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Named in honor of Pierre Chenet, the farmer credited with discovering the process that turns burley into perique in 1824, this combination of Virginia and perique, pressed into an old-fashioned crumble cake, is a perique powerhouse for those who simply can’t get enough of this “truffle of tobaccos”. Estimated peak: 10-15 years. But it's fantastic right now!
Favorite Of 7 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JimInks (3046) |  |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
The Virginias offer earth, tangy dark fruit, wood, bread, and light floral note with a little tart citrus and grass as a lead component. The earthy perique content is high, though it didn't knock me to the floor as I was expecting. It offers tanginess from the raisin, fig, plum, and date notes, with a potent spice hit that doesn't overwhelm, but always makes its presence known. It's also a little woody with hints of chocolate. The perique is a lead component, too. The nicotine content is medium. The strength is medium, and the taste is a couple of steps beyond that. The cake breaks apart very easily, and burns slow, cool and clean, with a very consistent, deeply rich flavor. Requires some relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. Won't bite, and has no harsh spots, though it does sport a few rough edges. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste, and stronger room note. A well blended, balanced product that may not be an all day smoke, but if you crave perique, you'll come back to it at some point during your smoking day.
-JimInks
44 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentleman Zombie (729) |  |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is a slightly above average VaPer with an ample amount of Perique. The Virginias are sweet and raisiny. The Perique, tart and figgy with notes of chocolate and plenty of spice. It's mildly moist out of the tin and can be smoked immediately if desired. Crumbles easily. Smoke is smooth and relaxing with no hint of a bite. The question is how well it will age and only time will tell us that. I'm stashing a few tins.
(A small disclaimer here: I've been smoking a lot of Kajun Kake lately and that stuff is so good that it makes any other VaPer pale in comparison. It may have caused me to undervalue this one just a bit. It may be better than I think.)
Pipe Used: MM General, MM Country Gentleman
Age When Smoked: fresh
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
31 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StevieB (2080) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
Cornell & Diehl - Chenet's Cake (Cellar Series).
The tin contains a big block of kake with just one small piece sat next to it. So it isn't like some krumble kake blends where the tin contains lots of kake slithers. It's easy to fill the bowl with, just a very gentle rub results in the tobacco becoming fine and shag like. The consistency of the blend makes it very easy to over pack the bowl, without realising. Make sure you load the tobacco so it's still fairly loose in the bowl otherwise you'll never establish a good burn.
The smoke: lots of Perique! Throughout a bowl the smoke's rich, deep, fruity, and spicy, but toward the end any light, citrus qualities are replaced by much heavier tasting fruit. Up to here the Virginia's a definite addition, but after halfway the quantity of flavour from it gradually abates, until the Perique completely monopolizes the smoke. Although this is a smoke that's governed by the Perique at no point to I find it seems vinegary, or acerbic. It burns steadily needing very few relights. I get no bite.
Nicotine: medium to strong. Room-note: not nice.
Chenet's Cake? A very good blend but think of it being like a very rich dessert, although you enjoy it if you had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day you'd feel sick! Recommended:
Three stars.
Pipe Used: PetersonKinsale XL12 P'Lip
Age When Smoked: Five months
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
17 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30167) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
Nifty looking square cake of mottled and pressed tobacco. Easy to break off and smoke but I recommend a nice sharp knife, as when I simply broke off pieces, I tended to get even more perique from a blend that already focuses on perique. But once cut, it rubs very easily. Tin note is perfectly awful, smelling like old socks and spoiled food.
My sensitivity to perique is on the low side. I can usually taste it when its lightly present but it doesn't start to get too interesting for me until quite a bit is included. With this one, I learned that I have a ceiling on the level of perique, and this one went thru that ceiling with force! It started out spicy and faintly sweet, with the Virginias providing more earth than sweetness. C&D's Virginias seem to be heading in that direction, more of a burley taste than traditional virginia. I would have preferred more natural Virginia sweetness to offset the heavy perique with this one. But balance isn't this one's forte - this is for the perique-aholic, not for someone who prefers a bit of delicacy in their smoke - even their richer blends. In that sense, it seems to pass with flying colors. 3 stars for this one... 2 stars for my personal taste (and I doubt I'll ever revisit this one!) but 4 stars for appearing to meet their design goals. Try this one if you like perique on top of your perique. Stay away if you want to taste something aside from perique.
