Billy Budd Blonde
-
Kevin Godbee - Aug 10, 2018
- 5 min read
Kyle Weiss
Being both apprehensive and excited about the news of an additional "Billy Budd" offering by Cornell & Diehl, I took my time once a tin arrived. It’s been hot this summer and in the West, the fires have been destructive and have made the air tough to live in. Waiting for the days to be clear enough to read and write let alone taste the tobacco was challenging. I can’t complain too much, but at least us Westerners don’t have to deal with tornadoes or hurricanes.
It’s daybreak here in sagebrush country, gifting a stillness to the crisp and clear air. The respite from the heat and smoke have the Cooper’s hawks nesting nearby in a noisy kerfuffle, as their two petulant fledglings learn to fly and hunt. They are causing amusing havoc with the resident quail. My tomatoes are watered and ripening, and I have coffee and C&D’s Billy Budd Blonde smoldering away in a cob. Most importantly, I can sit comfortably and do my job of opining about this new blend.
"A blend of bright Virginia flake, white Burley, chopped cigar leaf, and a touch of Perique, Billy Budd Blonde is a sweet sequel to the blend originally created for C&D’s late friend Sailorman Jack," the somewhat boring tin reads. Will it hold up like the original, though?
I have no issue repeating the answer to the question, "What is your favorite tobacco?" when it comes my way. The more often than not I reply, “Billy Budd”—it’s not my top overall choice but it often gets frequently chosen. It has been this way for quite a few years now. The original differs greatly from this new product, being richer and having a Latakia-lean to the mix. BB Blonde is a "VaBurPer," which is a fun thing to say, with the intent of a lighter, fresher smoke without the Latakia. In the tin, this new tobacco has a curious makeup. There’s obvious blobs of pressed tobacco mixed with ribbons and rougher-cut chunks. It suggests part of these tobaccos are pressed and then mixed with the cigar leaf later. Unlike the original BB, the smell is diminutively sweet and a little tart.
When I first started loading bowls to smoke, I was taking time to break up the pressed leaves and mix them more evenly with the rest. This proved futile, as one morning I mindlessly loaded a bowl as I would most other tobacco. There was no change in flavor or performance. Lighting is an easy task and immediately the smoke delivers all of the flavors of the bright Virginia and the Perique. There’s a fleeting natural sweetness that goes away as quickly as it arrives. I’m pleased to say the Perique is applied smartly, as there’s just enough to tingle the nose and the tip of the tongue. Holding this together is the nutty smoothness of some damn good Burley, which is high praise from me. Burley has the tendency to be love or hate in a mixture, and this too is balanced nicely. These qualities hold steady and true until at least halfway through the bowl, where the Virginia loses its citrus poise and leans grassy, the Burley mellows to a hush and the Perique peppers the tongue in a subdued manner.
At the halfway mark there’s a consistent calm in the smoke, and I found myself getting consistently lost in the act of smoking itself. This is an important aspect for many, myself included, because the only and best distractions while smoking should be pleasant observations and pauses of noted enjoyment. What once was citrus and buttery goes to savory and almost pine-like. There’s no trace of sweetness, but there’s also nothing astringent or bitter. The trade-off is the liveliness of the smoke diminishes during the middle point, and if you like the punchier, fresher flavors in the beginning, I suggest choosing a smaller pipe and partake of a reload later—you’ll be happier.
Three-quarters to the end, Billy Budd Blonde lounges further in an even mellower experience than the middle. With the volume turned down this far, I found myself wondering if I was smoking at all, and looking with slight frowns into the bowl. Much like Bette Midler singing Peggy Lee about life, "…is that all there is?" Normally my smoke-to-the-heel-of-the-bowl satisfaction is a thick and robust experience with Billy Budd original, while the Blonde fades into the ethers. It’s a nice change.
