Are Virginias Harder to Appreciate?

[stanlaurel]

I have been thinking about starting a thread like this for a little while and then pitchfork posted this last week:

Virginias can just be difficult to smoke when you're starting out. I smoked a tin of McClelland Navy Flake, and most of a tin of GLP Union Square and GLP Montgomery, before I started getting much beyond soot, ashes and hot, tasteless air.
Part of it was smoking too hot and puffing too fast, but a big part of it for me was that my palate just didn't recognize the flavors that Virginias can provide. I don't know if it's physiological or psychological (or both), but lots of smokers try great blends like Escudo and get nothing from them. Union Square is one of my favorites, now, but when I smoked that first tin I was really unimpressed.

As my palate matures and as my technique improves, I am starting to be able to appreciate Latakia mixtures with more and more consistency but when it comes to straight Virginias and VaPr's etc., I am still having trouble discerning much flavor and if I do, it is extremely subtle.
Is this a normal phenomenon? Is it supposed to take more practice and experience before I start to enjoy what Virginia tobaccos have to offer?

 

[newbroom]

Maybe, ya. I think that especially with flakes and coins that packing or loading your pipe is more critical to their success. Having been compressed in their production, they will expand with heat and if there's not enough room to allow for this inevitability, you will be sucking harder to try to keep it lit. Once you're sucking on a pipe rather than sipping it, you're on the wrong side of things.

 

[pipebuddy]

Yea, virginias do take some acclamitizing before being able to appreciate them (or not, for some pipesters). I remeber the first time I bought McClelland's No 24 Virginia. No fricking taste to me, whatsoever. I ended up puffing like a mad man to try to get something out of it. 15 minutes later, my tongue was done for 2 days. :roll:

To this day, I prefer dark or stoved virginias over golden, lemon or bronze VAs. I'm able to appreciate them much more.

 

[judcole]

They do have more subtle flavors, unless you're smoking one that beats you over the head with perique.

It's OK not to appreciate all varieties at once. Take your time. Explore the latakia blends you are starting to enjoy. Revisit Virginia blends down the road.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Things like latakia and even perique can tax your tongue, so that when you smoke a straight Virginia, you don't taste it. I save heavier blends with these till later in the day, after I have enjoyed a few Virginias.

Also, maybe they aren't for you. As Jud said, try them later. You may have to grow into them.

 

[jaydublin]

I suggest trying this: light 2 pipes at once. One with an English/Latakia blend and one with a straight VA like Capstan or SG FVF. When you can contrast the flavors in real time the VA's mild bread-like toasty, mildly sweet creaminess (that's how I would describe it) really pops. Once you've identified it directly it is much more easy to identify/taste from then on. Ive only been smoking for about 3-4 months, but if I had to choose only one type I would probably go with a VA now.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I went straight to Virginias. Cigar guys and cigarette smokers tend to "get it" faster. To me, Virginias are what I think of as a "pure" tobacco taste. No smoked latakia or peppery perique, no heavy toppings, just naturally sweet tobacco. However, if you come to pipes because of an attraction to some of the unique aromas of pipes, whether it is aromatics or English blends, the Virginia experience may not be for you, at least for now. Since most blends rely on a Virginia base to bounce the latakia or perique off of, it may take a while to taste that deeply into a blend to be able to recognize (or appreciate) the Virginia base. I think that this is what is meant when people suggest that Virginias are more for the "experienced" smoker.
But, no fears, there are thousands of blends out there. No one is twisting your arm to like a Virginia. There's still plenty of stuff to like.

 

[prairiedruid]

Good point by newbroom about over packing flakes and coins. At first I jammed coins of Bulls Eye Luxury Flake in my cob and had a hell of a time to get it going and get flavor from it. Once I backed off and used just a coin and a half it gave me a much better smoke and flavor.

 

[brudnod]

I am a [nearly] exclusively Virginia smoker (and not just because I live in Virginia). The flavor is subtle but discernable if smoked correctly and if your palate has not been accustomed to stronger tobaccos. Stanlaurel, you have been at this long enough to get the hang of it, OR long enough to not care if you don't get the "Virginia thing."

 

[pitchfork]

Pitchfork has no idea what he's talking about! Oh, wait. Wrong thread.
One of the things that kept me smoking Virginias was the amazing tin note of Union Square. I wanted so bad to be able to taste that.
Another thing that really helped me get Virginias was A) to keep at and slow down, but also B) to smoke a pipe with an open draw. My Peterson was drilled fairly tight, which just compounded the "puff-to-keep-it-smoking" problem. After going to work with the needle files, I finally got that yummy Virginia taste. And once I got it, there was no turning back.

 

[jackswilling]

"Once you're sucking on a pipe rather than sipping it, you're on the wrong side of things."
Yes indeed.
I agree with Union Square and will add Marble Kake, and Opening Night to the list of way good straight VAs

 

[aggravatedfarmer]

Virginias are nice once you get acclimated to them. Love me some SG Virginia flake.

 

[blendtobac]

One of the issues with appreciating Virginias has to do with the volume of smoke. Most other genres produce thicker smoke, so we become acclimated to a big, creamy cloud of smoke. When we don't get dense smoke out of a Virginia, we often puff harder to build up volume, and that's when it goes south. The smoke becomes ashy. It takes some time to get used to just keeping the tobacco hot enough to stay lit, but once you do, you'll be able to pick up those subtle, sweet flavors.
Russ

 

[mso489]

I feel lucky that Virginia leaf just snuck right up on me and delivered the flavor. The subtlety was certainly there, but that is what makes it good, and a change from Latakia blends and others. I've never had a really bad time with bite. Bite is a problem with aromatics for me, because of the moisture and flavorings.

 

[newfie]

To the experienced smoker, I say no. To a noob to moderate smoker, definitely.
At least that's my experience.
When I first started smoking pipe, nuances of tobaccos like FVF and Blackwoods Flake were lost to me. Many times I asked myself "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I taste what everyone else seems to be able to?"
Once I learned to smoke slower and cooler, sip, not suck, pack MUCH lighter and learn to dry tobacco properly ( for my tastes and preferences) then it all became clear.
Now I find my tastes wandering between the subtleties of FVF and the spiciness of something like a Blackwoods Flake. All things I never thought I'd experience.
So, tastes and preferences are both very subjective. Just because someone else likes them doesn't mean you will, or even have to. But sometimes it is sure fun trying.

 

[12pups]

I prefer Virginias. I'm not really into nicotine rushes, so that's why I first looked for them. Now I smoke them exclusively. But not loose cut much. Maybe that makes a difference, since they tend to burn cooler, longer? -- Experts here will know. Seems to me back when I decided I'm a "Virginian," I had noticed loose cut Virginia goes fast and hot.
I love Capstan. It's always in my order. I love its smell. I love its taste. I love the way it burns in my pipe.

 

[ember]

When I first started my journey of pipe smoking my idea was that I wanted a sweet taste and or smell . Through my trial and errors I've found out that Virginia's are were it's at . At first I tried a S.G. FVF and rubbed it out but for me that was a horrible experience it caused the tobacco to burn very hot. Now I fold and stuff which works fantastic for me and only like to some Virginia tobaccos now

 

[jaydublin]

12pups - I love Capstan as well. Might be my favorite of them all. I've gone through 1 tin of the Blue Navy Cut and I'm now making quick work of a tin of the Gold. Not sure which one I like better. I, like you, prefer to avoid the nic rush so I'm leaning a bit more towards the Gold so far. But I'm pretty new to all of this and I'd appreciate hearing from you if you prefer one over the other. I'm also about to place an order for the SG MVF (Golden Glow). I also really enjoyed the FVF.

 

[aldecaker]

Aromatics, for me, were just as difficult to get the most out of as Virginias. For the stuff that most new pipers seem to start on, it can be pretty challenging, especially if you're not in tune with drying, packing, and cadence yet. In fact, I would never encourage a new piper straight into full-on aromatics; more likely something easily smokeable and forgiving of packing and cadence like CH or PA (which I realize are mildly aromatic, but they're no Captain Black or Molto Dolce).

 

[jkrug]

I'm a big fan of Virginias and VaPers now but struggled a bit with them in the beginning. Sometimes I would be rewarded with a nice sweet smoke and other times it taste like I just licked an ashtray....nasty. Once I became more consistent with slowing down my smoking cadence I began to enjoy these blends much more. ::