Most of us, when hearing the term "anthology," are likely transported to high-school English and the Norton Anthology of World Literature or Best Poems of the English Language. Others may gravitate to thoughts of music anthologies, and still others may think of collections of films, artwork, podcasts, or TV shows.

The advantage of anthologies is that they provide a concentrated collection of superlative examples in a theme, whatever their category. If we want to experience the best of a genre, anthologies are time-saving and quality-emphasizing conveyances providing a highlighted overview of a particular specialty.

Tobacco Anthologies?

The concept works for tobacco companies, too. As pipe smokers, we all have our own "best of" lists of tobaccos from various blenders, but how could a tobacco company release an anthology of blends? Might they divide a tin into sections with several different tobaccos? Or devise a plug of different layered blends that drops into the pipe for immediate back-to-back-to-back performances?

Cornell & Diehl approaches the conundrum from a different perspective. Released in 2022, Anthology 1992-2022 inaugurated the series with a blend designed to illuminate the best of C&D's accomplishments over the previous 30 years. In contrast, Anthology 2023 combines some of the finest components and techniques developed over the past year.

"It's a Red Virginia flake made up of four different, darker Virginia components," says Jeremy Reeves, Head Blender at C&D. "The oldest is from 2013. It's dark and very mellow with a lovely sweetness." After that is a Red/Orange leaf from 2019. "That leaf has a particularly commanding strength to it while contributing a more subtle sweetness and a little bit of spice."

Another leaf from 2019 also joins Anthology. "It's the same Georgia leaf that we used in Steamworks," says Jeremy. Small Batch: Steamworks was a limited-edition blend that employed a double-steaming process, though the Georgia leaf component was not steamed. Its unique characteristics were best accentuated otherwise. "Again, it's more of a Red/Orange Virginia, with incredible sweetness, a really special sweetness."

Mysterious Sweetness

The strange thing is that it doesn't, with measurements currently employed, contain a particularly high level of sugar. "The sugar content of the leaf is based on laboratory testing to assess what weight of the tobacco a mass spectrometer recognizes as sugar and what weight of the tobacco a mass spectrometer recognizes as nicotine. We could search for other things and find other chemical components that make up a portion of the tobacco, but most leaf dealers have all of their crops tested for sugar and nicotine, because that's what most blenders are really interested to know so that they can make sure that if they have nicotine targets or sugar targets for their blend that they can find the best leaf for the job."

This Georgia leaf contains 17% sugar, which is not low but not particularly high for Virginia leaf. "It smokes as sweet as Splenda, though" says Jeremy. "Just very sweet, and it's been a mystery to me. I'm not a scientist. I'm not an agronomist. I'm a hobby farmer but definitely don't have any scientific know-how to really understand what's taking place. All I know is that something about this leaf comes through with a lot of sweetness. It doesn't take very much in a blend to really bolster any sweet edge that you're looking for in the end result."

Anthology 2023 combines some of the finest components and techniques developed over the past year

A varietal with that much sweet affability requires caution and deliberation, calibrating its character in conjunction with its co-components. "Anytime that I'm blending, I'm really paying attention to where an individual component registers, meaning the locality in my mouth. I'll smoke all of my components separately and then begin trying to figure out, okay, what is the best thing about this component? What are the things that it needs to commend itself? Every component has special qualities. If you've got good leaf to begin with, every component can do something for you and every component has its drawbacks and has points where it lacks."

"... most leaf dealers have all of their crops tested for sugar and nicotine, because that's what most blenders are really interested to know"

Virginia-Leaf Flavor Contributions

"Virginia is great for adding a little sweetness in a blend and for accentuating a little bit of spice. But Virginias often lack depth and if you use just one grade, just one component, it can result in a very monotone experience. Tobacco blending is an art that relies on the blender's ability to create an overall flavor profile larger and more complex than the sum of its parts. The four Virginias in Anthology are all Red Virginias but they're all very different in terms of the flavor profile they deliver. "The TA-22 has a profound fruity character; the Red/Orange 2019 from North Carolina has a little bit of a spice element to it; the Georgia leaf really sings in sweetness; and the 2013 Dark Virginia just has this wonderful, mellow blend of tartness and sweetness that is soft, round, and rich but a little lacking in nicotine strength, so adding the 2019 North Carolina leaf provides more strength and a consistent base note, as well as some spice."

The TA-22 that Jeremy refers to is the same tips-grade Virginia used in Carolina Red Flake in 2022. "Part of the reason that I use the original grade for Carolina Red Flake in Anthology is because it's such a wildly complex component on its own. I'm still blown away by it — not simple at all, but containing a simple collection of flavors: sweetness and spiciness and earthiness, and a little bit of rye. That rye bread flavor really made everything else unique.

