As an early Christmas present I decided to try this rather new blend.
A little background: I'm not an Aro smoker per-se. My mainstays are Royal Yacht, Nightcap, and Escudo. But I like to have one or two Aros on hand as a change of pace, and for times when I want something whose room-note non-pipe-smokers may find pleasant. I have tried quite a few recently, including the re-issue of Edgeworth, and Edward G. Robinson's, and while I didn't dislike them, I didn't like them enough to buy more. My go-to Aro is Eric Stokkebye's 4th Generation 1931 Flake, which to me is the epitome of a "natural aromatic", meaning one with a substantial nic-hit, cool-smoking, and a flavor that is mostly natural tobacco.
The tin aroma of Virginia Cream is unmistakably that of bourbon. I used to drink bourbon in the past, but as alcoholic beverages go, I much prefer a good Vodka. I suppose that is because it has very little aroma. Vodka is sort of the liquor equivalent of a non-aromatic tobacco. But I don't dislike the aroma of bourbon. Nonetheless I don't usually pay much mind to tin note. I choose tobacco for how it smells when it's lit, not in the jar. Virginia Cream smells unmistakably like bourbon when it's smoked too, which is in the plus column. With some Aro's either the taste or room-note bear little resemblance to what it's cased with. That is not the case with this one.
The first thing I noted was the cut, which is a hodge-podge, but mostly coarse ribbon. The Dunhill blends I smoke are fine-cut ribbons. 1931 is a flake, Escudo is coins. I know by feel how to pack each one so it lights and burns right. Being unfamiliar with the cut of Virginia Cream made me a little unsure of how to pack it, but I basically packed it medium-loose, and had no problems keeping it lit. The moisture was perfect straight from the tin, which I appreciated, as with the other blends I smoke I'm used to them being perfect straight from the tin with no drying needed.
I smoked the first bowl in a Chester's Deluxe half-bent Bulldog I've had for many years. It's a squat pipe with a very thick bowl and tenon. A very good smoker, it stays cool to the touch and is as comfortable to hold as it is to clench. I chose that pipe because it has never given me a bad smoke, and if I didn't like the smoke I wanted to be sure it wasn't any fault of the pipe.
Virginia Cream took light easily from my well-beaten brass Zippo, and burned nicely all the way to the bottom of the bowl with no relights and no goopy dottle leftover. The flavor held steady all the way also, which is commendable, as I find most blends change character for the worse, and I end up dumping the last 3rd. Not so with Virginia Cream.
As with the tin note and room note, the predominant taste of Virginia Cream is also unmistakably bourbon. I found it wee bit too bourbon-y for my liking, but that may just be due to it being new to me. And I'm thinking (and hoping) with a little time in the jar it may lose some of that bourbon-heavy character. That would suit me fine.
I found that Virginia Cream would like to bite (although not excessively) if I puffed too quickly. Like a good bourbon, Virginia Cream is made for sipping, not doing shots. I can't see it being an all-day smoke unless someone is very fond of Aros, but then again I don't smoke all day so there really isn't any blend I would call an all-day smoke. For my taste I wouldn't call it an after-dinner smoke either, especially not after a big meal. The flavor and aroma is just too in-your-face to work well for me as a digestive aid. I much prefer a very natural tobacco for that purpose. But I can see Virginia Cream as a substitute for dessert...and I could use to skip dessert more often than I do :D
In all, I think I will enjoy having it at my disposal for when the mood strikes. I don't know if I will buy it again, it's really too soon to tell. If the bourbon flavor stays at it's current level, I probably won't smoke it that often, and it will last me a good long time. And it won't replace 1931 Flake. For me, that is as I said, the epitome of a natural tobacco with a subtle, pleasant aromatic character. Virginia Cream professes to be that, but for me it feels much closer to typical bourbon-flavored blends than a natural tobacco. I tried Sutliff's Top Shelf a while back, and Virginia Cream tastes and smells very similar. The main difference is, Top Shelf had no nic hit I could detect, it was like smoking bourbon-flavored hot air. Virginia Cream is definitely good-quality tobacco, so in that regard there is no comparison.
I hope to revisit this review in a while when I have smoked Virginia Cream more. The true test of a blend for me is if it continues to please, or if it gets boring after a while. That remains to be seen.
