Today would be an excellent day for it!
Unless of course you're among the few of our guys in east Texas with the hurricane blowing through. Stay safe fellas!
Blind Tasting: Red Virginia
- Thread starter Mrs. Pickles
- Start date
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Today would be an excellent day for it!
Unless of course you're among the few of our guys in east Texas with the hurricane blowing through. Stay safe fellas!
Can't go wrong with any of these!
I hope this game can do that beauty of a pipe justice. Be sure to post a picture of that handsome bulldog once you get her going.
I'm like a puppy with two tails reading this and they are both going double time.
guess all slots filled 
love reds seems like the thing I smoke the most of.
love reds seems like the thing I smoke the most of.
More tomorrow.
I’ll probably hold out until I’ve gone through all six, and am swiping through posts regarding impressions…however, f your expecting eloquence out of me such as put forth by @jbfrady, I can guarantee your disappointment
I LOVE these type of threads!! Kudos!
Too kind, my friendView attachment 322872
More tomorrow.
I’ll probably hold out until I’ve gone through all six, and am swiping through posts regarding impressions…however, f your expecting eloquence out of me such as put forth by @jbfrady, I can guarantee your disappointment
Sample 1
Tin note: First thing that hit me was the vinegar acidity and deep fermentation. Next a sweet spice. Finally, a slightly sour earthiness. The tin note is very similar to McClelland VA #22, which I was pretty familiar with at one time as it was one of two tobaccos I smoked for my first three or four months of piping (the other was Frog Morton). At any rate, sample #1 is resting on a tray sitting right beside me while I'm typing my notes and I have to say I am really digging the aroma. If it tastes anything like it smells, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like this.
Cut: Flake, medium thickness, breaks apart with just a gentle squeeze, good moisture level, not oily or sticky. Add all that up and despite the aroma, it confirms that this is definitely not McClelland.
I'm going to do this one in a newish AKB meer as two half bowls. One fresh, one later after a thorough drying.
Bowl 1 (after about 10 minutes of dry time). Didn't get a whole lot off the charring light. And then a few puffs and... OK. Yup. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, this is good. I can't tell if it's because the tin aroma put the thought of McClelland #22 in mind or not, but the taste is also pretty similar to what I remember of that. For me that's a good thing because I loved the stuff 20 years ago and only really stopped smoking it because I couldn't figure out a way to keep it lit for more than one or two puffs. I'm at about mid bowl now and there's a sweet + savory + smoky thing going on that I am really enjoying. I know that grilling and BBQ are more often associated with dark fired kentucky, but I'm getting a bit of that here. Not the deep smoked brisket flavor of DFK. It's brighter, more like Jerk Chicken thighs with nice caramelization and some charred crispy edges on the skin. It's smoking a little wet. Maybe should have let it dry out a little more. Making me glad I decided to split this one up. Anyway, I'm liking this a good deal. Not much else to say right now. Gonna sit back and just enjoy the rest of the bowl.
Bowl 2 (after 1 ½ hours dry time). The sweetness has abated a bit, but there's also a little more complexity and interplay between the flavors. Can't say it's any better or worse, just a slight difference. Not much else to add. Still damn nice. I'm not sure I would want to smoke this every day, but I definitely would like to have it on an occasional basis. If it's still available, I will likely pick up a tin or two.
Side note: the mustache reminder is pleasant and very much like the tin note.
I feel like I've got a pretty good guess what this is. If I'm right, I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone else so I'm going to PM my guess to Andrew.
Tin note: First thing that hit me was the vinegar acidity and deep fermentation. Next a sweet spice. Finally, a slightly sour earthiness. The tin note is very similar to McClelland VA #22, which I was pretty familiar with at one time as it was one of two tobaccos I smoked for my first three or four months of piping (the other was Frog Morton). At any rate, sample #1 is resting on a tray sitting right beside me while I'm typing my notes and I have to say I am really digging the aroma. If it tastes anything like it smells, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like this.
Cut: Flake, medium thickness, breaks apart with just a gentle squeeze, good moisture level, not oily or sticky. Add all that up and despite the aroma, it confirms that this is definitely not McClelland.
I'm going to do this one in a newish AKB meer as two half bowls. One fresh, one later after a thorough drying.
