In the summer of 2021, I found myself walking the streets of New Orleans in hot, humid air with brisk breaks of A/C in corner bars, enjoying dingy lighting and cold drinks. I didn't spend as much time in a haze on the street as others who visit; instead I drifted around the surrounding area, seeing more of what the Bayou State had to offer. I think tourists just assume that Bourbon Street offers everything Louisiana has but that's dismissive of a state with rich history, a state that offers a melting pot of cultures, a mixture of both folk and modern art, and some damn good cookin'.

I bring up Louisiana's cultural and historical significance because it serves as one of the main inspirations behind my topic of the day: Cornell & Diehl's Cellar series. The Cellar series is often misunderstood, with many assuming that in order to enjoy a tin, you're committing to a 10-year wait, but that's not true. The blends are great fresh out of the tin, zero aging required. I've been smoking a fresh tin of King's Cake, and it's already got plenty of nuance. Like any tobacco, it does get better with age, but you certainly don't have to wait a decade to enjoy it.

I spoke with Jeremy Reeves, Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, to discuss the cellar series in greater detail and perhaps provide a new perspective on these largely overlooked blends, starting with King's Cake.

King's Cake

King's Cake, outside of tobacco, is a traditional cake associated with Epiphany, the celebration of the Twelfth Night after Christmas. It's normally served from Epiphany until Carnival, though some serve it year-round. It comes in a variety of styles depending on your location but in Louisiana its typically a ring of twisted cinnamon roll-style dough topped with icing in the colors of Mardi Gras (purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power), with some being filled with cream cheese, fruit, or pralines, but always including a small plastic baby. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity for whoever finds the baby, and also pushes the responsibility of next year's cake onto the recipient.

So, how does one capture the essence of king's cake in a tobacco? "I wanted to create an aroma and flavor profile that was reminiscent of the sugary nuttiness of king's cake, but I also wanted it to be rooted in a robust tobacco flavor profile," shares Jeremy. "I knew I was making an Aromatic first, but I wanted to create a Virginia, Oriental, and Perique blend first and foremost. I aimed to get those things in nice balance, and then, once that was achieved, I worried about the flavorings."

The result is a very tobacco-forward Aromatic that captures that sugary, nutty essence while being very robust. This is a tobacco for fans of something like John Marr, G.L. Pease's Ellipsis flake, or Low Country's Waccamaw.

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Orientals, Black Cavendish
• Family: Aromatic
• Cut: Cake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Bijou

Bee-Zhoo

The word bijou refers to something small and elegant, like a jewel or a trinket, and as a tobacco, it's a stand-out, not just in the Cellar series, but in the world of boutique tobacco in general. When Jeremy Reeves first arrived at C&D in 2014, the company was using a vintage 2003 Red Virginia as their main Red Virginia in blends. As the supply dwindled, and a suitable replacement was found, Jeremy wanted to use the remaining 2003 for something special.

"We are taking that 2003 Red Virginia and steaming a portion of it with some very nice Bright Virginia with a touch of Katerini and a subtle melody of honey," says Jeremy. "Bijou is deep, rich, and roasty. It's this delightful balance of sweet and savory that I feel appeals to a lot of folks who like aged Virginia mixtures and those who are fans of some of the old iterations of Rattray's blends."

Straight out of the tin, this tobacco has obviously already got some age to it, and while it'll only get better with additional age, why not enjoy a tin now? You'll get this nice spiceness with hints of apple cider and a dark brown sugar kind of sweetness that's just a real treat to smoke.

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Orientals
• Family: Virginia
• Cut: Flake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Bourbon Bleu

B-Le

Arguably the most famous street in the French Quarter, the oldest district in New Orleans, Bourbon Bleu's name is inspired by the distinctive blue shutters that have lined the streets and been an iconic and memorable sight for years. It perhaps can be considered one of the more daunting blends in the Cellar series for its use of Dark-Fired Kentucky and Perique but Jeremy says that can be misleading: "Both the Perique and Dark-Fired are pretty dialed back; what this is first and foremost is a Virginia blend with accents of Dark-Fired and Virginia."

The Bright Virginia used in Bleu carries a pretty high sugar content, lending itself to aging and marrying deeply with the flavors of the Dark-Fired and the Perique. "While that Virginia is fermenting, it's just taking on aspects of that Dark-Fired and Perique along with it, darkening it quite a bit, and really marrying those flavors beautifully in the profile of those Virginias," explains Jeremy. He compares the strength to that of a tin of Capstan: not overwhelmingly potent but pleasant.