17 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan (179) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
A cake easy to slice and chop up.
A little moist from the get go but no lasting issue.
Mix up well so you don't get too much perique in a bowl. It's high enough in per anyway (maybe not as bold as OJK by C&D), and the finish is still strong. The Virginia balances the mix nicely, but not a sweet variety as in Kajun Kake. The per's pepper qualities come through now and again. Mushroomy.
Easy smoking and cool. For those who love perique ( a must here) but not quite an overdose (e.g., Exclusive).
Pipe Used: Arlington
Age When Smoked: new tin
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
Similar Blends: C&D Exclusive.
10 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 | Tolerable to Strong |
The reviewed tin of Chenet’s Cake is from better times, Halloween, 2019. Though it’s meant to age for a decade or more, I’m glad I jumped the gun! First thought on popping the tin and sniffing the contents was: beloved, faithful hound has returned, wet, from an adventure on the bayou, bringing along a damp burlap sack of festering dark fruit, figs, dates, and savory baking spices, along with some dank chocolate. As it happens, I like the funky aspect here, just as I do in the case of the best Turkish tobacco. IMO, all the fermentation during curing and in the tin has worked a treat. The tobaccos in the tin range from light/medium red-brown to dark brown. Ribbons have rotted during their relatively short time pressed into what is now a foam-ish kake that breaks up and loads easily into a pipe. It works best for me to carefully break off a chunk and gently roll it just enough to loosely stuff my pipe. It lights easily and smokes easily, too, although it requires fairly constant, very light tamping and some gentle stirring at the end. If it’s really rubbed out the bits get rather small, to the point where they can get in the draft hole. I’ve tried several pipes before settling on my usual-for-VA/Pers small-ish pots, as these provide the strongest and tastiest smoke. Lit, the fun begins. Typical of aged perique, there’s more in the way of scents than tastes to begin with. Larger pipes seem to keep it this way. Flavors soon develop from the preferred pipes, lining up very well with the tin note(s), while the aromas are like that too, but more “aromatic”. There’s plenty of deep, earthy, bready, yeasty, dark-fruity, semi-piquant, sweet and savory red VA, which features mild vinegar, and there’s a nice dollop of the prominent, sour, long-aged Perique. A little Burley provides both the barn smell and the fragrant meadow flowers, I suppose, along with some bitterness. Generally speaking, CC is rather deep for a VA/Per. Strength the way I smoke it is halfway between medium and strong, with the nicotine trailing a little. Tastes are toward full from medium. Room note is funky, like the tin note, but a good deal more intense. Although I quite like it I’ve gotten negative feedback about my clothes and hair after smoking CC outdoors. Aftertaste is a nicely drawn out, sweeter best of the smoke.
Chenet’s Cake strikes a fine balance between complex and busy, floral and rank. It’s easier to smoke and more “forgiving” than, say, Bayou Morning Flake. I like it a lot, and I’m guessing more age will only make it better, just as its “Cellar Series” designation indicates. Probably best suited to experienced VA/Per smokers. 4 stars.
Pipe Used: small-ish briar pots preferred
Age When Smoked: tin dated 10-31-19
Similar Blends: For a lark, compare/contrast to C&D Burley Flake #2.
9 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| LannarkGent (145) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Pleasant |
The tin said to age for ten to fifteen years. I bought 2 and opened one. I found this to be a masterpiece of flavor and smoking enjoyment. The perique was playful and not overwhelming. The Virginias were sweet and refined. I found the flavor to be a delightful mixture of nuts, dates, and figs with other flavor packed surprises. This is a fine smoke that I will certainly enjoy further.
