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Cup O' Joes
Choice 2003 vintage, Eastern North Carolina red Virginias crown this jewel.
Accented by sweet bright leaf and rounded by small-leafed Katerini, Bijou is married with a hint of honey before being pressed and sliced into delicate flakes. This gem requires no adornment. Just time.
Estimated peak: 10-15 years.
Notes: Pre-released at CPCC 2016; retail launch date Friday, May 13, 2016.
Favorite Of 1 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3046) |   |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The first thing that hits you as you light up is the Turkish Katerini, quickly followed by the moderately tangy dark fruit sweet 2003 Eastern North Carolina red Virginias. The red Virginias also have some earth, wood, a little bread and sugar along with a very minor spice note. The lightly smokey, fairly woody, earthy, herbal, floral, vegetative sweet and mildly sour Katerini also offers a gentle spice. After a few moments, the Katerini recedes into the background as an important secondary player that underscores every single puff. There’s a touch of bright Virginia leaf that chips in a dab of tart and tangy citrus, tart lemon and grass. The honey topping is very mildly applied, adding a slight smooth sweetness that rounds out the blend without sublimating the tobaccos. It’s not always noticeable, and weakens a little after the half way point. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium, though I observe it a tad more toward the finish. The strength is a couple of steps past that center, while the taste is a slot or two short of medium. The flakes are a bit on the thin side, mildly moist and very easily manipulated to suit your packing preference. I saw no need to dry it, and recommend you smoke it as it is. Burns very cool, clean with a consistently smooth, woody, floral sweetness at a slow to modest pace. Requires a few relights, and has no dull or harsh spots. Won’t bite even if you push it. Leaves a slight bit of moisture in the bowl.
It will burn to ash, but in a big bowl, you may have to stir up the last quarter just a little. Also, the tanginess from the red Virginia seems to speak out just a little more in a smaller bowl, so I will recommend a small to medium size pipe for this blend. The after taste is very pleasant, and doesn’t linger too long. The room note is like temperately sweet campfire smoke. An all day, subtly complex blend that wears well during the day. Three and a half stars out of four.
-JimInks
63 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestud (1829) | |
Mild | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
It has been a couple of years since I've posted any C&D blend reviews and I have smoked nearly 100 tins of their various offerings in that time. So, it may be awhile before I get to all of them.
I was gifted a tin of Bijou about six months ago and wanted to let the contents sit before opening the tin. No need for that as the contents were exceptionally ripe already. Two kinds of Virginia weave a tapestry of intrigue with every puff and I detect a slight addition to the tobacco that just slightly sweetens up the overall presentation. Rich and rewarding, the overall impression is that of a combination that has been carefully selected, treated and blended to produce an exceptional outcome for the smoker. And wait'll you get the smell and taste of the sweet and spicy Orientals in this one. Thanks C&D!
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fr_tom (393) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
The tobacco is a "soft" flake. It rubs out easily or can be crumbled. Moisture level is good, and I have been smoking it "as is." Pouch note is slightly agricultural. The first smoke was in a GBD pot, and it seemed like a good combo, so I dedicated that pipe to Bijou while smoking up the sample.
This is a very good Virginia-forward blend with condimental+ orientals. The Katerini provide a fairly consistent spice and a hint of an herbal note from time to time. The Virginias are slightly heavy and sweet with a little citrus. I can believe it has a honey topping, but if it were not in the description, I don't think I would have found it and might have just thought it was part of the Virginia flavor profile. It all makes for a great smoke.
Smoking characteristics were good. It was easy to pack and smoke. I did not have a bunch of relights and flavor was good throughout the bowl. It was a little more earthy at the end, and I found that puffing brought out a more tart red Virginia and spice. Sipping brought out the citrus and herbal. There is a lot of subtle flavor to enjoy here.
I understand this Cellar Series is intended to be packed away and savored later. I find it to be quite good now and it is easy to recommend. I should say I am predisposed to like blends with orientals, and I found that component to be very well done for my palate.
29 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman Zombie (729) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Others have detailed the finer nuances of the tobaccos used here and they did a fine job of it. I'm going to speak in more general terms.
To me this blend boils down to sweet vs sour. A little more specifically, sweet and fruity vs sour and woody. The balance struck is just slightly to the sweet side. I would prefer a stronger lean in that direction and it may very well get there with aging. It's a stark contrast in the first half of the bowl. The Virginias get more earthy in the second half and the sourness seems to recede just a bit and that's more to my liking. I look forward to smoking this with some years behind it. From a fresh tin I give it a 2.5, but I'm optimistic that it will improve so 3 stars it is. I think it has the potential to make the 4th one day.
Mild to medium in body. Medium in taste. Flavoring is extremely mild. Burns very well after drying. I haven't tried it otherwise.
Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
18 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DrumsAndBeer (217) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
An elegant tasting flake with a very distinct, almost floral flavor to it. I have tasted something similar to this before in a few blends and I think the floral note comes from the honey more than it does the Oriental leaf, but I could be wrong. The Virginias are very good and lend plenty of semi-sweet, toasty flavor. Bijou is well balanced and smokes smooth with a hint of spice from the Katerini which asserts its own unique flavor from time to time, and has what I can only describe as a light phenolic, adhesive bandage like aroma.
Down the bowl the flavor intensifies and I taste more of the Grecian leaf here which is quite good, and at times it’s fairly spicy. I have been enjoying Bijou even more now that the weather is cold, as the overall flavor leans more toward the darker side of the spectrum. This is a solid blend from C&D and an interesting take on the often under-appreciated Virginia/Oriental combo.
I am always on the look out for blends that contain or highlight a distinct Oriental leaf without Latakia. That said, I have enjoyed smoking through most of this tin & I have squirreled away a few more for future enjoyment.
12 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connoisseur (47) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
Bijou is quite different than what i was expecting given the reviews to date. I've smoked several bowels just to be sure I was on the right page with this stuff. In my opinion, Bijou is a medium strength smoke that tends to dry the palate. I can detect the honey on brief occasions, however the overall flavor is quite sour with some spice and does not have a hint of sweetness as others have stated. The aged red virginias, while good on paper, are a little "rustic" and though should improve with a few years age. Overall, not overly impressed unfortunately - it's a quality blend, just too sour for my taste.
