would appreciate your input/advice
looking for your recommendations of the best virginias you have yourself smoked
parameters:
- straight virginas only (no vapers or virginia +? blends)
- NO flakes, ribbon-cut, cakes or the like okay
- must be currently available
many thanks!
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Pipes Magazine » Pipe Tobacco Discussion
favorite straight virginias
(37 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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I mostly smoke VA/PER blends and when I do smoke a straight Virginia, I normally go with flakes. Rattray Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd might be up your alley. Hal O' the Wynd is on the strong side though.
Just curious, but why no flake tobaccos?
"When the Government Fears the People, There is Liberty;
When the People Fear the Government, There is Tyranny." - Thomas JeffersonPosted 2 years ago # -
i have arthritis of the fingers and working a flake is tough. the fold and stuff technique works well for me in only a few of my pipes, for whatever reason. i do use the fold and stuff succesfully, however, with Escudo. john
Posted 2 years ago # -
I can see how flakes would be a problem for you. Hopefully others will chime in with some more suggestions.
I will keep an eye out for other straight Virginia loose cut mixtures to post here.
Posted 2 years ago # -
jrtaster,
This has been a fun quest, albeit frustrating; most Virginias are in the form of Krumble Kake or Flake or Plug as it aids the aging and maturation. At least I guess. But searching through several tin labels I realized that indeed there isn't too many Virginia tobaccos that are not pressed into some shape...
If you are not scared of African Virginias, which are of a different flavor and strength profile than the ones cultivated in the US, may I suggest some of the offerings from Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.? I really enjoy the Dark Bird's Eye, which is 100% Virginia, and as far as avoiding flakes--well, Dark Bird's Eye is a shag, which is about as far as one can get from a plug or flake!
Review on Tobacco Reviews:
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=D&TID=1577
(Note: I reviewed the blend in question on the above link; I mentioned some possibility of their being Burley in it, I am now sure that there isn't.)
Best of luck with your searches, and keep us posted as to what you find! We love reviews around here.
Posted 2 years ago # -
thanks guys! i had tried hal o' the wynd sometime ago but found better va-per blends out there. based on the these suggestions i ordered some old gowrie and dark birds eye (which wasn't easy to find at an on-line retailer) and look forward to trying them soon. john
Posted 2 years ago # -
Shoot! I forgot to attach a link as to where one could easily buy Dark Bird's Eye. Sorry!
I also should have just offered to send you some. Where are my manners? Us pipe smokers are supposed to be more genteel than the average, at least I think so. I've received two offers from perfect strangers to send me tobacco I'd not had, and I need to even the score!
Best of luck with the DBE. You'll likely find it quite strong at first. I did. I found, however, that even a week or two in a sealed glass jar did wonders for it. Either that or I got used to it. Who knows?Posted 2 years ago # -
Last night when I was responding, I forgot to mention something that will help you out a lot with flakes and plugs. An electric coffee grinder.
A few quick pulses in a coffee grinder will chop flakes and plugs easily into smokable size pieces. A coffee grinder can be purchased for somewhere around $20.00US and will open up all types of tobacco for you.
I bought mine for $19.00 and it works great.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Python,
That's an excellent idea! I would have never thought of that.
Posted 2 years ago # -
an update and a few quick first impressions
at analogmoz' suggestion picked up dark birds eye and old gowrie
smoked a few bowls of the dbe in acouple of cobs. liked it, a lot, but honestly can't say why exactly. not the sweet virginia taste i might have expected, but nonetheless pleasant, not harsh, without any tongue bite. good nicotine hit but not as overwhelming as others had experienced. hard to light and keep lit. perhaps i overpacked it or didn't let it dry enough??
my petes were the pipes of choice for old gowrie. again, excellent first impression. sweeter than dbe and a bit easier to light. smoother too and tasty, but obviously needed to dry a bit more
thanks for the suggestions
and p,s, to python: i have used a mini food processor to prepare other flake tobaccos, with varying success
glad to know that with this hobby there's always so much to learn
best, johnPosted 2 years ago # -
jrtaster,
I am glad you're enjoying the DBE. It's a good thing you didn't find it too strong--I was a little worried that I suggested a strong tobacco to someone looking for sweet Virginia!