My conclusion about Billy Budd Blonde is this: First, it has big boots to fill (for me, anyway) compared to its older and stouter brother. Those looking for the bold, tarry, smoky and more nicotine-heavy experience may be disappointed. Second, the more submissive nature by comparison to the original is a good thing because it should be different, and the tobacco is justified with a utilitarian-yet-quality character. It holds its own without being troublesome. Lastly, this tobacco can join the smoker for quality downtime at any point in the day, with just about any beverage or experience, in any sort of pipe chosen, which makes it flexible–especially sharing the trouble-free performance of its sibling. This is the spirit that made the original tobacco such a hit with yours truly. Add to that a mellower nicotine experience and a good room note, this could very well be a hit with many out there. My one criticism is I believe some aging in the tin would do this tobacco a great service and may spread the flavor consistency through each bowl thusly.
C&D did a good job with this one, and I hope it does just as well as the original. Time will tell if I put it into rotation religiously. Billy Budd, the original, is one of those tobaccos I can’t explain why I go for it as frequently as I do. It’s uncomplicated, unpretentious and not particularly refined. It’s more trusty old hammer than it is a beautiful painting. It also tends to be something I go for in cooler months, which I hope hurry up and get here. For now, however, Billy Budd Blonde will be a lovely newcomer to enjoy through late summer. I hope to get to know it even better in the future.
Written by Kevin Godbee
5 Responses
Recent Posts
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 619. Our featured interview tonight is with Corey Hays. Corey is a 26-year old pipe smoker that is part of our ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. He is from Mississippi and has never lived more than 20-minutes away from The Country Squire Tobacconist. He was influenced to smoke a pipe by reading J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and 20th Century American History. He has been smoking pipes for three years. At the top of the show, Brian will have a tobacco review of a special tobacco that you could only get a pipe show.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 618. Our featured interview tonight is with AJ Khaled. AJ is a 22-year old pipe smoker that is part of our ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. Interestingly, he wasn’t initially inspired to take up the pipe by The Lord of the Rings, but more so by the author Tolkien himself while he was reading some of his other works. AJ has some really unique custom made pipes where he gave design specifics to and had them made by pipe makers Chris Askwith and Arcangelo Ambrosi. At the top of the show, weâll have an âAsk the Pipemakerâ segment with pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend about tobacco moisture. He tends to believe that a freshly opened tin presents the blenderâs notion of the ideal moisture content for that tobacco, and thatâs how it should be smoked. Heâs not wrong, but as with so many things in our wacky world, itâs a little more complicated than that. When thinking about ideal moisture content for any specific tobacco, there are criteria for determining âcorrectâ levels that can sometimes be at odds with one another. The proper moisture content for packaging tobacco, for instance, may not be the ideal moisture for smoking it. By way of background, letâs have a very brief and simplified look at the life of our beloved leaves once theyâve left the curing barns. Whole leaves or strips, the lamina of the leaves with the midrib removed, are boxed or baled quite dry for storage and transport. Before the tobacco can be worked, it has to be conditioned to a moisture level that allows it to be handled without shattering. There are various ways to accomplish this, but the end result is leaf that is pliable and easily manipulated without breaking. It can then be pressed into soft cakes that are cut into ribbons, or blended in stacks destined to be turned into plugs or flakes. At this point, itâs too moist to be considered âfinished,â and has to go through a redrying stage. Since all of these steps may take place over a matter of months, or even years, tobacco can go through several conditioning/redrying cycles before it becomes the finished product. When itâs time to package a blend, the moisture level of the tobacco may have to be adjusted once again. If itâs too damp, thereâs an increased risk of mold blooms, either within the sealed tin, or when spores are introduced after the tin is opened. This is never a good thing, so thereâs a fairly hard upper limit to how much moisture is acceptable at this stage. If the leaf is too dry, on the other hand, things get troublesome in a different way. Dry, fragile tobacco can break into small fragments, even to the point of some of the leaf turning to dust during handling when packing the tins, and when those tins are jostled about during transport. This, again, is not ideal, establishing a lower limit for moisture content. Then, thereâs the tobacco’s potential for aging to be considered. In order for these biological and chemical changes to take place, there has to be