Purchased From: 4Noggins.com
10 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| StevieB (2080) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Very Pleasant |
Cornell & Diehl - Bijou.
The flakes are quite well broken, the same build as the Castello Fiammata I posted a week or so ago: long, very thick, ribbons. They're dark brown and have great hydration. Filling a bowl is simple, they crumble to perfection as they're stuffed in.
Bijou lights easily, giving a good burn. The tobaccos give a good flavour, to me they seem well balanced. The Oriental/Turkish's are easily detected, with the Virginia giving an equal proportion of flavour. The Virginia has more of a rustic taste, than a fresh one, if that makes sense? This quality works impeccably alongside the zesty Orientals. I get quite a sweet honey flavour, just enough to liven, yet not dishevel the smoke. Bijou doesn't bite, and the smoke's relatively cool.
The room-note's nice, and the nicotine's medium.
I think Bijou is nice enough, but it falls short of four stars.
Recommended.
Pipe Used: Davorin Denovic Morta
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteelCowboy (685) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Bijou greets the nose with a little earthy and a little sour note. The flakes are ready to load with no dry time needed which is saying something for me because I prefer to smoke my tobacco on the dry side. Even though I really like it this way, it does make me wonder how well it will age as tobacco needs a decent moisture level for the best aging results. (around 12%). I think there is enough there, but the speed it will age may be slower. As far as the taste is concerned, it is quite delicious now. The red Virginia offers a wonderful sweetness and a little tang along with the honey-like topping. The Oriental component is in a supporting role, but the portions of each are done really, really well. The bright Virginias are there, but I don’t taste them very well which to me is a tribute to the way this was blended as it all really comes together nicely. My guess is that this was aged for some time prior to tinning as Bijou offers up some aged flavor. In the late stages of the bowl, the strength picks up a bit and the sweetness is more muted. The small amount of spice is more of a player toward the bowls end as well. I do get a little bit of ashy flavor near the bowl’s end too, but this isn’t enough of an issue for me to keep it from being a four star blend.
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| steppx (186) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
This is a really good blend, and no doubt it will get better with age, as intended. The red virginias are in the foreground throughout, and are terrific and rich, with that nice bottom note of spice (for lack of a better adjective) one gets with red virginia presented in flake form. Its a broken flake but it smokes as flakes smoke. The Katerini is present but never overshadows the Virginia. The Oriental Katerini is sour and pungent, but stays in the background. The honey is subtle but you are aware of it. It tastes the way rum often tastes in fact, and its a welcome mitigating factor to the Virginia. It is part of the reason this is such a nice cool smoke. Now the way the FDA is going, its possible nobody will be smoking pipes in the recommended 15 years of cellaring. But I am pretty sure this will age beautifully. As is its a 3 star blend, and maybe 3 and a half. Check with me in fifteen years to see its a four star. I bet it is.
It is philosophically in the same basket as Exhausted Rooster or Pease's sixpence.
Purchased From: 4noggins
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Pastor Puff (15) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Pleasant |
Component Tobaccos: Virginia ('03 vintage) and Oriental (Katerini)
Flavouring: Honey
Cut: (Broken) Flake, it's advertized as a flake but good luck getting a flake out unbroken.
Tin Note: This smells like a fresh-cut lawn with the delicate scent of honey wafting over the top. It's delightful
Body: 4/10
Strength: 3/10
Nic: 1/10
Moisture From Tin: Slightly on the wet side
Mechanics: For a flake this burns surprisingly well, even with it being slightly wet. It can burn hot if you aren't careful.
Taste: At first I don't get any Virginia, just the subtle sweetness of the honey. The bowl begins to taste faintly of curry spice and there is a mouthfeel similar to perique. The Virginias are not very prominent, I can taste them and their bright, grassiness but they are not upfront. There isn't much evolution through the bowl. It's curry, honey and grass all layered together.
Thoughts: There really isn't too much to say about this blend. It is interesting, Bijou has flavours I have not found in any other tobacco: Honey and curry, mixed with the very familiar bright VA. And I cannot decide weather I like it or not.
Overall: ??/10
Additional notes: So I was curious about the 'curry' flavour and began to look into the profile of Katerini, the oriental that is in Bijou, and found that's where the curry flavour is coming from. It's interesting.
Pipe Used: Meer, others
Age When Smoked: New Tin
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| M.Smolensky (6) | |
Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
Cornell & Diehl says this tobacco will peak in 10-15 years, so maybe we should wait to review it. But who is going to do that? So, lets say in 2026 you can still buy tobacco without a doctor's prescription, you see a positive review of Bijou, and buy some. Do you set it aside until 2036? I just am on my second bowl of Bijou, and I think that many people will like it, because it is different in the way it tastes that is different from most anything I have tried. It is, to my view, strong, and the tingling that is described, I do not find pleasant, nor is anything that I am looking for in pipe tobacco. I want smooth, and easy going tobacco, without describing fig flavors, or citrus, or whatever. But that is just me, and you ought to try it for yourself, because it might be what you like. It burns nicely, it covers the tongue and palate with the tingly, but not bite taste, that lingers in the mouth. I wish I could describe it more delicately, but to me, it is like rolling a piece of charcoal briquet in the mouth. Initially, it starts out very pleasant and interesting, and then it starts to hit with this not very pleasant taste to me. I also get a slight dizziness from this tobacco, that makes me unsure about whether I should try to stand up or not. I will try to keep smoking this, to see if I am missing out, but meanwhile, I am glad for my supply of Butternut Burley, Uhle's Black Stoker, and Erinmore Flake. For me, it gets one star, but I will give it three stars, because I sense that others may come to like it very much. It is simply not for me.
Pipe Used: L'Anatra
Age When Smoked: One month
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
Similar Blends: Kingsford Briquets.
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HabaneroHardy (401) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
A recent purchase a few days ago. This is one of the cellar series that recommends 10-15 years of aging. The tin is dated 12/15/18 which gives it a year already but sorry time is a luxury I can ill afford to spare and I popped this tin as soon as I bought it. This blend is a nice medium dark flake but not flake squares like chewing gum more like ragged flakes. It is also slightly moist, after reading about a mold issue this blend had some years ago, around 2016 and 2017 I am wondering if this would even be a good candidate to age? Who wants to wait 10-15 years and find you have a living mold creature in your tin? I looked mine over and all was well. I always wondered what would happen if you accidently smoked some moldy leaf. Would it just taste bad? It seems the mold would burn up with the tobacco, not sure I even really want to know. I crumbled some up into about ¼ inch pieces and loaded my pipe. Upon lighting up, the first few puffs have a nice sweet taste to it, a little further down I get some slight spiciness and toward the end a little bland but nothing to complain about. This has 2003-year-old leaf and Katerini tobacco from the Katerini region of Greece and is a small leaf used for flavoring. All in all, not a bad blend, that I am rating 3 stars but with the issues in the past not sure if it is one to invest buying multiple tins for aging. It is a crap shoot, I guess.
Pipe Used: Meerschaum
Age When Smoked: 1 year
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeavyMetalPiper (64) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I've decided to review to cellar series blends from C&D upon purchase (or thereabout) and after the recommended amount of aging to see the changes. I intend to update the review after that period of time has elapsed.
Now:
The smell is sweet, and kind of like toast.
The taste is slightly spicy. It's like a milder balkan flavor. The honey is nice when it's there. There was significant sweetness in the middle of the bowl.
This was kind of a toss-up between 2 and 3 stars; I'd have felt more comfortable with a 2.5.
Aged:
Stay tuned.
Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend
Age When Smoked: 2 Months
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| BingCrosby (162) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Sadly.. At least as I understand it.. we are slowly losing most distinct oriental varietals.. We now see a couple.. mostly izmir and Katerini.. maybe occasionally basma.. but the big cigarette companies are really the only thing keeping it going.. and it is mostly all blended together.. So I do get a big kick out of cornell and diehl and in the past the now deceased Mcclelland.. Companies that went beyond to find leaf.. and I particularly like this Bijou blend.. it showcases the noted curry like varietal.. but also a particularly striking red virginia.. and I sense some manipulation.. possibly stoving... really nice aged tasting smoke... mine is only 2 years qged.. but tastes very mature..spicy and full.. tangy yet deep.. and sour but sweet.. quite tasty.. not to mention that lovely honey accent that ties it all together.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pryhosm (248) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Bravo Cornell & Diehl! I have had wild ride with my taste in pipe tobacco and I am sure it will continue. Why pipe smoking isn't like my food journey ( I can eat the same thing and there have been almost zero variance in taste over my lifetime...other than whiskey). I have been a lat bomb guy to a straight VA guy and back again. I do enjoy an occasional aromatic, but that has not changed much, never were my favorite and almost turned me off to the pipe for good. I have been trying to find replacement for McClelland Orientals (yes Orientals as well as VA's). This is is one that meets the grade. L.J. Peretti has done a nice job here as well. I find good Orientals, to my taste, are difficult to define in a review but I will give it a shot. I prefer Oriental's that lead with a flavor that I can best define as British Breakfast tea with milk and sugar. The Virginia's are slightly sweet and bready, the grassier notes mixing with the "spice" of the Turkish/Oriental. The sour, often attributed with Turkish/Orientals, either way in the background or that work with the other tobacco's well enough to not come with a bite. Bijou does this all and then some. There are times that the toasted bread from the VA's take an edge over the creaminess. I am not sure if tea is a spice but this is the type of spice the Katerini brings to the blend. Subtle, complex and just delicious. If you are looking for something with in your face flavor, this probably isn't it. But if you like the nuances and complex, subtle flavors that Orientals/Turkish this is probably in the top 3 Oriental blends still in production (I would also recommend Peretti Oriental #40). This will be even better with age as all VA's and Orientals are.
Pipe Used: Briar's, meerschaum and cobs
Age When Smoked: new tin
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tschenyinkoh (51) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Mostly I agree with "Gentleman Zombie": "To me, this blend boils down to sweet vs sour. A little more specifically, sweet and fruity vs. sour and woody. The balance struck is just slightly to the sweet side."
But I found the balance struck is slight to the sour and woody side rather than the sweet side.
It is sour, woody, earthy, a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy and grassy, barely fruity or citrus. And I never found the honey topping from some reviewers perhaps because the tin aged in the mason jar nearly for one year.
Very sharp and crisp blend with a little bit rough edge even though there is no bite. A little bit too sour for me; its sweetness is not come from the natural Virginias but from somethings like artificial even though I know all are natural.
So this blend neither emphasis on dark side nor sweet/fruity side. It is unique, if not weird. I don't hate it, but I can‘t say I like it. I just don't know what the point is? "Choice 2003 vintage, Eastern North Carolina red Virginias crown this jewel"? That makes it better? NO. That is not building Bijou deeper or more complex.
If you wanna better things in this category, you must try McClelland: Ashton Revival: Pebblecut
Two and a half stars.
Pipe Used: churchwarden
Age When Smoked: nearly one year
Purchased From: pipesandcigars
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WorkingClassChap (197) | |
Medium to Strong | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Smoking now:
Tin note is woody vegetative tangy fruit. Broken flakes that pack just fine.
Grassy and beady Virginias with some slight hay and fermentation. Sour woody vegetative orientals are a nice compliment and are very much present. The honey is hardly noticeable but it does have a fair amount of sweetness to it.
Vegetative, earthy, woody, hay, grassy tart. It’s nice. The retrohale is surprisingly sweet and easy. The nic hit snuck up on me and it was noticeable at the half way point of the bowl however that’s when the flavors really took off.
Smoking it fresh and it’s a 3.5 star blend but I suspect letting it sit in a jar for some time will really make this blend special as it was intended to be cellared. The Virginia, orientals, and honey is a great combo and I do enjoy it. Going to get another tin and forget about it. Can’t wait to check back in a few years.
If you like Sun Bear this is very similar and always around.
