Virginia /Perique Tobacco » Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night Tobacco Reviews

This one packs a punch!

Bayou Night is a tobacco that has intrigued me for a long time. I had heard the stories about the very high Perique content, and the strength of the blend. However, it seemed like every time I ordered a sampler from C&D, I'd forget to include B/N. I wasn't ready to commit to a whole pound, either.

Then several days ago a sampler pack arrived from a friend of mine in Arkansas, and included in it was a generous helping of B/N. Better yet, the tobacco had been aged for 1 1/2 years. C&D blends are known to ship right after blending, before the flavors have had a chance to meld. I wouldn't have that problem with this batch.

Bayou Night has a motley appearance in the pouch, with light and darker browns mixed in with black flecks. The cut is similar to a chopped ribbon, and packs well in the pipe. The moisture level is a little higher than I've come to expect from C&D, but just about perfect for this blend. Pouch aroma is dominated by the peppery sweet scent of the Perique.

Putting match to weed, I fully expected a frontal blast from the Perique, but such was not the case. Instead it smoked like a very good VA/PER blend. The Latakia, Turkish, and burley were support players to the two real stars of the show. As the smoke progressed, I waited for the onslaught of the Perique. Hadn't they said the Louisiana leaf was 50% of this blend? It began asserting itself more, but was still a very good companion to the Virginia. The only thing I could figure out was that the Latakia and Turkish were keeping a lid on the Perique pot.

As the smoke wound down, the peppery note of the Perique became more pronounced. It also became apparent that nicotinewise, this was a very strong tobacco. It's not often that a blend makes me sit up and take notice of this, but B/N did. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling. The bowl finished with variegated ashes in the bottom.

In some ways, Bayou Night was a big surprise for me. It didn't prove to be the Perique dump I was expecting, but instead was a delightful VA/PER that packed a good nicotine wallop. I can possibly see a pressed pound of this in my future. C&D has been forced to raise their prices this year due to higher tobacco costs, but they still remain a very good buy for the quality you are getting.

Five stars for Bayou Night. Just make sure the nicotine doesn't get to you.