Tobacco Talk

The Versatility of Red Virginia: Carolina Red Flake 2024

September 20, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

3 Comments

Carolina Red Flake originated eight years ago when Jeremy Reeves, Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, was researching new leaf to be the main component for C&D's Red Virginia blends. He needed something that was similar enough to the previous Red Virginia that it would not alter the blends, but ... Read More

Tasting Notes: Cornell & Diehl's Carolina Red Flake 2024

September 20, 2024 by Shane Ireland

1 Comment

Autumn is upon us. We are getting into the cooler months. I think a lot of people get excited about this time of year; the weather's cooling off, we're getting pretty close to Halloween, and pumpkin spice is back. But around here, there's a different reason that we get very excited about this time of year, and that is because Cornell & Diehl's Carolina Red Flake is coming out again. ... Read More

How to Rehydrate Pipe Tobacco

September 12, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

5 Comments

Tobacco is sensitive to its environment, readily adopting ambient scents and moisture levels. Once a tin is opened, even if the lid is tight, the tobacco is subject to changes. Its aging potential will be arrested, for example, but the most imminent issue is a reduction in mixture content. Whatever closet, shelf, or cellar we use for storing our tins will have a lower moisture level than is best ... Read More

Mystery Review: August 2024

August 28, 2024 by Truett Smith

2 Comments

Welcome to another thrilling installment of Mystery Review, a monthly series in which our panel of experts attempts to identify a mysterious tobacco. This month's inquisitor is fellow panelist Andy Wike, Vice President of Marketing. Will his mystery mixture leave us struck by our confusion, or will we nail the blend he's presented to us? Also joining us today is guest panelist Pete Prevost of BriarWorks. Join us ... Read More

The Legend of the Sun Bears

August 9, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

5 Comments

Long ago and far away, deep in the Black Locust Forest of the Solvation Mountains, there lived a bee colony that, for thousands of generations, had specialized in the most delectable honey ever known. The nearly immortal black locust trees of this enchanted forest were of singular quality. Their wood was dense, hard as ... Read More

Breakfast of Champions: Coffee and a Smoke

August 8, 2024 by Rose Kiser

6 Comments

A smoke and a cup of coffee have been a hallmark of the smoker's routine for decades. Whether it's a pipe, cigar, or cigarette with coffee, for many, their morning isn't complete without it. Many have speculated on why this routine is so ubiquitous in our culture and I am among these great ... Read More

An Overview of Prized Turkish Tobacco

July 26, 2024 by Kayla Ivan

9 Comments

When it comes to exploring the world of pipe tobacco, there's lots to navigate. Of all the tobacco varietals, some are more exotic in history and characteristics than others. As we have ventured through Virginiaville, barrel-rolled through Burley Borough, and army-crawled across Aromatic Avenue, we've taken detours ... Read More

Mystery Review: July 2024

July 24, 2024 by Stephen Mawby

2 Comments

Welcome to another thrilling installment of Mystery Review, a monthly series in which our panel of experts attempts to identify a mysterious tobacco. This month's inquisitor is Jared Coles, artisan pipe maker and tobacco lover. Based in Visalia, California, Jared has been fashioning quality tobacco pipes since 2011, and like ... Read More

A Selection of Boutique Burley Blends to Expand Your Horizons

July 19, 2024 by Rose Kiser

4 Comments

If you recently picked up and fell in love with Eight State Burley, then you might be itching to expand your horizons in the world of Burley blends beyond your everyday Codger mixture. While there is nothing quite like Eight State, many Burley blends in regular production offer complex flavor profiles and reliable smoking ... Read More

Best-Selling English Aromatics

July 18, 2024 by Kayla Ivan