I enjoyed the special virginia but it didn't blow my head off, it was adequate in every way although there was a moment whilst smoking it where I had a taste of vanillla/toffee/something creamy I couldn't quite put my finger on but damn it was very nice indeed. Only one moment like that stood out to me, and I'm still trying to perfect the intricacies of pipe smoking. I didn't find the bite to exist or if it did it was very subtle (I did dry the tobacco out for 10 minutes or so beforehand) . I smoked some Squadron leader this morning out of a cob, it was fantastic and makes for a great all day no fuss smoke, I think the Latakia adds alot and it was reasonably easy to stay lit. I get a shared ashy taste from all blends at the moment, not overly distinct from that of a cigarette but i get some magic moments somewhere in the ratio of 80:20. I attribute this to being relatively new to it all.