Red Virginias

I don't imagine blends from across the pond use much, if any Red Virginias. I enjoy them myself. Blackwoods Flake being a favorite for long term aging.

McClelland is pretty good about naming the Virginias in their blends.

Mike S.

My sensitivity is to dark fired Kentucky, and I get an allergic reaction: swollen lips, cotton mouth, body aches, and general malaise. I have sampled enough tobaccos with dark fired Kentucky to have isolated the cause, if not the amount. Doesn't seem to happen with other types, and since then I have managed to avoid the DFK blends. Concerning your question: I have no problems with red Virginia tobacco, but I cannot tell if there is any in Old Gowrie. To me, Old Gowrie tastes a bit like cola, and Red Virginia usually tastes of bread, kind of yeasty. I don't have a reaction to old Gowrie, so I suspect there is little to no dark fired in there as well.

sorry, double post

"Some people?" I know of one person who vehemently declares that red tobaccos cause him problems, and he avoids them like the plague. There may be more people who feel the same way, but they are quiet. Just one person come to mind as repeatedly posting about reds. And, I don't blame him. If I thought that it was one type of Virginia that caused me pain, I'd do the same.

But, the differences in a red Virginia and a gold is just the temperature it was cured at. Reds are cured at 180F giving the sugars in the leaf more of a caramelized flavor, deeper, sweeter, more refined. And, usually the whole leaf doesn't turn red, and usually in a golden, parts have reached the same level of red caramelization. So, most flue cured goldens have edges and peaks in the leaf that have reached the same level of process as a red. So, it's hard for me to understand how any Virginia is 100% free of any red. But, to me reds are easier on my tongue, and capable of being smoked all day with better flavor and sweeter tones. Red Cake, Red Ribbon, and even latakias with reds are just smoother, whereas golds (and I still like golds) just seem more acrid and acidic and will cause a tad bit of exhaustion on my tongue if smoked repeatedly in a day.
C&D seems to use a mix of some sort of primitive flue curing, possibly sun curing that tears my mouth up. (Sure they have some reds, but they aren't as noteworthy as other blenders). And the taste, I don't have time to go into the quality or lack of... European Virginias seem to rely on flue curing and heavy casements and pressing to mellow out the Virginias. While McClelland has a variety of processes that really refine the flavors differently in each blend. (From yellow to reds to aged blacks) All of this from one seed stock, Virginia Gold. As far as Rattray's, I'm not sure how they process their Virginias, but they seem very similar to McClelland's aged blends. And, if they are pushing the VirginIa Golds to black, they are also processing it through the red stage. It would be foolish to think that a darkened Virginia hasn't passed through the red stage and is free of any hint of red coloring.
It's funny how one person can create a "belief" about a tobacco like this by repeatedly posting the same thing over and over. And, like I said, I don't blame him. But, I am just adding my voice to the ether on this. I think the reds are delicious and milder to the tongue, more refined and sweeter, IMO.

European Virginias seem to rely on flue curing and heavy casements and pressing to mellow out the Virginias.

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I love the way they do this. It converts the sweetness into richness. Great answer and very informative!

I'm not allergic to Virginias, golden or red, although allergy can pop up to anything at any time, alas. Flavorings in aromatics burn my mouth, so I don't smoke a lot of aromatics, although I occasionally do, in moderation, blends I experience as "tobacco forward."

"Old Gowrie is another must-try Rattray's blend. Superior Virginias, Perique and some Kentucky..."

I can handle most tobaccos but if I smoke Autumn Evening in anything but a narrow bowl it tastes very ashy and almost acidic tasting like drinking a carbonated beverage real fast. Also sadly one of my favorite blends Lancer Slices actually makes my gums peel.

Autumn Evening is super fluffy, so I imagine more compression helps it burn better.

+1 to Blackwoods

also McCranies red ribbon and several of the McClellands Christmas Cheers

I have an allergic reaction to red virginia's. I can tell when a blend has it as once the smoke hits my tongue, it feels like someone has dipped my tongue in battery acid. It stings that much. I spent years trying to smoke the stuff as the flavors of red's is awesome. I stay away from many of the blends from McClellend, Rattray, GL Pease( love navigator), Two Friends, C&D virginia's, Stokkebye flakes and I am sure others. I recently tried a tin of Savinelli: Brunello Flake, the description did not mention reds but after just a minute of smoking it, I knew it had too many reds. I sent it off to jiminks to finish.

It was such a pretty flake I was hoping I could smoke it.
I always look for a new flake, but getting them without red's can be difficult. One of the newest flakes I added to my cellar was Rattray Wallace Flake. Mac Baren took them over and wallace is supposed to be a tweaked University flake that was a Peterson blend. I liked it so I cellared it.
I have spent years finding flakes that did not burn my tongue and have a cellar with about 32 different blends in it.

Harris, knowing the way that you've created holes in the golden Virginia flake blends that are availible, I'm most thankful that you are allergic. Not that you suffer, but I just rest well knowing you aren't buying 100's tins at a time of the rest of the flakes. Thanks!! :wink:

OMG Cosmic! TL/DR!

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:nana:

I wish Harris was allergic to all virginias,

cos, I would so be buying hundreds of tins of Dark Star, Hal O the Wynd, Haddo's Delight, Matured Va, Christmas Cheer, Blackwood's flake and tons more. About 3 years ago, I bought a tin of Dark Star to see if I could smoke it. I had tried it years ago and it burned, I was hoping maybe my body chemistry had changed, but no go. After drying it out real good, I cubed it into very small cubes and it smoked fine except for the burn. I then tried rubbing it but same thing. It is really frustrating knowing I am missing out on some great blends.
If anyone has any idea if I could take some kind of supplement that would make it so I could smoke the red's I would forever be in your debt.

If anyone has any idea if I could take some kind of supplement that would make it so I could smoke the red's I would forever be in your debt.

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Yep, you need to grow a couple of testicles.

I agree. I have tried every popular Virginia and a few unpopular ones. Glp and C&D are ok after at 5 years in the tin. Mcclelands are great from jump street.