Pipe Used: Savanelli Champagne
Age When Smoked: Fresh
Purchased From: Indian Tabasco Traders
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Lit a Kia (69) | |
Very Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Very Strong |
I planned to age this as suggested, but couldn't resist opening the tin when it arrived; it smelled like a pig sty. Not in a completely bad way, but that's how pungent this stuff is when fresh. After letting it mellow for several months, it was still piquant like a barnyard but with less of that pig-sty potency, and more dark chocolate, dark fruit.
The plug cut easily and burned well with moderate tending. The first third of the bowl was pepper, pepper, pepper. It opened up through the bowl, reminding me of rum raisin, and there are some occasional perfumy notes that were interesting (not sure where those came from in a VaPer). But the background was very peppery all the way through.
I can't overstate the pungency of this stuff. The smoke actually stings the eyes and goes well beyond "tickling" the throat and nasal passages; more like being stabbed with a thousand tiny needles...in a good way. (Seriously!) Solid but not overpowering nicotine level.
Wife didn't care for the room note; too cigaretty, she said. I had a front row seat and thought it smelled great.
Pipe Used: Boswell freehand
Age When Smoked: 6M
Similar Blends: Kajun Kake (I like Chenet a bit more).
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| ElMog (36) | |
Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
It took me quite a few bowls to ''get'' this blend. My first smoke was fresh from the tin and all i felt was overwhelming spice. Subsequent smokes did not really change my appreciation for this tobacco. Until after about 6 months cellaring, i giave it another go. I filled the bowl with big chunks of cake and sprinkled some dry, loose baccy on top. For the 1st third of the bowl, i still didnt like it. The virginias are rather opaque, they dont offer much fruit or tang or sweetness to offset the spice from the perique. The perique itself also doesnt translate into figgy notes but rather peperry ones, with lots of spice and a taste evoking pencil shavings. But things changed as i reached the second third. Maybe the pipe had warmed up enough to coax out some flavor from the Va, maybe the burn finally really reached those big chunks of cake, i dont know. It suddenly went from hot, acrid, spicy air to malty, earthy, rich, spicy flavours, surprisingly close to a cigar taste. It becomes complex, has a velvet texture in the mouth and comes as a relief. The nicotine starts to creep up but doesnt overwhelm, rather it seems to be a warning for the last third. The end of the smoke, sadly, goes to opaque, dry and bitter notes. I really feel as though only by mid bowl does this tobacco shine. Burn qualities are excellent though, and it doesnt bite, though it may sometimes seem like it considering the amount of spiciness. For these reasons, i cannot wholly recommend this blend. Selling a ''young'' tobacco and asking people to cellar it for years to get the most out of it seems pretty strange, like buying a NAS scotch and being told to put it in a cask and wait 10 years to truly be able to appreciate it. And having to soldier on the first third of every bowl in order to get to the really interesting part seems like a chore to me...
Pipe Used: Various cobs and bent sandblasted Lorenzetti
Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin
Purchased From: Tabagie Giguère
7 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mhulsey (36) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
I have to agree with Zombie gentleman in regards to this tobacco review and his description of the aromas of the tobacco here. Upon opening the fresh tin of Chenet’s Cake I am greeted with a 2 oz crumble cake that resembles a small brownie, and the aromas that come from the tin are that of sweet fig like or raisiny notes from the Virginias although they are much milder than those of the Perique, and there is definitely a bakers chocolate sweet smell that is produced by the Perique in my tin as well. I do not detect any citrus notes that were described in some of the other reviews, however everyone experiences the tobacco differently. The crumble cake that I received is a little on the moist side and I suspect that this is to help with the aging process as these cellar series tobaccos are intended to be aged for ten years or more before being considered at their best. Before smoking, I broke off a small portion of the cake and broke it up and set it aside so that it could dry for about an hour. Once the tobacco had dried out a bit, it packed easily into my briar and took a light with little to no fuss. I would describe the flavors of the tobacco as a medium VaPer with a bread like taste coming from the Virginias and a smoky yet slightly nutty note coming from the Perique. The Perique definitely lets you know it’s there by mouth feel as well as there is a slightly spicy tinge that can be felt on the tongue as this blend is smoked. I can only guess as to what this will be like with ten years of age on it, but we will see as I have set back a few tins of this to cellar as well. My best guess though as to what this blend will be like in ten years is that the Virginias will continue to sweeten giving more of the raisin taste rather than the bread like taste that it has now, and the Perique will begin to become much milder and smokier than it is now. Either way, I am sure that it will be as good then as it is now, and I am happy with what I have in the fresh tin. As for burn characteristics, like I said before, the blend is a bit on the moist side and due to this it has a tendency to go out, thus there were several relights involved during each smoke. Room note is rather mild and those around me did not seem to be bothered by this in the slightest, so I would label this one as tolerable. Overall, I would recommend that any lover of Cornell & Diehl VaPer blends pick up a few tins of this to put in the cellar, and you may even want to crack one open now as they are rather tasty fresh.
