Cornell & Diehl -- Bayou Morning

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Bayou Morning
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Savinelli #313 Prince
Price: $18.59/8 oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 7
Value: 10
Overall: 8

Cornell & Diehl's Bayou Morning is one of their many VA/Per offerings that can be had at a ridiculously low price in bulk form so I decided to try some out with my latest tobacco order. The blend is a ribbon-cut mixture of medium to dark brown tobacco with streaks of black Perique. The aroma is that of tangy sweet Virginia leaf with hints of cocoa and black pepper.

Once my pipe was loaded I gave it a charring light, tamped, and then gave it a relight whereupon I was immediately met with a very strong spicy taste which forcefully announced the presence of the Perique. This almost overwhelming jolt of flavor lasted until the first embers began to smolder and the flames from the initial light dampened a bit. Whew, I thought I was in trouble for a while there!

After that first smack across the face the blend then began to blossom and the sweet Virginia flavors emerged to temper the Perique a bit. But at no point did that spicy leaf ever fade into the background and any heavy-handed puffing soon brought it back to the fore with a vengeance.

The hint of bittersweet chocolate that was evident in the pouch aroma also played out upon the palate and offered up the perfect contrast to the zesty Perique. This combination of spiciness and sweetness put me in mind of such Latin fare as mole sauce or even the fresh melon sprinkled with hot chili powder found at many a roadside stand.

Bayou Morning provided that classic VA/Per flavor profile but it teetered right on the edge of being a flat-out spice-bomb. That's not a knock against the blend but it certainly does make it stand out among its peers.

The room aroma was fairly pleasant but the mustiness from the strong Perique presence provided a bit too much funk to the smoke to be truly enjoyable.

The blend was well-behaved in the pipe and only required a few relights. As mentioned, fast smoking is a no-no with this one unless you typically order your Thai food at level 5.

Cornell & Diehl's Bayou Morning is one VA/Per that isn't afraid to fly its Perique flag high and proud. It's far and away the spiciest blend I've yet had and provides more flavor in one small bowl than should be legal. At C&D's typically insane low price this is a blend well worth stocking up on and I can't wait to see what a few years will do to meld and temper the extreme flavors a bit.

If I wasn't already slavishly devoted to Haddo's Delight as my morning with coffee blend then Bayou Morning would be a prime candidate to take its place. I guess the name really does fit the blend in this case.