Tobacco Talk

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

Well tobacco fans, it's that time of year again. Not only is spring upon us, if the quarter inch thick layer of pollen covering my car every morning is to be believed anyway, but the organisation-that-shall-remain-nameless-for-copyright-reasons has finished it's first round of play. ... Read More

Straight Up English is the first installment of C&D's new Small Batch project, and it delivers exactly what the name promises: a no-frills English mixture that's simple, rustic, and immensely satisfying. This blend will show you sides of Latakia that are anything but common; there's no other condimental leaf to take ... Read More

​McConnell's Scottish Flake and Scottish Cake have been long-time favorites of mine. They're well-represented in my cellar, and I find myself reaching for these blends often (especially the Flake), even after years of enjoying them. But it recently occurred to me that I've never given Scottish Blend (by the same marque) a fair shake. ... Read More

Chances are you have either already heard of Solani or smoked at least one of their offerings. Several of their blends are on the top of many smoker's "must try" lists, and Aged Burley Flake (or Blend 656) is no exception. ... Read More

New blends from Samuel Gawith aren't exactly common, but the fact that Cabbie's Mixture is also the first coin cut from the venerable English blending house makes it all the more exciting. This Virginia-Perique coin is the perfect addition ... Read More

For this Mystery Review, the tobacco was chosen through a rigorous process: whatever tobacco was the subject of the most recent customer review on our website, at the time. The process was, you see, rigorously quick. And in that same spirit, let's get on with it. ... Read More