Pipe Used: Italian Briar
Age When Smoked: fresh from tin dated 3/14
Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com
6 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss-smoker (87) | |
Strong | None Detected | Very Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
If a blend is named after the so said inventor of the Perique tobacco, Monsieur Pierre Chenet, called “Perique”, which is the nickname of Pierre (Peter) in Spanish, it ought to be a good one. And indeed it is!
The presentation of this blend in its tin is a Crumble Cake, a softly pressed Ribbon Cut and Shag into a square. I love Crumble Cakes as they keep flavour and moisture in perfect condition. On opening the tin, the moisture was a little too high and I had to air it for a couple of hours. It is effortless to break apart with your fingers and to load your pipe.
The first puffs are rather unpleasant. As soon as the blend has reached an optimal, even glow in your pipe, a delicious, complex flavour starts to deploy. This is not a Perique smash-in-your-face mixture by any means. Both, the Virginias and the Perique, offer a manifold, wide palette of aromas that constantly keep me interested. What a great Va/Per mixture! I find the nicotine-level to be high, which I don’t like. No burn or harshness at all. However, it is a rather strong, deep, heavy, flavourful Va/Per for experienced smokers, not for beginners.
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis (49) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Ha! I finally identified the flavor profile on this smoke. It's buttered popcorn with a hit of paprika!
This is a very cool VA/Per. The tin note is atrocious, really awful -- whoever said sweaty socks, below, isn't far off. And, if you don't let it age (or at least break the cake up and let it dry for a week in a mason jar), it's a weird smoke. Fresh from the tin its muddled, an unidentifiable sweetness, with some perique peeking through.
But, if you don't want to cellar it, at least break the cake up and put it in mason jars and let it dry out for a week. Then it starts to come to life. The creaminess clarifies into a big, rich mouthfeel smoke. The perique maintains a fruity spiciness, really more on a paprika or peppercorn vibe than straight black pepper. The herbal/grassy flavors stick around, becoming what I'm now calling the "buttered popcorn" notes.
This is a special VA/Per. Maybe not everyone's taste, but unique and awesome in its way. It'll always have a place in my cellar and my pipes.
For those noting a chocolate flavor -- I got that when I smoked it fresh from the tin as a lingering aftertaste. But there was a LOT going on that way, and it wasn't all easy to identify. With some age in the cellar or some drying, I'm quite sure there's no cocoa flavoring on this. Just some nice virginia buttery sweetness.
Edit: I had a little revelation about this blend while having a bowl, and wondered if there was burley in it. Coming here, I see it lists burley as a component. I can taste that with some age on the tins -- I think that's part of the "popcorn" nuttiness and the mild cocoa notes. It's not strong, I've had pounds of this stuff before I noticed it, but it is present as a background note.
Pipe Used: Briars
Age When Smoked: Anything but fresh, please....
