Evergreen

Evergreen is a Virginia-Perique blend prepared in limited quantity under Wintertime Reserve, the winter-season extension of Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch series. The composition includes both stoved and unstoved red Virginia leaves, unflavored black cavendish, and a small amount of perique; the mixture is pressed into flake. It is hand-produced in small batches, following recipes selected by head blender Jeremy Reeves.

The tin note leads with dry grass and dried fruit. On the smoke, Virginia's sugary sweetness combines with black cavendish's soft body, while perique stays in the background as a spicy, plummy trace. It is unflavored, not heavy, and well suited to slow smoking; it is aimed at those seeking natural Virginia sweetness with an understated touch of perique. Being a limited production run, it is not consistently available on the market.