Welcome to another episode of Tasting Notes. I've been fortunate lately to have a hot streak of really interesting things to try, and today is no exception. I was particularly excited for the 2023 release of Cornell and Diehl's Small Batch: Carolina Red Flake w/ Perique.

This has been a staple in my cellar and in my pipe since the inception of Carolina Red Flake w/ Perique, which first came out in 2020. It was released again in 2021 and now is making a return in 2023. I have really enjoyed all of the iterations of this blend, and they all have their merits and unique qualities.

Tin Note: Music to your Nose

However, I was particularly excited about 2023, and I'll get back to that in just a second, but basically it includes a component that I'm super excited about. I'm going to do the tin note first before I talk about the components; it is exactly what you want as a Virginia/Perique smoker. There are notes of rich, bready pecan, and it's a little bit tangy. There's also some evident sweetness, and perhaps a little bit of a vegetal quality, a little bit of nuttiness, like a toasted aroma, with the earthiness and a bit of stone fruit and all of that nice Perique sort of zing. Again, relatively unassuming tin note considering how complex the actual smoke is. But if you're a Virginia/Perique smoker, the tin note here is music to your nose.

A Blend of Exceptional Components

Most important, and anchoring this blend, is the component of Perique from 31 Farms in Louisiana, which is Cornell and Diehl's proprietary Perique farm. An interesting aspect about 31 Farms is that from seed, to planting, to harvesting, to curing, and to Perique processing, they are doing this 100% on St. James Parish soil. It is genuine St. James Parish Perique, grown in Louisiana, and processed there by a family with generations worth of knowledge. It is quite literally the highest quality Perique in the world and the closest to what the bygone era of Perique production would've been. It's now a cornerstone in many Cornell and Diehl blends, and in Carolina Red Flake with Perique, it has its chance to shine, maybe the best. The Perique is high quality, fruity, complex, with a little bit of that earthiness, some of those umami flavors, and it really comes through wonderfully in this blend. Supporting this beautiful Perique component are a couple of different grades of Virginia.

Starting with the Red Virginia — and this is why I was particularly interested in this year's iteration of Carolina Red Flake w/ Perique — I recently fell in love with Cornell and Diehl's Small Batch Steamworks. When I found out that Jeremy had decided to include some of the same Georgia-grown Virginia from crop year 2019, I was like, oh man, this is amazing. I really love this component. It's one of the most interesting Red Virginia varietals that I've been able to sample, personally. It's not terribly high in sugar. It's sort of in the mid range at 18%, but it comes across much sweeter in the smoke. This is a grade GA-JRL-19, again, Georgia-grown 2019 crop, 18% sugar, very sweet in the smoke and an incredible supporting characteristic to the Perique.

Also included are Heirloom Red Virginia tips from 2013. This 10-year-old varietal has 12% sugar and, because of the age and because of the grade in general, it is very mellow and rounded out. It's softer. There's a ton of depth and complexity. It's also balancing out that sweeter Georgian leaf and some of the spiciness and the sweet notes from the Perique. But basically, it's an extremely mature-tasting 10-year-old top-grade from 2013.

And to round things out, we do have a little bit of Canadian Bright leaf from crop year 2019. This is very high in sugar content at 28.5%. Basically, we're adding a little bit of sweetness here, adding some top notes to the register, making the blend a little bit more zesty and citrusy. That balances out super well with the rich Red Virginias and the spicy Perique.

Charring Light and Beyond

As is the case with Carolina Red Flakes of the past, we're presented with a really nice multi-hued, medium-toned, and broken flake. Nice and thin, it's supple, and the moisture content is perfect right out of the tin. I definitely do not recommend any drying time for this one; utilize your packing method of choice. It takes to the flame beautifully and burns really slowly and nicely with a ton of flavor and a ton of complexity. Mmm. The spontaneity in the pipe on this one is fantastic. You know, I can yap and yap and yap and come back to it, puff a little bit, and it comes right back to life.

It burns super well. It's very forgiving. And it's really — for Virginia, especially if you're not used to smoking Virginias all the time — this one is super tame in terms of your palate, your tongue, and the heat. It burns very favorably, which I like because I tend to smoke as slow as I possibly can. So much so that I have to relight all the time because, when you're really backing off on your puffing cadence and sipping on something like this, and especially a tobacco like this, you really get the full array of flavors.

The Perfect Balance of Sweet and Spicy

In the case of Carolina Red Flake w/ Perique 2023, immediately I get these lovely bready notes, along with toasted nuts. Right off the bat, there's a hint of spice, but that builds in intensity and complexity as the bowl progresses. Again, I am getting notes of bread and cereal. There's a little bit of a zesty quality here. You do get a hint of citrus and something that feels a little bit like acidity. I'm assuming that's mostly coming from the Bright Virginias and maybe even a little bit of the Perique.

Sweetness and spice are perfectly balanced here. Even though the 31 Farms Perique is very much a key player here and in the foreground, I'm not getting as much pepper spice as I am of the stone fruit notes, with a little earthiness, and a little bit of the umami character. These are balanced by the rich, malty, and tangy Virginia-like quality.

There are moments where on the retrohale and on the palate, I feel like I'm getting a slightly-sweetened tomato sauce flavor; a really rich kind of vegetal. Again, there's almost a hint of acidity. I know there's no actual acidity here, nothing perceivable anyway, but that's what it reminds me of. The sweetness is definitely there and I do notice the sweetness more in the second half of the bowl, or I guess I should say after the first third. But to me, this is more savory than it is sweet.

Complexity is high. The retrohale is beautiful. On the retrohale, I get a little bit more — ooh, it goes from being malty and bready to maybe even a little bit more like a semi-sweet pound cake. It also has a pretty creamy texture. There's a good density and weight on the palate. I think this is medium, maybe medium plus in strength and medium full in flavor for sure.

The Perfect Va/Per for a Range of Smokers

Frankly, this is a dream come true if you're a Virginia or a Virginia/Perique smoker. This is the kind of blend that you will save for a special occasion, to ration, and enjoy thoroughly, giving your full attention to every time you're smoking it. For anybody out there that's not a hardcore Virginia smoker or Virginia/Perique smoker, this is an excellent place to start or it's an excellent addition to your rotation for a change of pace. It really is so approachable. It has everything that the seasoned Virginia/Perique smoker wants and it has the refinement, rounded edges, complexity, and balance that someone who is normally smoking other types of tobaccos could really sink their teeth into and enjoy.

Today I'm smoking Cornell and Diehl's Small Batch: Carolina Red Flake w/ Perique in a little pipe by Former. It is a Virginia and Virginia/Perique pipe. These proportions and this size is smoking this tobacco beautifully. Again, I don't need to tell you this, but Carolina Red Flake with Perique is 100% cellar-worthy. Try to get as much as you can. Smoke it now and/or save some for later. You will not regret it. Genuine St. James Parish Perique from 31 Farms combines with Georgia-grown 2019 crop Red Virginia, a Heritage Red Virginia tip grade from 2013 aged 10 years, and Canadian Bright Leaf with 28.5% sugar from crop year 2019, creating an amazing combination of very high-quality components that is sure to please.