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badmedicine (51) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Very Pleasant |
Here it is, folks, my all-time favorite blend. To be fair, my first experience with this was not good, in any way. It was my first VaPer, and only my second step away from drugstore aromatics. At that time, my palate wasn't developed enough to appreciate the untamed Majesty of this masterwork 'baccy. Many of the observations I noted then still hold true; what has changed is my appreciation of them. There is a MASSIVE amount of spice, but also deep, mature sweetness, grand notes of figs and dark chocolate, and no bite (what I thought was bite back then was simply misinterpreted pepper). I know this blend is meant to be aged "between 10-15 years", but I smoke so much of it that I doubt any will make it to that ripe old age. I have one tin dated from January of '16, socketed away with just this intention. Let's see if patience can outweigh my craving for this blend. A block rubs out into a fine shag, and burns to Ash without a qualm. The limited amount if aging I have ever been able to give it deepens the sweetness and dessert notes, and allows it to dry a bit; fresh off the line, it's just a tad damp and almost feral in its intensity. at any age, it has an abundance of its own kind of charm. This is my gold standard for VaPers, and will continue to hold court in my Holy Trinity of favored blends: Chenet's, Ten Russians, and Mad Fiddler. In nomine Patri, et file, et spiritus sancti, amen.
Pipe Used: Almost all of them, at some point
Age When Smoked: 1-2 years (so far)
Purchased From: Various retailers
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| gladi8tor96 (143) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This stuff is a perique powerhouse! Upon opening the tin you can smell fermentation and slight dark fruit tones mixed with tangy sweet grass. Smells earthy and slightly sour and fermented. It's a brick of shag that is easy to break off and rub out the varied brown ribbons.
Easy to load and light and takes the normal couple of matches or lights to get it going. Once it's going it's easy to maintain with simple light tamping.
The smoke, at least for me, is strong in flavor. Lots of earth and wood tones here rounded out by a bit of tang and slight sweetness. The perique takes center stage and delivers flavors of raisins, slight tang, and some spice. The flavors from the perique are deep and dark...I don't know how else to explain it. There are hints now and again from the VAs that are sweet a little grassy and also add some sour/bread notes, but very faint. The flavor profile is good, but very strong and a bit too harsh or much for me. I think this may be because of the less than one year of age on it. It's good, but I'm sure with age it'll be even better.
This is a good tobacco for those that love perique. I imagine that it will greatly improve with age and I look forward to sampling the tin I have packed away in a few years.
Pipe Used: Cob, Billard
Age When Smoked: Just under a year
Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GabrielCRT (115) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Chenet's Cake is notably smooth for a blend comprised of 35% Perique. Usually I find C&D's heavy Perique blends to have a certain "sharpness" and though I do enjoy that this is a nice alternative. The Perique is distinctively raisiny with a little earthiness and I find its spice mostly on the retrohale. The red Virginias are earthy and subtley sweet. The bright Virginia is grassy with some minor hay flavors. The Perique and Virginias combine to offer a white wine like sweetness. There is a certain meatiness to the blend throughout the bowl that stands out more in meerschaum. It is currently a four star blend for me and I believe it will improve with age to become even smoother and sweeter.
Pipe Used: Briar, Meerschaum, Corncob
Age When Smoked: Fresh
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HabaneroHardy (401) | |
Strong | None Detected | Full | Unnoticeable |
This is one I tried a few weeks ago. This tin is dated 042219. It is a nice pressed crumble cake, smells great, sweet, very light spiciness. I rubbed out a small amount, loaded my pipe and fired her up. First few puffs I could tell this is a stout Perique blend. Almost wondering if I should not be smoking this with coffee on an empty stomach. Puts out quite a lot of smoke and almost caught myself coughing a few times which as stated before is my Perique O’Meter. Not as strong as Picayune but starts out like Dr. Jekyll and turns into Mr. Hyde throughout the bowl for want of a metaphor. Good strong stuff. After smoking too many bowls. “As I looked there came, I thought a change - he seemed to swell - his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter...” ― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I would give this one a try.
Pipe Used: Meerschaum
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeavyMetalPiper (64) | |
Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable to Strong |
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:
Standard VaPer tin note, sweet and raisiny. There's a mildly earthy quality. A nice chunk of cake, easy to break off and rub out - a welcome change from the slices of cakes I've had a run with. Swells more than typical due to its compact nature, so look out when lighting that you don't let it get carried away.
