This afternoon I accompanied my wife on a shopping expedition to Harvard Square. While she shopped for clothes, i made my way through the square to Leavitt & Peirce, one of the oldest tobacco shops in this area. Unlike Peretti's, which focuses entirely on pipes, tobacco and cigars, L&P has always featured grooming products, games etc along with tobacco related products. It has historically been the go to spot for pipesmoking Harvard students and faculty. Still a quaint throwback shop directly across from one of the gates which leads to Harvard yard. In any event, i spent some time looking at pipes and memorabilia and checking out the large apothecary jars full of blends. Most are Lane and Stokkebye but one large jar was labeled "new" and contained bulk Gawith FVF. I have been a pipesmoker for nearly 40 years and I love Virginias, especially flakes and broken flakes. I have heard and read so much about FVF, but never tried it. I bought a couple of ounces and proceeded to take a stroll through the Harvard campus. Lots of families enjoying a warm day and lots of tourists taking pictures of themselves at Harvard. I found a shady spot and lit up a bowl in a Peterson Flame Grain spigot acorn. What a wonderful and even transcendent smoke. Pure bliss. How have I missed the tobacco for all of these years? Have others had a similar experience with the kismet of finding a blend which is so well known but which you personally have just gotten around to trying? Just how great is FVF?
