Tobaccos Cornell & Diehl - Gentleman Caller

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir Walter Smiley (24)	2013-04-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

I picked up two tins of this blend three years ago and was not all that impressed with the Deer Tongue, though I did like this blend enough to finish the first tin. Skip ahead three years and I had no other Burley blend in my stash, so I finally cracked open the second tin. Well, age did this tobacco justice. Burleys do not improve much with age, yet the Deer Tongue, Virginia and Perique had time to mingle and sweeten. This blend will have to be around for that change of pace from here on out. Smoking this outside my favorite coffee shop always receives positive comments from, at least, the older ladies. The younger hipster girls only give the normal "how dare you" stare. My wife likes the room note and she hates even my plain Virginia tobaccos. I am not an aromatic smoker, yet Deer Tongue is a pleasant, natural flavor that enhances the other tobaccos. The Perique is hidden behind the citrusy vanilla of the Deer Tongue, sweetness of the Virginia and nuttiness of the Burley.......... We all owe Craig Tarler much gratitude for bringing quality burley to an industy that lacked that. He will be missed and long live Cornell& Diehl.

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cultured Explorer (8)	2014-05-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

The "Deer Tongue" mentioned here is a common name for a certain plant in the Aster family (family: Asteraceae), and native to North America (I don't know the species' full scientific name, but the genus is Liatris). It tastes almost like it smells-- like white clover honey with a bit of vanilla and something herbal, almost catnippy. I can't help but imagine that American Indians somewhere must have smoked this, or at least burned it, for pleasure. It shows up in the blend as green flakes, similar in appearance to broken wrapper from a claro candela cigar, but with a rougher texture (physically speaking).

NOTE: While I like this blend, and recommend it, I also recommend that you try it first in any MM corn cob pipe except for your favorite one. I tried it first in a 2 year old Peterson Wicklow. That is the only time I've smoked it from a briar. Two weeks and three bowls later, I'm still reminded of that fact every time that I get to it in my rotation. And yes, I run pipe cleaners through my stem and shank after every smoke. It's not bad, except that it is clearly messing with the taste of anything else I smoke in it. Also, wash your hands very well before handling any other tobacco, as it stays on your hands for a long time, too. This is what made me decide to wait until I got back to my Wicklow before trying it in another briar.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-02-15		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Burley and Deer Tongue is one of my favorite combinations in pipe tobacco. Being a huge fan of C&D's Crooner I decided to pick up a tin of Gentleman Caller to see if I would enjoy a more subtle use of Deer Tongue compaired to the bold usage of the herb in Crooner. Now I must say, this blend is delightful. Perfect for when I'm craving that unique Deer Tongue flavor but am not in the mood for the bold in your face flavors of Crooner. In Gentleman Caller the burley is the main character. Nutty and smooth as you'd expect from the burley Gods at C&D. As a second roll I pick up the intermingling of the sweet tangy virginia with the sweet earthy deer tongue. The perique sort of hides quietly in the back row giving just the slightest spice to the blend. Gentleman Caller is just an all around fantastic, unique old fashioned pipe tobacco. Also, the room note is to die for. Sort of a musky, floral, vanilla scent. Just wonderful.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2020-02-29		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The earthy, woody, nutty, slightly sweet and sour, sharp burleys are the lead components. The tart and tangy citrusy, earthy, grassy, bready, woody Virginias are secondary players. The spicy, raisiny, plumy, figgy, prune-like perique is barely a condiment in terms of its effect on the blend. The floral, earthy, woody, herbal, lightly minty, vanilla-ish deer tongue is probably about two percent of the mix. It, along with what seems like a dash of whisky, fairly sublimates the tobaccos, but not as much as it does in Crooner. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The taste is just short of the medium threshold. Won’t bite, but it does have some rough edges, and fast puffing may result in a harsh note or two. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a very consistent, richly tart and tangy sweet, floral, nutty flavor that translates to lightly lingering, pleasant after taste, and slightly stronger room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Can be an all day smoke for the veteran, and repeatable for the less experienced. Will ghost a briar.

-JimInks

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corvus (36)	2016-02-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

A masterpiece of blending craft. Totally unique, superbly executed, herbally goodness. If you have any curiosity regarding deer tongue, and even if you don't, this is a must try.