Starts mostly with that signature Perique spice. Rich and deep. Vague fruit dances in and out, but the flavor is mostly Perique. The spice (and fruitiness) fades slowly over the bowl, but the general profile remains the same. This is excellent if you want a VaPer skewed more heavily toward the Perique. Age on the tin can't come quickly enough as I'm super curious how the balance will be after 10 years.
You can see my video review of this blend unaged here:
Aged:
Stay tuned.
Pipe Used: SMS Meerschaum Skater
Age When Smoked: 14 Months
Purchased From: Smoking Pipes
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mark81253 (18) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Another of Cornell & Diehl's masterpieces. A wonderful Vaper blend and those are vastly becoming my all time favorites. A very tangy, spicy mix of excellent Perique and Virginia. Plenty of good old fashioned tobacco flavor and sweetness from the Virginia's. The Perique is ever present with it's peppery sensations especially when exhaling through my nose. This is my benchmark measure for rating tobaccos. If it gives my nose a good distinctive fiery "rush" I absolutely love it and this one will not disappoint in that regard. A true smoking pleasure. It comes in a beautiful cake form easily broken ready for packing. Burns very efficiently with little moisture. I love this one and I'll be sure to get a lot more.
Pipe Used: Savinelli
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rustedrailsmokes (293) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Strong |
8-24-2020 - Update
I jarred the rest of the tin after buying it and just reopened it in August of 2020 to give it another try to see how the aging is going.
The difference now is that the VA's and the PER have melded together into a really good and more balanced VAPER. That overwhelming pepper taste from 2019 is now a sweet VA complimented nicely by the pepper and little dark fruity perique that I was expecting. It's still quite Perique forward so if you don't like perique (pepper) run now.
I have a feeling that at the planned age of 10 years this will be devine. I smoked up a few bowls over a couple of weeks and resealed the jar and put it back to age another year for another update in 2021.
----- 1-12-2019 - Original Review
I saw this on the shelf of my local B&M and the tin was literally swelling. I bought it as I've been wanting to try it and decided to pop it and smoke a bowl, the top "exploded" like a gunshot... making everyone jump.
I love crumble cake presentation and the C&D brownie was full of dark goodness. The smell was quite strong.. musty, peppery. The cake was easy to crumble up into a favorite Canadian and I sprinkled some of the crumbs on top to light...
The taste to me is pepper, followed by pepper, complimented by pepper.. but not in a really bad way. I love black pepper and peppery foods so the experience was right up my alley. I really don't get much of the Virginias.. and as a strict VaPer it tends to be more a vaPERRRRR. NOT an all day smoke (way too strong) but something really different when I'm in the mood for it.
This has become a great smoke to end the day after dinner especially pared with a glass of scotch or bourbon. There was another swollen tin I picked up to cellar, hopefully it doesn't explode at some point and open itself...
Pipe Used: Radiator and Canadians
Age When Smoked: fresh from tin to 1.5 years.
