Which Virginia?

sallow · Feb 15, 2014

I am in the mood for a virginia, and I have the following on hand (sealed) which I have not tried. Which one could I open, and why?
Cornell and Diehl Briar Fox

Wessex Gold Brick

Wessex Red Virginia Flake

McConnell Folded Flake

McClelland Black Woods Flake

Gl Pease Jack Knife RR

Frieborg and Treyer Blackjack

Hamborger Veermaster

Butera Golden Cake
I will pop one tonight after dinner.

hakchuma · Feb 15, 2014

Butera Golden Cake.... Because I never smoked a tobacco with the word Cake its name :D

goldsm · Feb 15, 2014

I will pick Gl Pease Jack Knife RR for you.

onepyrotec · Feb 15, 2014

Butera Golden Cake is my vote, simply because it is one of my favorites on your list of options.
Your post prompted me to open a jar of Golden Cake that is 21 years old this year just to smell it....shoot, that is what I'm having after dinner tonight. :puffpipe:

Perique · Feb 15, 2014

Gold Brick. Because I've been meaning to try it and can experience it vicariously through your review

smeigs · Feb 15, 2014

that black woods flake sounds tasty. I dont know much about it, but it is the one that jumps out at me the most.

sallow · Feb 15, 2014

OK I opened the golden cake, the brick and the ready rubbed. Smeigs I would have opened the black woods but I saw your post too late. It will be the next one I open.

I am smoking the golden cake, it smelled so sweet in the tin, with a McClelland type tang. It is very nice in the pipe.
@perique, the gold brick smelled very mild, and slightly sweet, not grassy. I will let you know how it goes when I have a bowl.
@goldsm, the ready rubbed whiff of the tin is a wallop of Kentucky, wow! Do you smoke much of that?
@onepyrotec, how is your cake?

rigmedic1 · Feb 15, 2014

Shame. I am really fond of the bread-like taste and smell of red Virginia, and I have been wanting to try Wessex red Virginia flake to see how it compares to McClelland 5100 red cake.

Perique · Feb 15, 2014

Thanks, Sallow!

andrew · Feb 15, 2014

When you open the blackwoods it's best to let it sit and breathe with the lid on for at least 2 weeks, or it's quite disappointing.

onepyrotec · Feb 15, 2014

I am smoking the golden cake, it smelled so sweet in the tin, with a McClelland type tang. It is very nice in the pipe.
@perique, the gold brick smelled very mild, and slightly sweet, not grassy. I will let you know how it goes when I have a bowl.
@goldsm, the ready rubbed whiff of the tin is a wallop of Kentucky, wow! Do you smoke much of that?
@onepyrotec, how is your cake?

There is something about the smell of the Golden Cake that I just can't get enough of. Sadly I must limit myself to a small bowl meer each time to help stretch it out. After tonight I'm under a half oz left of the '93 vintage & I only have one unopened tin from '94. :crying:

sallow · Feb 16, 2014

@Perique -
I had a bowl of the Gold Brick. It is a fairly hard plug, which pleases me. It is not as soft as the GL Pease plugs, more like the density of Peterson's Perfect Plug but not quite.
I smoked it in a cob. It is a mild smoke, milder than I usually go for, and I found myself pushing hard to try to get more flavor from it. I got a few nice hay notes toward the middle of the bowl. I was underwhelmed, but this is just an observation from one bowl on a single day, in the car while I was running errands. In a seasoned briar, in the middle of summer with a nice beverage, it could be a completely different experience. I don't want to give up on it, there are other light VA's that I enjoy, Sherlock Holmes, for one.
I'm going to keep this in the jar for another four or five months and see what happens. I'm moving on to the Jack Knife.

tennesseean87 · Feb 19, 2014

Let us know how JKP is. I have been liking some blends with KY lately. Maybe I need to get some.

sallow · Feb 19, 2014

I've been smoking the Jack Knife Ready Rubbed all week. I find it to be an interesting smoke.
To me it has a nice BBQ flavor with plenty of strength. I heard it described in another post as 'all low notes' which I thought was apt. I am working my way through the tin.

sallow · Mar 28, 2014

Update - I am about half way through the jack knife tin and have decided to cellar the rest for a while. It keeps giving me the damn hiccups. Maybe some time alone in the jar will mellow it out a bit. It has a nice strength to it. I find it to be a good dog walking smoke.
The Golden Cake is almost gone. I've ordered two more tins.
I also ordered with Mr. S for the first time and should be getting it next week. Since I am stateside I ordered what I can't usually get:
Condor (red)

St. Bruno

Revor Plug

Warrior plug
Plus some Sir Walter Scott's creme de figue and auld alliance.

Perique · Mar 28, 2014

Sallow: thank you. Somehow I missed your initial response but just picked the thread up again (I've had frequent absences from the forum lately). Please keep me posted as to how it ages. Thanks

sallow · Mar 28, 2014

Will do. I plan on giving it another try on a warm afternoon several months from now. I may have to wait that long for a warm afternoon.

mso489 · Mar 28, 2014

Not on your list, but I'm smoking some McClelland 5100 Virginia Red Cake that is quite nice,

low key but tasty, and also mixes well.

sallow · Jun 29, 2014

Gave the gold brick another shot and I'm not feeling it. There just isn't enough there in the sidestream for me. Some hay notes, but it is very mild. I'm not getting the sweetness I would expect from this, and I'm going very slow.
I've been smoking a few other Virginias lately. Gawith Full Virginia flake, which I found out I really like. Briar Fox, which is a bit mild too, but plausible. F&T Cut Blended plug, which is also mild but I like the topping.

torque · Jun 29, 2014

Did you ever give the folded flake a shot? Pretty tasty stuff as I recall.

Which Virginia?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Can't Leave