4th Generation Small Batch Aged VA

[oldgeezersmoker]

1. How else would new smokers get to 10 year aged tobacco at that price?

Seems like a no brainer to me, but hey let the nay sayers prevail so the rest of us can get our fill.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

How else would new smokers get to 10 year aged tobacco at that price?

This was one of the main things that attracted me to this particular tobacco, I suppose if you've been smoking for 20 years or whatever and have 10 year+ Virginias that you've aged yourself then it probably doesn't seem such a big deal but I've only been smoking pipes for about 4 years and the oldest tobacco I've smoked is some 3yo Full Virginia Plug.

I've definitely noticed a huge difference in that the aged plug is much much darker and it's a deeper more flavourful smoke so I'm hoping that with 5 years or so aging in the cellar a 15yo Samuel Gawith straight virginia will be mighty tasty.

I am awaiting the first reviews of this blend with baited breath and fingers most definitely crossed.
Chris

 

[ormazd]

1. How else would new smokers get to 10 year aged tobacco at that price?

Word.

 

[briarbuck]

I am no expert so ignore everything ---> but tasting lots of browns. Bready. Not sweet. Not sour. No ketchup. No bbq sauce. The cut is course. Burns slow. Straightforward and simple. Seems to do one thing, and do it very well.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

but tasting lots of browns. Bready. Not sweet. Not sour. No ketchup. No bbq sauce. The cut is course. Burns slow. Straightforward and simple. Seems to do one thing, and do it very well.

Folanator, would you say it's comparable to Full Virginia Flake in the taste/strength department or more like Best Brown Flake?

I realise you've probably only had a couple of bowls and it can take a whole a tin to really get an idea of what you're smoking but I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

Sadly as I only got one box and I'm gonna age it I probably won't find out myself for a good few years and that's if it actually arrives in one piece, at the moment my little box is in somewhere called Jamaica New York and then it's got to fly across the Atlantic then clear the black hole called British Customs.

Still with a fair wind and a bit of luck it should be in my hot sweaty hands in about 10-14 days, fingers crossed.
Chris

 

[briarbuck]

After 1 bowl I would say that it has closer to the strength of a FVF, but with some of the nuance of BBF. Towards the end I was getting some very background hints of spice, cinnamon along with cereal.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

After 1 bowl I would say that it has closer to the strength of a FVF, but with some of the nuance of BBF. Towards the end I was getting some very background hints of spice, cinnamon along with cereal.

Thanks for the info mate, that does sound right up my street as BBF/Kendal Plug & FVF/FVP are two of my absolute favourites so I look forward to trying it in a few years (if I can hold out that long), that's of course if it actually gets here unmolested. There's no reason it shouldn't but out of the 15 or so overseas orders I've done I did have one where the tins were squashed and some of the contents had come out (it looked like a bloody steam roller had done the business or something) but it wasn't too bad as it had only been in transit for a couple of days as it was from Germany so the tobacco wasn't that dried out and I just Mylar bagged the lot of it.

Still the thought of the same sort of thing happening to that lovely wooden box would be a real shame (especially considering the amount of money it's costing me) so I really hope this particular shipment gets through intact.
Chris

 

[canadianpuffer]

@smudgersmissingleg - I’m expecting the worst in terms of delay for mine in customs. Take between a day and a month to pop out - it’s a waiting game.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

i’m expecting the worst in terms of delay for mine in customs. Take between a day and a month to pop out - it’s a waiting game.

I've had about 7 or 8 tobacco orders from the USA in the last couple of years and I think it normally averages from between a week to 12 days so maybe I've been reasonably lucky.

It probably depends on the time of year as well, I'd expect it to be much worse in the lead up to Christmas.

Hopefully both our packages won't be lost in customs limbo hell for too long.
Chris

 

[cshubhra]

Arrived in the mail. Now smoking this

 

[mityahicks]

Really tasty stuff. The appeal to me was also the aged VA and SG name. I could do without the fancy package, but as soon as I opened it my wife said she would have a use for the box.
It is a very rough cut, more like broken flake. Loving it and don't think it will last long.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I purchased mine at the Chicago Show at the Saturday auction. It was very un-Gawith in terms of moisture and cut, as it is about at the perfect moisture level for smoking. Any drier would be too dry. I couldn't pick out any specific flavors, but it did taste well-aged and natural. More nutty and Woody than fruity. Not particularly sweet. I quite like it.

 

[scruffymcgruff]

Noob to forum, first post, not new to tobacco. Hopefully this will help future buyers. The tobacco is by no means bad and I had a general idea about the pine box flavor before I purchased it. At first I liked the pine because it was different and I still do, kinda. Unfortunately it seems to mask a refined buttery aged flavor too much. I like the box but would have preferred it in a tin and waited for it to bulge a little before I couldn’t take the temptation any longer. I transferred it over to a brand new Ball jar and hopefully it will regain its past splendor once again. I would say my box contained more broken flake than rubbed out flake / ribbon 60/40. I think there is some sweetness but again the pine is pretty dominant. It reminds of an over hopped beer masking the grain / malt and yeast profile. I do recommend this tobacco to curious and crafty minds as it is an interesting, & ongoing project ( at least for me ).

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I didn't detect much, if any, pine. I think this is a superb blend. The age and quality of the tobacco is obvious. Nice sweetness perhaps more hints of citrus than I normally get from SG Virginia's. If they were to tin this blend or sell it in bulk at a reasonable price, I'd buy 10 pounds in a heartbeat.

 

[cigrmaster]

Mark, should I even bother with this? Compared to Best Brown and Full Virginia how does it rank? Is it even as good as Golden Glow which is a mild Virginian.

 

[JimInks]

I'm working on a review, thanks to a friend who gifted me the tobacco.

 

[cigrmaster]

Jim, toot suite. We all need to know about this one. Is it worth the 20 something bucks it goes for.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Mark, should I even bother with this? Compared to Best Brown and Full Virginia how does it rank? Is it even as good as Golden Glow which is a mild Virginian.

Harris, I think it is excellent. Worth $27 which is what you'll have to pay at Tobacco Pipes at the moment? Your wallet has to answer that question. To me, it was almost as if you mixed aged FVF, BBF and GG together. It's not as full bodied as FVF and has some citrus flavors I usually don't get from FVF or BBF. I bought 5, send me your address and I'll happily send you one.

 

[cigrmaster]

Mark, I appreciate the offer but I cannot try anymore tobacco. I don't need another blend to load into my cellar. I am done buying unless the tobacco is aged, oh wait, this is aged ten freaking years, oh no.
I have to be strong, as much as I would love to try it, I would hate stocking 50 plus tins.

 

[briarbuck]

To me, it was almost as if you mixed aged FVF, BBF and GG together.

Exactly. I had the same thought. Some of the strength of FVF with BBF underneath.
Interested how Jim's review lines up.