Cornell & Diehl Burley Flake #2

The Burley Flake line by Cornell & Diehl is a treasure. It's the finest Burley I've ever tried. Generally, making straight Burley blends is a risky business; few producers cope really well with that. Burley tobacco easily gets bity or bitter or, otherwise, bland (like in the celebrated Solani Aged Burley Flake, a favourite of many and not of mine). In the case of C&D, however, the result is stellar: all four blends are superbly balanced.

All four varieties deliver equally good healthy dose of Nicotine, while flavourwise they are not overly full (they shouldn't be: it's Burley). The flavour is rather thin-bodied, like the flavour of a light liquor (say, tequila) against dark spiced rum. Adding to the similarity with clear liquors, the Burley smoke, instead of flavour fullness, has unique sensatory qualities, unlike most other tobaccos. It's hard to describe the feeling, I just can say I love that soft alkaline "throat hit" when inhaling the smoke a bit.

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Well, that was about the whole line. And now to this exact variety, the Burley Flake #2.

This one is the closest of all four to the pure Burley Tobacco. It's also the most "sensatory" and, flavourwise, the thinnest of all. There's some Virginia at the background, which manifests itself in slightly rounding the taste but otherwise remains in the shadow and doesn't add any characteristic Virginia flavours or sweetness to the smoke. The Virginia here is apparently of the Dark Red variety: strong, slightly tart and subdued. The smoke is thin, dry and light in body while full of strength and abundant in fine and unusual peaty, woodsy and doughy notes.

Great tobaccos. Try all four of them. You'll be rewarded with an experience you won't get with other blends.

I have tried all four of the C&D Burley Flakes. No. 2 comes across to me as the "plainest" of the four, but this isn't a negative. It has plenty of burley flavor and enough strength to satisfy most.

My first tin seemed to sour about halfway through, morphing into something that tasted very bitter and smelled similar to cow dung - literally. I contacted C&D about this and they quickly replaced it with a new tin, which smelled and tasted fine. I am constantly impressed with C&D's committment to customer satisfaction.

The tobacco seems a bit moist when the tin is first opened but I've had no problem getting it lit and burning. The crumbly flakes are easier to rub out than to smoke whole to me but I've smoked it both ways. I have heard a number of people say that burley does better in a large bowl, so this is what I initially used for BF2. I was not very impressed - mostly a flat taste with bitter notes toward the bottom of the bowl. It wasn't until I tried breaking up the flakes and smoking them in a smaller bowl that the blend really came alive for me. In a medium-sized Kaywoodie or Grabow billiard, I get a smooth, consistent burley with not a little Virginia sweetness throughout the bowl. I enjoy this blend enough to keep coming back to it and it's in my regular rotation.

Without hesitation, I'd recommend this blend to all burley lovers as they will likely be prepared for what BF2 delivers. I'd also recommended it to other smokers who wish to try burley with the advice that their results may be somewhat dependent on the pipe.

Of the 5 Burley Flakes, #2 is the Country Cousin, “simple” and rustic, even by C&D standards. It presents as well broken flakes ranging from red-ish tan to medium brown, with some darker ribbons, as well. Scent in a new tin is well-melded varietals posing as musty, moldering silage, with very faint dark fruit leather and a faint but distinct barnyard component. After some futzing I’ve found the “right pipes” for myself, including two briars I use for Kentucky, a #4+ and a #5. BF2 handles, loads, lights and smokes down quite well. The barnyard part of the tin note abates with rest but it reappears when BF2 is smoked. Lit, the scents are a “fragrant” version of the rested tin/jar note, musty, very earthy, with significant barnyard, also woody, more bitter than sweet, “saturated” like a cigar but not all that cigar-ish, along with some nutty fat, and dark fruit leather WAY down there. Tastes follow suit, joining the scents to produce a “strong current”. BF2 is NOT the toasted version of Burley some prefer, at all, but it’s very “basic” and downright “primal” in this way, along the lines of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co’s Dark Bird’s Eye. I detect a floral component but I’m guessing many will not get this, due to the barnyard aspect and the sharpness from the white Burley. It’s like this from top to bottom, gaining in strength and fullness through a long smoke. Strength is strong, including the nicotine. Tastes are full. Room note is barely tolerable; in fact I think it will probably clear out civilians in short order. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, only sweeter and nuttier over time, almost reason enough to smoke this blend, IMO.

Probably no need to say outright that I deem this blend best suited to experienced Burleyphiles. Though it doesn’t pack quite the wallop of Burley Flake #3, still, most will want to be fed, hydrated, and seated before smoking a 4’s worth of BF2. Confirmed codger that I am, I find it quite satisfying, and I will continue to enjoy this one as an occasional smoke. It’s a 4 star blend as far as I’m concerned, despite it’s not on my Favorites List at this point; but this is only because we have so many great VA/Burs to choose from at this wonderful point in time.

Update, 02-09-20: The more I smoke this, the better I like it. The tobacco is more rested, and I've got a better idea how to smoke it. It still smells like a barnyard, but it's also quite floral, with delightful, delicate side streams. Quite nice, if you ask me. It's replaced #1 as my favorite of this series.

