The King Street Emporium

Opening Night

Virginia

Opening Night is part of Cornell and Diehl's Simply Elegant series, a line built on the premise that the best tobaccos need the least done to them. The blend is a pressed Virginia flake built on two leaves that pull in different directions and balance each other out. Red Virginia brings depth, earthiness, and a natural spice that some smokers mistake for Perique on first acquaintance. Bright Virginia brings sweetness and a lighter, grassier character that keeps the red from getting heavy. No casing, no topping, no additional leaf types. The interaction between those two Virginias is the entire recipe. It arrives with enough moisture to benefit from a short drying period before packing and rewards a slow cadence once lit. Reviewers who have cellared it report that the two leaves continue to integrate over time in a way that makes the blend noticeably smoother after a year or more in the tin. A clean, unadulterated Virginia flake that has developed a quiet but loyal following.