Purchased From: Smitty's Cigar Lounge
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BingCrosby (162) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
Hot damn! If you are having trouble detecting perique in blends give this one a shot.. it is most definitely center stage.. I was gonna let mine age more but I was getting worried about the seal- these c&d tins tend to bulge quite a bit.. the second I popped it and heard a popcan like whoosh I instantly regreted it... oh well.. nice to try anyways.. I can certainly see why you might want more age.. the Virginia is kind of buried within the very generous dose of perique.. a little time would help bring the Virginia forward I suspect.. very nice.. slightly complex.. but at least in it's young state it's almost too heavy handed.. all in all, another nice flavorful va/per from c&d.. as a young tobacco I would definitely prefer bayou morning flake.. but cellaring potential is interesting indeed.. spicy and sassy
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pryhosm (248) | |
Medium | Mild to Medium | Medium | Strong |
The tin note on this blend is well, not good. I get chocolate and sour, foul smelling musty, rotting food. Probably the worst tin note on any tobacco I have ever smelled. I have 3 pounds of St. James Perique straight from a manufacturer and some of McClellands blending Perique and those smell like a florist compared to this. Thankfully the flavor of the smoke does not carry over from the tin aroma. However this VaPerBur is not one of my favorites, and I love VaPer's (and VaBur's). First off from the tin note through the smoke there is an obvious topping/casing of chocolate. Now a light chocolate topping often enhances Burley's but to my tastes this was a bit heavy handed. From the charring light to the last puff I can taste chocolate in this tobacco more so than I would like. It is not bad but it is distracting from the other tobacco's, namely the Virginia's and Perique which is what I had hoped for. That said it is not an awful flavor, just distracting. The perique is the main attraction in this smoke. It is peppery and loaded with dark fruits: plum, raisins and figs. The sweetness of the VA's are muted by the topping but they are first class red Virginia's that offer some bready, sweet and even earthy notes. There is a good dose of nicotine in this blend so if you are a lightweight like me be careful. This tin is 3.5 years old and it was quiet dry but still required a fair number of relights. I have found that if you slice it an let it air dry for 10 plus minutes prior to rubbing out it loses some of the chocolate flavor (suggesting a topping and/or casing), I prefer doing this but it is relatively inconsistent and due to the dryness it can cause the flake to turn to dust. Not a bad blend but based on the reviews I read, it doesn't live up to the hype for my palate. In fairness C&D says this hits its peak in 10 years or so so even with a few years of age in an unopen tin, it is still a bit young. I will go back for more but at this point it is on the low end for me when I want a VaPer. YMMV
Pipe Used: Briar's and cobs
Age When Smoked: 3 + years
Purchased From: B&M
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Mofrackey (6) | |
Strong | Mild to Medium | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
So this blend is not like other va/per blends. Much sweeter. Less hay and fig. Maybe because there is a larger quantity of perique. The perique is made from burly so it has much more nic content than most va/per blends which is always a plus. The can I purchased was bulged. Large air release when opening the can that was only 10 months old. Super citrus and fish food smell. You know what I mean. From what I understand most perique is not made with burly tobacco. So if you read that this blend has burly. It's because the burly was processed into perique. I'll give a 4/4 star because I dried it for about an hour before smoking. It's moisture content was high when opening the can. If yours isn't great. Mine was. It's all preferences anyway. Burns great. Stays lit. Just make sure you cut and then rub out. Cut small sections off do not cut layers. Will report back after several months
Pipe Used: Rhodesian / small pot
Age When Smoked: 4/17 tin date smoked 4/24/18
Purchased From: Blacksburg pipe and tobacco
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| NEWMAN (305) | |
Strong | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Although C&D accomplished their design goal of a 'perique powerhouse', this one is just over the top for me. However, I successfully blended it with VA/Per flakes to work it away. I wouldn't reorder but if you like perique, this one is loaded.
Pipe Used: various bowl sizes
Age When Smoked: 6 months
Purchased From: pipes & cigars.com
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mijnnif (130) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Tin note sweet musky chocolate and spice. Moisture level is perfect. I rubbed out a piece and let it sit for 10 minutes. Perique forward with spice and chocolate right behind. Needs to be smoked gently. Gets hot on the tongue if puffed hard. I would not consider this an all day smoke but a nice change once and a while. I suspect it will age very well. Nic hit is a bit past the medium mark. required a few relights. For the Perique, chocolate lovers this is a great blend.
Pipe Used: White elephant Briar
Age When Smoked: fresh tin
Purchased From: Smoking pipes
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| DrT999 (318) | |
Medium | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
If you like a VaPer on the tangy/figgy end of the scale, medium N but strong (and sometimes rough) flavor, you might like this. Despite being 5 1/2 years in the cellar, this tastes like it needs some more age. Currently a C+/B- but it still might improve with age. Be careful rubbing out the cake, it turns v fine v quickly.
Pipe Used: cobs
Age When Smoked: 5.5 years
Purchased From: smoking pipes
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Antonius Blok (192) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Although I know that many pipe smokers know the history of this tobacco, I cannot resist making a very brief introduction for clueless “navigators”, as I find it very interesting from the point of view of the history of this hobby that we like so much. Chenet's Cake is a potent blend of 35% perique and named in honor of Pierre Chenet, a Frenchman who is credited with discovering the fermentation process of perique carried out by the Choctaw Indians, who packed the leaves tightly in a hollow log putting a heavy rock on it. In fact, "Perique" was the nickname by which this Frenchman was known in the St. James Parish, Louisiana region, which is still today a world temple in the production of this famous tobacco that delights many of us.