It smokes better with some drying, IMO, and as to loading, DBE is a bit of a bugger when it comes to loading...some have "halved" it with scissors, I just got a hang of stuffing it in and cursing at the random tendril hanging over the rim of the bowl until it crawled back in.
If you've patience I suggest aging it in a sealed glass jar for a few months--the sweetness increases and makes for a more rounded smoke.And Old Gowrie is a lovely tobacco for sure! It too benefits hugely from some aging.
I am glad your recent acquisitions were successes.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Glad to hear that you found a couple of blends that suited you.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I love S.G. Full Virginia Flake. It has a wonderful light plum flavor.
Posted 2 years ago # -
McClelland #5100 "Red Kake" a mature VA
Another device to simplify smoking flakes is the gentle use of an electric food chopper.
For portable device a "Tobacco Grinder" (may be used for other substances) can be purchased at truck stops, 7/11 etc. Remove the screen. Place the flake between the top teeth and the inside and turn it enough to get the broken flake you desire.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Reviving an old thread here in response to jrtaster's quest for a ribbon cut Va. because of the difficulty rubbing-out flakes for arthritis sufferers. If someone out there has some Va. flake and a paper shredder... maybe a cob-suckin' llama rancher willing to perform an experiment in the interests of science... arthritis suffering smokers the world-over could once again enjoy Va's. A contribution to humanity!
I find myself sitting idly on the line dividing past and future,
as if I could kill time without injuring eternity. -- ThoreauPosted 2 years ago # -
Well Cortez I don't know about cob suckin' llamas or any of that...
But a straight sweet VA in easy to use form that comes immediately to mind is PS VLC-701. Billed as ribbon cut but more like ready rubbed IMO. The sweetest untopped VA I've found.
Available in bulk at LBSS and P&C and many others.
A paper shredder huh? Interesting idea actually.
I won't see any communication directed to me here. I'm no longer active at this forum.Posted 2 years ago # -
Anonymous
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Unfortunately Old Gowrie is actually a VaPer (check out the Kohlhase and Kopp website), but I think one of, if not the best VaPer around.
As well as Dark Birds Eye, Gawith and Hoggarth do a "Kendal Kentucky" (shag cut also) which is a 100% Virginia, albeit a fire-cured and African grown version of the "original Kentucky seed". I haven't tried the DBE but it sounds very similar to KK in strength i.e. VERY strong!!!
Gawith + Co also do their "Curly Cut". It's meant to be disc-cut (from ropes), but by the time mine arrived in the post, it was almost a shag / ribbon cut from transit. It's comprised of a dark-fired core with a bright-leaf wrapper, and I quite like it (again quite strong though!).
W.O. Larsen do a Dark Virginia called "Selected Blend No. 30" which is reputed to be like the old Dunhill Royal Yacht (I haven't tried the Dunhill so I can't comment), but tasty (and packs a punch) in its own right.
Surely there are loads of others from across the pond???
Posted 2 years ago # -
A good ready-rub pure Virginia is Fribourg & Treyer Black Jack.
Underneath the sticker, it says Negrohead. Don't know why, since if a person had that color hair, they'd surely be of European heritage.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Negrohead was the original name of that blend. F&T changed the name to Black Jack some years back to make it more PC.
Posted 2 years ago # -
re breaking up flakes....what about a pasta machine? Anybody have one sitting in the cupboard (cause someone else, who shall remain unnamed, just had to have it)?
