Welcome to another episode of Tasting Notes. As usual, today I'm here to discuss something very exciting. This has been in the works for a long time and it is a commemorative project to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Smokingpipes.com: XXV Reserve Dawn and XXV Reserve Dusk, both featuring 25-year-aged Virginias. These once-in-a-lifetime blends are available now on-site.

Twenty-five years is pretty crazy. Some of you may remember that back in 2020, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Smokingpipes.com by partnering with Jeremy Reeves and his crew at Cornell & Diehl to create two very exciting blends that have since gone down as legend. That was the XX Flake and the XX Dark Flake, XX, of course, standing for 20 years.

That was a really exciting project for us. They were both remarkable tobaccos made with 20-year-old Perique in slightly different blends to fill out a daily rotation. It was limited, and once it was gone, that was it.

For 2025, in celebration of 25 years of Smokingpipes.com, we have again called on our friend Jeremy Reeves and his crew at Cornell & Diehl to concoct two new limited-edition projects to commemorate the anniversary: XXV Reserve Dawn and XXV Reserve Dusk.

XXV Reserve Dawn

Much like the name implies, the idea behind Dawn is something that is a little bit lighter and more conducive to smoking early in the day and throughout the day.

This is a blend of incredible Virginia grades and the crowning piece of this blend is 25-year-old Red Virginia grades BK12-2000. Those were grades that were picked and flue-cured in the year 2000 and have been through 25 summer sweats, as we refer to it in the tobacco business.

In addition to that, 2017 Red Virginias, 2022 Red Virginias, and two 2019 Red Virginia grades. Some of these are Jeremy's and my personal favorite Red Virginia grades that you've seen pop up in a few of his other blends recently.

This is an all-day Red Virginia flake that features heritage 25-year-old Virginias and a bunch of other supporting Virginias of high quality chosen for their specific characteristics. It's really an incredible and deceptively simple flake that offers a lot of nuance, intrigue, and complexity, and of course, maturity to the smoker, with the soft, supple flakes that C&D is known for.

Richly Sweet Tin Note

Immediately upon cracking the tin, the richness and sweetness is very evident. There's a lot of that malty character. Honestly, even a tiny hint of something citrusy, which is interesting because I typically associate that with lighter grades of Virginia. Mostly it's just that cane sugar, molasses-type sweetness. It's very rich, and I think the maturity of that 25-year-old Red Virginia is also very evident in the tin note.

This is freshly blended and pressed, but using heritage components that are well-aged, you are going to get the perception not only in the smoke, but in the aroma as well, of that maturity. It's gonna kickstart the rest of the blend into aging over the long term. There are very long legs here, even though we're talking about something that goes into the blend already at 25 years old. The baked-goods sweetness and a crazy, rich, natural tobacco aroma come through here. It's super inviting, especially for the Virginia smokers.

I've already lit this and I've already been smoking it. Typically, for the C&D flakes, I don't really give them so much drying time as I do a little bit of aeration when I break up the flakes.

I do think that this will perform in a variety of chamber sizes really well. If you're smoking outdoors or if you prefer a slower burn, you can definitely leave it a little bit chunkier and a little bit intact as a flake. For me, I prefer the instant burst of flavor and the range of complexities in the broad spectrum of rubbing it out all the way.

I've done that here, aerated it a little bit, and then basically moisture content straight from the tin into the pipe. It takes to the flame really well.

First Light: Well-Aged Flavor

Instantly, on first light, the BK12-2000 25-year-old grade of Red Virginia comes through. You get that maturity, that well-aged flavor, the depth, and the sweetness that comes with Virginia that is that well-aged. I also feel like the other supporting grades of Red Virginia that Jeremy selected for this blend really invoke a lot of the other familiar and comforting notes that some of the most impressive Small-Batch releases over the last couple years have featured, which stood out to me, particularly the Georgia-grown Red Virginia grade.

All of these grades are carefully chosen and blended together so well that I feel like it's just an incredible spectrum of what Red Virginia has to offer. Honestly, this is not necessarily comparable to Carolina Red Flake, but on paper, I feel like that is a fair comparison to make. It's like that on steroids. There's more maturity out of the tin, more sweetness, more depth of flavor, and I think probably some of this comes from that 25-year-old Virginia, but there's a little bit more evident like warming spices that I think are typically what I associate with more well-aged straight Virginias or with something else that has condimental leaf in it. You're getting the complexity from a straight Red Virginia flake here that you would think also had the addition of other condimental tobaccos in it.

In some ways, there are really no superlatives to describe how special this tobacco is. I think that saying that it has 25-year-old Virginias in there tells you all you need to know, but smoking this and experiencing it firsthand, it is nearly the perfect, all-day straight Virginia.

