Cornell & Diehl Pennington Gap

As I continue on my journey through the world of burley tobaccos I decided to give this blend a whorl. Wow- Tasty! I hesitate to describe this blend as a burley only because it is much more of an aromatic than anything else. I normally don't care for aromatics, but I have to say this is some nice stuff. The relights are sweet rather than bitter like most burley blends and the smoke is nice and rich. The casing is one of the better even though the tin smell is very strong. You can definitely taste the quality tobacco used in this blend, however the flavoring is certainly the dominate taste. This is fine in this case since the bourbon topping is done quite well. The only other aromatic tobaccos that are flavored with booze that I don't mind are mephisto and Orlick's scotch mixture, and both are not as good as this one is. It burns nice and cool like a nice burley should. If you are looking for a great burley experience and nothing else this may not float your boat, but if you want to try an excellent aromatic with a fine rich tobacco taste, give it a try. I think you will be surprised!

Pennington Gap taught me a lesson. Don't judge a blend strictly by its ingredients. Based on the description, I should never have even tried it. Burley?no way! Cube cut?absolutely not! Bourbon?.I can't stand the stuff! And some way Perique and that Black Cavendish stuff is going to bring it all together?.Impossible! But I was tempted as I noticed that other reviewers that prefer English Virginia, Oriental, Latakia blends "suprisedly" liked this blend. And so do I. The pouch aroma is heavy with burley, and the aromatic prevails. The blend looks like something I would have made in a food processor. But, in the pipe, the burley and bourbon and Cavendish combine into a very pleasant uniform nutty smooth taste. Each seems to mute the strength of the other and combines into a very pleasant flavor. The Perique adds a snap to the blend. As much as I have tried, it is impossible to make this bite. Burley blends usually grab me in the back of my throat, but this blend does not do that. Although it is fairly moist for a C&D blend, it smokes dry, and cool. The flavor remains consistent from top to bottom. The bottom of the bowl had nothing but a very dark, blackish ash. The room aroma is very friendly. This is one of the few blends that I can notice and enjoy the aroma while smoking it. I prefer it in a small bowl, and I have been smoking it in a very small Meerschaum. In fact, I do not like it in a large bowl where the burley becomes more prevalent. My overall description of this blend would be "fun". It goes well with beer, burgers, dogs, and apple pie. I also recommend it in bulk rather than in the tin form. This is a heavy tobacco by weight (one can gravity feed this from a long distance), and the bulk form is vacuum sealed, and it looks and feels like a brick. The package could be a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. You can reach into the bag and run your fingers through the funny cut components adding to the fun. This would also be a great blend for a beginner for it's a non-goopy aromatic with plenty of flavor, great aroma, and no bite. Although it cakes easy, I would not use it for breaking in a new pipe for the aromatic may flavor the briar. I would recommend this to anyone regardless of their normal blend preferences?..just for fun.

This is a medium to strong mixture. The Périque's presence is fair so it's not for people whom do not enjoy it. The Bourbon casing is beautiful, the BUs are very nutty and the CA bring some sweetness to a blend that is not overall sweet despite the Bourbon. Being Cube-cut BU, it burns slowly and does not bite if you don't puff like hell. This is a good example of a very high quality aromatic that does not smother the tobaccos' taste. If you enjoy high quality aromatics tasting like tobacco and do not fear a good dose of nicotine, Pennintong Gap might be just right for you.

This is a cousin to Barbary Coast but has bourbon as the main flavoring agent. It is not overpowering, but the granulated cut needs some drying time, and requires very minimal tamping in order to burn well. I don't like this as much as Barbary Coast, but it's good tobacco, and the flavor comes through nicely.

