Cornell & Diehl Bijou

Bijou is a flake-cut Virginia mixture Cornell & Diehl prepares using vintage leaf. Its base is 2003-crop red Virginia grown in eastern North Carolina; light bright leaf and small-leafed Katerini Oriental are added. It is given a light honey casing on top, so the blend cannot be called unflavored, though it isn't aromatic either. Red Virginia's bready, fruity sweetness and Katerini's dry, incense-leaning spice form the blend's two axes; the honey casing leaves a thin sweetness that binds the two together. Nicotine strength is medium-to-high. The flake slices are noted as being amenable to aging, with long-term storage said to develop the character further.