Manufacturer Description:
Manufacturer Description:
Jeremy Reeves, master blender at Cornell & Diehl, sent us a very special creation. The Carolina Red Flake is only produced in small batches. Only just under 2,000 tins made it to Germany. An absolute rarity awaits you. A blend of the finest red Virginias from North Carolina, harvested in 2015, Carolina Red Flake is a tribute to the Old Belt. Picked straight from the Carolina soil, these premium Virginias were all grown, harvested, blended, pressed and then lovingly cut and packaged in the heart of ancient tobacco country. Sweet, tangy and spicy, Carolina Red Flake is both surprisingly straightforward and pleasantly complex: you'll find it rich, deep and earthy, with undertones of dried cranberries, orchard grass and citrus.
Cornell & Diehl are proud of their heritage - especially this near-perfect red Virginia Flake. Enjoy it!
Characterisation:
As soon as the Carolina Red Flake is opened, you can close the small round tin again with the plastic lid. However, a more airtight container is more suitable if you store the tobacco for a longer period of time if you won't use it up as quickly. The flake is also wrapped in cardboard. However, it is more of a rough ready-rubbed. The Carolina Red Flake is predominantly dark and medium brown, with large bright inclusions. First you smell baking chocolate, then you notice the finely pungent acidity of Perique. The Carolina Red Flake almost seems a bit dry to the fingers, but if you bend the pieces you will notice that they have good elasticity. This way you can plug the tobacco straight away.
Plugging:
The structure of the Carolina Red Flake is more reminiscent of a Ready Rubbed, but thanks to its elasticity the pieces can be easily folded or placed into the pipe as loose balls. However, the pipe should not be too small and you should remember to give the Carolina Red Flake some space to develop.
Light up:
The compressed tobacco expands significantly under the first flame. That's why you should handle the Carolina Red Flake mindful and carefully smooth the surface with the tamper before giving fire again.
Smoking properties:
The Carolina Red Flake has a varied taste. The smoke is strong and spicy with the aromas of dark toasted bread that you would expect from a Virginia. Wood and leather notes enrich this familiar impression. But even more unusual, although already noticeable in the cold scent, is the pleasant, bittersweet and chocolaty-like sweetness. Especially since it appears completely natural. As if that weren't enough, this is enriched by the Perique. The tangy, peppery acidity can be tasted just as much as you could smell it before. Just as pleasant: the Carolina Red Flake doesn't cause any problems when smoking. You puff it comfortably and at the end you only have to remove a few unburnt crumbs and some dark, flaky ash.
Redolency:
Since the Carolina Red Flake contains Perique, sensitive noses may feel bothered. That's why you should be considerate of non-smokers.
Conclusion:
The Carolina Red Flake may be more of a coarse ready rubbed, but its careful composition makes the taste all the more harmonious. It is not surprising that the dark Virginias used are reminiscent of toasted bread, leather and wood. A peppery perique can also be expected. What is extraordinary is the natural sweetness, which is reminiscent of creamy dark chocolate and gives the powerful spicy tobacco a harmonious roundness that one likes to treat oneself to on special occasions and in hours of leisure. Not necessarily a tobacco for absolute beginners, but certainly one that you would like to have experience with.
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