Cornell & Diehl Burley Flake #2

I have a feeling this was not the best in the series to start out with.. I found this to be an extremely challenging and yet very simple smoke.. My taste buds felt like they were waiting for something to happen.. A rich robust first couple puffs that hint that it is going somewhere just kind of fizzle into a flat flavor that stays pretty much the same down the bowl.. I don't get even a whisper of sweetness.. just a sharpness with a little vague nuttiness and earth and a slight motor oil like underlying belly.. The strength is impressive.. in that regard it satisfied.. Occasionally I did get something out of it that I liked.. fleeting cocoa traces.. I may be missing something here.. im not an authority on burley.. Maybe this is for the burley purist.. It just didn't resolve to any of my preferred flavor notes and kind of seemed hollow if not just bland.. If I get too much into the mechanics I think I would have some bias as the leaf seems to fundamentally disagree with my ph or something.. I don't normally experience tongue bite.. this one was painful for me and even at the slowest of cadences after being dried to a crisp.. but I don't think it is tongue bite necessarily.. possibly some kind of natural reaction to the leaf.. Resting the tin for a month helped a little bit but not much.. I will give this 2 stars instead of 1 because I really think there is quality here and a certain purity.. Personally, I'm almost ashamed to say it, but maybe a slightly more processed burley would agree with me more.. I am a fan of wessex and solani burley flakes.. I will definitely try others in the series to see if it is just this one.. I know I'm not the only one to have a little difficulty with this particular blend based on some reviews.

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I went back forth on whether to give this 3 stars or 4 stars and finally settled on a 3 (say 3.5). Over the past several months, I've found myself reaching for it on a regular basis and it's now a regular smoke.... It's easily my favorite of C&D's new line of burley flakes, and I'm not sure I've ever sampled anything quite like it from an American company. Anyway, here's my take on it:

The ingredients are easy enough to summarize: Nothing here but burley and a splash of deep red Virginia, just enough to add (as the tin description says) a little sweetness. The flavor is bold and rich, reminiscent of coffee or dark chocolate, and deepens as the smoke develops. Although the taste intensifies as the bowl progresses, don't expect much complexity here other than a gradually building sweetness. C&D has finally mastered the art of manufacturing gorgeous flakes, and if you smoke them intact you will have a very long, relaxing smoke.

This blend appeals to me for other reasons. One, it has close to zero tongue bite for me, which I consider to be a huge plus. Also, the nicotine content is higher than found in most C&D or GLP blends. Old Joe Krantz, Billy Budd, Haddo's Delight -- none of them pack the wallop that Burley Flake #2 carries, so I'd recommend using a small bowl. It's probably not overly strong for those of us who smoke Lakeland flakes, but I would NOT recommend this to a newbie or aromatic smoker.

If I have a complaint (and I'm not sure that I do), it's that for all this blend's power there is still a certain delicacy to the flavor that requires a dedicated pipe, which is unusual for a burley. Put another way, while "complex" is certainly not a term I'd use to describe BF#2, there ARE some subtle notes that get lost if you don't devote a briar to it.

I was very pleased with this blend, and more than a little surprised. I wasn't expecting a clone of Edgeworth Sliced or other American classics, but I had expected something that at least would evoke their memory. However, this doesn't remind me of any American flake or burley I've ever tried, as it lacks the sweetness of even the plainest of those. Heck, Prince Albert can be fairly described as a heavily-cased aromatic compared to this! In fact, I think I'll summarize my review by saying that BF #2 seems basically to be an American interpretation of British classics like Stonehaven or some of the darker English flakes from the Lakeland blenders, only with no hint of added flavorings and less of an emphasis on the Virginia. There were times, in fact, when I was inclined to think of this as a "lite" version of G&H's unscented Dark Flake --the quality and attention to detail is certainly there, but the overall effect is a bit gentler.

I don't believe that VA afficiandos or those who prefer sweet smokes will like this very much, but those who like their coffee black as pitch will likely fall head over heels for it.

I have now smoked all three of the C&D burley flakes in some quantity. I think this one is my favorite. They seem to decrease in fullness of body and increase in virginia content from 3 to 1. I think this one is the best combination of body and strength for me.

I give it a light rub out, and stuff it in, packing loosely. With about three lights, it cruises to the bottom of the bowl. Very smooth smoker, with no bite, but a very full burley flavor. So far, I think this is the best burley I have smoked. You have to be a lover of stout burley blends to like this, but highly recommended.

I popped open a tin from 2017 with a nice swelling and whoosh to the can when opened. Moisture level was perfect and the tin note was earthy/barnyard.

I smoked a tin of #1 before I went to #2 (I'm slightly scared of #3) and now wish I'd started with #2. It's a very well rounded blend with the burley shining through and just a hint of sweetness from the Virginia to balance it out. The flavor is consistent through the bowl and I find that it doesn't seem to produce quite as much moisture as #1. The nicotine is there for sure and I felt it for sure and for that reason its not an all day smoke but it goes great with either coffee in the morning or Rum in the evening.

Simply put, a perfect va / bur / ken mix for me. All the ingredients feel, are well combined and do their job. Virginia has a perfect degree of sweetness to balance the earthiness of the burley. Kentucky is felt just enough so that its presence is noticed without overwhelming, giving rise to a rich flavor in its interaction with the other ingredients. Although it comes with a slightly higher degree of humidity than fair, it can be loaded directly from the tin to the pipe. However, after a few weeks he was perfect in this regard. It doesn't bite its tongue at all.

If you liked No. 3 but it was too strong, chances are good that this is to your liking. For my part, I want more of this ...

This is a nicely prepared flake, thicker that many but moist and softly pressed to remain pliable enough to permit my packing without rubout. The tin aroma is less than inviting but the smoke is really what counts. It that respect, a cool, dry smoke without any hint of bite resulted but I missed any sweetness from the VA in all sized bowls. Since I normally smoke VA and VaPer flakes, perhaps it's not a fair comparison but even among the Burley flake offerings, I'd prefer Solani's BF. However, if you enjoy burleys, this is certainly worth a try.

A good, strong burley. The virginia does sweeten it, but way in the background. Delivers a significant nicotine punch. Chocolate note is definitely present, and very pleasant. Not in my regular rotation, but there are times when it is just the thing. If you are a burley lover, you owe it to yourself to try this one. 3 out of 4 for me.

This is a great burley blend, but it's just not my cup of tea. A little more Virginias for some more sweetness would improve BF #2 for me, as it is too bitter for my taste. It's also way too strong, I like burleys on the mild side.

If you need the nicotine kick and don't mind somewhat bitter tobaccos, this might be for you.

I'm predominantly a Burley fan, but this one left me wanting something more. Straight from the can, a bit hard to keep lit, but after a week or so, it lights up quite easily. Has a bitter taste towards the end of the bowl. Don't think I would buy this one again...