Tobacco Talk

Another installment in Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch Series, Carolina Red Flake is sure to be an instant hit. It's the most honest and straightforward Virginia blend that I've ever tried. Comprised of only one varietal, and made from only the highest grades grown, harvested, and blended in the Carolinas ... Read More

In this latest Tasting Notes video, I return to one of my favorite all-day smokes from a few years ago: Astley's 109 Medium Virginia Flake. If you're a Virginia smoker, or looking to get into pure Virginias, this is both a great introduction and a wonderful addition to your normal rotation. ... Read More

Which blend is playing Master Blaster to the other's Mad Max, I'll leave to you, but either way I guess that puts me in Tina Turner's rather angry looking spiked stilettos. As we proceed to the match, remember the law: two blends enter, one blend leaves.

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Yes sports fans, after much deliberation we're back to pit our final four Virginia/Perique blends against each other in somewhat-less-than-mortal combat. We lost some good contenders in round two, and with every elimination the stakes get higher (as far as no stakes competitions go), and each decision harder than the last. But now, to battle! ... Read More

Having been equally excited by each of the previous releases in Cornell & Diehl's Cellar Series, I've been impatiently awaiting the newest installment: Bijou. What makes Bijou special, you ask? Well, it's the first Flake in the Cellar Series. It's also the first blend in the series to feature a very fine 2003 Red Virginia from North Carolina. ... Read More

The Beast, the second installment of the Small Batch line, is Cornell & Diehl's tribute to the infamous Aleister Crowley, who was known for smoking his own version of a strong, rum-soaked Perique mixture as a meditative aid. In our latest Tasting Notes video, I face this Beast of a blend and give an idea of what to expect. ... Read More

It would be difficult to talk about classic Virginia blends without the mention of Rattray's. For generations smokers across the globe have enjoyed these now legendary Virginias: Marlin Flake, Brown Clunee, Old Gowrie, and Hal O' The Wynd. ... Read More

With the announcement of our second Spring Showdown, we also mentioned we'd be doing it a little differently this year. Instead of an all in brawl to see which blend in a wide open field of contenders was the best springtime smoke, we narrowed the scope a little ... Read More

When Adam first told us about deep-fried tobacco flakes, admittedly we were a little weirded out, but his enthusiasm for what he deemed "the All-American snack" ultimately piqued our interest. Bringing in a batch of his own to try and a copy of the recipe (the original having been written in fountain pen on a tea cozy), we set out to make this treat ourselves. ... Read More

Peterson's University Flake is one of those blends that has been around for a while and has amassed quite the loyal following. I've smoked it before and enjoyed it, but for whatever reason it's been quite a while since I popped a tin. ... Read More