The King Street Emporium

Firebird Flake 2026

Small Batch

Firebird Flake is a Cornell and Diehl Small Batch release, first offered in January 2025 and re-released in January 2026 in limited quantities. Head blender Jeremy Reeves built the blend around a concept that is deceptively simple to describe but genuinely difficult to execute: making dark-fired Kentucky and heirloom Oriental tobacco equal partners rather than relegating either one to a supporting role. Dark-fired is bold and overt and wants to dominate; Oriental can disappear behind stronger components. The challenge was giving each the same presence in the bowl. What makes the construction more complex than it sounds is the depth of sourcing behind it. Three grades of Red Virginia from different crop years provide the foundation. Three Oriental varietals from Thailand, Macedonia, and Turkey contribute different facets of that sun-cured character. Two grades of dark-fired Kentucky, one fully fire-cured and one semi fire-cured, bring the smoky counterweight. Tobaccos from crop years spanning 2005 to 2021 are represented in the blend. Pressed into flakes. Limited Small Batch production.