Bowl 1 (after about 10 minutes of dry time). Didn't get a whole lot off the charring light. And then a few puffs and... OK. Yup. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, this is good. I can't tell if it's because the tin aroma put the thought of McClelland #22 in mind or not, but the taste is also pretty similar to what I remember of that. For me that's a good thing because I loved the stuff 20 years ago and only really stopped smoking it because I couldn't figure out a way to keep it lit for more than one or two puffs. I'm at about mid bowl now and there's a sweet + savory + smoky thing going on that I am really enjoying. I know that grilling and BBQ are more often associated with dark fired kentucky, but I'm getting a bit of that here. Not the deep smoked brisket flavor of DFK. It's brighter, more like Jerk Chicken thighs with nice caramelization and some charred crispy edges on the skin. It's smoking a little wet. Maybe should have let it dry out a little more. Making me glad I decided to split this one up. Anyway, I'm liking this a good deal. Not much else to say right now. Gonna sit back and just enjoy the rest of the bowl.
Bowl 2 (after 1 ½ hours dry time). The sweetness has abated a bit, but there's also a little more complexity and interplay between the flavors. Can't say it's any better or worse, just a slight difference. Not much else to add. Still damn nice. I'm not sure I would want to smoke this every day, but I definitely would like to have it on an occasional basis. If it's still available, I will likely pick up a tin or two.
Side note: the mustache reminder is pleasant and very much like the tin note.
I feel like I've got a pretty good guess what this is. If I'm right, I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone else so I'm going to PM my guess to Andrew.
Good morning!
Damnit! I forgot I was doing the @FurCoat pipe stand knockoff thing-I guess I need more coffee.
Still just popping in to post and swiping past others’ impressions.
Number four will be coming up later…
Damnit! I forgot I was doing the @FurCoat pipe stand knockoff thing-I guess I need more coffee.
Still just popping in to post and swiping past others’ impressions.
Number four will be coming up later…
I won't say what my guess was, but I will reveal that it was incorrect.
Sample #2
Tin note: Similar to Sample #1. Once again, the initial hit is vinegar and fermentation. Second notes are dark and tangy with less sweetness and less spice than #1. Final note is still earthy, less sour but with a slight bitter edge.
Cut: Arrived as a slightly broken flake. Darker in color than #1. The thickness and feel as I break it up is similar to #1, but maybe a little more oily. Moisture content seems good.
I'm going to do two half bowls of this one as well.
Bowl 1 (5 minutes dry time). Initial light is a little more robust. After that, everything promised by the tin note is present in the smoke. Similar to #1 in flavor, but overall darker in tone. In fact, I feel like I'm meeting Sample #1's older brother. More mature, more introspective, possibly prone to brooding. I wouldn't be at all surprised if 1 and 2 are the same brand, or at least from the same blender. I'm at around mid bowl now and the dark sweetness is showing up more, but it's carrying a floral bitter edge in it's wake which I'm not sure about. I don't hate it but I definitely prefer #1. Also getting some moisture around this point but nothing major. And I'll stop there so I can enjoy the rest unencumbered by the burden of feeling like I need to try to come up with interesting things to say about it.
Bowl 2 (1 ½ hours dry time). Well, other than less moisture in the pipe, drying didn't change it much, so nothing really to report here. It's still good, but I still prefer sample #1. The floral tinged bitter edge of this one keeps poking at my memory though. Have I had this before? Maybe a long time ago? I think I have but I can't be totally sure. Or maybe it's just that it's very much like something I've had before. Anyway, it's solid good. If someone offered me some, I'd gladly make my way to the bottom of the bowl, but I'm not sure I'd seek it out.
Tin note: Similar to Sample #1. Once again, the initial hit is vinegar and fermentation. Second notes are dark and tangy with less sweetness and less spice than #1. Final note is still earthy, less sour but with a slight bitter edge.
Cut: Arrived as a slightly broken flake. Darker in color than #1. The thickness and feel as I break it up is similar to #1, but maybe a little more oily. Moisture content seems good.
I'm going to do two half bowls of this one as well.
Bowl 1 (5 minutes dry time). Initial light is a little more robust. After that, everything promised by the tin note is present in the smoke. Similar to #1 in flavor, but overall darker in tone. In fact, I feel like I'm meeting Sample #1's older brother. More mature, more introspective, possibly prone to brooding. I wouldn't be at all surprised if 1 and 2 are the same brand, or at least from the same blender. I'm at around mid bowl now and the dark sweetness is showing up more, but it's carrying a floral bitter edge in it's wake which I'm not sure about. I don't hate it but I definitely prefer #1. Also getting some moisture around this point but nothing major. And I'll stop there so I can enjoy the rest unencumbered by the burden of feeling like I need to try to come up with interesting things to say about it.
