About to try G.L. Pease's The Virginia Cream...

[cosmicfolklore]

I wouldn't say that it really ghosts a pipe, but it does leave behind an imparted flavor that takes a couple of bowls of a straight Virginia to completely remove. A ghost (IMO) is a residual flavor or odor that lingers for much longer than that. If you smoked a more robust or cased VaPer or English afterwards, you probably wouldn't notice it all.

 

[rfernand]

perdurabo: I put some PA in it this morning. I could still smell the vanilla, but once I lit, I couldn't taste it. To my taste, it did not alter the PA profile at all.
I'll be experimenting more after dedicating this pipe to this tin. Also, I can confirm shutterbug's observation on no goop left behind.

 

[rfernand]

Forgot to mention after the first smoke - the dottle was no wetter than any English, Virginias, or Burleys in my rotation.

 

[rfernand]

Happy to report consistent success here - with negligible ghosting.

 

[brass]

Virginia Cream was one of our picks for the Fall Tobacco Crawl. It was well received. I don't smoke a lot of aromatics but I did enjoy Virginia Cream and I have a tin on the car bench.
Shutterbug, I was intrigued by your description of Eric Stokkebye's 4th Generation 1931 Flake. However, the mfrs's description posted on tobaccoreviews.com classifies it as a burly based Navy Flake and states that it uses no flavorings.
You're right about it being a little pricey. P&C charges $22.00 for a 100 gr tin.
I'm going to try a tin.

 

[shutterbugg]

Shutterbug, I was intrigued by your description of Eric Stokkebye's 4th Generation 1931 Flake. However, the mfrs's description posted on tobaccoreviews.com classifies it as a burly based Navy Flake and states that it uses no flavorings.

Shows you how little you can trust those reviews. It is a burley-based navy flake, but the official description says it also has Va and cavendish. And it definitely has a honey-flavored casing. Below is a review from this site.

review of 1931 flake

 

[derfargin]

I thought 1931 tasted exactly like MacBaren's - Navy Flake.

 

[glpease]

I wouldn't say that it really ghosts a pipe, but it does leave behind an imparted flavor that takes a couple of bowls of a straight Virginia to completely remove. A ghost (IMO) is a residual flavor or odor that lingers for much longer than that. If you smoked a more robust or cased VaPer or English afterwards, you probably wouldn't notice it all.

Before I released this one, and before I wrote the tin description, I explored the haunting issues at some length, dedicating a new pipe to VC and smoking a couple ounces in it. I also "sacrificed" one of my dedicated Sixpence pipes, smoking over a dozen bowls of VC in it. In both cases, there was a very slight residual taste that disappeared quickly with a bowl of something else, with no lingering spectres performing their typical aromatic chain rattling and door slamming; the exorcism was fast and painless.
But, it's a bit of a two-sided coin. If you smoke only an occasional bowl of VC in a pipe, it won't ghost it, for sure, but it also may not deliver the full experience of the tobacco, since it will be influenced by the ghosts of previous visitors. This is of course true for any tobacco, but more so when there are subtle background flavors that may hide behind the veil of tobaccos that came before them. My best experiences with it, so far, have been after a few bowls have been smoked in the same pipe.
I'm not generally one to dedicate pipes solely to a single blend, but rather to a blend type. I do, however, like to smoke a full tin of something new in the same two or three pipes until I really get a feel for the blend. After that, I like to explore the crossover effects, which can often deliver some fun surprises.

 

[shutterbugg]

I thought 1931 tasted exactly like MacBaren's - Navy Flake.

Maybe if 1931 was very dry and/or puffed very hard. I find MNF quite flat by comparison.
I just finished a small bowl of VC. The first third was very pleasant and tasty, but the second third got harsh and tried to bite me. That's what I've experienced with every bowl so far, no matter how gently I sip. I always dump the bottom third (it's my "filter") but given the cost I'd at least like to have the taste stay consistent 2/3 of the way. By comparison, the other blends I smoke (Escudo/DNR, Nightcap, RY and 1931) keep an even keel 2/3 down. I think (just my layman's intuition) if VC had about half or 1/4 as much casing, it would be smoother. Idk.

 

[thesinistral]

A play by play of a new smoke. I'm new to the forum so this may be a common thing but it's a fun read. Thanks!