"If you've got good leaf to begin with, every component can do something for you and every component has its drawbacks"

"I'm quite impressed with the flavor of each of these leaves on their own and it was really a lot of fun to find the right balance between all four to make their best attributes useful for the end result."

That's most often a journey of trial and error. It requires smoking each component and identifying its positive qualities as well as its weaknesses, then determining what combinations are necessary for highlighting the positive attributes. "If every tobacco created a perfect palate-filling and pleasing experience on its own," says Jeremy, "we wouldn't blend."

Multidimensional Flavor Profile

It's a time-consuming process, but necessary because it's the final combination that has to deliver. For example, says Jeremy, "you don't want just spaghetti. You want spaghetti and sauce, and then maybe you add a little parmesan on top. The reason for adding these things is that they possess complementary flavors and complementary textures that create a more powerful, more sensory experience. Blending tobaccos is the same. You want to create a flavor that doesn't focus all of its energy and attention on, say, the tip of the tongue. If you want some engagement of the back of the tongue and you want some engagement of the middle of the tongue, and some engagement of the sinuses, then you need a flavor that is going to be palate filling and engaging to all of your taste and aroma senses."

"... the Georgia leaf really sings in sweetness; and the 2013 Dark Virginia just has this wonderful, mellow blend of tartness and sweetness"

It isn't as simple as choosing the components and mixing them in equal parts, though. Each element must be tested in different proportions to determine how they interact. "Ultimately, the only thing that I can do is blend to achieve a taste that I think is nice, that I think is compelling, interesting, and fun to smoke. Then, I always share samples with a few others here who I think have a sense of what is good and what is interesting."

In the case of Anthology, Jeremy developed two different versions that he thought were excellent, though he had a personal preference. After sharing them with folks like Andy Wike, Josh Burgess, Shane Ireland, Alan Britt, Aaron Wilson, and Caleb McBee without revealing his own favorite, Jeremy was able to use their feedback to determine that the current version balancing four Virginias was superior, and it happened to match his own preference.

Anthology's Particular Attributes

Smokers may note that Anthology's flake cut pulls apart more readily than flakes from other manufacturers. "That's because we don't use any glue or binder," says Jeremy. "All of our flakes, even the best adhered among them, will be a little looser. Most manufacturers add a binder of some kind, usually gum arabic, to make their flakes stick. We prefer a more natural approach and rely on seven days of intense pressure alone to form the cakes that are subsequently sliced into flakes."

"If you want some engagement of the back of the tongue and you want some engagement of the middle of the tongue, and some engagement of the sinuses, then you need a flavor that is going to be palate filling"

Anthology 2023 is certainly a unique tobacco offering a flavor profile at the heights of sophistication and quality. "I think the most distinct quality of this blend," says Jeremy, "comes from the 2013 Virginias. They are so soft and so round. The sweetness that they impart is serene and pillowy, almost like the difference perceived in the taste of crystallized sugar versus powdered sugar. It's just softer somehow. It makes up the majority of the tobacco and is really the base of the blend. Then, smaller portions of the fruitier sets from '22 and of the spicier and heavier Red-Orange leaf from 2019 are joined to a little bit of the Georgia leaf to kick up the sweetness just a notch."

Who Will Most Appreciate Anthology?

It's a blend that will appeal to a broad swath of pipe smokers as a change of pace for those who are usually interested in smoking either Burleys or Latakia mixtures, which can have elements of sweetness to them but tend to be more savory rather than sweet. "There's still plenty of richness and nicotine here to satisfy anyone who is looking for a stouter blend. I think that if folks are interested in aromatics, this could act as a stepping stone toward unflavored tobaccos for those interested."

It may not be a first-thing-in-the-morning blend for everyone, except those who prefer a strong smoke to accompany their morning coffee. "I would say that later in the day would be better," says Jeremy. "It's medium in strength, maybe medium-plus, with a nicotine level in the medium range as well." Those who enjoy Carolina Red Flake 2022 may recognize the tips-grade tobacco as well as the 2019 North Carolina leaf, both now contributing to the elegant flavor profile of Anthology.

"There's still plenty of richness and nicotine here to satisfy anyone who is looking for a stouter blend."

Anyone with an interest in experiencing the best components developed by Cornell & Diehl over the past year may want to consider trying Anthology. It's a blend that stands on its own, with its own character and personality, and that has been achieved through the careful adjustment of proportion, preparation, and special tobacco crops. A unique approach to the Virginia family, Anthology provides natural sweetness, a sweet and slightly tangy sourdough character, and notes of earth, crushed allspice, black currant, and rich dark molasses. Its elements represent the successes of C&D over the past year. Be ready: Anthology will be available December 15, 2023.