enough moisture to support the metabolic processes of the microorganisms involved in the various stages of fermentation that begin once the tin is sealed, and to allow for equilibration of various volatile byproducts of those processes. Finally, within the relatively wide window of upper- and lower-boundary conditions, thereâs the moisture level for best smokability to be considered. Thatâs where things can get a little tricky. Different smokers have different preferences, and this is confounded by the fact that different types of tobaccos behave differently when their relative moisture content changes. To my palate, mixtures containing high percentages of latakia or oriental tobaccos generally tend to smoke and taste their best when on the dry side, while blends that predominantly comprise Virginia tobaccos like a bit more moisture to bring out their sweetness. But, this is a very general guideline, and I often find exceptions. Sometimes the same tobacco can be quite mercurial in its presentation depending on how damp or dry it is. The other day, I had a bowl of a latakia and Virginia-rich flake, fresh out of the tin with no drying time, and it was delightful, with the sweetness of the virginias taking center stage. A subsequent bowl, after a bit of drying time, rendered the orientals more forward, softened the sweetness, and polished the sharper edges of the latakiaâs flavor profile. Same tobacco; two very different experiences. Additionally, things like ambient air temperature and relative humidity can play a significant role in the way any tobacco burns, but more importantly, how it tastes. (When itâs hot and humid, I generally abandon my latakia mixtures in favor of VAs and VA/perique blends.) If you havenât experimented with this, itâs a fun thing to play with. Take enough tobacco out to fill your next bowl, and let it sit out for a while – anything from a few minutes to an hour or two, depending on the climate. (For those in tropical zones, this might actually have the opposite result. Yes, there really are people in some parts of the world who keep their tins sealed to keep moisture from getting in, not out.) See how it tastes in comparison to fresh from the tin. When tobacco is on the dry side, a gentle hand when packing is advised. What about when we rediscover an opened, long-forgotten tin whose contents have become all but desiccated? Can it be brought back to life? While the tobacco wonât return 100% to its best form, as some of the volatile components from aging will be lost to the ether, it can certainly be made smokeable again, and might yield some pleasant surprises. Of course, first give it a try as is, and see what itâs like. There are a couple of good ways to bring the moisture level up, and some not so good ways. I donât recommend spraying it with water, putting apple or potato slices in the tin, or any other drastic measures. Tobacco takes up moisture much more slowly than loses it, and it will take time for all the strands to reach equilibrium, so a gentle approach is advised. My favorite is to put the leaf in a small bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth or paper towel, and set a plate on top. Keep an eye on it over a day or two, checking the progress periodically and ensuring the cloth remains damp. This also works […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 617. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. Weâll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general, including Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s acquisition of Mac Baren. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss pipe shows, pipe show organizing, and the Las Vegas International Pipe Show.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 616. Our featured interview tonight is with Gabe Hall. Gabe is a 23-year old conservative Californian from Bakersfield that is involved in politics part time. He is part of our newer ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. Both his story of starting pipe smoking, and his smoking routine are a little bit different than the usual story. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Ok, the old Pundit is gonna say this only once. Well, maybe twice: Itâs beach time! Some of my happiest pipe-smoking memories were created on the back deck of an original Pawleys Island, S.C., beach house. Listening to the waves dash and flop were pure music, highlighted by the squealing laughter of children frolicking along the beautiful Atlantic shoreline. Now, before you go bellowing about shark attacks, Pundit has his No. 1 Rule about sharks and warning flags, even if no flags are flying on an empty stretch of coastline. Having fished the surf many a day and evening, and even occasionally on a high pier resting on mighty shell-encrusted pilings and stretching out over the aqua-tinted waters, it became apparent that predators with large, sharp teeth prowled menacingly close to splashing bathers So, Pundit Beach Rule No. 1, ankle-deep wading and strolling, only. Make quick swims if it is not too windy, and never if menacing fins are seen cutting the water like the bow of a battleship. Rule adjustments might be needed for kiddies and exuberant beach paddlers in the family. Another necessary adjustment in the rule is no swimming alone. OK, beach lesson over. You donât have to