Rollinggentleman - May I presume from your answer above that Mac B's Virginia No.1 was the same blend you smoked in the past, and without the "too hot" effect in this same pipe at that time?
While my next question will bring forth a wholly subjective answer on your part, do you feel at this time, that the moisture-level of your current tobacco is the same moisture-level by feel of the tobacco from your past smoking days?
As Anthony is quite correct that because of the generally higher sugar-levels and lower oil-level contained in the typical Virginia - when compared to the typical Burley - causes them to generally burn hotter and faster; especially the drier they are and the thinner the cut of the tabak employed.
Therefore, and with that in mind, would it be possible for you to secure a non-aromatic and non-cased White Burley tabak, and smoke it exactly as you would your current Mac B's #1, so that we can see if you get the same "too hot" effect with a tobacco which should, in theory, generally burn cooler for you than a Virginia?
If you are willing to perform that experiment, and you do not invoke the "too hot" effect with the White Burley, that would indeed indicate the culprit must the Virginia you are smoking; and at the rate you are smoking it.
If, on the other hand, you still invoke the "too hot" effect with the non-aromatic White Burley blended-in, this would rule-out the Virginia as the sole guilty-party.
From there - and following Mortonbriar's idea - I would like you to repeat the above experiment exactly, but with a totally different pipe.
If both the Virginia and the Burley both fail to invoke the "too hot" effect with pipe #2, then the culprit must be pipe #1 itself; obviously.
If however pipe #2 only gets "too hot" with the Virginia, and not the Burley, then the culprit is the Virginia; again,
If pipe #2 gets hot with both the Virginia AND the Burley, then we must then conclude that the problem is occurring due to your cadence, how hard you are drawing on the pipe, and possibly your bowl-packing technique; or some combination of all three of these factors.
Let us know the results of your experiments if you decide to run this mystery down. I for one would be most interested to learn your findings.
If it turns out to be the Virginia itself, I would follow what Anthony is intimating and hydrate your tabak a bit more; and possibly draw on the pipe in a lighter fashion; as the ever-wise and wonderful, Sablebrush52, is suggesting to you as a possible remedy.
In the meantime, and until we learn the results of your experiments, I will suspect Colonel Mustard, in the Drawing Room, with the Knife. - Sherm Natman