Similar Blends: Sun Bear.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomcat (221) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Unnoticeable |
The first thing I notice is the honey then the Red Virginias,fruity and bready with a wisp of vinegar . Then the Katerini kicks in with peppery spice . I then taste the reds,honey and pepper the rest of the bowl all together. There are some herbal and floral notes as well and tea . I don’t know what to compare it to really. It will be good to have around when in the mood for something different. The bottom of the bowl is best . If you don’t like spicy blends then forget about it . I like it 3 1/2 stars .
Age When Smoked: 1 year
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cm1648 (108) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I've long anticipated grabbing a tin of Bijou due to the reviews and positive remarks it has received since its conception. And I can say that it has lived up to its hype. The Virginas and Orientals are incredibly balanced with a sweet/sour relationship. The natural citrusy and dark fruity notes stay steady with the spicy, sourness from the Orientals.
The honey topping is evident but by no means substantial. I would even say that this blend would be just find without the honey topping, however, it is a welcome addition. The tin I'm smoking is only a few months old. If the purpose is to cellar this blend for further development, it will be a prize worth possessing when aged. I bought a total of 5 tins. Ill certainly be adding more my cellar and for current use. 8/10
Age When Smoked: 3 months
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATW (110) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Very Pleasant |
Bijou was not a blend I wanted to try for a while due to the issue Cornell & diehl had with the mold outbreak. 3 years after its introduction, I believe its finally time.
My tin is date from April of this year. The tin aroma is absolutely fantastic. One of the best I've smelled in a while. It has a faint tartness from the virginia but mainly a sweet chocolate aroma almost like brownies. Moisture if perfect straight out of the tin.
If anything I've ever had smoked had multiple personalities, Bijou is it. In a cob the Virginia's are tart, bright, sweet, and have a good amount of body throughout the bowl. The katerini is pretty hard to pick out but I do get hints of a very slight musty flavor. The honey adds sweetness to the blend but it accents the katerini more then the Virginia's imo. It burns cool and clean all the way down the bowl.
In my peterson 11s, Bijou.is totally different. It's almost one dimensional all the way down but it pops with a tartness from time to time from the Va. The brownie tin note essentially is the flavor profile. A dark sweetness with a good amount of body and if I puff it very lightly I get a flavor of honey toast. Burns cool and clean all the way down the bowl.
Bijou is excellent. I never though a va/oriental blend could honestly be this good.
If I had compare this to anything, in a cob it would be Mcclelland Matured Virginia #25 and in my peterson it would be the sutliff version of SPC Mississippi River.
Highly recommend it. Would definitely buy more
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| moniker (220) | |
Medium to Strong | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Like C&D say, the star of their Bijou blend is the 2003 vintage red VA, and flue cured VA and Turkish Katerini are condimental. That is, the lemon VA is condimental like a dash of salt, and the Katerini is “condimental” like the pepper on a pepper steak! Enough honey has been added to lend some sweetness to a mix that otherwise might have been too bluff, sour, dry, and/or piquant. Anyway, I can’t argue with the results. Despite Bijou is from C&D’s “Cellar Series’, and it’s meant to mature in its sealed tin for another 10 – 15 years, I was quite pleased with my 4 ½ month old Bijou, enjoying every bowlful and only peripherally wondering how it could taste when fully aged. But, yes, I will be getting more to cellar!
Popping the tin, the scent is like honey on fresh, moist brown bread. The mostly broken, short flakes range from light-medium red brown through medium brown, with some gold flecks. I had no issues with loading, lighting or smoking Bijou down, apart from fine, dark ash at the end, and it burns long and slow. Being young, the Katerini is still rather peppery, but it also heralds the deeper, more exotic bakery spices that will evolve over time, even resting in a sealed jar. Smoked young, Bijou is yet fairly well melded, the net effect being a fairly wide range of flavors and scents, pegged in the upper registers by the flure cured VA and on the bottom by the mellow-but-assertive, well-aged, air cured, red VA, all of it “overlain”, as it were, by the rich, almost iridescent Katerini. The red VA is a mouthful, for sure, and I really love this tobacco. It is less earthy or sweet than air cured brown, also more piquant. I gather the lot will mellow and round out over time, but I’m fine ‘til that happens. The lot is so very fragrant, with “woody” scents like distant burning fruit woods and native grasses and cereal grains. It is “savory” first, and else second. There is some dark fruit leather, way down the list. On the one hand, Bijou is “simple”, even one dimensional. On the main, strong, right hand, it is “sophisticated”, along the lines of Germain’s Brown Flake. IMO, it’s best contemplated. Strength is up there for VA, stronger than medium. Factoring in the spices and the piquancy, tastes are also over medium. Room note is pleasant, to me, anyway. Aftertaste is the best of the smoke, if one avoids fine ash in the end.
IMO, Bijou is great now, and it will quite likely get better with age. I’m surprised it’s not more popular, but I do like piquant tobacco. The quality is there, for sure. 4 stars.
Pipe Used: various briars; #4 preferred
Age When Smoked: 4 1/2 months
Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco
Similar Blends: Compare/contrast to GLP Embarcadero.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TallPuffO'Burley (633) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
I like this blend alright, but it did not blow me away. I would have preferred a bit more sweetness from the Virginia or even the honey. The Virginia in this blend is not unlike many C&D Reds, more deep and earthy essence than fruity sweet.
There is a bit of citrus that comes through in the blend, but I believe this is coming from the Katerini leaf which adds all the complexity in the blend with a sour tone. To my tastes this is a touch too sour, but I have shared this with many people who rave about the blend.
As to the addition of the honey in the blend, I will take C&D's word for it that it is in there, but I do not really taste it. It has most likely melded in and may be responsible for the smoothness of this blend.
On the good side it comes at the perfect moisture level and burns clean and cool to the bottom with no bite. I have three more tins aging in the cellar and will be interested to see how this blend tastes as the Virginias get sweeter over time (As it is clearly intended to do as a Cellar Series blend). The tin I smoked had about a year and a half of age on it. I will be reporting back as I go through the others.
Update 2/5/2022
I just finished one of those tins mentioned above, so this particular tin had aged 5 yrs 1 month when I opened it. The long nap seems to have really benefitted this tin to my tastes as I found this tin did satisfy me more than the younger tin I reviewed above. The virginia element did increase in sweetness and its interaction with the Katerini really intensified. it was a great smoke. I am keeping it at 3 stars for now, but I can now see where this may become a four star blend with more aging.