I bought this to explore the world of deer tongue blends as a superior component of many venerable tobaccos that have long since vanished, been replaced with synthetic concoctions, or simply quietly removed from the mix. I suspect herbs other than tobacco have long been smoked in rural America, and certainly the Native Americans have a list of such in their herbal traditions. Upon first lighting this up, the words of Meriadoc Brandybuck immediately sprang to mind; "For ages the folk of the Shire smoked various herbs, some fouler, some sweeter." This is of the sweeter variety and is very much appreciated.

This comes in a nice tin with a bespectacled codger decked out in tweed and bow tie on the label. Pop the tin and you'll be greeted with rich and fragrant herbal scent of fresh cut timothy and alfalfa, no generic hay. The cut is lovely with ribbons, coarse pieces, and broken flakes of stoved and orange Virginia, white and dark burley, black perique, and light green deer tongue.

It smokes very well. The aroma and taste, especially early on matches the tin note. While many describe this as similar to vanilla, I don't get that at all but rather timothy, light mint, and even spicy components like old fashioned bay rum colognes. It is pretty pungent on the match but quickly settles down to a full but very nice flavor. The malty Virginias dominate at the top, but start to give way to the nuttier burley in the last half. The perique pokes through in the gentlest way. The deer tongue subsides throughout but kicks in again at the end with a more medicinal quality. Room note is very very nice, and the lingering taste on your lips and in your beard (if so equipped) is a pleasant reminder of the quality smoke.

One of the things I dig about this blend is that the components work in harmony and change throughout the bowl, but are not melded in such a way that they're hidden. It is super aromatic, but achieved without casings or flavorings, and instead utilizes tobacco's natural ally, other dried leaf. Surely a superior smoke to another black cavendish soaked in cheap booze, an aromatic for the connoisseur. I think this is just superb and urge everyone to try it. Surely there will be many that won't care for the taste, but it's worth finding out first hand.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2017-03-25		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Cut is an irregular chopped ribbon - mostly tan and light brown. I do not see green flecks, but I don't see colors well, and I can believe they are there. There is a honey/clover in the pouch note. This honey/clover is there in the smoking as well, and there is a slight herbal quality to the flavor. The first bowl was smoked as delivered, and I experimented with breathing through the bowl after loading, and this perked up the flavors for me.

My first bowl of Gentleman Caller was in the office. I stepped out of the office to help someone and when I came back, there was some vanilla in the room note along with the herbal I was tasting. It smokes like a mild burley forward VaBur OTC with just a whiff of perique and the herbal thing. The herbal is unlike anything I have had before. The base tastes a lot like one of those blends grocery stores had an assortment of 40 years ago.

I found this pleasant and interesting. It is good in a different way, and I don't crave it, but it is a good smoke.

An odd observation about room note is that my wife said on first light it gives an initial whiff of an electrical short. I did not observe this smell, and I found the flavors consistent and pleasant.

Edit 3/2917: They are not exaggerating about the ghosting with the deer tongue. I smoked the entire sample in a single cob, and a bowl of Pegasus now is tasting like deer tongue. This not a bad thing, but it really does ghost a pipe!

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-02-15		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is a blend I was looking forward to ever since I discovered Crosby's Crooner. A long time favorite. That blend is pretty high in strength, but this one was pretty mellow. It's one I want to use as a center piece potpourri , and always have on hand.

The main flavor you will get is that C & D deer tongue. Some say it's a vanilla mint, but I'd describe it as a floral, maybe slight vanilla. It's light and very tasteful. The other tobaccos in here just add to the greatness. The nuttyness and sweetness of the burleys are a great supporting tobacco. The Virginia and Perique are more of an additive that just complete this blend. Keeps it complex yet still simple.

Not much else to say, but to get this blend more out there, everyone should at least try. Not for everyone, but definitely worth a try,

Pipe Used: AKB Freehand Meerschaum, Nording Poker

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - 104: Crooner.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-05-20		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very similar in appearance to Crooner but with more bright tobaccos and a very short ribbon cut. Tin note is near identical to Crooner. Herbal, green tea, oregano, wet hay and a hint of vanilla and alcohol. Ideal moisture content out of the tin, and took a light and burned well.

If the deertongue in this is less than Crooner then it isn't by much. That component is still very dominant. I like this fragrance, which is rounded out by the Perique in the background.

