Change My Mind About Virginia's I Dare You
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Black XX sucks ass! The brown ropes are where it's at though, happy bogie especially.
my suggestion is to buy a va pipe doesn't matter what pipe just that for a while that's all that goes through it. It will help clue your brain into the this is a new thing I should do it slightly differently. Doesn't have to be anything special just a decent smoker. Or even maybe if you have a pipe you rarely use and also wish you'd break out more often.
The Orlik GS and the PS Flake are probably not the best representation of VAs. I tried them and found them to taste tart and unnatural, especially OGS, which tastes like oranges to me.
Try a more natural VA like Union Square -- it might suit your palate a lot better. You might also try Gawith HOggarth Best Brown #2 -- it's really smooth and forgiving (and there's a touch of burley in it, which helps smooth out the acidity natural to VAs).
For that matter, just add a pinch of burley to something like Unions Square and see how it goes -- it might be easy to adjust to pure Va after a few burley-laced smokes.
I'm like you -- I smoke mostly burley, but I love VAs once in a while.
Try a more natural VA like Union Square -- it might suit your palate a lot better. You might also try Gawith HOggarth Best Brown #2 -- it's really smooth and forgiving (and there's a touch of burley in it, which helps smooth out the acidity natural to VAs).
For that matter, just add a pinch of burley to something like Unions Square and see how it goes -- it might be easy to adjust to pure Va after a few burley-laced smokes.
I'm like you -- I smoke mostly burley, but I love VAs once in a while.
Nothing wrong with Burley! I’ve tried to convince myself to like a few things I didn’t like. It wasn’t fun.
I don’t like Latakia. I hated it from the first time I tried an English blend right through every bowl of the few tins of various blends that were recommended to me so I could “get” Latakia. All I got was that I hate Latakia, and that’s that. But I definitely do not regret the effort, because I have no doubt and absolutely no FOMO. You know what the highly regarded Va blends are; give em an honest try until you are satisfied either that there’s something there for you or that you just don’t like Virginias. The only other thing I’ll add is that some of my favorite Virginias start off (the first 1/3 of the bowl or so) tasting thin, ashy, boring. After that, though, the natural sweetness starts to kick in, and....well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself. Burley is plenty good too
You might want to grab a tin of Capstan Blue flake and smoke a bunch of bowls of it. If you don’t enjoy it at lest you tried one of the finest straight Virginia’s on the market.
I thought I liked Virginias but a bowl of my preferred MacBaren's Pure Virginia was one of the most miserable smokes in this year. Not only it was tasteless, it even bit me a bit. It was the last flake from an opened tin. I'm not going to open any Virginia blend for a few months.
I think my palate is changing so I decided to concentrate on Burleys for a while and slowly move to English blends that I want to explore during winter. I miss Latakia.
I still believe in Virginia but sometimes we need a break and than come back to appreciate the things we have. :D
I think my palate is changing so I decided to concentrate on Burleys for a while and slowly move to English blends that I want to explore during winter. I miss Latakia.
I still believe in Virginia but sometimes we need a break and than come back to appreciate the things we have. :D
My B&M guy hit me early with a tin of McClelland's Red and Black. It ripped out my tongue and drove me far away from Virginias. Besides the occasional Frog blend, I steer clear of McClelland's.
Soon after, I tried some OGS, which everyone raved about. I got little enjoyment from it and still pickled my tongue.
Then, I scored a bag of GH&Co Kendal North Star, a VaBur shag. Although a bit "plain", I was able to enjoy it and I began looking more closely at Virginia blends.
This was all early in my pipe days and certainly my technique was lacking. I moved into some PS Bullseye Flake. I enjoyed it and it was fresh. Everyone implied that it was much better with age, so I cellared a bunch.
Then, I scored some aged FVF and, along with some evolving technique, things began to click. Now, my first cellared batch of Bullseye is about 2 years old and I'm getting excited about digging some out.
These days, I enjoy the occasional VA flake and more than occasional VA blend.
I second the C&D Pegasus recommendation. If you find it to your liking, push your luck and get further down the rabbit hole. C&D Winchester is another candidate. Both cheap, available and forgiving.
Puff away on your burleys at work and save the VA's for the relaxed weekend affairs.
Soon after, I tried some OGS, which everyone raved about. I got little enjoyment from it and still pickled my tongue.
Then, I scored a bag of GH&Co Kendal North Star, a VaBur shag. Although a bit "plain", I was able to enjoy it and I began looking more closely at Virginia blends.
This was all early in my pipe days and certainly my technique was lacking. I moved into some PS Bullseye Flake. I enjoyed it and it was fresh. Everyone implied that it was much better with age, so I cellared a bunch.
Then, I scored some aged FVF and, along with some evolving technique, things began to click. Now, my first cellared batch of Bullseye is about 2 years old and I'm getting excited about digging some out.
These days, I enjoy the occasional VA flake and more than occasional VA blend.
I second the C&D Pegasus recommendation. If you find it to your liking, push your luck and get further down the rabbit hole. C&D Winchester is another candidate. Both cheap, available and forgiving.