Bourbon Bleu uses a touch of old Kentucky bourbon in it, lending itself a strong bourbon note when smoked, with flavor notes of bright, sugary citrus, baking spice, and plum characteristics.

Available in: 2oz | 8oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Dark Fired Kentucky
• Family: Virginia
• Cut: Cake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Chenet's Cake

Che-net

Chenet's Cake is named in honor of Pierre Chenet, the farmer credited with industrializing the process that turns Burley into Perique in 1824. Chenet learned the Perique process from the Choctaw and Chickasaw indigenous tribes, traded with them for seeds, and began a long journey to standardize and industrialize that process. The methods and ideas he introduced are the reason we still have Perique in the modern world today. There, of course, have been innovations upon his processes, but he paved the road.

Chenet's Cake is a celebration of Perique first and foremost — it's over 40% of the blend, but it's got some heavy-hitting Virginias in there with a robust dosage of Red Virginia and a touch of Bright Virginia to add some sweetness. "It's just full, rich, and heavy. This blend is everything that you love about Perique; if you're about Perique, then this is the blend for you. But it is not for the faint of heart, it is a heavy hitter." Jeremy explains, "Straight out of the tin, it's rich, spicy, and very heavy, but as it ages it becomes sweeter, plummy, and jammy. I highly recommend it to anybody who favors strong tobacco and anybody who likes Va/Pers."

Available in: 2oz | 8oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique
• Family: Virginia
• Cut: Cake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Joie De Vivre

Si-w-a D-a V-ee-v-r-a

Joie De Vivre is a French expression that translates to exuberant enjoyment of life, the ability to find and see joy in everything, and the embodiment of the festive spirit of New Orleans. Joie De Vivre was the first English mixture introduced to the Cellar series, and it's a full-bodied blend of Latakia and sweet Red Virginia joined by equal amounts of Perique and Turkish Katerini with a touch of unsweetened Black Cavendish for a smooth finish.

Jeremy elaborates on what sets Joie De Vivre apart from other Englishes: "We're using Katerini from 2006, and the vintages we're using on the Virginia tend to be five-to-seven years old, so you're starting off with an already nicely aged base. It's really nice and mellow, and the components are going to continue to age in different ways. I think that it affords really fruity notes from the Perique and campfire elements from the Latakia that blend wonderfully together. The Katerini adds an apple cider component, and the whole thing carries a bit of spice. This is the perfect blend for those who love full English mixtures like C&D's Star of the East or G.L. Pease's Quiet Nights."

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Latakia, Perique, Orientals, Black Cavendish
• Family: English
• Cut: Cake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Oak Alley

Oak Alley was one of the original three in the Cellar series. It was created as a labor of love for Burley and a desire on C&D's part to show that Burley can benefit from age beyond just mellowing. "Oak Alley is a cake, and when you add Burley under pressure with other more sugared tobaccos and you let that sit and ferment, then the Burley goes along for the ride."

Oak Alley features 2006 Katerini, which lends a healthy dose of sugar that's supported by Red and Bright Virginia and a full dose of White and Dark Burley. It's a sweet and sour, slightly tart, and spicy blend with elements of earth and jammy fruit that only gets richer with time. "This is one for fans of Haunted Bookshop or Old Joe Krantz, especially for those tins that have some age."

Available in: 2oz | 8oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Burley, Orientals
• Family: Burley
• Cut: Cake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Old Grove

Old Grove refers to the Grove between City Park Avenue and Bayou Metairie that's home to ancient, moss-covered oaks and many of New Orleans' oldest trees. Old Grove, the tobacco, is the first ribbon-cut blend of the Cellar Series. It's a complex mixture of Bright and Red Virginias with Dark Burley, Katerini Turkish, Black Cavendish, and Perique with a subtle pomegranate topping. But why pomegranate?

"Pomegranate is an old-school pipe tobacco topping. Blends around the very early days of the United States used pomegranate toppings. Since the old grove is, well, a grove of this beautiful historic Live Oaks, we thought it would be a kind of nice way to reference the bygone history of those trees, using a flavoring element that's also quite old," explains Jeremy.

Jeremy believes Old Grove has a wide appeal. "It casts a wide net for smokers, that's for sure. This carries some strength while also being a true Aromatic. I think people who enjoy fruit flavors in their tobacco will love this, but also those who want a satisfying level of nicotine in their Aromatic blend will love this. I also think anyone interested in Virginia Orientals or Va/Per Orientals will find a lot to love in Old Grove."