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I'm puffing on it in a Don Warren Del Rio finish Poker. The bowl is fairly capacious.
First thoughts, it's a good blend.
Taste wise I'm getting some nice solid Virginia fruit flavors with just a faint touch of the grass/hay notes. The vanilla is quite subtle with the bourbon coming through a bit more. The bourbon is more pronounced in a retrohale.
Moisture wise it's perfect. If you're not going to get through the tin in a week or two definitely jar it up, so it doesn't dry out and lose flavor.
It burns fine, but can get hot, so definitely sip a bit more slowly on this blend.
The room note is definitely good. If you're looking for a good tasting aromatic to have around non-smokers definitely try this blend.
Since this is a bit out of Greg's wheel house so to speak I was a little apprehensive/skeptical about this blend, but Greg has proven me wrong, he can do an aromatic pretty well. I'd like to see him add a few more blends and make an aromatic series.

 

[shutterbugg]

The room note is definitely good. If you're looking for a good tasting aromatic to have around non-smokers definitely try this blend.

+1. That and the lack of goopy residue are the two things this blend has going for it over most other aros. Same with 1931 Flake, except it doesn't want to bite like VC does. I really like the aroma of VC, that's why I haven't dumped the rest of it yet, it just smells too damn good to toss. Think I'll save it for when I'm around company.

 

[brudnod]

Dustmite, I'm a little slow on the response but Mac Baren VC was first released in 1999.

 

[krizzose]

I'm enjoying playing around with TVC. My first bowl wasn't the greatest, but subsequent bowls in larger pipes have been really good, with my best bowls coming out my "sweet" pipes, particularly one I've smoked a lot of Classic Burley Kake in. If it's ghosting that pipe, it does so in a good way.

 

[rfernand]

I'm delighted to report the pipe is not ghosted, having gone through half a tin. I put some Prince Albert in it and, while I can smell The Virginia Cream in the pipe before packing, I don't really taste it when smoking Prince Albert.
I remain impressed.

 

[glpease]

I'm delighted to report the pipe is not ghosted, having gone through half a tin.

I'm delighted to read your report!

 

[shutterbugg]

I love the taste and aroma of Virginia Cream but it had two serious issues that made it impossible for me to enjoy smoking it. One was the tendency for it to bite like a crocodile unless sipped so slowly there was hardly any smoke and hardly any taste. Another was the peppery sensation of Perique which might add to a straight VA but detracted from this blend.
Into 4 oz of it, I added 2 oz of Lane's BCA. It did not change the taste or aroma at all, but it eliminated 95% of the bite and all of the pepper. Mixed this way it is absolutely superb. Wish it came like that from the tin.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh wow, I missed it that Mr. Appease responded to my remark. And, yes, I enjoy the occasional residual flavor too, especially if I anticipate the next blend to compliment the residual.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Holy smoke, spell fail!

Spell check changed Pease to Appease. I have a hard enough time wording my posts of my own vulgarities without spellcheck defaming me further, ha ha.

I meant no slights to anyone. My applogies.

 

[rfernand]

I saved about three bowls of the original tin and just had one. I figured I'd share my experience.
Back when I was first trying The Virginia Cream, I was using a Peterson 106. I was interested in ghosting, so I alternated with Prince Albert and could not find any ghosting. I reported that and stopped the live blogging. I then moved to a B11 I I nicknamed the Goop-detector, because it gurgles easily with goopy blends -- I don't remember it gurgling at all with this blend back then, by the way.
So the B11 saw about half of the tin only in February and March and went back to the rack to rest during the warm months. Before packing it tonight, I could discern no ghost on empty draws -- so all that activity from back then did not leave a mark. Nice!
I opened the tin again and was greeted with that nice topping, which to me still seems like vanilla, a bit of spice, and more brandy Veterano de Osborne than Bulleit bourbon. Surprisingly, the tobacco did not lose much moisture while sitting in its original tin. I don't think it has PG (not that it'd bother me), but that was interesting. Contrast with Westminster, which has dried for me in the past (and rehydrates easily).
The only change is the tobacco flavor is more defined. If the cavendish is based on Burley, it's coming forward. If not, maybe the Virginia lost a bit of its sugary tone. I'm no expert. But the perique-y spice is still there!
So I remain a fan, freshly opened or quasi-abandoned. Not being an aromatic smoker, this is definitely the one tin I'll have in stock.
:puffpipe: