CORNELL & DIEHL - SMALL BATCH - THE BEAST 2023 - 4,104/6,543

"Among the few pipe tobaccos to focus on perique as a primary blending component, The Beast is a powerhouse blend of over 50% Perique, grown, harvested, cured, and fermented all at C&D’s exclusive perique farm in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Supported by C&D's proprietary red Virginia cavendish, unsweetened black cavendish, and a whisper of dark-fired Kentucky, and soaked in dark, spiced rum for seven days, The Beast offers a robust flavor with notes of mesquite smoke, ripe stone fruits, and boozy spice, as well as a full body and rich finish."

"This production uses St. James perique from 31 Farms. It comprises over half the blend as it provides a wealth of mildly sweet plums, spice, floralness, earth, wood, and a few raisins. The red Virginia cavendish offers a fair amount of tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, mild sugar, vegetation, tart citrus, floralness, and a couple blades of grass. It secures a secondary support role. The dark fired Kentucky produces a little earth, wood, vegetation, nuts, herbs, floralness, sourness, and light barbecue as a condiment. The bready, unsweetened black cavendish is mainly a flavor holder. The effect of the spicy dark rum is a couple of notches over the medium mark though it slightly weakens toward the finish. The strength and nic-hit are strong. The taste is very full. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a few rough edges. I saw no need to dry it as it isn’t overly moist. Burns cool, clean, and slightly slow with a mostly consistent plummy, dark fruity, spicy, rum, floral, slight barbecue, very piquant flavor that extends to the pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a bit pungent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires a couple more than an average number of relights. It’s lightly less potent and sweet than earlier offerings, and is more plummy, and a tad spicier. Designed to provide punch and depth, it’s not an all day smoke. I recommend a slow puffing cadence. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.

-JimInks"
(Credit: Tobacco Reviews . com)

Tobacco Info:

-Packaged: Feb.. 2, 2023

-Released: Feb. 2023

-Blend type: Virginia/Perique

-Components: Black Cavendish, Kentucky, Perique, Virginia

-Topping: Rum

-Net weight: 2 oz

This auction contains tobacco.  If you live in certain states, you will be unable to purchase this product.