This tobacco is sweeter and more layered than Crooner. I really enjoyed the Virginias in this. Like Crooner it does something odd to my mouth but that is not a deal breaker. Can also burn a little hot if pushed.

This is a nice 'aromatic that isn't' for a change of pace. Has a lot less nicotine than Crooner and could be smoked any time of day.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2016-04-24		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

Cornell & Diehl - Gentleman Caller.

When I opened this I wasn't amused; I'd meant to open Exhausted Rooster but my dog woke me up early this morning and sleep deprivation had got the better of me; well, the tins look similar at a glance..... a glance with tired eyes!

However, after a few bowls I'm glad I messed up!

The one thing that perplexes me, 'None Detected' has often been ticked for the flavouring, yet I find it Medium to Strong? Ah well, tobacco's subjective!

The toppings give a great flavour, and an awesome room-note; one of the best there is!

The nicotine's about medium; it's strange for me as I like nic' in the morning and an aromatic taste in the evening: a bit of both here!

When I first popped this open I wrote a quick and negative review, but afterwards I sat and finished the pipe off and had the urge to re-fill with more of it afterwards!

That, speaks for itself: highly recommended.

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Comoy's Elegance

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gauntleys

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GabrielCRT (115)	2016-05-27		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Gentleman Caller is a wonderful Deer Tongue blend from C&D. I am a huge fan of Crooner but it is too strong to be an all day blend. Gentleman Caller is a mild and tasty alternative. The Burley here is nutty as usual with some oats. The Virginia is grassy with hay. There is a mild spice from the Perique. I can't do any better at describing the flavor of Deer Tongue than any other reviewer. Floral, minty, with vanilla. Very refreshing to the palate. This blend has an enjoyable complexity while remaining mild. Wonderful roomnote that is sure to get compliments. Just make sure to dedicate a pipe to it. Deer Tongue can ghost on the very first smoke.

Pipe Used: Cobs

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colonel jpl (25)	2015-04-22		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Don't be quick to judge this one. New can first bowl I was wondering what all the fuss was about. Half way through the tin I knew this would be a blend I would keep on hand. Complex yet mellow but go easy or it will get hot. Deer tongue adds a pleasant taste and great room note. This blend burns clean stays lit and for me becomes sweeter as I get toward the middle of the bowl. A great blend try it.

Pipe Used: tsuge

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smoking pipes

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2014-05-22		Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

===Update 10/07/14=== Matt Robillard is a genius plain and simple. He took a deep, burley rich vintage type blend and made it his own. When I smoke this I picture myself in the 30's walking down Madison Ave in NY in the fall. Today it was crisp enough outside to really enjoy Gentleman Caller. The Burley, VIr and Per really shine when its cold outside. The world needs more Robillard Burley blends!!! He is the codger / Working man / Vintage blend resurrector wizard and I bow and kneel to him! :-) Thanks Matt and C&D, a real winner here...

O man if anyone is hesitant about picking up an aromatic, have no fear. Gentleman Caller is naturally aromatic. It is everything I wanted in "Crooner" without the heat and bite, and with more flavor.. If good old Bing (RIP) could have tried this blend it just might have become his favorite but alas we will never know... Room note is vanilla baked butter croissants and the taste is nutty, full and slightly sweet up top, as you near the end of the bowl the Perique picks up a bit and adds a nice spice. An aromatic for folks who don't like aromatics!! Best in a cob and IMO C&D's best Deer Tongue blend yet!

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh, under a month in the tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - 104: Crooner.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lit a Kia (69)	2014-01-26		Mild to Medium	Extra Strong	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Tin note is straight up honey with hints of honeysuckle (it's getting a little more complex with its young age, but not much). Suspect most of that's from the deer tongue, but perhaps the Virginia too? Couldn't detect perique or much of the burley on the nose. Based on smell and appearance, this has a LOT of deer tongue in it. Had the most success packing it a bit lightly, letting it sit for a bit, and tamping very gently. (Have only smoked it in a relatively wide bowl, not sure if that was a factor.)

