Introducing Bijou

Last week we had a great turnout in Chicago. Thanks to all of you who came out and spent some time with us. It was great to meet you all in person and get some real-time feedback on what we do here at C&D. Our Small Batch project really took off at the show; people were really interested in The Beast and excited about what's next in the lineup. For those of you interested, we are currently working on blending up a new Small Batch, but today's about something different, though no less dear to our hearts: the Cellar Series.

That's right. Today we're releasing a brand new Cellar Series blend called Bijou. In keeping with our New Orleans/French theme, Bijou takes its inspiration from the French word for a small, ornamental gem. We wanted to create something as prized as diamonds, as beautiful as flawless emeralds, and as understated as rubies. Something that requires no adornment, only time to truly shine.

The crowning jewel in Bijou is the 2003 eastern North Carolina red Virginias that serve as its base. We married it with some choice brights and small-leafed Katerini before topping it with a bit of honey and pressing it all and slicing it into delicately thin, easy-to-manage flakes. The combination of these vintage reds, the subtle sweetness of the honey, and the meticulous pressing process lends Bijou a wonderfully mature flavor right out of the tin — one which will only improve with age.

In Chicago, we even hosted a special dinner for our guests with a range of blends available to sample on each table. Among those, the most popular was no doubt Bijou. With such a variety of pipe smokers attending, we were able to see how folks with different palates reacted to the blend, and the results were just extraordinary. New pipe smokers were surprised with how much flavor and complexity they were able to coax out of a Virginia-based blend, and seasoned vets were astonished with how mature it already tasted right out of the tin.

Being the first flake tobacco in our Cellar Series project, we're really excited about this one. Given its simplicity of components, vintage reds, subtle sweetness, and easy-to-manage cut, we just know Bijou will be amazing with a little age. It hits retailers Friday, May 13th, so keep an eye out for this gem. It's one you'll want to line your cellar.

If you're interested in our Chicago trip, you can find a number of photos below of customers, staff, and even Jeremy talking with JD from Country Squire Radio: