Help Finding (and Understanding) Dark Virginia Pipe Tobacco

[jdlander]

I am new to pipe smoking (1 year in now), and have been trying to find what I like.

I have noticed that two blends I really liked both contained a description of "dark Virginias" (HH Rustica, and 3 Nuns).

Here are my questions:

1. How is dark Virginia different then dark fired Kentucky?

2. In trying to Google other tobaccos with dark Virginia, I found tobacco blends with 'Dark Virginia" in the name or description, but upon further reading, it appears they have dark stoved virginia. This is a cavendish, right, and not the same thing? Or is it?

3. Based on the two blends I liked above, do you have any recommendations for similar pipe tobaccos I should try, especially since Rustica is no longer available?

 

[Sobrbiker]

Many Gawith virginias are “dark” and some I believe are fire cured. They’re Indian, African, and probably Brazilian (now).
I like em a bunch.

 

[brooklynpiper]

Dark Virginia is tough to glean anything from marketing materials because it could mean any number of things:

You can buy types of seeds labeled as Dark Virginia. In the same way, it could also mean grades.

Some Virginias are air cured.

Some are fire-cured. This is a similar process to Dark Fired Kentucky or dark fired burley.

Stoving is a purposely vague term implying some method of heating. Cavendish is a steaming process. We see like in your example the blackening of virginias being marketed as dark sometimes.

 

[dottlejockey]

In addition to climate (country of origin), matured, stoved, cavendished or fire-cured will all darken the leaf. Based on your two likes thus far, i'd say maybe give the following a shot at some point:

Like @Sobrbiker said, Gawith tends to use darker VAs, like FVF or plug, Burnt Ends and Kendal products.
Since you enjoy a little more nic (as in Rustica), maybe something like GLP Jack Knife would be up your alley.
Also, Mac Baren Old Dark Fired and even Amphora Kentucky Blend (which has DFK and VA).

 

[tschiraldi]

Dark Fired Kentucky is burley.
Dark fired Virginia is, well Virginia.
Completely different taste profiles. As mentioned, Sam Gawith and Gawith Hoggarth use dark Virginia in several blends.

 

[Terry Lennox]

If you can find it, Wessex Campaign Dark Flake will give you a clear sense of what dark (red) Virginia's taste like when dominant in a blend. Then compare that to something brighter like Orlik Golden Sliced or Peterson (formerly Dunhill) Flake, especially when fresh. (aged many years they can get closer to each other).

 

[olofsson]

Like others have said, many of the Gawith blends are based on dark virginia. I'd add Dunhill dark flake to the list.