Started out a bit sharp. There are a lot of sugars in this blend, so that wasn't a surprise. Definitely felt like it would bite if you let it, although it never did, and at a couple of points I was puffing away. First third didn't do much for me, as the deer tongue was way out in front. The room note was beautiful though! Like honey on toast, and it was terrific all the way through. I had wondered why the label art was of a geriatric hookup, and lighting up answered that question. The aroma took me back to my childhood, when a lot of men were still pipe smokers. According to online old timers, this recipe is what Half and Half used to be, and I probably smelled that stuff burning quite a bit as a kid. So I was still hopeful.

In the second third of the bowl, the burley and VAs showed up to play with the deer tongue, and it blossomed into these amazing lemon chiffon and lemon cheesecake flavors I've never experienced in a pipe. The smoke itself was still relatively light (no Latakia in this one!). The bottom third of the bowl was like a hearty spicecake. Perhaps that was the perique coming out to play? I bumped into just one quick bitter note that could have been burley and/or perique, and went as quickly as it came. It wasn't nearly enough to dissuade me from all the good stuff that was happening. If Lat blends are like sitting by a campfire, this one is like a trip to a gourmet sweet shop. Could be a nice complement to an English-heavy rotation.

This is only the second deer tongue blend I've tried, the other is Russ Oullet's Old Tartan. They're quite different, but I've enjoyed each one immensely, and they both take me back about 40 years in time. I've dedicated a single pipe to both of them with no ill effects so far. Yes, deer tongue ghosts, but the ghost smells wonderful, like cream cheese frosting and incense, if that makes any sense.

Nicotine was noticeable. For heavy pipers who are fans of the Vitamin N (and burley) and not put off by the deer tongue, this would make a great all-day smoke, imo. But be warned, the deer tongue isn't for everyone. If you're a first timer, you might want to rouse up some samples before going all in on a blend. And if you're a burley hater, you probably should skip it altogether.

Pipe Used: Wimbledon long stem

Similar Blends: original Half and Half recipe?.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-07-16		Mild	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Upon opening the tin, I was amazed at the aroma of cinnamon and apples! I noticed the large quantity of green leaf in this blend which is the herb, deer tongue. I was very excited to smoke this. I was sitting next to Craig Tarler (C&D) and asked, what is this topping? He responded, "no topping, just deer tongue". He also commented this herb is very difficult to get ahold of these days and they are guarding their supply with their life!

What you have here, is a Non-Aromatic-Natural Aromatic tobacco. Wonderful taste and aroma. This natural tobacco blend became part of my daily rotation and will stay in the line up as long as it is available.

Deer tongue will leave a delightful flavor within your briar. I have devoted two pipes exclusively for GC. If you smoke it regularly, as I do, I suggest devoting a pipe or two for it or you will experience ghosting when smoking other favorites.

This is an exceptional blend. A real treat of fine tobacco's and the amazing addition of deer tongue which is so rare these days. I will add, I smoked Half and Half for 29 years before discovering C&D blends. This blend does remind me of H&H. However, a recent sample of H&H showed no signs of deer tongue. My guess, is they have removed it. It always used to be there. The H&H smoke is just not the same without it.

If you appreciate a natural aromatic, this blend is, in my opinion, the best of the best.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-09-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now, I love deer tongue. But many people dont' like it. So, like C&D's Crooner, this is a love or hate blend. But Gentleman Caller is a bit milder, more complex and utterly addictive if you like Deer Tongue. It burns cool...though smoke it slow...like all blends with a lot of burley it has the potential to get hot. But this is, by and large, a very cool easy to smoke and forgiving tobacco blend. If you like that odd unique deer tongue taste, then you'll probably love this. The Perique is present, but its not a primary flavor. The deer tongue is very present. Highest quality as with all C&D tobacco.

A final thought here, I've noticed that if you smoke it slow, the deer tongue seems to grow stronger and sweeter toward the bottom of the bowl. I dont know if this is something in how deer tongue reacts to heat but I didnt find to be the case so much with Crooner. In any event, go slow...you'll get a nice lush sweet finish with this blend.

Purchased From: 4noggins

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2014-01-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is a lot going on here. This blend is pretty different from other pipe blends. The deer tongue has a lot to do with that. I am not sure if I like the deer tongue or not, but it certainly made for a fun little change of pace. I have also heard that it is getting increasingly hard for blenders to get a hold of deer tongue so i am glad I had the opportunity to take this one out for a spin.

This blend is a lot like other C&D blends, except for the fact that it looks like someone has mixed some oregano into it. The taste is mild and smooth and fragrant. Often times through the bowl I have to stop and ask myself whether I was tasting a vanilla topping or the deer tongue.

