Cornell & Diehl Crooner

A great blend, it's not exactly vanilla, it's more floral and sweeter. Overall, a great blend.

Decent blend but the description story is a bit fantastical haha. Bob Runowski did not know or blend this for Bing Crosby. Supposedly this is a copy of a blend that Crosby smoked years ago on occasion. Probably blended by the original Tinderbox in Santa Monica, but anyway, it’s a decent change of pace blend but I e always thought it was missing something.

Definitely will be purchasing more. Makes me feel like crooning

Incredible and smooth. Definitely one of my favorites and will always have on hand.

One of my faves

I gave up aromatics with my short pants and generally found about town purfing happily on some Balkan blend for the most part. Like others have said, Crooner seemed off the beaten path and as I wouldn’t know deertongue from Panama Red, figured “Why not?”. So I speak from my own, unrefined, Joe Sixpack, palate and experience, FWIW (if anything) to the Devoted Reader: The stuff has a scent that made me think of hay as much as anything else, a kind of clean barn niff. Not a critique, just an observation and the aroma suggested a lighter smoke. In the 1 oz. bag, it seemed a little dryish —like MM965 that’s been open a couple days. Yet when packing my clay tobacco tester, it did quite well, and gave no trouble. It also lit up easily with two wooden matches and generally stayed lit, though it wants to die out if you are lax with the tamper. Crooner tastes like something from the past, something you could imagine Der Bingle, Gable, Hemingway or other pipe suckers from the ‘30s to ‘60s banging on. It’s not a complex taste like MM965 or other Balkans and not a hint of an aromatic to be found. It makes me think of Half & Half, maybe; not the stuff for a snooty connoisseur, but something is Regular Guys could enjoy. It makes voluminous plumes of smoke but doesn’t like to be burned too fast as it gets a little harsh. Careful tamping is also suggested as it will plug up the pipe if you get aggressive. The Burley dominates the taste and the deertongue maybe has the slightest Perique note which in this mixture is interesting. Normally, I wouldn’t get within a mile of any Perique blend whatsoever. So whatever the dt is doing ain’t bad. So IMHO, Crooner is worth a try, particularly for the Never-Vanilla/Cream/Berry/Maple/Bacon/Scotch/Bourbon/Rum/God Knows What Else-straight tobacco aficion, seeking a change up for the rotation. Nice Stuff!

I love this unique flavor. Since Bing smoked it I wanted to try and glad I got 16oz.

Mello, smooth, nice smoke. Thanks Bing!

Enjoyable and easy smoking

I am still trying to figure this blend out? I am not the best at detecting notes and such. It’s smokey mild sweetness that is enjoyable. Funny thing is, I do not have the desire to set back and enjoy a full pipe. I find myself satisfied after about 20-30 minutes. I thought Gurka Reserve Cigar upon light and as I continued enjoying this “Crooner” blend it’s as if I was smoking a fine cigar! I like this blend and it is enjoyable. I think I may need to make a smaller briar for this blend. It’s worth the purchase and I wish I would have purchased more than just a few ounces. Crooner is a must try! This is what I have been searching for!

Very happy with the shipping and timing the moisture when I received it was fantastic the aroma and taste is amazing everything I think Bing Crosby would’ve wanted in a pipe tobacco is still carried out to this day

This would get 5 stars but the burley is cut too fine and deers tongue always tastes better when ribbon cut. Good room note. Fine cut mix burns too hot for me

This is by far my favorite tobacco. The aroma is delightful. I always take a big whiff before packing my pipe. Packs great. I do a gravity fill with a light tamp after the pipe is full. One of the very few tobaccos that does not bite my tongue. Love it.

This blend was very interesting with the deer tongue to be my draw to this. Burns really well with good smoke production as burleys usually do. Almost hit the spot. I will have to return to this blend again.

Great taste, burns to grey ash. My wife even says best room aroma I`ve ever smoked. Can't go wrong with that!

This is one of the best cube cut blends I've ever smoked. Love the deertongue, mixes wonderfully with the burley and provides an interesting smoking experience. Great for when you just need something a bit different.

