Okie, Russ helped me refine the selections I've listed above. It will give you a place to start. And he has a couple of articles on blending, including one that is a kick starter for beginners.
Meantime, I smoked straight Virginians last night, a yellow and a red Cavendish. I started with the yellow. As you would expect, it was relatively light and bright. I was expecting it to be much sweeter but it was more peppery. I could feel the acidity building from the first puff. It became obvious that this stuff can bite. It did and I knew it before I finished the bowl. The bite was still with me this morning. Not terrible but enough to be conscious of it. I would not smoke straight yellow Virginians for pleasure.
The red Virginia Cavendish (matured) was another matter. It was heavier than the yellow, with a deeper, richer flavor. It reminded me faintly of cigarette smoke but tasted better than any cigarette I've tried.
The big surprise for me after testing these straight blend tobaccos, is how they can stand on their own, without being in a blend. I'm sure some pipe smokers, like single malt scotch drinkers, would enjoy some single leaf tobaccos.
I haven't asked Russ, but I suspect the blend tobaccos I'm smoking are not only pre-cut, but they are highly processed, e.g, pressed, steamed, stoved, smoked, and cased. Of course, the Latakia, Perique, and Cavendish are by definition processed.
You could buy whole leaf tobacco and take the DIY philosophy even further. (Although most whole leaf I've seen for sale on the Internet seems to be targeted at the RYO cigarette crowd trying to duck onerous taxes. More power to them.)
We have some members that not only process their own leaf and make their own blends but grow their own tobacco.I wouldn't be surprised to see a post asking how to make their own seed. :P:worship:
Pax
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