Being an ardent VA and VAPER fan, I was a little tentative about buying and trying this semi-straight Burley. Now it seems like I can't stop going to this superb flake. The flavor/taste is a wonderful deep cocoa/dark coffee, which makes me wonder if there isn't a light casing. I like the room note, and my wife says it smells "chocolaty" , which is good thing with her. I haven't noticed an appreciable nicotine kick, but there is one there. This by itself has changed my opinion about what can be done with straight Burleys, besides the CH, PA, and array of others that I have tried in the past that have not met my expectations of a good, memorable smoke. As I puff away with a pipeful and a cup of strong back coffee (excellent combo), I'm planning my next bowl of relaxation with this exciting new discovery and contemplating what else in the Burley line of presentations I should try next.ENJOY!

Another great burley flake by C&D.

To me this may be the "mildest" of the three (No. 1, 2, and 3 of C&D), but is still on the strong side.

Here burley again dominates, but I taste more of the white or milder burley used in blends years ago.

Maybe closer to UK Edgeworth Slices (no, not the same), but rubs out more easy.

So far my favorite as it is milder and can be puffed more often if one choses.

What a treat if you like burley.

Cornell & Diehl - Burley Flake #2.

To date I've reviewed Burley Flake #1, and #3. I gave #1 four stars, it was a superb smoke, but #3 didn't exactly suit me; with a push it managed two stars, only because I felt generous enough not to give it only one. So, Burley Flake #2?

I'll clear one thing up first, it's a broken flake. Some of the tobacco in the bottom half of the tin has the appearance of whole flakes, but they crumble into thick ribbons under the lightest of touches. The colour's medium brown, unlike its darker sibling #3, and the moisture's perfect.

The flavour of the smoke oozes quality. It has everything I want in a Burley: a touch nutty, rich, and rustic. I can't fault it. It takes until a little way in for me to be able to identify the Kentucky, and it's still miles behind the Burley. The Virginia gives a lesser flavour too, there could be some sweetness from it but nothing particularly indomitable. The burn from #2 is perfect, although it can become warm if strained.

Nicotine: above medium, and I'm indifferent toward the room-note.

Burley Flake #3? One of the best Burley blends available.

Highly recommended.

Wow. What is as good as burley flake 1 which is better than burley flake 3 ? Duhn da duhnnnn - you guessed it, Burley flake # 2!

Tin aroma is on par with 1 & 3, but toned down a bit and a little rounder. It’s the classic C&D burley note- smells like a barn and it’s not sweet nor hay like. It’s deep and raw - or maybe better to say unrefined.

Indeed as you have read, this is lighter than all the others. However I’ll say it’s still a strong heady smoke at the top of the charts, just not over the top.

The mouth feel is medium, dare I say even mild , at least comparing to 1 and 3. The retrohale and side stream is quite sharp and strong. This takes #1 and tones it down quite a few notches. Zero top note, all natural very very quality burley.

It deepens as you smoke down as it starts pleasant and ripe, but develops into a toasty rich mouth watering unison flavor.

I haven’t smoked a lot of this one yet. I still really love #1 but I will also be ordering much more of 2. This is the easiest on the palate and I’m yet to figure out if burley flake #1 or bf # 2 is the masterpiece. Yea it’s that close.

Hey, maybe sometimes you just have to admit there are two masterpieces in a scenario such as this one!

Five stars !

C&D- Burley Flake #2

Tin is dated 27Aug19, upon opening I was met with what I can only now call the C&D Virginia smell, slightly sweet, hay and barnyard type smell. This blend comes in the standard C&D flake, broken and not an actual flake.

The blend was ready to smoke directly out of the tin, no drying time needed. Nutty burley with a hint of Red Virginia’s, I think this blend will take over for #2 once aged, the Virginia’s need some age, as it’s added for sweetness but I never achieved any good amounts of said sweetness.

The burleys are nutty and have a slight spice to them , I never had any sour aftertaste, this blend smoked cool and the nic hit was medium although it may vary for others.

With age this blend could far surpass the other burley flakes, and due to the roughness of #1’s Perique, this one slightly edges it out.

Burley lovers should enjoy this blend.

Good God whoa momma! Wow...this blend is manly. It sneaks up on you. The tin note is woody and musty with a hint of cocoa. The mechanics are perfect, loose cut ready to smoke. And let me tell you, it smokes like a dream! The burley is powerful, walnuty, mildly sour and woody, with brilliant notes of coffee, espresso, cigar and leather. The sweet, bready, virginia offers just enough sugar to balance it all... but not consistently. There's an occasional flit of harshness that gets more frequent as the bowl progresses. It's forgivable though as the last half of the bowl brings a note of dark chocolate and the espresso/cigar note goes nuclear. It's at that same time the nicotine punches you in the back of the throat. A howling wind couldn't drown out the flavor or the ember. As for the nicotine, gentleman, I've smoked for 10 years and indeed this is a strong tobacco. Anyone claiming it's not, would have to be a regular user of Copenhagen (or something else capable of delivering massive doses of nicotine). Use a small to medium bowl. Even on a full stomach the nic hit slaps you across the face in the first 1/4 bowl. This blend is is something.