Bowl 2 (1 ½ hours dry time). Well, other than less moisture in the pipe, drying didn't change it much, so nothing really to report here. It's still good, but I still prefer sample #1. The floral tinged bitter edge of this one keeps poking at my memory though. Have I had this before? Maybe a long time ago? I think I have but I can't be totally sure. Or maybe it's just that it's very much like something I've had before. Anyway, it's solid good. If someone offered me some, I'd gladly make my way to the bottom of the bowl, but I'm not sure I'd seek it out.
Received my package yesterday and have cracked into #1 while I take some notes. Here's a shot of this old broken flake for those following along.
My package came today. Let me just start out by saying that I’m horrible at describing taste and smells. I jumped right into sample 1. The smell of the package was of plumbs, raisins and some fermentation. It appears to have some age on it with crystals on the surface. The taste is full of flavor. A bit of plumb with a decent amount of sour and a small amount of sweetness. 
Received my samples today. Extremely excited to share my observations on these!
After beginning on #4, I decided that the only logical step was to hop back to 3. This time I decided to do things a little differently. Namely, I split it half and half into 2 nearly identical Scott's Burners. I smoked one and Alex smoked the other. But more in that in a sec.
I cut open number 3 and breathed deeply a dozen times or so. The notes which hit me first put me in the mind if Rooibos tea with ginger. The raisin-esque scent was there, but it took a back seat. And some honey may have been involved.
Slipping the leaf from the packet, I'm assuming what we're looking at is a ready rubbed hot pressed flake, which screams European origin. Some pieces were mere slivers, nearly ribbon, while other chunks were still largely flaked.
Alex lit up first, allowing me to get a feel for this elusive room note. After careful consideration, I concluded that it seems to be more or less the same as the previous room note. That's to say... neither seems to be full-blown aromatics. All I smelled was the pleasant aroma of VA tobaccos.
I lit up next. My first impression was... this one's pretty sweet. The honey guess from the leaves appears to be on-point. The first few retro-hales supported this conclusion. Smooth, not too spicy, and still a hint of sweetness. The longer I went on, I could swear that I caught a hint of vinegar. I know that's used in the process many times and I love cooking with it, so maybe it was something I'm imputing onto the taste. Hard to say.
From the start, I enjoyed this one. Right about the time I was telling myself that this was the very definition of an all-day blend, Alex spouted out the opposite. "This burns too hot," he said. "What is this, maybe three weeks old? Geez." He didn't feel the same.
I told him I agreed, that the burn around the nostrils probably meant this was a fairly young tin, but I told him I enjoyed it. "I don't know," he said. "To me it's pretty boring. Like... why would I smoke this? It's not bad. It just isn't very original."
Alex said he thinks it's a Mac Baren of one kind or another. While I agreed that could be true, based on the appearance - ready rubbed hot press - and my affinity towards this blend, I have to assume it's a Kopp production. They make many of my favorite Virginias, especially the Chess Knight and Virginia Plug released under Cobblestone.
When I cook, most things come out with similar flavors. I tend to use garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and either peanut or avocado oil. While I adjust beyond that point, my base ingredients remain the same. I find that this holds true as well in tobacco manufacture, and I seem to like to toppings that Kopp employs. Time, however, will tell whether I'm right.
I'd give this a 4 on a 5 scale, but it seems Alex would land more at a 2.5.
I cut open number 3 and breathed deeply a dozen times or so. The notes which hit me first put me in the mind if Rooibos tea with ginger. The raisin-esque scent was there, but it took a back seat. And some honey may have been involved.
Slipping the leaf from the packet, I'm assuming what we're looking at is a ready rubbed hot pressed flake, which screams European origin. Some pieces were mere slivers, nearly ribbon, while other chunks were still largely flaked.
Alex lit up first, allowing me to get a feel for this elusive room note. After careful consideration, I concluded that it seems to be more or less the same as the previous room note. That's to say... neither seems to be full-blown aromatics. All I smelled was the pleasant aroma of VA tobaccos.
I lit up next. My first impression was... this one's pretty sweet. The honey guess from the leaves appears to be on-point. The first few retro-hales supported this conclusion. Smooth, not too spicy, and still a hint of sweetness. The longer I went on, I could swear that I caught a hint of vinegar. I know that's used in the process many times and I love cooking with it, so maybe it was something I'm imputing onto the taste. Hard to say.
