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This Christmas season is, well, somewhat of a stressful time. It's true for most everyone, but as anyone who works in the industry can probably attest, it goes doubly so when you work in retail. Our regular Monday and Thursday newsletters swell in size, phones ring off the hook as our amazing customers try to find gifts for ... Read More

Christmas shopping can be an intimidating endeavor at the best of times. Not only do you have to find the time to get to the shops, navigate the running of the bulls that is walking into any retail store after Thanksgiving, but you have to actually buy a personalised gift, often for people that are unwilling to give any kind of clue as to what that might be. ... Read More

Yep, that's right ladies and gents, it's that time of year. PSL is out and peppermint mocha is in, supermarkets have been spruiking Christmas decorations for a solid month and change, and every visit to your folks is scored by "that nice Michael Bublé fellow". That could only mean one thing. Despite having spent 261 out of the last 365 days ... Read More

Recently we sat down with Jeremy Reeves of Cornell & Diehl to discuss the latest entry in the Cellar Series line: Vieux Carré. Originally released back in July of 2016, it's the second English blend and the second flake tobacco in the series — though quite unlike anything else. ... Read More

Many pipe tobacco blends are offered in both tinned and bulk varieties. But is there a difference between the two? The short answer is no, not really. It's the exact same blend, just packaged differently. Usually, it's even made at the same time; one portion of the batch gets tinned, while some of it goes into bags and is ... Read More

Shane recently headed to Music City to catch up with the growing pipe maker community in Nashville. Here he speaks with Pete Prevost, artisan pipe maker and co-founder of BriarWorks International, about his Long Shank Sitter, life and pipe making now that BriarWorks has been established, and painting as relaxation. ... Read More

We've been eagerly awaiting this one, an offering from Tabac Manil that, well, isn't really Semois. And before you panic, it does in fact have Semois in it ... Read More

For September's Mystery Review I came out of the gate a little strong, with a blend that has more of a cult following than a wide audience. Andy still got it, though he'd smoked it once before, albeit in sub-optimal conditions (being more focused on the shoot than the blend). ... Read More

For the latest installment in their Small Batch line, the blending boffins at Cornell & Diehl have taken Italian dark fired florets, trimmed from Italian cigars, and made something truly special — Sansepolcro, a true merging of the Old World and the New. ... Read More

We talk a lot about pipes and pipe tobacco, but very rarely do we mention smoking competitions. It's actually a really interesting phenomenon, if you think about it — taking a generally solitary hobby, one most prefer to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes, and making it into a sport. ... Read More