Jeremy reeves on Radio Show of December 24, 2024

[admin]

Our featured interview on tonight's Pipes Magazine Radio Show is with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl and is featured in our recurring series, “Ask the Tobacco Blender”. However, tonight he will be the interviewee as we learn about how he became a pipe smoker and collector, when he got his first pipe and how he progressed from there. At the top of the show, Brian will have a review of the rare German tobacco blend, Tumblin’ Dice.

The show airs every Tuesday at 8:00pm eastern US time, and can be found at PipesMagazine.com and all podcast apps.

 

[anotherbob]

wow so first one I am actually interested in. Weird.

 

[atwaterville]

The stacks of those kakes in the pic is making me drool...

 

[PipeIT]

@The Clay King check it out, Jeremy with Clay pipes.

 

[jbfrady]

I'm glad I got to contribute to a blend review on the show! It's not often that I get to introduce a pipe veteran to anything new in this b'iness, so it's an unexpected pleasure.

Your review regarding the dark leaves vs. the perique put me in mind of a conversation I had with Jeremy Reeves back at Muletown where I asked him what C&D meant by 100% genuine St. James perique. Specifically, I reasoned that if he was touting that claim, it meant that other blending houses weren't using 100% genuine St. James Perique. And since all perique is from St. James, I had to ask... what's the deal here.

He told me that it was all about the leaf. Perique, as you well know, is aged in barrels and treated accordingly, and this is true whether the perique is 100% genuine or not. What he was getting at is... because C&D owns their own farm, they ensure that only perique leaves enter those barrels. Other blending houses don't abide by that scruple.

And it makes sense. There's only so much perique leaf to go around, so why not toss some virginias and burleys and what-have-you into the mix. They still adopt properties from the perique and it cuts costs along the way, also providing the ability to make more perique blends than would be possible otherwise.

In that regard it's like tequila. Whether we're talking 51% agave or 100% agave, there's only one word to describe the product: tequila. That's why certain brands advertise plainly that it's 100%. Perique is much the same. Whether it's 100% perique or just a bit periquey, the same word applies.

I'm glad I got to hear the tale of your thorough analysis and I have to assume that the dark leaves are the non-perique leaves that got periqued alongside the genuine stuff.

---

Also, you made me sound entirely too important and connected! I wish it was true that I had a guy sneaking me shit across the Atlantic, but in truth my "source" is a website I discovered here on the pipesmagazine.com forum called Estervals. Because they're in Germany, they're still a viable source because they can ship to the US. Shipping is flat rate by the amount you purchase, so it's good to stock up enough to justify the cost, while not nabbing up so much that Customs comes a' knockin'.

And for those curious about the Dice Brian was a' Tumblin' I've got some photos below...

 

[B.Lew]

Great interview. Fun to hear another side of the MB.

Anyone know the blend he mentioned coming out next year that he is excited about and has been smoking a lot of??

 

[Zamora]

The stacks of those kakes in the pic is making me drool...

They look like old manuscripts. I had no idea kakes started so huge

 

[AroEnglish]

I assume that those C&D commercials on the show were just written by the marketing team but hearing Jeremy speak candidly about being a pipe smoker and collector made me realize that he's really just that romantic (in a good way) about pipes and tobaccos. Having someone with that kind of passion is wonderful for the community as a whole even if someone might not be a fan of C&D tobaccos.

It was also surprising and encouraging to hear him talk about his pipes: a J. Alan and a Ropp in a collection of 12 pipes. While many of us wish we had more pipes (sounds like Jeremy included) it's refreshing to see someone who's content with the few pieces that really hit the mark. Goes to show that you don't have to have it all to enjoy this hobby. But maybe it also shows that you need at least a J. Alan... And I guess a Ropp.

 

[ThermionicScott]

They look like old manuscripts. I had no idea kakes started so huge

At the risk of spoiling the joke, those are bundles of raw bright and red Virginia leaf for blending.

 

[MattRVA]

I always enjoy hearing what Jeremy has to say. Great show.

 

[atwaterville]

M

At the risk of spoiling the joke, those are bundles of raw bright and red Virginia leaf for blending.

My eyes want to see what my mind wants.

 

[Zamora]

I assume that those C&D commercials on the show were just written by the marketing team but hearing Jeremy speak candidly about being a pipe smoker and collector made me realize that he's really just that romantic (in a good way) about pipes and tobaccos. Having someone with that kind of passion is wonderful for the community as a whole even if someone might not be a fan of C&D tobaccos.

It was also surprising and encouraging to hear him talk about his pipes: a J. Alan and a Ropp in a collection of 12 pipes. While many of us wish we had more pipes (sounds like Jeremy included) it's refreshing to see someone who's content with the few pieces that really hit the mark. Goes to show that you don't have to have it all to enjoy this hobby. But maybe it also shows that you need at least a J. Alan... And I guess a Ropp.

I haven't smoked any C&D yet and have been hesitant too because their massive catalog size is daunting and gives no clear starting point, but I've always really respected Reeves. He's so passionate and it's clear tobacco is more than just a business too him, we need people like him more than ever. In light of recent events I'll definitely be diving into C&D soon because they're a good company to support.

