeting smoked leathery undertones projected by the passive Latakia intertwine gracefully with restrained Perique tinges of dark musty fruit and piquant spice. Whew that was a mouthful! And yes, my friends, so was the smoking believe me.

Captain Bob imparts a sweetly brooding mood within the immediate room of consumption, well at least for some. As expected, the vivid sour-sweet essence of concord grapes/citrusy fruit enfolding native earthen pungency infiltrates the room’s perimeter leaving a thick cloud marked with permanence and savory entertaining vapor. Sugary roughness at its finest. Personally, I appreciated the blend’s pretentiously bold and crass fragrance, the wife unmistakably did not, however.

Never thought I’d find favor in a heavily grape-infused wonder, but this blend is so sophisticatedly left of center and abnormal, one must appreciate its unique novelty. Again, for aromatic it brings consider weight to the natural tobacco experience, I can’t poo-poo that at all. Burns cool and evenly with absolutely no disrespect to the palate. So, climb aboard and buckle in if you dare to take a flight with Captain Bob. A truly unusual yet enjoyable pipe smoking adventure to say the least. 2.9 pipes.