From about December through International Pipe Smoking Day here recently, I decided to focus my celebrations on trying Cornell & Diehl’s Celler Series, you know: buy two tins, try/smoke a tin, cellar a tin. So far, this has included Bijou, Bourbon Bleu, King Cake, Oak Alley, Old Grove, and Speakeasy Navy Blend! I haven’t opened Bourbon Bleu yet so I have something to look forward to, maybe come St. Patty’s Day-ish! Of the ones I have gotten into, Bijou, King Cake, and Oak Alley are already up there in the category of almost all-time favorites! I just cracked the Speakeasy yesterday and was super-impressed but must get a good tin under the belt before commenting further. Oak Alley was the happy surprise of the bunch: “sweet red Virginias and white/brown Burleys, discreet amounts of Perique and Katerini Turkish”. I guess I came to the blend in a sort of neutral, no expectation sort of state of mind. But BAM!! IT WAS AWESOME!! Unfolding complexity and just downright delicious goodness from stem to stern of the bowl! Bijou is the other one upon which the TADspirit fell upon me and when I regained consciousness, I had five more tins on order on the way! That one I started picking up last May and, surprise, just like they say, it just keeps getting better as it ages… and this is not the recommended 10-15 years. The only one that didn’t connect with me, to start with anyway, was Old Grove. “Bright and red Virginias, dark Burley, Katerini Turkish, black Cavendish, and granulated Perique together with a subtle pomegranate topping”. Several years ago, I really enjoyed J.M. Boswell’s Pom Holiday, an aro with pomegranate so I was thinking, by tin description, that Old Grove would have that concept as well and a much amped up rich base tobacco factor. When I smoked the first bowl, I just kinda scratched my head and said, “what?”. I just didn’t get it yet. On such tobaccos my rule is to put it away for awhile and come back to it later, sometimes way later, and sometimes charcoal briquettes are transformed into diamonds so we shall see. Anyways, I’ve GREAT FUN focusing on the Cellar Series.. and there are STILL blends to scale and conquer! I heartily recommend them to anyone and wonder if anyone else has been having a great time with them as well?
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