Tobacco Talk

Lately I've been on this vanilla kick. It's just one of those classic flavors you can't go wrong with. I fondly remember making homemade vanilla ice cream for science class in a plastic bag with rock salt, vanilla extract, ice cubes, sugar, and milk. The end result was a really nice, pure vanilla taste. That's the exact taste I have been wanting! ... Read More

Last year, Cornell & Diehl broke ground with a completely different type of holiday blend — a mixture specifically designed around Halloween. Christmas-themed tobaccos? Why, there's a whole slew of them. But Halloween-themed blends? Mixture Monster was the first we'd ever seen. And this year, they've done it again.

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The new HH Pure Virginia delivers exactly what the name promises: honest, and unadulterated tobacco taste. I've been incredibly excited about this blend since I tried a few bowls during IPCPR a few months ago.

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Opening my tin of Golden Days of Yore instantly put me in the Christmas spirit. The aroma of eggnog, gingerbread immediately had me feeling homesick and left me longing for the winter months. Right from the first light you'll be able to tell that this is a special blend indeed. ... Read More

Recently Cornell & Diehl released their 2015 Christmas blend, Golden Days of Yore, inspired by the classic carol "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." C&D gives us a glimpse into how they create this blend's unique, aromatic sauce, one small batch at a time.

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I've been a big fan of the Rattray's Virginia blends for years. From Brown Clunee and Old Gowrie, to Marlin Flake and Hal O' the Wynd, there is something for most occasions (as far as strength and flavor go) for the dedicated VA smoker. However, there did seem to be one gap on the lighter side of things ... Read More

In his 1908 apologetical work, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton alludes to an idea that he had long had for a story: an English sailor sets out for an Island in the South Pacific, but through a navigational error lands back in England itself, believing that he had found an undiscovered country. ... Read More

I'd never heard of today's mystery tobacco until I stumbled upon it while searching for something else. That may seem a little odd, since (as you'll see, eventually) the maker is far from obscure; in my defense, though, let me just point out that we do have a hell of a lot of tobacco around here. ... Read More

"It's called Chenet's Cake," John announced, as he tossed a little brownie of tobacco onto my desk. Fresh from a trip to C&D's former operation in Morganton, NC, the Smokingpipes delegation returned bearing gifts ... Read More

Meet the Cornell and Diehl team as they take you through the meticulous and time-consuming process of making G.L. Pease's Union Square. In this exclusive video, head blender and production manager Jeremy Reeves will walk you through each step — from blending to pressing to slicing into delicate flakes — in making this popular ... Read More