Age When Smoked: 1 & 1/2 years
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RipNpiper (4) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
It's a solid everyday smoke, it's light, sweet and dry. Directly from the tin it smokes well, is a good moisture content. Flakes break down is easy and I found stuffing/folding/etc to be a bit on the finicky side.
I get a lot of honey on the charring light and maybe the first quarter to third of a bowl, at which point the virginias and orientals really step forward and make for a nice pleasant smoke with the faintest hints of honey every so often through out the bowl.
This is a blend that has handled well for me in meerschaum pipes as well as briar pipes, it doesn't get wet, doesn't bite and is pleasantly not as bright as a lot of other virigina based blends.
Age When Smoked: 3 months
Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premo (7) | |
Extremely Mild | None Detected | Extremely Mild (Flat) | Tolerable to Strong |
Upon opening this 2019 can the smell is unremarkable, I get mostly notes of earthy light hay/grass with no noticeable topping. The tin remarks that the blend is made with 2003 red Virginia tobacco and boy does it smell that old and not in a good way. I can appreciate that some tobaccos are supposed to be better once aged but I don't feel like that's the case for Bijou.
I've smoked this in several different pipes over the course of several weeks at several humidity levels and I have to say I'm completely unimpressed with the flavor, if there's any flavor to be had! It was a spicy smoke with no smooth moments or discernible tastes whatsoever and I even had some moments of tongue bite which isn't as prevalent in other blends I've tried.
Overall I'm going to pass on buying any more of this blend, it has nothing to draw me in and delivers no satisfaction whether through its strength or its flavor. I'm going to try pressing it with some stronger tobacco to hopefully add something worthwhile and make this blend smokeable!
Pipe Used: Briars with and without filters.
Age When Smoked: 1 Year
Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Bijou (Cellar Series).
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rustedrailsmokes (293) | |
Mild | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
This is from a tin which was dated June 2017 and has been jarred since at least 2019 if not 2018.
Another jar which I found buried in my open jar box which I decided to get out and try in late summer 2020. I have several tins of this aging towards their recommended date of 10 years but I had to give one a try to have an idea of what it might be like in 2028 or so.
The broken flakes are in the C&D style where they will crumble with slight pressure as you are loading the bowl. The moisture level is still great. They are very dark flakes with specks of lighter tobacco in them. The jar note is a sweet/sour.
Upon lighting I get a combination of sour (which I'm guessing is the oriental) a little pepper and some sweetness. I enjoy CD's other VA's featuring the honey topping (think Interlude or Sun Bear..) and I recognize that note. The orientals are a nice addition as the sour to me builds and decreases as I go through the bowls. This blend does really well in my pot shaped pipes and shines in a Sav 320/Morgan Fat Author as do most of the ones with a prep like this.
The nic level to me is mild enough I could smoke multiple bowls while being still noticable. The room note is strong according my wife (the designated judge of this here).
I'm interested to see how the age will change this. I'm hoping the sweetness of the VA's continues to increase as this is a good blend which I'm looking forward to enjoying over the new decade.
Pipe Used: Pots, 320s, Fat Authors
Age When Smoked: 3 years
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiterarySmoker (143) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
This is my first foray into Virginia-Oriental blends and as a regular Virginia and VaPer smoker this is very satisfying.
The tobacco comes in a 2oz tin and when opened, smells grassy, fruity, and has a slightly sweet aroma from the honey topping. The tobacco comes in a broken flake typical of C&D's line. I find it is smokable out of the tin, but as the description says it is meant to be cellared. I have not allowed mine to age, but I can only imagine the differences that aging can bring to a blend like this.
It packs well and I have a habit of putting this blend into a deep bowl. No problems lighting with either a match or a lighter. I find it takes the average amount of relights.
Now to taste. I know some people recoil at the sound of the word "topping" and this blend is topped with honey. I find it is noticable but as jimlinks points out it doesn't sublimate the tobaccos in this blend. There is a woody, grassy, and slightly sweet taste. I detect a slight floral note in the background.
I find lady N to be medium in this blend. This is repeatable and for me an all day smoke.
Try this if you are looking for something different and you won't be disappointed.
Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Birkshire Large Billiard
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound Dude (10) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
I bought 5 tins of this when it came out, but waited a year before opening any. The first tin opened had the dreaded mold. I heard the mold issues were taken care of so I ordered 3 more tins to get some from a more recent batch. The next tin (from the first batch) didn't have any trace of mold. Nice Virginia flavor with a lot of sour notes from the Katerina. The problem I'm having with this tobacco is it seems different every smoke. It maybe pipe dependent. Sometimes it is a fantastic smoke and I'm hoping it lasts an hour. Other times it seems real rough around the edges and I struggle to finish the bowl. Had a bowl in a large cob last weekend that was just a sublime experience - I really enjoyed it. This morning had one in a Peterson - not so much. Could be the pipe. Could be the time of day. Could be the cadence. More research is warranted. I'm two-thirds the way through the tin, so I'll see how it plays out. So for me the jury is still out. I'll leave the other tins in the cellar for a while longer before revisiting this flake. Flavor is a solid medium. Nic-hit is fine later in the day, but the first smoke of the day with coffee on an empty stomach - I notice the nic hit. Admittedly I'm a wimp when it comes to nic (Elizabethan turns me green, for example). I'm giving it 3 stars based on the good smokes I've had. I'd rank higher but for the inconsistencies. YMMV. Certainly give it a try. The quality is there, save for the moldy tins out there.
Pipe Used: Various
Age When Smoked: 1 year
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The final installment of the small samples I received from an internet buddy. This one was the most interesting, if not the best tasting. The bag aroma was of curry mixed in with the tobacco and that, I assume, was the Katerini making itself known.
