So I finally bought a tin of said tobacco, and of course it is the 2020 September harvest with 8% sugar content. My wife and I both packed bowls in good flake pipes and lit up, and we're a little surprised by it's blandness after all the hype. Now, just to preface, we were expecting this to an extent, because I'm assuming that it needs to age and breathe. My question is how long before it actually develops and starts to taste as good as people say it does?
C&D Carolina Red Flake Not Tasty
- Thread starter Effortlessdepths
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I haven't tried the latest...the 2018 I'm working on right now is awesome....yeah I didn't help at all...
I stuck with the prior harvest as well and even that I am aging a few years.
I thought the same when I first popped a tin. I got a bit of cranberry juice in there, but not enough to my liking yet. So it's in a jar for at least 6 months, and we'll see what's up then.
Though I suspect it will take longer for a real difference to be made.
Though I suspect it will take longer for a real difference to be made.
You don't mention how you prepped it before smoking. The flakes need a bit of drying out for the flavors to come through. Otherwise it's quite bland.
Come back to it in a few years and see how it changes.
Come back to it in a few years and see how it changes.
I buy 15 tins a year and I never let any age. You can certainly tell the increased nicotine/lower sugar content of the new batch relative to the old. But I think what I like about CRF in general is that it is the best pure red out there (uncased and untopped). My favorites are all reds (except JK Plug), so I am pretty particular about the reds and how they are processed. I think true red lovers like myself appreciate the wholeness of this leaf (whatever that means)...this batch may not be the tastiest batch, but it's still a very good, high quality red for sure. If you want a deeper flavor, try C&D Interlude (slightly cased but untopped) or Sutliffs Krumble Kake Red..lower quality leafs for sure, but probably more of the flavor you are looking for.
I am a Burley guy myself, but I want to be just as much a Virginia guy too, and I bought the CRF partially for that purpose: palate expansion. I knew it was uncased and untopped and that's why I got it. So I'll rub it out and let it dry and keep experimenting with it, because I know it's good, my palate and understanding is just lacking. I will buy a few more to age too.
I will echo what others have said about prep and drying, and add that I think 2-3 weeks in a jar helps this particular blend to taste its best when fresh. Now, as others have mentioned, it will be much better aged (the 2018 I have is great!) but if you want to get the most out of it fresh, I think letting it breathe in a jar for a couple of weeks, and then rubbing out/drying should help.
I think that being a "Virginia" guy is slightly different than being a "red Virginia" guy. What I mean by that is uncased, untopped, red Virginias, unless processed like Sutliff's, is a lot like acquiring a taste for Scotch. The vast majority of scotch drinkers probably didn't think much of the drink the first few times, but it tends to grow on you. That said, if you have any bright Virginia (say, C&D Virginia Flake), which is a lot sweeter, you may want to try blending a little of that with the CRF--that might help get you over this hump. (By the way, I like a good strong burley too; I smoke Burley Flake #2 quite often, although nowhere near as much as the reds.)
I'll admit I've been spoiled by McClelland when it comes to matured Red Virginia. That level of tang and funkiness hasn't been reached by anyone else, and will not likely be seen again. McClelland's methodology between selection and processing is gone for good. I'm damned happy I stocked up.
CRF doesn't come close, but it's a pretty good effort and fine in its own right. Byronic Slices also has a whisper of that full throated McClelland profile. But I don't always need all that funk, so Simply Red does a good job when I want to have some red without hitting my McClelland or McCranie's stash.
CRF doesn't come close, but it's a pretty good effort and fine in its own right. Byronic Slices also has a whisper of that full throated McClelland profile. But I don't always need all that funk, so Simply Red does a good job when I want to have some red without hitting my McClelland or McCranie's stash.
When I say Virginia I definitely mean pure uncased untopped VA, red or otherwise. I love the semois and D&R tobaccos that are completely understand, and I take that back with a lot of things in my life. I also love scotch, and ironically enough my favorite middle shelf scotch is McClelland's Highland Single Malt lol go figure.
So I am unafraid. I don't need a lot of sweetness, and while I do smoke other more cased and topped tobacco's, I just want to smoke the real stuff and learn to appreciate it. One can approach acquired tastes purposefully!
On a side note, I can't get enough of C&D Burley flakes, #1 being my favorite. Love me some two timer as well.
Opening the tin a week or two to let it breathe and stabilize should make a significant difference.
Smoking a bowl of it right now after rubbing and drying it all for about an hour and a half, and it is much better! Thanks everyone
It does, yeah. My first taste of it a few years ago was good but not great. Now when I buy it I open 2 at a time & by the time I get about half through both (not smoking it all the time) it's considerably tastier.
Wow this stuff has a decent nicotine hit for a va, I'm only halfway through a small bowl
I bought a tin of the C&D Carolina Red Flake in 2019. A friend I popped it when it arrived and the aroma was amazing. Smoking it was an entirely different problem and we didn't enjoy it. I revisiting it several times after that initial smoke and it got a little better, but it ended up turning me off of red Virginia... Until I finally bit the bullet earlier this year and got some Watch City Simply Red and Rhythm & Blues to try. Those blends were great and now I no longer associate red Virginia with unpleasantness. I tried it again when this year's batch was released and it was tolerable, but still not my thing. It's on my list to revisit again at some point.
I recently revisited a tin of this year's CRF I opened a few weeks ago and it's already tasting much better. But I agree with your assessment, this rendition of he flake is definitely skippable.
honestly Va tobacco always tastes a little blandish the first time for me. The little differences more sneak up on you then hit you in the face. Could just be me.
- Status