From the start, I enjoyed this one. Right about the time I was telling myself that this was the very definition of an all-day blend, Alex spouted out the opposite. "This burns too hot," he said. "What is this, maybe three weeks old? Geez." He didn't feel the same.
I told him I agreed, that the burn around the nostrils probably meant this was a fairly young tin, but I told him I enjoyed it. "I don't know," he said. "To me it's pretty boring. Like... why would I smoke this? It's not bad. It just isn't very original."
Alex said he thinks it's a Mac Baren of one kind or another. While I agreed that could be true, based on the appearance - ready rubbed hot press - and my affinity towards this blend, I have to assume it's a Kopp production. They make many of my favorite Virginias, especially the Chess Knight and Virginia Plug released under Cobblestone.
When I cook, most things come out with similar flavors. I tend to use garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and either peanut or avocado oil. While I adjust beyond that point, my base ingredients remain the same. I find that this holds true as well in tobacco manufacture, and I seem to like to toppings that Kopp employs. Time, however, will tell whether I'm right.
I'd give this a 4 on a 5 scale, but it seems Alex would land more at a 2.5.
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I’ll be sharing my impressions soon, then I can go read what everyone else has shared (and see how far off my palate is from folks that know what they’re talking about).
).
Keep in mind I’m a neophyte, and can’t describe scents and flavors very well, but here goes nothing:
Red Virginias ‘24
1: Flakes with plenty of plume obviously aged. muted blond-ish tan and dark tobaccos with quite a few bird-eyes. Smells of ketchup (not catsup). Not cheating with any internet lookup, I’m going to guess a McClelland Flake (which I’ve never had) from the age and the Heinz note that grows a little stronger as it airs out following my usual cut and rub flake prep.
Lights and burns easily, seems a more on the bread side of flavor than hay. Very little if any piquancy on the snork.
Flavor strength steps up from light to just below medium passing the halfway point and it seems to have some nicotine involved. The ketchup note doesn’t come across much in the smoking, more like a vague, between sips aftertaste. Burns hot, but not alarmingly so, and doesn’t bite (but feels like it would if pushed).
Smoked to ash with one relight, and honestly aside from the tin note if I weren’t looking if for be something, I’d just say it’s a mild, rather bland Virginia that runs a little hot.
2.5/4
2: deep dark red broken flake, with a rich stewed tin note, with a faint balsamic-ish sourness. Medium body sweet yet slightly tannic smoke with a slight stewed-fruit flavor. Smooth on the snork, and seems stoved.
Rather monotone, but good.
CRF?
2.5/4
3: Broken/rubbed flake, nice reddish/brown with a smattering of what looks like bright leaf. Upon opening, this sample has the “tin note” of what a straight Virginia should smell like to my inarticulate, uneducated senses: a deep, slightly fermenty sweetness full of body.
Takes flame well, and for lack of better descriptors, tastes to me as a good red Va should: a bready, sweet yet slightly tannic with just a touch of citrus and a ever so slight piquant snork. Just below medium on the strength and nicotine. Easy on the throat for those like me that do tend to inhale a bit. Sips easily and produces a good amount of smoke. Didn’t bite, but ran close enough to doing so on the center of my tongue that I’d say it could if huffed carelessly.
Burned well-a little warm, left no moisture and very little dottle.
Seemed to be a well performing Red all around.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a C&D, as it reminds me of the reds found in GL Pease blends that use red.
3.25/4
4: Medium to light colored reddish tan flake. Tin note is quite fermenty, without being vinegary. Stewed fruit, earthy bready.
Lights well, medium to just above flavor, and the flavor is more of “tobacco” if that makes any sense-not so much bread/hay but more like there’s some cigar leaf hiding in there. A little rough in the throat, and sometime spicy on the snork, but not every time.
Strength builds during the smoke, with a little mouthwatering and touch of chest tightening that lets me know the nic is there.
All in all an enjoyable smoke.
3.25/4
5: Sutliff 515-RC-1, ‘nuff said!
Cut, appearance, tin note (albeit sample is muted compared to my stash-probably older than 2yrs), and the vinegar carrying into the smoke lead me to my assessment on this one.
Good stuff, I smoke it a bunch in the spring and fall.
3.5/4
6: Broken flake/ready-rubbed of reddish and bright tobacco. Tin note of bready hay, hint of reddish tannin/sour.
Lights easily and has a light sweet/sour thing going on. I’m getting a little spice on the snork, but very light, I’m gonna say there is a touch of perique in this one-tastes to me like Rattray’s Hal o’ the Wynd but with a light red as the base. Smokes easily leaves a good taste.