In the pipe, the Katerini was the star. A curry-like spice that diminished down the bowl but never went away. Consequently, I preferred the first half of each bowl (3 bowl sample). C&D claims that the Virginia is a 2003 red crop and having smoked a lot of reds from around that era, I'm not sure what C&D does to leech the natural sweetness out of the leaf. The base tobaccos here are unrefined - almost primitive in their dryness and lack of character. Almost no sweetness and a far cry from the best red Virginias available. Even the light topping doesn't sweeten this up. On the other hand, there is a huge charm to this one with that spicy curry incense-like flavor from the Turkish. Compared to the McClellands blend named Katerini, this one is to the far left (spicy) while the McClellands is to the far right (sweet). I'd like to try one more middle of the road. But I enjoyed this one and may pick up a few more tins for aging. It had a unique flavor that might age well or it might benefit from blending this with a more typical red VA. I'm intrigued with this one, even while it didn't hit my tastebuds as well as I'd hoped.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mofrackey (6) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
I'm new to this tobacco and I'm not a fan of aromatic blends at all. This is not what I would consider an areo by any means. This tobacco has had some light honey added in the process. But it is a sidekick to the VA / Turkish. I'm a big fan of VA blends and sweater English like mcclelland and GL Pease.
In this blend at first its honey and fig from the aged 2003 VA. And then after the first 1/4th the honey is super faint and the oriental starts to really shine. Very sweet and spicy type thing.
Before I found this blend I was smoking a Va/Per in the am and a English in the evening. But now I've been smoking this in place of the morning VA/Per. I will say that the 15 ur old VA tobacco in this blend is somthing different. I enjoy the fact that the main component of this tobacco is already aged that far. It's a great blend
Pipe Used: Dr grabow starfire poker, kaywoodie small pot
Age When Smoked: Canned 8-15-17 smoked April 2 2018
Purchased From: Blacksburg pipe and tobacco
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gladi8tor96 (143) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Upon opening the tin one can see a bunch of delicate broken flakes that are dark brown for the most part with streams of black and bits of golden and red. The smell is quite delicious. Hay and fruit mixed with some earth with a touch of honey. One can definitely smell the honey topping, but it's extremely mild and not overdone.
Easy to load and light. Light tamping works well for this blend and I didn't require many if any relights.
This blend reminds me of Orlik GS as the virginias are sweet and hay-like with a bit of citrus....but it's not as sweet as OGS and there is more going on with this blend than that. It reminds me of Blackwoods flake, as the virginia profile seems wide, with dark, medium, and light tones, however this blend leans more to the light/medium side of the spectrum in taste and flavor strength. The orientals add a complimentary dimension to the smoke that works well with the natural sweetness. It provides some spice and a bit of smokiness that is quite pleasant. This blend, at least at its current age, seemed to bite my tongue just a bit. Not so bad as for me to not enjoy it, but enough to notice. I think some age will help cure this issue however. The honey is just barely detectable maybe once every 5-10 puffs and adds a light sweetness to the smoke. Very enjoyable blend. I look forward to seeing how it will do after some years of aging.
UPDATE After a few more months of age, this blend is really great!! Awesome natural red va tangy sweetness supported by some wood notes and citrus notes. Wonderful! Still makes my tongue hurt with every bowl. Not sure what it is....otherwise I would give this the full 4 stars.
My first tin ended up being full of mold. C&D replaced the tin at no cost, which was great. I haven't cracked another tin of this yet.
Pipe Used: Dagner Pot
Age When Smoked: 6 months aged
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
Similar Blends: Orlik Tobacco Company A/S - Golden Sliced (Red), McClelland - Blackwoods Flake (Personal Reserve).
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dsport (3) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Just sat down with some Bijou in a Peterson deluxe 1s.
Mechanics: Excellent tin note, Flakes were soft, broke easily, packed easily, took 2-3 charring and tampling cycles to have a continued pleasant paced smoke with minimal relights.
Taste: I think I've found it! I found myself not completely satisfied by VaPers and too indulged by heavy English blends and the mild ones (EMP) too boring... Hence the frustration and insatiety. Along came bijou... Wonderful Virginias, flavorful but not too dark. The Turkish is the secret here adding spice and a deeper flavor profile to the Virginias. Excellent combination. Very nice clean aftertaste. Overall very impressed... And satisfied. Gonna age a bunch of tins, I will always have one open in the rotation. Nice work C&D.
Pipe Used: Peterson deluxe 1s
Age When Smoked: New
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeadmasterOfHerf (25) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
Comes out of the tin as a broken flake. The honey topping won't do much for you as far as flavor goes, but it does wonders for the room note.
Classic Virginia flavors of tang and hay. The Katerini adds a dimension of tea-like herbality.
Easily an all-day smoke that benefits from also being a crowd-pleaser. One of my favorites to take to the bar.
Pipe Used: Mayfair Bulldog & Rossi Vittoria
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: Local B&M
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JaWiBr (558) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Tin note of sour, grass and mild Rasins. The brown, dark brown and black broken flakes are not too moist, rubs out easily. Burns somewhat slow with a few relights. The strength is medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is so mild I can't detect it. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of quite earth, quite woody, dry herbal spice, moderately floral, lemon grass, mildly dark fruit, mildly bready, mildly tangy sour, very mildly sweet, and a mildly peppery retro. Virginias is the lead with Turkish supporting. The Honey flavoring is hiding. Room note is pleasant, and aftertaste is good.
Pipe Used: 2015 XX Ashton Sovereign Prince
Age When Smoked: 6 years
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon (85) | |
Mild to Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant |
Out of the tin, notes of honey, bread, and floral jump right up.
Lighting up the tobacco, I almost immediately get freshly baked bread from the Virginia, immediately followed by honey and again these floral notes which are very hard to pin down but come from the Turkish leaf. They carry a fresh scent with them, like an ocean breeze. The Turkish leaf adds a very nice twist to what otherwise would've been a honey-bread Virginia blend. Together, they play on the key three flavors but are very easy to distinguish, rather than all of them being mixed together.
The smoke in the room is, again, distinctly of bread/yeast.
I best enjoy this blend when it is fully crumbled and dried to a good level. Then it is very easy to pack and smoke, with only a few relights, if any. Sip slowly to fully enjoy all the flavors. Absolutely no tongue bite. Can be an all-day smoke but the downside is that you will get too used to it and won't appreciate the play between the three main characters.
