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Through the ages, all over the world, folklore stories have been shared, with plenty of wisdom and traditions upheld for many generations. Jeremy Reeves, Director and Head Blender of Cornell & Diehl, shared more about this special blend, serving as a tribute to cultural folklore around the world. Folklore is back in limited quantities on-site now.
Note: This video has been posted for Cornell & Diehl's social media and YouTube channels. Cornell & Diehl's Folklore is available as of Tuesday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Note: The following transcription has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Hi everyone, Jeremy Reeves here to talk to you about a limited-edition release that we are about to put out into the world: Folklore.
Virginia-Style Tobacco
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Virginia-style tobaccos. Folklore is a celebration of all of the unique characteristics that flue-cured Virginia can bring to a blend. It's also no secret that I am a big fan of sweet and savory combinations, as well as sweet and spicy combinations, and I think Folklore brings both of those flavor profiles together in a really special way.
We used five different grades of flue-cured, ranging from very Golden Bright with high sugar content that's three years old, all the way through the spectrum to deep Mahogany, nearly black, very well-aged, eleven-year-old tobacco from Virginia.
Perique and Indonesian Kasturi
Added to that, we used a small amount of pure St. James Perique from our farm partners at 31 Farms and a lightly, semi fire-cured tobacco. Rather than going through the fire-curing process for 14 to 16 days, it has only gone through about six days of firing, so the smoke is present, but it's subdued and more subtle.
Lastly we added some Indonesian Kasturi, which is one of the most fascinating tobaccos that I've ever smoked straight. It's actually spicy on the palate when you smoke it straight, almost as though you were eating a very spicy soup or stew. The level of heat makes me think of something like Bún bò Huế. It has savory, robust, smoky, and spicy elements to it, but it also tastes a little sweet. It's quite satisfying and doesn't taste like a straight component. It tastes like a blend on its own. I love using it in blends like Folklore; it really just sings.
Flavor Profile and Aging Potential
There are notes of juniper berry, plum, and deep chocolate, as well as hay, citrus, and a vinegary kind of tang.
Inside the box, the brick has been vacuum sealed. We do not recommend using the vacuum seal for long-term storage.
I took my pound of Folklore the first time that we released it and pulled out my pocket knife and sliced it into lengths, cross cut those, and then put all of the cakes into smaller mason jars. Then I sealed them up and dated them, and it's been really wonderful to see what the aging potential is for this blend by going in and sampling them over time from different jars that have been aged for successively longer as we go.
I think the aging potential here is quite great because, as we know, natural sugar content is what aids in the fermentation process, and the majority of this blend is flue-cured tobacco that has a nice, high, natural sugar content, so it's definitely going to age well into the future.
I think this will be delicious in five years, in 10 years, in 15 years, and it'll be a new and unique experience all along the way. So definitely try that.
I think Folklore is delicious. It's fun, unique, and it's something that's only available every once in a while, so be sure to get your hands on it while you can. There were only 2,000 pounds made, and it comes in a 16oz vacuum-sealed brick. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I am.
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Comments
"I think this will be delicious in five years, in 10 years, in 15 years" per the review. Obviously, not for an 85 year-old man...or even one considerably younger. Really gotta' laugh.