C&D Carolina Red Flake is Back

[zitotczito]

Have at it guys.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Got bit last year, won't go near it, but here's a link for those wanting it.

 

[sablebrush52]

It was pretty good, but I ended up returning all of mine since other tins made on the same dates as mine went moldy. Think I'll pass. I have plenty of McCrainie's and good as this is, I like Red Ribbon better.

 

[bigtex]

Does it come with fungus at no extra charge?

 

[deathmetal]

Excellent statement by C&D:

Have you ever picked up what you thought was a glass of your favorite frosty, crisp, small-batch beer only to get a mouthful of tepid, flat, Natty Light? Your first inclination is to eject the foul brew, spraying it across the table onto your Aunt Silvia, who deserves it anyway, and glare at the glass with loathing and dismay. Then you try to figure out what you did with your beer.
Multiply that misadventure by, say, 2400, and you'll have a microcosmic view of our world after we introduced Carolina Red Flake last year. We had promoted a tobacco that was our greatest achievement to date and were anticipating lavish recognition and commendation, only to discover—after all 2400 of the limited-edition tins had sold in a single afternoon—that production miscalculations had utterly defiled about 20 percent of the batch.
"I'm ultimately responsible," says Sykes Wilford, CEO of Laudisi Enterprises, the parent company of both Smokingpipes.com and Cornell & Diehl. "When we launched Carolina Red Flake last year, we were—as an entire company—excited that we'd made something really special. And, likewise, when we ultimately realized we'd made a mistake in production, we were crushed. It was a bit of a roller-coaster: We went from being so proud of ourselves to being utterly mortified."
Perhaps the most ironic and distressing element was that pipe enthusiasts loved the tobacco and wanted more. We halted production and recalled everything, offering full refunds for every tin we could trace. Here at our offices, there was copious rending of clothes, tearing of hair, and breaking of furniture, along with uncontainable profanity and significant sobbing. What had we done to our loyal clientele? How had we ruined what was plausibly the finest tobacco we'd yet produced? How could we rectify this mess and recapture our reputation?
Confusion and bewilderment faded as we started understanding exactly what had happened, and we dedicated ourselves to reengineering faulty processes and verifying that we couldn't repeat the error. Carolina Red Flake was our first single-varietal tobacco and we fumbled its preparation primarily by not fully accounting for its lower pH level. We fixed that problem and started a year-long process of making sure we had it right.
Now, it's right.

Welcome to the reissue of Carolina Red Flake
Carolina Red Flake is comprised entirely of the same distinctive batch of top-tiered red Virginias as the original, harvested from a series of 2015 North Carolina crops and possessing a surprising complexity for a single-varietal tobacco. Delivering a pure, honest, 100 percent tobacco flavor, there is no topping or artificial flavoring. It has not been hot- or steam-pressed, nor has it been combined with any other Virginia, Burley or condimental leaf. Grown, thrashed, blended, pressed and sliced into delicate flakes from start to finish right here in the Carolinas, Carolina Red Flake provides smooth, medium-bodied, full-flavored notes of sweet baked goods, slight citrus and just the right amount of hay-like grassiness.
Given its minimalist, pure Virginia composition, Carolina Red Flake will only improve with age. It's a pure, honest tobacco that you'll want to cellar and cherish for years to come. Return to the cradle of tobacco production with Cornell & Diehl's tribute to the Old Belt and the Carolinas' history and tradition: Carolina Red Flake.

I'm taking the plunge tonight. They debugged the disaster, identified the problem, and have rectified it, just like in the other 666 blends that they sell that I enjoy, and this stuff sounds delicious.

A blend of the finest North Carolina grown red Virginias from 2015, Carolina Red Flake is Cornell & Diehl's tribute to the Old Belt. Taken straight from Carolina soil, these top-tiered Virginias are all grown, thrashed, blended, and then lovingly pressed and carefully sliced right here in the heart of old tobacco country.
Combining a hay-like grassiness with subtly sweet, tangy notes, it's a minimalist blend with a complex flavor: rich, deep, and earthy with hints of dried fruits and citrus. We're proud of our heritage — and we're particularly proud of this damn near perfect red Virginia flake.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/cornell-diehl/Carolina-Red-Flake-2oz/product_id/204290

Sounds fantastic, and a good excuse to try out the new Lovecraft blends as well.

