.gif)
I have a few tins of this stuff stashed away from when it was pretty hard to find, and going through a drawer the other day I found an unopened tin of this stuff buried at the bottom and thought, "What the hell? I'll give it a shot and see if it is as good as everyone led me to believe it was."
After smoking a few bowls of this stuff in various cobs, I can honestly say that on the one hand, I get it. This stuff is a rock solid Virginia flake. Rubs out and dries very easily, and once packed firmly and lit, it is a nice solid honest Virginia, nice and sweet with those overtones of wheat and fresh baked bread. It's not very complex, at least not to my limited palette, but I burns very smooth and tastes pretty good. Smooth smoke and no bite or burn to be detected even with my eager puffing, and I found that it pairs very well with an unsweetened tea. The bitter edge to the tea helps to round out the sweetness and gives a nice counterpoint and the two flavors offset each other very well. Also goes great with lemonade too.
The one thing that this blend has going for it above all others is its ability to take a flame. One match and a light tamp and it was off to the races, which is very rare for me, and the ash is so clean that it's unreal. It also burns very dry and the bowl is a cinch to keep going.
So like I said, on the one hand, I get it, I really do. I would think that to long time Virginia lovers, this stuff could probably best be described as "comfort food", an old staple that is reliable and tasty. But given the fact that there are other Virginias that are more complex and taste better to me, not to mention the fact that they are WAY easier to find, I can't see myself actively hunting out anymore of this stuff, but I'm glad that I have it on hand for when the mood strikes me. The tin I cracked probably has about 5 years age on it and looked absolutely wonderful, with lots of crystals, a sign that this has aged very well. I also have not tried this in a briar, and I have the feeling that if smoked exclusively in a brand new pipe, if a pipe was seasoned with just this blend, then I have the feeling the experience might be superior. But for now, I'll continue to enjoy this while the weather's hot and the mood for Virgnias has struck me.
After smoking a few bowls of this stuff in various cobs, I can honestly say that on the one hand, I get it. This stuff is a rock solid Virginia flake. Rubs out and dries very easily, and once packed firmly and lit, it is a nice solid honest Virginia, nice and sweet with those overtones of wheat and fresh baked bread. It's not very complex, at least not to my limited palette, but I burns very smooth and tastes pretty good. Smooth smoke and no bite or burn to be detected even with my eager puffing, and I found that it pairs very well with an unsweetened tea. The bitter edge to the tea helps to round out the sweetness and gives a nice counterpoint and the two flavors offset each other very well. Also goes great with lemonade too.
The one thing that this blend has going for it above all others is its ability to take a flame. One match and a light tamp and it was off to the races, which is very rare for me, and the ash is so clean that it's unreal. It also burns very dry and the bowl is a cinch to keep going.
So like I said, on the one hand, I get it, I really do. I would think that to long time Virginia lovers, this stuff could probably best be described as "comfort food", an old staple that is reliable and tasty. But given the fact that there are other Virginias that are more complex and taste better to me, not to mention the fact that they are WAY easier to find, I can't see myself actively hunting out anymore of this stuff, but I'm glad that I have it on hand for when the mood strikes me. The tin I cracked probably has about 5 years age on it and looked absolutely wonderful, with lots of crystals, a sign that this has aged very well. I also have not tried this in a briar, and I have the feeling that if smoked exclusively in a brand new pipe, if a pipe was seasoned with just this blend, then I have the feeling the experience might be superior. But for now, I'll continue to enjoy this while the weather's hot and the mood for Virgnias has struck me.