Puff away on your burleys at work and save the VA's for the relaxed weekend affairs.
Sorry to revive an older post but wanted to chime in:
I also hate virginias and simply do not smoke them EXCEPT virginias that have at least 5 years age on them. I had given up on virginias until I read somewhere that they are much better with age. So, I found some private sellers and bought a tin of FVF aged 7 years. I was absolutely blown away! The tobacco went from an acidic green hay monstrosity to a rich creamy molasses and chocolate treasure. Since then I have found a few more private sellers and my current jar has 9 years age on it, one '07 tin cellared, and one '19 jar I am aging myself; it is my favorite by far.......and I'm a lat guy! It is extremely difficult to find FVF aged 5+years so I cherish what I have and only smoke it occassionally when I want to spoil myself with an exceptional smoke. I have only had one aged virginia blend (Samuel Gawith Cabbies Mixture aged 5 years or so) and it was also exceptional!
My advice is to find some FVF cellared 5+ years and try it with age........it simply transforms into a premium tobacco. The image is my 9yo FVF with visible plume, simply delish!
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Im starting to think the reason I like briar fox so much is the slight Virginia twang it has. Maybe I'm slowly changing my ways....
Didi,
I share your curiosity about Virginias. There are those on this forum who speak about that tobacco as if it could change the world. Like you, I sampled more than a few Virginias, and, in the end, came to the conclusion that, despite the hype, straight Virginias are, in a word, blah. Monochomatic, nearly devoid of Vitamin N, and given to biting; who needs that? Stay true to the burley!
In the end, we all smoke our pipes for pleasure. If a blend or tobacco variety doesn't suit, forget it. Life is too short. :
Cheers,
Chili
I share your curiosity about Virginias. There are those on this forum who speak about that tobacco as if it could change the world. Like you, I sampled more than a few Virginias, and, in the end, came to the conclusion that, despite the hype, straight Virginias are, in a word, blah. Monochomatic, nearly devoid of Vitamin N, and given to biting; who needs that? Stay true to the burley!
In the end, we all smoke our pipes for pleasure. If a blend or tobacco variety doesn't suit, forget it. Life is too short. :
Cheers,
Chili
Virginian tobaccos are great. But you have to respect them. That's the only secret. Burlys too however they're easier to handle. I generally smoke both the same, and that's why I'd recommend virginian is to help you slow down, because even burlies taste better with a slower cadence and virginians will teach you to slow the heck down.
Not out to change anyone's mind, tastes can and do change. I smoked just Nightcap for my first years of pipe-smoking and thought there is no other tobacco that's worthy of being called pipe tobacco. That's out of a sample of three: a pouch of Clan which came with my first pipe, some cherry aromatic, and Nightcap.
Then had my first tin of Deluxe Navy Rolls and find myself hovering all over VaPer and straight Va flakes every time I am perusing tobacco online. That is, after accepting what a dork I was thinking Latakia was the be-all end-all of pipe tobacco.
Love Burley too, and perique, and Gawith's ropes, even Lakelands I think I just like everything I've tried so far bar Gaslight :/
Then had my first tin of Deluxe Navy Rolls and find myself hovering all over VaPer and straight Va flakes every time I am perusing tobacco online. That is, after accepting what a dork I was thinking Latakia was the be-all end-all of pipe tobacco.
Love Burley too, and perique, and Gawith's ropes, even Lakelands
I think I just like everything I've tried so far bar Gaslight :/
didi,just face the facts, you have no taste buds so you couldn't possibly enjoy a great virginia. Get a bag of Smokers Pride, it should be Nirvana for you.
Depends on the Virginia maybe.
If you like the dark nutty chocolateness of your burleys, then a grassy citrusy bright Virginia might just not do it for you.
Maybe try some red Virginia focused blends. Red is more bready and has a deep fruit sort of flavour. Also a va per gives you some spice and strength that could tickle your fancy. I tried dan tobaccos St Bernard va per and it really turned me on to Virginia's.
Of course if you smoke too fast your gonna miss those sweet notes that bloom when the temp is kept low in the bowl.
I am actually staring to like that bright virginia citrus grassyness lately. I didn't like it before but I just find it so refreshing now. I had smoked a 1lb of red Virginia whole leaf which I stoved to various degrees( alot of it mixed with strong whole leaf dark air burley) and really liked that and now it's got me turned on to bright Virginia.
If you like the dark nutty chocolateness of your burleys, then a grassy citrusy bright Virginia might just not do it for you.
Maybe try some red Virginia focused blends. Red is more bready and has a deep fruit sort of flavour. Also a va per gives you some spice and strength that could tickle your fancy. I tried dan tobaccos St Bernard va per and it really turned me on to Virginia's.
Of course if you smoke too fast your gonna miss those sweet notes that bloom when the temp is kept low in the bowl.
I am actually staring to like that bright virginia citrus grassyness lately. I didn't like it before but I just find it so refreshing now. I had smoked a 1lb of red Virginia whole leaf which I stoved to various degrees( alot of it mixed with strong whole leaf dark air burley) and really liked that and now it's got me turned on to bright Virginia.
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