Posted 2 years ago # -
My vote goes to PS 701 .Norwegian or the Danish can be rolled or rubbed in the palms of your hands very easily as it is a fine ribbon cut .Hey Jonesing and I agree and it is super cheap but not quality wise .It also jars real well in a flip bail mason jar .The Danish seems to have some dark flue cure . The Norwegian is the sweetest and has very little tonque bite .But the 701 ages the best .
“There was an awful suspicion in my mind that I'd finally gone over the hump, and the worst thing about it was that I didn't feel tragic at all, but only weary, and sort of comfortably detached.”Posted 2 years ago # -
Igloo Norwegian is an "American Blend" isn't it? Burley and Oriental along with the VA?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I just bought some S.G. Kendal Creme. I believe I have another fav to add to my Virginias. Damn smooth Virginia.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Mick:
How "Gawithy" is it? Much Lakeland flavoring? Some say SG stuff is soapy.
RJ
Posted 2 years ago # -
Jonesing you are right my bad ,but trust me not enough of the other to make a tinkers damn .The burley would be darker and you just dont see much of it in this blend .I have some pressed burley and the cube cut . just dont taste it in the blend .
Posted 2 years ago # -
You know I always hear that " soapy" thing about the lake land tobaccos. I have never tasted any soap taste. Maybe, that is just some knock against those brands that just stuck. Who knows. I just taste like great, smooth, creamy Virginia to me. Maybe, I am not sensitive to soap taste, because when I was a kid, I had my mouth washed out with soap so often
Posted 2 years ago # -
Igloo: No doubt Norwegian is far from a burley bully. I think it even has a bit of cav which ramps up the sweetens just a bit and to me it tastes pretty much like 701 but maybe better and certainly sweeter.
Mick: What was your favorite flavor. Ivory? Dial?...maybe some Lava if you really wanted something with complexity?
Posted 2 years ago # -
There is no debate there is only one King of Straight VA's
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yup, good stuff, no doubt. But the thread was about finding a Va. ribbon cut for an arthritis sufferer. Now, I'm still waiting to see if Phil has a paper shredder with which to make his contribution to science and humanity.
Posted 2 years ago # -
What's the cut of Union Station like?
I ordered some but have not yet received.
I'm looking forward to it as a completely unmolested straight VA and it occurs to me it might fit the described need.
BTW: I wonder if Dudley uses a cheese grater on his flake before he puts it in his cheese jar.
Posted 2 years ago # -
BTW: I wonder if Dudley uses a cheese grater on his flake before he puts it in his cheese jar.
Lately I'm trying not to get my cheese and tobacco preparation methods confused. It's messy business to rub out a block of Colby between palms.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I just slice and fold it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Union Square is a broken flake.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thank you all for the feedback, gentlemen. I have become a recent fan of English blends in an attempt to broaden my tastes. A local tobacconist offers a straight VA that I was hesitant to try. After reading through the above posts, I will make a visit this week.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Straight Va is a good smoke. Just don't rush it. Made to be sipped and savored like fine moonshine.
If at first you don't succeed you are running about average.Posted 1 year ago # -
I like a variety of tobacco types but straight Virginia is surely my main love affair when it comes to smoking. I always sip my Virginias and revel and that slow cool delivery of deep rich spicey sweetness. I often smoke a flake or 2 for an hour or 2. I sip and sip and let it go out, then relight and sip some more... Some of my favourite straight Virginias are Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, Rattray's Marlin Flake, Fribourg and Treyer Cut Virgina Plug, McClelland Dark Star, Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster, Dunhill Light Flake, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake...so many that seem to be beyond reach these days.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I recently discovered a very nice blend at 4noggins called John Patton's Quadruple Virginia. It's a smooth, balanced, cool smoking ribbon blend. They also have a blend called Virginia Squire which is a four Va blend with the addition of 10% Burley.
Both are really good choices for arthritics who can't rub out flakes. It should be mentioned though, that FVF is easy to rub out, and it breaks into a nice shag-like ball if you use one palm against the other with a circular motion.
Posted 1 year ago #
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