straight VA recommendation?

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jjjarhead

Might Stick Around
Nov 14, 2014
66
0
hey all,

I'm primarily a lat lover but i do enjoy VA from time to time, although the different blends give me drastically different experience, unlike english blends which vary from one another with subtlety. from past experience i decided that i love dunhill flake, but have no feeling about FVF whatsoever. other VA dominant blends that i like are: Orlik Golden Slices, dunhill deluxe navy rolls, escudo, just to give you guys some references. based on this, what VA blends would you suggest me to put in my shopping cart? Much obliged.

 

ray47

Lifer
Jul 10, 2015
2,451
5,610
Dalzell, South Carolina
I'm just getting into straight Virginias after being a confirmed Burley smoker for over 50 years. I've tried all the Virginia blends you've mentioned, but they just didn't ring my bell so to speak. Not until I tried Peter Stokebbye's Luxury Twist Flake did I find my Virginia. I like it so much that I'm buying it by the pound.

 
jjjarhead, try FVF after drying it to almost crispy, maybe even crispy. I hated it too until I found that I could actually taste it when it became really dry. Best Brown Flake or really any of them. From what you've listed, you like diversity. Just make a list of all of them and make your way down the list. MacBaren's Pure Virginia Flake, PS Luxury Bullseye Flake, I could go on and on.
Ray, LTF is a Virginia Cavendish. I love it too. You should try McClellands Deep Hollow. It's a Virginia Cavendish also, and I like to open the tin, and let it set in the cellar for about a month before smoking it. Just pop the seal and then put the top back on it. For some reason, it helps with being able to taste the flavors, like letting a bottle of wine breathe before sipping.

 

jjjarhead

Might Stick Around
Nov 14, 2014
66
0
yep, Michael, the list is piling up alright. :D i just made a list from tobacoreview.com, selecting blends rated 3+ with 50+ reviews of it. well, it's a long list...

i noticed the SG flake problem as well. but the deceptive part is, when i touch the surface, it seems dry enough. but the ticker flake is sealing all the moisture i guess. Guess i have to lay them open in the shelf for a month or so. thanks for the advice Michael.

Ray, I smoked some LTF and liked it as well, but haven't smoked enough to make a final decision yet.

 

kanse

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2016
548
5
jjjarhead

Best way of working with SG I've found is to rub it out and dry after, under an electric lamp.

I don't bother with folding and stuffing with those, they are not made with that mind. Although I had a moderate success with a 10 year old sample of FVF, it was a bit more tolerant to folding.

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
Yup, I recommend you keep trying it with FVF, it's one of the most rewarding blends out there. Best Brown Flake and St. James Flake are brilliant too, St. James obviously has a bit of perique but from the blends you listed it tells me you don't mind Perique.

From their other branch GH&Co I would recommend Best Brown #2 and Bright CR Flake.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
There are tons of different flakes. If you don't like FVF now or ever that doesn't mean you have a massive character flaw lol.
Based on your list of likes I think you may have luck with these;
Butera's Golden Cake, Telegraph Hill, Blackwoods Flake, Reiners Blend 71.
The quickest way to make FVF, (and SG Flakes in general) pipe ready is to put them on a coffee filter, microwave for 8-10 seconds, cool on a wire cooling rack for a minute or two then cube cut. Sounds like a lot of steps but in practice it takes roughly 3 minutes to go from tin to pipe. The same practice works well for Blackwoods and Darkstar, though I micro BWF for 8 seconds and DS for 10, and yes, it counts!.
The only flake that I've found that will not comply is 1792. Once I air dried it for 10 hours then did the above for 25 seconds in the micro and it still wouldn't burn. For this one I use the old school flake prep. Empty the tin and cube cut everything, place on coffee filters and leave to dry for as long as it takes, usually overnight is sufficient. Jar it up and your ready to go.

 

kane

Can't Leave
Dec 2, 2014
429
3
+1 for Butera's Golden Cake.

Also, McClelland's Boston 1776.

Does not McClelland make Golden Cake for Butera?
I believe both are straight VA, and have lots of great flavor. A nice broken flake style.

 
Dec 28, 2015
2,337
1,003
F&T cut Va plug

Capstan Blue
A couple of personal faves. And FVF. As others have already said don't give up on it. If I could only have one tobacco it would be my choice.

 

kane

Can't Leave
Dec 2, 2014
429
3
Indeed. FVF is really nice, when it is really dry. I struggled with it, until I forgot that I had left some out to dry and came back to it the next day. It was dry like strips of bark, drier than you might think is good. But that is what it needed. I am smoking a bowl of it right now. Sweet grassy and full and burns really nice. FVF is one of the greats, and McClellan rocks the VA.

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
Good thread! I've got some FVF in waiting, I'll be sure to dry it for a long time.
+1 for McC Boston 1776 and SG Best Brown

 
Jul 12, 2011
4,135
4,205
Wessex: Brigade Campaign Dark Flake, Astley's - No.44 Dark Virginia Flake
+1 on giving all those Straight Vs enough dry time :puffy:

 
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