Small Batch: Carolina Red Flake with Perique
(Retails Wednesday, October 20th)
Cornell & Diehl’s flagship Small Batch blend, Carolina Red Flake is among the most celebrated and sought-after boutique pipe tobaccos on the market and is a delicious tribute to the traditional harvesting and processing of Carolina tobacco straight from Carolina soil. Inspired by this tradition, Carolina Red Flake with Perique elevates that homage further with the inclusion of genuine St. James Perique, the blend designed to represent head blender Jeremy Reeves’ ideal impression of a Virginia/Perique mixture.
2021’s edition begins with a blend of stoved and unstoved, top-grade, single-crop North Carolina Red-Orange Virginia tips. Through the stoving process, this select flue-cured leaf maintains its naturally bright, citrusy, and zesty character in the high tones while projecting a deeper, baritone foundation that pairs exceptionally well with its generous measure of genuine St. James Perique — grown, harvested, processed, and barrel-aged on a single farm in the heart of St. James Parish, Louisiana.
Layered with satisfying complexity, Carolina Red Flake with Perique offers an enticing melody of flavors and aromas, balancing pepper and piquancy with undertones of port wine and stone fruits alongside brighter citrusy highlights. The stoving process, together with the Perique, lends an unparalleled richness and nuance to the mixture, complementing the unstoved leaf’s brighter notes with figgy sweetness, breadiness, and earthy spice. While incredibly complex right out of the tin, it’s a blend that will no doubt increase in complexity and continue to improve with age.
Cornell & Diehl
The official retail launch date for Carolina Red Flake with Perique is Wednesday, October 20th.