In addition to the malty character and the sweetness, you do get a little bit of that depth of molasses-like sweetness and then the warming spices. There is a little bit of a boozy quality here that I think is prevalent in a lot of Virginia blends that those of us who are Virginia fans enjoy.

It's a mixture of a fermented character and richness, and again, the sweetness that comes along with fermentation. It's like drinking an amber ale or something like that. That maltiness is a good, clean stage for all of the intricacies and the complexity to dance around.

A Special, All-Day Virginia

This is a comforting blend. I think most Virginia smokers could smoke this all day. However, I highly suggest that this is something that you smoke on a special occasion that you really devote your full attention to. It is deceptively complex, given that there's technically only one component in here in terms of tobacco family.

Fans of straight Virginia flakes, particularly those produced by Cornell & Diehl and Jeremy Reeves, will like this. If you like Steamworks and the Carolina Red Flake series, this is gonna be absolutely outstanding for you. I think anybody who's been curious about straight Virginias and wants to try something truly exceptional to really get what that family has to offer, this is a perfect opportunity to do that.

I think the BK12-2000 grade from the year 2000 is already well on its way to the magic point of age. All of those other lovely Virginia grades in support of that in this blend are just gonna keep this one aging into the long term beautifully.

I am smoking XXV Reserve Dawn in one of my favorite pipes of all time: a little silver spigot Apple by Former. It's been a dedicated Virginia pipe for me for years, and this is absolutely singing in this pipe right now.

XXV Reserve: Dusk

It wouldn't be a celebration of a monumental Smokingpipes anniversary without another incredibly special blend from Jeremy Reeves. The counterpart to XXV Reserve Dawn is the XXV Reserve Dusk which, like the name implies, is a little bit fuller, richer, and stronger of a blend that is more well-suited toward smoking in the evenings. If you are a smoker who prefers more rich, full body, and strength, this could be your all-day smoke. I do think that they make a great pair and a great rotation on a daily basis. They're certainly both worth checking out, but let's get into what makes XXV Reserve Dusk so special.

Just like XXV Reserve Dawn, XXV Reserve Dusk features the same BK12-2000 grade of Red Virginia that is 25 years old prior to production. That is the main focus here as well. To that, a couple of other Virginia grades are added: Bright Virginia from 2023, a Canadian Virginia, a 2019 Red Virginia from Georgia — one of my favorite varietals that Jeremy has sourced in the past several years, — another 2021 Red Virginia, and in addition to that, we have St. James Parish Perique from 31 Farms, the proprietary farm for Cornell & Diehl, and a little bit of Italian Dark-Fired from 2019 and US fire-cured from 2019 to add a bit more strength and oomph.

I really love the addition of the fire-cured and the Perique to this because it highlights different aspects of that heirloom Red Virginia grade that's 25 years old already. It just adds a little bit more complexity, spice, and body, and really showcases the difference between what that 25-year-old Virginia does in a pure Virginia blend and what it does with some condimental leaf as well. These are totally different experiences that are very complementary to one another.

Citrusy and Spicy Tin Note

It's remarkable how different this is even from just the tin note compared to the sister blend. Again, it's mostly centered around the heirloom 25-year-old Virginias with that same richness coming through along with that sweetness and the deep, malty character giving this tobacco the sense that it is very mature, although it has been freshly produced.

In addition to that, you get a little more of the zesty, citrusy, and grassy notes from that Canadian Brightleaf and some of the other younger Red Virginia grades. This is more in the territory of how I think of a mixed Virginia blend and a Virginia/Perique because you also have a really lovely spice that comes through that is equal parts 31 Farms Perique, which is the best Perique in the world, [ and these two different grades of Italian and US-made Dark-Fired Kentucky.

There's just a hint of that meaty character and a little bit of smokiness. That brings out the sweeter dark-fruit notes from the Perique and also a little bit of that same character from that aged Virginia grade from 2000.

There's still a fair amount of sweetness on the nose but what I'm getting here is actually nearly like a perfumey quality. There's something floral about this. I think that some of that can come from the brighter Virginia grades here. I think what I'm really getting is a mixture of these earthy, dark fruit, and slightly floral notes from the Italian fire-cured tobacco and Perique, and then that meaty, really smoky and rich character from the U.S. Dark-Fired.

The same beautiful and supple flakes that C&D is known to produce are here once again. I will say that if you're smoking indoors or if you're a smoker who prefers to really break apart your flakes, I would give this a little bit of aeration, but I do recommend just smoking this at the moisture content straight out of the tin.

