Gonna be fun! I know but a little, and have the palate of a goat, but I’ll give ‘er hell!
Blind Tasting: Red Virginia
- Thread starter Mrs. Pickles
- Start date
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I’m just in it to find at least one worth buying
This is my first time participating In something like this. Im looking forward to it! Thanks!!
I'm excited to do this (!!!). I'm sort of humbled to be in this with all you veterans of this forum. I'm relatively new here. But I'll certainly do my best. Now my jar of 5100 can sit undisturbed a little longer & pick up a bit more age.
At the end of this, One of you better convince me that Virginia's are worth smoking.....
Let the games begin!
I’m thinking I’ll write up my thoughts in a notes program, then post…
Then again I may just go all willy-nilly, who knows?!
I seem to be missing samples 5-9:
I’m thinking I’ll write up my thoughts in a notes program, then post…
Then again I may just go all willy-nilly, who knows?!
I seem to be missing samples 5-9:
Dont worry, there’s only six samples in each bundle. You got them all.
It looks like most people will get their delivery today with the last few arriving by tomorrow and Wednesday. Be on the look out or be prepared to enjoy a little extra mailbox-stoved flavor.
You know as well as I that at least here, this time of year, dashboard stoving is always an option!Dont worry, there’s only six samples in each bundle. You got them all.
It looks like most people will get their delivery today with the last few arriving by tomorrow and Wednesday. Be on the look out or be prepared to enjoy a little extra mailbox-stoved flavor.
An AND mini-meer is being put into service just for this occasion. It has only been smoked once prior.
He's just a smart ass .. which as we know is better than being a dumb ass. lolDont worry, there’s only six samples in each bundle. You got them all.
It looks like most people will get their delivery today with the last few arriving by tomorrow and Wednesday. Be on the look out or be prepared to enjoy a little extra mailbox-stoved flavor.
That reminds me way back in high school when some kids released a few chickens in the school labelled 1, 2, and 4. Administration searched all day for #3 until the kids admitted there never was one, haha.
I jumped right in. About half way through sample one. First off, the tin (baggie?) note was EXCELLENT. Lots of sweet dark fruit aromas. My sample had a bit of sparkle, so there must be a bit of age on it.
Took me a few tries to get it going, but once I got it lit, it smoked just fine. The flavor is similar to the bag note: sweet, tart, rich, deep. Lots of stewed dark fruit. It’s working the salivary glands on the side of my tongue. It’s literally making my mouth water! (Can pipe tobacco be described as ‘juicy’?)
Again, this is my first go around with red Virginias, but this is a fine smoke, and a great start to the Red Challenge. I’ll be sad when the bowl is done!
Took me a few tries to get it going, but once I got it lit, it smoked just fine. The flavor is similar to the bag note: sweet, tart, rich, deep. Lots of stewed dark fruit. It’s working the salivary glands on the side of my tongue. It’s literally making my mouth water! (Can pipe tobacco be described as ‘juicy’?)
Again, this is my first go around with red Virginias, but this is a fine smoke, and a great start to the Red Challenge. I’ll be sad when the bowl is done!
As a writer, I usually think a long time before I put any words down. Then I edit. Then I re-edit several times. This time, I'm willing to make an exception in that these thoughts were taken down in real-time. Still, I'm'a polish this shit up a bit to try to make it interesting.
Anywho, I received the package today. @Mrs. Pickles did a great job of doing it up for a blind test. Each baggie is perfectly sealed and demarcated by number. A nonconformist and pretty much a dick by nature, I opted to begin with number 4.
Upon opening the package, I tried my best not to visually examine the contents at first. Instead, I relied on my sniffer to tell me what was what. I detected a pretty heavy fruit-based scent. My first thoughts were of dates, then plums. After a few more whiffs, I decided that the contents of pouch #4 were reminiscent of raisin bread.
Sliding the contents from its mylar home, it became noticeable at once that these were hot-pressed flakes, so we're talking European brands. It's always a little difficult (for me) to speak to possible age with red Virginia leaves, as non-red Virginias redden with time.
I've got a couple newer pipes I'd like to break in, and while the amount here would make one deep bowl's worth, I decided I'd rather give each packet two smokes, so I only loaded a half-bowl into the GH Zhang-J Alan blowfish I recently acquired. While room note is impossible to state when you're the one smoking, I got a few big puffs in before taking Luna for a walk and when I re-entered the room, most of the smell was gone, but the remnants were what I'd call intensely pleasant. Assumedly, this comes from whatever top note I detected as raisin-like.
On lighting up, my first thought was... the carpet matches the drapes. Raisin scent also led straight into a raisin-esque taste. I'm the kind of pipe smoker who's in this for the culinary journey, so I'm quite fond of the retro-hale (breathing smoke out through the nose). In so doing, I found myself greeted with the taste of spicy raisin. It's one of those blends that really packs a spicy punch when breathed out in this manner, as though you're being kicked in the sniffer, but I kept doing it anyhow.
After a few more retro-hales, I got the distinct buttery afterglow that I associate most strongly with Brown Sugar Flake. While it's not of the same caliber in that feel, it makes me assume that whatever blend this is, it was finished or aged with molasses, and I obviously assume some level of raisin or plum top-note.
