Cornell & Diehl Eight State Burley 2022

Honoring historic US Burley growing regions, Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch: Eight State Burley showcases the often overlooked nuance and complexity of air-cured leaf, beginning with a specially sourced, matured blend of 2014 white and dark burleys — offering a mellow, creamy nuttiness, as well as a subtle, soft cocoa flavor on the palate. Top-tier Canadian brights and SM2-18 red Virginias (the same grade as in last year's run of Carolina Red Flake and Carolina Red Flake with Perique) complement those distinctive flavors with layers of sweetness, tang, and bready spice. Finally, Oriental tobaccos, well aged for 17 years, further contribute to the complexity of this unique burley mixture: A blend of rare Sokhoum, Samsun, and Katerini sun-cured leaf from 2005 add a lightly floral, oily, spicy and tart flavor — their sweetness having deepened and their sour notes having muted with age.