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Orientals, Black Cavendish
• Family: Aromatic
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Seersucker

Seersucker, or railroad stripe, is a thin, puckered, cotton fabric that is often striped or chequered and is designed for clothing for hot weather. Think Colonel Sanders' or Matlock's wardrobe. It came to fashion when Joseph Haspel fashioned the first suit from the material in 1909 to stylishly combat the New Orleans summer heat.

Seersucker is a blend I was instantly drawn to when I began researching (smoking) the Cellar Series. I've always been a fan of cigar leaf in pipe tobacco; I think it creates an interesting dynamic. "Seersucker is a rich, spicy blend of air-cured and fire-cured leaf. It's inspired by the flavor profile of a rich, dark cigar," explains Jeremy. "I wanted to add some points of nuance, so I included some Orientals, Burley, and some Virginia to round it out. It stands out as a really great cigar-type blend."

This is a full-bodied blend for those who dabble in cigars or cigar smokers looking to get started in pipe smoking. If you like Key Largo by G.L. Pease, Oak Alley, or Warped's line of tobaccos, then this is straight up your alley.

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Dark Fired Kentucky, Burley, Orientals, Cigar, Black Cavendish
• Family: Virginia
• Cut: Plug
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Speakeasy Navy Blend

I'm going to let you in on a little secret — lean in closer, and don't tell anyone I told you this, but this is the closest you're going to get to a regular production original Carolina Red Flake. Don't believe me? Take it from Jeremy himself. "Speakeasy is actually a blend that's fairly comparable to the original release of Carolina Red Flake. It uses the same grade of Virginia that we used back then, just a later crop year, but the flavor profile is very similar to that classic kind of rye-seeded bread and that spicy edge it carries."

What sets it apart, then? A few things: one is that there are just hints, soft whispers, of Orientals, Dark-Fired Kentucky, and Perique, and the second is that this is a Navy flake with just a gentle amount of aged Jamaican dark rum added before it's pressed. "This is not a sweetened blend; it is not a flavored blend." Jeremy stresses, "This is literally just tobacco with Jamaican rum added in a small quantity to help marry the flavors and add a twinge of booze to the blend. We do the sprinkling amount and then press into a cake to deeply marry the flavors and then slice into flakes, of course."

Just as with Carolina Red Flake, Virginia is the star of the show. "It's sort of an alternative universe version of the Carolina Red Flake, just a slightly augmented version. This is the only blend to use this particular grade of leaf." If you've got a hankering and don't want to wait for the next release, then I highly recommend a tin of Speakeasy Navy Blend.

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Dark Fired Kentucky, Orientals
• Family: Virginia
• Cut: Flake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

Vieux Carré

Vyuh-Car-Ray

Vieux Carré is a French term that translates to "old square.". In the context of New Orleans, it refers to the French Quarter, or if you're at the bar, a name for a classic cocktail.

This is another English blend in the Cellar catalogue, and is very traditional while still maintaining the complexity the series is known for. "It's a Virginia- and Oriental-forward English blend, with Latakia being on the light-handed side of things. The focal point is really on the Oriental component. We use Islay scotch to help accent that smoky quality of Latakia while using less actual Latakia. This helps get more of the Oriental flavor to come through. It's a different kind of nuance from that classic English smoky character," Jeremy explains.

Like any blend with a touch of alcohol, it helps to deepen and marry the oils and flavors between the tobaccos while also providing some of its iconic Islay flavors. "There's more than just the smoky notes. You've got nice streaks of honey and leather that play really nicely with the Oriental and the Virginia components in the blend," says Jeremy.

Available in: 2oz

• Components: Virginia, Latakia, Orientals
• Family: English
• Cut: Flake
• Strength:
• Room Note:
• Taste:

I already had an appreciation for the Cellar Series. I had smoked about four of the blends before getting the chance to speak to Jeremy about the others. I wanted to write this because I think the name is slightly provocative; it plants a seed that these must be aged to be enjoyable, and I wanted to make sure people knew that these were great straight out of the tin. I definitely think that once you've found some you're fond of, it's a great idea to cellar them like anything you like, but it's very easy to grab a few tins with your order for other things and truly have some wonderful, celebratory tobacco in reserve. I have a can of King's Cake I've had for close to eight years now, and others that are six, five, and two years old. I like to save them for life's big moments: a friend's wedding, my nephew's team winning nationals, or a reunion with a friend.

I hope this has sparked some interest in this series and you find some new favorites in these blends. I want to know if you've smoked any of these, if you keep any in your cellar, or if you're eager to try them. Let me know in the comments below. For now, I'm going to sit on my porch with a corncob and dream of Louisiana.