This one could be a go-to for me.
3.5/4
Red Virginias ‘24
1: Flakes with plenty of plume obviously aged. muted blond-ish tan and dark tobaccos with quite a few bird-eyes. Smells of ketchup (not catsup). Not cheating with any internet lookup, I’m going to guess a McClelland Flake (which I’ve never had
) from the age and the Heinz note that grows a little stronger as it airs out following my usual cut and rub flake prep.Lights and burns easily, seems a more on the bread side of flavor than hay. Very little if any piquancy on the snork.
Flavor strength steps up from light to just below medium passing the halfway point and it seems to have some nicotine involved. The ketchup note doesn’t come across much in the smoking, more like a vague, between sips aftertaste. Burns hot, but not alarmingly so, and doesn’t bite (but feels like it would if pushed).
Smoked to ash with one relight, and honestly aside from the tin note if I weren’t looking if for be something, I’d just say it’s a mild, rather bland Virginia that runs a little hot.
2.5/4
2: deep dark red broken flake, with a rich stewed tin note, with a faint balsamic-ish sourness. Medium body sweet yet slightly tannic smoke with a slight stewed-fruit flavor. Smooth on the snork, and seems stoved.
Rather monotone, but good.
CRF?
2.5/4
3: Broken/rubbed flake, nice reddish/brown with a smattering of what looks like bright leaf. Upon opening, this sample has the “tin note” of what a straight Virginia should smell like to my inarticulate, uneducated senses: a deep, slightly fermenty sweetness full of body.
Takes flame well, and for lack of better descriptors, tastes to me as a good red Va should: a bready, sweet yet slightly tannic with just a touch of citrus and a ever so slight piquant snork. Just below medium on the strength and nicotine. Easy on the throat for those like me that do tend to inhale a bit. Sips easily and produces a good amount of smoke. Didn’t bite, but ran close enough to doing so on the center of my tongue that I’d say it could if huffed carelessly.
Burned well-a little warm, left no moisture and very little dottle.
Seemed to be a well performing Red all around.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a C&D, as it reminds me of the reds found in GL Pease blends that use red.
3.25/4
4: Medium to light colored reddish tan flake. Tin note is quite fermenty, without being vinegary. Stewed fruit, earthy bready.
Lights well, medium to just above flavor, and the flavor is more of “tobacco” if that makes any sense-not so much bread/hay but more like there’s some cigar leaf hiding in there. A little rough in the throat, and sometime spicy on the snork, but not every time.
Strength builds during the smoke, with a little mouthwatering and touch of chest tightening that lets me know the nic is there.
All in all an enjoyable smoke.
3.25/4
5: Sutliff 515-RC-1, ‘nuff said!
Cut, appearance, tin note (albeit sample is muted compared to my stash-probably older than 2yrs), and the vinegar carrying into the smoke lead me to my assessment on this one.
Good stuff, I smoke it a bunch in the spring and fall.
3.5/4
6: Broken flake/ready-rubbed of reddish and bright tobacco. Tin note of bready hay, hint of reddish tannin/sour.
Lights easily and has a light sweet/sour thing going on. I’m getting a little spice on the snork, but very light, I’m gonna say there is a touch of perique in this one-tastes to me like Rattray’s Hal o’ the Wynd but with a light red as the base. Smokes easily leaves a good taste.
This one could be a go-to for me.
3.5/4
Hats off to @Sobrbiker on completing all six samples in record time. Sharp observations through and through!
Although Mr. Biker is already through the finish line, there’s plenty of time ahead for others. A few of our participants just got their samples in the mail today and the very last delivery will reach its destination tomorrow. If you are missing your samples, be sure to check your tracking info in the PMs.
It’s been a thrill reading everyone’s impressions so far and I love how every taster is bringing their own style to the challenge — both in terms of writing and smoking. There’s a lot in your approaches that I wouldn’t have thought of, back to back bowls with separate dry times for example. I’m learning new technique (and vocabulary) reading you all.
Although Mr. Biker is already through the finish line, there’s plenty of time ahead for others. A few of our participants just got their samples in the mail today and the very last delivery will reach its destination tomorrow. If you are missing your samples, be sure to check your tracking info in the PMs.
It’s been a thrill reading everyone’s impressions so far and I love how every taster is bringing their own style to the challenge — both in terms of writing and smoking. There’s a lot in your approaches that I wouldn’t have thought of, back to back bowls with separate dry times for example. I’m learning new technique (and vocabulary) reading you all.