A little background: I'm not an Aro smoker per-se. My mainstays are Royal Yacht, Nightcap, and Escudo. But I like to have one or two Aros on hand as a change of pace, and for times when I want something whose room-note non-pipe-smokers may find pleasant. I have tried quite a few recently, including the re-issue of Edgeworth, and Edward G. Robinson's, and while I didn't dislike them, I didn't like them enough to buy more. My go-to Aro is Eric Stokkebye's 4th Generation 1931 Flake, which to me is the epitome of a "natural aromatic", meaning one with a substantial nic-hit, cool-smoking, and a flavor that is mostly natural tobacco.
The tin aroma of Virginia Cream is unmistakably that of bourbon. I used to drink bourbon in the past, but as alcoholic beverages go, I much prefer a good Vodka. I suppose that is because it has very little aroma. Vodka is sort of the liquor equivalent of a non-aromatic tobacco. But I don't dislike the aroma of bourbon. Nonetheless I don't usually pay much mind to tin note. I choose tobacco for how it smells when it's lit, not in the jar. Virginia Cream smells unmistakably like bourbon when it's smoked too, which is in the plus column. With some Aro's either the taste or room-note bear little resemblance to what it's cased with. That is not the case with this one.
The first thing I noted was the cut, which is a hodge-podge, but mostly coarse ribbon. The Dunhill blends I smoke are fine-cut ribbons. 1931 is a flake, Escudo is coins. I know by feel how to pack each one so it lights and burns right. Being unfamiliar with the cut of Virginia Cream made me a little unsure of how to pack it, but I basically packed it medium-loose, and had no problems keeping it lit. The moisture was perfect straight from the tin, which I appreciated, as with the other blends I smoke I'm used to them being perfect straight from the tin with no drying needed.
I smoked the first bowl in a Chester's Deluxe half-bent Bulldog I've had for many years. It's a squat pipe with a very thick bowl and tenon. A very good smoker, it stays cool to the touch and is as comfortable to hold as it is to clench. I chose that pipe because it has never given me a bad smoke, and if I didn't like the smoke I wanted to be sure it wasn't any fault of the pipe.
Virginia Cream took light easily from my well-beaten brass Zippo, and burned nicely all the way to the bottom of the bowl with no relights and no goopy dottle leftover. The flavor held steady all the way also, which is commendable, as I find most blends change character for the worse, and I end up dumping the last 3rd. Not so with Virginia Cream.
As with the tin note and room note, the predominant taste of Virginia Cream is also unmistakably bourbon. I found it wee bit too bourbon-y for my liking, but that may just be due to it being new to me. And I'm thinking (and hoping) with a little time in the jar it may lose some of that bourbon-heavy character. That would suit me fine.
I found that Virginia Cream would like to bite (although not excessively) if I puffed too quickly. Like a good bourbon, Virginia Cream is made for sipping, not doing shots. I can't see it being an all-day smoke unless someone is very fond of Aros, but then again I don't smoke all day so there really isn't any blend I would call an all-day smoke. For my taste I wouldn't call it an after-dinner smoke either, especially not after a big meal. The flavor and aroma is just too in-your-face to work well for me as a digestive aid. I much prefer a very natural tobacco for that purpose. But I can see Virginia Cream as a substitute for dessert...and I could use to skip dessert more often than I do :D
In all, I think I will enjoy having it at my disposal for when the mood strikes. I don't know if I will buy it again, it's really too soon to tell. If the bourbon flavor stays at it's current level, I probably won't smoke it that often, and it will last me a good long time. And it won't replace 1931 Flake. For me, that is as I said, the epitome of a natural tobacco with a subtle, pleasant aromatic character. Virginia Cream professes to be that, but for me it feels much closer to typical bourbon-flavored blends than a natural tobacco. I tried Sutliff's Top Shelf a while back, and Virginia Cream tastes and smells very similar. The main difference is, Top Shelf had no nic hit I could detect, it was like smoking bourbon-flavored hot air. Virginia Cream is definitely good-quality tobacco, so in that regard there is no comparison.
I hope to revisit this review in a while when I have smoked Virginia Cream more. The true test of a blend for me is if it continues to please, or if it gets boring after a while. That remains to be seen.