 

[AroEnglish]

I forgot to mention: can we get the fuller story from Jeremy about him becoming the head blender? It sounds like from his story he was working on CS at SP then was asked if he'd be interested to "transfer" to C&D. But it wasn't clear if that meant he became the head blender right away. Anyway, I'd love to hear more about it from Jeremy or Brian.

 

[swilford]

I forgot to mention: can we get the fuller story from Jeremy about him becoming the head blender? It sounds like from his story he was working on CS at SP then was asked if he'd be interested to "transfer" to C&D. But it wasn't clear if that meant he became the head blender right away. Anyway, I'd love to hear more about it from Jeremy or Brian.

In a way, it was that simple. Smokingpipes hired Jeremy in 2013 during the same period that I was talking with Chris and Patty Tarler about acquiring the company following Craig's passing in 2012. We spent much of 2013 working to get C&D ready and we consummated the deal at the beginning of 2014.

When we hired Jeremy, we--me, Josh Burgess, Ted Swearingen, others--knew that customer service for Smokingpipes was likely a stepping stone for him and we had a vague sense that he might end up at C&D ultimately. We didn't know, of course, but we knew he was smart, talented and enthusiastic.

Ted Connelly, who had been head blender at C&D for many years, was in his late 70s and understandably looking to retire. We knew that C&D would undergo transformation in 2014 and 2015. I was personally deeply involved in the integration process for C&D, reworking their processes, writing software, and doing business-y stuff, and up in Morganton for a few days every month the last few months before it became part of Laudisi and for the year thereafter. Jeremy started traveling with me to Morganton in maybe mid-2014, and we wound down his CS responsibilities at Smokingpipes and moved him into the head blender role for C&D. He and I also made a number of trips to Wilson, NC to buy tobacco and machinery in the first year or two.

So, yeah, he pretty much went from Smokingpipes customer service to Head Blender for C&D, but it wasn't an instant process. Also, Jeremy came with both a bunch of pipe and pipe tobacco experience and professional kitchen experience which meant that he had pretty much all of the building blocks to be able to start the job, at least as C&D was in those days. Of course, C&D and Jeremy (and, well, the rest of us) have come a long way in the past decade, so we've all grown along with the business.

Sykes

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In a way, it was that simple. Smokingpipes hired Jeremy in 2013 during the same period that I was talking with Chris and Patty Tarler about acquiring the company following Craig's passing in 2012. We spent much of 2013 working to get C&D ready and we consummated the deal at the beginning of 2014.

When we hired Jeremy, we--me, Josh Burgess, Ted Swearingen, others--knew that customer service for Smokingpipes was likely a stepping stone for him and we had a vague sense that he might end up at C&D ultimately. We didn't know, of course, but we knew he was smart, talented and enthusiastic.

Ted Connelly, who had been head blender at C&D for many years, was in his late 70s and understandably looking to retire. We knew that C&D would undergo transformation in 2014 and 2015. I was personally deeply involved in the integration process for C&D, reworking their processes, writing software, and doing business-y stuff, and up in Morganton for a few days every month the last few months before it became part of Laudisi and for the year thereafter. Jeremy started traveling with me to Morganton in maybe mid-2014, and we wound down his CS responsibilities at Smokingpipes and moved him into the head blender role for C&D. He and I also made a number of trips to Wilson, NC to buy tobacco and machinery in the first year or two.

So, yeah, he pretty much went from Smokingpipes customer service to Head Blender for C&D, but it wasn't an instant process. Also, Jeremy came with both a bunch of pipe and pipe tobacco experience and professional kitchen experience which meant that he had pretty much all of the building blocks to be able to start the job, at least as C&D was in those days. Of course, C&D and Jeremy (and, well, the rest of us) have come a long way in the past decade, so we've all grown along with the business.

Sykes

Thank you, I love a great “origin story.”

 

[anotherbob]

When we hired Jeremy, we--me, Josh Burgess, Ted Swearingen, others--knew that customer service for Smokingpipes was likely a stepping stone for him and we had a vague sense that he might end up at C&D ultimately. We didn't know, of course, but we knew he was smart, talented and enthusiastic.

Careful you just gave away a huge piece of the puzzle of how to run a functional company. Seriously though it's awesome to see a company that sees the people it hires and doesn't just leave their best languishing in a mail room or some place. (I've seen a few companies where promotions are based on how willing an employee is to go to strip clubs with the owner and not tell the owners wife).

 

[dburrows]

Another great show, Brian. Just chiming in to say that I've really enjoyed a few recent interviews such as this one with Jeremy Reeves and the one a few weeks ago with Per Billhall. Not that I don't enjoy all the shows you do, just that something about these were very conversational and come across as friends just enjoying a chat and we get to listen in (similar to Joe Rogan and other long-form interview shows). It felt that way when you were last on the Pipe & Tamper podcast as well.

Hope you had a great Christmas! Looking forward to all the shows you have in store for us in 2025! Happy new year and thanks for all you do!