Let's go there. When you open the tin, a Krumble Kake appears that includes red and shiny virginias, as well as Burley and of course the black color of the perique. This is immediately present to the nose, with aromas above all of ferment, vinegar, cheese (in particular, a cake from Casar reminded me, with designation of origin in Cáceres, Spain, where it is known as "Torta del Casar"), with a sweet tone from the other tobaccos that make up this mixture. A delicious aroma according to my tastes. It is soft enough that it can be cut and crumbled directly with your hands, but I prefer to do it with a knife to preserve its appearance when returning to tin. It comes slightly damp and although it can be loaded directly to the pipe, it is convenient to let it dry a little so that it does not produce humidity. Once lit, it burns well, produces generous amounts of smoke and is very tasty. As I feel, 35% perique is not overwhelming as it might seem at first, since it is very well balanced and blends perfectly with the sweetness of virginia and chocolate burley, giving this mixture an exquisite and different flavor what I knew until now. On the retronasal exhalation, pinch the nose pleasantly.
I usually let a few days pass until I smoke it again, but not because of its nicotinic strength, as some say, but because of its strength in aroma and flavor, which can somehow saturate the senses.
Pipe Used: Peterson 305 St Patrick's Day, 2019
Age When Smoked: 5 years
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| JaWiBr (558) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Tin note of stewed sour plums, spiced Rasin bread, and tart dark fruit. The moist marbled reddish tan, brown, and dark brown Krumble Kake breaks apart easily and may need some drying. Burns slow with multiple relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium to full and somewhat consistent, with notes of very earth, very spicy, woody, bread, sour lemon, tangy raisin, mildly floral, mild sweet grass, mild dark chocolate, and a very peppery retro. The evenly matched Perique and Virginias are locked in a grudge match. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.
Pipe Used: Wally Frank Limited White Bar Sandblast 128
Age When Smoked: 3 years
Purchased From: smokingpipes.com
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviewer (25) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Strong |
The tin note was a very unexpected odor of barn floor that has a mix of manure and old hay stomped into each other with typical dank barn room odors. A disgusting tin note. I transfered this tobacco into a jar and let it sit for a week before smoking. The tin note didn't change. Smokes cool and ashes right to the bottom. Spicy smoke the entire bowl. Very nice smoke despite the awful tin note. Doesn't seem to be a morning kind of smoke for me. Paired very well with peppermint tea.
Pipe Used: Mr. Brog
Age When Smoked: New
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| roark (12) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
If you happen to be a Bayou lover who craves a bit of burley now and then, this blend is your unicorn. Not a daily smoke at all, but it reigns among the greatest VaPers sitting on my top shelf : Bayou Morning Flake, Telegraph Hill and Chenet’s Cake are my desert island blends.
Pipe Used: Various Briars
Age When Smoked: Better after 6 months
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Gerry P (39) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Tolerable |
The cake was well into the process of crumbling when I opened the tin. I put it in a jar and shook it up, transforming it into a crumbled cake. Nice raisin smell, but I didn't get enough cocoa to give it that Raisinet aroma that I like. Packs and lights well, burns cool with no bite. I found it to be slightly sweet, peppery/spicy, fruity, and a little earthy. It lightly stings the back of my throat and sinuses, which is a characteristic of certain perique blends that I enjoy as long as it's not excessive. Lots of flavor to explore here, and it's surprisingly well-balanced and easy to smoke. I think this is at or near the top of my list of preferred "rustic" (i.e. ones with a more spicy/peppery perique flavor as opposed to predominantly fruity) style of Va/Per.
Pipe Used: Mostly cobs for this one
Age When Smoked: 2.5 years
Purchased From: Mayan Import Co., New Orleans LA
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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