Around the end of the first third I get some black pepper spice instead of bread/yeast. The honey and floral notes do stay fairly until the end.
Medium in both body, mild-medium strength.
Since I haven't waited the recommended 10-15 years, this review cannot be complete. But I will be sure to update this once I smoke the aged tin that I put aside couple of years ago.
Age When Smoked: 1 year
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthmane (11) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Having a bowl of '17 vintage right now, and I can confirm that Bijou improves quite a bit with age. When I first popped the tin a few years ago it was a good, slightly sweet and creamy smoke with a strange curry note and a few rough edges. Now, this stuff is already sublime after having been aged 5 years. The taste is much sweeter and deeper, and the Orientals are dancing with the Virginias in a way that did not happen 4 years ago. Halfway through the bowl this stuff really sings. If you like VA/or tobacco, I highly recommend buying a few tins and forgetting about them for half a decade. You'll thank me later.
Pipe Used: Castello bent dublin
Age When Smoked: 5 yrs
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anglocatholicpiper (34) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Maybe my favorite C&D offering. When I first opened the tin, the honey note had me second-guessing whether I would like it. I was concerned it might be too sweet. Not at all. Three days after the tin was opened most of the honey had faded to the background and all that was left was a distant sweetness added to a wonderful blend of VA and ORIs. Love it.
Pipe Used: Meers
Age When Smoked: 1 yr
Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun_Pearson (21) | |
Medium | Mild | Full | Tolerable |
Once you open the tin, you get the same sort of steamed Virginia broken flake look you get in SG 1792 Flake. The tin note is amazing. A subtle note of honey with a fruit note from the Virginias. When smoked it comes out basically the same way. The touch of honey is a pleasant touch to the dried fruit of the Virginia tobacco and the citrus from the oriental. Overall this is a great Virginia tobacco I will always keep in my cellar.
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Cup O' Joes
Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith - 1792 Flake (by looks).
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr.sadik (120) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
With all respect to the house of C&D (they make some of my all time favorite blends), this blend is good but very hyped! Now given its a cellar series and should smoke better with age but that doesn't meant we can't judge on a fresh tin. Its a typical virginia with some spice from orientals, the casing is very faint to impart significant flavor, very mild sweetness, mild on nicotine, has to be rubbed out as those flakes will not do well folded and stuffed, burns ok and the room note is not crowd pleasing. Good but nothing to stock deep on.
Pipe Used: Briars
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com
Similar Blends: Similar profile to red Virginia flakes from the same blending house, however this is darker and Spicer.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinkle (16) | |
Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Cornell & Diehl – Bijou
This was the first Cornell & Diehl blend that I have seen at a brick and mortar store here in Toronto. The tobacconist recommended it to me as an alternative to the Dunhill blends that I had been smoking since picking up the pipe. I was excited to learn that we do sometimes get these tobaccos up here in Ontario as I thought I would never get a shot at them (this was before I realized I could order from the United States).
When the tin is opened I can definitely smell the honey topping, but I can also smell the Turkish/Oriental tobacco and it smells very nice and earthy. The cut is a broken flake and the flakes are moist and easy to rub out. One thing I will say is that this seems to dry out incredibly fast if you leave it out for more than an hour.
Lighting up and the honey taste is very much discernable, but the smoke itself is mellow, cool and the Turkish really comes through to start. The Virginia is aged and tastes very earthy and delicious.
All in all I would say that the honey does a good job of making this a sweet smoke without ruining the tobacco taste. This was actually the first tin of tobacco that I finished completely, as I have been sampling many blends and putting them straight into mason jars so that I can take my time with them as I test things out to see what I like best. Only caveat to this blend is as mentioned above it can dry out really quick, and smoking it dry is quite harsh and unpleasant in my estimation. Would recommend this blend to others.
Pipe Used: Neerup Freehand, Brigham Bulldog
Age When Smoked: New from Tin
Purchased From: Brigham & More Tobacconist
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Train (118) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant |
Bijou is a virginia oriental using katerini . Upon opening , the tin note is inviting with a pleasant smell of the katerini very present . The broken flakes are supple and easy to work with . The smoker is greeted by a mild and delicate taste with the katerini as the major player but with nice virginia overtones .As the smoke progresses the Virginias play a larger role though the orientals are still apparent. The added honey makes it smooth and a pleasure to puff on . The only improvement would be an upgrade in the virginia which are eastern Carolina reds . This is a nice offering by C & D and , when smoked slowly , will be a good friend to your pipe .
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OrangeCelluloid74 (1) | |
Mild | Mild to Medium | Mild | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Taste balancing between mild sweet and interesting sourness. Floral notes. Recurrent salty accents. Subtitle tones of black pepper and aneth at the end of the bowl. I like it very much.
Pipe Used: Stanwell POTY 2015
Age When Smoked: Can 6 month old after buying it
Purchased From: Local seller (Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada)
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick778 (13) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
The Katerini was there in the background, but my over whelming first and lasting impression was a grassy sourness. I was looking for the expected sweetness from the Virginias and honey, but it was nowhere to be found. This was the 4th bowl I’ve smoked and my experience has been consistent with my above comments. Additionally, it took several relights to complete the bowel. Maybe aging will bring out more of the hoped for sweetness.
Pipe Used: Savinelle Porto Cervo 320KS
Age When Smoked: 2 months
Purchased From: Cup O' Joes
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmokeDawg (82) | |
Medium | Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
I popped the top to this ready-to-smoke-tobacco with rich dark broken flakes and took a deep draw from the ole' naz. I smelled rich deep fruit like raisins with the promise of a sweet drop of honey hidden somewhere deep. Kind of like that one dress shoe in your closet, you know it's there you just can't see it. Perfect moisture no need to dry it, packed it in my Kaywoodie Flame Grain Squat Bulldog and lit her like a happy little bacca arsonist. Spice. Spice. Spice. Spice. The red Virginia leaf who I suspect may have been even stoved was bullied by the other leafs. Spice, spice, spice and more spice. And, I don't mean like a Perique spice in it's different temperatures, I mean black pepper spice. I mean, I'll slip-this-pepper-in-your-food-cause screw-you-American that's why spice. What is this constant burning and tingling of the tongue? Rich Virginia and the Katerini leaf has a throw down on the carpet and a harsh pepper Bijou blend is born. I suspect there were rug burns and Oriental leaf just stood by and watched the whole thing. I thought Bijou meant "Little gem?" I really think it means, "Spice." I go through several glasses of water and juice when I smoke Bijou. There is nothing "sweet" about this blend. With all that said, it is a quality blend, it's just not for me. It's a bit dry throughout, a bit heavy and harsh at times and top that with...you guessed it, pepper. Did I mention this one is spicy?
