Cornell & Diehl Burley Flake #3

A lot of this blend's reviews liken it to Old Joe Krantz. I can see the comparison; I would liken this to OJK's older, more urbane brother. Despite the (justified) disclaimers about its strength, I would highly advise this to anyone who is Burley-phobic, as I once was. This is truly a celebration of all forms of Burley (DFK and Perique are Burley strains, after all), and its grand notes of oats, nuts, dark fruit, and black pepper leave one speechless with joy. So much so, I forgot to write a review until I had popped my third tin. Smokes dry and biteless (if your body chemistry prefers alkalinity), and gives regular draughts of mature, molasses-like sweetness. The one muddy cloud in this masterpiece landscape is the fact this comes neither in bulk nor 8 ounce cans. Because of the economics of small quantities, this is limited to a special-occasion smoke for me. However, I guess that's part of what makes it so memorable.

Burley Flake #3 - My tin was a little bit on the dry side but very smokeable and mostly broken or rubbed out already . Kentucky and Burley dominant with the Perique a strong condiment in taste anyway . Grassiness is about all I get from the Virginias it seems . It smokes cool and rich almost buttery . Nic hit is medium to strong depending on bowl size . This blend just lacks sweetness for me . I liked the #5 better and haunted bookshop even better . It needs more Virginias for me . If you like nutty burleys with a little molasses and a bit of cocoa with a little spice and fruity fig and raisons and don’t need sweetness this is your blend . 2 1/2 stars for me

One of the things that attracts me to Cornell & Diehl is the rustic nature of their burley blends. Rather than smooth and balanced BF#3 is jarringly potent, rich, and rugged. The tin note has a ripe fruit aroma which very faintly appears in the smoke. The toasty and woody dark fired Kentucky is dominant in the flavor. There seems to be some white burley in here as well. The red Virginia is earthy and the perique offers a lot of pepper and spice. Jalapeño notes and a faint sweetness surface occasionally. Full-strength, full-bodied, and full-flavored.

The third of the bunch I've got to try. #4 being my most favorite and one of my Top-3 blends. Burley and Latakia works like a charm, how would it work with dark fired Kentucky and Perique? We'll see!

Intense tin note, with the Perique easily discernible. Nose tingling pepper, dark, stoved fruits, rich earthiness, and a hint of woodsy smokiness - really hearty aroma!

This is the strongest of the bunch so far, this is some after-meal smoke for me! #4 and #2 are quite strong, but can be smoked at any time of the day. #3 to me is the Nightcap of the bunch!

In the pipe you get the feeling there's more than just a splash of Perique! The Perique is everpresent, nose- and tongue-tingling, rich, slightly (pleasantly) sharp pepper and dark, stoved fruits such as plums, figs and alike. TPerique forms the "top-note" of the smoke and shines on the foundation of first class Burley goodness. Rich earth, a slight nuttiness, very tart and rich with minor sweetness. The dark fired Kentucky is a minor player, yet an important condiment, giving a full body to the smoke and enriching it by a whiff of smoiness, that pairs well with the Periques sour-fruity and peppery aroma. The Virginia adds a whiff of sweetness to round off the experience and outbalance the sheer untamed power of the ingridients.

Very nice smoke! Only had 1/4 of a 2oz tin, but I'll be buying a tin or two when I get the chance. Perfect after-meal smoke or the Burleys-Man Nightcap! Better than #4? Nope, by far not! #4 just works so frkn damn well for me, #4 is unbeatable for me I'm afraid! And yet another 4-star blend for its own merits! Very rich, very stout, nice exotic taste and all the ingridients in perfect balance and harmony. I'm excited how this'll compare to #1 (which I'll be getting a tin of soon), but until then: 4-stars, favorited and bowing down to the guys of Cornell & Diehl.... you know how to blend some Burley, thank you so much for all those delicate treats!

If you wonder how quality burley ages, I opened this tin at 13 years of age. It had mellowed some but still smoked well and did not taste very different from a new tin. The flakes were still mostly intact and moist. The smell from the tin was earthy and I must admit very strong.
The flake was easy to rub out, pack and light and for the most part stayed lit. The tobacco produced copious amounts of smoke. It had the usual nutty burley flavor, the Kentucky added some strength and depth. The perique was still apparent, but I did not notice anything from the Virginia. The nicotine hit was very noticable but there was no tongue bite.
If burley is your thing, this is a good one but if you don't like strong tobacco this won't be in your wheelhouse. Not an all day smoke for me anyways. I did use a pipe with a 6 mm filter and feel that is the best way to go with this tobacco.

I had the opportunity to have a bowlful the other day and I thought it was rather marvelous. The blend is not terribly strong but rather mellow despite the fact it mostly comprises burley leaf. The nicotine content is average for this kind of blend or Goldilocks. The flakes are quite forgiving and easy to smoke. The flavour profile evolves against this backdrop of nutty and thicky chocolatey notes. On the downside, I think it is a shame your only buying option is for the smaller tins, but it is customary with C&D to do this with their premium blends.

Tin notes of Rasin, dark fruit, and faint barbeque. The flakes are dark brown with a little black and slightly moist. Rubs out fairly easily, no drying needed. Burns somewhat slow with some relights. The strength is strong and nic is strong. No flavoring detected. Taste is full and a consistent beat down, with notes of very spicy cigar, quite earthy, dry wood, roasted nuts, overly toasted bread, dry bitter herbs, mildly sweet, mildly floral, mildly grassy, mild lemon, mild raisin and a very peppery retro. The burleys are leading a beatdown with perique and dark fired Kentucky actively participating. Virginias may not be actually throwing punches, but its supporting. Room note is tolerable, and aftertaste is good.

Whereas #2 was slightly bland and assaulting on my tastebuds... #3 kind of tickles that old Joe krantzy vibe.. a little sweetness prevails.. must have a little more virginia..although it is burley driven.. the perique balances very well.. the Kentucky is there but more as a lingering woody smokey afterthought.. really pleasant on the retrohale... it still has some dry and rough qualities.. but overall it works. There is a little strength.. but not overwhelming. Pleasant but rough

Been looking for this tobacco but didn't know it. Strong, sour, fermented goodness... Like others, I found a way to have a second bowl as soon as I finished the first. Really enjoyed and will be putting some more aside even though I have promised myself I don't need any more tobacco in the cellar. Sour in a satisfying way, excellent tobacco flavor, very well put together. I think if I stumbled on C&D burley flake #3 earlier I might not own much else - generally enjoy flake tobaccos, VaPers, Virginias (occasionally English and Aromatics). Definitely scratches an itch.