I tried a few ounces of Crooner and I must admit I liked it. This blend contains Deer Tongue and that makes this blend interesting. It's mild and slightly sweet with a nice bag and room note. One odd side effect of this tobacco is that it made my tongue numb. That may be from the Deer Tongue, I don't know. I've had blends with that herb in it before and never experienced the tongue numbing sensation. However, the more I smoked it the less I experienced the tongue numbing. Would I buy it again? Yes. Would I make it my everyday blend? No, but I would keep some around for a treat when I want something different.

Fantastic, will buy again.

Not bad a bit dry

This blend is an aromatic, make no mistake. That being said, the flavors of cardamom and the deer tongue make the tobacco more pronounced, it accents the natural flavor and gets rounded by the burley; It smokes like a burley blend, you do not get a sense that there is much casing outside of what the ingredients provide. To me, often blends are good, but wonder , and often follow through, adding, either latakia, perique or burley to create a more solid/ well rounded / complete blend. This is an outside in that concept. It is as warm as a big band vinyl and as robust. it is warm in taste like dinner on a holiday, the deer tongue/ cardamom like a non invasive cinnamon (best i can liken it to) the burley rounds it out to a blend that is as iconic as who it supposedly was made for....this is a rare blend where a famous name is added to it, with no real way to authenticate, but on some level you don't care because it is that good.

My go too blend and and a hit for any old time Burley lover. The deer tongue turns this already smooth and old style pipe tobacco into a winner. Will always be my all-time favorite!

Pleasant enough room note from a pretty standard codger-like blend. Flavor was consistent throughout the smoke. Left a pleasant aftertaste. Flavor characteristics were average

Fine cut, packs easily, burns well,very cool smooth smoke. The deer tongue is interesting, not sure how to describe but fresh and floral come to mind. I only bought an ounce and throughly enjoyed it. Will buy more!

Crooner is a flavorful mellow smoke

This has good flavor and room note, but I have to take my time it tends to bite me if I smoke it to fast. For me it is cut a little to fine. This is the first I have had with deer tongue. Of course, my opinion will probably change after I spend some more time with it.

This surprised me, I was scared of the deer tongue but actually like it, the tin is a little different (that’s what had me spooked) nice room, decent taste and aftertaste, burns great no relights (for me that’s amazing🤣) has become one of my favorites

I ordered 2 ounces of Crooner to sample along with a pound of other goods. when I opened the box, the aroma was distinct and quite different from the norm that I usually experience. I like my tobacco to taste like tobacco. I'm not into aromatics, to me they are like what must be like lighting up a pair of vanilla/ apricot underwear. My old burnt up pallet cannot describe nor differentiate one blending ingredient from another Nor are my writing skills able to draw you a purdy mental picture of hevenly bliss with a pipe and some matches. That said, this stuff is remarkable. Good ole tobacco flavor with a hint of some sort of spice in the background that keeps you wondering " what is that wonderful stuff ". As for me, I don't detect any vanilla, rather a hint of a peppery note that's is not at all overpowering but instead delectable. I will be ordering more of this stuff and soon. Not by the ounce but by the pound. If you pipe tobacco that taste like tobacco you cant go wrong giving Crooner a try

This has become my daily driver.

Magnificent smoke. Mild but flavorful with a great room note. Makes me wish I had ordered more. Smoking a Savinelli Bings favorite and listening to Bings Christmas album. It does get much better than that

This is my all-time favorite smoke. It simply hits all the right notes for me. It is also the only tobacco my wife liked to smell out of the jar. She also doesn't mind the room note... So, if it's spouse-approved it cant be bad. And the Bing backstory makes it more appealing for her. Anyway... I'm not precisely sure how the deertounge affects the taste. My palate is not that refined. I've read others commenting on hints of vanilla or herb... But whatever it is, it works. A bright burley that is easy to smoke away with a simple gravity fill. I buy this by the pound whenever it's available to ensure I'll always have it on hand. (on a side note, PS 41 is a close second to this). aloha. -aaron

