Created by Kyle Gellis, in collaboration with Cornell & Diehl’s Jeremy Reeves, Warped Cloud Hopper Pipe Tobacco was resurrected from the well-known Warped Cloud Hopper cigar brand, blended and produced by Gellis at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami and Casa Fernandez’s Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. in Nicaragua.
Originally coming onto the market in 2109, Warped Cloud Hopper is the pipe smoker’s rendition for the love of travel and adventure Gellis and his brother enjoy embarking on. According to the smkoingpipes.com website, “Cloud Hopper pipe tobacco features AA-grade Dominican Criollo cigar leaf…married to traditional Italian air-cured tobaccos, yellow and red Virginias, and Perique pressed and cut into flakes. The blend transports pipe smokers to an adventurous flavor profile of complex notes of earth, spice, and citrus, while hints of cream and coffee offer comfort along the road. It’s a mixture free of added flavors, meant to showcase the natural profile of quality tobaccos” (2022).
As I frequently enjoy premium cigars, this tobacco seemed to fit my palate profile from the description, thus, prompting me to purchase a tin and see if this cigar blend is as enjoyable as the actual Warped Cigars (which I do enjoy).
To view the video review of Warped Cloud Hopper Pipe Tobacco, please visit The Pipe Professor YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/CMyr_yB6OJU
Info & Overview
Brand: Warped/Cornell & Diehl
Category: Virginia
Blend Components: Cigar Leaf. Perique, Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 2oz tin
Price: $11.60 USD
On to the review…
From the Tin: Although listed as a flake tobacco, my tin did not contain a single fully intact flake. I would easily classify this tobacco as a broken flake, not an actual flake similar to Dunhill Flake, Capstan Gold/Blue, or MacBaren Pure Virginia. [Side note, I have come to believe the flake designation according to Cornell & Diehl is actually a broken flake. Buyer beware.] The broken flakes are very dark in color and have hints of golden Virginia sprinkled throughout. The tin aroma provided notes of dark chocolate, earth, raisins, and fresh yeasty bread. Very much enjoyable and reminiscent of a cinnamon raisin muffin. Extremely enjoyable tin note! The tobacco is very moist straight out of the tin and I had to allow it a minimum of 50 minutes dry time depending on the drying venue.
Flavor Notes: When discussing flavor, we must always account for taste and aroma (taste + aroma = flavor). Tastes I experienced while smoking were earth (similar to a dry truffle), deep rich fruits, mineral/graphite, and light spice. Aroma was a nice, charred wood, similar to a charred bourbon barrel (without the alcohol). Tobacco produced a thin, white smoke, with an overall medium body and medium strength profile. As I smoked just shy of the entire tin, I found I enjoyed Cloud Hopper most in a meerschaum pipe, and when the tobacco was almost bone dry. The dryer smoke allowed for the cigar leaf to come forward and be a noticeable experience in the smoke.
Overall Impression: The Warped Cloud Hopper is a very unique blend that offers flavors some pipe smokers may not be familiar with, or typically experience in their pipe tobaccos. I am glad I took the time to figure the blend out and will purchase another tin or two to measure the aging potential of the Virginia and cigar leaf. I am hopeful that with an extended period of time (i.e., 10-15 years) this tobacco will become an extremely “fine wine.”
With that being said, I will probably not purchase more tins to be smoked now or be placed in my regular rotation. Is the blend enjoyable and worth a try? Absolutely! Is it what I seek to experience on a regular basis when enjoying a pipe? No. We will hopefully revisit the blend in 10 years and see if the gamble/investment pays off. If you’re looking for something to intrigue your palate, pick up a tin of Warped Cloud Hopper and see what you think.
Tobacco Score: 3 out of 5 pipes
The Pipe Professor 