Greetings all.
I've usually been a bit sensitive to Virginia's. While I enjoy Escudo and Orlik Golden slices, I have to take care to prevent tongue bite. (Slow sips, sipe it slow, is the mantra)
I went through an ounce of McClelland 2035 recently and smoked it blind (Didn't read the label or ingredients). It was a very full, robust smoke but smooth and creamy and absolutely bite free. I'm embarrassed to admit that after several bowls, I just assumed it was some kind of burley blend. So much for my educated palate.
However, I was prompted to wonder if perhaps one of the virtues of pressing tobacco and forming cakes, slices, rope and flakes doesn't also reduce the alkalinity that I understand is the cause for tobacco bite? Or at least, in some way, reduce the bite of Virginia's.
It may just be that I'm smoking slower after reading all the warnings on this site for the last year. I'm going to smoke a couple of bowls of Orlik or Escudo to update my experience and see if I still get bit. (It was always a moderate bite. I never laid off from the pipe to cure the bite for more than 24 hours and even then only a couple of times. I guess the satisfaction of a good smoke outweighed the punishment of mild bite.)
I've usually been a bit sensitive to Virginia's. While I enjoy Escudo and Orlik Golden slices, I have to take care to prevent tongue bite. (Slow sips, sipe it slow, is the mantra)
I went through an ounce of McClelland 2035 recently and smoked it blind (Didn't read the label or ingredients). It was a very full, robust smoke but smooth and creamy and absolutely bite free. I'm embarrassed to admit that after several bowls, I just assumed it was some kind of burley blend. So much for my educated palate.
However, I was prompted to wonder if perhaps one of the virtues of pressing tobacco and forming cakes, slices, rope and flakes doesn't also reduce the alkalinity that I understand is the cause for tobacco bite? Or at least, in some way, reduce the bite of Virginia's.
It may just be that I'm smoking slower after reading all the warnings on this site for the last year. I'm going to smoke a couple of bowls of Orlik or Escudo to update my experience and see if I still get bit. (It was always a moderate bite. I never laid off from the pipe to cure the bite for more than 24 hours and even then only a couple of times. I guess the satisfaction of a good smoke outweighed the punishment of mild bite.)
