Red Virginia Sensitivity -- Symptoms?

futureman · Sep 22, 2013

I've been reading on here that some of you are highly sensitive to red Virginia tobacco. I've been wondering about my own sensitivity to this particular leaf. For those of you who have these sensitivities, what are the symptoms? How exactly does it affect your tongue?
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title per Rule #9. L.

Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine

pstlpkr · Sep 22, 2013

Only symptom I ever have from a good Virginia is a case of "niccups". :D

mso489 · Sep 22, 2013

I've not heard of that one. As a kid, I had severe pollen allergies. And I've had poison ivy so severe,

I had to have a cortisone shot when it spread systemically to my eyelids. However, I've been happily

blending with, and smoking, McClelland's Red Virginia Cake, and other Virginias for some time, with

no allergic reaction. Allergies are notably individual, and also they come and go. I'll be interested to

learn about this. Hope I never experience it.

sallow · Sep 22, 2013

I don't have an issue with virginia. Certain latakia blends will give me a canker sore like I get when I eat too many raw tomatoes.
It doesn't stop me. I love raw tomatoes. And latakia.

futureman · Sep 22, 2013

As I read more about this, it appears that some people are inclined to get tongue bite when smoking reds. I'm not wholly immune to this, sadly. Burleys have been giving me grief lately, too.

voorhees · Sep 22, 2013

I've noticed I get a lot bite from Red Virginia.

homeatsea · Sep 22, 2013

I believe Harris has a body chemistry aversion to Red Virginias. Perhaps he can chime in on this if he sees it.

lordnoble · Sep 22, 2013

At some point cigrmaster (Harris) should chime in as I believe he has a sensitivity to Red VA's. I personally have no problems with them and couldn't tell you when I had smoked one with out reading it in the description.
-Jason

puffy · Sep 23, 2013

Any Virginia that I've smoked has given me a bite.I think it's a chemical reaction.Alcohol flavored Aromatics do the same thing to me.

flyguy · Sep 23, 2013

I have a bite (acid burn) problem with red Virginias but I love them. I have found the Delayed Gratification Technique has helped alleviate much of my problem. McClelland reds (my favorite) are especially a problem. I have found that airing the tin a bit until most of the catsup or acetate smell subsides lessens the bite. I don't have a problem with McClelland 5100 red cake, which is a mystery to me.

cigrmaster · Sep 23, 2013

I tried for years to smoke the reds and it was not until I joined this forum that I learned it was a body chemistry issue for me. What happens to me when I smoke them is as soon as the smoke hits my tongue it feels like acid is touching it. It tingles and burns and I can tell instantly that there is too much red in a given blend.
I spent a lot of money trying to smoke 5100 and other McClellend Va's, Rattrays Va's, Haddo's Delight, the Stokkebeye flakes and many others. Now I avoid them like the plague and have found 28 Va's, Vaper and Vabur flakes that do not cause me any issues at all. My body chemistry is such that I have a very high uric acid level, which is one of the reasons I have dealt with kidney stones for over 30 years. There are tons of great blends out there that you do not have to worry about getting bitten, it just sucks if you have an issue because the reds do taste so freaking good.

tarak · Sep 23, 2013

I have that in a mild way with reds...when the smoke hits the tongue I get an intense, almost uncomfortable tingle. Fortunately, it only seems to be in the top part of the bowl and gets better.

cigrmaster · Sep 23, 2013

tarak, as long as it goes away, count your blessings, with me it gets worse and worse. Years ago I found a number of Va flakes that did not bother me, but could not for the life of me figure out why some Va's tortured me while others were fine. It was a real epiphany when someone mentioned the issue of body chemistry, a light went off big time for me.

JimInks · Sep 23, 2013

Harris is so sensitive to red that he stops every time the light changes.

flyguy · Sep 23, 2013

I have that in a mild way with reds...when the smoke hits the tongue I get an intense, almost uncomfortable tingle. Fortunately, it only seems to be in the top part of the bowl and gets better.

Tarak, you are so right about the top part of the bowl causing most of the problem. I too find that if I tough it out things get a lot better (and more delicious).

cigrmaster · Sep 29, 2013

jim, lol.
roth, PG is also on my do not smoke list. It dries my mouth so badly that even Biotene doesn't help. I dabbled in Boswell aromatics last summer and did enjoy many of the flavors but the dry mouth was so bad I ended up giving away about a pound and a half of them. I know that Solani Silver Flake lists red virginia's as a component and for some reason I can tolerate that one.

captainsousie · Sep 29, 2013

My sensitivity doesn't seem to extend to red VAs but when I smoked G&H Black Irish the first puff felt like I had taken a swig of hot sauce and it got worse from there.

cortezattic · Sep 29, 2013

Harris said,

"Solani Silver Flake lists red virginia's as a component and for some reason I can tolerate that one."

I'm glad you picked-up on that, and I'm pretty sure there's another blend with, IMO, red and stoved Va: Capstan Blue.

As I mentioned in the thread regarding Capstan, the flavors are so well wedded that it's hard to parse out any individual leaf, but I've gotta believe my taste buds on that one. I did a side-by-side comparison this AM with Blue & Gold, and I'll bet that reds make most of the difference.
BTW, I am blessed with a total insensitivity to reds and tongue bite in general. I devour young, sharp Mac Baren Va's with impunity.

Now, PG is another matter entirely.

cigrmaster · Sep 29, 2013

cortez, so you think it is red virginia that gives Capstan Blue it's unique flavor. I never thought of that, it does make sense because it is unlike my gold virginia forward flakes like F&T CVP, Dunhill Flake, Wessex Gold, Rotary Navy Cut. Is there a description somewhere that lists red virginia? The amount of red must be small because I get no bite what so ever.
I get a huge difference from the Blue and Gold Capstan with the amount of citrus flavors in the Gold. I get more citrus from that blend than any other I have tried.

cortezattic · Sep 29, 2013

The only descriptions I have found for Blue merely claim "Virginias". This is my guess, and I'd be curious to know for sure.

I think I sense a trace of Perique too. I think it had both red and stoved black Va because it creates the same backbone that

I found in NYPC's Bowling Green. A second guess would be some Kentucky. Maybe Judd can weigh in. He's got a pretty good sniffer.

Red Virginia Sensitivity -- Symptoms?

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