Found it!! The exact smoke I've been searching for! I shoulda known Der Bingle would be the fella to lead me to it! I was an exclusive aro smoker for all of the 30 odd years I've been an on and off piper, but I recently went down the old burley road after finally giving in to the sheer pleasure Matches 860 always displayed while puffing on some Haunted Bookshop (also a new love of mine!). I bought a tin of HB, as well as a can of Prince Albert and suddenly, the shine was knocked clean off my beloved aros. I was an instantaneous burley lover. (neigh-sayers can pipe down. You've dismissal of PA as a no-goodnick OTC, codger blend will fall on deaf ears, here. I go through at least2-4 bowls if the stuff a day, as well as a smattering of Carter Hall). A random web search while watching "The Road to Morocco" as to the old groaner's smoke of choice led me to Crooner and the rest was history. Got 4 oz to start, waiting on a whoppin' el-bee of the stuff as we speak. The tin note was delicious and, oddly enough, reminded me of the slightly cinnamon, earthy nut smell of a freshly opened box of raisin bran or cinnamon Life cereal. Sounds odd, I know- but also familiar, homey and as comforting as a heavy down quilt on a cold winters night. The nutty, smokey, leathery-sweet goodness of the top-notch cube cut burley with the floral, spicy, vanilla zing of deer tongue just swept me away as soon as I lit the first bowl. The cube cut makes for a lot of expansion upon lighting, so keep it in mind to fill the bowl on the low side. I've read that some folks simply gravity feed and lightly tamp, but I did my usual three-step fill and it worked like a charm. A char light, a gentle tamp and a light and it burned cool, creamy, long, dry and slow, requiring little maintenance and only one re-light. It burned to the bottom and left a fine, white ash. I hear tell of ghosting, but none that couldn't be rectified by a full bowl of PA. It's a bu bu bu beauty!

The flavor is a nice medium burley with the vanilla floral of the Deer-tongue / Carolina-Vanilla. I hope it never goes away. This blend has an aroma and taste well worth trying. Thanks Cornell & Diehl for keeping Crooner on the market and P&C for making it available.. it keeps me swinging on a star... he was such a hip cat..

This had decent flavor but was a little too mild for me. It also left gunk in my pipe bowl so all in all I will probably not buy this again even though it is far from the worst tobacco I have encountered.

Crooner is an excellent cube cut burley. The deer tongue to me is a nice addition but pretty much a background thing. People say vanilla--maybe. If there is a forward taste, it is mor cocoa from the burley. Smokes very slow--set some time aside. I smoke it weekly or so. It is quite tasty, and pretty inexpensive. I tend to mix mine with PS Cube Cut 5:1. Just a few strands of any ribbon cut or shag burley does help it burn better.

great stuff, will reorder again.

Really great tasting blend. Smokes easy, stays lit. Will order more when back in stock!

Very pleasant!

A wonderful classy blend offering a taste treat that is unique and satisfying. Bing truly had good taste!

Good tobacco, smokes cool with no bite with a pleasant room note and smells great in the tin. Just too mellow tasting for me.

Would not purchase again

I liked it. Not loved it, but liked it. Pleasant room note, stays lit easily, and tastes good. Tamping and relighting brings some harshness, but not bad. Rich smoke. I'll definitely finish the pouch..... And probably buy more at some point.

One of the finer tobaccos I have smoked. Burns even and long with few relights. A smooth all day smoke, slightly nutty.

A spice mixed into tobacco?! So out of the bag and into a jar, its a bit dry. I have seen reviews on this and several people all point out it seems a little dry so I did wet it a bit. Heavy nicotine hit, but a great blend. And smoked by one of the best voices in the music industry. What more could you want.

When I lit it I was unsure. The first minute or so was harsh. But then - heaven in a pipe. I know this will become my go to blend. The burley is medium/strong and burns cool and slow. The deertongue remains subtle throughout lending a slight floral vanilla like note. Never doubt Bing. Never doubt Cornell and Diehl to deliver quality burley!

I tried this from my local tobacco shop, where it had dried out somewhat. It was strong, hot and dizzying. Regardless, it had a great aroma to it, like no other tobacco I have ever tried. I moistened the whole batch with a little food grade glycerin and let it sit for about a week to soak in good. Now it is a cool, slow burning smoke with a 1940's room note.