 

[skydog]

I didn't try it last year but I'm glad C&D was able to get it sorted out and re-released. I'm a C&D fan but I'm such a McClelland red VA addict I'm torn on whether I should give this a try or just invest in more 40th Anniversary... ::

 

[codecreatively]

I jumped in with both feet. Loved the first edition before it molded over. If this one tastes the same, and they fixed the issue, we're all in for a treat. Fresh baked sweet bread, mmmmmmmm mmmmm!

 

[philobeddoe]

Code, have you been to the Talisker distillery or is this photoshop? If so, did you also happen to visit Islay on your trip?

 

[mcitinner1]

Somebody was interested... it's sold out at Smoking Pipes.

 

[jvnshr]

Any nasty comments will be edited out or deleted
Deathmetal, thanks for posting the statement.
I can understand the disappointment that you guys had but how many pipe tobacco blend making companies are out there? Once in a while a member opens a thread about a company or a website or a B&M closing and we all state how sad we are. Do we want C&D to get closed as well? They have accepted their mistake and offered full refunds. They did the best a company could have done in the same situation. Let's just get over it and smoke our pipes and support the ones who contribute to this beautiful community. I am not receiving a single penny or any free tin from C&D, I was just trying to be objective. I hope you folks can understand.

 

[deathmetal]

I calculate risk and expected loss, usually informally, on everything I do.
The minimum it gets is about 5%, meaning that 1-in-20 times, something goes wrong.
It's just life. Entropy? Anyway, this tobacco looks great and I am excited to be tearing into it.

 

[mackeson]

and it's gone from SP.C

I'll try this one eventually hopefully

 

[hawky454]

I'm amazed that people are still strung up about this. I think Javan brought up some great points, we should all be very thankful that we have companies like C&D and Smokingpipes, they are essential to our hobby and they are passionate about what they do and that comes through in their product. I, for one, am very glad to be a customer of theirs!
I missed out on this release last time and unfortunately I missed out on it again this time. I had no idea they even had plans on a re-release and that is really cool that they did! I was gifted a generous sample last year from it's original release and I will say it was an awesome smoke, so all you folks that were lucky enough to obtain a tin (or a hundred) will be in for a nice treat! As for me? I guess I will go on without any as I can't win em all but I can't help but kick myself in the butt for missing such an awesome release, I shall hold my head up high and keep on truckin' though. You all enjoy your Carolina Red Flake!

 

[sablebrush52]

I am not receiving a single penny or any free tin from C&D, I was just trying to be objective.

So that huge shipment from C&D heading to Azerbaijan has nothing to do with you? Really?

 

[skydog]

Yeah I checked earlier today and SPC only had 43 tins or something left. Decided I'd better go ahead and grab some to try.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Let's just get over it and smoke our pipes and support the ones who contribute to this beautiful community.

I read no nastiness in anyone's replies. There are just some of us that prefer not to take that route again. Everyone on this thread has been supportive in others trying it.

 

[jvnshr]

So that huge shipment from C&D heading to Azerbaijan has nothing to do with you? Really?

Those all were humanitarian aid Jesse.

I read no nastiness in anyone's replies.

Because I deleted them Duane.

There are just some of us that prefer not to take that route again. Everyone on this thread has been supportive in others trying it.

Here in my country we say "a donkey will get itself into a mud only once". And it is totally understandable that you don't want to take that route again, nothing more natural than that. I don't think that you had less troubles than any other person who had purchased that tobacco and look at your reply:

Got bit last year, won't go near it, but here's a link for those wanting it.

You were very polite, polite enough to provide a link. Some weren't. That's what I was talking about.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Ah. Got it. Didn't realize posts were deleted. I did get a nice haul of Black Frigate for my troubles last year. :wink:

 

[jvnshr]

Ah. Got it. Didn't realize posts were deleted.

It was a single post actually, but I predicted that there will be more and gave a warning. You are aware of my clairvoyance abilities right?

I did get a nice haul of Black Frigate for my troubles last year. :wink:

 

[krizzose]

I missed this window, but maybe I'll get another chance. I bought four tins of the first batch, and the return process was handled very well in my opinion.