This one has even more complexity and nuance. There's a rich burst of flavor from the jump. I definitely don't suggest too much drying time because you wanna maintain as much of that complexity as you can.

First Light: Spicier, Richer Condimental Tobaccos

At first light, this is just a completely different beast. It's spicier and richer, and the sweetness is toned down quite a bit. You have not only the condimental tobaccos providing a little bit more spice and complexity, but with less Red Virginia makeup in here, the perceived sweetness and that sugary sensation is toned down a good bit and we have something that is a little more on the darker side of the spectrum, flavor-wise.

It's still very balanced, and I do notice that the sweetness does amp up here quite a bit from the second, third down. What I really get off the bat are those condimental tobaccos. The maturity and the presence of the 25-year-old grade is definitely felt right away. You do feel like you're smoking something that is well aged and mature. It also gives you the nice foundation and that rich, sweet, malty character that aged Virginias are known for.

I really notice, right away, that familiar and super lovely 31 Farms Perique, with some of the dark-fruit notes and a little bit of the peppery spice, but it's a lot more rich and fruity than it is spicy.

And then, to that, I really love the addition of the Dark-Fired leaf, both the US and the Italian, because that nearly perfumey character that I was getting in the tin note comes through in the smoke too, especially on the retrohale. I get an incredible balance of earthiness and a floral character, a little bit of a dark-fruit sensation and sweetness, and just that natural tobacco character that is zesty, grassy, and malty.

This one does give me a little bit more of that nearly sourdough-like quality. It's less like sweet baked goods and a little breadier. It's closer to a strong ale or a malt whiskey. There's an incredible level of complexity. Again, it smokes like it's got 25-year-old Virginia in it, which it does. It's very dense on the palate, but very pillowy and very creamy.

I'm also noticing that Reserve XXV Dusk throws off a lot of smoke. It burns very slowly and coolly. And I think that for somebody just getting into Virginias or Virginia/Periques, you're gonna find it very forgiving, but be careful because you're also gonna be spoiled right off the bat. You can't find 25-year-old Red Virginias in just anything.

The Perfect Counterpart to Dawn

A little bit further into the bowl, things settle down a little bit. You start to have the heirloom Virginias and the other Virginia grades come into focus a little bit more, and the gentle spice and the complexity from the condimental Dark-Fired leaf from Italy and the U.S., along with the 31 Farms Perique, fade into the background.

I do get more of the interplay between the condimental leaf and the supporting base tobacco as the bowl progresses. I do think that this one has a nice progression and does change a lot through the smoke, which is great.

It's the perfect counterpart to Dawn, which is basically just your great straight Virginia that slowly crescendos and maybe adds a little bit of depth and a little bit of sweetness throughout the smoke.

Just like XXV Reserve Dawn, XXV Reserve Dusk has very long legs. This one is gonna be an absolute powerhouse of flavor for many years to come.

Dusk is one for the guys who value complexity. Not only is it a little bit richer and stronger right from the jump, this is one that is gonna keep your attention throughout the bowl.

Today I've chosen to smoke XXV Reserve Dusk in a little Former Billiard with silver. You've probably seen me smoke this pipe a lot. That's because it's one of my favorite dedicated Virginia pipes.

I chose a slightly more narrow chamber because this has a little bit more oomph and strength. I really wanted to have a chance to see how this develops with the 25-year-old Virginia and the condimental leaf throughout the bowl. It's a great choice, although this does perform equally well in any chamber size that you prefer.

Dawn and Dusk: Celebrating 25 Years of Smokingpipes

These two blends are the perfect counterparts. I would recommend smoking them in this order as well, but then again, you can smoke the Dusk all day long if that is your preferred flavor profile. I really like smoking these one after another and having them dedicated to their sort of intended use, let's say, which is early in the day and throughout the day, and then later in the evening. I definitely enjoy that, and I think that makes this kind of fun.

It never ceases to amaze me how Jeremy can continue to source these incredible grades of Virginias and blend them in a way that continues to challenge my perception of what is possible with tobaccos that have not been aged already in their tin for many years.

I think most of you know that I am a Virginia smoker who smokes Virginias 95% of the time. I have been doing this long enough to be fortunate enough to have a pretty deep cellar. In my own personal time, I am most often smoking stuff that has a lot of age on it. When you smoke something like XXV Reserve Dawn and XXV Reserve Dusk, it just reminds you that what the blenders are capable of is almost as good as nature and time themselves.

Thank you to Jeremy and his crew at Cornell & Diehl for, again, working with us to commemorate a very special anniversary for Smokingpipes with two incredible blends that will not be able to be recreated, so get 'em while they're hot, guys. These are two you do not wanna miss. And thank you for helping us celebrate 25 years.