The taste was certainly vanilla but the room note did not seem to reflect this much.

A pretty cool experience, and worth a try.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2020-05-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

C&D- Gentlemen Caller

Tin date 18Feb20. First tin note I get is a hay forward barnyard type smell covered in a vanilla note, which is quite interesting. Was just a tad moist upon opening but 10-15 minutes of dry time helped.

The burley are at the forefront, providing a woody taste, with the Virginia’s secondary, the Perique comes out on occasion with some spice on the retro-hale, and the deer tongue drops some slight vanilla pops of Flavour throughout the smoke.

Burns relatively cool, but can get hot if pushed, medium nicotine content and the deer tongue never overpowers.

Some moisture in the bowl upon completion of the bowl, an interesting change in flavor and a tobacco I would recommend to those who have a hard time getting any flavor from aromatics such as myself.

Can be an all day smoke for this inclined to this flavor profile, for me it’s something I will smoke when I want something just a tad different from the norm.

Not something I will stock-pile but will buy another tin of during a sale.

Pipe Used: Bones Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: 3.5 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2009-07-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Intended or not, this is a close clone to Bertram's old Bouquet blend. Mild and sweet and easy burning. Can't say if more aromatic is added than the herb deer tongue (wild vanilla but by no means vanilla). A little bitey if smoked too much or fast. The type of blend you keep in your wife's drawer as sachet, but don't get caught loading up. Recommended as a fun blend.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Martini (17)	2022-03-15		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

We do not have many deers in Italy. In 62 years I think I probably saw a couple of them and I never tried to kiss them on the tongue, but if the taste is like the one of this tobacco, it must be quite a bad experience. I left the tin open for a couple of days, but still that sugary smell and flavour remains quite present. In the background the Virginia and the Burley are very pale. No tracks of the Perique. Difficult to consume the tin. It is a rather mild tobacco which is not a bad character per se. But the deer tongue is overwelming and really making this tobacco useless.

Pipe Used: Caminetto, Dunhill, Castello

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Dubini Monica Ponte Chiasso

Similar Blends: I never tried anything like this.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2016-09-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Very Strong

I'm a sucker for marketing and it gets me in trouble in the tobacco world. The art at C&D is clever and blend naming original, that's what draws me in. The description of this and the allure of deer tongue (isn't that linked to pancreatic cancer?) had me at first glance. Then when I popped the tin open the smell about ran me out of the room. It's beyond description and I can only relate it to a cross of older lady perfume and potpourri. I let it air a bit and reluctantly filled a cob. My initial reaction was one of disgust. I have learned enough over the years to know that a final judgement can't be made from a bad first impression, so I smoked it again 2-3 months later. and again at 4 months, then 5. I dedicated the 6th month to finishing the tin and I can honestly say that nothing has changed from my initial reaction. I DO like burley by the way, even straight cube cut and blending types, so that's not the problem. It's a combo of the topping/casing, which is liquor of some breed and the deer tongue. I picked out some deer tongue and smoked it by itself just for further inspection and yep, it's the culprit. I genuinely tried to like this blend and really hate rating a tobacco from C&D so low as I respect the folks over there and try and support their business. We are all subjective in our pipe weed tastes so ymmv, but this will not be a re-buy for my stock.

Pipe Used: cobs

Age When Smoked: fresh and again 6 mo. later

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Crooner.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Chief 32 (3)	2015-11-11		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I'm usually an aromatic guy, but, was pleasantly pleased with this one. The tin note is pleasing as is the room note; providing a medium cool smoke. I did note a slight bite if smoked too fast. The one who loves me has given her room note, nod of approval. Actually this blend will stay out in my rotation of tobaccos.