I can't with any level of certainty call this blend an aromatic, but it has aromatic tendencies, which straight VA smokes often do. While I'm not in love with it, I like the feel of what I perceive to be the room note at this stage and while I might not choose to smoke this particular tobacco as-is on a regular basis, I have a feeling that, whatever it is, I'd very much enjoy cracking one open in another 3-5 years. At this moment, I feel like the primary component (red VA) is trying too hard, so to speak, and needs time to mellow. Still, down the road, I have to imagine I'd give this pretty high marks. In the meantime, were I to rate this on smokingpipes.com, I'd give it 3.5/5.
Anywho, I received the package today. @Mrs. Pickles did a great job of doing it up for a blind test. Each baggie is perfectly sealed and demarcated by number. A nonconformist and pretty much a dick by nature, I opted to begin with number 4.
Upon opening the package, I tried my best not to visually examine the contents at first. Instead, I relied on my sniffer to tell me what was what. I detected a pretty heavy fruit-based scent. My first thoughts were of dates, then plums. After a few more whiffs, I decided that the contents of pouch #4 were reminiscent of raisin bread.
Sliding the contents from its mylar home, it became noticeable at once that these were hot-pressed flakes, so we're talking European brands. It's always a little difficult (for me) to speak to possible age with red Virginia leaves, as non-red Virginias redden with time.
I've got a couple newer pipes I'd like to break in, and while the amount here would make one deep bowl's worth, I decided I'd rather give each packet two smokes, so I only loaded a half-bowl into the GH Zhang-J Alan blowfish I recently acquired. While room note is impossible to state when you're the one smoking, I got a few big puffs in before taking Luna for a walk and when I re-entered the room, most of the smell was gone, but the remnants were what I'd call intensely pleasant. Assumedly, this comes from whatever top note I detected as raisin-like.
On lighting up, my first thought was... the carpet matches the drapes. Raisin scent also led straight into a raisin-esque taste. I'm the kind of pipe smoker who's in this for the culinary journey, so I'm quite fond of the retro-hale (breathing smoke out through the nose). In so doing, I found myself greeted with the taste of spicy raisin. It's one of those blends that really packs a spicy punch when breathed out in this manner, as though you're being kicked in the sniffer, but I kept doing it anyhow.
After a few more retro-hales, I got the distinct buttery afterglow that I associate most strongly with Brown Sugar Flake. While it's not of the same caliber in that feel, it makes me assume that whatever blend this is, it was finished or aged with molasses, and I obviously assume some level of raisin or plum top-note.
I can't with any level of certainty call this blend an aromatic, but it has aromatic tendencies, which straight VA smokes often do. While I'm not in love with it, I like the feel of what I perceive to be the room note at this stage and while I might not choose to smoke this particular tobacco as-is on a regular basis, I have a feeling that, whatever it is, I'd very much enjoy cracking one open in another 3-5 years. At this moment, I feel like the primary component (red VA) is trying too hard, so to speak, and needs time to mellow. Still, down the road, I have to imagine I'd give this pretty high marks. In the meantime, were I to rate this on smokingpipes.com, I'd give it 3.5/5.
Still on sample one. I’m having an iced coffee with it. I know, probably not the best choice for this exercise, but I keep getting a slight chocolate or caramel note. It could be the coffee.
My samples haven't arrived yet, but I'm guessing tomorrow (Tue).
I've decided that the awesome uniqueness of this "exercise", Mrs. Pickles' wonderful generosity plus the FUN involved merit a H-U-G-E "investment" on my part.
Meaning .... I have an Edwards Bent Bulldog (Algerian briar, of course) that I bought at the last remaining Edwards Pipe & Tobacco store in the Twin Cities way back in '10. It not only has wonderful grain, but it has NO fills, at all. It's perfect. It was unsmoked when I bought it & I've never smoked it since. Why? Dunno .... guess I just thought it was kind of cool to have it in its "Virgin State". I never planned on selling it.
So, like an unfired rifle (or shotgun) that's taken out on its first hunting trip afield, I'm going to use this magnificent pipe for this "exercise". I feel this is totally deserved.
Maybe a question you folks might have an opinion on:
I'm wondering if it would "make sense" to first "bloody" (a hunting term) the pipe with a bowl or two of some Red VA before getting into the samples. I'm thinking McClelland 5100 or Sutliff 515 RC-1 or McClelland Christmas Cheer year 2006 or Wessex Red VA Flake. I have all of these opened & jarred.
NOTE: I'm thinking after finishing this "exercise", maybe I'll dedicate the pipe to strictly Virginias. I've never dedicated a pipe before.
So far so good!
As an absolute Red VAophile I like what im hearing.
Stewed fruit, raisin bread, plums, dates, sweet, dark, rich!!!
Who could NOT love Red Virginia tobacco?
McCraines Red Ribbon, 5100, Christmas Cheer......whats not to love?
As an absolute Red VAophile I like what im hearing.
Stewed fruit, raisin bread, plums, dates, sweet, dark, rich!!!
Who could NOT love Red Virginia tobacco?
McCraines Red Ribbon, 5100, Christmas Cheer......whats not to love?