Update: Almost finished with this tin. The spice and pepper calmed down and settled into a nice rich smoke with a standard hit of pepper. Decent blend for a one-off, just not for me and not worth purchasing again.
Pipe Used: Kaywooide squat bulldog, Peterson 68 Fishermen
Age When Smoked: July 2016
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
Similar Blends: Reminds me of C&D Exhausted rooster..
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonius Blok (192) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
The tobacco is a little high in humidity and this favors crumbling, but it may be better to let it dry a bit. The aroma in its tin seems to show a well-balanced mixture of its components. There is no trace of a flake here, as advertised, but clearly a broken flake.
Once the pipe is lit, the red Virginias are noticeable, with slightly acidic, citric and slightly toasted nuances. There is also a nuance that perhaps comes from a possible stove that makes the whole thing slightly evoke some McClellands, except for the absence of vinegar/ ketchup. The orientals seem to be lightly applied, with just a slight hint of spice and some spiciness. Barely noticeable honey in the flavor. However, tobaccos that have a honey topping tend to get along badly with my body chemistry and my tongue accuses it. There is no bite here, but a pinch is noticeable. I would say that it is a very balanced tobacco where nothing stands out or predominates over the rest.
I have been surprised to see that Cornell & Diehl says of this mixture that its peak maturation is from ten to fifteen years, when the virginias used are from the year 2003. But hey, I understand that it will be so that the tobaccos that make up the mixture are amalgamated or maybe it means I have a lot to learn...
Age When Smoked: 2 years
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stah (151) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
The tin I opened had a production date of "September 15, 2021." I had intention to taste fresh tobacco to determine, should I buy it to store.
The appearance was almost uniform soft-flake with a dark honey color. The fibers are soft, slightly wetter than necessary. But given the manufacturer's description, this is understandable - moisture is necessary for fermentation. To smoke fresh tobacco, it should rest and dry out a bit.
Scent - a rather soft, but dense note of dark honey topping is framed by tones of rye bread, cumin, and coriander. There are hints of anise and woody tones in the background. The overall aroma is very reminiscent of the smell of rye bread from Latvia. It may seem a little heavy to some, but on the whole, very pleasant.
There were a few issues with smoking this tobacco. Initially I found it a little stiff and a little biting. But my first pipe with it was straight bowl, with a short mouthpiece. When I poured about a milliliter of water out of it, it became clear that it is not at all suitable for trying fresh tobacco, and the tobacco itself should be dried a little before smoking. I took this by taking a bent, and drying the tobacco for about half an hour at just above room temperature. Nevertheless, a lot of moisture remained in the tobacco, and the tobacco itself in its fresh form remained harsh a little, although it didn't bite.
The dominant taste of the blend is dense rye bread with a spice of cumin, coriander and a thin layer of buckwheat honey, to which a slice of baked pear and a drop of sweet mustard were added. There are also traces of bitter-woody tones and a little bit of hay, but these are barely discernible under the honey topping, and come through about halfway through the pipe. The sweetness in the tobacco is not much, but it is there. As you smoke, the sweetness increases slightly and the tobacco itself becomes softer. The roughness almost disappears by the last third of the pipe. The blend smokes slowly, medium-hot, has a slightly below average strength, the likelihood of nicotine hit is low. The aftertaste is subtle, honey-mustard, a little bitter. The ash is dusty, light gray, with a subtle yellowish tinge.
The smoke smells reminiscent of spices, sandalwood and frankincense, but is much lighter in consistency, easily dispersed.
Bottom line: if you want to invest in a good tobacco, which, after sitting on the shelf for five years (at least) will gain in the taste of sweetness and spice, slightly add strength, slightly losing the brightness in the smell and smoothed the honey aroma and taste - this is your chance. When fresh, it doesn't hit the receptors either, but it's clearly not perfect in its class, and the tobacco's own flavor is reliably hidden under a layer of topping. It's an investment, not a momentary treat.
Pipe Used: Peterson System Standard 306
Age When Smoked: 2021, fresh
Purchased From: Online
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Greybeard (66) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Purchased this tin a year ago, and it was already a year on the shelf at the store, so definitely not it's "peak" time, but I was wanting to give it a try.
I was thrown off a little upon lighting as I was expecting this to be a Va/per. Everything about the name and tin art just seemed to have a perique tone. So, it's not a Va/Per or straight Virginia, but certainly Virginia forward. Sweet, grassy, with some dark fruit as well. The orientals didn't come through for me as much; just seemed hinted at in the background with a little spice. The honey is noticeable, but doesn't overwhelm the Virginia; compliments it rather nicely, and fades as you reach the 2nd half of the bowl.
Pleasant smoke, and one I will keep in a jar for an occasional bowl. It will be interesting to see how this improves over the next 10 years or so, but it's still enjoyable with only a couple years age. Recommended for just about any piper.
Pipe Used: Savinelli Caramella & Corn Cob
Age When Smoked: 2 years
Purchased From: Tinder Box
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| laufenstoc (9) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Jeremy Reeves has been an infusion of talent and expertise for C&D. I generally approach a new blend with some trepidation, but from the first light, Bijou has been wonderful. Delicious sweet red Virginia makes a fine foundation, but the Oriental leaf, Katerini- with which I was hitherto unfamiliar, comes forward in a distinct but unobtrusive way giving a soft unctious depth that I find delish! The blender indicates a honey topping, which is very delicately done, so that sweetness is appreciated, but doesn't smoke like a "flavored" tobacco. I have smoked a tin with not much age on it. I imagine it will be fantastic when put away for a while.
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