If one loves the smell of bourbon then this one is for you! Some sweetness from the bourbon topping and the black cavendish, but about mid way down the bowl that fades away and then you get the kick from the spiciness of the St. James perique. I was really suprised that this bourbon soaked smoke did not carry that taste all the way to the end but its probably best that the bourbon vanishes under the nutty and spicy tastes of the burley and perique. Overll a good smoke, not much taste for tall that bang you get when you open the tin, but over all a well balance C&D smoke that Ill revisit again.

You pop the top here on Grandma's Fruitcake soaked for days in Bourbon. Heady liquor aroma on top Fig Newtons, butter cookies, nuts and candied fruit. The bourbon is strong, but comes across in shades more like sweet red wine and Southern Comfort Liqueur. Moving in and out of the Nut-Cake-Whiskey-Raisin background, fleeting scents of peach, pear, grape, and especially banana - as Briarabbit put it in his review - Banana Pudding. (Amen, Brother! Nilla Wafers and all.) Another strange scent developed after the tin was open a few days, it was a fruity - yeasty aroma that reminded me of Flintstone's Chewable Vitamins, oddly pleasant.

Don't pack the cube cut too tight and it burns very well. Lighting up releases the bourbon flavor and the spice from the Perique and Cavendish. I swear for a moment I taste KFC Original Recipe's 11 herbs and spices, maybe this blend just makes me think of all things Kentucky.

In moments the bourbon is gone, and we're in cool, comforting Burley country. Always pleasant, nutty Burley, but this time it‘s haunted by the ghosts of the richer, spicier Perique and unflavored Cavendish. Wrapping up the bowl with over-roasted nuts and black pepper, with the slightest sweetness. The nicotine grows down the bowl to a decent kick at the bottom. If you didn't pack to tight, it will burn well to the heel.

I think this is an excellent flavored burley, sort of a gourmet chef's version the old American stand-by. That said, it's just not my favorite style. I give it 3-Stars for my humble opinion, but if you love good Burley or very light aromatics then consider it 4-Stars for sure.

Kentucky Cube Cut and Burley, rich Black Cavendish, all balance the flavor of Perique. Intense aroma and taste of bourbon. One more tobacco I bought from Israel, where fortunately the polite miss gladly sold them at lower prices, because they were old! Packed in 26-9-2007. I smoked 1-2 bowls as soon as I opened the tin. Afterwards I left it open for a little while to lose some of its humidity and intense aroma. The result was very good. No tongue bite at all. Sweet smoking. The tobacco should be gently pressed into the bowl in order not to be plugged. I was very impressed by the fact that I smoked 2 consecutive bowls without cleaning my pipe at all, and the balsa filter I used came out spotless!!! I wouldn't say it is an aromatic or that it behaves like one. I would classify this one under the Perique category.

Upon opening the tin, you really get the smell of bourbon....much different from their Blockade Runner which does not smell like rum at all. The tobacco is rather moist, so it needs to be aired out somewhat to prevent gurgling. It is mostly black in color with a few brownish bits mixed in. Puts off a lot of smoke, very nice room aroma and flavor ....not of bourbon, but of caramel. About halfway thru the bowl, the bourbon burns off and you can begin to taste the burley. It burns cool with no tongue bite at all.

A unique biphasic flavor experience....I think it deserves 3, if not 4 stars.

This is a pretty interesting blend. Sir Craig has done this well. On opening, the tin aroma is amazing, and when you pinch a bunch of the cubed cut, it almost feels wet. I lay it out on a piece of waxed paper, and an hour later, it hasn't seemed to dry out much at all! I s'pose the lesson here is that this just isn't cased, it's drenched! And yet, it lights fairly well, and stays lit a lot better than I'd have thought. This is one of those occasional aromatics for those who don't usually favor them. Not at all an all-day blend for me, but it's a nice change of pace every so often. Not a bad biter for an aromatic either. It's just a neat, sweet-ish blend that isn't at all cloying. I'm surprised by some of you guys on your descriptions of the room note. I think it's outstanding. Just enough perique to pique your interest, and the black cav mellows out the burley. This is pretty neat stuff. Three stars.