Cornell & Diehl Burley Flake #1

I bought this tin last May and is dated 021221. This has a lightly sweet tin note with a medium –strong taste and maybe medium in the nicotine department but really hard to say. Let’s just say this does not knock my socks off like Picayune would. Sort of a slight cigar taste with virtually no sweetness in the blend. I detected mostly the Burley with I would say the Perique coming in second. I guess the Red Virginia is there to maybe tone and smooth out the blend. The mechanics of the blend is well made but honestly, I just want to finish the tin and move on. A friend of mine is a big Burley-phile and probably likes this but no repeats on #1.

This is what would have been the last of the Burley Flakes that I had tried if C&D had not introduced a Burley Flake 5. As I am done purchasing tobacco, I will likely never try the Number 5. With as much tobacco as I have, I am fine with that as none of them have really thrilled me. Of the four, this one lies in the middle between #2, my favorite, and #3, my least favorite.

In terms of constituent tobaccos, this most closely resembles # 3 in that it is a Va, Burley, Perique blend. I did not care for #3 as it was just too stout for me. #1 is very similar, but the use of Perique is less prevalent than #3; this makes it more palatable to me and led to my actually enjoying the blend as the pure burley taste was allowed to shine without turning me green in the process.

This, like the other three, is a fine tobacco from a performance standpoint. Like nearly every C&D blend, the moisture level is spot-on and it is ready to pack upon opening the tin. It burns dry at a nice pace. Inherent with this brand, this will also get harsh and nasty if your pace is too quick; but the right pace can be rewarding if you like unflavored burley. I would not buy more of this as I prefer #2 and this does not differentiate itself enough.

Bag note is a bit sweet and quite nutty and earthy. The flakes are quite small can be packed directly. My sample was a bit dry. It tastes very much like it smells. Lots of earth notes and nuttiness. Don't be fooled this is a strong tobacco and starts out a bit harsh. It smooths out a bit but it stays strong in Nicotine and flavor. I would consider this a full bodied burley blend with Virginia and perique to give some complexity. For the full Burley smokers this is going to be a hit. Not sure I would consider it an all day smoke but its a nice change when looking for something full flavored. I would suggest a full meal first.

Burley forward outstanding smoke. The Fired Ky plays in for that smoky flavor while the Perique adds more fruity notes. the Virginia component does add a bit of hay like sweetness as well. Mostly earthy nutty burley goodness here though. Burns clean and cool throughout the process with few relights. No bite for me and not burn either. This stuff is pretty darn good and has enough nicotine to give you a bit of a tingle. Ages well too, the stuff I am smoking is over 5 years old, Highly recommended if Burley is your bag!

Sorry, just not for me. While the presentation is fine (soft slices easy to rub out) the tin aroma is just awful and it doesn't improve much by airing. Lighting is fine and burns well, but wow what a blast of nicotine! Better eat with this. I found it very strong. Gives a big dose of tobacco taste, but there are countless other blends that offer great tobacco flavor and pleasant tin aroma. I'll pass on this.