Purchased From: BnB

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elwin (14)	2012-07-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This goes perfect in a cob. Which, considering the way deer tongue can ghost a pipe, is a perfect way to smoke it. I have two MM Washington's dedicated to this blend. I buy this in bulk, and always keep plenty in the cellar. I'd dearly miss it if C&D quit making it.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2022-01-08		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

At long last, the mystery is solved. Let me explain: many of the antique-store estate pipes I've bought over the years had a strange, floral/honey ghost left in them. It was so prevalent, I started to believe it may be a by-product of age in smoked briars. After all, I can't imagine Lakeland blends being near-omnipresent in 1950-1970 Iowa. A FB friend suggested the ghost could be the result of Deer Tongue blends, of which Half and Half used to be a common example. Indeed, one review of this states that it is very similar to the original Half and Half recipe, before Deer Tongue was eliminated from the mix. I knew that C&D still makes a few blends containing this odd herb, so I threw a tin of GC in with my latest restock order. It sounded a bit more level-headed than Crooner, and I'm a sucker for Perique. As soon as I popped the tin, I knew the mystery had been solved. The scent jumps right out at you, smelling (to me) very much like our local cornflower honey. This carries over to the smoke, adding an occasional whiff of cardamom. It overwhelms the component tobaccos to a large degree, although you may get the odd toasty, bready note. Could use a lot more Perique for my tastes, but I doubt Grandma's Beau's pacemaker could handle it. Room note is to die for; my wife is actually requesting that I smoke this in the house now. A word of caution: this stuff will ghost a pipe ferociously and tenaciously; some of those pipes can't have been smoked in 50 years, and still it came through clear as a bell. I hacked out a quick throwaway pipe from scrap for the occasion; those without a lathe would be advised to try it in a cob first. However, I'm finding that it is growing on me fast; I've already decided to rededicate a large 1950's Charatan's Make that came to me with this ghost; reunited, and it smokes so good.

Pipe Used: Scrap pipe, Charatan bent brandy

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Original Half and Half, from a time long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Country Bladesmith (18)	2019-10-05		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the first blend I’ve ever tried that contains deer tongue, but as soon as I popped open the tin I knew what I smelled was not the tobacco. The room was inundated with a smell that reminded me of dried mint and honey, perhaps with some other herbal note that escapes me. The tin note completely belied the taste of the lit tobacco, however.

On charring light, I immediately noted the deer tongue and the topping. As mentioned, the deer tongue did not really taste like it smelled. In short order the tobaccos came through, and everything settled into a nice mellow harmony. The taste of the deer tongue is hard to describe, somewhere between vanilla and honeysuckle. No trace of the dried mint I smelled in the tin note. The topping is hard for me to nail down, but seems to be Irish Creme or Amaretto. I could be wrong about that, but whatever it is, it’s not overdone, which is nice. The burleys are the main player here, smooth and toasty, with a spice hit every so often from the Perique. It is more evident in the nose than on the palate, but it is definitely there. The Virginias add a perfect amount of natural sweetness and an occasional touch of hay.

Room note is clover and vanilla. Quite nice.

There’s a touch of nicotine from the burleys and probably the Perique, but certainly not a powerhouse smoke by any stretch.

Not something I’d smoke every day, but I think this will replace most of the aromatic tobaccos I occasionally smoke. I quite like it. That being said, I can also see how the taste of the deer tongue wouldn’t be for everyone, but I’ll order it again.

Pipe Used: MM Diplomat

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ronnstein (29)	2019-07-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I really wanted to try a deer tongue blend, so the first one I got was Crooner which has that very nic-laden cube cut burley. I don't smoke for nicotine, and Crooner was much too strong for me, could not enjoy it because of that, but I knew that I did like the deer tongue flavor. So I got some Gentleman Caller, which really scratched my itch for deer tongue. Much more palatable for me and a nice cut to it for a good burn. Tasty and not nearly as much nic as Crooner. I only buy one 50gr. tin at a time because I noticed the deer tongue flavor seems to fade somewhat over time, since it is an occasional smoke, the smaller tin can last me awhile. If you're curious about deer tongue, by all means give Gentleman Caller a try. I also like it because the guy on the label looks alot like a friend of mine but without the glasses. Definitely dedicate a briar and/or cob to this blend as it will ghost.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Slender (9)	2019-07-14		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Gentleman Caller is a fine blend, although it does require you to manage your expectations somewhat. I smoke primarily English mixtures in the fall and winter months, switching to VaPers in the summer. This can be an excellent mid-cycle palate cleanser and this is perhaps its greatest strength. It is also in comparison a light and even refreshing smoking experience that is very easy on the mouth. It tends to burn quickly, while still remaining cool and with not a lick of tongue bite. The flavor is difficult to pin down, but is actually quite similar to SweeTarts; lemonade, tart cherries, etc., followed by a vaguely sweet finish, comparable to Honjozo sake or perhaps a Christmas spice cake. It’s unusual to say the least. The nicotine seems also to be, at least for me, in that perfect “Violet Hour” ratio where it is clearly evident, yet one can still puff with relative impunity without any ill effect. Unfortunately, there are a few caveats that we need to discuss.

