Cornell & Diehl Three Friars

Nice stuff!! I give it 4 stars First third was ok, had a little warm up. I noticed not much sweetness or tongue bite. The taste was a little sweet but nothing spectacular. Second third: Taste came in very well, one pipe cleaner was necessary, no re-lights and not much nicotine hit. Really nice flavor, a little sweet, the room note was VERY good, nutty almost. A little hint of spicy/tangy feeling in the roof of the mouth. Last third: Very spicy. This stuff was complex (noob speaking here) to me! I think this just might be the holy grail for me. No accounting for experience and taste but I really liked the finish. No second pipe cleaner necessary, a couple of relights and it really worked well down there at the bottom. The taste started to get "menthol-like" and I liked it. The room notes got more complex and it was very very nice.

Found very little grease at the bottom, nothing like most blends, less than some english I've had recently. No gurgle at all, a dry, warm smoke. Smoke generation throughout was very good.

09/17/2004: A pleasant smoke with a solid nicotine hit. The flavors are subtle and best enjoyed slowly. The tobacco arrived a little on the dry side and needs a little aging, typical of C&D products. I don't find much similarity to Three Nuns, but nevertheless a quality blend.

The burley plays well with the sweeter Virginias and the perique effect is minimal, only providing a certain richness to the Virginias. The sweetness builds later in the bowl, but is never cloying.

04/29/2010: A buddy sent me a jar of Three Friars that is over 11 years old. The flavors jump out of the bowl and hit you over the head. Any subtlety I mentioned in 2004 is all gone. Uber-sweet, but the burley keeps it grounded and the perique gives it a strong, dried fruit flavor that is rich and delicious. What an experience. I don't remember doing anything good enough to deserve this. It's too good to keep to myself, so if a couple of you fellas want to come over one Saturday morning and have a couple of bowls and some coffee I'd be up for it. Atlanta, Georgia [email protected]

Update 16/07/04 This has become one of my favorite blends. There is a consistency, comfort and warmth here that I haven't found in any other smoke. When I feel like something "homey" yet with some kick and personality, Three Friars is it.

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Having never tried Three Nuns, I can rate this tobacco without comparision.

So far I've discovered tastes reminiscient of toasted filberts, a vague sweetness, earthy grassiness, and of course the peppery nip of perique.

The smoke is generally smooth with a bit of heat/harshness only if you are very careless or allow excessive moisture to build in the stem.

The fullness and body provided by the Burley, the sweetness of the VA and very subtle topping (which I only think is sometimes there), balanced by Perique has made this blend creep towards the top end of my favorites. I've smoked quite a bit of Three Friars recently in various bowls - encountering a substantial variation in flavor and nuance. I never thought I'd get into burley heavy blends, but C+D does this well enough to warrant the niche they've carved out. I agree that this compliments Bayou Morning exceptionally well (with Three Friars being my evening/afternoon blend). These two blends could probably make up my Perique mainstay.

I like this tobacco a lot. It is a lightly sweetened Virginia/burly with a nice touch of Perique. I do not get a distinctive burly taste from this tobacco. This is especially good on the front end as you initially taste the smoke, lightly sweet tobacco and tangy. Smooth with no bite. This tobacco burns nice and slow. The only negative is that for me it is a bit bitter in the aftertaste which is not a problem with a lot of tobaccos, but with this tobacco it does not seem to harmonize with the initial front end taste. This aspect of the smoke is a bit distracting, but not, I think, a serious impediment to enjoying it. A cup of coffee at hand complements the bitterness and refreshes the palate for another sip of smoke from this fine tobacco. Highly recommended. Paddy.

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10/18/03 I have been a bit too harsh on this tobacco. With aging this tobacco becomes exquisitely tasty. Place it in a sealed jar in a sunny window and let the tobaccos marry. C&D Perique/Va. par excellance, except for, perhaps, Bayou Morning.