Tobacco Talk

Spring Showdown 2016: Beyond Thunderdome

June 1, 2016 by Adam O'Neill

12 Comments

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.

Spring Showdown 2016: The Va-Per Championship

May 18, 2016 by Adam O'Neill

12 Comments

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

Tasting Notes: C&D Cellar Series - Bijou

May 11, 2016 by Shane Ireland

3 Comments

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

Tasting Notes: C&D Small Batch - The Beast

April 27, 2016 by Shane Ireland

10 Comments

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

Tasting Notes: Rattray's Hal O' The Wynd

April 22, 2016 by Shane Ireland

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

Spring Showdown 2016: Final Four Spring Va-Per Tobaccos

April 15, 2016 by Adam O'Neill

22 Comments

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

How to Deep-Fry Tobacco

April 1, 2016 by Daniel Bumgardner

14 Comments

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

Tasting Notes: Peterson University Flake

March 28, 2016 by Shane Ireland

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