C&D Purple Cow

[smokey422]

I posted the following review on TR.com. I really got a kick out of the tin art on this one and even bought a t-shirt with the design.
The C&D catalog describes Purple Cow as "A classic blend from Bob Runowski. Bright VA ribbon is added to a Burley base, then complemented by a dash of Latakia and tasty maduro cigar leaf." This was a good sign for me as I have never smoked a Bob Runowski blend that I didn't like and some of his creations are among my all time favorites.
Purple Cow is available in 2, 8, and 16 oz. tins and has a rather humorous logo with a pipe smoking purple cow and a farmer with an astonished look on his face. I tested the 2 oz. tin. The cut is a rather wide ribbon. There are several shades of brown and some black in the tobacco.
PC seems to like a rather firm pack in the pipe, perhaps because of the cut. One charring light gets it going, then the smoker is treated to a mix of the burley flavor with the Latakia in the background, perhaps not as prominent as in a tobacco like Morley's Best. The VA is there but plays a minor role, however this one can nip your tongue if puffed too fast. The maduro leaf appears to become more prominent as the tobacco is smoked down and adds a cigar note to the mix. PC burns well and down to the bottom of the pipe with no dottle.
I did require a few relights while smoking it, but that is par for the course with me, I've never been a "one match" smoker. PC was smoked in six different pipes and seemed to prefer larger ones, particularly my XL Lannes Johnson.
Overall I enjoyed Purple Cow and will definitely purchase it again. Bob, you did good!
Scores for Purple Cow: Taste-16 of 20; lighting and burn- 7 of 10; value- 8 of 10. 31 pts. gets Purple Cow a high *** rating
Smokey

 

[matchstickman]

PM sent mlyvers

 

[markw4mms]

I have never tried PC, but it sounds interesting. Thanks for the review.

 

[winton]

FYI, there is a book on marketing named Purple Cow. The thesis is that someone will drive past hundreds of cows without a glance. But if he sees a purlpe cow, he will stop and study it. Therefore the product being sold has to have something about it that makes people stop.
I think that C&D have done a great job of marketing their product. That is why they have such cool tin art and names for their blends. Really, who would get excited about a blend called Blend #306, my favorite.
Winton

 

[group4]

I am about to open my first tin of Cow and will post after having consumed a few bowls.

 

[clanobucklin]

Since I enjoy cigar leaf in my blends - I would appreciate an update. House of Calabash - Steven Books, blender, has a new cigar leaf blend that is pretty good. He uses pre - embargo leaf from cuban cigars that he got a deal on - at least that's the impression I got. All in all a very stout smoke.
Looking forward to hearing other people's thoughts on C&D Purple Cow.

 

[group4]

Update on Purple Cow -- my how time flies. I've have made this my regular tobacco for quite a while now (it replaced Big N Burley) which I smoked for years. Impressions so far -- it's good, full, satisfying for those who like nicotine. The latakia is used sparingly but can be tasted; the burley is full and not exactly the thing you want to start your day with, unless you enjoy a pot of Turkish coffee first thing in the morning. I've been smoking Crowley's Best as well, which seems to be a lower-strengthed version of Purple Cow, a nice intro to the day.

 

[uberam3rica]

I bought a tin awhile back, and it made me want to vomit. Worst blend I've smoked. I'd rather light up Paladin Black Cherry. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[mso489]

The constituent tobaccos sound like a winner blend, and given the right touch of proportion.

 

[msandoval858]

My experience with Purple Cow was a mixed one. At first I thought it was ok, maybe needed to grow on me a bit. But the further through the tin I got, the more it didn't set well with me. I found the smoke to get rather harsh on my pallate and got to where I wouldn't finish a bowl anymore.
I really wanted to like it but the Cow and I had to part ways.

 

[bludgeoningdeath]

I bought a tin of this and am waiting to finish some other's before I start on it.

 

[leonardw]

I'm a big fan of this one. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The biggest nicotine hit of any blend I've ever smoked by leaps and bounds.

 

[quantumpipe]

I bought a tin of this while in the US over the summer and opened it over Christmas. It is a light English blend , no doubts there but i agree with some of the comments that this blend is very harsh on the throat, smokes too dry in my opinion and the Vitamin-N hit is huge. I will smoke a few more bowls o it in different pipes to see if that helps before i make my final judgment, but at the moment i would say that if you want a mild English (with Latakia) with cigar leaf, then James Fox ;s Bankers Mixture is the way to go.

 

[olewaylon]

where did you get a t shirt with CD images on it?

 

[mso489]

The review sounds perfect. I am a fan of Virginia burley blends with other judicious additions.

However, clearly not everyone enjoys it. I have found when I do mixes of Va, burley, cavendish,

and maybe a little lat, or Turkish, it is usually pretty pleasant. I do think Va and burley is a

strong base and is often pleasing. For me, burley opens out the Virginia and other tobaccos in

a way that little else does.