As I mentioned, this is a tart blend overall. However, the first quarter-bowl can border on outright bitterness before finally settling down. Also, its preeminent virtue of being a light, summertime smoke can equally be its greatest weakness, as it often leaves me wanting a fuller, deeper flavor that never really develops; it hits its high note early-on and stays there for the duration. Lastly, the deertongue will easily ghost a briar pipe, your hand, and your beard -do be warned.

Others have described this (and deertongue blends in general) as love-it-or-hate-it, but I tend to disagree. It depends very much on one’s own goals for the particular session. Something as unique as Gentleman Caller cannot be condemned for not being what it is not and should be taken on its own merits; that being a most unusual and stimulating, albeit light smoking experience that is distinctive enough to occupy its own niche in a seasonal rotation.

Pipe Used: Tsuge Kaga (various)

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tucane (31)	2018-11-04		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Deer tongue. Well what can I say... curiosity got the best of me, so I had to try it, even though the smell from the tin was a bit offputting at first. Some kind of herbal, honeyish scent carrying a awkward sweetness. Is it topped with some kind vanilla liqour in addition?

First light told me this was going to be a weird one, didn't really enjoy it the first time, but there was something familiar and something that kept me interested... so I smoked more and soon realized this was going to grow on me.

The herbal goodness started to creep up on me, along with the nutty burley, subdued vanilla and slight peppery nasal from the periqué, while lurking in the background i found some zesty virginia. All in all this ended up a winner in my book!

If Gentleman Caller keeps growing on me as I mature, it might be promoted to 4 stars... For now; in it's youth, recommended!

EDIT: This only changes for the better with each subsequent smoke, or maybe it's me. Bought even more and changed my verdict to Highly Recommended!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LivingFreeinTN (24)	2017-06-06		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

No, no and no! I'm suspecting that the old timers used deer tongue as a measurement for the misery they had to endure: The Depression, WWII, and deer tongue. Horrible by any other than third world standards.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Apprentice (3)	2015-10-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Bought this tin for two reasons. One I enjoy C&D. Two, I had never had a deer tongue mixture. On opening the tin the herbal, vanilla esque scent is apparent. To me, this smokes a bit more like an english but tastes and smells more aeromatic. No tongue bite or gurgle to speak of. Smokey-sweet with a nutty and vanilla taste. Not too strong on the N factor, easily an all day smoke on both flavor and strength. I had heard that this is a tones down version of crooner so I decided to sample that as well. In my opinion crooner is more of gentleman caller overdone. G.c., to me, has the perfect balance of deer tongue whereas crooner has so much that it makes the smoke bitter.

Age When Smoked: About a year old

Purchased From: Local shop

Similar Blends: Crooner.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	periqueguy (43)	2009-08-26		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Simply put. this blend is perfection. An all day, all night, all the time smoke. This may be the one blend that could make me brand loyal and I've smoked them all.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-07-15		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin: Sweet, leather, vanilla, ripe fruit, chocolate; light brown with flecks of black perique and quite a bit of grey, which I presume deertongue. A varied cut from rough to wide ribbon, some rather chunky, with a flake here and there. At just the right moisture level to borderline dry. Not at all sticky.

Packing & Burning: No problem, one match to start, but burned a little completely down the bowl.

Taste & Aroma: Top of Bowl: Unobtrusive enough, vaguely sweet, mildly refreshing. A mild salsa interferes with determining the taste.

Mid Bowl: A slight bit more depth. A wisp now and then vaguely mimics the tin aroma.

Bottom: From time to time, the deertongue, sweet vanilla, is barely sensed.

In subsequent bowls, the pungent truffle-like perique and smoky latakia are fleetingly noticed, along with an occasional cigarette backdrop.