take Punditâs word. Check out sea-going pipe-smoking experts: Herman Melville, who knew a thing or two about ferocious whales, and Sir Ernes Henry Shackleton, a famed adventurer who took on frozen seas. No sharks, but the message loudly proclaims oceans harbor many a menace, some large in body with huge teeth and some just frozen solid mountains of floating ice. And while checking up on Pundit, you might enjoy Chuck Stanionâs Herman Melville’s Literary Pipes February 4, 2022, in Pipe Line and his masterful story on the Shipwreck of Shacklefordâs Endurance, also in Pipe Line. Now back to Punditâs time on the beach, in a chair at sunrise on a screened-in deck, seas dancing, pipe in hand. Vacations today seem to be all hurly-burly, hurry, scurry, and worry. Back when a seaside deck beckoned, I packed not only fishing equipment, and some clothes, but also a shoulder bag full of pipes and enough tobacco to survive a voyage with Sir Shackleton. Each morning, noon, and night watch was accompanied by different pipes and different blends. Pipes ranged from Dunhills, Cavicchis, Ser Jacopos, Ashtons, Petersons, and Savinellis. Blends tended to be simple: aromatics and English containing various additives, of course. On rare occasions, I made a Pundit blend, which combined English with Latakia and aros with Virginia. Pundit blends were meh, but there were Cornell & Diehl, Capstan, Samuel Gawith, Three Nuns, Wessex, and the late lamented McClelland, plus a couple of others to save the rare moments. Pundit beach time was also a time for testing THESIS (taste, heat, enjoyment, strength, issues, satisfaction). There is but one way to do this properly and that is to employ a new cob pipe. Cobs give a good overall THESIS, sort of the cheaper version of precious sea-borne meerschaums. Cobs are, in a way, landlocked meers, and provide an excellent idea of how a particular blend will emerge. Ok, enough of experimentation. We are on a beach vacation, right? Observing the sun rising over an orange-lit horizon with a pipe and a cup of coffee is simply put, enchanting. Sun and ocean seem to merge for a brief moment in a blur of beauty. You can find yourself at the beach, leaning back in a chair, letting the morning-salted breeze sweep over you whilst you puff gently in between sips. Ahh, thatâs a morning on the beach. There is nothing quite like it in the Punditâs mind. And now for a couple of thoughts from real experts on sea adventures: Herman Melville is an American author, poet, and novelist best known for âMoby Dick.â But let us not forget Cornell & Diehlâs Melville at Sea tobacco series of blends: Billy Budd, Redburn, and John Marr, other noted works from Melvilleâs pen as well. It is better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation. He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great. Failure is the true test of greatnessâHerman Melville. Then there is Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. Pipes, as mentioned by Chuck in his excellent piece on the great explorer, who relied on his pipe when the going got rough. Through endurance we conquerâ Ernest H. Shackleton And finally, a Pipe Smoker of the Past cannot go without mentioning: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born May 22, May 1859, and died July 7, 1930. If you are struggling to identify Sir Doyle in your mind, then you might be too young to be reading this. Of course, he is the prodigious author of the great detective Sherlock Holmes novels. Holmes and his drama are must-reads on any pipe-smokerâs novel list. âNuff said! It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truthâSir Arthur Conan Doyle.
That’s a nice looking cob, Kyle.
Not much mention of the cigar leaf throughout the experience. Way in the background?
That morta you sold me seems to prefer burleys. I may have to introduce it to Billy!
Jay
Jaytex: You know what? The cigar leaf is so mute in the smoking experience I forgot to mention it. Not kidding. Summarizing from notes I was so focused on what was there rather than what I was told was there…
…I guess that’s an answer in and of itself. It’s been a long month. đ
That morta would absolutely make a knockout of the Billy Budd Blonde, I suspect. My other morta is in heavy rotation for Billy Budd original, so I had to smoke something that didn’t mix the flavors. Hence the cob you see there, a Missouri Meerschaum diamond-shank “Fifth Avenue.” I’m guess it’s a late 1970s/early 1980s make.
Good to hear from you.
The original Billy Budd has never seemed extra strong to me, more high-range medium. Whether I’d enjoy a tamped down blend along these lines, I don’t know. I do the occasional extra mild blend, Spilman Mixture for example, but that is determinedly subtle; that’s its calling. I’m also intrigued that C&D has generated extra versions of Old Joe Krantz, another of my favorites in the original. How these avatars of successful blends will fly remains to be seen. So long as they don’t supplant the originals, i may give them a shot at some point.
Thanks for a nicely illustrated and well written review. This blend was definitely off my radar, but your review hit all the check-points I normally look for when deciding on whether something new is worth sampling.
Of course, Cortez. Feel free to follow up with thoughts here. I’m curious as to what others are going to say about it.