MacBaren Virginias, Input Please

I only smoked 2 of those blends, the HH and VA#1.

The HH is a very nice all around VA, i have 2-3 tins in my cellar and definitely worth the buy.

VA#1 is a bright VA with brown sugar or honey topping (forgot what it was), but it can get very hot.

I easily get tongue bite from VA#1, but would buy it again as it is a different taste from the other VA's that i smoke (would let it age abit and mellow out).

I have a tin of VA#1 from the 80's that i still need to open and try.

HH Pure Virginia is very nice indeed; I have several tins. It has red Virginias in it. Didn't care for Nbr 1, years ago, and have not tried the other. I doubt if the HH is anything like Va Flake.

Frankly, I wouldn't touch the Virginia nro 1 no more, bitey stuff you see,

The HH line is a more straight up pure tobacco experience in all of that line. Their Pure Virginia fits within that framework, but with a more refined balance of Virginias that gives it a fuller flavor, not robust, just fuller. The Virginia Flake is more grassy with slight hints of honey in the casing. And, I suspect a small amount of burley.

Whereas Virginia #1 is heavily cased in honey, which makes it a virtual hornet's nest in your mouth.

Of the three, I like the Va Flake a lot more than the others. Virginia number one is "fuller", probably sporting more in the way of sugary sorts of treatments. It's okay but I never light a bowl of #1 and think "Ahh, this is really great."
The Flake is a little snarky fresh out of the tin - all of the edges come off with 3 years of age, which is nice, it's easy to cellar for 3 years, it's not like it needs 15. At which point it's a lovely friendly virginia flake - I find the topping both indescribable (vaguely sweet) and unobtrusive, I don't find I really taste it in the smoke. Really an under-rated continental-style va flake to me.
The HH Pure is good quality stuff, but I like it less - I find that the hot pressing treatment kinda steams the life out of it. Some guys seem to love it, so I'll leave it up to you, but I would not cellar piles of that stuff without trying it first - to me it's lifeless and a little cardboardy.

Of the three, I prefer VA #1. Not because the HH or the flake aren't good, but because they really don't have much distinction to my palate. The HH promises to be good in a number of years, but I really find it unremarkable now. VA #1 is unique, both now and with age. Fresh I find it to be sweet, grassy and the honey-like topping is very evident, along with the tendency to burn hot. But I still find it a tasty treat, when sipped. With age, I find that the VA's darken, the topping dissipates, and the grassiness shifts to a breadyness with a buttery smoothness. I find it when aged, to taste like a piece of freshly buttered cinnamon-raisin toast, and I crave the flavor and keep coming back to it. It still burns warmer than average, but isn't a scorcher like when fresh. If you can score some aged 5+ years, it's wonderful. I keep a few pounds cellared to keep my aged stock in constant rotation. I also enjoy Plumcake, if that's any indicator of my palate for hot-burning blends.

I’ve only tried the VA No. 1. I had it for the first time at the blending seminar taught by Per Jensen of Mac Baren at the Chicago Show, but ended up taking the leftovers from the seminar with me (that and a couple pounds of HH Burley!). It can burn a bit hot, but it is tasty. Today, I mixed in 10% D&R Periqued Katerini, which is very interesting stuff. Quite tasty and I think it helped increase the PH of the smoke a bit, reducing the chance of tongue bite.

I think you might be surprised with the Modern Virginia.

I put Modern Virginia in the aromatic category with its strong apricot topping. It's a great aromatic, but just not in the Virginia category for me.