Welcome to our first episode of Tasting Notes for 2025! I have something really special and singular to discuss today: Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch Firebird Flake, the latest Small Batch release, available now.

Right off the bat, I will say that it's been a long time since I've smoked something that totally threw me for a loop in the best way possible. When you've done this as long as I have with as much access to all of the tobaccos that are out there as I have, you start to get a pretty good idea of what the experience is going to be like even before you dive into a blend. This is one where I was not prepared for how unique and interesting the actual experience was going to be.

Flake Cut

It's perfectly cut, with intact flakes that rub out really nicely. I wouldn't say there's too much moisture because I think the moisture content right out of the tin is perfect but there's a sponginess to these flakes when you rub them out. I think a lot of that has to do with the Dark-Fired component. I found that a little bit of aeration gave me the best results.

Unique Components

Let's get into the actual components before I talk about the tin note, which is alluring and incredibly complex. There's a lot going on in Firebird Flake. There are three different Virginias forming the base: A 2013 TH-13 Red Virginia, a 2021 BF3-21 Red Virginia, and another 2021 grade, which is a slightly different BLF2-21 grade.

To that, two different heirloom Orientals from 2005, Izmir and Samson, were added. Orientals that are incredibly rare, super high quality, and aged that long have a complexity that is just through the roof.

Additionally, two different varieties of Dark-Fired Kentucky from the US were added. The Dark-Fired components are interesting. There is a more regular grade of Dark-Fired Kentucky from 2015 that has undergone a more extensive fire-curing process. To that Jeremy has also added a 2019 semi-fire-cured Kentucky. Semi-fire-cured is a different grade of Dark-Fired Kentucky that is fire-cured to a slightly lesser degree, allowing you to maintain a little bit more of the sugar and sweetness, and a little bit more of the earthier and more Burley-like notes of the tobacco.

Jeremy has achieved balancing two very contrasting tobacco types, and by that I mean Oriental and Dark-Fired Kentucky. There are stark differences between those tobacco varietals and they are typically used independently of one another.

I'm sure something like this exists particularly in the English realm where you have Orientals, Latakia, and maybe also a little bit of Dark-Fired but I cannot think of very many blends that are Oriental, Virginia, and Dark-Fired in combination, if anything. These are very unique, high-quality components, with lots of different grades here, and the complexity and the balance that Jeremy has been able to achieve by combining all of those components is remarkable.

Alluring Tin Note

Jeremy did mention to me that in order to achieve a balance between these very different types of tobaccos, the actual ratios are quite stark as well. There's a pretty hefty component of those 2005 heirloom Orientals, the Izmir and the Samson. Contrastingly a very small amount of the two grades of Dark-Fired is how you're able to achieve a balance between these very different varietals.

I'm mentioning that because it's remarkable how much the Dark-Fired comes through in the tin anyway, even though it is by far the most condimental of the components used in this blend. I can pick up the campfire, woody, and mesquite quality, but overall there's more of a malty sweetness, which I'm attributing to the Red Virginias there. There's some baking spices and baked goods coming through, and also a lovely earthy tone. It has a little bit of that cured meat kind of vibe going on as well.

The tin note is super alluring and fragrant. It's nearly incense-like as an English mixture might be, yet everything is more balanced and a little more refined than you typically associate with these big, powerful fire-cured tobaccos.

If you do choose to rub these flakes out, which I have in the bowls that I've smoked, I find that it takes to the flame very easily and performs very well. Like I said, the moisture content right out of the tin is perfect.

Well-Rounded Flavor Profile

Considering that this has the heirloom Orientals from 2005 and the fully Dark-Fired Kentucky from 2015, along with the Virginias that are from 2019 and 2021, there's some age on the components themselves. But this blend was produced relatively recently, and fresh out of the tin it is simultaneously powerful and robust, but with none of the harsh edges that come with that in a fresh tobacco.

There's definitely a mature and well-rounded quality to it, but it does stand up well to smoking later in the evening, after a hearty dinner, and smoking outside. I think if you prefer really full-flavored Virginia/Periques, or if you prefer English mixtures and really powerful, robust tobaccos, this is gonna speak to you for sure, but it's gonna be more of an all-day smoke.

I also think that straight Virginia smokers are gonna come at this and think, oh, that's a little more complex than I'm used to, and maybe a little more robust than I'm used to, but it's still very approachable.

It's gonna be difficult for me to use the sort of typical flavor notes to describe this blend. It's more about the experience, I think.

I am picking up some of the Dark-Fired in the flavor, and like I said, it's very elegant. I really enjoy that partially fire-cured grade that is fire-cured to a lesser degree, because it's so complex, it adds a little bit of sweetness, and you get a lot of that nice earthy tone that you would get just from a straight Burley tobacco. I'm even getting a little bit of candied nuts. There's a little nuttiness but sweetness also.

I think it's interesting that the earthy tones, the nuttiness, and then some of the more incense-like notes that come from the Orientals play really nicely with the Dark-Fired notes. There's something that's a little sharper, a little woodier, and a little smokier playing off of these more floral and incense-like notes with a nice, earthy foundation, and still plenty of the malty sweetness from the Red Virginias.

Evolving Notes

The way that Firebird Flake evolves throughout the bowl and the way that it performs in a variety of different chamber sizes and sizes of pipe overall, there's so much complexity and so much variety in terms of the experience that I have not really been able to just pin down exactly what this one is. I think that's part of the appeal, really.

Like I said, it's refined, balanced, and well rounded, but it has an alluring quality. It really is a singular experience. I go back and forth from feeling like I'm tasting maybe Mexican hot chocolate, to maybe fruit leather, and even some stuff that I would normally associate with higher amounts of Perique such as dark, fruity notes. The woodiness and the spice is there on the retrohale, but it's so delicate that you don't get any of that tingle or pepper. I do get a little bit of that marzipan and the sourdough notes that I typically associate with good Red Virginias.

There are a lot of tobaccos that we have collectively referred to as being balanced over the years, but the contrast here between the two main focuses, which is the heirloom Orientals and the Dark-Fired, is a balance that I wouldn't have guessed was achievable. There are warming spices, clove, and maybe a little bit of all-spice.

This is like an all-star team of all of my favorite tobacco notes. I would have to sit here in front of this camera for a lot longer to be able to accurately describe the experience of smoking Firebird Flake. I think that complexity, balance, and a singular flavor profile describe it as best as I can put into words.

Somebody who favors Virginias, Virginia/Periques, Burleys, blends with Dark-Fired in them, and Oriental blends will enjoy this. It has a little bit of everything. I think that this is something that seasoned pipe smokers are going to go absolutely crazy for. I think it's definitely approachable if you're coming from Aromatics or straight Virginias, or even from lighter, all-day Englishes.

A Singular Innovation

Firebird Flake is another Jeremy Reeves innovation, and it differs from others like Anthology and Steamworks, to my mind, because those reinvent and improve a format that we're all very familiar with already. Firebird Flake is the first blend in a long time that I can say that my preconceived idea of what it could be based on the components versus the actual experience is totally different. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It is nice to be challenged every once in a while by a blend in terms of what it has to offer and the complexity of it.

I intend to get my hands on as much as I possibly can of Firebird Flake and see how it ages, which I think will be remarkable too. There's enough flavor here and enough sweetness from the base Virginias that this one will definitely have long legs. I have no idea what it's going to be like in the future but I know that it has enough flavor and enough complexity that it's going to stand up to the test of time.

Jeremy Reeves is starting off 2025 extremely strong. I did not have it on my bingo card this year that heirloom Orientals and Dark-Fired Kentucky were going to be the magic combo of the year.