Nicotine: Medium

Overall: A blend that could be appreciated indoors. Not a very flavorful smoke. It has a bit more nicotine than I'd like for an all day smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	David70 (6)	2019-05-06		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Riuscire a trovare una miscela aromatica così è sempre stato il mio sogno. Una mixture fantastica che sorprende ad ogni puff, che non stanca e che chiede di essere fumata in continuazione. Una sorpresa fantastica. Alla apertura della tin si sentono aromi di camomilla, miele e vaniglia il tutto dato dalla grande qualità dei tabacchi presenti. L'aromatizzazione data dalla lingua di cervo è fantastica. Consigliatissima per chi desidera un aromatico ma che non sia stucchevole. Facile da caricare e facile da fumare. Da comprare al volo!

Pipe Used: Rossi/Savinelli

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ap (57)	2010-11-20		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I mild, light and refreshing smoke, this is heavenly in a big bowl on a hot evening, the tobacco flavour is mild and the Deer Tongue adds a natural sweetness to the blend.Amazing

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-08-09		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Normally, I am not a fan of deer tongue, my only experience being with the much dreaded Crooner blend. However, I was blown away by this blend in every category. A perfect all day smoke reminiscent of the stuff my grandfather smoked, whatever that was.

I'll be buying this regularly. Wonderful stuff. Nice work, Matt.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipe pirate (6)	2009-09-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I am a fan of deer tongue.That is what led me onto this stuff. One thing that turned me off was a bitter after taste.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TheOtter (70)	2023-02-15		Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a fascinating blend. Gentleman Caller has one of the finest room notes of all time. It has a nostalgic scent that I cannot discern where I've smelled it before, since I have no memory of my grandfathers smoking a pipe. Perhaps the scent of deertongue was stuck to a wallpaper somewhere in my youth.

That being said, I don't think the smoke itself lives up to the room note. This is a blend that falls apart for me as it reaches the end of the bowl. The first puffs are extremely pleasant with the musky vanilla flavour of the deertongue being very pronounced and intermingling with the Virginias. As you continue, the perique and deertongue begin competing for the spotlight, and the perique wins out by the end of the bowl. I personally, didn't feel that the perique is a good complement to the deertongue, and this was more apparent to me during the final puffs. This blend certainly could be balanced a little better.

2.5/4, however based on the room note alone I will grant this a 3. Tempting to keep tins of this around just to have my office smell like deertongue constantly. The room note here is much better than Crooner.

Note: Deertongue will ghost your pipe mercilessly. It can take up to 2 months to smoke that ghost away even after cleaning the pipe thoroughly. Don't put this tobacco into your favourite piece.

Pipe Used: Chacom Baroque

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Crooner.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CowboyBill (2)	2021-04-24		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Deer Tongue schemer tongue! People seem to overlook the wonderful marriage of the burley and Virginia with just the right amount of perique for the delightful added spicy character. The Deer Tongue isn’t nearly as overwhelming to me as some have noted, but individual tastes differ, I reckon. I get compliments on a regular basis from others regarding the wonderful aroma. This will always be my daily smoke. To me, it is just that good!

Pipe Used: Lorenzo

Age When Smoked: 73

Purchased From: Cornell and Dhiel

Similar Blends: Nothing.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arcusMae (5)	2021-04-16		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I read about this "deer tongue" herb in my journey to explore new flavors of tobacco blends. Apparently it used to be fairly common in a lot of American blends of yesteryear and, according to C&D, a preferred flavor of Bing Crosby. At the time of getting this, Crooner was not available, but the blend contents of Gentleman Caller sounded more interesting anyway.

Off the bat, the tin note of this is quite distinctive: a sharp, herbal, vanilla like scent to it, akin to a potpourri hand soap. It's not at all unpleasant, but not what you would expect from a non-aromatic (in the modern definition, anyway) pipe blend. The blend is also quite dry from what I'm used to - not crispy/crunchy/dusty, just not spongy or springy like what you would expect. As a result, this packs a little bit differently from most blends I've tried. I found it functions best by packing it tighter than you would normally.

It lights easy and I've never had a problem with it going out. The taste isn't complex and about what you would expect from a mild English blend. Whiffs of the deer tongue come through from time to time, and it's by no means over powering. What is overpowering is the smell of the remnants: devote a corncob to this blend because all you're going to smell from now on is deer tongue.

This is a nice and simple blend that's no-nonsense and uncomplicated. It tastes like what you'd expect from an unfettered vabur blend but with a nice little addition to add some flair.

Pipe Used: Corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.