Complex does not begin to describe this dreamy opus. Dashes of nut inspired by the texture of the very loading of a wonderful bowl will illicit images of yore. A true time capsule of meandering, lilting notes meets one on a journey of music to the senses.

Normally, I am a smoker of English blends. Crooner is lighter and provides me with an occasional diversion without being insipid or flabby. The room note is pleasant also. I like it.

This is a strange blend.. the stand alone smell of this tobacco is just enchanting, everything that brings back memories of days gone by... But, when you smoke this, it will sneak up on you if you smoke it to fast... I found that you have to go slow. I have smoke some great blends, and this one still got me dizzy...

This is an interesting blend. The deer tongue definitely stands out! Mellow with a flavor like no other tobacco that I've tried. It was good enough for me to reorder and will do so again.

I gave this a good try and I just couldn't stomach the intensity. It has a nice flavor, but it was strong enough to make me cough quite a bit. Go for it if you like strong tobacco flavor and a little vanilla like Deer tongue. Its not bad, but just not for me.

I bought this because I've always loved Bing Crosby, just wanted to give his blend a try. In short, Papa Bing was a much better pipe smoker than I will ever be. Simply too strong a flavor for me, I'll let it age and see if that helps. It does, however, have a great room note. Maybe I should give it to a friend with the promise that they will only smoke it around me.

I thought I would give this a try. Not bad at all get just a hint of burley and is a bit strong first couple of puffs! Have not had any bad comments re the room note. I wouldn't smoke daily but for when I want something different. Has a different pouch aroma and must be the deer tongue. But will keep some in my rotation!

I wanted to try some tobacco that famous people smoked, and I read that this was Bing Crosby's blend. The pouch note was very strong and herbal, like tobacco mixed with Oolong tea. It seemed very dry, but it packed OK, and lit well. The first puff felt like it blew the top of my head off. Harsh and bitter, with a very strong herbal character. It was almost as bad as 5 Brothers. In fact, if you poured vanilla extract, and cheap grain alcohol into a pouch of 5 Brothers, I think this is close to what you would get. Maybe add a little battery acid for some extra 'kick'.... I could just barely catch a hint of burly somewhere in the mix. But it did burn well, and never really bit. It was just harsh...very much so. Bing could've smoked anything he wanted...and this is what he picked????? No accounting for taste. I'll leave this blend to those who are a lot tougher than I am.......

Bing Crosby has always been one of my favorite entertainers so, of course, I had to try Crooner. I ordered two ounces and enjoyed it very much--so much that I just ordered another 8 ounces. I love the smell right from the pouch and, contrary to what others have written, I have had some compliments on the room note it leaves. It is a bit stronger tobacco and may not be the best choice for someone new to pipe smoking, but I go to Crooner as my first choice for each day now.

This is certainly "different". Not bad; not great, but different. The "different" is attributable to the deer tongue. It's worth a try just because it IS different. Smokes cool and stayed lit well for me. I doubt it will ever be my "go to" blend, but would not hesitate to order again for those times I'm feeling "different". :-)

Was a very strong smoke but had a great after taste I believe it was the dear tounge so I did some research and ordered Cornell & diehl gentleman's caller witch is supposedly a not as harsh & also has dear tounge I just hope it has the same great after taste

I like the Deertongue in Gentlemen Caller and was looking for a replacement, since you haven't added it, yet, to the C&D selections. This isn't quite as good as GC, is stronger with a bit more bite, and will probably be relegated to my smaller pipes as a result. Still, not at all displeased with the choice.

This blend has a unique, light herbal, vanilla aroma but I find that it mostly tastes like a good non-aromatic cube burley blend with a bit of "herbalness". As others observed, it expands when it burns so don't fill your pipe too full! It doesn't bite but it will give you a buzz if you smoke it too hard. It's not likely to become my favorite but is a delightful change of pace.

Cornell & Diehl Crooner is the only blend I have located with Deer Tongue in the blend. It gives the tobacco a great taste. It is mild but gives off a great room note. I often mix this blend with others such as Sutliffs Vanilla Custard or Spicey Vanilla. This would be a great addition to the aromatic smokers blends.